Everything we have heard in the previous meditations on the Antichrist clearly shows just how dangerous the anti-Christian spirit is for humanity. It is the devil’s most tenacious—and perhaps final—attempt to extend his dominion over the world, subjugate it, and be worshiped by mankind.
God permits these trials and includes them in His plan of salvation, for nothing happens without our Lord’s knowledge and without His commanding it in accordance with His will.
Since Christ is present in His Church, the Antichrist and his followers will particularly attack her because she stands in the way of fulfilling their plans. Likewise, any state order that serves justice and does not abuse its power constitutes an obstacle to the Antichrist’s ambitions. For this reason, his “disciples” seek to destabilize every existing order in various spheres, since this order is directly or indirectly related to God. In this way, they wish to impose their plans and pave the way for the Antichrist’s dominion, which, according to their designs, is to rule the entire world. Remember that the Antichrist will be an individual completely dominated by Lucifer, through whom the Devil will seek to manifest his kingdom on Earth.
In this context, the spirit of discernment is particularly important because it unmasks Lucifer’s deceptive attempts.
Vigilant Catholics should normally be able to perceive the anti-Christian influence on the world and on governments when they enact unjust laws. In the past, Church leaders made sufficient and clear statements that helped the faithful discern spirits properly. Unfortunately, this has changed.
Therefore, we must now focus primarily on the Church and ask ourselves the serious question of whether the “spirit of the Antichrist” is at work within it to such an extent that a large part of the hierarchy has lost its way, has been deceived, and is even cooperating with this spirit.
In other words: Could it be that the “disciples of the Antichrist” have succeeded in bringing key positions within the Church’s leadership under their influence? Is an “anti-Church” emerging within the Church? Or has it already emerged?
We cannot ignore such urgent questions, especially since the pontificates of Francis and his successor, Leo XIV. To reflect more deeply on this issue, let us listen to the words of two previous popes who addressed it:
On October 13, 1977, Pope Paul VI said: “The tail of the devil is bringing about the disintegration of the Catholic world. The darkness of Satan has entered the Catholic world, spreading even to its highest levels. Apostasy—the loss of faith—is spreading throughout the world and to the highest levels of the Church.” (Paul VI, Address on the sixtieth anniversary of the apparitions at Fátima, October 13, 1977).
Cardinal Karol Wojtyła said the following at the Eucharistic Congress in Philadelphia in 1977, two years before he was elected pope:
“We are now facing the greatest historical confrontation that humanity has ever experienced. We are facing the final battle between the Church and the anti-Church, the Gospel and the anti-Gospel. This confrontation is part of the plans of Divine Providence, and it is a challenge that the entire Church must accept.”
Let us listen to another prophetic voice within the Church hierarchy: Bishop Fulton Sheen of the United States:
“The False Prophet will have a religion without the cross; a religion without a world to come; a religion designed to destroy all religions. There will be a false church. The Church of Christ, the Catholic Church, will be one. And the False Prophet will create another. The false church will be worldly, ecumenical, and global. It will be a federation of churches. And the religions will form some kind of global association: a world parliament of churches, emptied of all divine content. It will be the ‘mystical body of the Antichrist.’ The Mystical Body on earth will have its Judas Iscariot, who will be the False Prophet. Satan will recruit him from among our bishops.” (Flynn, T. & L., The Thunder of Justice. Maxkol Communications, Sterling, VA, 1993, p. 20).
All these grave words show that the question raised earlier—whether the “followers of the Antichrist,” knowingly or unknowingly, are already largely setting the course of the current pontificate—urgently demands an answer. The faithful must not be led astray. Precisely because, as Catholics, we are called to listen to the voice of our shepherds, it is necessary to exercise discernment of spirits and ask ourselves whether there are already clear signs of a serious deviation on the part of the ecclesiastical hierarchy. This is of the utmost importance, since otherwise a false spirit could abuse the obedience of the faithful—which, in itself, is a great good—to lead them astray from the path of the Holy Spirit and guide them down the wrong path.
After hearing in previous meditations what Sacred Scripture and reputable authors say about the Antichrist, as well as the words of two popes and a bishop, tomorrow we will reflect on testimonies from prophetic and mystical traditions to further explore this topic.
Meditation on the Reading of the Day (Feast of St. Mary Magdalene): https://en.elijamission.net/the-way-of-love-3/