What is Vatican II?

Vatican II, also known as the Second Vatican Council, was a landmark event in the history of the Roman Catholic Church. It was convened by Pope John XXIII and took place from 1962 to 1965 in Vatican City. The council was significant for its efforts to modernize and renew various aspects of Catholicism in response to the changing social, cultural, and religious landscape of the 20th century.

Some key aspects and goals of Vatican II include:

Doctrinal Renewal: The council aimed to renew and update Catholic Church doctrine and teachings in a way that would make them more accessible and relevant to contemporary society.

Liturgical Reform: One of the most visible changes resulting from Vatican II was the reform of the liturgy, most notably the Mass. The council promoted the use of vernacular languages in the liturgy instead of Latin, encouraged greater participation of the laity in worship, and introduced changes to the structure and celebration of Mass.

Ecumenism: Vatican II emphasized the importance of dialogue and collaboration with other Christian denominations and religions. It sought to promote unity among Christians and foster greater understanding and cooperation with people of other faiths.

Social Justice: The council addressed various social and ethical issues, including poverty, human rights, and the role of the Church in the modern world. It called on Catholics to actively engage in promoting social justice and working towards the common good.

The Church and the World: Vatican II sought to redefine the relationship between the Catholic Church and the modern world. It emphasized the Church's mission to be actively engaged in addressing the needs and concerns of contemporary society while remaining faithful to its core beliefs and values.

Vatican II had a profound impact on the Catholic Church and its followers, shaping the way Catholicism is practiced and understood in the modern era. While it was met with both enthusiasm and resistance, its legacy continues to influence the Church's teachings, practices, and approach to engagement with the wider world.

What is Roman Catholicism according to Encyclopedia Britannica?

Roman Catholicism is the largest branch of Christianity, with an estimated 1.3 billion followers worldwide. Rooted in the teachings of Jesus Christ, it has a rich history, complex doctrines, and a global presence that influences various aspects of life and culture. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, Roman Catholicism encompasses a specific set of beliefs, practices, and institutions distinct from other branches of Christianity. This article explores the key elements of Roman Catholicism, including its beliefs, sacraments, structure, and global impact.

Historical Roots and Development

Roman Catholicism traces its origins to the early Christian communities established in the Roman Empire. According to tradition, the Apostle Peter, one of Jesus' closest followers, was the first bishop of Rome. This position laid the foundation for the idea that the bishop of Rome, or the Pope, is the spiritual leader of all Christians, holding a unique authority passed down in an unbroken line from Peter himself. The Roman Catholic Church believes in an apostolic succession, where this spiritual authority continues through generations of bishops.

Over the centuries, Roman Catholicism evolved, drawing on theological, cultural, and political developments. In 1054, the Great Schism divided Christianity into the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. Later, in the 16th century, the Protestant Reformation led to further division, with Protestantism branching off from Roman Catholicism. Despite these splits, Roman Catholicism retained a strong identity centered around the papacy, traditional teachings, and an emphasis on both faith and good works as paths to salvation.

Core Beliefs of Roman Catholicism

1. The Holy Trinity

Like most Christians, Roman Catholics believe in the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, the concept that God exists as three persons in one essence: the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit. This belief underscores the unity of God in three distinct yet coequal persons.

2. Salvation

Roman Catholics believe that salvation is achieved through a combination of faith in Jesus Christ, participation in the sacraments, and adherence to moral teachings. Unlike some Christian denominations that emphasize “faith alone” for salvation, Catholic teaching holds that faith must be accompanied by good works, ethical behavior, and participation in the Church’s sacramental life.

3. The Sacraments

The Catholic Church practices seven sacraments, sacred rites that believers see as essential channels of divine grace. These sacraments include:

Baptism – A rite of initiation that cleanses original sin and welcomes a person into the Christian community.

Confirmation – Confirms and strengthens the faith received at baptism.

Eucharist (Communion) – The ritual commemoration of Jesus’ Last Supper, where Catholics believe in the real presence of Christ in the bread and wine.

Penance (Confession) – A sacrament of reconciliation in which Catholics confess sins to a priest and receive absolution.

Anointing of the Sick – Provides healing and comfort to those who are ill or nearing death.

Holy Orders – The ordination of deacons, priests, and bishops, dedicating them to serve the Church.

Matrimony (Marriage) – The union of a man and woman as a sacramental partnership blessed by the Church.

4. Mary and the Saints

Roman Catholicism holds a special veneration for Mary, the mother of Jesus, and the saints—holy men and women believed to be in heaven. Mary is regarded as the most exalted of saints, often referred to as the "Mother of God." Catholics believe that saints can intercede on their behalf, praying to them for guidance and support. This practice, however, is distinct from worship, which is reserved for God alone.

5. The Pope and Papal Infallibility

The Pope, also known as the Bishop of Rome, is considered the supreme earthly authority of the Catholic Church. According to the doctrine of papal infallibility, when the Pope speaks ex cathedra (from the chair of St. Peter) on matters of faith and morals, his teachings are considered free from error. This belief, clarified during the First Vatican Council in 1870, has only been used a few times in history but underscores the Pope’s unique role in maintaining doctrinal consistency.

The Structure of the Roman Catholic Church

The Catholic Church has a hierarchical structure led by the Pope and administered through various levels of clergy. The Pope is assisted by the College of Cardinals, who act as advisers and elect a new Pope when the position becomes vacant. Below the cardinals are bishops, each overseeing a diocese, or geographic area of churches. Priests serve under bishops, ministering to local congregations and administering most of the sacraments.

In addition to this formal hierarchy, the Catholic Church includes various religious orders, such as the Franciscans, Dominicans, and Jesuits. These orders are communities of men and women who take vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience and commit themselves to specific forms of service, such as education, missionary work, or care for the poor.

Roman Catholic Worship and Practices

1. The Mass

The central act of worship in the Catholic Church is the Mass, a ritual that includes readings from Scripture, prayers, and the Eucharist. Catholics believe that during the Eucharist, the bread and wine are transformed into the body and blood of Christ, a doctrine known as transubstantiation. The Mass is celebrated daily in many churches, but Sunday Mass holds special significance as a communal day of worship.

2. Prayer and Devotion

Prayer is a vital part of Catholic life, and there are various forms of prayer, including individual, communal, liturgical, and contemplative. The Rosary, a series of prayers reflecting on the life of Christ and Mary, is one of the most popular devotions. Other devotions include novenas, or nine-day prayers, and the Stations of the Cross, a meditation on Jesus’ path to crucifixion.

3. Observances and Feasts

The Catholic Church observes several important liturgical seasons, including Advent, Lent, and Easter. Feast days honoring Jesus, Mary, and the saints are celebrated throughout the year, with Christmas and Easter being the most prominent.

Catholic Social Teaching and Global Influence

The Catholic Church has a long tradition of social teaching, emphasizing the dignity of the human person, the importance of community, and a commitment to justice and peace. Key themes of Catholic social teaching include the preferential option for the poor, stewardship of the environment, and the defense of human rights.

Globally, the Catholic Church operates thousands of schools, hospitals, and charitable organizations, serving both Catholics and non-Catholics alike. Through entities like Caritas Internationalis, the Church is involved in humanitarian efforts, advocating for the marginalized and responding to crises worldwide. Popes often use their influence to speak out on social, environmental, and ethical issues, promoting peace and dialogue among nations.

Roman Catholicism Today

Today, Roman Catholicism faces numerous challenges, including secularization, declining church attendance in some regions, and a range of internal and external criticisms. In response, the Church has engaged in efforts to adapt while staying true to its teachings. Recent popes, especially Pope Francis, have emphasized mercy, outreach to the marginalized, and interfaith dialogue, seeking to make the Church relevant in a changing world.

At the same time, Catholicism continues to grow in regions like Africa and Latin America, where vibrant communities are keeping the faith alive. The future of Catholicism may involve new ways of engaging believers and adapting practices to local cultures while preserving its ancient traditions.

Conclusion

According to Encyclopedia Britannica, Roman Catholicism is a complex and influential tradition rooted in ancient Christian teachings, with a global presence and rich heritage of faith, doctrine, and social engagement. From the sacraments and papal authority to its commitment to social justice, Roman Catholicism continues to shape the lives of millions. While the Church faces modern challenges, its foundational beliefs and practices provide continuity for believers in a rapidly changing world. Whether viewed through the lens of history, theology, or global impact, Roman Catholicism remains a powerful force in the landscape of world religions.

Nostradamus predicting about the Roman Catholic Church and the Antichrist

Nostradamus, a French astrologer and physician who lived in the 16th century, is famous for his cryptic and often ambiguous prophecies. Some interpreters claim that his writings contain predictions about various historical events, including references to the Roman Catholic Church and the concept of the Antichrist. However, it's essential to approach such interpretations with caution, as Nostradamus' quatrains are open to a wide range of interpretations, and many of them have been retroactively applied to fit historical events.

Regarding the Roman Catholic Church, some believers in Nostradamus' prophecies have suggested that certain quatrains allude to events involving the Church, such as schisms, conflicts, or changes in leadership. However, these interpretations are often speculative and subject to debate.

As for the Antichrist, there are interpretations that suggest Nostradamus made references to a figure resembling the Antichrist in his writings. Again, these interpretations are highly subjective, and different scholars and enthusiasts have proposed various candidates throughout history as potential fulfillments of this prophecy.

It's important to note that Nostradamus' prophecies are not universally accepted as genuine predictions, and many historians and skeptics view them as ambiguous literary works that have been selectively interpreted after the fact to fit historical events.

In conclusion, while there are interpretations of Nostradamus' writings that involve the Roman Catholic Church and the Antichrist, these interpretations are highly speculative and should be approached with skepticism. It's essential to critically evaluate such claims and consider the context and historical background before drawing conclusions about their validity.

Glimpses of the future: Events linking Catholicism, Zionism and Shiism with the Antichrist (The Arabic Ad-Dajjal)

The Antichrist in person will unite Shiites, Catholics and Zionists worldwide under his dominion

Iran, Vatican and Israel together with Socialist-Communist block countries will be the new Global Superpower surpassing the US and the UK, to be led by the Antichrist

The new Antichrist Superpower will invade the whole globe, country after country, city by city, leading to planet's greatest holocaust of those opposing authority of the Beast

The future Antichrist Superpower will be global expansion of Greater Israel and Shiite Crescent, as well as global expansion of the new Persian Empire (Iran and Iraq) and the New Roman Empire (the EU)

The Antichrist will first appear as The Twelth Imam of the Shiites in Isfahan, Iran within Iranian Jews there and subsequently enter Israel to be crowned as Moshiach of the Zionists and later on accepted by many Zionist Jews worldwide. He will eventually take over The Holy See and rule Vatican as The Christ (the Biblical Antichrist) together with the Last Pope, Petrus Romanus; repeating the bloody Inquisition of innocent humanity on a global scale. Shiites and Catholics will unite as one brotherhood together with Zionists under the Antichrist

The Beast will impersonate Christ in many ways and finally claim to be Allah Himself (Arabic: الله, Hebrew: אלה‎), holding his own Day of Judgement, whilst deceiving mankind with images of Paradise and Hell

The researcher is certain that Allah of Shiites, Catholics and Zionists differs from Allah of all the Messengers, from Adam to Muhammad. Allah of the former can manifest himself as human on earth, whilst Allah The Creator of the Universe can only be seen with physical eyes in the Next World. The Antichrist in the midst of his Day of Judgement will enslave humanity to accept him as Allah. Please read Return of Allah: Shiite Muslims in Iraq

In summary, the Antichrist will initially claim to be The Twelth Imam, and then Moshiach and Christ, then Son of Allah and eventually Allah Himself!

The Prophet Muhammad advised Muslims to recite the first ten verses of Surah Al-Kahf of the Quran as protection from tribulations of the Antichrist. It is the most vital chapter of the Quran in relations to the end-times; in it are signs pertaining to Zulqarnain, Gog and Magog and Youth of the Cave

The researcher is certain that the Antichrist will imitate Zulqarnain in establishing his future empire, starting from Iran and Israel, moving towards Asia and finally other parts of the world

From research, it is probable that Zulqarnain of the Quran is the historical Cyrus the Great, whose Persian empire was the largest empire ever existed on the surface of the earth. Please read Words of Cyrus the Great in the Bible and Cyrus the Great in the Qur'an

The New Cyrus will reestablish the Persian empire and expand it to the pride of many Iranians and Zoroastrians. It is amazing to note that during the ancient time, Cyrus the Great was held as Moshiach by many Jews for centuries although he was not Jewish by ethnicity, and the avenue where he permitted the Jews of Iran to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem was in the heart of Isfahan, the place where the Prophet Muhammad prophesied the Antichrist to emerge before his global conquest

The future Cyrus (the Antichrist) will first strengthen Iran acting as The Twelth Imam, and after being accepted as Moshiach by Israel, Jews and Zionists worldwide (just like the ancient Cyrus himself was accepted as Moshiach by the ancient Jews), he will finally launch his Global Revolution from Jerusalem to establish his New World Order and authoritarian supremacy, until the second advent of the Christ Jesus

The Antichrist will direct his Shiite followers to put the whole Islamic nation under his dominion, whilst his Catholic followers are directed to force the whole Christendom to worship him as Christ, his followers amongst the feminists will be commanded to lure many innocent women into his Way, and finally his Zionist followers will take the task of invading the whole globe, even at the cost of destroying the present superpower, the United States of America. He will corrupt the teachings of Islam and ultimately destroy Christianity itself. He will emerge at the time when Shiism is accepted by the Islamic World as an authentic sect of Islam; many Sunnis will either embrace Shiism or believe many of the lies propagated by Shiite scholars. Shiism will be dominant in the Muslim world at the time of the Antichrist

The researcher if of the opinion that both St. Paul and Abdullah Ibn Saba had been agents of the Antichrist to destroy Islam of Jesus and the Prophet Muhammad from within

Shiite fundamentalists including those of Hizbullah and Sadr Army will join Christian Fundamentalists and Zionist terrorists as well as Communist and Socialist revolutionaries worldwide, in conquering the whole world, under leadership of terror of the Antichrist

The Antichrist will be a Sephardic Jew in ethnicity, but will claim himself via deception to be an Arab, a Persian and a Roman too, relating his ancestry to Household of the Prophet Muhammad, the last Emperor of the Persian Empire (under the Sassanid Dynasty) and finally descendant of Saint Peter; reputed to be Founder of the Catholic Church

The Beast will have perfect command of Hebrew, Arabic, Persian and Latin languages. His rise to world power will be made easy by support of his Jewish followers from Euro-Jews or the Ashkenazic Jews, who according to the author of The Thirteenth Tribe, were descendants of the Khazars, converts to Judaism en masse in 740 ADThere will occur massacre of the Arabs, (except the Shiite Arabs) in the whole Middle East, by joint efforts of the Iranians and the Israelis. The Persians and the Jews had always been hostile towards the Arabs. Please read this excerpt from Treacherous Alliance: The Secret Dealings of Israel, Iran and the United States

The Shiite Arabs are descendants of the Prophetic Kharijites who abandoned Ali, but eventually infiltrated Party of Ali as a disguise; all were and are still loyal followers of the Jew, Abdullah Ibn Saba

At the time of the Antichrist, Shiism will undergo tremendous changes in creed and jurisprudence, as then the Antichrist (acting as The Twelth Imam) will re-Judaize it to conform more to the Talmud. He will also bring his version of the Quran and destroy copies of the present Quran. The long occultation of The Twelth Imam is already leading to gradual annihilation of the Shiite Islamic syariah, just waiting for the conducive time for The Twelth Imam to partially or completely destroy the remaining syariah of the Shiites

The Antichrist acting as The Twelth Imam will attempt to invade Makkah and Madinah with his Shiite fanatics but will be halted by angels guarding both cities. He will make claim as the Promised Divine Saviour to every existing religion of his day, and will seek to unite them under One Global Religion just like Bahaism

The researcher is certain that the original Gog and Magog are located within the ranks of the present day Ashkenazic Jews, who had been pioneers of World Zionism, forefathers of Greater Israel and occupiers of The White House and thus the greatest Superpower today, the United States of America

Pasdaran, an intelligence agency and vanguard of the 'Islamic' Revolution founded during Khomeini's rule will merge with Mossad, a notorious Israeli espionage organization during the 40 day governance of the Antichrist, of which the first day will be lengthened to the time equal to that of a year

The Great Depression of 1929 will recur throughout the whole United States (during the global theocratic rule of the Antichrist and his followers among rabbis, priests and ayatollahs), leading to millions of people jobless and homeless, and countless corporations and businesses closed, and eventually collapse of the stock market and the entire American currency and economy

According to Nostradamus in The Nostradamus Code: World War III, American supremacy will be reduced, and for the first time in world history, the world will be invaded by a single man i.e. the Antichrist

The Hojjatieh Society of Iran, Society of Jesus of The Holy See and The Knights Templars (now known as Freemasonry) pave the way for the Antichrist to emerge on the global scene, having powerful alliance behind the scene

The Antichrist will deceive the unitarian believers among Muslims, Jews and Christians via logic and magic. He will be an amazing logician and philosopher (interesting to note that the best minds in logic and philosophy had always been Persian and Jewish), and superior magician and cabalist, mastering the arts and science of Kabbalah. He will be the most superior logician and magician of his day, throughout the whole world

The Beast's emergence will witness the rise of many debaters, liars, magicians and terrorists committing crimes in the names of God and Justice

The Antichrist is the Father of Terror and Pioneer of Terrorism, and had been behind acts of terror of terrorist organizations like Hizbullah (as in Shabra Shatila Massacre), Mossad (as in September 11) and Freemasonry (as in the French Revolution)

The King of the Jews is the New World Messiah of the New World Order

Blogs created by Ahmad Mokhzani Abdullah:
Antichrist And Shiism
Antichrist And Catholicism
Antichrist And Zionism

Books to be released by Ahmad Mokhzani Abdullah:
World Shiism Agenda
World Catholicism Agenda
World Zionism Agenda

Visitors can surf:
Anti-Zionist Jews
Books on Freemasonry from Harun Yahya for Alburr
Islam and Freemasonry
Free Apocalypse Library for Alburr