Hating the Harlot

Pagan Altar set up in St. Peter’s Square for the Feast of the Federation. Painting by Felice Gianai, 1798

REV 17:16 And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire. 17 For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. 18 And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth.”

RELIGION

Common people sometimes detest “religion”. Maybe they want to do things their way, not God’s righteous way. They want to sin. Or they may have been hurt and exploited by a church. Maybe their parents would quote the Bible, out of context, and then be abusive to the children. These people need to be loved into the Kingdom! They need to know the love of Yeshua!

But why do the ten horns hate this harlot with a passion?

Horns suggest strength, power, and authority. These ten horns represent kings.

REV 17:12 “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour* as kings with the beast.

These “ten horns” refer to the Book of Revelation specifically. But history shows that the harlot, ie. the popes and his hierarchies, who has been around for thousands of years, holds sway over the kings of the earth. Emperors, kings, queens and high officials have been at the beck and call of the pope. During the Holy Roman Empire (800AD- 1806AD), both popes and the emperors thought themselves to be the rulers of Western Europe. But a pope held ecclesiastical control. He could threaten excommunication from the church and oftentimes did!

So over the centuries, the monarchs have put up with the harlot. In the time of the end, the “ten horns” will eliminate her! But it won’t be for too long for judgement day is coming!

THE BATTLE BETWEEN KINGS & POPES

Innocent III (1198-1216): During his time of office, he was possibly the most powerful man in Europe. Pope Innocent III declared England under King John (1208–1213AD) a papal fief, which meant the papacy would have the ultimate say. The pope had unrivaled control over English affairs.

Pope Boniface VIII (1294 –1303AD). The Bull Unam Sanctam in 1302 “declared that both spiritual and temporal power were under the pope’s jurisdiction, and that kings were subordinate to the power of the Roman pontiff.” It “made absolute obedience to the pope a condition of salvation.” However, Vatican II (1964), softened this papal bull, reinterpreting it spiritually. They needed to save face.

Pope Clement VII and Henry VIII of England had a major dispute in the 1520’s. Clement refused to annul the king’s marriage. So the king started the Church of England and ended papal authority in the British Isles. Right or wrong on the part of the king, at least they were no longer under the pope!

Pius IX during the First Vatican Council (1869–70) “decreed papal infallibility.” (The church has used this just twice. However, many people don’t understand and think that everything the pope says in relation to the church is infallible!) This caused huge problems politically, especially in Italy and Germany. German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck feared that Catholics had a dual loyalty, to Rome and to Germany.

Pius XI (1922 -1939) signed the Lateran Treaty in 1929 with Mussolini. It made Roman Catholicism Italy’s “sole religion”.

HITLER & THE POPE

Adolf Hitler needed to eliminate the Catholic Centre political party, one of the last remaining opponents to his regime, in order to make it easier for him to establish a one-party state. The pontiff Pius XI wanted to safeguard the rights of the RCC in a swiftly changing Germany. This is how the 1933 Concordat, otherwise known as the Reichskonkordat, came to be. It was the first major international treaty signed by Hitler’s regime. It was a coup for Hitler but not so for the church because the Nazis did not keep their end of the bargain. Almost immediately, the Nazis started persecuting the clergy, closed Catholic schools, and restrained church organizations.

Eugenio Pacelli (later Pope Pius XII, 1939 – 1958) signed this agreement. The Vatican consented that its clergy would abstain from political activities. Soon after, the Catholic Centre Party was dissolved, helping Hitler to consolidate power.

This treaty gave legitimacy to Hitler. According to historian Doris Bergen, “The Concordat pulled the rug out from under potential Catholic opposition in Germany. How could parish priests criticize a chancellor who had been recognized by their pope?”

The RCC had failed in their deal with the devil.

KOWTOWING POLITICIANS

MUSSOLINI: Although he was a fascist and secularist, Benito Mussolini, leader of Italy, recognized Vatican City as a sovereign state and granted the Church compensation for the loss of the Papal States. Pius XI was pope at that time. (1929AD)

Francisco Franco: During Franco’s leadership, the Spanish government aligned itself with the Catholic Church. Franco considered himself as a “Catholic crusader”. The Church was influential in education, marriage, and censorship. Pius XII and Paul VI were popes during this time. (1939–1975)

Emmanuel Macron, the current President of France, has met Pope Francis to dialogue on global issues. He feels the church has “moral authority” in European society and worldwide.

GUTSY PRESIDENTS

A pope should speak his mind on global matters, as anyone should. Yet he doesn’t have “papal infallibility”. The pope does have influence as a religious figure and he is followed by millions of Catholics who may think his word as sure. However, these American presidents were not swayed by the pope.

PRESIDENT JFK

On September 12, 1960, John F. Kennedy delivered a very important speech in Houston. It addressed the public concern about whether he, as a Roman Catholic, would be committed to the U.S. Constitution or to the Pope in Rome, if he were elected president. He stated that when it came to political decisions, and though he was a Catholic, he would not be swayed by the Pope or the Church.

JFK’s quote: “I will make my decision in accordance with what my conscience tells me to be in the national interest, and without regard to outside religious pressures or dictates.”

Kennedy was thankfully not influenced by the pope in this instance. However, it may have cost him his life. The Jesuits, loyal to the pope, possibly were involved in the assassination of this president. (See under “JESUITS” here in Murders & Martyrs.)

DONALD TRUMP

In 2017, Pope Francis criticized President Donald Trump for withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement. The Pope even gave Trump a signed copy of Laudato Si’ during that meeting.

Biden re-joined the Paris Climate Agreement on January 20, 2021, his first day in office.

On January 20, 2025, his first day in office, President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14162, initiating the U.S.’s second withdrawal from the agreement. Trump claimed it would undermine U.S. sovereignty by permitting international entities to influence American energy policy. He stated it would destroy jobs, increase energy prices, and damage U.S. competitiveness when countries like China and India had more moderate terms. He asserted the agreement would do little to actually solve climate change while expending US billions. (Another unfair tax burden. Just like the United Nations!) The Paris Climate Fraud

We, as Christians, should be caring for this environment and for animals. However, it is not for the pope to interfere with the sovereignty of a nation by putting it under the control of world bureaucrats. The US is better off without the Paris Agreement.

Trump was thankfully not influenced by the Pope.

SOME INTERESTING HISTORY

Pope Gregory VII & Emperor Henry IV

Gregory VII (1073-1085) became the very first pope to literally dethrone an emperor. (See “First Deposition” below.)

Both Henry’s letter to Gregory, and Gregory’s orders removing Henry from power, depend on claims to spiritual authority from the Bible. Henry referenced to the Old Testament practice of anointing, whereby a prophet poured oil over the head of the leader. “Do not touch My anointed ones …” (PS 105:15)

In this “Letter to Gregory VII”, January 24, 1076, the emperor Henry points out:

“Thou, therefore, damned by this curse and by the judgment of all our bishops and by our own, [should] descend and relinquish the apostolic chair which thou has usurped. Let another ascend the throne of St. Peter, who shall not practise violence under the cloak of religion, but shall teach the sound doctrine of St. Peter. I Henry, king by the grace of God, do say unto thee, together with all our bishops: Descend, descend, to be damned throughout the ages.”

Gregory replied in this: “First Deposition and Banning of Henry IV”, February 22, 1076

“I withdraw, through thy power and authority, from Henry the king, son of Henry the emperor, who has risen against thy church with unheard of insolence, the rule over the whole kingdom of the Germans and over Italy. And I absolve all Christians from the bonds of the oath which they have made or shall make to him; and I forbid any one to serve him as king.“

After the pope first excommunicated the Holy Roman Emperor, in 1077, Henry sought absolution.

Henry decided to go to visit the pope at the castle at Canossa to ask for forgiveness. The emperor was clothed in a simple woolen shirt with bare feet as a token of his submission to the pope. It was January. The pope cruelly made Henry wait outside in the snow for three whole days!

So Henry was permitted to return to the Church. Yet, Gregory excommunicated him again in 1080.

The Emperor Henry did keep his throne. At last, in 1084, Henry removed Pope Gregory from power and put in a new pope, Clement III, who was later considered as an antipope, not quite legal.

This entire incident granted a pope “spiritual” power over secular rulers. The papacy would be the center of political authority in Western Europe during the Holy Roman Empire.

CONCLUSION

The worldwide Roman Catholic population is about 1.406 billion members. However, that includes me as this church keeps permanent records of baptisms, even for those who leave! Many born-again Christians are from Catholic backgrounds and they also would be included! HalleluYAH! The Good News is going forth!

The RCC power base has been weakened. Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses in 1517 which caused a religious rebirth. Germany, England, and Scandinavia broke away from the Vatican around this time. The Enlightenment (18th century), World War II era (1930’s -1940’s), and sexual scandals of the clergy (Late 20th–21st Century) further weakened it. One cannot get away with the wrongdoings of previous eras with freedom of press. (Incidentally, in the past, the RCC did hamper freedom of the press, especially before the 20th century.)

Do you not think that the popes would like to have all this power back and more? (I pray it’s not this current pope!) As the beast from the earth (pope as the leader) (Rev 13: 11-18) and his harlot, they will have this power … but not for long! Judgement day is coming!

Christian music by Carolyn Anne Venable may be heard on Spotify, Pandora, Apple and other music apps.

Part of a series:

The LORD’s Warning: “Come Out!”

The GREAT HARLOT is an apostate religion.

#1 – “On Many Waters” – worldwide influence

#2 – Mother of Harlots – some denominations

The Great Harlot & Kings

#3 – the kings of the earth committed fornication

#4 – nations made drunk

Ba’al Worship: Then & Now

#5 – REV 2:14 eating “things sacrificed to idols”.

Purple, Scarlet & a Cup of Gold