Here is an article about Pope Benedict (evidently I really dislike that name, maybe because of its association with ‘Benedict Arnold,’ as I often inadvertently replace it with “Boniface” from church history) visiting “Veronica’s Veil,” the 13th century “relic” claimed to have been used by “St. Veronica” to wipe Jesus’ face as He walked to the cross (a scene you may well remember graphically portrayed in Mel Gibson’s The Passion). “We are all looking for the face of the Lord as this is the meaning of my visit to Manoppello” the Pope said. The article has a picture of the Pope before this relic.
This kind of “spirituality” is quite popular across the spectrum today, and what truly showed through plainly last year when the Pope died was how post-evangelicals have completely lost all contact with historical doctrine and a meaningful understanding of things like “idolatry” or “the glory of God.” I was not at all shocked at how Roman Catholics responded to the Pope’s death last year; I was, however, deeply disturbed by how non-Catholics who proclaim themselves to be faithful to biblical truth were willing to close their eyes to the reality of the Pope’s teachings in light of Scripture itself. We are so “PC” today we fear speaking in accordance with God’s Word! While a picture like that in the article would have been seen as clear evidence of the Pope’s deception a hundred years ago, today you will hardly find any serious “Protestant” leader criticizing such activities, and those who generally do speak to the issue will be those who will not provide the kind of biblical basis that is consistent and thorough.
Alpha and Omega Ministries is a Christian apologetics organization based in Phoenix, Arizona. James White, director, is a professor, having taught Greek, Systematic Theology, and various topics in the field of apologetics for numerous schools.
