Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace,
The "man of sin" is represented as exalting himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped, being singularly fulfilled in the titles which the pope has arrogated to himself, such as "Lord God the Pope," "Lord of Lords," and also in the claim of being the "universal priest" and the assertion of his right to dispose of the kingdoms of the earth.  The man of sin is said to seat himself in the temple of God, and that he setteth himself forth as God. The principal cathedral of the historical church is the seat of the papacy; and the pope is literally seated therein, always appearing upon the papal chair supported upon the shoulders of his retainers.  Nor does this imply that the Basilica of St. Peter is in any sense the "true" temple of God, being, on the other hand, that which appears to many millions as such a temple.  Just as the kingship of Israel was an apostasy from the theocracy and as the temple of Solomon and Herod was an apostasy from the tabernacle; just so, the temples of the historical church are an apostasy from the church which is the only true temple God ever had.  The pope shows himself as God through claiming divine attributes such as infallibility and holiness, by presuming to forgive sins. "Only God can forgive sins."