Pink Smoke and the Fruit of Apostasy: When Tradition Replaces Truth

This week, the Vatican was shrouded in pink smoke—not as a sign of unity or revival, but of protest. A group of women gathered near St. Peter’s Basilica to demand what they believe is their “right” to the priesthood, releasing plumes of pink smoke as a symbolic counter to the traditional black-and-white smoke of the papal conclave. The message is clear: they want full inclusion in the decision-making hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church, including ordination as priests.

To many watching, this may seem like progress or justice. But to anyone grounded in the Bible, it’s rebellion.

Let’s be clear: the issue is not one of value or dignity—God values both men and women equally. But the roles He assigns in His Word are not up for negotiation. According to 1 Timothy 3:1–2 and Titus 1:6, the office of a bishop (pastor/elder) is reserved for men. No woman was ever ordained as a priest or apostle in Scripture. God’s design is not oppressive—it’s orderly.

So why is this happening?

Because the Roman Catholic Church long ago abandoned sola scriptura—Scripture alone. It traded the authority of God’s Word for the authority of popes, councils, and traditions. It exalted men to priesthoods God never instituted, created a religious caste system, and locked the truth of Scripture behind Latin walls. Now, it reaps the confusion sown by centuries of compromise.

The pink smoke is not just a feminist protest—it’s the fruit of apostasy. When you reject the authority of Scripture, you open the door to every wind of doctrine, every cultural demand, and every deception dressed as progress.

The Catholic Church claims to be the one true Church, yet its foundation is built on sand. And the house is starting to crack.

As Bible-believing Christians, our call is not to conform to culture but to stand on God’s Word. The truth doesn’t evolve. God’s design for the Church doesn’t bend with the times. What the world calls outdated, God calls holy.

Let this be a warning to every Church, denomination, or movement: when you forsake the Bible as your sole authority, pink smoke isn’t far behind.

“For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.” —1 Corinthians 14:33 (KJV)