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struggling for ‘traditional morality’,their cause resonated strongly withsocial conservatives but not withmainline liberal Protestant churches,the scientific community, liberal politicians, the liberal media and the secular-minded populace.But in just the last 10 years, American society has changed drastically.The social issues that once galvanizedconservative Protestants and Catholics are no longer in the forefront.Just consider how gay marriage hastriumphed in the United States withjust a whimper from social conservatives. Even Pope Francis I, has hadlittle to say about gay marriage, abortion, and other social issues choosingto say rather, ‘Who am I to judge?’ Inhis recent visit to the White House, theUnited States Congress and the UnitedNations the Pope was virtually silenton the traditional social issues. Why?There is a carefully laid out Jesuit-stylestrategy behind the change of papaltalking points.Having conservative Protestantsincreasingly in his camp and withtraditional moral issues on the backburner, Francis had to find themesthat could win over the wordlings (thesecular-minded) while not alienating the Protestants who sympathizedwith him. He needed to spearheadcauses that would resonate with thoseof a secular mentality—with naturalist scientists, world politicians, andespecially with the United Nations.After all, Ellen White did predict thatworldlings would be the third link inthe final union against the government of heaven. Jesuit Pope Francis I6found three central themes that couldcaptivate those of a secular mentalitywithout alienating conservative Protestants: climate change, family valuesand world poverty that has led, amongother things, to massive emigrationand immigration. No one can faultthe Pope for stressing the importanceof these three talking points. However,what is deeply troubling is the Pope’smotivation for bringing them to thefore at this time.Climate ChangeLet’s take up first the Pope’s climatechange campaign. In his recent encyclical, Laudato Si’, Pope Francis hasclaimed that global climate change—formerly called ‘global warming’—isdue to human abuse of the environment, particularly the market-drivenand consumer-minded capitalist countries. He has claimed that if this problem is not urgently addressed, it couldeventually lead to the extinction of thehuman race. Therefore he has calledupon world leaders to make climatechange a top priority by signing andenforcing international environmentalprotection treaties with penalties forthose who do not comply.This environmental message hashit a chord with powerful politicians.Governor Jerry Brown of California,who was trained in Jesuit schools andpresides over the sixth largest economyon the planet was recently invited tothe Vatican to participate in a summit on climate change and he couldn’thelp but offer accolades to Francis forhis moral leadership on this issue. Andthen there is Mayor Bill De Blasio ofNew York City, the financial capitalof the world. At the same meeting, hecouldn’t help but gush about Francisas the ‘strongest moral voice in theworld [who] is calling political leaders to action’. Even many influentialProtestant leaders have described PopeFrancis with the same glowing terms.Times were when Protestants in theUnited States believed that the Biblewas the greatest moral authority in theworld, but times have changed!It is interesting to note the wordsthat Pope Francis I used in his recentencyclical on climate change, terminology that has been used by all popesin the last six decades and goes all theway back to the writings of St. ThomasAquinas. Francis claimed that: “International [climate] negotiations cannotmake significant progress due to positions taken by countries which placetheir national interests above the global common good.” (Encyclical LetterLaudato Si’ of the Holy Father Francison the Care of our Common Home,paragraph # 169)Did you notice the expressions,‘national interests’ and ‘global common good’?Ban Ki-Moon, the Secretary General of the United Nations, echoedthe Pope’s very words in a recent newsreport. The report explained that BanKi-Moon called on governments to‘place the global common good abovenational interests and to adopt anambitious, universal climate agreement’ at the United Nations climatesummit in Paris this December.And no less a heavyweight thanBarack Obama, president of the world’spremier superpower, echoed the Pope’swords as well: “I welcome His HolinessPope Francis’s encyclical, and deeplyadmire the Pope’s decision to make thecase—clearly, powerfully, and with thefull moral authority of his position—for action on global climate change We must also protect the world’s poor,who have done the least to contribute tothis looming crisis and stand to lose themost if we fail to avert it.I look forward to discussing theseissues with Pope Francis when he visitsthe White House in September. And aswe prepare for global climate negotiations in Paris this December, it is myhope that all world leaders—and allGod’s children—will reflect on PopeFrancis’s call to come together to carefor our common home.”It is significant that President Obamalinked the issue of global climatechange with the plight of the poor. Aswe shall soon see, in this he reflects thevery strategy of the Jesuit Pope.Of course, one of the Pope’s provisions of the ‘save the planet’ crusade ismaking Sunday a day for the environment to rest, for families to strengthentheir ties by attending Mass, and to givethe poor a break from what he perceives as the endless and dehumanizing cycle of capitalist life. The not-toosubtle insertion of Sunday at the endof the encyclical appears innocuous atfirst sight, but as Adventists we knowwhat the papacy’s ultimate purpose isin bringing global climate change tothe forefront.Regarding Sunday, the encyclicalstates: “On Sunday, our participationin the Eucharist has special importance.7

Sunday, like the JewishSabbath, is meant tobe a day that healsour relationshipswith God, withourselves, withothers andwith theworld Rest opens our eyes to the larger picture and gives us renewed sensitivity tothe rights of others. And so the day ofrest, centered on the Eucharist, sheds itslight on the whole week, and motivatesus to greater concern for nature and thepoor.” (Laudato Si’, p. 237)Pontifical AcademySciencesOn April 15, 2015, some two monthsbefore the Pope released his encyclical, the Pontifical Academy of Sciencesand the Pontifical Academy of SocialSciences had released a statement titled“Climate Change and the CommonGood: A Statement of the Problem andthe Demand for Transformation Solutions”.This eye-opening document presentsa doomsday scenario that is intendedto scare the planet into doing something about climate change or run therisk of ceasing to exist! Among otherof8things,the Declarationstated: “Climate changeis a global problem whose solution will depend on ourstepping beyond national affiliationsand coming together for the commongood.”It further stated: “As early as 2100,there will be a non-negligible probabilityof irreversible and catastrophic climateimpacts that may last over thousands ofyears, raising the existential question ofwhether civilization as we know it canbe extended beyond this century.”The document states that theincrease in temperature has not beenseen in ‘tens of millions of years,’ oneclear indication among many that thepapacy has fully embraced the evolutionary theory of origins.The Pope’s encyclical (released June18, 2015), published about two monthsafter the Declaration, suggested thatthe elimination of carbon gases, carpooling, planting trees, turning offunnecessary lights, restricting the useof air conditioning, recycling and boycotting certain products as well as giving the planet a Sunday rest will helpsolve the problem. The Pope also calledfor international treaties that wouldpressure the affluent countries to helppoorer ones adapt, including a moveto help them switch from fossil fuelsto clean energies such as solar power.Thus he stated in Laudato Si’ 53 thatthe “establishment of a legal framework which can set clear boundariesand ensure the protection of ecosystemshas become indispensable.”Like President Obama, the Popelinks the issue of global climate changewith the need for the rich nations tohelp poor ones.In the Pope’s words: “The peoplewho have done the least to cause this[climate change] suffer the most. Thatshould, if nothing else, give weight to theargument that the [Northern Hemisphere] must shift serious resources tothe poor world.”eeTh Pope Visits thWhite HouseOn September 23, 2015, in the midst ofa pomp, circumstance and fanfare suchas had never been seen before in thewelcome of any head of state, with flagsof the United States and the Holy Seewaving side by side in the wind, President Obama referred to the Pope as‘the holy father’ and warmly welcomedhim to the White House.After the welcoming ceremony, thePope had a private audience with President Obama in the White House. Thetalking points were not a secret. President Obama had already notified thepress that two of the main topics tobe discussed would be global climatechange and world poverty, themesthat he passionately shares with thePope. There is no indication that thePope addressed the issues of abortionor gay marriage with president Obamafor reasons that are quite obvious. ThePope did not want to wear out his welcome from the start by addressing topics on which he and President Obamamight disagree!Although the Pope was virtuallymum on the social issues that havegalvanized the papacy with conservative Protestants, there is persuasiveevidence that he still believes in theseissues but did not want to alienate thesecular minded. In good Jesuit fashionhe straddled the fence on the controversial issues.On the one hand the Pope met withand warmly received a long time gayfriend and his partner. On the otherhand, after the Pope left the UnitedStates it was discovered that he had alsomet secretly at the Vatican Embassy inWashington D.C., with Kim Davis, thePentecostal county clerk from Kentucky who refused to perform a gaymarriage and was jailed for five days.Miss Davis described the encounter:“I put my hand out and he reached andhe grabbed it, and I hugged him and hehugged me I had tears coming outof my eyes, I’m just a nobody, so it wasreally humbling to think he would wantto meet or know me.”According to Miss Davis’ attorney,Pope Francis gave her rosaries andtold her to ‘stay strong.’ The Pope alsomet with the Little Sisters of the Poorwho have sued President Obama overthe federal government’s contraceptionmandate in the Affordable Care Act.9

Conservative syndicated columnist George Will was correct when heexplained the reason for the change inthe papacy’s public talking points: “Asseparation of church and state? Onwhat constitutional basis can senatorsand congressmen be encouraged by thePope to implement the moral teachingof the Roman Catholicpapacy? And if the UnitedStates follows the counIn the very place where thesel of the Pope and signsfounding documents of the Unitedan international climateStates were ratified, stood a managreement in Paris, howwould this not be an estabwhose kingdom stands in directlishment of the religiousand radical conflict with everyand moral teaching of theprinciple of our Constitution.Roman Catholic papacy,particularly consideringthat the Pope’s encyclicalthe world spurns his church’s teachings is loaded with religious language?about abortion, contraception, divorce,same-sex marriage and other matters, Address to thFrancis jauntily makes his church con- United Nationsgruent with the secular religion of ‘sus- On September 24, 2015 the Pope pretainability.’”sented an address to the United NationsGeneral Assembly where the greatestJoint Sessionnumber of political leaders in the hisCongresstory of the world were present. AmongOn September 24, for the first time other things, the speech encouragedin the history of the United States, a world leaders to establish legislation toRoman Catholic Pope addressed a joint address the problem of global climatesession of Congress, whose members change and world poverty. In fact, inare sworn to uphold the Constitution his encyclical the Pope had alreadyand Bill of Rights. What did the Pope suggested that in order for these probsay to Congress? The answer was there lems to be solved, ‘models of producfor all to see. As expected, he lectured tion and consumption’ and ‘establishedpoliticians about their duty to serve for structures of power that today govern‘the common good’, the dangers and societies’ needed to change profoundwoes of unrestrained capitalism, the ly! (Laudato Si’ 5) Once again, Romanneed to address climate change and to Catholic conservative flagship subjectsredistribute the world’s goods among such as gay marriage and abortionall of God’s creatures for the ‘common were summarily passed over for obvious reasons—no need to alienate thosegood’.By the way, how was this address to of a secular mentality before they areCongress not an infringement of the fully on board!eof10ThePopeinPhiladelphiaOn September 25-27 the Pope was inPhiladelphia, the cradle of the founding documents of the United States—the Declaration of Independence, theConstitution and the Bill of Rights.The choice of location was not coincidental. In the very place where thesefounding documents were ratified,stood a man whose kingdom stands indirect and radical conflict with ‘everyprinciple of our Constitution’!The papacy’s sordid history clearlyreveals that its foundation and sourceof power lies on the union of churchand state. It matters not that the papacy is losing droves of members to theProtestant churches in Latin Americaor that only a sliver of the populationin western Europe regularly attendchurch. The power of the papacyresides not so much in the number ofits members but rather in the maneuvering of its hierarchy in every countryof the globe. What many fail to understand is that the word ‘papacy’ does notrefer to the Roman Catholic Churchas a religious entity. It is rather a codeword for a system that unites churchand state and whose leader, in unionwith the Council of Bishops, claims tohave the divine right to global jurisdiction, in both religious and secular matters. Little does the world realize whatthe ultimate aspirations of the papacyreally are—global dominion with aniron fist!Ellen White warned long ago: “Bythe decree of enforcing the institutionof the Papacy in violation of the law ofGod, our nation will disconnect herselffully from righteousness [when] ourcountry shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestantand Republican government, and shallmake provision for the propagation ofpapal falsehoods and delusions, thenwe may know that the time has comefor the marvelous working of Satan, andthat the end is near.” (Ellen G. White,Testimonies for the Church, volume 5,p. 451)It is estimated that some one millionpeople attended an outdoor mass inPhiladelphia on Sunday, September 27.As I watched the scene it reminded meof Daniel 3 where all of the great worldleaders, in the midst of much fanfareand music, bowed before the imagethat King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.Revelation 13:3 describes the parallelscene at the end of time when ‘all theworld marveled and followed the beast’and worshiped his image (Revelation13:3).Paris ClimateChange SummitThe next step in the climate changeand poverty strategy of the papacy willbe when the Pope attends a meetingof world leaders in Paris in Decemberto discuss global climate change andto make specific recommendations toaddress the problem. The ‘save the planet’ crusade will provide a perfect forumat that time to encourage the world toset aside Sunday as a means of givingthe environment and the oppressedpoor a rest and to allow families timeto gather together for worship! Will ithappen in Paris? No one knows, butsooner or later it will happen!11

Redistributingth WealthThis leads us to look more closely at thePope’s second talking point that hasstrongly resonated with world leaders.The Pope has continually lectured thecapitalist nations of the northern hemisphere to redistribute the wealth of theworld evenly in order to abolish poverty for ‘the common good’. This idealis socialism pure and simple, but not asocialism of the atheistic type but rather a religio-political socialism underthe ‘moral’ leadership of the papacy. Itis actually a not-too-subtle war on capitalism and the middle class, a call foropulent nations to spread the wealth.The end result, as the Cuban and Venezuelan experiment has shown, will notbe that all nations will have equal richesbut rather that all will share the samepoverty with a small rich elite at thetop! This papal strategy of ‘spreadingthe wealth’, that began slowly in modern times with Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical, Rerum Novarum (a Christianizedversion of Marxism), has accelerated toblinding speed in our time, especiallyamong liberal politicians.The ideal of a classless society whereall share equally in the world’s goods isa great idea, but in a selfish world it isan unreachable goal. In fact, Jesus, whosaid that ‘the poor you will always havewith you’, openly contradicted thissocialistic ideal. And Ellen White categorically affirms that poverty tests thefaith of the poor and the stewardshipof the rich: “It was not the purpose ofGod that poverty should ever leave theworld. The ranks of society were neverto be equalized; for the diversity of con-e12ditions that characterizes our race is oneof the means by which God has designedto prove and develop character. Manyhave urged with great enthusiasm thatall men should have an equal share inthe temporal blessings of God; but thiswas not the purpose of the Creator Itwould be the greatest misfortune thathas ever befallen mankind if all were tobe placed upon an equality in worldlypossessions.” (Counsels on Health, p.230)eforTh ReasonEcological CareThe Pope’s view on these matters leadsus to ask: Is the Pope on target whenhe encourages humans to care for theenvironment, to help the poor and tofocus on the family unit? Doesn’t theBible itself enjoin us to do such things?Of course it does! We can certainlyagree with the Pope concerning theimportance of prioritizing these matters.But the question that should engageus is this: Why should these issues bea primary concern to all of us? Psalm24:1, 2 provides the answer: “The earthis the Lord’s, and all its fullness, theworld and those who dwell therein, forHe has founded it upon the seas, andestablished it upon the waters.”The Bible explains that we are tocare for the earth and those who dwelltherein because they are not ours. Theapostle Paul expressed the principlewell when he reminded us that we arenot our own (1 Corinthians 6:19).Human abuse of the environment andthe poor who dwell therein is due to thefact that humanity has forgotten thatthe earth and its inhabitants belong toGod, not to us. And what has causedthis tragic amnesia? The answer is thathumanity has cast aside God’s weeklyreminder of creation—the seventh-daySabbath. The fourth commandment,spoken by God in the midst of thunderand lightning on Mt. Sinai and writtenwith His own finger states:“Remember the Sabbath day, to keepit holy. Six days you shall labor and doall your work, but the seventh day is theSabbath of the Lord your God. In it youshall do no work: you, nor your son, noryour daughter, nor your male servant,nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within yourgates. For in six days the Lord made theheavens and the earth, the sea, and allthat is in them, and rested the seventhday. Therefore the Lord blessed theSabbath day and hallowed it.” Exodus20:8-11In short, God created our earthlyenvironment, its inhabitants (humanand animal) and the family unit in sixliteral days and then left us a perpetualsign of His creative power by resting onthe seventh day. Exodus 20:11, whichechoes Genesis 2:2, 3, does not instructus to rest one day in seven or every seventh day. The word ‘seventh’ in Hebrewis preceded by the definite article. It isTHE seventh day that commemoratescreation, not the first day or just anyday!Why should we care for our earthlyhome? Because God made it in six daysand it is His! Why should the sanctityof marriage and the family be safeguarded? Because God created themon the sixth day! Why should we carefor the less fortunate by taking themin and sharing ‘our’ goods with them?Because we all descend from the original pair and all have one blood (Acts17:26). We are all members of the samefamily by creation, and therefore wemust care for one another.TheDaysofCreationAnd here is another important question: What was the length of each dayof creation? The book of Genesis indisputably affirms that each day consistedof 24 hours, just as we experience themtoday, and there is no evidence whatsoever that the weekly cycle has ever beenbroken. The Biblical testimony clearlyreveals that our earthly home and itsinhabitants did not come into existence over millions/billions of years forwe are told that God “spoke and it wasdone, He commanded and it stood fast”(Psalm 33:9) and that every day had ‘anevening and a morning’ which wouldbe absurd if the days lasted long periods of time.After working six literal days, Godlooked upon what He had made, andit was very good (Genesis 1:31). Godthen rested on the literal seventh day,and made it holy, setting it apart as aperpetual memorial of creation. In thisway, the seventh day Sabbath standsor falls on the literalness of the days ofcreation. If the days of creation werevast periods of time, the Sabbath institution evaporates in a mist.The fourth commandment makesabsolutely no sense if the days of creation lasted millions or billions ofyears. How could God ask man towork six days and rest on the seventh13

as He did at creation if the days werenot literal just as we know them today?Clearly, the seventh day Sabbath isrooted in a literal creation and is partof God’s original plan for the humanrace before sin and death. It was neither Jewish nor temporary!Bottom line: God created the environment, andwe should care for it. God created the family unit of husband, wife and children, and weshould care for it. God created all human beings—weare all of one blood—and we shouldcare for one another. The sign that reminds us of all this isthe seventh-day Sabbath.andSinRedemptionBut the seventh-day Sabbath has another dimension. The book of Genesisdescribes a literal fall of literal Adamand literal Eve in a literal and perfectGarden of Eden. The fall infected theentire human race and made it necessary for Jesus, the Creator, to becomeflesh in order to restore the perfectcreation that had been lost. Thus a literal creation, a literal fall and a literalredemption are indissolubly linked.It was on the evening portion of Friday, (our Thursday evening) the

In 1990, Roman Catholic Jesuit priest, Malachi Martin, published the bestsell-ing book The Keys Of This Blood: Pope John Paul II Versus Russia And The West For Control Of The New World Order. Martin’s book describes the tooth and nail struggle for world dominion between the papacy, communism (Secularism), and western capitalism.