This week 115 Roman Catholic cardinals are gathering to choose the next pope. The man they choose will not only affect the world's 1.2 billion Catholics, but could have a profound affect on the world at large, says Vassula Ryden, an international speaker, author and mystic who has met with religious leaders including Pope Benedict XVI and the late Pope John Paul II.
"Our world is in a state of crisis – war, natural disaster, financial meltdowns, terrorism and more – and it's happening for a reason; God is trying tell us something," says Ryden, author of a new best-selling book,
Heaven is Real, But So is Hell: An Eyewitness Account of What is To Come.
www.HeavenIsRealBook.com.
"God is not punishing us; but we are self-destroying ourselves. We have lost our moral compass, and without it, we will continue to sail into stormy seas. The pope is the successor of St. Peter, who is traditionally seen as the 'captain' of the ship. The next pope must steer the ship – and somehow get the cooperation of the ship's mates – to lead it back to still waters."
During a recent interview, on the nationally syndicated Hugh Hewitt radio show, Philadelphia Archbishop Charles J. Chaput told the host he wanted a someone "who would be a good Bishop of Rome" because, while he might be the head of the Roman Church, each Bishop controlled his own local Holy See as the Pope controlled his Holy See in Rome as the Vicar of Christ. Setting the tone for over 1 billion Catholic faithful around the world the new Pope, as John and Benedict ably demonstrated, can bring about major changes with determination and faith.
Ryden has spoken in 80 countries to millions of people, including 500,000 in the Philippines, and has focused on calling church leaders to conversion, reconciliation and unity. She believes the division within the Christian churches is what has caused its internal crises and lack of efficacy in the modern world. "Until the church leaders purify and humble themselves, and seek unity in diversity, there will be no peace in the church or in the world."
Despite her challenging messages, Vassula has earned the approval of thousands of bishops, patriarchs, priests, nuns and other religious leaders worldwide, including some of the cardinals who are set to elect the new pope, like Cardinal Wilfred Napier of South Africa, who said, "Vassula poses no threat…The messages which are communicated through her are consistent with the Church's own call to repentance and a return to the basics of the faith."
Ryden, who has established 25 charitable homes that serve the poor in the name of her ecumenical ministry. In the messages she receives from Jesus Christ, called True Life in God, the Lord told her that his Mystical Body was never meant to be splintered into various Christian denominations. The fact that Catholic and Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter on days separated by several weeks indicates the folly of our sectarian ways, she says. "God is calling us to unify the date of Easter, and only the pope together with the orthodox patriarch can make that happen."
"We will soon know the identity of the new pope," says Ryden, who has garnered over 1 million fans on Facebook and Twitter, and whose new book Heaven
is Real, But So is Hell: An Eyewitness Account of What is to Come, recently hit #1 on Barnes & Noble online (3/1/13). "My hope is that the new pontiff will earn a legacy of unifying the followers of Christ – and building bridges to all people of faith – so that we can achieve 'unity in diversity,' and address the world's problems as a people united under God."
Here are some questions posed by the current state of affairs which need consideration:
• What were your impressions of Benedict XVI and John Paul II?
• Should the new pope be more like one or the other of them?
• Is the Catholic Church the best Christian denomination to unify Christians?
• What risks might a new pope incur by going more ecumenical?
• Should Christians with an ecumenical message focus on young people, since they're less interested in denomination and are the future of Christianity?
• How do you know God is trying to send us a message with each major catastrophe?
Part One of INSIGHT TV Show with Paul Arthur interviewing of Vassula Ryden
Part Two of INSIGHT TV Show with Paul Arthur interviewing Vassula Ryden
About Vassula Ryden:
Vassula Ryden, author of the just released
Heaven is Real, But So Is Hell: An Eyewitness of What is to Come, is the founder of True Life in God, an international ministry that funds charitable projects around the world, including 25 Beth Myriam houses that serve the poor. A member of the Greek Orthodox Church, Ryden spent much of her adult life living in developing countries due to her husband's profession as an international diplomat. She has spoken in 80 countries to millions of people.
Her new book Heaven is Real But So is Hell, www.HeavenIsRealBook.com, hit #1 on Barnes & Noble online (3/1/13) and she has over 1 million followers on Facebook (www.facebook.com/JesusIsReturning) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/vassularyden).
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