The AntiChrist is an environmentalist!

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2007-03-02 12:15pm

Times Online wrote:From The Times
March 02, 2007
Pope is warned of a green Antichrist
Richard Owen in Rome

An arch-conservative cardinal chosen by the Pope to deliver this year’s Lenten meditations to the Vatican hierarchy has caused consternation by giving warning of an Antichrist who is “a pacifist, ecologist and ecumenist”.

Cardinal Giacomo Biffi, 78, who retired as Archbishop of Bologna three years ago, quoted Vladimir Solovyov (1853-1900), the Russian philosopher and mystic, as predicting that the Antichrist “will convoke an ecumenical council and seek the consensus of all the Christian confessions”.

The “masses” would follow the Antichrist, “with the exception of small groups of Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants” who would fight to prevent the watering down and ultimate destruction of the faith, he said.

The Pope traditionally withdraws from public view during the first week of Lent, conducting “spiritual exercises” in retreat with close advisers.

The choice of Cardinal Biffi raised eyebrows in the Vatican, given his sometimes eccentric views. The cardinal gave a warning of the coming of the Antichrist during his two decades as the Archbishop of Bologna, and said that an “invasion” of Muslim immigrants was undermining Europe’s Christian values.

Cardinal Biffi said that the Antichrist was not necessarily a person but “the reduction of Christianity to an ideology . . . The teaching that the great Russian philosopher left us is that Christianity cannot be reduced to a set of values. At the heart of being a Christian is the personal encounter with Jesus Christ.” But he quoted with approval from Solovyov’s Three Dialogues on War, Progress and the End of History, which suggests that the Antichrist is a real figure.

Cardinal Biffi said that Christianity stood for “absolute values, such as goodness, truth, beauty”. If “relative values” such as “solidarity, love of peace and respect for nature” became absolute, they would encourage “idolatry” and “put obstacles in the way of salvation”.

When he was still Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Pope Benedict sternly defended core Roman Catholic doctrines and opposed calls for an ecumenical Third Vatican Council advanced by Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, the liberal former Archbishop of Milan.

The choice of Lenten speaker has in the past given a clue to Vatican policy, although one source said that Cardinal Biffi had perhaps been chosen because his “verbal fireworks” would keep listeners awake.

By the way, you must read the comments on the linked article. Here's an example:

Most people have become so full of themselves that it is as though they have beome god. I always have to chuckle when I read of the most-high intellectuals that comment on items regarding God and faith. The comments about how smart society has become is older than religion. Man has always wanted to be smarter than God. Man has always wanted to follow his selfish ways. Why? Because if God is God, man is accountable. Man does not want accountability. It is as simple as that.

Daryl, Caldwell, Texas

Wow, a Texas fundie idiot. How original.

TithonusSyndrome · Post by **TithonusSyndrome** » 2007-03-02 12:22pm

"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."

Genesis 1:26

Howedar · Post by **Howedar** » 2007-03-02 12:30pm

For once, I'm glad that the RCC's insane bureaucracy is massive enough to keep dumber-than-normal shit like this confined to a few assholes talking a few times.

CaptJodan · Post by **CaptJodan** » 2007-03-02 12:36pm

Watch out, everyone. Al Gore is the antichrist. He's green and he believes in the evolution of Manbearpig.

Lord Zentei · Post by **Lord Zentei** » 2007-03-02 01:07pm

An arch-conservative cardinal chosen by the Pope to deliver this year’s Lenten meditations to the Vatican hierarchy has caused consternation by giving warning of an Antichrist who is “a pacifist, ecologist and ecumenist”.

Fnord? The Antichrist a pacifist?

Whatever happened to "Raising armies on either shore / Turning man against his brother / Until man exists no more"...

Or has that been retconned out of existance like Limbo?

Too bad EmperorSolo51 isn't participating in the board anymore, or he could tell us all what's what.

General Zod · Post by **General Zod** » 2007-03-02 01:13pm

CaptJodan wrote:Watch out, everyone. Al Gore is the antichrist. He's green and he believes in the evolution of Manbearpig.

But is Al Gore a pacifist? Perhaps they're trying to bill Richard Dawkins as the anti-christ.

Post by **K. A. Pital** » 2007-03-02 01:20pm

Green peacenik Antichrist:

"I give you my damnation... the Kyoto protocol - MARK of the BEAST!"

CaptJodan · Post by **CaptJodan** » 2007-03-02 02:16pm

General Zod wrote: But is Al Gore a pacifist? Perhaps they're trying to bill Richard Dawkins as the anti-christ.

The entire thing kind of makes some sense, actually. Who is more of a threat to the ending of the world than those damned pacifist, enviornmental do-gooders? How are we ever to see the end of days and meet with God if those people keep trying to make the world a better place?

Darth Servo · Post by **Darth Servo** » 2007-03-02 02:56pm

WTF?

Loving peace is a mark of the anti-christ?

Isaiah 9:6 wrote:For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

I thought this verse was supposed to be about Jesus, not Satan.

VT-16 · Post by **VT-16** » 2007-03-02 03:57pm

If “relative values” such as “solidarity, love of peace and respect for nature” became absolute, they would encourage “idolatry” and “put obstacles in the way of salvation”.

Yes, worship Jesus Christ - a well-known center of selfishness, love of war and pollution, apparently. Boy, you know the Catholic Church is in trouble when they can't be bothered to remember their own doctrines.

Seriously, when did solidarity, love of peace and respect for nature become evil pagan beliefs(TM)? :P

Magus · Post by **Magus** » 2007-03-02 04:56pm

Lord Zentei wrote:Or has that been retconned out of existance like Limbo?

Since when was limbo ever an official teaching anywhere?

I was always under the impression that Limbo was an Old Wives Tale that the Church just recently got around to shutting down, but was never actually taught.

Melchior · Post by **Melchior** » 2007-03-02 05:03pm

VT-16 wrote: Seriously, when did solidarity, love of peace and respect for nature become evil pagan beliefs(TM)?

When they are supporterd by the various factions of the vaguely left-wing italian government. The declaration was mainly made to attack hostile politicians in Italy.

Erik von Nein · Post by **Erik von Nein** » 2007-03-02 05:28pm

VT-16 wrote:
If “relative values” such as “solidarity, love of peace and respect for nature” became absolute, they would encourage “idolatry” and “put obstacles in the way of salvation”.
Yes, worship Jesus Christ - a well-known center of selfishness, love of war and pollution, apparently. Boy, you know the Catholic Church is in trouble when they can't be bothered to remember their own doctrines.

Seriously, when did solidarity, love of peace and respect for nature become evil pagan beliefs(TM)?

Dear crap! They've turned into a bad Captin Planet villian.

Hey, maybe Ted Turner really is the antichrist afterall?

Flagg · Post by **Flagg** » 2007-03-04 09:00pm

Wait, isn't the Pope supposed to be the Anti-Christ? Or is that just if you're a Protestant?

CaptHawkeye · Post by **CaptHawkeye** » 2007-03-04 09:57pm

He's doing a great job shaking off that Hitler Youth image so far... -_-

Lord Zentei · Post by **Lord Zentei** » 2007-03-05 12:56am

Magus wrote:
Lord Zentei wrote:Or has that been retconned out of existance like Limbo?
Since when was limbo ever an official teaching anywhere?

I was always under the impression that Limbo was an Old Wives Tale that the Church just recently got around to shutting down, but was never actually taught.

Based on the article quoted here, an international theological commission advised Pope Benedict "to eliminate the teaching about limbo from the Catholic catechism", which rather implies the opposite.

dworkin · Post by **dworkin** » 2007-03-05 05:02pm

Flagg wrote:Wait, isn't the Pope supposed to be the Anti-Christ? Or is that just if you're a Protestant?

I thought the RCC was the 'Great Whore of Babylon' which is like, a Bad Thing. Go figure.

Spetulhu · Post by **Spetulhu** » 2007-03-05 08:21pm

Lord Zentei wrote:
An arch-conservative cardinal chosen by the Pope to deliver this year’s Lenten meditations to the Vatican hierarchy has caused consternation by giving warning of an Antichrist who is “a pacifist, ecologist and ecumenist”.
Fnord? The Antichrist a pacifist?

Whatever happened to "Raising armies on either shore / Turning man against his brother / Until man exists no more"...:

It's just a ploy to make people reject the true church and become peace-loving hippies. Then the anti-christ will call up his armies and help one side wipe out the other until all are defeated.

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2007-03-05 08:31pm

Isn't it awesome when they blatantly define 'the Antichrist' as 'whatever we don't want, dawg'? Yeah, consensus of all denominaitons = HE IS THE DEVIL STRIKE HIM DOWN. Strive for peace? THE DEVIL. Ecologically aware? DEVIL.

It turns out that Russian guy was one of the late 19th century 'zomg the Antichrist' people. I don't actually understand why the Vatican thinks it's appropriate to treat him like some kind of authority: lots of 'philosophers' and 'mystics' said a lot of crazy shit about the end of the world back then. So what?

Also, everyone enjoy the 'beauty = absolute value, solidarity = relative, and THE DEVIL'.

Pelranius · Post by **Pelranius** » 2007-03-05 08:47pm

So Cardinal Biffi (what a name) is quoting a Russian mystic (and presumed Orthodox)...

I smell heresy!

Someone call the Inquisition!

I'm afraid Our Holy Father Benedict (I'm a Catholic, for disclaimers) has always been lax about his subordinates statements. One of his assistants once wrote a wacko piece about Harry Potter on Ratzinger's official letterhead (and in doing so, actively contradicted Pope John Paul II)