This article was previously published as part of my (now discontinued) monthly Newsletter (May 2019).

Signs that the End Times begin soon (within a few years),

1. Heresy

Most Catholic lay persons (conservatives, traditionalists, moderates, liberals) and many priests and religious have each accepted multiple heresies, at least materially. The conservative Catholic subculture is not immune from this sin. Many conservative Catholic leaders teach various heresies, as I have explained in many different blog posts. Then there are heresies accepted by liberal Catholics, as well as by the common persons in the pews.

The great apostasy is an undeniable part of the end times, as Sacred Scripture teaches.

[2 Thessalonians]
{2:1} But we ask you, brothers, concerning the advent of our Lord Jesus Christ and of our gathering to him,
{2:2} that you not be readily disturbed or terrified in your minds, by any spirit, or word, or epistle, supposedly sent from us, claiming that the day of the Lord is close by.
{2:3} Let no one deceive you in any way. For this cannot be, unless the apostasy will have arrived first, and the man of sin will have been revealed, the son of perdition,
{2:4} who is an adversary to, and who is lifted up above, all that is called God or that is worshipped, so much so that he sits in the temple of God, presenting himself as if he were God.
{2:5} Do you not recall that, when I was still with you, I told you these things?

The tribulation (end times) is divided into two parts: the first part of the tribulation is for our generation, and the second part of the tribulation occurs in the 25th century. In each part, there is a great apostasy, as 2 Thess 2:3 teaches.

The fact that heresies have been accepted by a majority of Catholics is the foundation for the great apostasy. All that is needed is for the Roman Pontiff, Pope Francis and his successor each in his turn, to teach doctrine contrary to accepted errors, and many will depart from the one true Church. Having departed into schism and heresy, they will soon fall away from the faith altogether. For the sufferings of the tribulation will burden them, and they will not have the Church to keep them from falling away from the Christian faith.

2. Schism

For our generation, it is now clear that the apostasy begins with the conservative schism, in which many conservative Catholics rebel against the Roman Pontiff and falsely accuse him of heresy, thereby committing heresy and schism themselves. I’ve been predicting this event for many years, and now it has happened. Schism leads to heresy, and heresy leads to schism. Then the combination of schism and heresy leads to apostasy, an abandonment of the Christian faith altogether.

So the schism which is currently unfolding is an undeniable sign that the first part of the tribulation is very near. I expect Pope Francis to teach that women can be deacons, and that non-Catholic Christians, non-Christian believers, and non-believers can be saved without converting.

When have conservatives ever rebelled against the Pope and the Magisterium before? It’s a stunning sign that the apocalypse is about to begin. When have so many lay persons and scholars accused a sitting Pope of teaching or committing heresy before? Honorius was NOT accused during his lifetime. John 22 was clear that he was only presenting an opinion, and that theologians and the clergy could disagree freely. Marcellinus was accused of apostasy during his lifetime. As the story goes, he offered to submit himself to a gathering of Cardinals and Bishops, and they refused, saying: “The First See is judged by no one.” That story may be apocryphal, but it correctly expresses the teaching of the Church that no one but God judges the Pope.

So the conservative Catholic subculture rising up to rebel against the Pope, accusing him of teaching heresy, accusing him of committing formal heresy, is truly an unprecedented event — as many of the accusers have actually stated. And it is a sign of the End Time. As discussed above, a great apostasy occurs as part of the End Times. Well, schism and heresy lead to apostasy. If you cut yourself off from the vine by schism or heresy — the claim that a Pope can possibly teach heresy is an heretical claim — you wither. And having withered in faith, you eventually fall away from Christianity altogether.

Be advised: All the signatories and supporters of the Open Letter, which accused Pope Francis of heresy, are themselves heretics and schismatics. It is dogma that no Pope can teach heresy, nor teach any grave error, nor commit apostasy, heresy, or schism. Accusing a Pope of teaching or committing heresy contradicts that dogma. Moreover, it is a schismatic act, as no one who thinks the Pope is a heretic also submits his mind and heart to the Pope’s authority.

Do you consider Pope Francis to be your Teacher and Shepherd?
Yes, you are Catholic. No, you are a schismatic.

Schismatics and heretics are automatically excommunicated, and are unworthy to receive Communion.

3. Iran’s nuclear program

On May 7th, Iran announced they would withdraw (partially, for now) from the agreement with the U.S. and Europe, which placed restrictions on their enrichment of uranium. As I’ve discussed in many previous blog posts, Iran almost certainly has all the components they need for nuclear bombs, except highly-enriched uranium.

There is also a good possibility that they entered into the agreement with the West, so readily giving up the ability to enrich uranium to near-weapon grace levels, because they have a secret uranium enrichment facility. The two known facilities for enriching uranium in Iran are Natanz and Fordo. Each was secret until discovered by the West. They keep trying to make a secret enrichment plant, and perhaps they have succeeded.

Once Iran has a few nukes, they can announce this to the world, and then ramp up all their facilities to quickly make more weapon grade uranium. A few nukes is enough to keep the West from using force to destroy the known facilities.

This development pertains to the end times for a simple and horrifying reason: the first event of the tribulation, figuratively called the first horseman and the first seal, is World War 3. And World War 3 begins with a nuclear bomb attack by Iran against New York City (as I have been warning people since 1998).

Why would Iran attack NYC? It has the highest population of Jews outside of Israel. They can’t attack Israel, because that nation has nuclear missiles and the will to use them. Muslim extremists have attacked NYC before, with the 911 attacks; so it is a known target of the hatred of Muslim extremists. And it is an economic center of the U.S. and of the West. In addition, it is the location of the United Nations, which is hated by Muslims for having given Israel land for their nation.

4. Severe Decline in Morals

The acceptance by society in Christian nations of ideas and behavior formerly condemned is a great sign that the end times is near. We know that the world does not become ever more holy, in advance of Christ’s Return. For He Himself said:

[Matthew]
{24:9} Then they will hand you over to tribulation, and they will kill you. And you will be hated by all nations for the sake of my name.

All the nations of the world will eventually reject Christianity, and Christians will be hated, persecuted, and attacked. Why would the world behave in this manner? It is because they prefer grave sin over love and truth. We can already see this process at work.

Many persons were outraged when the States of Georgia and Alabama passed laws outlawing abortion (very strictly). They demand the supposed right to kill unborn children. They care nothing for the lives of these children. There was even a controversy recently where some persons expressed their willingness to let newborn children die, if an attempted abortion fails and the child survives. Abortion is a type of infanticide. Even so, the extent to which some persons support abortion is horrific. How much less concern could people have for the innocent?

Then there is the perversion of sexuality, which began with approval in society for sex outside of marriage, and continued to worsen as the years have passed. Divorce and remarriage has become ever more common. Adultery is now seen as somehow not gravely immoral. Unnatural sexual acts are approved widely by society (whether these acts are done between a man and woman, or two persons of the same sex). Homosexual sexual acts and same-sex marriage are now widely approved by culture and law.

Transgenderism has taken these attacks on sexuality to new extremes. If an adult sins by some behavioral choice, perhaps he or she will repent. But when a person changes their gender by surgery, they have maimed their own bodies. Transgender surgery is a type of genital mutilation. And then to impose this type of mutilation on minors, on teenagers and even pre-teens, is like abortion outside the womb. A common abortion technique is to kill by mutilation. Then the transgender surgery mutilates without killing. Both grave sins occur due to the same cause, disordered use of sexuality. Abortion supports grave sexual sins; it supports irresponsible use of human sexuality.

Then we see other grave sins increasing in society: hatred, malice, contempt — a total lack of love of other human persons. If anyone has the supposed “wrong” position on a subject, this is seen as justification to treat them with anger and malice.

[Matthew]
{24:12} And because iniquity has abounded, the charity of many will grow cold.

That verse is from Jesus’ eschatological discourse, His talk about the end times. Has this not happened already? Iniquity abounds. Charity grows cold. If you wish to love God more, you must give up your sins. Did I say make excuses for your sins and pretend they are not so bad? No. Give them up. Do not defend your sins, expunge them. Or you will join those in whom iniquity abounds, whose love has grown cold.

5. Persecution of Christians in Christian Nations

Along with the increasing approval for many grave sins in secular society, we see a corresponding persecution of Christians. Why does this happen? Everyone knows that Christianity, especially Catholicism, condemns grave sins unequivocally. So those persons whose conscience accuses them of grave sin wish that Christianity did not exist. They know that the Christian faith teaches that their own behavior is evil. Instead of repenting, they wish to silence those whose holy lives are a witness against their sins.

The persecution of Christians occurs even in Christian nations because so many Christians have fallen into unrepentant objective mortal sins. Some still bear the name “Christian”; many have abandoned even the name. They have chosen sin over Christ.

6. The great Catholic monarch and the Angelic Shepherd are in the world today and are adults.

Let no one deceive you. The great Catholic monarch and the Angelic Shepherd are both in the world today, and they are both adults. In World War 3, the Arab Muslim nations of the Middle East and northern Africa conquer Europe. The great Catholic monarch will lead the Allies in World War 4, the war which frees Europe from the occupation and persecution of the Muslim extremists, and defeats them even in their own nations. The great Catholic monarch is Archduke Ferdinand Zvonimir. (Right now, he is a racing car driver!)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferdinand_Zvonimir_von_Habsburg

The Angelic Shepherd is a holy Pope, who will take the name Pope Raphael (“God heals”). He will be elected during an Ecumenical Council. The Pope who calls the Council (late 2020’s to early2030’s) dies during the Council. By a Divine Sign from God, the Angelic Shepherd is chosen to be the next Pope. This fulfills the prophecy of St. John Bosco that the news of the death of one Pope and of the election of his successor will go out at the same time. The Angelic Shepherd is Fr. Zlatko Sudac.

7. Spiritual Communism

At Garabandal, our Lady warned about the rise of Communism prior to the start of the tribulation. I am absolutely convinced that She meant spiritual communism, not political communism. Spiritual communism is like the political version of the disorder.

In the political system, the people rise up against authority; in the spiritual version, the laity rise up against authority in the Church. In the political system, everyone is supposedly equal and the same, and so distinctions are erased. In the spiritual version, the distinctions between ordained and non-ordained are eroded; the laity think they understand the Faith better than the Pope and the Bishops. In the political system, ideally, the people govern themselves, and their rulers are deposed. In the spiritual version, the laity wish to govern the Church, in place of the Pope and Bishops. In the political system, in reality, communism becomes totalitarianism, where some persons use these political ideas to try to control others. In the spiritual version, certain few persons exalt themselves above the Pope and the Bishops, as if their poor understanding of the Faith should be imposed on everyone.

As I explained it previously: Spiritual communism is a kind of false equality which denies different roles for men and women, denies different roles for ordained and non-ordained persons, denies different roles for deacons versus priests versus bishops, denies that there are absolute truths (all opinions are said to be equal or are treated as if equal), denies different roles based on age, denies different roles based on the will of God for each person. Instead, spiritual communism promotes the idea that anyone can take any role, according to whatever pleases them, and that all opinions are of equal value. This idea denigrates the distinctions between human persons and denigrates the will of God based on those distinctions. It denies the fittingness of roles given to persons based on differences in gender, age, state of life, and ability. It also gives incorrect or false opinions the same standing as truth. It is a false equality, a false claim of fairness. This is spiritual communism. And it is already widespread. (That is from my book, The Secrets of Medjugorje and Garabandal).

Ronald L. Conte Jr.