French President Nicolas Sarkozy visited Pope Benedict XVI on October 8, to “confirm constructive collaboration with the Catholic Church, after differences that have arisen in recent months.” A communiqué from the Vatican affirmed their “joint desire to maintain permanent dialogue at various institutional levels, and to continue constructive collaboration on matters of mutual interest.”
But this nice sounding statement is really typical Vatican-speak that obscures what really happened.
The French President, a Roman Catholic himself, and an honorary member of the clergy, met with the Pope for 30 minutes and then as usual for state visits to the Vatican, he met with the Papal Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone and other diplomatic leaders.
Sarkozy requested the meeting because, apparently, enough French Catholics who voted for him in 2007 were alienated from his party because of the expulsion of gypsies from France. The bishops had been outspoken on the matter. And on August 22, the Pope exhorted French Catholics gathered at Castel Gandolfo to “accept legitimate human differences.” In other words, he was saying that the French people should be accepting of the gypsies.
The pope slapped Sarkozy’s hand. He used the expulsion of the gypsies to the advantage of the Vatican by exhorting French Catholics to oppose the French government’s actions. This made Sarkozy realize that he needed to make amends and seek a high-profile political visit to the pope in the interest of cooperation with the Vatican – and perhaps reconciliation.
During the meeting the two men discussed “the importance of the ethical and social dimension of economic problems, in light of the encyclical ‘Caritas in Veritate,” the papal encyclical published last year.
In other words, they discussed (or perhaps Sarkozy was lectured on) proper social policy as defined by the Vatican in Caritas in Veritate. The pope used the occasion to instruct Sarkozy on the moral principles of Rome in dealing with social problems such as the gypsies.
The Pope remarked about his affection for France by remembering his visit there in 2008 for the 1500 year anniversy of the baptism of Clovis, the first Catholic king of the Franks, in 508. So in spite of secular legal nature of the French government, Benedict invoked the Catholic soul of France in his remarks seeking to re-affirm the papal supremacy over French social life.
The president and his delegation later prayed in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel, before the altar of Our Lady of Perpetual Help and at the altar of the Confession, and the tomb of St. Peter. This may be surprising for the leader of a nation that prides itself in a secular government to do this. But students of Prophecy will recognize this behavior as part of the fulfillment of long-established prophetic principles.
Sarkozy, the head of a secular government, revealed his political preference for Catholicism by this official state visit to the Vatican. It is evident that being caught in a political bind has led Sarkozy to wonder “after the beast” (See Revelation 13:3).
At a luncheon later in the day, the president publically stated that he seeks to promote relations with the Church and to defend its positions. Sarkozy is not hiding his desire to take France back to its Roman Catholic roots and heal the deadly wound inflicted by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1798.
“France does not forget that it has a common history of 2,000 years with the Church and that today it shares with her an inestimable treasure of moral values, of culture, of civilization, which have been inscribed in its identity,” said Sarkozy.
Sarkozy doesn’t remember his history very well. French history with the church does not go back 2000 years. It has only been 1502 years. Nevertheless Sarkozy’s remark affirms Rome’s claim to be the cultural and religious center of French social and political life.
France is one of the most powerful and influential countries in the European Union, and as she is being brought more and more under Vatican control, she will have a strong influence on other nations as they follow the beast. Rome is working to resurrect the Holy Roman Empire in Europe and subtly uses politial events to manipulate the nations into her orbit.
Sarkozy needs the Catholic vote to stay in power. His insecurity in light of their lack of support and even defection from his party, is revealing. There is great danger when national leaders think they have to court Rome in order to retain the Catholic vote.
“Rome is aiming to re-establish her power, to recover her lost supremacy. Let history testify of her artful and persistent efforts to insinuate herself into the affairs of nations; and having gained a foothold, to further her own aims, even at the ruin of princes and people. Romanism openly puts forth the claim that the pope“can pronounce sentences and judgments in contradiction to the right of nations, to the law of God and man.” [THE “DECRETALIA.”] Great Controversy, p. 580.
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