The Vatican has set its sights on the Middle East. Despite the small number of Catholics there, ongoing persecution and war, the Vatican has been forming new churches, ordaining bishops, negotiating with religious leaders, and pressuring world governments. Catholicism in the region is reviving. And it is looking toward Jerusalem.

Two cardinals in particular are on a mission to expand the Catholic presence in the Middle East and inspire millions of pilgrims: Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and the patriarch of Jerusalem, Pierbattista Pizzaballa. Either one could become the next pope.

The Vatican is pursuing a vigorous campaign for political, social and religious change in the Middle East. In the past, such efforts have led directly to armed conflicts.

The Vatican’s ambitions for the region not only recall the past but also foreshadow events prophesied in the Bible.

On Nov. 9, 2024, Pope Francis called on “Christians of the Middle East” to “continue to bear witness to the risen Christ in lands martyred by war.” Parolin echoed these words in a January 11 interview with Vatican News: “Christians have been present in these countries since time immemorial and continue to be an integral and rightful part of Middle Eastern states and societies, even though past and recent events are encouraging them to emigrate.”

The 2,000-year history Parolin referred to wasn’t always peaceful, especially during Catholic interventions. While many Catholics meant well, their presence in the Holy Land involved centuries of conflict.

“Time immemorial” records religions clashing over Jerusalem with religious fervor and filling its streets with blood. While the religious representatives rarely engaged in the fighting themselves, they have always sparked the violence. In ancient days, bishops traipsed through the towns of Europe and rallied Crusaders to follow them into the Holy Land. The Vatican today again calls for the protection of Middle Eastern Christians and Catholic monuments. At the same time, it is increasing its own presence in the region, preparing for an influx of pilgrims and modern-day crusaders.

Cyprus, the Springboard

Cyprus is “a country geographically small but historically great,” Pope Francis said on Dec. 2, 2021, while visiting the island.

Vatican Deputy Secretary of State Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra echoed these words at the establishment of an independent Apostolic Nunciature in Cyprus on Jan. 26, 2024. The event is the religious equivalent of inaugurating an embassy.

In another historic move less than two months later, Cardinal Pizzaballa consecrated a Latin bishop in Cyprus. “The last resident Latin bishop on the island died exactly 340 years ago,” he noted. “What we are witnessing today is a historic moment for our church, for the Latin patriarchate, but I would also say for everyone.” The Catholic Church is elated that after more than 300 years it again has a resident bishop on Cyprus.

The fact that he is a Latin bishop is significant. Most of the 1.4 billion Catholics today are of the Latin rite; only a minority of some 18 million adhere to different rites. But since the Great Schism of a.d. 1054, Eastern Orthodox Christians have not submitted to the authority of the pope in Rome. Most Crusaders were Latin Catholics. The same took control of Cyprus in the Third Crusade (1191) and controlled it for three centuries, until 1489. After the crusader spirit died down, Latin Catholics continued to thrive on the island until “Cyprus was conquered by the Turks in 1570–1573, when thousands were killed, churches converted to mosques, and the Latin church dissolved” (Vatican News, 2021). Today Cyprus has 38,000 Catholics, constituting only 5 percent of the population, a majority of which are of the Latin rite.

So why does the Vatican need a bishop in Cyprus now when it did not need one for the past 300 years? The answer is not a dramatic increase in membership in Cyprus but rather an increased interest in the Middle East.

In past centuries, Crusader outposts in the territories of modern Lebanon and Syria were supplied with critical aid through Cyprus. Today, humanitarian aid projects to the Middle East are often channeled through this island, which also hosts the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (unifil). As Middle East crises intensify, political and religious interest in Cyprus has grown.

On Dec. 23, 2024, soon after the Vatican took the above steps, the president of Cyprus appointed a special representative for religious freedom in the Middle East to aid the European Union’s “efforts to support religious groups in the region,” and to highlight “the diplomatic role of the Republic of Cyprus as a bridge between the European Union and the Middle East ….”

After Cyprus became a member of the EU in 2004, Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry prophesied of this turn of events. “You can be certain that the EU is thinking about how to protect the holy places in and around Jerusalem,” he wrote. “Catholic Europe has thought like this for almost 2,000 years!” (December 2004).

Lebanon: Iran Out, Vatican In

For over two years Lebanon had no president because of political infighting largely caused by the terrorist group Hezbollah. “I address an urgent call to all Lebanese politicians,” Pope Francis stated on Dec. 1, 2024, “so that the president of the republic may be elected immediately and the institutions return to their normal functioning, so as to proceed to the necessary reforms and assure the country of its role as an example of peaceful coexistence between different religions.” A month later, on January 9, after 12 failed attempts to elect a president, Lebanon’s legislature elected Joseph Aoun.

For the Catholic Church, this was a huge victory. By constitutional decree, Lebanon’s president must be a Maronite Catholic (around 40 percent of Lebanon’s people are Christian, mostly Maronites). Hezbollah sought to prevent the election of the Maronite Aoun, but after Israel bombed out most of their strongholds, its power was weakened.

Next, Aoun appointed Lebanon’s new prime minister: Nawaf Salam, a Sunni Muslim. Hezbollah is Shiite, and again opposed the vote—but to no avail.

It is evident the Vatican’s will was done. While in Jordan for a meeting with 14 pontifical representatives from the Middle East, Parolin phoned Aoun to congratulate him and expressed delight over Salam’s prompt appointment.

This points to a prophecy in Psalm 83 of Lebanon and other Arab nations, along with Turkey, allying with Catholic Europe. “Because of its high population of Christian Arabs, Lebanon has become a linchpin for the Psalm 83 alliance,” Mr. Flurry wrote (Trumpet, May-June 2014). Hezbollah had a stranglehold on Lebanese politics, but now this obstacle is largely removed. With the Vatican back in the sphere of influence, Lebanon can fulfill its prophesied role. (Read Mr. Flurry’s article “The Fall and Rise of Lebanon.”)

The Vatican now seeks to use Lebanon to revive relations with Syria. During a stop in Beirut, Lebanon, on his way to Syria at the end of January, Cardinal Claudio Guggerotti shared with Vatican Media on January 24 that “the Maronite Church, which originated in the mountains of Syria but later settled here, is also present in Syria, creating a strong connection between the two countries.” He expressed hope that the calm in Lebanon “can extend to the other side of the border.”

Where Guggerotti went next was significant: He greeted top officers in the Italian military and met with Monsignor Santo Marcianò, the military ordinariate archbishop for Italy. Guggerotti also visited Italian unifil troops. These visits echoed the Vatican’s past and also prefigure its future. The preaching and the military missions go hand in hand.

Syria: Another Opportunity

The purpose of Guggerotti’s visit to Syria from January 24 to 29 was to convey Pope Francis’s “closeness to the Catholic community in Syria,” according to Vatican News. It was the first visit by a Vatican envoy since Hayat Tahrir al-Sham militants ousted the regime of Bashar Assad in December.

The fact that terrorists lead the new government is of little concern to the Vatican. On January 11, Parolin told Vatican News, “We hope that a new era can begin for Syria, where all citizens will have the same rights and privileges. … We truly hope that these statements will be followed by actions, ensuring the protection of the rights of minorities and Christians as well.”

Exactly why is the Vatican delighted that a terrorist group overthrew an evil dictatorship?

In prior centuries, Christians sometimes made up more than 80 percent of Syria’s population. At the beginning of the Syrian civil war in 2012, the estimate was 10 percent; it has since shrunk to less than 2.5 percent.

When that war began, Mr. Flurry prophesied, based on Psalm 83, that Syria would break away from Iran and ally again with Germany and the Vatican (“Syria’s Fall: Another Key Prophecy Fulfilled,” theTrumpet.com/30673).

Syria was a strategic area for Crusaders of old. It was there that a Catholic stronghold took root that enabled it to expand its crusading effort.

Jordan: Open for Pilgrims

On Dec. 17, 2024, Pope Francis appointed Amman-born Iyad Twal as bishop for Jordan within the Latin patriarchate of Jerusalem. On January 10, Pizzaballa and Parolin inaugurated a new Catholic Church in Jordan, the Church of Jesus’ Baptism, in the presence of 6,000 pilgrims. The church is one of the largest in the Middle East.

“The dedication of the church is also a sign of renewal of the church and a new beginning,” Pizzaballa told Vatican News.

“It is also a moment [of] hope, we could say, because in such a dramatic time for the life of the Middle East, the dedication of a new, great church, with the entire church gathered, is a sign of unity and also a desire for continuity of life and growth of the church in Jordan and throughout the Middle East,” he said (Pillar, January 9).

“There is clearly also a diplomatic dimension to the event,” the Pillar commented. Later writing, “The church’s consecration … serves a rare combination of purposes: It affirms the historical nature of the Christian faith, the local Catholic community, Holy See-Jordan relations, and the desire for peace in the Middle East.”

Speaking with Jordan News Agency (Petra), Parolin expressed hope for increased pilgrimages to Jordan and “praised Jordan’s stability and [King Abdullah’s] diplomatic initiatives, particularly regarding the Gaza situation,” the Jordan Times reported (January 15).

Jordan is estimated to have merely 115,000 Catholics of differing rites, representing about 1 percent of the total population of 11 million—97 percent of whom are Muslim.

Gaza: Love Affair With Hamas?

The Catholic Church also has a small presence in Gaza (around 135 members). Visiting just before Christmas 2024, Pizzaballa remarked, “We are living in a time filled with darkness …. [S]ooner or later, the war will end, and we must not lose hope. When the war ends, we will rebuild everything: our schools, our hospitals and our homes. We must remain resilient and full of strength.”

One could argue that the elimination of Hamas terrorists was a blessing for the people of Gaza. Instead, the Vatican has repeatedly blamed Israel for the suffering of the past year. Pope Francis even called for an investigation into whether Israel is committing genocide against the people of Gaza. Perhaps he should investigate the Vatican’s role in Nazi Germany’s genocide of Jews and helping Nazi officials escape, as detailed in Unholy Trinity: The Vatican, the Nazis and the Swiss Banks (to learn more, read “The Ratlines”).

When Israel caved to international pressure, ended its attempt to root out Hamas, and released hundreds of terrorists for a few hostages, Pizzaballa told Vatican News: “We are all very happy. In every context, people are happy because this war has worn us down, exhausted us, and wounded everyone’s lives” (January 16). He said what matters now “is that we turn the page and start addressing the severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza.” No doubt this aid will help the terrorists. The deal adds pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and many in the Vatican want to see him forced from office.

In a La Repubblica interview, Pizzaballa called for new leadership in the Middle East. “Abu Mazen and Netanyahu are no longer the future of this tormented land,” he said, referring to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (January 21).

On the first anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre, Vatican News interviewed Pizzaballa, asking: “Does the ‘two peoples in two states’ solution still have any practicability today?” Pizzaballa answered: “The whole Middle East needs new leadership and new visions.” Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar has since been eliminated. Syria and Lebanon have also seen dramatic shifts in leadership. But Netanyahu remains in office—for now.

Jerusalem: The Centerpiece

Cardinal Pizzaballa has served in the Jerusalem diocese since 1990. In 2023, he caught the attention of Mr. Flurry, who wrote in “The Jewish Nation Has No Helper”: “Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa made some horrible attacks on Netanyahu in April. Speaking to the Associated Press, he condemned what he called Netanyahu’s ‘far-right government’ and said it is contributing to an increase in attacks on Christians. ‘The frequency of these attacks, the aggressions, has become something new,’ he said. ‘These people feel they are protected … that the cultural and political atmosphere now can justify, or tolerate, actions against Christians’ (Times of Israel, April 13).

“The facts paint a different picture. Israel is one of the only places in the Middle East where the number of Christians is rising. In all the examples of attacks on Christians that the AP recounted in this interview, those responsible were swiftly arrested and are being prosecuted—not tolerated or protected! In almost every case, senior police officers clearly condemned the attacks and emphasized how seriously they take this issue.

“The Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis (camera) accused Pizzaballa and the AP of making ‘overt politicized allegations against the Israeli government and police, reflecting ancient libels that vilify Jews through charges proven false by facts’ (April 24).

“Why would the patriarch tell this lie?” (Trumpet, August 2023).

On July 26, 2023, Vatican News reported, “Although the current far-right Israeli government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not per se anti-Christian, according to Patriarch Pizzaballa, it has indirectly contributed to create a climate of tension and animosity in some circles of the Israeli society.” This is quite an accusation!

Germany’s Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung asked Pizzaballa, “[Y]ou preside over an institution that dates back to the time of the Crusades. When were Christians in the Holy Land last under such pressure as they are today?” He responded: “Aggression against Christians is not new. What is new is the frequency with which they happen—and the fact that they are almost a ‘normal’ phenomenon. I think it started about 20 years ago—and has increased since then. You can no longer call it episodic” (July 13, 2023).

Most of those 20 years were shaped by Netanyahu. The same office that is making accusations against Netanyahu was founded amid the Crusades. As Terry Jones and Alan Ereira write in Crusades, Jerusalem was open to visitors just prior to the arrival of the Crusaders in the First Crusade but with “the triumph of the Latin Christians, however, things were going to change. They had come to rid Jerusalem of all other religions and to make it a purely Christian city—and, what’s more, Christian in their terms.”

Encyclopedia Britannica states that Arnulf of Chocques, Latin patriarch of Jerusalem at the time, “forced all local Christians to conform with the Latin rite.”

The Catholic Crusaders also slaughtered Muslims and Jews, filling the city with blood. Would it not be appropriate to put current hostilities in that context? Wouldn’t it be fair to say the Jews have been welcoming? Would it be fair to say Jews in Europe have it much harder?

The Ambition

For centuries, the quest to rule Jerusalem has united people of different nationalities, languages and religious rites under the Vatican’s leadership. In the coming struggle, we will see the same thing again, on a larger scale.

Jeremiah 1:15 prophesies that “all the families of the kingdoms of the north” are about to surround Jerusalem. The “kingdoms of the north” refers to a prophesied resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire in Europe, led by Germany and the Vatican. Jesus Christ referenced these same nations surrounding Jerusalem in Luke 21:20.

Daniel 2 and Revelation 17 prophesy that 10 kings will lead 10 nations or groups of nations in Europe, but all will be controlled by a church, depicted as a woman riding a beast. The church that has always guided the Holy Roman Empire is the Catholic Church.

Isaiah 47 further reveals that this church will also regather its daughter churches back under its rule. It depicts the Vatican saying, “I shall not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children” (verse 8).

During the Crusades, many Christians were forced to convert to Catholicism. “They are called the Christian Crusades,” Mr. Flurry explains. “That label itself is a deception. They were primarily Catholic Crusades. Other Christian denominations have their problems, but let’s not blame them for what the Catholics did—and will do” (The King of the South).

This united military-religious power will then focus on strengthening its presence in the Middle East—leading to yet another violent clash! (Daniel 11:40).

Plain Truth founder Herbert W. Armstrong wrote in the October 1951 Plain Truth issue: “[T]he capital of this revived Roman Empire, along with the Vatican, will make a lightning move to Palestine—probably Jerusalem! That shall be the last abomination to be set up there! Notice, in Daniel 11:45, ‘tabernacle’ is a place of worship, and ‘palace’ the residence of a king” (“The Pope Plans to Move Vatican!”).

Mr. Flurry explains in Jerusalem in Prophecy, “Three great religions—Christianity, Judaism and Islam—all have an intense interest in Jerusalem. That city is the third-most holy site to the Muslims. It is the most holy city for the Jews. Christians consider it their first or second holiest city. In the end, it is going to bring disaster to all three religions.” He cites Zechariah 12:3: “And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.”

“Because of its past and future, Christ has more interest in that city than in any other city on Earth,” Mr. Flurry continues. “Christ died in Jerusalem. He and His Father are going to rule the Earth and the universe from there!”