Catholic fury erupts in Rabaul as evangelist calls Pope the 'Beast'

Tensions flared in Rabaul, Papua New Guinea, when Roman Catholics took to the streets to demand an apology from visiting evangelist Stephen Jakovac. The protest was sparked by Jakovac's sermon, during which he identified the Pope, the spiritual leader of Catholics, as the "beast" prophesied in the Book of Revelation, a figure often associated with the number "666."

The demonstration, which saw men, women, and children led by Rabaul Town member Michael Konjib, converged on Queen Elizabeth Park on Saturday night. They arrived as Jakovac was concluding his crusade, with many shouting slogans accusing the Seventh Day Adventist preacher of misleading and insulting the Pope. The atmosphere was described as tense.

Earlier, on Friday night, Konjib and a group of concerned Catholics had approached Jakovac to present him with a list of questions regarding his controversial preaching. However, Jakovac reportedly stated he did not have time to answer their queries. The Catholics returned the following night, leading to Konjib directly addressing the preacher from the stage and demanding an apology.

Before Jakovac could respond, he was swiftly escorted away in a police van. While this action initially further angered the crowd, the presence of the police helped to de-escalate what could have potentially become a volatile confrontation. The incident, recalled as part of the Post-Courier's historical archives, highlights a significant religious and cultural clash within the community.

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the Pope was the “beast” who would later be identified with the number “666” just before the second coming of Jesus Christ.