By making him seem like the only virtuous option.
Rome was captured in 1870.
In July 1870, the Franco-Prussian War began... [Read more: Capture of Rome]
King Victor Emmanuel II tried to get Pius IX to submit with "peaceful" financial incentives.
Pius IX told him to pound sand.
Pius IX put up a fight, but didn't want to squander human life. So, he only fought long enough to make it clear that he didn't consent. We were granted the Vatican and Pius IX refused to give up his claims to the Papal territories that were captured.
For nearly sixty years thereafter, relations between the Papacy and the Italian government were hostile, and the status of the Pope became known as the "Roman Question".
Then on February 11, 1929, Pius XI settled with Italy for less than was offered 60 years prior in exchange for secular sovereignty, with limitations. [quote below from: Lateran Treaty] So, Pius XI became the first "King" of Rev 17.
The criticism is that Pius XI bartered away the Papacy's temporal power in exchange for advantages which are of concern to the Italian Church only.
In any event, from that point forward, the Vatican City was a "Nation," and its Supreme Pontiffs were also secular "Kings." A. Supreme Pontiff + B. Secular King. Remember that. I'll come back to it.
So, the list is: 1. Pius XI 2. Pius XII 3. John XXIII 4. Paul VI 5. John Paul I 6. John Paul II 7. Benedict XVI
"They are seven kings: Five are fallen, one is, and the other is not yet come: and when he is come, he must remain a short time." St. John's vision was clearly a snapshot during the JPII papacy. Benedict XVI was to come, but remain a short time, as a secular "King." Then there's the 8th - Jorge Bergoglio aka "Francis." "And the beast which was, and is not: the same also is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into destruction." John calls him "the beast." He's the beast "which was, and is not" because he represents Roman paganism. Roman paganism was, then it was not. Now Bergoglio brings it back. John also uses the phrase "the beast" here to draw our recollection to 13:11 "And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns, like a lamb, and he spoke as a dragon." The False Prophet of the AntiChrist. This is supported by the phrase "& goeth into destruction," because we know the False Prophet is cast into the Lake of Fire w/ the AntiChrist: "cast into the pool of fire & brimstone, where both the beast. & the false prophet shall be tormented day & night for ever & ever." Rev 20:9 Now, after all of that, tell me with a straight face that the fact that Benedict XVI chose February 11, 2013 as the date he resigned his status as a head of the nation of the Vatican under the Lateran Treaty ... was coincidental. Of course, the problem with this is that he knew he was stepping away to allow "the beast" to assume the secular authority of head of the nation of the Vatican. That's problematic, obviously. But it also lends credence to what is clearly an intent to remain Pontiff over the universal church while simultaneously resigning his secular position as King of the Vatican. They've only been kings 91 years ... it's not essential to the position. Do I like what he did? Nope. Do I think he's some sort of saint or hero? Nope. I pray that he still becomes one though. But it's pretty obvious what he did. And it's obvious that he knows what Bergoglio is. One last thing ... Although the 2nd Beast (the False Prophet) paves the way for the 1st Beast (the AntiChrist) as a forerunner, like John the Baptist did for Christ, the 1st Beast is still the 1st Beast. He's on the scene ... /end.
@JonahofNinevah July 28, 2020 (wayback machine)
