820. All who come from earth into the spiritual world are kept to begin with in the faith held and in the religion of their native land. is happens to the Roman Catholics too; so they always have some presentative Pope set over them, whom they venerate with similar ritual to that observed in the world. It is not often that anyone who was Pope in the world is after his departure from it set over them. However, the man who held the office of Pope some thirty or forty years ago* has been set over them, because he cherished in his heart the notion that the Word is more holy than generally believed, and at the Lord is to be worshipped. I was allowed to talk with him, and he said that he venerates the Lord alone, because He is God, who has power in heaven and on earth, as He Himself declared (Matt. 28:18). He said that calling upon the saints was nonsense, and that in the world he had intended to reform the Catholic church, but had been unable to do so for reasons which he gave. I saw him, when in the day of the Last Judgment the great northern city inhabited by Woman Catholics as well as people of the Reformed churches was destroyed, carried away in a sedan chair and taken to a safe place.
[2] Besides the great community where one plays the part of Pope, there are schools set up, where those go who have doubts about religion. There they find monks who have been converted; they teach them bout God the Saviour Christ, and also about the holiness of the 'Word. The monks leave it to their decision whether to set their minds against the canonisation of saints, which has been introduced into the Roman Catholic Church. Those who accept their teachings are brought into a large community composed of those who have abandoned the cult of the Pope and the saints. On reaching this they are like sleepers awakened, and like people coming from the harshness of winter into the beauties of early spring, and like a sailor reaching harbour. Then they are invited to banquets by the people there, and given fine wine to drink from crystal goblets. I have been told that angels from heaven send down to the host a platter containing manna, looking and tasting like that sent down upon the camp of the Children of Israel in the desert. This platter is passed around to the guests, and each has the chance to taste the manna.
* Perhaps Pope Clement XII (1730-1740).
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