THE POPE'S INTENTIONS by H. A. St. John

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Dec 3, 1894

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 20, No. 56.

THE POPE'S INTENTIONS.

By H. A. St. John

BY ELDER H. A. ST. JOHN.

I HAVE just read a small sheet published by the Catholic press of San Francisco, entitled "Rosary Sunday." Rosary Sunday in the Catholic Church is the first Sunday in October. This sheet purposes to set forth the origin, objects, and blessings of the Rosary, and to define the proper observance of Rosary Sunday. Great benefits and blessings, in the form of indulgences and otherwise, are herein held out to all the faithful upon certain conditions, one of which is that they earnestly, fervently, and frequently pray for the pope's intentions.

I was at once interested to know what the pope's intentions were, for which he desires the great body of the Catholic Church everywhere to pray. The importance of praying for the pope's intentions is set forth not less than ten times in this little sheet. The meaning of the phrase is defined, or explained in parentheses as follows: (1) "The harmony of all Christian princes;" (2) "the extirpation of all heresy;" and (3) "the exaltation of the Catholic Church."

Thus, again, in another way we are enabled to see that this great hierarchy, from the pope down to the lowest member, are thoroughly impregnated with the central idea of their existence from the beginning, namely, the extirpation of all heresy, the exaltation and supremacy of the Catholic Church, even at the fearful cost of the downfall and extinction of everything else.

Once for hundreds of years this theoretical church came near realizing its highest ambition, rising to power and spiritual supremacy over the bodies and souls of men, by deception and the sword. During the long centuries that she sat as a queen, exterminating heresy and heretics, she was unable to make a clean sweep of the earth. God hid his truth and witnesses for the same in the wilderness until the time of reformation came, when he bade his people arise; and, by the sword of truth, strike the Papacy a deadly blow. But the sure word of prophecy assures

us that that wound will be healed. The process of healing has been going on for a long time, and now the indications are favorable to a speedy recovery. Then, for a brief space, war will be made upon the remnant seed of the true woman, or church, because they keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Sharp, severe, but short will be the conflict. She who will again sit as a queen, having in her communion earthly potentates, and under her domination earthly governments, will strike with all her power for the extermination of the seed of the true woman. But all to no avail. God defends his own; he sends his Son the second time for their everlasting deliverance; and the other mother church of worldly wealth, worldly ambition, worldly power, with all her abettors, like a great millstone cast into the sea, will sink to rise no more. Who will be on the Lord's side in the impending conflict?