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In addition to this, the Roman Catholic Church has reaped rich financial rewards from such
events as the "Holy Year" and pilgrimages to shrines, e.g. Lourdes, Fatima and even places like
Knock in Ireland. These have become big financial tourist businesses. There can be little doubt
that the IDOL SHEPHERD in the Vatican has fed and enriched himself and his hierarchy at the ex-
pense of his poor, spiritually deluded flock.

Devouring the Flock

Not only is the Papacy of Rome a system which is characterized by inordinate greed, cor-
ruption and vast wealth, but it is a system infamous for its cruelty and persecuting zeal. This, as we
shall see, fits perfectly into Zechariah's description of he "shall dislocate the joints of their necks"
-- tearing in pieces those who fall under his control. The burning of heretics was first decreed in
the Seventh Century and the bloodthirsty Inquisition was established by the Pope of Rome to stamp
out all opposition to his dictatorial rule and his false doctrines. This Inquisition was responsible
for burning and torturing MILLIONS of Protestant and Church of God martyrs. At its tribunals, the
accused were denied all legal representation and they never knew the identity of their accusers.
Torture of the most horrific kind -- including stretching people on the rack and "dislocating their
necks" -- was used for days on end to obtain confessions -- and those convicted were usually tor-
tured again after their trials in order to obtain evidence against their family and friends. Far from
repenting of these disgusting crimes, twentieth century Roman Catholic spokesmen have defended
them, saying --

"Far from being inhuman, they (the Inquisitors) were as a rule, men of spotless charac-
ter and...admirable sanctity...not a few have been canonized by the Church" (Catholic
Encyclopedia, VIII 31).

And --

"There is nothing exceptionally cruel or intolerant about the statute...which provided
that heretics convicted before a spiritual court and refusing to recant, were to be
handed over to the secular arm and burnt" (ibid., V 441).

I wonder what sort of "spiritual court" they are talking about here? Certainly NOT YEHO-
VAH's court!

In addition to such "legalized" persecution, the Catholic Church was responsible for incit-
ing crusades, wars and civil wars which resulted in the cruel slaughter of more tens of thousands
of Protestants and Church of God people. In the book The Israel of the Alps we read in detail of
the fierce persecution of the Vaudois or Waldensians by the forces of the IDOL SHEPHERD. Here
are a few extracts to illustrate our point:

One Bernadino Cento was covered with pitch, and burned alive in the market place of
Consenza. Another martyr, Mazzone, was stripped naked, his body shredded with iron
whips, and the mangled frame then beaten to death with lighted brands. Some victims
were flayed alive, and some flung from a tower summit. One of the latter named Samson,
was a young man of prodigious strength. As his mangled body, still breathing, lay on the

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