THE POPE’S IDOLATRY AND THE VATICAN’S SILENCE

 

As far as I am aware, Pope Francis has certainly been one of the most controversial popes within this last century.  A simple internet search will show that this is the case.  He has done much to erode the trust of Catholics worldwide, and to confirm the suspicions of Protestants and others.

There are a number of articles on this topic, and the following one cites a fairly recent example of his controversy.  On October 4, 2019, the pope attended the Amazonian Synod during the worship services in the Vatican gardens.  It is said that in this synod, “Pope Francis attended an act of idolatrous worship of the pagan goddess ‘Pachamama.’”  Pachamama is a wooden image depicted as a naked, pregnant Amazonian woman.  He “further participated in this act of idolatrous worship by blessing a wooden image of Pachamama.”

This particular article also stated, “On October 7, 2019, the idol of Pachamama was placed in front of the main altar at St. Peter’s and then carried in procession to the Synod Hall.  Pope Francis said prayers in a ceremony involving this image and then joined in this procession.”

Looks like full participation from the pope, to me.  Then the backlash came:

“When the wooden images of this pagan deity were removed from the church of Santa Maria in Traspontina, where they had been sacrilegiously placed, and thrown into the Tiber [river] by Catholics outraged by this profanation of the church, Pope Francis, on October 25, apologized for their removal.”

Because of his ecumenical agenda, Francis would rather apologize to (and save face with) his pagan Amazonian members, than he would with the God of the Bible (Exodus 20:1-6; 1Corinthians 10:14).

“Another wooden image of Pachamama was returned to the church.  Thus, a new profanation was initiated.”

The people were not happy about this, but Francis wasn’t finished with his idolatry:

“On October 27, in the closing Mass for the Amazonian Synod, Pope Francis accepted a bowl used in the idolatrous worship of Pachamama and placed it on the altar of St. Peter’s Basilica.”

See this link:

https://www.cleansingfire.org/2021/03/the-silence-of-death-at-st-peters-basilica/

But reportedly, the Vatican was silent about all this. 

In an interview with Vatican Media, Paulo Suess, a German priest who served for decades among the indigenous peoples of the Amazon, recognized the pope’s sin.  The priest who interviewed Suess acted as though paganism in the Catholic Church was no big deal, and Suess stated:

“Even if that had been a pagan rite, what took place was still a worship service.  A rite always has something to do with worship.  Paganism cannot be dismissed as nothing...” 

The article states that “Vatican Media eventually removed those comments from its interview with the priest, with no note or indication of the redaction.”

Hmmm.  Seems that the Vatican didn’t want this detail in the story to go public.  Even among many Catholics, the pope’s actions did not sit well.  In fact, it caused quite a stir and it was the “subject of fierce social media debate among Catholics.” 

What the people were seeing clearly looked like worship to them:

“Figures used prominently in unexplained and unfamiliar rituals or spiritual expressions, even with persons prostrating themselves in front of the statues, led journalists to ask what connections the figures have to indigenous religious rituals.”

“But at least three times, Vatican officials or synod participants were asked about the statues, and the events in which they were involved.  Questions went mostly unanswered. Vatican officials pointed to organizers of synod events, who pointed back to Vatican officials.”

In other words, they were playing the old “pass the buck” game.  But it got worse:

“… the same commentators began to claim that the figures were indigenous symbols about which asking questions was somehow an expression of prejudice, or even racism… Even in the Vatican press room, one journalist said during a press conference that other reporters, presumably those who had asked questions about the statues, had committed lamentable acts of racism against indigenous persons.  Vatican officials did not refute that charge.”

“Still, one synod participant told CNA [Catholic News Agency] that behind closed doors, some Vatican officials dismissed concerns as either propaganda from ‘anti-Francis Americans’ or overt racism.”

Boy, does this sound like American leftist politics of today, or what!  If you say something they don’t like (or don’t want to answer), you are immediately labeled a racist (even if there is no evidence for that claim).  That’s when you know they have an ulterior motive.

There seemed to be questions about the actual identity of these images, but on October 25, after the statues had been recovered from the river, Francis acknowledged the truth about the Amazonian statues and indeed referred to them as “Pachamama.”  But sensing that his own people were recognizing the obvious idolatry, he tried to counter and stated that the idols had been placed in the Church without “idolatrous intentions.”

See here:

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/42644/analysis-why-pachamama-took-a-dip

Of course, the Vatican tried to downplay these events.  Just one month after this happened Catholic World News wrote a short editor’s note defending the pope:

“Pachamama is not a divinity or idol that is worshiped, but is mother earth, honored as the ‘creation and manifestation of the love of God,’ writes retired Mexican Bishop Felipe Arizmendi Esquivel.  He recalls that years ago, while in Bolivia for a meeting, he asked a member of the indigenous Aymara people whether his people consider Pachamama and Inti to be gods.  The man replied, “Those who have not received evangelization consider them gods; for those of us who have been evangelized, they are not gods, but God’s best gifts.”  Bishop Arizmendi commented, ‘Wonderful response! … They are manifestations of God’s love, not gods.”

It looks as though the Vatican just does not want to admit to the pope’s idolatry!

See here:

https://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=44075

But my response is, how can a demon be a manifestation of God’s love?  And how can this Catholic bishop, a leader in the Church, call the Amazonian man’s reply a “wonderful response”?!!! 

Someone might ask, “But why do you call Pachamama a demon?

The apostle Paul, himself, calls idols demons/devils:

“But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.  Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: Ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.  Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy?  Are we stronger than He?”  (1 Corinthians 10:20-22) 

Not only that, but according to the Encyclopedia Brittanica, Pachamama is an Andean deity (a god/goddess), especially in Peru and Bolivia, where she is worshipped as “the goddess of the Earth.”  It goes on to say, “Through the centuries, the Roman Catholic Church has accepted some indigenous rituals and customs by assimilation [i.e., taking in and fully understanding information or ideas], mainly through combined Catholic and traditional celebrations that continue to be an important part of life in rural and urban settings.” 

See here:

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Pachamama

In other words, the Catholic Church purposely allows the pagan aspects to be blended into their Catholicism for the sake of Amazonian “tradition.”

Furthermore, according to World History Encyclopedia, on the Inca religion, Pachamama was considered a “lesser” deity, although still important.  She was considered the “earth goddess.”  See here:

https://www.worldhistory.org/Inca_Religion/

And interestingly, all this stuff that the pope did ties in with the “Mother Earth” movement, nature worship, and the “going green” mentality that leftists are pushing today.  Just an observation.

Conclusion

So there is no escaping the fact that Pachamama is an idol, a false god.  And it has no business in ANY church that claims to be Christian.  Many of the Catholics recognized this fact.  So, kudos to those Catholics who did recognize the pope’s idolatry concerning Pachamama – but what about Mary?  Why can’t Catholics see their own prayers to (and prostration before) Mary and other “saints” as idolatry?  What’s the difference?  Yes, what the pope did was wrong, but the “devotion” given to Mary by many Catholics is, I would say, not less than those Amazonians’ devotion to Pachamama.  If the Amazonians can’t worship as they do, then the pope and other Catholics can’t either.  If what the Amazonians do is worship, then how much more is it worship when the same things (and more) are done by Catholics toward Mary?  We would do well to stick to the biblical examples of worship for everyone.

One of the previous articles that I mentioned above says that the synod’s working document proclaims that “Jesus was a person of dialogue and encounter.”

As if to say that Jesus would not have been offended by the pope’s actions.  They seem to think that rather than condemning those involved, Jesus would have encouraged dialogue and promoted diversity with them, instead.

But why do you think that Jesus was turning over the money changers’ tables in righteous anger (Mark 11:15-17; John 2:13-16)?  It was because of the idolatry of the Jewish leaders, concerning their love of money (e.g., Luke 16:14).  Neither Jesus nor the early church was tolerant toward idols.

So, the problem here is not just a bad pope whose cohorts in the Vatican are covering his every evil deed – it is the fact that the Catholic Church is an unbiblical religious system in which he is the head.  This is a hard pill to swallow for members of the Catholic Church, but hopefully, many Catholics’ eyes will be opened after this.

STATUES, IMAGES AND IDOLS

Recently, I began to think more about the role and use of statues, icons and images in the religious arena.  Should statues ever be used in churches or is that a violation of the Second Commandment?  Are the Catholic, Orthodox, and a few other churches guilty of idolatry when they use these statues and icons?  Did the ancient iconoclasts (people who destroyed religious statues) go too far when they demolished many of these icons? 

On one end of the spectrum, some Protestants try to totally avoid any and all religious statues and images, while some (Catholics and others) will cling tightly to them at all costs.  In this article, I hope to bring about some balance to this sensitive subject.

The Law of God

Let’s take a look at what God said in the Scriptures about using statues and images when He gave Moses the Ten Commandments. All of the Ten Commandments can be found in Deuteronomy 5:6-21 and also in Exodus 20:1-17.  But let’s look at the relevant part of this passage for our article today in Exodus 20:1-6:

1 And God spake all these words, saying,

2 I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

3 Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.

4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:

5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me;

6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me, and keep My commandments.

So what exactly is God saying about these likenesses / images?  Is He saying that it is always a sin to make any kind of image?  Is this prohibition only about worshiping them, or is it about making and using them, also?

The images mentioned in this passage have to do with idols, and idols are an absolute and blasphemous insult to God.  The Lord forcefully emphasizes here that He is the one true God (Exodus 20:2).  In this context He is saying that He doesn’t want anyone creating an image and saying, “This is the god that brought us out of Egypt,” as the Israelites did in the golden calf incident (Exodus 32:4). 

Not an Absolute Ban

So how do we know that God is not saying that simply making images is a sin?  He cannot be literally speaking about all images here, can He?  Consider the implications of Exodus 20:4:

1) (Thou shalt not make… any likeness of anything that is in Heaven above…) It is not wrong to have a photograph (which is an image or likeness) of friends or family members in your wallet, on your desk, or on your wall.  Some of these photos are of deceased Christian people (a likeness of someone now in Heaven).  Likewise, we can safely make images of things in the heavens (like the solar system, stars, planets, etc.)  There is nothing wrong with this.

2) (… or that is in the earth beneath…) We also know that it is not a sin to have statues (images) of famous people whose lives on earth are commemorated in non-religious settings (parks, courthouses, tourist attractions, etc.).  Again, there should be no problem with these images.

3) (… or that is in the water under the earth…) We draw pictures and make models of fish, reptiles and many other sea creatures (images of things under the sea).  Still no problem.

4) What about images in our minds?  We make mental images all the time.  Does Exodus 20:1-6 mean that we are not allowed to even think about things in Heaven, on earth, or in the ocean?  That would be silly.

5)  In this commandment, He is saying that He doesn’t want anyone creating an image IN ORDER TO WORSHIP IT (v. 5).  I believe that Leviticus 26:1 brings this out more clearly:

Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall you set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the Lord your God. (Emphasis added)

The underlined part makes clear the purpose of the image.

6) Furthermore, just five chapters later, in Exodus 25:18-20, God commanded Moses to make statues of two cherubim (a type of angel) to put on the Ark of the Covenant.  This is a copy, an image, of something in Heaven that God told Moses to make.  Is God contradicting Himself?  Is He now allowing what He commanded Israel not to do five chapters earlier?  The point is that these angel images were not made to be worshiped, but rather to point to the holiness of God. 

7) There was yet another interesting event where God told Moses to erect a statue of a brazen (bronze) serpent and put it up on a pole for all to see.  And whoever was bitten by the poisonous snakes in that land, when he would look at the statue, he would be healed (Numbers 21:6-9).  This is another statue allowed by God.  But when this image later became an object of worship, it was rightly destroyed by King Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:4). 

When God speaks of “graven images” in the Second Commandment and throughout the Old Testament, He is speaking of an idol, one in which the maker is intending to worship.  God does not want us to make or use those kinds of images.  Yet, because of the seven reasons above (and if Scripture is consistent with itself and with the world around us), the Second Commandment cannot be an absolute ban on the making of images.

Caution!

Ok, having said all the above, please understand that religious image users cannot have free reign with their statues, icons and images.  Technically speaking, God may temporarily tolerate someone owning a statue (if worship is not involved), but it doesn’t mean that making them or using them in a religious setting today is a good idea.  While the Second Commandment doesn’t seem to be an absolute ban on every possible kind of image, it is definitely a warning concerning some of them.

Again, I want to bring balance to this topic, so the question is, “Is it helpful to make or to use these images in a religious setting?”  All things may be allowed, but “all things are not expedient [i.e., beneficial or helpful]” (1 Corinthians 6:12; 10:23).

Unlikely Scenario

Ok, let’s imagine this scenario:

Moses is walking in the wilderness and he happens upon an Israelite.  This man is doing what many Catholics do.  He is bowing before a statue, praying and kissing the statue.  Moses then questions him about this and the man says, “Oh no, Moses!  You don’t understand.  I am not worshiping, I am “venerating.”  So Moses says, “Ok, that’s fine.  Please continue!” 

Well, I don’t think that anyone who knows anything about Moses would believe that the outcome would be this way.  The above result is about as likely to happen as this scenario:

A suspicious wife catches her husband in the very act of adultery.  When she confronts him then and there, he says, “Oh no, honey!  You misunderstand.  We are not committing adultery, we are just “cuddling!”  And the wife says, “Well ok, that’s fine, darling.  Please continue!”

Now, I think that we all know that this is not how either one of these scenarios would pan out.  You can call what you’re doing by another name (“venerating” or “cuddling”), but swift action would have been taken in both of these scenarios, and the extreme consequences that would have followed would have exposed the wrongness of their actions, and brought to light the sin they tried to downplay and re-name.

Unlike today, in the Old Testament, the Jews were all too familiar with the sin of idolatry and what it looked like.  Moses knew idolatry when he saw it.  And so did the Jews.  The bottom line is that Moses would have rightly condemned the actions of the Catholic in the above scenario.

Don’t Kid Yourself

No doubt, Moses understood that the heart of man tends toward idolatry, not atheism.  I am not aware of any atheists in ancient Israel, but the continual sin that plagued Israel over and over in the Old Testament is idolatry. 

Given the continual falling into temptation by the Old Testament Jews by idolizing statues and other objects (and remember, they were God’s chosen people), what makes us today think that we would be immune to this same weakness?  What makes us think that we can flirt with this potential danger?  Will we add arrogance to our idolatry?  Are we so much better than the Jews that we can live in such a minefield of religious images and statues (as the Catholic Church does) with hardly a thought that it could cause problems?  It is a spiritually unhealthy environment.  It is an occasion to sin.  The Bible tells us to “flee idolatry” (1 Corinthians 10:14), not flirt with it!

Remember, image lovers, it’s not just about you.  You may think that a statue or icon is “helpful” in “reminding” you of God’s love or His presence, or something along those lines.  You may feel that it brings you great peace, but you must consider how it will affect others, as well.  We should be very careful about being a stumbling block to those around us (Romans 14:21; 1 Corinthians 8:9-12).  Again, graven images were a constant stumbling block for ancient Israel.  Even if they really felt that they were only “venerating,” they were still tempting their Jewish brothers and sisters to sin.

Catholics will tell us, “But God commanded the use of statues in the Old Testament.”  That’s true, but this was a specific command for Moses and the people of Israel at that particular time.  But God never commanded the church to make or use statues!  Neither can you find in the New Testament someone praying to God through an image.  If there was a spiritual “need” for them in the church, the New Testament writers would have said so. 

Conclusion

I wish that Catholics would be more willing to listen to what the Scriptures say as a whole.  I wish they could put aside their blind confidence in the Catholic Church for a minute and recognize the danger of their cherished tradition of using images.

An even greater danger exists when we hear reports of statues that “cry tears of blood,” or statues that nod their heads periodically, etc.  These are thought to be miracles happening, drawing many devoted followers further into deception.

It is true that we don’t know individual hearts, but we know the heart of mankind, in general, and that it tends toward idolatry (Romans 1:21-23).

For the record, the Catechism of the Catholic Church officially condemns the sin of idolatry (CCC #2113).  I’m thankful for that.  But some things can so easily be turned into an idol, even if it wasn’t the intent of its maker. 

Again, this is what happened in the case of the brazen serpent.  It started off very positively, very helpful.  But someone just couldn’t help himself and began to worship it, drawing others with him. 

Although popes might agree with what King Hezekiah did when he destroyed the brazen serpent, I am not aware of any statues or images that any pope has ever destroyed for fear that faithful Catholics may fall into idolatry.  Not even in areas of the world where there is, by their own admission, “excessive devotion.”

You must ask yourself, are these religious statues an aid to worship, or are they actually a hindrance?  God told His people so many times to tear down their images.  There was a reason for that.