{"id":4898,"date":"2013-11-28T17:34:00","date_gmt":"2013-11-28T17:34:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/news\/end-times-will-bring-greater-persecution-to-christians-pope-says\/"},"modified":"2013-11-28T17:34:00","modified_gmt":"2013-11-28T17:34:00","slug":"end-times-will-bring-greater-persecution-to-christians-pope-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2013\/11\/end-times-will-bring-greater-persecution-to-christians-pope-says\/","title":{"rendered":"End times will bring greater persecution to Christians, Pope says"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Vatican City, Nov 28, 2013 \/ 10:34 am (CNA\/EWTN News<\/a>).- In his daily homily Pope Francis reflected on the end times, saying that faith will be increasingly pushed out of the public square and that persecution of Christians is a \u201cprophecy\u201d of what is to come.<\/p>\n

\tThe Pope directed his comments to those gathered in the chapel of the Vatican's Saint Martha guesthouse for his daily Mass on Nov. 28.<\/p>\n

\tReflecting on the day's reading taken from the Gospel of Luke, in which Jesus speaks of the trials and tribulations that will precede the end times, the pontiff explained that when the Lord refers to this in another passage, \u201che tells us that it will be a desecration of the temple.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tIt will be \u201ca profanation of the faith, of the people,\u201d he continued, and \u201cit will be an abomination, it will be desolation and abomination.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\u201cWhat does this mean?\u201d the Pope asked the Mass attendees, responding, \u201cIt will be like the triumph of the prince of this world: the defeat of God.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\u201cIt seems at that final moment of calamity, it seems like he will take over this world, he will master of the world,\u201d the pontiff observed, adding that in that time we will become aware this apparent victory over God would be more devastating than a great natural disaster.<\/p>\n

\tThese worldly powers which seek to destroy God, noted the Pope, also manifest in the contemporary desire to keep religion as \u201ca private thing,\u201d alluding to the fact that today many religious symbols have become taboo.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cYou must obey the orders which come from worldly powers. You can do many things, beautiful things, but not adore God. Worship is prohibited. This is at the center of the end of time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tOnce we \u201creach the fullness of this pagan attitude,\u201d the Pope continued, \u201cthen yes, he will come\u2026\u2019 truly the Son of Man will come in a cloud with great power and glory.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\tChristians who \u201csuffer times of persecution, times of prohibition of worship\u201d because of their beliefs, are a prophecy of what will happen to us all,\u201d he emphasized.<\/p>\n

\tSpeaking of the prophet Daniel in the first reading who was thrown into the lion\u2019s den because he refused to denounce his faith, Pope Francis encouraged those in attendance not to be afraid, saying that God \u201conly asks of us faithfulness and patience.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\u201cFidelity like Daniel, who was faithful to his God and adored God until the end. And patience, because the hairs of our heads will not fall out. The Lord has promised this.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tUrging those present at the Mass to continue reflecting throughout the week on this \u201cgeneral apostasy\u201d which \u201cis called the prohibition of worship,\u201d the Pope challenged them to ask themselves \u201cDo I worship the Lord?\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\u201cDo I adore Jesus Christ, the Lord? Or, a little half and half, do I in some way play game of the prince of this world?\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\u201cWorship until the end,\u201d the Pope concluded, \u201cwith confidence and fidelity: this is the grace we must ask for this week.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Vatican City, Nov 28, 2013 \/ 10:34 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- In his daily homily Pope Francis reflected on the end times, saying that faith will be increasingly pushed out of the public square and that persecution of Christians is a “prophecy” o…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1031,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4898","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-vatican"],"yoast_head":"\nEnd times will bring greater persecution to Christians, Pope says<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Vatican City, Nov 28, 2013 \/ 10:34 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- In his daily homily Pope Francis reflected on the end times, saying that faith will be increasingly pushed out of the public square and that persecution of Christians is a “prophecy” o...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, 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