The Mystical Body of Antichrist According to Pope Gregory

Anti Christ Seated on a Leviathan from Liber Floridus by Lambert de Saint-Omer (1120)

 Part I. From Stranger in a Strange Land:

On account of Christ Her Head1, the Catholic Church suffers many scourges of wickedness from both within and without Her walls. Sin, confusion, heresy, and persecution have abounded everywhere, afflicting the faithful in the Church—the Mystical Body of Christ who has already appeared2. Even those professing to be of this Holy Body might really be of the Body of the Antichrist yet to appear. Pope St. Gregory the Great perceived this mystery with sober clarity.

Our modern understandings of such evil in the world, within the Church, and its role in the end times are often colored by conspiracy theories or, inversely, a denial of the coordination and presence of evil. One can fall into the folly that all of the world’s evil is due to a hidden elite. Perhaps one accounts for our ecclesial woes by an infiltrative ‘Deep Church’, just as some speak of a ‘Deep State’ corrupting secular politics, buried in the labyrinth of bureaucracy. Meanwhile, we assure ourselves that we are safe from the stain of their sins. On the other hand, there is the error that there is no primordial direction and unity among the unjust.

St. Gregory’s golden insights into this topic steer us away from hysteria and complacency. (Read more.)

 

Part II. From Stranger in a Strange Land:

St. Gregory, in his commentary on Leviathan, expounds on this union thus.

[Job 41:23]. The members of his flesh cling to each other.

8. The ‘flesh’ of this Leviathan are all the reprobate, who rise not in their longing to a knowledge of their spiritual country [heaven]. But the ‘members of his flesh’ are those, who are united to these very persons, when acting wickedly, and preceding them in the way to iniquity. As is said on the other hand by Paul to the Lord’s body; Ye are the body of Christ, and members of a member. [1 Cor. 12:27] For a member of a body is one thing, a member of a member is another. For a member of the body is a part referred to a whole, but a member of a member is a particle to a part. For a member of a member is a finger to the hand, the hand to the arm, but a member of the body, is the whole of this together to the body at large. As therefore in the spiritual body of the Lord we term ‘members of a member’ those who in His Church are governed by others; so, in that reprobate congregation of this Leviathan, those are the ‘members of his flesh,’ who by their wicked deeds are joined to some more wicked than themselves.

Devious discipleship advances from an admiring imitation of evil examples, at a distance, to actual obedience of leaders. In this arrangement, an agreement of conspiracy coalesces. Continuing.

But because the malignant enemy agrees with himself in his perverse doings from first to last, the Divine discourse speaks of the members of his flesh clinging to each other in him. For they so agree in their wicked opinions, as not to be divided by any mutual disputations with each other. No quarrel of disagreement then divides them, and they therefore prevail mightily against the good, because they keep themselves together with close agreement in evil. For as we have already said above, that it is fatal if unity is wanting to the good, so it is more fatal if it is not wanting to the evil. For the unity of the reprobate obstructs more firmly the path of the good, the more firmly it opposes itself to it by being collected together.

Not always does the Lord allow for such unity, as it is deeply dangerous to the faithful. But, He might permit them to have power. Gregory further glosses.

9… If the unity of the wicked had not been hurtful, Divine Providence would never have divided the tongues of the proud with such great diversity. [See Tower of Babel, Gen. 11:9] […] Because then this Leviathan is then let loose in his might against the Elect of God, to increase his power of hurting, he is permitted also to have unity among the reprobate, in order that he may put forth his might more powerfully against us, the more he assaults us not merely with the blow of strength, but also with the weight of unity. But who can be sufficient against these things? What mind must not tremble at the weight of such pride and compactness, from the very bottom of his thought?3

Of course, the united force of evil does not last forever, as we shall see in a future article. Yet, we must discern the malicious method while they are in power. (Read more.)