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I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And 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 (Revelation 17:4-5).
Catholic cardinals frequently wear scarlet. Catholic priests wear red on Good Friday, Palm Sunday, Pentecost, and other special occasions. They wear purple on Advent, Lent, and at funerals. On some of those days, other colors are also worn, including white, green, black, rose, and gold.
Riches are lavished on the icons of Catholicism. Gold, pearls, and precious stones and pearls deck the statues of Mary and the saints in the Vatican. The rebuilding of St. Peter’s Basilica in the 16th century involved the genius skill of Michelangelo, Bernini, Raphael, and the other great artists of the day. The riches and treasures lavished on the stately buildings of the Roman Catholic Church are beyond description.
The official clothing worn by the Pope on special occasions is richer in gold and jewelry than any earthly crown. The papal tiara on display in the Vatican Museum is valuable beyond comprehension.
The papal tiara, or triple-crown, is the Papacy's reminder that the Pope's power is threefold, according to the Vatican website:
The Supreme Pontiff's arms have featured a "tiara" since ancient times. At the beginning this was a sort of closed "tocque". In 1130 a crown was added, symbol of the Church's sovereignty over the States.
Boniface VIII, in 1301, added a second crown, at the time of the confrontation with Philip the Fair, King of France, to show that his spiritual authority was superior to any civic authority.
It was Benedict XII in 1342 who added a third crown to symbolize the Pope's moral authority over all secular monarchs, and reaffirmed the possession of Avignon.
This article is adapted from Truth Matters by Professor Walter J. Veith, an international speaker who has studied Biblical issues in-depth in his quest for truth. His popular series Genesis Conflict brings the debate between Creation and evolution to a new climax as he dissects the arguments with a scientific eye. His highly-acclaimed series Total Onslaught sheds light on the state of the world today as we move to a one-world government and an anticipated apocalypse.
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It is our sincere desire to lay the clear Word of God before you, the truth-seeking reader, so you may decide for yourself what is truth and what is error. If you find herein anything contrary to the Word of God, you need not accept it. But if you desire to seek for Truth as for hidden treasure, and find herein something of that quality, we encourage you to make all haste to accept that Truth which is revealed to you by the Holy Spirit.
Read several authors' thoughts on papal Rome's history.
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Inspiration for these articles comes from Gideon and Hilda Hagstoz' Heroes of the Reformation