Latest Case of Rick Warren Being Apostate! Pray for New Pope!

Pastor  Rick Warren Tweet to pray and fast for a new Pope.

In the latest case of Pastor Rick Warren leading the American Church to "apostasy," Warren went on Twitter on March 12, 2013 at 2:57 AM, and Tweeted to 900,000 followers on Twitter to join him in fasting and praying for the 115 Roman Catholic Cardinals seeking to be the new Pope of the Roman Catholic Church(source). This is another prime example that Rick Warren is being used as an instrument of Satan to be a catalyst of forming a One World Church/One World Religion. Just another sign of Warren is part of ecumenical group working behind the scenes to push Harlot Church of Revelation 13 and Revelation 17:5. Warren has several cases of apostasy, this is just one of many such cases of his ecumenical doctrines.

What would a Christian Evangelical leader be concerned about a new Roman Catholic Church Pope? It is obvious that this man is down with the New World Order of Anti-Christ , and that he doesn't have alliance with Jesus Christ Kingdom of Heaven. Let's explore the several cases of Rick Warren being an apostate!

Case # 2: Chrislam Question 

Warren was also one of the 300 prominent Christian pastors that signed a letter issued by the Yale Center for Faith and Culture claiming that world peace is dependent on Muslims and Christians recognizing "Allah" and "Yahweh" as the same God (source). The letter they signed was titled "Loving God and Neighbor Together." It was a written response to a signed document by 138 Muslim leaders titled "A Common Word Between Us and You." Some other recognizable popular pastors that signed this letter are Robert Schuller, Bill Hybel, Tony Jones, and Brian McLaren (source).

Back in July 2009 Rick Warren was one of the keynote speakers at the Islamic Society of North America's 46th Annual Convention,. He talked about working alongside Muslims to join together for interfaith projects (source). The Islamic Society of North America is connected with the terrorist group Hamas (here, here).


Case # 3: 2009 Presidential Inaugural Prayer He Invokes Muslim Prophet Name Isa

Rick Warren in his 2009 Presidential Inaugural Prayer for President Barak Obama, he invokes the name Isa as an Arabic name for Jesus. The truth of the matter Isa is not the Arabic name for Jesus, nor is Isa the Jesus of the Bible. Isa is a Muslim Prophet. Arab Christians don't refer to Jesus/Yeshua as Isa, they call Jesus/Yeshua in Arabic "Yesua Habibi," which means "Jesus my beloved.(source)"  

Case# 4: Rick Warren is an Adviser for Tony Blair Interfaith Foundation 

He also serves as an adviser for Tony Blair Interfaith Foundation. The sole purpose of this foundation is to unite the world under a one world religion to build a better world. He has also had Great Britain's former Prime Minister Tony Blair, speak at his Saddleback Church about faith and the importance of interfaith bringing peace into the world(source).  

Case# 5: Lies, Deceit and Flip Flopping on Proposition 8  

Rick Warren endorses Prop. 8

Rick Warren Denying he endorsed Prop. 8

I don't know if the Christianity Community or even the Homosexual Community can believe what Rick Warren believes about Same-Sex Marriage? Come on Rick take a stand for something!!! You need to be either hot or cold! Not lukewarm. If your going stand for traditional marriage then do so. If your going to stand for Gay Marriage, then acknowledge that fact. But don't lie!

Case#6 : A Member on the Council of Foreign Relations

Warren is a proud member of the Council on Foreign Relations(source).  This is an American globalist group, who has a goal of creating a New World Order(source). 

Case# 7: New Age Apostle Oprah Life Class Show(Lifeless Class)

    

Please click here to read Apprising Ministries article called "Rick Warren on Oprah's Life Class:  We're All Intentionally Flawed To Make Us Unique." 

Case# 8: Does Warren Promote Occult Philosophies?

These are some of the following new age practices Rick Warren promotes:

Contemplative Prayer(source/source)

Reiki Healing(source)

Yoga (source/source)

Jesus said you would know people by their fruit they bear. Does Rick Warren bear the fruit of righteousness or unrighteousness? You be the judge of  his fruit, by the evidence that has been presented to come to the conclusion if he indeed is down with the Anti-Christ system.

Matthew 7:13-20

King James Version (KJV)

¹³ Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
¹⁴ Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
¹⁵ Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
¹⁶ Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
¹⁷ Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
¹⁸ A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
¹⁹ Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
²⁰ Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

Black Gospel Music Industry and Spiritual Fornication

Kirk Franklin on the BET Monique Show

Black Gospel music has been an avenue by which draw people into the institutionalized church.  Let's be honest: Many people will come to a church to hear the choir sing long before they'll come to hear the preacher preach.  New competition shows like, "How Sweet the Sound" are  elevating the spiritually nebulous choir to greater prominence as representatives of the black church.  In the meantime, sex and money scandals are diminishing the role of the preacher.

Rampant homosexuality has entrenched in the Black Gospel music industry before here and here .   However, you should be aware that industry workers are using the “new cart method” of traveling gospel music/comedy tours, gospel music artists appearing on late night talk-shows, and gospel music artists partnering with ungodly secular artists allegedly to “reach the youth.”

What is new cart method?

If you read 1 Chronicles 13, it tells how King David used a new cart to bring the ark of the covenant into Jerusalem  He followed the pattern of the Philistines who also used a new cart to transport the ark of the covenant. The Philistines didn't know any better because they were unaware of the methods and restrictions of transporting the ark.  As King, David should have known better because Israel were covenant people. The scripture records that as the ark was being moved it almost fell to the ground and a man named Uzzah instinctively reached to steady it. When his hand touched it, he was killed instantly . Judgment was swift because King David didn't seek the proper order of the Lord.  Uzzah was the son of Abinadab.  The ark of the covenant had been stored at his father's house for years. Uzzah spent nearly all of his life in the presence ofthe ark.  However, he was ignorant and did not understand that God required his commands to be followed to the letter.  Unfortunately, his zeal without knowledge cost him his life.

Black Gospel Music Industry and Spiritual Fornication

As reported by gcmwatch.com,  Mary Mary toured with R&B artist Maxwell and have made guest appearances on BET’s 106 and Park.  Kirk Franklin and Steve Harvey (yes the one with the profane mouth) were together on a “gospel comedy tour."  A slew of gospel music artists are now making foot-kissing missions to the foul-mouthed comedian Monique. Who are they? Kirk Franklin , Yolanda Adams, Marvin Sapp , Tye Tribbett , Deitrick Haddon, Vickie Winans, Bebe and Cece Winans, Shirely Caesar, David and Tamela Mann to name a few. On August 4th of this year, Kirk Franklin was interviewed on Sirius Radio promoting, "The King's Men Tour" with Marvin Sapp, Israel Houghton, and Donnie McClurkin.  Franklin stated that he wanted to show that gospel music fits into the fiber of the world.  Didn't Jesus say were in the world but not of the world?  Franklin really pushes the envelop when it comes to mixing the world into the church (here).    

In the process of attempting to be relevant to the world, to make church hip and cool, the gospel music industry has put the glory of God on new carts to win the world’s acceptance.  Instead of relying on the Holy Spirit to convict lost sinners in the world to repent and be saved, acceptance and false love seems to be the goal.  Gospel music is a means to the end of achieving that acceptance.

Defending Mary Mary’s worldly partnerships, a person commenting on Facebook said, “the church needs more relevant music that would draw young people."  That’s a major error circulating amongst black gospel devotees.  It elevates music/entertainment over Jesus Christ and scripture as the guide for so-called evangelism.  Didn't Jesus say,  “If I be lifted up from the earth I will draw all men unto me?”  Church folks have lifted up their gospel idols more than Jesus Christ and the results reflect that.   It has produced spiritually shallow, carnal minded Christians. The new cart method creates opposition to the Five-Fold ministry which is the proper order of the Church to equip and edify the saints. Ultimately, God’s gifts are to bring the body of Christ to maturity so that we’re not tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine.  Music does have a place in the church, but it was not intended to usurp the authority of Jesus Christ and his governmental gifts.

In Witness Lee's book, "God's New Testament Economy" he speaks about "Spiritual Fornication" stating the following:

"Fornication is to use the body other than God, while sanctification is to use the body absolutely for God. No one can commit fornication if they were using their body absolutely for God. Same instance Spiritual Fornication is not using yourself for God, your lips, tongue, and your entire mouth should be used for God (source)."

 These gospel music artist are using their entire mouth to bring glory and acceptances from the world for themselves, instead of using their mouth to sing and bring God to glory. This is a clear cut case of these artist committing Spiritual Fornication. 

The proper order of music ministry

After the mess the gospel music industry has caused with its illegitimate “ministry,” concerned music ministers should seek to right the cart using God’s proper order within the Church.

1. Singers should sing unto the Lord, and should praise Him in the beauty of holiness (2 Chromicles 20:21). They should be separated from the world unto God.  Both singers and musicians should have an inward disposition of reverence and purity, and resist all that offends the holy nature of God (1 Chronicles 16:29).

2. Songs sung in the House of God should be unto the Lord, and not for entertainment purposes to entertain the flesh and people(1 Chronicles 25:7). Songs that are sung should glorify God.

3. True minstrels/musicians help set spiritual atmosphere for the supernatural which does not include thrill seeking songs that appeal to the flesh (2 Kings 3:15).

4. Singing and the use of musical instruments should be used for spiritual warfare (2 Chronicles 20:20-24; 1 Samuel 16:23).

5. The church should only accept songs and music which are —like scripture— inspired by the Holy Spirit ( Ephesians 5:19 ; 1 Chronicles 25:1-6).

6. A difference between holy and unholy should always be the standard in music. Gospel music artist who claim to love God, should not partner with those who promote ungodliness, sexual immorality and use gratuitous profanity. (1 John 2:15-16 ; 2 Chronicles 19:2).

7. The cult of celebrity should be destroyed as quickly as possible at its roots. True singers and musicians of God reflect Jesus and serve people, instead of demanding service and accolades. (Mark 10:45).

8. Use singing and music to lead people into true sacrifice unto the Lord ( Hebrews 13:15).

Pastors, leaders, church singers, and church musicians must repent from the new cart method and committing the sin of spiritual fornication, sanctify and follow the order of the Lord .

To avoid God’s judgment, HIS church must return to holy living. It's a disgrace to our Lord to lead people into entertainment based on false worship of people and gifts.  Jesus wants back into your church.  Now.

        

Pastor David Wilkerson Sermon- Jezebel(False Doctrine)

The Emergent Church: The Sons of Belial 11/06 by EndXTime Prophecy Watch | Blog Talk Radio

The Emergent Church: The Sons of Belial 11/06 by EndXTime Prophecy Watch | Blog Talk Radio

Spiritual Perversion=Sexual Perversion=False Teachers

False teaching has always had a strong correlation with sexual immorality since the Old Testament times. Baal worship, which encompasses polytheism, idolatry, and sexual immorality was against Yahweh’s commandments and laws He established with the nation of Israel. Jezebel and Ahab were prime examples of Old Testament figures that corrupted Israel with the false teaching that Baal and Ashtoreth were god's. Their teachings stated that they were the god and goddess to be worship along with Yahweh. They also taught that indulgence in sexual immorality was a part of temple worship.
In the New Testament there were many teachers who integrated false teachings into the teachings of the church as a method Christians away from the true gospel of Jesus Christ. The most popular type of false teaching is known as Gnostic teaching. It was used to subvert the gospel and incorporated sexually immorality. It was used to subvert the gospel.

Revelation 2:14-15, 20 talks about doctrines of Balaam and Nicolaitans, and the prophetess Jezebel. Through their doctrine, people were led into believing that leading a life of sexual immorality was okay. Anyone could lead an ungodly lifestyle and practice idolatry without affecting their relationship with Christ Jesus. The false teachers of that era were perverting the truth of God’s Word.
There are also examples of men in and around our time that are or were false teachers. Their connection with sexual immorality and perverted teaching was brought about by their own perverted sexual appetites.

Detroit’s Prophet Jones

One of the most prominent black ministers and so called prophet of the 1940s and 1950s was considered being queer/homosexual was Detroit’s Prophet Jones (James Frances Jones). Jones built a religious empire on pimping the poor disenfranchised Black people in and around his area. Jones would pay for a hundred newspapers with a picture of him for ten cents each. He would then turn around and sell them for five dollars each claiming the papers had “miraculous curative” properties. He lived like a millionaire, drove luxury cars, and lived in a mansion[source]. False Prophet Jones taught that all men would become immortal by the year 2000. He said they would not go to heaven, but heaven would be brought down to earth abolishing death.
So was “Profit” Jones right about his prophecy? After all, it is now 2012! What happened with all men becoming immortal by the year 2000?

Father Divine

Now George Baker Jr., better known as Father Divine, arose in the late 1910s. He founded the International Peace Mission. He believed he was God and was worshipped as God by his followers. Although Divine preached sexual abstinence to his followers; he did not practice what he preached. He was not only perverse in his teachings and doctrine, but he was also perverted sexually. Father Divine would tell his mistresses, “When I have sex relations with you I am bringing your desires to the surface so that I can eliminate it, god is the only one who can do as he pleases”[source]. Doesn’t that sound like Genesis 3:5? Father Divine was best known for being the mentor of Jim Jones. Yup you guess it right. The same Jim Jones that led over nine hundred people down to Guyana to eventually drink poison kool-aid in a mass suicide.

Jim Jones

Jim Jones was a mentee of Father Divine. He structured his People’s Temple in the same fashion as Divine’s International Peace Mission. Jones also thought he was God. He sexually abused some of his followers and was bisexual. In short, he was a sexual pervert and taught many false doctrines. Jones believed in reincarnation which was a doctrine he picked up from his mentor Father Divine. Jim Jones eventually attempted to take over Divine’s International Peace Mission in 1972 after his mentor’s death. Jones had claimed to be Father Divine reincarnated. Jones was a “spiritual murderer” with his lies and false teaching. He led 909 people to mass suicide down in the jungles of Guyana, leading them all too eternal damnation.

David Berg

The group Children of God (now called The Family International), was founded by David Berg in the late 1960s as a Christian organization. Berg established all sorts of wild teachings for his group. Berg’s method to gain proselyte was to introduced “flirty fishing” in 1974. This is when he encouraged female members to have sex with potential members to show God’s love. By 1978 it was a wide spread among members, and in some areas “flirty fishers” used escort services to meet people. It was also a means to raise money for the group. Talk about evangelism!
Some of the other beliefs of the group were that[source]:
● Female bisexuality is sanctioned,
● Spirit helpers (i.e.: angels; departed humans and goddesses) give spiritual instruction,
● Otherwise known as bridal theology, members visualized that they were having sex with Jesus through sexual intercourse or masturbation. Male members were to visualize they were women to prevent having homosexual relationship with Jesus.
Berg was seen as the prophet of the group and was called Moses David or King David. Since he is now deceased he is looked at as one of the spirit helpers. He was known for being outspoken and reputed as an anti-Semite and pedophile.

David Koresh

David Koresh was the leader of the branch Davidians. The Davidians was a group that broke off from the Seventh Day Adventist. Koresh moved to Waco, Texas in 1981 to join the branch Davidians and in 1983 claimed he had the gift of prophecy. He then started an affair with the prophetess and leader of the group Lois Roden who was in her late sixties at that time. She began to let Koresh teach. Roden died in 1986 and Koresh took over the group and begin to teach polygamy. He taught that he was entitled to 140 wives, sixty women as his queens, and eighty as his concubines. He based this teaching on his interpretation of the Song of Solomon. Eventually Koresh and his group were killed in 1993 in a standoff with the federal government. His followers followed him to their death.

Todd Bentley

In most recent times false perverse evangelist/prophet Todd Bentley, who lead the false Lakeland, Florida Revival, had an affair on his wife with a female ministry staffer[source]. He later divorced his wife to marry this woman. Bentley was like a shooting star. He led this revival for a couple of months in 2008. However, he exhibit perverse behavior before the Lakeland Revival by getting multiple tattoos and body piercings well after being a Christian for a length of time. Not only was Bentley sexually immoral, his teaching was through a “perverse spirit.” Bentley received messages and wild revelations from a female angel Emma. He was quoted as saying Emma was an angel of the prophetic. There are two essential problems with this.
The first is that biblically, angels always appear in the human form as male. Secondly, the moving of the true prophetic ministry is always through the Holy Spirit and not an angel. In truth, Emma is a demonic spirit that influenced Bentley. In Japanese mythology, Emma is known as the demon god. Emma-O is the lord of death or the god of the underworld. Bentley’s perverse teaching lines up with his perverse lifestyle and this perverse spirit Emma used him to deceive many during that False Lakeland Revival through lying signs and wonders.


Second Peter two verses one through three says, “But there is false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.”



In these last days, there will be an increase of false teachers and false prophets. As true Christians we must be established in the Word of God, have the ability through the Holy Spirit to discern spirits, and lastly know ministers by the fruit they bear and not through lying signs and wonders. We need to guard ourselves from deception.

Rick Warren: Purpose Driven for One World Religion

Rick Warren, a.k.a "America's Pastor," is the pastor of Saddleback Church, a megachurch located in Lake Forest, California.  He is the best-selling author of the books, "Purpose Driven Life," and "Purpose Driven Church."  Unfortunately, he is leading Christians down the road of apostasy  and destruction.  He is leading a ecumencial movement right here in the United States to unite Christians to a one world religion.  Warren is not in the "Kingdom of G-d."  Instead, he is an active member of the world system and an instrument of the "kingdom of darkness." Warren doesn't follow the Biblical Jesus Christ.  He follows another false gospel and is an ambassador for the soon coming Anti-Christ.

Warren was just recently in an interview with the Orange County Register.  The article that the Register published stated the following:

"The Rev. Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest and one of America's most influential Christian leaders, has embarked on an effort to heal divisions between evangelical Christians and Muslims by partnering with Southern California mosques and proposing a set of theological principles that includes acknowledging that Christians and Muslims worship the same God."(source) 


Warren has for a long time skipped around the issue of his support of Islam.  His 2009 Presidential Inaugural Prayer for President Barak Obama was laced with all kinds of Islamic terms in which the average person would not be aware of (see source/ read here). Warren is a proud member of the Council on Foreign Relations and promotes New Age teaching with his Daniel Plan.  This Plan promotes health and wellness supposedly for Christians and is another one of his bag of tricks for deception (source, source).

Rick Warren Ecumenical  Ambassador of Satan

The above clip is one of Warren speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.  Warren clearly states his position on the world religions working as one to obtain peace in the world.  This is clearly ecumencialism.  He also serves as an advisor for the Tony Blair Interfaith Foundation.  The sole purpose of this foundation is to unite the world under a one world religion and to build a better world. He has also had Great Britain's former Prime Minister Tony Blair, speak at his church about faith and the importance of interfaith bringing peace into the world (source).

Maybe Warren has changed his views on Prop. 8 and homosexuality ( view here/ view here), due to the fact that he is connected to Tony Blair's Interfaith Foundation. The Blair foundation is pro-homosexual. Tony Blair personally opposes Proposition 8 and believes the United States will soon accept same-sex marriage.  Blair also believes that all religions will go through a reformation in which all religions will accept homosexuality (source).  The key point is this: any person that expects to enter into the New World Order must accept homosexuality.  For Warren to be a part of Blair's foundation is a clear indication that he now embraces homosexuality.

The Chrislam Question and Rick Warren

Warren was also one of the 300 prominent Christian pastors that signed a letter issued by the Yale Center for Faith and Culture claiming that world peace is dependent on Muslims and Christians recognizing "Allah" and "Yahweh" as the same God (source). The letter they signed was titled "Loving God and Neighbor Together."   It was a written response to a signed document by 138 Muslim leaders titled "A Common Word Between Us and You."  Some other recognizable popular pastors that signed this letter are Robert Schuller, Bill Hybel, Tony Jones, and Brian McLaren (source).


Back in July 2009 Rick Warren was one of the keynote speakers at the Islamic Society of North America's 46th Annual Convention,.  He talked about working alongside Muslims to join together for interfaith projects (source).  The Islamic Society of North America is connected with the terrorist group Hamas (here, here). 

The claims of Warren being a part of Chrislam has set a firestorm within the Christian community.  Dr. Jack Van Impe was put off Trinity Broadcast Network (TBN) for his comments about Rick Warren's involvement in Chrislam (here, here). Warren denies his support of Chrislam and calls it nonsense, and that all lies won't die (source).
To the Rick Warren supporters, Islam can never coexist with Christianity. Surah 5:51 says," O you who believe! Do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends; they are friends of each other; and whoever amongst you takes them for a friend, then surely he is one of them; surely Allah does not guide the unjust people."  Allah is not the same god as the Biblical G-d, Yahweh(source)!!  Islam denies that Jesus is the Son of G-d.  Surah 5:75 states, "Christ  the son of Mary was no more than Apostle; many were the Apostles that passed away before him."  In the Sura it states the following about Jesus Christ: Jesus wasn't crucified; He isn't the Son of G-d; and Muhammad is greater than Jesus (source).
Lastly, Jesus said in St. John 14:6, "Jesus said unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."  Jesus Christ is the only way to eternal life and to Heaven.  Rick Warren is leading people down the road of destruction and damnation by embracing interfaith-one world religion. He is purpose driven for a one-world religion/one-world church.  

Emergent Church: Submerging People into Apostasy and Lies

Great video by Pastor Joe Schimmel. Must have DVD! Takeout the time to go to http://www.goodfight.org/ to order and checkout Pastor Joe's other ministry resources at goodfight.org . 

Drunken Anointing: False Church Revival

This is an outstanding documentary by Andrew Strom called False Spirits Invade the Church- Kundalini Warning. Just because something is popular, and big in crowd numbers in church service doesn't mean that the Spirit of God is behind it. What were seeing is the rise of false prophets, and people following these false revivals are being given over to doctrines of devils that is deceiving the masses. We need to be able to spiritually discern what is the Spirit of God and what is demonic in nature.

Study/Scripture References:

Matthew 24:11 False Prophets Arising

1 Timothy 4:1 Doctrines of devils & seducing spirits

1 Peter 5:8 Being sober and vigilant 

   

Pope Benedict XVI One World Church Meeting Oct. 27

By The Associated Press

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI has invited Hindus, Jews, Taoists and Muslims to join him next week for a peace pilgrimage to the hilltop town of Assisi — but they won't pray together because Benedict doesn't want to show different beliefs and rituals mixing.

The Oct. 27 event marks the 25th anniversary of the first such interreligious prayer for peace, which was promoted by Pope John Paul II and held in the town known for its native son St. Francis.

Benedict, then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, didn't attend that first 1986 meeting and later criticized it as an example of religious relativism — the idea that there are no absolute truths and that all religions are somehow equal — since people of different faiths were seen praying together, jointly.

In 2000, when he was head of the Vatican's doctrine office, Ratzinger issued a controversial document in part as a response to the Assisi meeting, which suggested the fullness of human salvation was found in the Catholic Church alone.

Now Benedict is presiding over his first Assisi interreligious gathering, and the decision to eliminate the common, public prayer is being seen as his way of further correcting the wrongs from the 1986 event, which was repeated in 2002, albeit with changes.

Vatican officials outlined the day's schedule Tuesday and released the guest list, which includes a record
300-plus delegates representing dozens of faiths — and even four people who profess no faith, a new feature this year.

Some of the big names include Rajhmoon Gandhi, the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, who will head a Hindu delegation; the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams; a delegation from Israel's rabbinate authority; a Bahai, a Zoroastrian, three Jains, five Sikhs, and a Yoruba.

The Dalai Lama had a scheduling conflict and is sending an envoy, and Russia's Orthodox Church — with which the Vatican is trying to improve ties — is dispatching a representative from Kazakhstan. For the first time, a Buddhist from mainland China is coming.

Some 48 Muslims are expected, but none from Cairo's Al-Azhar institute, the pre-eminent school of Islamic learning in the Sunni Muslim world, which cut ties with the Vatican over Benedict's call for Christians to be better protected in Egypt.

The delegates will travel together with the pope aboard a train leaving from the Vatican's train station and will sit together for speeches in Assisi's St. Mary of the Angels basilica. They'll have a "spare" lunch together — obviously heavily vegetarian — and then they will go to pray privately, separately in rooms of an Assisi convent.

They'll come back together for a wrap-up session and light candles as symbols of peace.

Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, head of the Vatican's justice and peace office, confirmed that the "novelty" of this year's agenda is that there is no common, public prayer for peace as there had been in previous Assisi encounters.

"The emphasis is on the pilgrimage, not on the common prayer," he said. But he denied the change represented any negative judgment on past meetings, saying it was merely "a way to try to improve the character itself of inviting exponents of other faiths together."

"It's an exercise of dialogue, and dialogue always respects the specific identity of the people, of individuals," he told reporters.

Traditionalist Catholics, in particular, were horrified at some of the images broadcast from the 1986 event, where non-Christians were seen praying in Catholic churches and in one, a small statue of a Buddha was reportedly placed on an altar.

Turkson said he had received e-mails from concerned Catholics, including one promising that the sender would celebrate 1,000 Masses of reparation for the harm done in Assisi.

To counter the criticism that the pope was hosting yet another Assisi gathering, the Vatican newspaper has for months been featuring essays by top Vatican cardinals who have sought to put the 2011 Assisi edition in the correct light: That it is merely a pilgrimage of people of different faiths, and that it in no way will involve any religious syncretism, or combining of different beliefs and practices.

Revelation 17: 1-6 says,  1And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:


2With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

3So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

4And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:

5And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

6And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.