8.38. Are there prophecies or writings warning of Church deception, apostasy, or an antipope—possibly foretold in Revelation or elsewhere in Scripture or tradition?
Yes, there are numerous references in Scripture, approved prophecies, and the writings of saints and theologians that forewarn of a future crisis in the Church — a great apostasy, a counterfeit church, and even false claimants to the papacy. These sources point to a time when the visible structures of the Church would be eclipsed, and a remnant would remain faithful to Tradition.
1. Sacred Scripture
A. The Great Apostasy and the Man of Sin
“Let no man deceive you by any means: for unless there come a revolt [Greek: apostasia] first, and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, who opposeth and is lifted up above all that is called God or that is worshipped, so that he sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself as if he were God.”
This passage is a clear prophecy of a massive falling away (apostasy) within the Church before the coming of the Antichrist. Many Fathers and Doctors of the Church interpreted "the temple of God" not as the rebuilt Jewish temple but as the Church itself — indicating the man of sin would sit in the Church, claiming authority, while opposing God.
B. Apocalypse (Revelation) 17–18 — The Harlot Woman and the Beast
“And the woman was clothed round about with purple and scarlet, and gilt with gold, and precious stones, and pearls... and on her forehead a name written: Mystery, Babylon the Great, the mother of the fornications, and the abominations of the earth.”
This woman is described as sitting on seven hills (Rev. 17:9), which many interpret as Rome. However, traditional Catholic exegesis distinguishes between pagan Rome and the Catholic Church. Some saints and theologians, such as Venerable Bartholomew Holzhauser and Cardinal Manning, foresaw a time when Rome would again fall into spiritual corruption, and a counterfeit church would emerge — not the true Catholic Church, but a hijacked structure misleading the faithful.
The woman is drunk with the blood of the saints — an institution outwardly adorned with beauty but inwardly corrupted. This can be likened to the modern Vatican II sect, which retains the external appearances of Catholicism but promotes doctrines condemned by previous popes.
C. The Daily Sacrifice Removed
“And strength was given him against the continual sacrifice, because of sins: and truth shall be cast down on the ground.”
“And they shall defile the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the continual sacrifice, and they shall place there the abomination unto desolation.”
The removal or alteration of the true Mass — the "continual sacrifice" — is prophesied. The Novus Ordo Missae, promulgated in 1969, is arguably a fulfillment of this: a man-made rite replacing the immemorial sacrifice of the Mass, resulting in the loss of sanctity, truth, and reverence.
D. The Abomination of Desolation
“And in the half of the week the victim and the sacrifice shall fail: and there shall be in the temple the abomination of desolation.”
“And they shall defile the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the continual sacrifice, and they shall place there the abomination unto desolation.”
“And from the time when the continual sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination unto desolation shall be set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred ninety days.”
These verses describe a future desecration involving the removal of the continual sacrifice (interpreted by Church Fathers as the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass) and the setting up of something abominable in its place. Many Fathers, such as St. Jerome and St. Hippolytus, understood this in both a historical and future eschatological sense.
The abolition of the Traditional Latin Mass after Vatican II and the institution of the man-made Novus Ordo Missae is arguably the most striking modern fulfillment. What once was the unbloody renewal of Calvary has, in many places, been replaced by ceremonies that no longer validly offer the Holy Sacrifice, thus fitting the description of an “abomination in the holy place.”
Our Lord Himself refers to Daniel’s prophecy:
“When therefore you shall see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place: he that readeth let him understand.”
This is a clear eschatological warning about a future corruption of worship inside the Church’s visible structures — not a pagan temple, but the place where the true Sacrifice had been offered.
2. Prophecies from Saints and Theologians
A. Our Lady of La Salette (1846)
Approved by the Church, this apparition warned:
“Rome will lose the faith and become the seat of the Antichrist... The Church will be in eclipse, the world will be in dismay.”
This prophecy distinguishes between the physical city of Rome and the true Church, indicating that the visible structures could be overtaken by false shepherds, while the true Church would be eclipsed — still present, but hidden.
B. St. Francis of Assisi (d. 1226)
Before his death, he reportedly said:
“There will be an uncanonically elected pope who will cause great confusion... There will be such diversity of opinions and schisms among the people... At that time, the true faithful will find themselves reduced to a small number and tried by great tribulations.”
This precisely describes our time, where an antipope (a false claimant to the papacy) leads the Church into error and confusion, while a faithful remnant clings to tradition.
C. Cardinal Henry Edward Manning (1808–1892)
In a series of lectures, he taught:
“The apostasy of the city of Rome from the vicar of Christ, and its destruction by the Antichrist, may be thought very near.”
Manning believed that a false church could rise within the external structures of the Catholic Church, as foretold by many saints.
D. Venerable Bartholomew Holzhauser (17th century)
He predicted:
“The Church will be punished because the majority of her members... will become perverted.”
He spoke of a future age of apostasy followed by a great renewal. We appear to be in that dark pre-renewal phase.
3. Freemasonry, the Alta Vendita, and Subversion from Within
The document known as the Permanent Instruction of the Alta Vendita — a Masonic plan from the 19th century — outlined a long-term strategy to infiltrate the Church:
“What we must ask for, what we should look for and wait for, as the Jews wait for the Messiah, is a Pope according to our needs... With that, we shall march faster towards the conquest of the world.”
Pope Pius IX ordered this document to be published, warning the faithful of the Masonic threat. Many believe this plan was fulfilled with John XXIII and Paul VI, who began the aggiornamento ("opening to the world") that defined Vatican II.
Modern investigations (e.g., by Fr. Luigi Villa and Bishop Rudolf Graber) have shown that many post-conciliar figures had Masonic ties or sympathy with Modernist ideologies. This has lent credence to claims that the Church was infiltrated, not destroyed — and that the visible institution has been overtaken, not replaced.
4. CIA, Siri Thesis, and the 1958 Conclave
There is growing historical and anecdotal evidence that Cardinal Giuseppe Siri was elected pope in the 1958 conclave, taking the name Gregory XVII, but was pressured (possibly by external threats) into refusing the office. Though this remains speculative, FBI and CIA declassified documents confirm surveillance of Vatican politics and foreign involvement.
Whether or not the Siri Thesis is accurate, it underscores the serious suspicion that the Church’s leadership may have been compromised or manipulated at the highest levels.
5. Symbolism: Novus Ordo Missae and Novus Ordo Seclorum
The term Novus Ordo Missae ("New Order of the Mass"), instituted in 1969, shares linguistic similarity with the Masonic motto Novus Ordo Seclorum ("New Order of the Ages") found on the US dollar bill. This is no accident. The new liturgy reflected a shift from God-centered worship to man-centered celebration, aligning with the secular humanism of the New World Order — a system rejecting Christ’s kingship.
The aim of this liturgical revolution was to create a religion more acceptable to modern man — ecumenical, indifferentist, and tolerant of all beliefs. It was not a continuation of Catholicism, but a rupture.
6. Conclusion: A Counterfeit Church Foretold
Yes — the current ecclesiastical crisis was foretold. Scripture, tradition, saints, and even the enemies of the Church predicted a time when the Church would be eclipsed by a counterfeit version.
But as Our Lord promised:
“The gates of hell shall not prevail.”
The true Church remains — in the faithful remnant who keep the traditional Catholic faith, attend valid Masses, and reject the imposters and their false religion.
Further reading:
The Vatican II Crisis - A True Drama of Spiritual Warfare
The Permanent Instruction of the Alta Vendita - A Masonic Blueprint for the subversion of the Catholic Church
A Conspiracy against the Catholic Church? The True Popes Speaks
Former FBI Consultant Claims: U.S. Intel Docs show Cardinal Siri elected Pope Gregory XVII in 1958
Watch Papal Impostors