What Are We to Think of the Abrahamic Family House?

The Abrahamic Family House meshes well with the UN's 'Meditation Room' and other manifestations of the new One World Religion.

From Memorare

By J. Basil Dannebohm

Earlier this week, an old article resurfaced about the Abrahamic Family House. It quickly became a hot topic and created a bit of a stir on social media. The Abrahamic Family House, hower, is hardly recent news.

In 2019, LifeSite News published an opinion piece entitled, “Vatican gives nod to ‘Abrahamic Family House’ that equates Christianity, Judaism, Islam.”

In 2020, writer John Burger offered praise for the project in a piece he wrote for Aleteia entitled, "Multi-faith complex to rise where Pope and Imam signed agreement."

Then in 2021, Vatican News published a piece entitled, “Abrahamic Family House in Abu Dhabi to open in 2022.” The article offered details about than plan, including the fact that the “Christian” portion of the complex would be named “St. Francis Church.”

Later in 2021, Crisis Magazine published a commentary written by William Kilpatrick entitled, "The Abrahamic Family House: A Recipe for Diluting the Faith."

Over the last few years, the project has gotten mixed reviews from Catholic media. So why all of a sudden has the Abrahamic Family House become a subject of concern?

There are perhaps two reasons:

• A popular member of the clergy with a major social media presence raised the subject. I've said many times that many Catholics are sadly enveloped in the cult of personality. That is to say, that they fixate on individuals and take every word they say as gospel. This particular group of faithful tend to relentlessly fawn over that individual. While I am no psychologist, I believe people such as this are often subconsciously weak in their faith of an unseen God hence, they find themselves overcome with a sense of quasi-idolatry over human figures whose opinions resonate with their views and creed. Thus, when this sort of Catholic "icon" references something, it becomes hype in quick fashion.
• Throughout history there have been occasions where end times mania runs rampant. It goes without saying that we live in an age of heightened conflict and division. While we would like to believe that our present situation is unique, in fact, it is not. There have been several occasions over the course of human history where mankind has been incredibly divided. Like our present time, these eras also prompted individuals to conclude they were living in the end times.

With concern to the latter, I realize that when anybody speaks of the end times they are immediately dismissed as a nut job. At the same time, however, I can’t help but think that Jesus knew that would be the case when He gave us the Parable of the Bridegroom. Evil desires that our lamps are empty so that when Our Lord comes again, we will be caught completely off guard. In fairness, I also realize there have been plenty of “modern end time prophets” whose messages have been absolute nonsense.

Because of my devotion to Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich, I’ve spent several years reading her letters and the various commentary that accompany them. Intrigued by the news of the Abrahamic Family House, I decided to revisit her writings, especially pertaining to eschatological matters.

I found the opinion piece published by LifeSite in 2019 to be especially intriguing. Admittedly, the news of the Abrahamic Family House did remind me of a passage in Blessed Anne Catherine’s account of events that would occur near the end times:

September 12, 1820 --

I saw a strange church being built against every rule. No angels were supervising the building operations. In that church, nothing came from high above. There was only division and chaos. It is probably a church of human creation, following the latest fashion, as well as the new heterodox Church of Rome, which seems of the same kind.

There was nothing holy in it.

I saw this just as I saw a movement led by Ecclesiastics to which contributed angels, saints and other Christians.

But there in the strange big church all the work was being done mechanically. Everything was being done, according to human reason. I saw all sorts of people, things, doctrines, and opinions. There was something proud, presumptuous, and violent about it, and they seemed to be very successful.

I did not see a single Angel nor a single saint helping in the work.

I saw that many of the instruments in the new Church, such as spears and darts, were meant to be used against the living Church. Everyone dragged in something different: clubs, rods, pumps, cudgels, puppets, mirrors, trumpets, horns bellows – all sorts of things.

In the cave below (the sacristy) some people kneaded bread, but nothing came of it; it would not rise.

The men in the little mantles brought wood to the steps of the pulpit to make a fire. They puffed and blew and labored hard, but the fire would not burn. All they produced was smoke and fumes. Then they broke a hole in the roof and ran up a pipe, but the smoke would not rise, and the whole place became black and suffocating. Some blew the horns so violently that the tears streamed from their eyes.

All in this church belonged to the earth, returned to the earth.

All was dead, the work of human skill, a church of the latest style, a church of man’s invention like the new heterodox church in Rome.”

Allow me to point out that Blessed Anne Catherine speaks more than once of the "new heterodox Church of Rome." Some scholars believe that these references regard the Second Vatican Council which ushered in a new sense of ecumenism. However, like the writings of any mystic, the words are open to wide interpretation. Similarly, some scholars believe that Blessed Anne Catherine's writings suggested that a "true Church," rooted in longstanding Catholic tradition would rise from the ashes and be the source of refuge against what she referred to as "the new heterodox Church of Rome." Again, this is open to vast interpretation.

As anybody who has carefully studied eschatology will tell you, everything that is written on the subject is open to widespread interpretation and as Sacred Scripture reminds us, we won't know the day, nor the hour.

However, we also know from Sacred Scripture that we will be given signs that the Apocalypse draws near. Is the Abrahamic Family House one such sign? Perhaps. However, the more important questions we must ask ourselves is this: "Why does it matter?"

Again, we know from Sacred Scripture that the Apocalypse will happen whether we are ready or not. Over and over again we are reminded to be ready. We also know that none of us can be certain of when we will take our last breath. As we spend our time worrying about the Second Coming, we could, in fact, pass from the earth before the return of Christ.

Whether or not the Abrahamic Family House is Apocalyptic, we should not regard it as a worry, but rather a reminder. Soon enough, we will stand Judgement before God. Our goal, therefore, must be to always be ready for that moment, for it could happen at any time.

The subject of eschatology should not cause us to be afraid. Our Lady Herself warned us that events such as these would happen. She also told us that in the end, Her Immaculate Heart will Triumph! Let that be our hope.