Basic HTML Version
creasing weight in months ahead,
as crises force a painful reassess–
ment of European goals and direc–
tions.
Otto von Hapsburg, 69, has con–
tinually stressed the importance of
religion in the formati on o f a
united Europe. He regards the
Roman Catholic Church as Eu–
rope's
ultimate bulwark.
" T he
cross doesn' t need Europe, " he
once s tated, " but Europe needs the
cross."
Perha ps today-i n
view of growing crises
within the Catho l ic
Church- Dr. von Haps–
burg a l so grasps the
"cross's" complementary
need for Europe.
that the papacy wielded significant
worldly power. Europe, in face,
carne to be virtually dominated and
led by the papacy.
l t is to this medieval church–
state model that popes, cardinals
and European political figures such
as Otto von Hapsburg are now
looking for the answer to
today's
political and religious woes!
A revived alliance between
church and "empire," they believe,
may be the very key-the
on/y
as
Th e Plain Truth
recently
reported, events are heading inevi–
tably toward a large-scale crisis con–
frontat ion with the Soviet Union.
Poland is just the beginning.
lnside the Catholic Church, pros–
pects are also disturbing. In his book
titled
The Decline and Fa// of the
R oman Church,
former Jesuit pro–
fessor Malachi Martín examines the
decline of unity and authority in the
Catholic Church. Dr. Martín con–
eludes that "as things now stand,
there appears to be no rea–
sonable hope that th is
decline can be arrested."
" It is very late for the
church of John Paul
11,"
Dr. Martín observes. He
ln ter-European unity
has long been a quest of
th e H a ps burg family.
Otto von Hapsburg has
often pointed out the sim–
ilarities between the Holy
Roman Empire of the
M idd le
Ages- ove r
whic h his fami ly ruled for
a time- and his view of a
coming "Uni ted States of
Europe."
Under the Holy Roman Empire,
the temporal power of the
emperors was closely linked with
the spiritual power of the
popes ... A revived alliance
between church and
calls John Paul
11
"a pope
of transition...."
The situation, admit–
tedly, is serious. Dr. Mar–
tín feels the Chu rc h 's
decline is irrevocable.
But is it?
Dramatic Reversa!
The answer, remarkably,
is found in the pages of
the very Bible from which
the C hristian-professing
world purports to derive
its faith.
Europeans, he believes,
must be reawakened to
thei r historical religious
heritage and realize the
'empire' ... may be the very
key- the only key-to European
Bible prophecy reveals
that a
dramatic reversa/
of this decline lies just
ahead- a
religious revi–
va/
of monumental pro–
por tions!
utility of religion as a
"glue" for Europe. In this
regard , he has called
attention to the potential
role of the crown of the
H o l y Roma n Empire,
which today resides in the
Schatzkammer (Royal Treasury) in
Yienna.
Chris topher Hollis, in the fore–
word to Dr. von Hapsburg's book
The Social Order of Tomorrow,
points out that Dr. von Hapsburg
"would like to see Europe resume
her essential unity, and in the sym–
bolism of that unity he thinks that
the imperial crown of Char lemagne
and of the Holy Roman Empire
might well have its part to play."
Under the Holy Roman Empi re,
the
~emporal
power of the emperors
was closely linked with the spiritual
power of the popes. Catholicism
served to integrate European socie–
ty. In practical terms, this meant
34
survival.
key- to European survival in the
face of Soviet communism.
Too Late?
As crises mount , such appeals by
política! and religious leaders may
begin to reach more responsive
ears.
And cr ises
are
mounting.
In recent years, Western Europe's
economic troubles have intensified.
Inflation, unemployment and slow
growth now plague most of the Con–
tinent. Fears over military securi–
ty-centered on the question of U.S.
r e li a bility as a n ally-further
aggravate the picture.
In the nations of Eastern Europe,
As explained frequent–
ly in
The Plain Truth ,
prophecies in both the
Old and N ew Testaments foretell
the emergence of a fi nal end-time
restorat ion of the ancient Roman
Empire. This powerful enti ty will
be composed of "ten ho rns"–
meaning 1
O
nations or kingdoms
(Rev. 17 :12)-under the overall
leadership of a single powerful
political figure (verse 13) .
Prophecy further reveals that
this united European power- a
great Third ,Force in world
affairs- wi ll be a
religiously dom–
inated
federat ion of nations. A
great church, led by a religious
figure of unprecedented aut hority
and strength, will sit ast ride the
" empire," giving direction to it
The PLAIN TRUTH