Catholic Church Celebrates Charlemagne
On January 30, the Catholic Church in Frankfurt celebrated the legacy of Charlemagne at the Kaiserdom, the imperial coronation church of German emperors. This event, traditionally called “Karlsamt,” has taken place every year since 1332.
“The unique liturgy with medieval chants has been celebrated since ancient times only in the Charlemagne city of Aachen and in Frankfurt, where the German emperors were elected in the Middle Ages,” Frankfurt Live noted about this year’s celebration. Charlemagne is considered the founding father of Europe and a patron saint of Frankfurt and the Kaiserdom.
In 2019, the Karlsamt celebration was particularly meaningful as just days earlier French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel concluded a new agreement on Franco-German cooperation and integration in Aachen as an extension of the Élysée Treaty signed in 1963. Frankfurter Rundschau noted: “In terms of power politics, the king of the early medieval Frankish empire strove for a Europe united under the monarchy and Christianity, which is why he is also known as the ‘father of Europe’ in historiography. Merkel and Macron signed the new treaty in Aachen, as it served as the monarch’s main residence in the Middle Ages.” At the time, the Roman Catholic Church also affirmed cooperation between the two states and a commitment to a “united Europe.”
The idea of a united Europe under a so-called Christian monarchy continues to inspire the Catholic Church and European elite today.
Bishop Gerhard Feige from Magdeburg served as the principal celebrant of this year’s event. Prominent representatives of the city were also in attendance. Frankfurt Live noted:
In his speech, [Frankfurt Mayor Peter] Feldmann emphasized that in the imperial cities of Aachen and Frankfurt, people had become accustomed to referring to Charlemagne as the “father of Europe.” This may have its justification, but in fact, this “father” had driven his family to each other by force.
“Just as after Charlemagne all attempts to unify Europe were ultimately based on violence—all also ultimately failed. The last violent attempt—starting from Germany—ended in the human catastrophe of National Socialism,” Feldmann said. But literally out of the ruins of that catastrophe, he said, the idea of a free Europe was born and realized.
“It took a millennium, marked by wars, conflicts, endless suffering and misery, for us Europeans to discover the secret of successful unification. The equality of nations, democratic principles and human rights.”
It took violent bloodshed and war for Europe to unite—that is the history this celebration is honoring: the legacy of Charlemagne.
The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung noted: “This ruler, who is still present in many places in Frankfurt today … is by no means undisputed. Charlemagne, who was crowned emperor in Rome in 800, has gone down in history as power-obsessed and cruel, indeed as a butcher of the Saxons, whom he subjugated and converted to Christianity.”
In the name of “Christianity,” Charlemagne became a mass murderer.
The veneration of Charlemagne in Germany rose to even greater importance this year on January 16. On this day, Germany’s main political party, the Christian Democratic Union, elected its new leader: Armin Laschet. Laschet, who was born in Aachen, is arguably one of the greatest fans of Charlemagne in German politics today. His family even claims to be directly descended from the medieval warlord. To learn more about Laschet’s fascination with Charlemagne and what it may foretell for European politics, read “Is Germany’s Next Leader a Fan of a Medieval Mass Murderer?”
As Feldmann illustrated in his celebration address, Adolf Hitler’s party was a continuation of the efforts of Charlemagne and other Holy Roman emperors. Hitler venerated Charlemagne greatly; that admiration played a role in history’s greatest catastrophe. The Bible reveals that Hitler and Charlemagne were part of the same system: the Holy Roman Empire. Throughout history, this evil empire has risen to bring the world under its control.
Notice a Bible prophecy in Revelation 17: “And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns” (verse 7). This is a prophecy about the Holy Roman Empire. The Bible uses a woman as a symbol for a church, and a beast as a symbol for an empire, or kingdom. The meaning of this prophecy was revealed in detail to the late Herbert W. Armstrong who lived through the rise and fall of Hitler’s Nazi regime. Mr. Armstrong later identified the Axis powers of World War ii as the sixth “head” of this beast and prophesied that one more resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire would follow.
For this reason Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry warned in February 2011 Trumpet: “God does allow [the Catholic Church] to gain control of this German-led European beast power. Expect the Catholic Church to become more vocal and for this church-state axis to become more evident.”
High-ranking Catholic officials and many in the German government seek to revive Charlemagne’s legacy. You can see that in events like the Charlemagne celebration in Frankfurt. These efforts will lead to great violence.
Request a free copy of our book The Holy Roman Empire in Prophecy to learn about the history and the prophecy of this evil empire. Also request a free copy of Mr. Flurry’s book The True History of God’s True Church to understand how God’s Church has fought over the centuries to expose this evil empire and its false version of Christianity.