Pastor John Amanchukwu accused Saddleback Church founder Rick Warren of encouraging Evangelicals to unite with the Roman Catholic Church, an act he described as “spiritual treason.”
“Once again, Rick Warren is doing what he does best: he’s compromising on the Scripture’s truth and the Gospel,” Amanchukwu said during a Monday post on YouTube titled “Rick Warren’s Dangerous Alliance with Rome — Unity Without Truth.”
Amanchukwu is a preacher and author of the 2022 book Eraced: Uncovering the Lies of Critical Race Theory and Abortion.
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Warren drew attention earlier this month for speaking at Global 2033, a Roman Catholic evangelism event in Rome. During an interview with the Catholic network EWTN at the time, Warren said “no single denomination can complete the Great Commission on their own.”
Warren went on to suggest that God the Father has yet to fully answer Jesus Christ’s high priestly prayer in John 17, during which He requested unity among His disciples.
“His great prayer there is the prayer for unity,” said Warren. “It’s still the unanswered prayer of Jesus.”
Regarding why he would pray with Catholics in Rome, Warren said, “I pray with anybody who believes Jesus Christ is the Lord of my life. And these are brothers and sisters in Christ.” He also noted that Catholics make up about half of all Christians.
Warren also told EWTN that after his son died by suicide in 2013, he drew comfort from the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, which Amanchukwu pointed out involves the rosary and recitations of the Hail Mary.
“How can two walk together except they be agreed?” Amanchukwu said. “[Warren] prays the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, which is a rosary-based repetitive prayer rooted in Catholic tradition, invoking Mary and saints. He stated, ‘No single denomination can complete the Great Commission on their own.’ How does that work?”
The Chaplet of Divine Mercy is a series of prayers that Faustina Kowalska, a Polish nun and mystic, claimed to have received supernaturally in 1935. Kowalska, who was canonized in 2000, claimed Jesus instructed her and the world to recite the prayers, and that priests will recommend it to sinners as their last hope of salvation.
Responding to those who might question why he believes Warren’s statements are problematic, Amanchukwu claimed that Warren is effectively “endorsing unbiblical and idolatrous rituals.”
“The Chaplet of Divine Mercy is steeped in Catholic mysticism,” he said. “It is a man-made tradition rooted in visions and prayers never found in Scripture. Jesus explicitly warns against vain repetitions in prayers in Matthew 6:7, and this is essentially the rosary prayer that they do.”
Amanchukwu went on to explain why he believes that Catholic prayers to anyone other than the Lord is a form of idolatry.
“The use of repetitive chants and prayers to Mary and saints violates the First Commandment, and undermines Christ’s sole role as our mediator,” he said, referencing 1 Timothy 2:5. “Promoting such practices validates a false gospel that is rooted in works, indulgences and sacramental bondage.”
Amanchukwu also claimed Warren’s “push for interdenominational unity abandons doctrinal fidelity for institutional cooperation.”
“Unity without truth is spiritual adultery,” he added.
“The Roman Catholic Church still teaches salvation by grace plus works, Purgatory as a cleansing step after death, veneration of Mary and saints, that the pope is Christ’s vicar on Earth, which is not true in the Christian faith,” he said. “These teachings are unbiblical, dangerous and lead people away from the sufficiency of Christ.”
“For Rick Warren to stand on that stage and endorse these doctrines is not just compromise, it is spiritual treason. Normalizing false unity should not be something that a person is known for, but that is the reputation of Rick Warren.”
Amanchukwu added that he believes Warren’s ecumenism threatens to confuse Christians in an attempt “to usher in the one-world religion mindset, where doctrinal differences are swept under the rug for the sake of global unity.”
“When influential pastors like Warren cozy up to Rome, it confuses the flock,” he claimed. “Believers who don’t know the Word will assume Catholicism is just another flavor of Christianity, when in fact it preaches a fundamentally different gospel. The result is a lukewarm church lacking discernment, primed for deception.”
Jon Brown is a reporter for The Christian Post. Send news tips to jon.brown@christianpost.com
