Vatican City

Vatican City is an independent state in Rome, Italy where the Pope is an undisputed, absolute ruler. Located in the middle of Rome Italy, Vatican City is not part of Rome, nor is it a city in Italy. it is a country unto itself.

Established since the 5th century, Vatican City is home to more than the Pope, it houses museums filled with antiquities of history, libraries and various other treasures.  For example, if you were to visit Vatican City, you would see the Sistine Chapel, once painted by the famous artist Michelangelo and could visit what is believed to be the tomb of the Apostle Peter whose body is said to be buried there is a palace called the Basilica, the largest religious building in all the world.

The ruler of the Vatican is called the Pope,” a man who is known all over the world as the head of the Roman Catholic Church.  Catholics call him “Holy Father.” This is because "Pope," in Italian, means father (or Papa.)  Priests of the Roman Church are all called "Father" as a title, but the Pope is the main father, the biggest daddy of them all, head of head the church, (They believe the head of ALL the church,)  in Jesus’ absence.

Vatican City is, Catholics believe, ordained by God to be the capital of the world, as well as the place from where the Pope exercises his authority.  The one who is Pope is not to be considered as subject to any human authority or law whatsoever, he is believed a sovereign and considered (by some) to be a sovereign over the affairs of the whole Christian church, maybe even the world.  From Vatican City come many decrees and laws... just look at their website. One needs to be a lawyer or hire one if they are to be certain to do everything right and in accordance with Vatican Laws.

In the minds of many people, Vatican law is believed supreme, and it comes to the ret of us in the form of decrees and bulls as the Pope and his entourage interpret the Scripture.  Their revelations are then  made "official" for the rest of the world, under the final authority of the one who sits on the Vatican throne, or rather, the "Chair of Peter."

This mindset posses a bit problem in Christianity because history and practice shows us that not all Popes have been impeccable in thier rule and not everyone believes they are to follow the dictates of a man, even one who is and called "Pope,." above the dictates of God in His Word.  Some even say that the scripture is of "no private interpretation," (as it says in 2 Peter 1:20-21,) meaning that a person cannot read the Bible without the interpretation of the Pope and his final word on what the Bible means and says.  Others believe the Bible to be an open book, waiting for us to read and understand it and simply conform to what it says.

Many who are called "protestants" would not say they are protestant, but that they are Christian, and being Christian, they believe that they are part of the body of Christ, with Jesus as the head.  But the Vatican, by papal decree in Unitatis Redintegratio, has formally declared that “separated brethren, whether considered as individuals or as Communities and Churches, are not blessed with that unity which Jesus Christ wished to bestow on all those who through Him were born again into one body.” In the eyes of the Vatican they are still spiritually dead because they do not recognize the power of the Pope and as protestants they are not receiving Pope sanctioned sacraments like the faithful Roman Catholics.Protestants bear the sin of Martin Luther who protested against such things.

Luther protested, but Luther did not protest either Christ or Christianity,what he protested was the abuse of power within the Roman Catholic hierarchy, and he promoted the reading of the Bible and subsequently the entire concept of grace and faith as a means to sanctification instead of works and paying fees to the pope for God's spiritual protection or even salvation.  “Restoring the separated brethren” sounds benevolent enough, a sort of reconciliation, but truth is that restoration to this end really means all are subject to the Roman Pontiff.  No matter how benevolent the Roman Pontiff may be or appear to be, faith and salvation is not a matter of believing in any man, it is a matter of believing God, believing he makes good on what he says and taking him at his Word.


The Vatican declares on one hand that protestants are anathema, because they reject Papal rule they are believed to be going to hell even though they profess faith in Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior, even though they live holy lives with a mind unto God.  They are believed to be in rebellion, believed to be the problem for unity on Earth.

In the DECREE ON ECUMENISM, UNITATIS REDINTEGRATIO, given in Rome at St. Peter's, November 21,1964, it states that “The restoration of unity among all Christians is one of the principal concerns of the Second Vatican Council. Christ the Lord founded one Church and one Church only. However, many Christian communions present themselves to men as the true inheritors of Jesus Christ; all indeed profess to be followers of the Lord but differ in mind and go their different ways, as if Christ Himself were divided. Such division openly contradicts the will of Christ, scandalizes the world, and damages the holy cause of preaching the Gospel to every creature.” Yet, seemingly  benevolent the Vatican says also that it's desire is to reunite with Rome, these "separated brethren."  This kind of thinking in Roman Catholic dogma is the base for what has become known as the ecumenical movement between committees of various denominations, with them all of course receiving direction from none other than the Vatican, and the Pope.  Such thinking is labeled ecumenical, and it's practice is what we see in the formation of inter-denominational organizations such as the World Council of Churches.

Ecumenism is an interesting word. The word itself is derived from the Greek word, oikoumene, which means “earth” or the inhabited or civilized “world.” It is used in the New Testament many times. (Romans 10:18; Luke 2:1; Hebrews 1:6 and others) The word "ecumenism" is applicable to anything that involves the world’s inhabitants, the entire inhabitable world  and even refers to a world system. 

While there is no doubt a world system, their is also God's system, and God's systme of doing things is wuite different from that of the world's ways.  God's system is ruled by his Word, connected by His Holy Spirit, and put's it's hope and faith in the one whom he sent to seek and save the lost, which all Christians believe to be Jesus.  While these are the things that make Christians Christian, some people look at the Christian world and see disunity because they want everyone to be like them and do what they do, to do things only whih they want them to do at all.  The reality however is that a true body has manny different working parts and they do not all always look the same.

Christians are to be one in Christ because as it say's in Ephesians, 4:1-6: “there is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all."  Also, 1 Corinthians 12 tell readers, “ For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many….” In contrast the Vatican’s decree teaches that the unity of the Christian faith rests upon looking to the Pope as our Father, the head of the church.  They even claim that the unity of Christian faith depends greatly upon believing that Peter is the Rock upon which the church is built, with this rock being the firm foundation that the church is built upon, which causes divisions when some suggest the Rock is Jesus, not Peter and that like Peter, Christians are but little rocks, rocks that rest in the revelation of God unto us about the savior, Jesus Christ and who he is.  

What give with all of this?  Who is right and who is wrong? Does it even matter?

Consider Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem, of Nehemiah’s day; they detested people doing the will of God and trusting in him instead of in them and their power and authority.  These guys despised and mocked Nehemiah, who was doing his bet to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem. Adam Clark’s commentary says that these guys falsely "charged Nehemiah with the design of rebellion."

Well, they suggested it was rebellion, but the truth was that Nehemiah had permission to rebuild, permission given to him via letters from the King himself.  They would have liked it if Nehimiah would have submitted unto them and their authority instead of God, but Nehemiah was not very ecumenical in his thinking.   He was busy working on the wall and leading others to do the same.  He didn't need their permission to be about what he was building.  He already had the King's personal permission, and ultimately God's.

The Vatican may be a country of it's own, but God's Kingdom is more than merely a place upon this earth or a kingdom of this world.  It is everywhere, and it is a kingdom with a true king called God who sits upon a throne.  At his right hand, true justice reigns, with mercy grace and love; and the subjects of God's kingdom bow before this scepter and none other.  These are they who know a peace that passes understanding, quite different than the peace any ruler of this world can ever give.