Not sure why I see it this way. Practically nobody else does.
It seems to me that when Constantine demanded that Christianity be reduced to a written formula (AKA belief-based system) that he changed everything.
Outside of changing feast days and locations of historical events, he created a system where one was a member of the official religion if one believed certain facts and adopted certain practices.
I even suspect that this may have been the person Daniel spoke of. And think...that was a mere 300 and some years after Christ. The following years could very well be the "falling away" or "apostacy" spoken of by Paul.
I have been told for years that the falling away was the rejection of the modern American gospel.
According to my personal perspective, (not saying that mine is the official catholic perspective), The Conversion of Constantine is the point at which The Beast which likes to use purple and scarlet is tied, The Emperors and the Roman soldiers stop from persecuting Christians and it began a period of almost 1000 years of Christianity Era in which The Successors of The Apostles, actually reigned this world. we have to remember that the Church is the Body of Christ, so the church reigning was in fact the Body of Christ reigning.
Rome had to be destroyed the Emperor, the army and the city. But not the Church of Rome which Peter points in his letter as Chosen as the others.
Now, After 1000 years from Chalcedony Council to Luther Reform, The Pope, the Successor of Peter, was indeed Christianizing more or less peacefully vast areas of Europe, and all the Barbaric invaders who destroyed the Western Roman Empire, in fact helped to the Expansion of Christianity through northern Barbaric Europe. Revelation 20:1-4
At the end of those 1000 years The Heresy, the Apostasy Arrived. Protestantism emerged denying all Sacraments and all Traditions passed from the Apostles to the Church. The Dragon indeed was released again, The Protestantism inspired in occultism which evolved into Masonry, began again its reign. Revelation 20:7-10
Now Religious indifferentism, Protestantism, Islam, And even Orthodoxy all of them are again opposed to the bishop of Rome. The Successor of Peter.
In his second letter to Tesalonians Chapter 2 Paul describes the Apostasy which has to be manifested and he also speaks of the Man of Doom. Paul calls the Church to persevere in the obedience to The Traditions which the Apostles have taught us. ¿What traditions keep all the enemies of the Church?
So, Perseverance is the Key word.
Have you all notice how Atheists, Orthodox, Protestants, Masons, Communists, Capitalists, Jehova Witnesses, Mormons, Islam, etc. all of them are at war with Catholicism?
Catholicism in Rome destroyed the pagan religion which was a copy of Greek religion inspired in Eastern Babylonic/Egyptian religions. But Masons and kabalistic Jews brought it back. The Star of Five peaks is also a symbol of pagan traditions, And USA and Muslims countries, Use it proudly in ther flags...
According to John, The antichrists are those who were Part of the Church and went away from it, those who deny Jesus as Son of God. Masons and Muslims deny the Son of God.
Ask your pastor if The Fathers of the USA were Masons, and if it is ok to be mason...
