Pope definitely not coming to Northern Ireland

After a considerable effort by Politicians, Romanists & Ecumenists, and much to their annoyance and disappointment, it has been confirmed that the Pope will not be coming to Northern Ireland in August.

The Catholic Communications Office has today released the itinerary for the upcoming papal visit to the Republic of Ireland. Northern Ireland, thankfully, is not on that itinerary.

See reports in:
Belfast Newsletter -  Pope Francis will not be coming to Northern Ireland.
Belfast Telegraph - Archbishop Martin disappointed Pope will not visit N Ireland on visit to Republic

The Pope will fly into Dublin on 25th August and will return back to Rome on 26th August.

During his visit he will meet homeless families before arriving at Croke Park Stadium for the 'Feast of Families'. On Sunday he will travel to the Marian shrine at Knock. 

This is an answer to prayer.

See below for reasons why a papal visit is to be opposed by all right thinking Protestants:

#1 The Pope's Blasphemous Claims
#2 The Act of Settlement
#3 The Memory of the Martyrs
#4 The Cost to Taxpayers

Rev McIlveen says the Pope is not welcome in Northern Ireland

Rev David McIlveen, retired Free Presbyterian minister, has spoken out against any proposed papal visit to Northern Ireland. Rev McIlveen said that Pope Francis is “not welcome” in Northern Ireland until he condemns clerical child abuse in the Province. 

Rev McIlveen felt a visit by the Pope to Northern Ireland would not be appropriate in light of the recent revelations regarding paedophile priest Malachy Finnegan, who was accused of abusing 12 boys at St Colman’s College in Newry.

Rev McIlveen told BBC’s The Nolan Show this morning: “It is important at this particular juncture in the Roman Catholic Church, with so much clerical abuse, that the church gets its own house in order.

Read the whole article here:

Belfast Newsletter - Pope Francis ‘not welcome’ in NI, says Rev David McIlveen

Free Presbyterian Church statement in light of the Pope's Visit to the Republic of Ireland

“At a meeting of its General Presbytery in March 2018 the Free Presbytery Church of Ulster unanimously approved the following statement should the Pope’s itinerary in Ireland incorporate a visit to Northern Ireland:

‘As reformed evangelical Protestants we totally reject the arrogant and, more importantly, unscriptural titles, claims and teachings of the pope. While, in obedience to Scripture and out of love for the souls of men, we cannot welcome this proposed visit, it will present us with a challenge to highlight the contrast between the teaching of scripture and the false doctrines of the papacy. Our supreme aim and overriding concern is to exalt the only King and Head of the church, the Lord Jesus Christ. To this end we continue to call all people, of all denominations and none, to a personal faith in Christ the Saviour as the only mediator between God and men’.”
Rev. Ian Brown
Clerk, Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster

Good News - No Pope Here!!

It has been reported yesterday that the Pope will not be visiting Northern Ireland this summer as part of his visit to the Republic of Ireland. A Vatican spokesman confirmed to ITV that the papal antichrist  will not be travelling north of the border during his visit. The Pope is scheduled to visit Dublin on 25th & 26th August to coincide with the city's hosting of the World Meeting of Families, an international Catholic event staged every three years.

For further details see here:
Belfast Telegraph - Pope Francis confirms trip to Ireland in August 2018 - first papal visit in 40 years

Belfast Telegraph - Pope Francis will not be visiting Northern Ireland this summer

See here for reasons why a Papal visit should be opposed:
#1 His Blasphemous Claims
#2 The Act of Settlement
#3 The Memory of the Martyrs
#4 The cost to Taxpayers

No Pope Here! Why? #4 The cost to Taxpayers

A papal visit always incur a considerable cost to the public purse and ultimately to taxpayers. The Pope may claim empathy with the poor, and engage in pretended acts of sympathy and compassion, but the reality is somewhat different.

By claiming to be a 'Head of State' a papal visit to another country is regularly deemed an official state visit. It is only visiting 'Heads of State' who can be given such a honour. Not all visits by Heads of State are given the honour of a State visit. Some are deemed unworthy of such an honour, either because of political sensitivities or insignificance. Some visits by Heads of State are deemed an 'Official Visit', or a 'Working Visit', or a 'Private Visit'.

It is one of the old papal claims that the Pope is a monarch of great honour, who rules over all other monarchs and presidents. He is also Head of State of the Vatican. He deems himself to be worthy of a state visit. 

By recognising the claims of the Pope and affording him a state visit, the government of the day would normally cover the cost of that visit.

Will that happen in Northern Ireland? Will taxpayers have to pay for the Pope to visit Northern Ireland? If so, then how much will it cost and who is going to pay? Will Rome, or the Roman Catholic Church, cover the costs of such a visit?

No Pope Here! Why? #3 The Memory of the Martyrs.

History furnishes abundant proof of the crimes committed against those who would not bow the knee to the Pope and his Church. The memory of the martyrs would compel us to resist a papal visit.

The Papacy is the institution that has put an untold number of martyrs to death. Rome hasn’t changed one iota. She would do the same today if she could get away with it. Therefore we continue to resist the Pope’s claims and say No Pope here.

The Protestant Echo, away back in July 1903 reckoned that since the rise of the Papacy 50,000,000 people had been put to death in various ways for their religion by the end of the 19th century.

Many of the most horrendous crimes against humanity have been committed by the Church of Rome throughout the history of her existence. Her persecution of Protestants and other 'heretics' is the inevitable result of her belief in the absolute power and infallibility of the Pope. Persecution is the natural outgrowth of these Papal dogmas.

Rome has a long history of terror in our own nation. There were hundreds of Protestant martyrs who lost their lives at the hand of popish rulers in this United Kingdom. There are scores of martyrs sites all over England.

No Pope Here! Why? #2 The Act of Settlement

Any proposed visit by the Pope is to be opposed on constitutional grounds. The Act of Settlement underpins the British Constitution and safeguards the British throne from ever being influenced by Roman Catholicism again.

The Act of Settlement was passed in 1701. It came into being at the end of the reign of King William III, when his successor to the throne, Anne, had lost her only surviving child. It was felt expedient by Parliament, at that time, to bring into law a requirement that only Protestants, in communion with the Church of England, should be allowed on the throne.

No Pope Here! Why? #1 His Blasphemous Claims

The reasons for opposing a visit by the Roman antichrist are numerous. One reason is the many blasphemous statements made by the Pope of Rome. History is replete with the statements made by different Popes or else made by other Romanists about the Papacy. They have never been shy in stating their claims. Rome might be a little embarrassed in modern times about the antics of her priests, bishops and Popes but these claims have never been denied or disowned.

For example:
Cardinal Manning in a sermon in the Pro Cathedral, Kensington, and reported in the Tablet [weekly Catholic newspaper] 9th October 1864 said: [speaking in the name of the Pope]
I acknowledge no civil superior, I am the subject of no prince, and I claim more than this, I claim to be the supreme judge on earth and director of the consciences of men, I am the last supreme judge of what is right and wrong.