Victorian fugitive Dezi Freeman claimed that Pope Leo XIV would be the “Antichrist” in a bizarre rant to his parish priest in the months before he allegedly killed two police officers. Source: Herald Sun.
The fugitive is still on the run, with police continuing to search for him in the dense bushland behind his home in Porepunkah, in Victoria’s Alpine region.
Our Lady of Snows, where Freeman attended Mass weekly, yesterday held its first service since the August 26 shooting.
The parish prayed for Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart-Hottart who Freeman allegedly killed when they were trying to speak to him about historical child sex abuse allegations.
Fr Tony Shallue, who has been parish priest at Our Lady of the Snows for five years, spoke about the incident in his sermon.
The police were also mentioned in the prayers of the faithful at the Mass, which was attended by 54 people.
Speaking outside the church, Fr Shallue said the community was shocked, saddened and was deeply sorry for the police officers who lost their lives and their families.
Fr Shallue said he never expected Freeman would kill police, however, he said that the 56-year-old was “jagged” on the Sunday before the incident.
“That particular Sunday, I just sensed it, and I didn’t know the reason, but I sensed that he just seemed a little agitated,” he said.
“He was jagged in his movements and walking quite quickly, whereas he’d usually just stay around and chat to people, but not that Sunday.”
Fr Shallue said Freeman did not appear to be a conspiracy theorist, but he told the priest after Pope Francis’s death that “We’re into dangerous times” because the next pope “could be the Antichrist”.
In his sermon, Fr Shallue said that no-one was judge, jury and executioner, while not specifically referencing Freeman by name.
Outside church, Fr Shallue said that society had those structures in place and they must be respected.
He added that the parish was struggling to come to terms that someone who shared their pews had been accused of killing police.
Fr Shallue pleaded with Freeman to hand himself in.
“You’ve been offered the ability to surrender, take that opportunity for your own sake, for these communities, for your families.”
FULL STORY
‘Dangerous times’: Freeman’s wild Antichrist pope rant (By Stephen Drill, Herald Sun)
