Well this really makes you wonder how they can push this as there is no scriptural basis for them to refer to in encouraging Sunday worship..

"Pope Benedict XVI says your life depends upon worshiping on Sunday.

“Sine dominico non possumus!” “Without Sunday [worship] we cannot live!” Pope Benedict xvi declared during a mass on September 9 at St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna.
Speaking on the final day of his three-day visit to Austria, the German pope voiced a strong call for Christians to revive Sunday keeping as an all-important religious practice.
“Give the soul its Sunday, give Sunday its soul,” he chanted before a rain-soaked crowd of 40,000.
Benedict said that Sunday, which he stated has its origin as “the day of the dawning of creation,” was “also the church’s weekly feast of creation.”
Warning against the evils of allowing Sunday to become just a part of the weekend, the pope said people needed to have a spiritual focus during the first day of the week, or else leisure time would just become wasted time.

Sunday worship, he warned, was not just a “precept” to be casually adhered to, but a “necessity” for all people......"

http://uk.reuters.com/article/lifest...9?pageNumber=1

http://www.thetrumpet.com/index.php?q=1808.0.77.0

http://www.zenit.org/article-20457?l=english

Popes have said similar things about Sunday sacredness for hundreds of years. One of these days, though, it will catch on and the world will enforce the mark of the beast. Even so, come Lord Jesus.

Well show me any other religious leader that is catching the attention on the world stage...Billy Graham is gone, Jerry Farwell is gone, Oral Roberts, Jim Baker, Jimmy Swaggart have all fallen. The Ayatolla's and Orthodox Patriarchs, the Jewish Rabbis, none can even come close to the influence and power the Pope is gathering to him.......its close, very close to the end...

Here is a analysis which I came across which is quite compelling and eye openning....

"...Pope Benedict XVI consolidates sweeping changes, reasserting the spiritual supremacy of the Vatican.

"Pope Benedict XVI, is completing a significant theological shift of the Roman Catholic church – a sweeping change that not only eclipses 40 years of a more moderate and collegial Catholicism, but seeks to reassert the spiritual supremacy of the Vatican and more openly proclaim the authority of the office of pope among all Christians.

Some.. years after taking the reins, say Protestant and Catholic theologians and religious experts, the Bavarian-born pope is moving swiftly to affirm orthodox doctrines and medieval church rituals that undermine the spirit of Vatican II, a period of modernization in which the church appeared to be rethinking its centuries-long insistence that it had exclusive claims to matters of grace, truth, salvation, and church structure in the Christian world.

Liberal Catholics go so far as to characterize Benedict as leading a counterreformation in the church – in which fervent backers of traditional Catholic identity and faith are favored, even at the expense of popularity. "While Vatican II said that the Holy Spirit was in operation among the people, now we are saying, no, the holy spirit is operating in the bishops. It is an enormous change." says Frank Flinn, author of the "Encyclopedia of Catholicism." The "impression [previous Pope] John Paul II gave was to emphasize teaching so that all may be one. But Benedict is turning around and saying to churches, 'you aren't all one.' It is destroying the ecumenical movement."

When the former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger became pope on April 8, 2005, many Catholics felt he might soften his reputation as a hard-line "enforcer of the faith." Yet his tenure has shown few signs of mellowing. In the space of three days this month, for example, he promoted the old Latin Mass, which contains references to the conversion of the Jews, then issued a blockbuster doctrinal clarification statement saying that Orthodox and Protestant churches were "lacking" and only authentic through their relationship with Rome.

"Benedict has fought for the same thing for 30 years and now he is putting it to work," says Frederic Lenoir, editor of Le Monde's religious supplement in Paris. "His main aim in being pope is to unify the true believer groups – and he will lose members or destroy religious dialogues, if that's what it takes."

Benedict has stated his central mission is to restore the Catholic church in Europe and to bridge the gap with Eastern Orthodox churches that more closely share a traditional Catholic suspicion of modernity, the Enlightenment, the Reformation, pluralism, and secularism.....

the Vatican issued "Regarding Certain Aspects of Church Doctrine." It argued that churches emerging from the Reformation outside the direct authority of Rome "cannot be called 'churches' in the proper sense." Protestants, in particular, "suffer from defects," are properly called communities, not churches, and must one day recognize "the Catholic church, governed by the successor of Peter and the bishops in communion with him" – a major affirmation of papal authority.....

Many theologians say the shifts under Pope Benedict aren't simply a small matter of rules, rituals, clarifications, and a tidying up of doctrine. Perhaps one of the most significant, though little noticed, changes has to do with the changing concept of the meaning of the kingdom of heaven. The current pope has a different vision of time and eschatology. Under Vatican II, it was accepted that the coming of the kingdom is possible to experience on Earth and not simply in the afterlife. Vatican II stressed concepts like "becoming," "change," and "newness," and championed social justice and liberty as linked to ideas of grace.

Pope Benedict has begun to roll back such ideas, says Mr. Flinn, the Catholic theologian at Washington University in St. Louis, and his theology is "pessimistic, in the sense that heaven and earth are separate concepts, and that Christ's kingdom can't be experienced here."

"It is the old vertical eschatology," Flinn says. "Liberal Catholics read the scriptures as saying the kingdom is already here, but not yet. The Vatican seems to be saying the kingdom is not yet, not yet, until the end of time, when Jesus returns. Meanwhile, the church is in charge, the pope is the vicar of Christ, and the church has the full truth......"

http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0718/p01s05-lire.html?page=1

The popularity of the present pope pales in comparison to the previous pope - at least in the USA.

Well he does seem to be a little bit more of a conservative reactionary ready to go back to the Inquisition if need be........:0)

POPE BENEDICT 16 STATED:

The RCC “makes its contribution (in the ethical and moral sphere) according to the dispositions of international law, helps to define that law, and makes appeal to it”, that we live in a time when little groups of independent people threaten the unity of the world, and that the only way to combat this problem is by establishing law and then ordering all of society according to this law, thus promoting “peace and good will throughout the earth.” (Apostolic Journey to the United States of America and Visit to the United Nations Organization Headquarters, Meeting with the Members of the General Assembly of the United Nations Organization, Address of Pope Benedict XVI, New York, Friday, April 18, 2008.)
ORDER OF EVENTS THAT LEAD TO NATIONAL SUNDAY LAWS...



"The sins of Babylon will be laid open. The fearful results of a union of Church and State, the inroads of Spiritualism, the stealthy but rapid progress of the papal power,--all will be nmasked. By these solemn warnings the people will be stirred. Thousands upon thousands have never listened to words like these.In amazement they hear the testimony that Babylon is the church, fallen because of her errors and sins, because of her rejection of the truth sent to her from Heaven. The people go to their former teachers with the eager inquiry, Are these things so?
The ministers present fables, prophesy smooth things, to soothe their fears, and quiet the awakened conscience. But many refuse to be satisfied with the mere authority of men, and demand a plain 'Thus saith the Lord.'The popular ministry, like the Pharisees of old, are filled with anger as their authority is questioned; they denounce the message as of Satan, and stir up the sin-loving multitudes to revile and persecute those who proclaim it. "As the controversy extends into new fields, and the minds of the people are called to God's down-trodden law, Satan is astir. The power attending the message only maddens those who oppose it. The clergy put forth almost superhuman efforts to shut away the light, lest it should shine upon their flocks. By every means at their command they endeavor to suppress the discussion of these vital questions. The church appeals to the strong arm of civil power, and in this work, papists are solicited to come to the help of Protestants. The movement for Sunday enforcement becomes more bold and decided. The law is invoked against commandment-keepers." Spirit of Prophecy, vol 4, p 424-425

Pope to launch YouTube channel
Submitted by Mohit Joshi on Mon, 01/19/2009 - 06:07. Featured Pope Benedict XVI London
London, Jan 19 : Pope Benedict XVI is set to launch a dedicated channel on video sharing website YouTube.

Video footage and audio of addresses given by the Pope, as well as news about the Holy See, will be posted on to the website, reports the Telegraph.

The material is aimed at everyone from devout Catholics to the curious browser.

Vatican Radio and the Vatican''s television centre in collaboration with Google, which owns YouTube, will supply the material.

THE TIME IS HERE..

VATICAN LETTER (UPDATED) Jan-26-2009 (940 words) xxxi

Great expectations: World issues dominate Vatican hopes for Obama

By John Thavis
Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Vatican has struck a predominantly positive tone as it opens relations with the administration of President Barack Obama, emphasizing hopes for cooperation on issues of peace and social justice.

While registering its disappointment over an early presidential decision to restore funding to programs that offer abortion overseas, the Vatican has avoided pre-emptive battles with Obama over pro-life and family issues.

Pope Benedict XVI sent an Inauguration Day telegram congratulating the new president and supporting Obama's resolve to "promote understanding, cooperation and peace among the nations."

The Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, compared the swearing-in of the first African-American president to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and said it ushered in a new era of expectation and participation.

But beyond these optimistic public declarations, what are the Vatican's top concerns at the start of the Obama term? What are its highest hopes and its deepest worries?

In interviews over recent weeks, Vatican officials said their expectations were highest on international questions of war and peace -- most specifically, the Israeli-Palestinian war, which a Vatican official once termed "the mother of all conflicts."

What is expected of the Obama administration, they said, is a decisive initiative to restart the peace process and move it toward a definitive solution, not a one-shot attempt but a "consistent commitment" to lead Israelis and Palestinians to the realization that a settlement is in their own best interests.

Vatican diplomats were disappointed at the Bush administration's peace-promoting efforts in the Holy Land. They said those efforts came late and that the most promising initiative -- the peace conference in Annapolis, Md., in late 2007 -- was not followed up with diplomatic pressure.

While no one expects Obama to alter the United States' fundamental support for Israel, Vatican officials said the new president begins his term with a certain amount of trust and sympathy among Arabs. That could be important, they said, because Arabs need to feel they have a world leader who takes their situation to heart.

All this could help change the dynamic of tension and mistrust throughout the Middle East, they said. Already, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's recent statement that the new administration would move quickly to diplomatically engage Syria and Iran was seen as a wise move by the Vatican.

The Vatican always was uncomfortable with the Bush administration's self-proclaimed "war on terrorism," even though officials gave qualified support to U.S. military action against terrorist enclaves in Afghanistan in 2001. Vatican sources said the hope is that the anti-terrorism effort under Obama will be carried out with two principles in mind: first, respect for legal rights, i.e., a rejection of torture; and, second, attention to the underlying causes of terrorism, including injustice and political frustration.

On economic issues, Vatican officials cited potential areas of agreement with Obama, including his concern for those on the margins of society. The hope, they said, is that the president's stated concern for the poor in the United States will translate into a serious U.S. commitment to help alleviate global poverty. This was an important area of cooperation with the Bush administration, and the Vatican wants it to continue under Obama.

On pro-life issues, Vatican officials said they hoped Obama, who is seen as an intelligent politician, would not pick unnecessary fights with the church. Although it was expected, the Vatican reacted quickly to the president's executive order Jan. 23 to remove a ban on federal aid to programs that promote or perform abortion overseas.

"A very disappointing decision," read the headline in the Vatican newspaper, quoting from a reaction statement from U.S. bishops. Archbishop Rino Fisichella, president of the Pontifical Academy for Life, told an Italian newspaper that "if this is one of President Obama's first acts, I have to say, with all respect, that we're a short step away from disappointment."

Archbishop Fisichella noted the massive participation in the Jan. 22 March for Life in Washington. If Obama's response is to extend the right of abortion, he said, that seems to contradict the president's own remarks about defending human dignity. "But we shall see," he added.

Pro-life and family issues are not merely U.S. domestic affairs. Vatican diplomats know that questions regarding population control, bioethics, the family and even homosexuality increasingly come up for debate in international forums, including the United Nations. While the Vatican and the Bush administration were in close agreement on such topics, there is apprehension about the policies of the Obama administration -- and how hard it will push those policies.

For these and many other reasons, the Vatican is closely watching for Obama's choice of a new U.S. ambassador to the Vatican. An early appointment would be viewed at the Vatican as a sign of the president's interest and attention to the Holy See.

The choice of ambassador is, of course, up to the president. One informed Vatican official dismissed an earlier report that the Vatican, in a nod toward conservative Catholics, might veto the appointment of a high-profile Catholic supporter of Obama. Rejecting an ambassador for those kinds of political motives is not in the tradition of Vatican diplomacy and would, in fact, be very dangerous, the official said.

Many at the Vatican are already looking ahead to an expected meeting between Obama and Pope Benedict later this year. Although the Vatican understands that the young president has a lot on his plate as he comes into office, they are eager to see him in Rome. Asked when he hoped it would happen, one Vatican official said, "As soon as possible."

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