The Telegraph reports that “Two girls die in stampede to see Pope“. This caught my eye because after Pope John Paul II passed away, many remarked on how Pope Benedict XVI wasn’t as charismatic as his predecessor.
By all appearances, however, it seems that the Catholic Church is gaining power rather than losing it. Protestants are turning to more ritualistic forms of worship, and what is more ritualistic than Roman Catholicism? In fact, as I reported earlier in “Mainstream Evangelicalism Falling To the Wayside?“, as Evangelicalism continues to splinter under the weight of anti-Christian sentiment in the West, Catholicism, Orthodox and Pentecostal denominations will likely be the beneficiaries.
The Roman Catholic Church will gain influence as time goes on, eventually even winning cooperation and perhaps integration with Eastern Orthodox. This, in spite of several doomsayers saying that the latest “gaffes” by the Pope spell a “disaster”. Many were concerned that this could be the last Pope, given his German descent. However, it appears that this Pope will not be charismatic enough to unify the Vatican, let alone the rank and file. However, prophecy makes it clear that religion will again play a major role in the uniting of Europe, and the resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire is only a matter of time, unless nations, especially the United Kingdom and the United States, repents.