Can God speak to people through statues? I think so, and I'm not the only one. Statues are a big part of Catholicism, and many stories of statues bringing about changes of heart by weeping, moving, or stigmataing (probably not a word) have a place in Catholic history. Well, here's a new one for the books.
On December 17, 2023, when a statue of Saint Peter in Buenos Aires was divested of its halo and key by a bolt of lightening, it caused a bit of a stir both in and outside of the Catholic church, and many people have called it a sign.
It's not that every religious statue that is struck by lightening constitutes a sign. Rio de Janerio's big Jesus is struck three to five times a year, and another Jesus was leveled years ago in Ohio. No one attaches much significance to these kinds of events.
But this statue of saint Peter is different. It's not just that it was struck with lightening. It was when, where, and how it was struck, and how all that relates to the current pope and his doings that make this event look like a sign from heaven.
Saint Peter is considered to be the first pope of the Catholic Church, and this statue of the first pope stands in front of a church near Buenos Aires, Argentina, where the current pope (Pope Francis) hails from. The statue was struck on December 17, the pope's birthday.
December 17 was also the day before the pope declared the Catholic church's new policy for blessing gay couples in the Fiducia Supplicans, something in direct opposition to what Saint Paul said about homosexuality in Romans 1. This is where it gets interesting.
First, the lightening blew off the metal (maybe bronze?) halo behind Saint Peter's head. Halos have always been a symbol of holiness. Now the statue of the first pope in Buenos Aires, Argentina, has no halo (unless, or course, they've replaced it by now). Does this tell us something about the current pope?
Second, the lightening literally destroyed the metal key Saint Peter held in his hand, a symbol of the authority Jesus gave to the church after his resurrection. Is it possible that destruction symbolizes God stripping the pope of any heavenly authority he may have been operating in?
Third, the hand that held the key was also destroyed. This was the statue's right hand, traditionally known as the hand of blessing in the Catholic church. In light of what the pope did the next day, this---added to all the other symbolic references---seems very significant.
Though I am not a Catholic, I too would have to agree the timing, situation, and circumstances look like a sign, and not a very encouraging one. Just like the handwriting on the wall in Daniel's time, the statue of Dagon fallen and broken before the ark, and the recent eclipses that have passed over Salems and Ninevahs in the U.S., it appears God is saying something. Is there anybody listening?
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