The Antichrist

by Vincent P. Miceli

In The Antichrist, Fr. Vincent P. Miceli attempts to relate the prophecy of the Anitchrist to the major disaster of our time - the nightmare, admitted by all now, of the world-wide collapse of Christianity. Three modern popes - Pius X, Paul VI, and John Paul II - have speculated on the possible presence among us of the "man of sin", even as they fought to turn back the ever-advancing darkness of satanic nihilism. Has St. Paul's prophecy concerning the coming of the "general apostasy", as prelude to the lawless one's arrival, been fulfilled in our generation? Has the fall of the major messianic utopias - the American dream, the Socialist welfare fantasy, the Marxist revolutionary paradise - produced the sufficiently Godless, disillusioned, diseased womb of society from which "the lord of this world" will be born?

Fr. Miceli traces the Antichrist prophecy through the Old and New Testaments, through Greek and Latin Fathers, through medieval thought and relates his startling findings to the decadence of our civilization. Fr. Miceli studies some of the false prophets in history who are the precursors, shadows, portents of the coming climax of evil to be incarnated in the person of the false Messiah, the Antichrist. He explorers the modern phenomena of the presence of mini-Antichrists within the Mystical Body of Christ who work as demolition squads to bring down the marvelous edifice of God. In a final, most interesting chapter, "Mary and the Antichrist", Fr. Miceli attempts to harmoniously close the circle of salvation history by portraying the Woman's, the Child's, and the Serpent's roles in the drama of salvation from the beginning to the end of time. Satan's victory in the seduction of Eve, the connivance of Adam, the imposition of death on the children of men is brought to a frenzied climax in the Antichrist's final assault on Mary and her children in and outside the Church through the instruments of eroticism, violence, organized terrorism, legalized abortion, and universal war. But Mary, the Prophetess of the last days, cooperates today more openly and publicly with her glorious Son and her persecuted children to defeat the Antichrist and crush forever his kingdom of darkness.

Genres: Catholic, Christianity, Religion

298 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1981

About the author

Father Miceli, who earned his doctorate from Fordham University, entered the Society of Jesus in 1936 and was ordained a priest in 1949. He taught philosophy at several colleges and universities, including Loyola University, St. John's University and most recently at Christendom College in Front Royal, Va.

He was also the co-host of a syndicated radio program, "Where Catholics Meet," which was broadcast for the last nine years on WOR radio. He was the author of several books, including "The Roots of Violence," "The Antichrist," and "Women Priests and Other Fantasies," all published by Christopher Publishing House. Some of his writings raised concerns among his superiors in the Jesuits and he left the order in 1982. He then became associated with the Diocese of Ponce, P.R.

Reviews

[Joseph Martin]

My late father read part of this book and never seemed to have finished it. A bookmark with the hymns he was set to play was set in about a 1/5th of the way through. I think I know why, having finished it.

So, Antichrist is the on cover. I like supernatural things---why wouldn't I just gobble up with glee a book about the Antichrist? It's up my alley, certainly. Well, here's the deal. Father Miceli, basically does this with the book, and I'm doing some quote paraphrasing here:

"The Antichrist is real, he's in the bible! The bible says he comes at the end of times. As we all know (this book was written in 1981), the 80's is a real sinful time, with all that Communism, abortion, and crazy gays! So here's a whole bunch of chapters about why homosexuality is wrong, as well as Communism and abortion. So, in conclusion, we clearly are in the end times and if you disagree with me, you're a heretic to Catholicism and papal authority!"

So yeah, I mean, there's some nice descriptions of the Antichrist, but this is more of a soapbox for Father Miceli to stand on to preach to everyone who will listen about views that, in 2020, seem quite...look, this is a book review. I'm not here to talk to people about politics. If you think someone should burn in hell because they're gay, that any evil committed in the name of advancing things that will hinder the spread of Communism in any form is a virtue, and that mothers who have actionable information supporting the conclusion that their child could kill them or would die within minutes of birth are committing murder in the sight of God if they make the call to abort their child, then I hope we can find some common ground before that conversation comes up in our friendship, because you might not like my opinions on it, but I'll fight to the death for your right to say it.