Yesterday morning, the world learned of Pope Francis’ death, a seismic event for the Roman Catholic Church and its global followers. Curiously, also yesterday morning, my article auto-posted, critiquing Pope Francis’ Marxist, environmentalist, pro-sodomy, idol-worshipping, and universalist positions, urging Traditional Catholics to question their loyalty to a religion led by such a figure. My subsequent posts as “Polemics Santa” on X amplified this, cataloging his heresies. Critics swiftly branded my words “insensitive,” arguing it was crass to speak ill of a man whose body had not yet cooled. Yet, Scripture offers a different perspective—one that demands boldness over sentimentality when eternity is at stake.
When Jesus was confronted with tragedies, He did not offer empty condolences. In Luke 13:1-5, informed of Galileans butchered by Pilate and others crushed beneath the tower of Siloam, He declared, “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” Christ seized the sting of death to awaken souls to their mortality, pointing them to the blazing reality of judgment. Hell is not a metaphor but a furnace of unquenchable fire, where the worm never dies, and the smoke of torment rises forever (Mark 9:48; Revelation 14:11). Francis’ death, like any other, is a clarion call to proclaim this truth, not to muffle it with worldly niceties.
THE POPE AS ANTICHRIST: A REFORMATION PILLAR
The Protestant identification of the Pope as the Antichrist is no fringe opinion but a bedrock of Reformation theology. The London Baptist Confession of 1689, Chapter 26, Paragraph 4, states:
“The Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of the church… neither can the Pope of Rome in any sense be head thereof, but is that antichrist, that man of sin, and son of perdition, that exalteth himself in the church against Christ, and all that is called God; whom the Lord shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.”
This echoes the Westminster Confession (1647), which labels the Pope “that Antichrist, that man of sin and son of perdition” (Chapter 25, Section 6). The Smalcald Articles (1537) by Martin Luther assert that the Pope is “the real Antichrist” who usurps Christ’s authority, denying salvation by faith alone. John Calvin, in his Institutes, argued that the papacy’s claim to divine prerogatives fulfills 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, where the “man of sin” exalts himself in God’s temple. John Knox, the Puritans, and even colonial preachers like Cotton Mather upheld this view, seeing the papacy’s history of persecution, indulgences, and doctrinal corruption as evidence of its antichristian nature.
Scripture undergirds this conviction. The “man of sin” in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 “opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God,” sitting in the temple—a picture of usurped spiritual authority. The Antichrist in 1 John 2:18 and 4:3 denies the true Christ, leading many astray. The papacy’s claim to be Christ’s “Vicar,” its anathemas against sola fide at the Council of Trent, and its centuries of bloodshed against Protestants fit this profile. While some modern Protestants soften this stance, the London Baptist Confession remains a faithful witness to the Reformation’s clarity. Pope Francis, as we shall see, embodied the Antichrist’s deception through heresies that mock the Gospel and seduce souls into hell’s gaping maw.
FRANCIS’ HERESIES: A TRAIL OF SPIRITUAL RUIN
Francis’ papacy was steeped in Marxist undertones, particularly through his embrace of liberation theology, a fusion of Christianity and socialist revolution. He welcomed Gustavo Gutiérrez, a pioneer of this movement, to the Vatican, signaling his affinity for its class-struggle lens. His encyclical Evangelii Gaudium railed against “trickle-down economics” and “idolatry of money,” echoing Marxist critiques of capitalism. In a 2015 address in Bolivia, he lamented the Church’s role in the “so-called conquest” of the Americas, framing it as capitalist exploitation—a narrative lifted from leftist textbooks.
For years I’ve argued that Francis’ obsession with supposed “systemic inequality” sidelined biblical calls for personal repentance and charity. His rhetoric aligned with secular socialists, earning praise from figures like Bernie Sanders, who called him a “socialist” ally. Scripture, however, teaches stewardship and generosity (2 Corinthians 9:6-7), not state-enforced redistribution. Francis’ economic vision, far from heavenly, bore the stench of earthly ideologies that lead souls astray.
Francis’ environmentalism, crystallized in Laudato Si’, exalted creation above the Creator, teetering on paganism. He framed climate change as a moral crisis, urging global policies to protect “Mother Earth.” Years ago I warned that this language was essentially pantheism, diverting worship from God to the planet. His 2019 Amazon Synod cemented this, featuring a Vatican Gardens ceremony where attendees bowed before a Pachamama statue, a South American fertility goddess. Francis’ failure to rebuke this act, as I noted at the time, was an endorsement of idolatry.
Romans 1:25 condemns those who “worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator.” Francis’ environmentalist crusade, cloaked in moral urgency, led souls to bow before creation’s shadows rather than Christ’s light, a path that ends in hell’s unyielding flames.
Francis’ stance on homosexuality sparked outrage among faithful Christians. His 2013 remark, “If a person is gay and seeks God and has good will, who am I to judge?”, was a departure from Scripture’s clear condemnation of sodomy (Leviticus 18:22; Romans 1:26-27). Pulpit & Pen highlighted his reported support for homosexual civil unions in Argentina and his allowance of a gay couple to adopt. His 2021 letter to Fr. James Martin, a pro-LGBT priest, praised Martin’s “pastoral zeal,” signaling approval of his agenda to normalize sodomy within the Church.
Such actions drew applause from liberal evangelicals like Russell Moore, who called Francis a “voice of inclusion.” But Scripture warns that those who approve of sin share its guilt (Romans 1:32). Francis’ refusal to uphold God’s design for sexuality aligned him with the world’s rebellion, luring souls toward the lake of fire.
Francis’ universalism struck at the heart of the Gospel. In Fratelli Tutti, he promoted a “fraternity” that blurred distinctions between faiths, suggesting all religions are paths to God. His claim that “God positively wills the pluralism and diversity of religions” directly contradicts John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me”. At the time, Pulpit & Pen and I labeled this heresy, noting its denial of Christ’s exclusivity.
Francis’ interreligious initiatives—praying with Muslims, honoring Hindu deities, and calling for unity among “all faiths”—furthered this error. At a 2019 UAE event, he signed a document declaring that all religions are “willed by God.” Such syncretism, as we warned, is the Antichrist’s hallmark, deceiving souls into believing they can bypass the cross and still escape hell’s scorching torment.
Francis’ most blasphemous moment, as Pulpit & Pen documented, was his 2015 claim that the cross was a “failure.” In a New York sermon, he said, “The cross shows us a different way of measuring success. Ours is to plant the seeds: God sees to the fruits of our labors. And if at times our efforts and works seem to fail and produce no fruit, we need to remember that we are followers of Jesus… and his life, humanly speaking, ended in failure, the failure of the cross”. This statement, even with its qualifier “humanly speaking,” is an affront to the Gospel. The cross was no failure but the triumph of God’s redemptive plan, where Christ “disarmed the rulers and authorities” (Colossians 2:15).
At the time, James White rebuked us for reporting his words, stipulating that we took him out of context. White did not understand well enough the uniquely Jesuit adaptation of Liberation Theology, which indeed paints the cross as an actual failure, as part of its painting of Christ as a victim identifying with the conquered proletariat. A few weeks later, Francis made the same statement, absent of the qualifier, “humanly speaking.” By the way, humanly speaking, Jesus rose again from the dead and, humanly speaking, was smashingly successful.
This was “blasphemous drivel,” noting that the cross is the power of God unto salvation (1 Corinthians 1:18). To diminish it as a failure, even rhetorically, is to rob Christ of His glory and mislead souls into a false gospel that cannot save from hell’s eternal agony.
Francis’ ecumenical overtures further eroded biblical truth. He sought reconciliation with Lutherans, downplaying the Reformation’s core issues like justification by faith alone. In 2016, at a joint Catholic-Lutheran commemoration of the Reformation, he suggested that doctrinal differences were secondary to “common witness.” Pulpit & Pen decried this as a betrayal of the Gospel, noting that Rome’s anathemas against sola fide remain in force.
His outreach to Orthodox churches and even non-Christian religions diluted the exclusivity of Christianity. By prioritizing unity over truth, Francis aligned with the spirit of antichrist, which seeks to unite all under a false banner, leading multitudes to the pit where torment never ceases.
THE WORLD’S APPLAUSE: A MARK OF DAMNATION
Francis’ legacy is stained by the praise of worldly figures, a sure sign of his misalignment with Christ. Barack Obama hailed him as a “moral force” for his stances on climate change and immigration. Nancy Pelosi, a staunch abortion advocate, received communion from Francis and lauded his “compassion.” David French, a self-professed evangelical, praised his “humility” and outreach to the marginalized, particularly the LGBT community. Secular icons like Greta Thunberg and Leonardo DiCaprio celebrated his environmentalism, while leftist media outlets like CNN and The Guardian lionized him as a progressive hero.
Pulpit & Pen pointed out the biblical warning: “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets” (Luke 6:26). Jesus said, “If you were of the world, the world would love its own” (John 15:19). Francis’ acclaim by abortionists, sodomy advocates, and globalist elites reveals a pontiff at home in Babylon, not in the kingdom of God. Such praise is a death knell, signaling a trajectory toward the fiery abyss where the damned wail without respite.
In the last 12 hours we’ve heard a virtual choir of the most rabidly leftist celebrities (including Obama and French) praising the Pontiff as a genuine believer, as sure a sign that he’s in hell as I can think of.
TRUTH OVER SENSITIVITY?
The accusation of “insensitivity” against my critique of Francis ignores the urgency of the Gospel. Jesus never shrank from using death to point to eternity. In Luke 13:1-5, when told of Galileans slaughtered by Pilate and others crushed by Siloam’s tower, He issued a stark warning: “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”
No soft words, no calls for mourning—only a thunderous call to flee sin’s consequences. When Lazarus died, Jesus wept (John 11:35), but His tears gave way to a miracle that glorified God and proved His power over death (John 11:40-44). Even in grief, Christ’s focus was eternal truth.
Hell is a horrific reality—a furnace where the unrepentant are tormented day and night, their screams echoing in a darkness that never lifts (Revelation 20:10). Francis’ death is a divine megaphone, amplifying the need for repentance. To mute this truth out of “sensitivity” is to let souls slip into that searing pit. As Pulpit & Pen and I argued for years, Francis’ heresies led millions astray, and his death is a moment to warn, not to whisper condolences. Jesus’ example demands we speak, lest the blood of the lost be on our hands (Ezekiel 33:8).
HISTORIC PROTESTANT WITNESS: THE PAPACY’S LONG SHADOW
The Reformation’s condemnation of the papacy as Antichrist was not mere polemic but a response to centuries of spiritual tyranny. The Council of Trent (1545-1563) anathematized justification by faith alone, declaring that salvation requires works and sacraments—a direct assault on the Gospel. Popes like Innocent III launched crusades against dissenters, while the Inquisition tortured and burned those who dared read Scripture in their own tongue. The sale of indulgences, epitomized by Tetzel’s “As soon as the coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs,” enriched Rome while damning souls with a false hope.
Protestant martyrs like William Tyndale, burned for translating the Bible, and the Huguenots, massacred on St. Bartholomew’s Day, testify to the papacy’s antichristian legacy. The London Baptist Confession’s language reflects this history, seeing the Pope as the “son of perdition” who exalts himself above Christ. Francis, with his modern heresies, continued this tradition, cloaking it in progressive rhetoric. His errors, as we have documented, are not anomalies but the fruit of a system that has long opposed the true Gospel.
Hell’s reality is the heartbeat of this argument. Scripture paints a vivid picture: a lake of fire where the wicked are cast (Revelation 20:15), a place of “weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 13:50), where the fire is not quenched, and the torment is unending (Mark 9:43-48). Jesus spoke of hell more than anyone in Scripture, warning of a furnace where the condemned are “tormented with fire and brimstone” (Revelation 14:10). The rich man in Luke 16:23-24, writhing in flames, begged for a drop of water to cool his tongue, but found no relief. This is the destiny of those who reject Christ, and Francis’ teachings—his universalism, his denial of the cross’s triumph—paved a highway to this inferno.
To stay silent about Francis’ errors is to betray the Gospel’s urgency. The world’s call for “sensitivity” is a siren song, lulling souls to sleep as they drift toward eternal anguish. Christians must shout from the rooftops, as Jesus did, that repentance is the only escape from the flames that never die.
A PLEA TO CATHOLICS: FLEE TO CHRIST ALONE
The Roman Catholic Church, under Francis and his predecessors, has erected a labyrinth of tradition that obscures the simple Gospel. The office of the papacy, and whoever holds it, is antichrist because he claims authority that belongs to Christ alone, demanding allegiance to a system of sacraments, purgatory, and papal decrees. Francis’ heresies—his Marxism, idolatry, pro-sodomy stance, and universalism—are not mere missteps but symptoms of a religion that has drifted far from Scripture.
The Gospel is clear: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Christ’s death on the cross paid the full penalty for sin (1 Peter 3:18), and He is the only Mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5). Rome’s additions—indulgences, the Mass as a re-sacrifice, devotion to Mary—dishonor Christ’s finished work and lead souls to trust in sand, not the Rock.
I beg you: flee this man-made religion. Open the Scriptures, as the Bereans did (Acts 17:11), and see that salvation is by faith alone, in Christ alone, by grace alone. Francis’ death is a divine warning, a trumpet blast to turn from error before the flames of hell consume. Do not follow him into deception or the torment that awaits. Repent and trust in Jesus, the only Savior, who stands ready to save you from the wrath to come (1 Thessalonians 1:10).
Pope Francis’ death is not a moment for muted grief but for thunderous truth. Jesus used tragedy to call for repentance, and so must we, knowing that hell’s fires burn without end for those who reject Him. Historic Protestant theology rightly identify the Pope as the Antichrist, a title Francis earned through his many departures from Biblical doctrines. Amazingly, Francis also rubbed against Catholic doctrines - whichever ones happen to accord to Scripture and with which we share in common - just as much as any other. The world’s praise marks him as a friend of Babylon, not a servant of Christ.
Hell’s horrors are real—an inescapable torment for those who cling to sin or false religion. Let us honor Christ by speaking boldly, as He did, knowing that the eternal destiny of souls hangs in the balance. May God grant repentance to many, and to Him be the glory forever.
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