In Why I Am Catholic: The Last Judgment, a dystopian Catholic vision of the End Times unfolds as the world plunges into chaos. Amid war, disaster, and economic collapse, global leaders unite under a New World Order, endorsed by Pope Adrian VII, who declares a new progressive faith. The Vatican embraces same-sex marriage, transgender identity, abortion, and communism, while a mandatory microchip—viewed by the resistance as the Mark of the Beast—is introduced to control all financial transactions. Those who refuse the chip or resist the New Order are arrested or disappear. The last free nation, the United States, initially defies the regime under President Jonathan Slater, but after his assassination, his successor submits, declaring America will lead the global government.
As oppression intensifies, a Catholic underground movement, led by Bishop Carlo Rinaldi, continues the true faith in secret Masses while Protestant rebels like James Holloway begin converting. The final battle erupts at Megiddo, where Christian rebels attempt to free prisoners held in underground camps. Outnumbered by the UN’s military forces, the resistance fights desperately—until the heavens split open. Christ returns in glory, the dead rise, and judgment falls upon the corrupt rulers of the world. The New World Order collapses, and for the faithful, eternity begins.
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The Last Judgment
Introduction
This is a work of fiction—a slight departure from my usual genre. It is my personal interpretation of the End Times, inspired by Catholic eschatology. While popular culture has embraced Protestant perspectives on the apocalypse, as seen in works like Left Behind, there is little representation of a Catholic vision of the final days.
In this story, the Catholic Church falls into apostasy and becomes the Whore of Babylon, with a fictional Pope assuming the role of the Antichrist. However, this is not to suggest that the Church today is corrupt or that, should it ever stray into heresy, it should be abandoned. On the contrary, as this story illustrates, Catholics must hold fast to the true faith, even when its highest leaders fail. When our shepherds lead us astray, we are called to stand firm in the Gospel, to be faithful despite their betrayal.
Scripture tells us that the wheat and the tares will grow together until the end of time (Matthew 13:30). The Church has always endured both saints and sinners in its ranks, and it will be purified in the final judgment. As Catholics, our task is not to flee when corruption takes root but to uphold the faith, to resist falsehood, and to remain steadfast in Christ.
This story is an exploration of that struggle.
Prologue
The world had always teetered on the edge of chaos, but now it had plunged headlong into the abyss. Wars erupted across continents, old enmities reignited, and new hatreds were born. Cities burned, their skeletal remains reflected in the rising tides as tempests lashed the coastlines. Earthquakes split nations, and disease swept through the populace faster than governments could respond. Famine followed, then death. It seemed the end of history had arrived.
Amid the cataclysm, the world’s leaders did the unthinkable—they united.
Under the banner of the United Nations, the World Health Organization, and the World Economic Forum, a New World Order emerged. It promised peace, stability, and an end to suffering. The Pope himself, in a moment that shook Christendom, blessed this global governance, calling upon all faiths to unite under a single, ecumenical religion. For a brief moment, the world sighed in relief. Wars ceased. Economies flourished. Then, the oppression began.
Chapter One: A World in Turmoil
Television screens across the globe flickered with images of war and devastation. Newscasters spoke in grave tones as footage of bombed-out cities and mass graves played on repeat.
“In Europe, the Eastern War has entered its third year, with casualties surpassing twenty million. The Middle East remains ablaze as warring factions vie for dominance, while in Asia, skirmishes between superpowers have left entire regions uninhabitable. Meanwhile, North and South America suffer under the weight of economic collapse, crime, and internal strife. Africa and Australia are not spared—floods, fires, and earthquakes render them unrecognizable.”
The anchorwoman took a deep breath before continuing. “Amid this unprecedented crisis, world leaders have convened in Geneva for an emergency G-20 summit. The goal: to establish a lasting peace, by any means necessary.”
Chapter Two: The Summit
The grand hall of the United Nations Headquarters was filled with the murmuring of presidents, prime ministers, and monarchs. At the center of it all stood the UN Secretary-General, his lined face grave as he raised a hand for silence.
“Distinguished leaders of the world,” he began, his voice echoing in the chamber, “we stand at the precipice of annihilation. We have witnessed the collapse of nations, the suffering of billions. The time for division has passed. We must unite, not only in policy but in purpose. We must form a single government—a New World Order—to guide humanity forward.”
A murmur swept through the assembly. Some nodded; others shifted uneasily. Then, the Pope stepped forward, his white robes pristine against the dark suits surrounding him.
“In the name of peace,” he declared, “we must lay aside our differences. God does not desire war, nor does He wish for mankind to suffer under the weight of outdated dogmas. We must embrace unity, not only as nations but as faiths. We must dismantle the barriers of doctrine that have divided us and forge a new, universal religion—one of love, acceptance, and progress.”
The hall erupted into applause. Some leaders hesitated but, seeing the tide turn, they too joined in.
Chapter Three: The Great Apostasy
The changes came swiftly. In the Vatican, the Church hierarchy redefined doctrine to align with the new global ethos. Same-sex marriage, transgender identity, and abortion were no longer sins but celebrated expressions of individual freedom. Communism was endorsed as the ideal economic system, and all major world religions were declared equal, with Jesus Christ no longer held as the singular path to salvation.
At the height of this transformation, Pope Adrian VII stood before a global audience in St. Peter’s Square and delivered his most controversial decree.
“The world has long been shackled by outdated beliefs,” he proclaimed. “But no longer. Love is love, and we must embrace the beauty of all human identities. Transgender individuals reflect the divine mystery of creation. Same-sex marriage is a sacred bond. A woman’s right to choose is a right given to her by God. Communism, when embraced with justice, ensures that no child suffers hunger, no man is left destitute. This is the faith of the new era. And I say unto you—welcome it, for to resist is to resist progress itself.”
Thunderous applause filled the square as millions rejoiced. But in the shadows, the faithful wept.
But the most alarming change came with the unveiling of the microchip.
The UN announced the development of a revolutionary microchip, to be implanted in either the hand or forehead. This chip would be required for all financial transactions, travel, and even medical access. Without it, one could neither buy nor sell. The Pope, standing before a global audience, proclaimed it “a miracle of progress, a sign of humanity’s unity.”
Those who resisted were labeled extremists, enemies of peace. Across the world, Christians who refused the chip, the New World Order, or the Pope’s new teachings found themselves arrested—or they simply vanished without a trace.
Among the resistance, the microchip was known by another name: the Mark of the Beast.
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Chapter Four: The Last Free Nation
The world was watching.
The General Assembly Hall of the United Nations was packed, filled with delegates from every nation, world leaders, and high-ranking officials of the New World Order. The great chamber, with its towering golden emblem of the UN, hummed with anticipation. At the center podium stood President Jonathan Slater, the defiant leader of the United States—the last major nation resisting the global regime.
Slater, a tall, grizzled man in his late fifties, had built his presidency on a platform of unwavering patriotism. Unlike his European counterparts who had eagerly submitted to the New Order’s demands, he refused to compromise American sovereignty. And now, he was here to make his stance clear.
Adjusting the microphone, he scanned the room, meeting the cold stares of the world’s elite. Then, he spoke.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I stand before you today not as an enemy of peace, but as a defender of freedom. True freedom. Not the illusion of choice wrapped in the chains of compliance, but the sacred right of every man and woman to speak, to think, to believe as they choose.”
Murmurs rippled through the assembly. Some leaders shifted uncomfortably. Others sat rigid, their expressions unreadable.
Slater continued. “You speak of progress, of unity—but at what cost? You demand that we bow to a single world government, that we accept a single world currency, a single ideology dictated by unelected bureaucrats who care nothing for the rights of the individual. You tell us this is for our own good. That resistance is dangerous. That to dissent is to be an enemy of humanity. But I tell you now—tyranny wrapped in noble words is still tyranny.”
The murmurs grew louder. Several delegates exchanged glances.
“America will not submit.” Slater’s voice rang through the chamber. “We will not surrender our sovereignty, our faith, our Constitution. We will not force our people to take your microchips. We will not silence those who refuse to conform to your new morality. We will not criminalize faith, nor will we accept the Pope’s bastardization of the Gospel. The United States of America stands for freedom and democracy—true freedom and democracy—and we will not be ruled by your so-called New World Order.”
The room exploded into chaos. Some delegates shouted in outrage. The UN Secretary-General, an aging European technocrat named Wilhelm Duvall, slammed his gavel, trying to restore order.
President Slater held his ground, unflinching. He knew what he had just done. He had painted a target on his back.
As he stepped away from the podium, his security detail surrounded him. He could feel the eyes of the world’s most powerful men and women searing into him, their minds already working through their next move.
Chapter Five: The Assassination
It happened a month later.
The official story was that President Slater’s convoy had been attacked by "domestic extremists" while traveling through Virginia. The media flooded the airwaves with reports that a "lone gunman" had fired the fatal shot, ending the reign of a man they now called a "dangerous nationalist" and "enemy of progress."
But those who had been close to Slater knew the truth. The New World Order had executed him.
Behind closed doors, world leaders had debated their course of action following Slater’s speech. A full-scale war with the United States would be costly, even with the UN’s overwhelming technological superiority. Assassination, however, was swift, efficient, and left no room for resistance.
With Slater gone, his vice president—Daniel Harrington, a longtime ally of the global elites—was quickly sworn in.
Days after taking office, President Harrington stood at the same UN podium where Slater had defied the world. This time, the atmosphere was different. The hostility had vanished. The delegates leaned forward, eager to hear what the new leader of the United States had to say.
Harrington, a smooth-talking career politician, adjusted his tie and smiled.
“My friends, the dark days are over.”
Scattered applause.
“The last administration clung to outdated notions—dangerous ideas that threatened global unity. But those days have passed. The enemies of progress have been vanquished. Today, I stand before you to declare that the United States is no longer in opposition to the New World Order. No—today, we embrace it.”
Thunderous applause.
Harrington nodded, allowing the cheers to swell before continuing. “America will not merely join this great movement—we will lead it.”
More applause. Delegates stood, clapping enthusiastically.
“The challenges ahead of us are great. There are still those who resist. Those who cling to outdated religions, who reject science, who defy the wisdom of our global leaders. These remnants of the past must be dealt with. And so, I pledge to you now: the United States will stand at the forefront of progress. We will enforce the new laws. We will root out extremism. We will lead humanity into a future free of war, free of ignorance, free of division.”
The ovation was deafening. The transformation was complete.
America, once the last beacon of resistance, had fallen
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The sun hung low over the city, casting long shadows over the streets. Elena Carter clutched her canvas shopping bag as she stepped into MetroMart, the last grocery store in her district that hadn’t yet been fully automated. It was a large, fluorescent-lit supermarket, its aisles neatly stocked with rows of synthetic produce and lab-grown meat. Shoppers moved in quiet efficiency, scanning items at self-checkout stations with the flick of their wrists—their microchips making soft beeping sounds as transactions processed instantly.
Elena gripped the crumpled bills in her pocket and made her way to the counter, her heart pounding.
The cashier, a young woman with vacant eyes and a corporate-issued uniform, barely looked up as Elena placed her groceries on the conveyor belt. Bags of rice, canned beans, a loaf of bread. She reached into her pocket, pulling out the money.
The cashier’s fingers froze over the touchscreen. Her brows furrowed. “Ma’am, where’s your chip?”
Elena’s mouth went dry. “I don’t have one.”
A tense silence followed. A few shoppers nearby stopped scanning their purchases and turned to look.
The cashier blinked. “We don’t accept cash.”
“Since when?”
“Since the law passed last month. Everything is digital now. You need the chip for purchases.”
Elena shifted uncomfortably. “I—I don’t have it. I’d rather not.”
The cashier’s expression hardened. “That’s not an option, ma’am. The chip is required. No exceptions.”
Elena gritted her teeth. “Look, I just need to buy some food. I have the money right here.”
The cashier crossed her arms. “Either scan your chip, or leave.”
Elena hesitated. Her stomach clenched with hunger, but she knew there was no point arguing. She turned and walked out, leaving her groceries behind.
As soon as the doors slid shut behind her, the cashier tapped a silent alarm under the counter.
Outside, the air was thick with smog. Elena pulled her coat tighter around her body and started down the sidewalk, her mind racing. She had heard stories of people disappearing—resistors who refused the chip, the ones who spoke against the New World Order. She had hoped to lay low, but now—
A black police vehicle screeched to a stop beside her.
Three officers stepped out, their faces unreadable behind their mirrored visors. The lead officer, his uniform crisp and imposing, stepped toward her. “Ma’am, state your full name.”
Elena took a step back. “What’s this about?”
“Your chip.” The officer held up a scanner. “We need to verify your identity.”
“I don’t have one,” she said, her voice firm.
The officer’s stance stiffened. “That’s not possible. The law requires all citizens to be chipped.”
“I don’t want anything foreign in my body,” she replied. “And I refuse it on religious grounds.”
The second officer snorted. “Religious grounds? That excuse won’t work. The New Order has declared the chip a moral obligation. Everyone gets it.”
Elena shook her head. “I won’t.”
The lead officer sighed. “Then we’ll have to do this the hard way.”
Before she could react, two of them grabbed her arms, twisting them behind her back. She struggled, her voice rising in panic.
“No! You can’t do this! You have no right!”
The third officer pulled open the back doors of an unmarked black van. “If you won’t get chipped voluntarily, we’ll process you at the station.”
Elena kicked and screamed as they shoved her inside, her cries muffled as the doors slammed shut.
The van pulled away, disappearing into the city’s endless sprawl.
Chapter Six: The Raid
In a quiet apartment complex on the outskirts of the city, David Reynolds sat at his kitchen table, scrolling through his tablet. His wife was washing dishes. His son sat on the couch, playing with their golden retriever, Max.
A loud bang shattered the peaceful evening.
The front door exploded inward as a team of black-clad SWAT officers stormed in, rifles raised.
“Get down!” one of them bellowed.
Max barked and lunged forward. A gunshot rang out. The dog collapsed, yelping once before going still.
David’s wife screamed. His son cried out.
“Hands on your head!” another officer ordered.
David barely had time to react before they tackled him to the ground. He gasped as a knee dug into his back, cold metal snapping around his wrists.
“What is this about?” he gasped. “I didn’t do anything!”
The lead officer stood over him, his helmet visor reflecting David’s panicked face. “You’ve been posting transphobic content online.”
David blinked in shock. “What?”
The officer pulled out a tablet and read from the screen. “Last week, you wrote: ‘There are only two genders.’”
David swallowed hard. “That’s not a crime.”
“It is now.”
His wife sobbed. “Please! We have a child! This is a mistake!”
David clenched his fists. “What happened to freedom of speech? The Constitution?”
The officer’s grip on his rifle tightened. “The Constitution doesn’t protect hate speech.”
Two officers grabbed David under the arms and hauled him to his feet.
“You can’t do this!” he shouted as they dragged him toward the door. “This is America! You can’t just—”
The words were cut off as they shoved him into a waiting vehicle.
Inside the apartment, his wife and son were left huddled on the floor, their world shattered.
The door swung shut.
And the city carried on, oblivious.
Chapter Seven: The Resistance
Deep within the ruins of an abandoned monastery hidden in the Apennine Mountains, the resistance gathered. The ancient stone walls, once home to monks who had spent their lives in prayer, now sheltered the last remnants of the faithful. Torches flickered, casting long shadows over the carved pillars and faded frescoes of Christ and the saints.
A wooden altar, hastily assembled from scavenged planks, stood at the center of the chamber. Upon it rested a chalice, a paten, and a missal—sacred remnants of a faith now outlawed. The rebels knelt on the cold stone floor as Bishop Carlo Rinaldi prepared to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
The bishop raised his arms, his voice steady. “In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti.”
The gathered faithful responded, their whispered voices echoing off the vaulted ceiling.
Rinaldi’s eyes moved over the assembly—men and women who had lost everything but their faith. Some bore the scars of torture. Others had seen their families executed for refusing the microchip. All of them knew the cost of what they were about to do. The Mass itself was now considered an act of treason.
Father O’Connor stood at Rinaldi’s side, assisting him as the bishop recited the Kyrie. The prayers of the ancient rite filled the chamber, blending with the distant howling wind outside.
As the Mass continued, the Protestant fighter James Holloway stood in the shadows, watching with cautious curiosity. He had never understood Catholicism—the rituals, the incense, the Latin—but here, in this sacred moment, he felt something he could not explain.
When the time came for the Consecration, Rinaldi lifted the host with reverent hands. “Hoc est enim Corpus meum…” His voice was low, but the words carried a weight that pressed upon the hearts of all present.
James watched in silence as the rebels bowed their heads. He had fought alongside them for months, yet never had he seen such devotion. These people were hunted, persecuted, cast out—and yet here they were, worshipping in secret as their ancestors had in the days of Nero.
After the Mass, as the rebels received Holy Communion one by one.
Then Bishop Carlo Rinaldi, a man of unyielding faith, addressed the gathered faithful. “The Church is not the Vatican. The Church is not a man in white robes. The Church is the Body of Christ, and it cannot be destroyed. We are the remnant, and we will not yield.”
Beside him, Father O’Connor clenched his fists. “They call us traitors, but we are the ones who remain faithful. The Pope has abandoned the Gospel, and yet we are the ones condemned.”
A Protestant fighter, James Holloway, studied them with suspicion. “I don’t understand. Your own Pope is leading this madness. Why stay Catholic?”
Rinaldi met his gaze. “Because the Church belongs to Christ, not the men who betray Him. If we abandon her, we let them redefine it.”
Lucia Feretti, a young theologian, added, “Even Catholic saints and Church Fathers warned of this day. St. Robert Bellarmine, St. Francis of Assisi—they spoke of a time when the Church hierarchy could be infiltrated, when the Pope himself could be the Antichrist. The Whore of Babylon is not some distant figure—it is what the Church becomes when it abandons Christ.”
Over time, James and other Protestant fighters found their suspicions fading. Fighting side by side with Catholics who refused to bow to the Pope's false teachings, they began to see something they never expected—a Church they could believe in. Some, including James himself, eventually came home to the Catholic faith, even as they continued to fight against the Pope and his hierarchy.
Chapter Eight: The Final Battle
The battle at Megiddo erupted when the resistance uncovered the truth: thousands of rebel prisoners were being secretly held in vast underground detention centers, condemned as enemies of the New World Order. Determined to free their own, the rebels launched a daring assault, a mission that quickly spiraled into full-scale war.
For the Christian fighters, the name Megiddo carried an ominous weight—its English translation, Armageddon, was the very battlefield foretold in Scripture. Now, prophecy and reality converged in fire and blood.
The UN’s forces, armed with cutting-edge military technology, clashed with the outnumbered but unyielding rebels. Gunfire tore through the night. Explosions turned the desert into an inferno. Shadows danced against the flames as the battle raged.
The final war for the soul of the world had begun.
Pope Adrian VII, alongside the UN Chairman, stood before the world’s cameras.
“The final rebellion ends today,” the Chairman announced. “No more division. No more resistance. The new world begins now.”
Then, the heavens split.
A blinding light tore through the sky. A sound like a trumpet shook the earth. The dead rose from their graves, and in the clouds, clothed in majesty and fire, He came.
Every knee bent. Every eye beheld the truth.
The Pope trembled. The Chairman fell to his knees. The armies dropped their weapons.
And Judgment began.
Epilogue: The Judgment
In that moment, the New World Order crumbled. Pope Adrian VII and Chairman Duvall trembled before the One they had denied. The persecuted stood vindicated. Justice was swift, and eternity began.
And so, the world as it had been ended. But for the faithful, it was only the beginning.
