The Patristical Idea of Antichrist

Just as the first coming of the Lord had its precursor, 'so will the second,' John H. Newman said in four memorable sermons. If the first forerunner was St. John the Baptist, the second will be much 'more than an enemy of Christ, he will be the same image of Satan, the terrifying Antichrist'. In his sermons, St. John Henry Newman warned that the naive Satan 'promises civil liberty, promises equality, promises trade and wealth, promises reforms.' He 'makes fun of past times and all the institutions that represent them.' And the Saint went even further when he announced that there would be a real or fictitious 'display of miracles', which could be 'discoveries of science', which would strengthen the power of the Antichrist. Newman´s insights sound as if they were written today.

John Henry Newman, was an Anglican priest converted to Catholicism in 1845, later elevated to the dignity of cardinal by Pope Leo XIII. He was the author of important books, including Vía Media, Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine, Apologia Pro Vita Sua, and Grammar of Assent. He was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI and then officially canonized by Pope Francis in 2019.