Catholicism has long been an opposing force to Bible-believing Christians everywhere. On the surface, this counterfeit church could sometimes be counted on to uphold basic doctrinal issues such as the sanctity of life and the sanctity of marriage. At least, in the Western World.

Now, even this bit of support for moral right appears to be rapidly waning. In 2021, Pope Francis announced an annual gathering called The Synod on Synodality.

The synod, a gathering of leaders and clergy, was understood to be convening to discuss the Catholic church’s mission of walking together, listening to each other, and discerning God’s will in the context of the modern world. Instead, the multi-year event, culminating in 2024, turned into a one-man revolution led by the Pope himself.

The Pope’s Radical Inclusion Agenda

One of the most controversial aspects of the Synod was the move toward radical inclusion of LGBTQ+ individuals. Pope Francis is blatantly pushing an inclusive stance regarding LGBTQ+ “marriages,” adoption by LGBTQ+ couples, and LGBTQ+ participation in clergy leadership positions.

In a written address from the Pope in 2023, he called upon priests to bless same-sex couples, signaling a profound doctrinal shift away from their long-standing position on sexual morality.

Additionally, Pope Francis has developed close ties with prominent Catholic advocates for LGBTQ+ acceptance. His support for the ordination of women further disturbs some of the more conservative faithful.

Pope Declares All Roads Lead to Rome

Another element that has drawn criticism is Pope Francis’ emphasis on interfaith dialogue. In a recent trip to Singapore, he stood in front of a crowd of Buddhists, Muslims, Catholics, and Pagans, and stated proudly that “all religions are paths to God.”

Some of the Catholic clergy woke up after that remark. Bishop Athanasius Schneider of Kazakhstan called out the Pope’s statement as contradictory to the first commandment and the teachings of Christ, which emphasizes that salvation comes only through Jesus Christ. Even a broken clock is right twice a day!

The Pope made similar statements during the Synod, causing many in the Catholic church to fear a move toward syncretism —the blending of all religions into one.

Less “Gospel” —More Social Doctrine

Pope Francis’ focus on environmental issues has also drawn criticism. Some Catholic influencers have begun to question whether the Pope’s emphasis on “saving the planet” comes at the cost of spiritual concerns.

Others see his support for global organizations like the United Nations and the World Economic Forum as an even bigger concern. Rather than promoting Biblical morality, Pope Francis’s cooperation with the UN and WEF accelerates their push for social policies like abortion rights and comprehensive sex indoctrination. Catholics everywhere are observing a drastic shift toward secularism and away from traditional moral teaching.

Synod a “Toxic Nightmare”

The Synod was hailed as a transformative moment to usher in a more inclusive, compassionate, and socially conscious Catholicism. However, the Synod was a destructive force that undermined the doctrine and moral teachings that even Roman Catholicism has traditionally upheld.

Cardinal Gerhard Müller, a prominent conservative figure, has described the Synod as a “hostile takeover of the Church of Jesus Christ.” Cardinal George Pell criticized the Synod as a “toxic nightmare,” and Bishop Athanasius Schneider warned that the Synod’s agenda promoted “heretical doctrines” and “poisonous spiritual ideas” that encouraged the abandonment of timeless truth.

Cardinal Joseph Zen, the former Bishop of Hong Kong, has been particularly vocal in his criticism, accusing the Synod of promoting doctrinal chaos. Zen pointed out that despite global objections, the Pope has not ceased his radical initiatives, fueling concerns that the Synod could lead to a schism or even a fundamental redefinition of Catholic teachings.

An Ongoing Push to One-World Religion

Pope Francis’ critics rightly argue that his papacy, particularly through the Synod, is redefining Catholic doctrine to fall in line with secular, left-wing ideologies —especially regarding LGBTQ+ issues, environmentalism, and global governance. However, this shift should come as no surprise to Bible-believing Christians.

A careful study of the history of the papacy finds them with a finger to the wind ready to move in the direction of wherever world politics is headed. In Revelation 17, the angel invited John to view a great prostitute “with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.”

Other identifiers in chapters 17 and 18 have been widely interpreted to indicate that the Vatican is this spiritual whore. This tiny city-state in Rome has diplomatic relations with most of the 200 nations in the world. In claiming to be God’s representative on earth it pompously steals a substantial part of the glory due only to Jesus Christ.

Scripture makes it plain that in the end days, there will be a one-world government, religion, and currency. Pope Francis’ involvement in pushing toward this eventual end is simply prophecy being fulfilled right before our eyes.

All of these are signs of the budding of the fig tree, speaking more and more clearly that the time is short. See Mark chapter 13.

Bible-believers, we have important work to do before it becomes too late.