The Last Pope?

A little deviation from family history, over to the point where prophecy and headlines intersect.

Disclaimers: (1) This is not about the prophecy found in the Bible, which I believe is a special case and which in any event is not what we’re going to consider here today.  (2) I do not endorse the validity of any of these predictions.  I just present to you what has been said by some who have been called prophets.  You be the judge. 

 

I am not really concerned by doomsday prophecies, whether they are religious or secular in nature.   I did buy some extra groceries in anticipation of Y2K several years ago – not because I believed it would be the end of civilization, but because I was afraid a lot of computer systems would go down and distribution lines might be impacted.   But I also slept like a baby on the night of December 20, 2012 (the last day of the Mayan calendar) and pleasantly affirmed the following morning that the sun had come up as usual. 

I do notice things, though.  I have noticed that the predictions of Nostradamus, although far from accurate or even clear in many instances, do seem oddly correct in other instances.  And there have been others who’ve seemed to possess an ability to “see” things before they happen… like the priests of the Aztecs in 1519, or Edgar Cayce, or St. Malachy, to name a few. 

These prophets who make predictions that come true make me wonder.  Is prophetic fulfillment just coincidence?  Is it due to extremely perceptive insight on the part of the prophet?  Does true prophetic foreknowledge ever exist?  Were prophecies and facts twisted together by people who wanted the prophecies to be true, in order to create the appearance of prophecies fulfilled?  I’m not sure.

I do know that the day of reckoning is upon us for a prophecy that has been 400 to 900 years in the making.  Whether this prophecy becomes reality or not, its time has come.  Whether you think the end is near or not… whether you enjoy the thrill of anticipating the unknown and wondering… whether you simply want to acknowledge the passing of a landmark event… you probably should be aware of the prophecies concerning The Last Pope.

Excerpts from two articles follow.  The first, from International Business Times, summarizes the prophecy of Saint Malachy, who wrote in 1139 AD that there would be 112 popes from that time to the end.  The article also adds something from the prophet Nostradamus on the same topic. 

The second article is from a website obviously meant to persuade you of the validity of the prophecies.  It presents some details about Malachy’s final few popes.  It adds bits from Nostradamus and a third prophetic visionary whose identity might surprise you, and suggests a chilling possibility of how The Last Pope prophecy might actually come to pass.

My comments are in italics.

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[From Arlene Paredes in “International Business Times,” February 21, 2013]

"End of the World" is becoming a subject of discussion again, just… months after the no-show of the Dec. 21 doomsday scenario. The Mayan calendar and asteroid Nibiru are no longer at the center of doomsday talks. This time, the Vatican, Nostradamus, St Malachy, and the Comet ISON are front and center...

Nostradamus and St. Malachy are being cited as the source of predictions that the next pope will be the last pope, and his… reign shall herald the world's end…  The next pope will be the last one because "Judgment Day" will take place while the soon-to-be-named papal successor is seated.

St. Malachy was a 12^th century Irish Archbishop…  While in Rome in 1139 AD, he is said to have had a vision of all the future popes…  According to some interpretations, the pope who succeeds Pope Benedict XVI will be the last one to sit in the Vatican before doomsday.

Nostradamus was a 16^th century French astrologer whose writings led many to believe that he has seen the end of the world…  According to various interpretations, Nostradamus predicted the pope to replace Benedict XVI will "flee Rome" in the month of December, at a time when the sky has two suns.

Incidentally, scientists are expecting Comet ISON to show up the sky in December 2013. "ISON's path is very similar to that of… the Great Comet of 1680, which was bright enough to be seen in daylight..."

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[From www.bibleprobe.com/last10popes.htm]

The list of the last 10 Popes, as predicted by St. Malachy.  The descriptive phrase is what Malachy wrote to distinguish each.  The name and dates for each corresponding Pope is given from historical sources.  In most cases, a short comment follows.

1. The Burning Fire. PIUS X. 1903-1914.

2. Religion Laid Waste. BENEDICT XV. 1914-1922. This Pope's reign saw Communism move into Russia where religious life was laid waste, and World War I with the death of millions of Christians.

3. Unshaken Faith. PIUS XI. 1922-1939. This Pope faced tremendous pressure from fascist… powers in Germany and Italy, but he was an outspoken critic of Communism and Fascism.

4. An Angelic Shepherd. PIUS XII. 1939-1958.

5. Pastor and Mariner. JOHN XXIII. 1958-1963. John was the Patriarch of Venice.

6. Flower of Flowers.  PAUL VI. 1963-1978. Paul's coat-of-arms depicts three fleurs-de-lis, corresponding to Malachy's prophecy.

7. Of the Half Moon. JOHN PAUL I. 1978-1978. John Paul I was elected Pope on August 26, 1978, when there was a half moon. He reigned 33 days…  John Paul I was born in the diocese of Belluno (beautiful moon) and was baptized Albino Luciani which means white light.

8. The Labor of the Sun. JOHN PAUL II. 1978-2005. John Paul II was the only [known] pope who was both born the day of an eclipse of the sun, and entombed the day the sun was eclipsed.

9. The Glory of the Olive. Pope Benedict XVI (16th) was not a Benedictine priest, yet he chose the name of Benedict, founder of the Order of Saint Benedict, also is known as the Olivetans.

And finally…

10. PETER the Roman - The 112th prophesy states:

"In the final persecution of the Holy Roman Church there will reign Petrus Romanus, who will feed his flock amid many tribulations; after which the seven-hilled city will be destroyed and the dreadful Judge will judge the people. The End." 

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It is difficult to imagine any pope being presumptuous enough to take the name of the first pope, Peter.  But what if the name “Peter of Rome” refers not to his papal name, but to his given name, and birthplace?  Here’s the scary part:

There is one leading candidate to replace the frail Pope Benedict. That is Italy's Cardinal Tarcisio Pietro Evasio Bertone, who is the Cardinal Secretary of State. Cardinal Bertone was born in Rome, Italy, with the given name Pietro (Peter)… Could this be 'Peter the Roman'?

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Something to think about… and watch for.  The second source quoted above presents yet another prophecy, this time from one who was himself Pope:

In 1909, while granting an audience, Pope Pius X leaned back and closed his eyes.  Suddenly he awoke and cried out,

"What I see is terrifying. Will it be myself? Will it be my successor? What is certain is that the pope will quit Rome, and in leaving the Vatican, he will have to walk over the dead bodies of his priests."

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Let’s close with something from Nostradamus:

Nostradamus - Quatrains

       Century 2, Quatrain 41

The great star will burn for seven days,
The cloud will cause two suns to appear:
The big mastiff will howl all night
When the great pontiff will change country.

What in the world do you think that “two suns” part means?  Could it have something to do with that comet, mentioned earlier?  Or could it perhaps relate to the fact that for the first time in centuries, there will be two living popes (one being “Pope Emeritus”)?  Just wondering…

Anyone going to pay attention to the conclave?

Gryphem

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Postscript:  Did this get you thinking?  About prophecy? 
About the Christian community?  About where in the world
we are headed?  I hope so.  Yet it appears that after all the
fuss, Peter the Roman will remain waiting in the wings for
a while yet.  We welcome Francis I, and pray that he has 
strength and wisdom sufficient for the challenges to come.

Gryphem