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St Malachy's Prophecy of the Popes
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Posted on 04/02/2005 7:21:53 AM PST by DannyTN

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Prophecy of St Malachy

When I read The Year of Three Popes by Peter Hebblethwaite (about the events of 1978 which saw the death of Paul VI, the election and death of John Paul I, and then the election of John Paul II) he mentions the spate of editorials in the Osservatore Romano and the spate of letters to the editor in the Times of London at the time of the conclaves about what the mottos attributed to the dead pope or the next pope by St Malachy in his prophecies. Enthralled, I went to the library and looked through the microfilm of the Times to read the letters myself. And then I tried to track down a copy of the prophecies. I have them reproduced below, as well as an explanation of them from the Catholic Encyclopedia. The prevailing view today is that they are elaborate forgeries, probably perpretrated by a school of Jesuits in the 1600s. This is based on the clear relation of the mottos to the various popes until that period, and the need to find oblique references (such as the motto of the Pope's home diocese) to make the particular motto fit the particular pope. The inclusion of anti-popes would also appear to militate against the authenticity of the prophecies. Nevetheless, as each new conclave comes and goes, people start to become a bit jittery about them. I think they are a bit of fun, and the semantic exercise of trying to fit the motto to the Pope that goes on in letters to the editor around the world is great reading!

According to the prophecy, the next Pope will be the second last Pope Gloria Olivae ("Glory of the Olives"). Will we see the return of an Italian to Vatican Hill? Or will it be a Frenchman or a Spaniard? Someone from Latin America, perhaps, the Glory of the Spanish New World?

(From the Catholic Encyclopedia 1913 edition)

The most famous and best known prophecies about the popes are those attributed to St. Malachy. In 1139 he went to Rome to give an account of the affairs of his diocese to the pope, Innocent II, who promised him two palliums for the metropolitan Sees of Armagh and Cashel. While at Rome, he received (according to the Abbé Cucherat) the strange vision of the future wherein was unfolded before his mind the long list of illustrious pontiffs who were to rule the Church until the end of time. The same author tells us that St. Malachy gave his manuscript to Innocent II to console him in the midst of his tribulations, and that the document remained unknown in the Roman Archives until its discovery in 1590 (Cucherat, "Proph. de la succession des papes", ch. xv). They were first published by Arnold de Wyon, and ever since there has been much discussion as to whether they are genuine predictions of St. Malachy or forgeries. The silence of 400 years on the part of so many learned authors who had written about the popes, and the silence of St. Bernard especially, who wrote the "Life of St. Malachy", is a strong argument against their authenticity, but it is not conclusive if we adopt Cucherat's theory that they were hidden in the Archives during those 400 years.

These short prophetical announcements, in number 112, indicate some noticeable trait of all future popes from Celestine II, who was elected in the year 1130, until the end of the world. They are enunciated under mystical titles. Those who have undertaken to interpret and explain these symbolical prophecies have succeeded in discovering some trait, allusion, point, or similitude in their application to the individual popes, either as to their country, their name, their coat of arms or insignia, their birth-place, their talent or learning, the title of their cardinalate, the dignities which they held etc. For example, the prophecy concerning Urban VIII is Lilium et Rosa (the lily and the rose); he was a native of Florence and on the arms of Florence figured a fleur-de-lis; he had three bees emblazoned on his escutcheon, and the bees gather honey from the lilies and roses. Again, the name accords often with some remarkable and rare circumstance in the pope's career; thus Peregrinus apostolicus (pilgrim pope), which designates Pius VI, appears to be verified by his journey when pope into Germany, by his long career as pope, and by his expatriation from Rome at the end of his pontificate. Those who have lived and followed the course of events in an intelligent manner during the pontificates of Pius IX, Leo XIII, and Pius X cannot fail to be impressed with the titles given to each by the prophecies of St. Malachy and their wonderful appropriateness: Crux de Cruce (Cross from a Cross) Pius IX; Lumen in caelo (Light in the Sky) Leo XIII; Ignis ardens (Burning Fire) Pius X. There is something more than coincidence in the designations given to these three popes so many hundred years before their time. We need not have recourse either to the family names, armorial bearings or cardinalatial titles, to see the fitness of their designations as given in the prophecies. The afflictions and crosses of Pius IX were more than fell to the lot of his predecessors; and the more aggravating of these crosses were brought on by the House of Savoy whose emblem was a cross. Leo XIII was a veritable luminary of the papacy. The present pope is truly a burning fire of zeal for the restoration of all things to Christ.

The last of these prophecies concerns the end of the world and is as follows: "In the final persecution of the Holy Roman Church there will reign Peter the Roman, 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." It has been noticed concerning Petrus Romanus, who according to St. Malachy's list is to be the last pope, that the prophecy does not say that no popes will intervene between him and his predecessor designated Gloria olivoe. It merely says that he is to be the last, so that we may suppose as many popes as we please before "Peter the Roman". Cornelius a Lapide refers to this prophecy in his commentary "On the Gospel of St. John" (C. xvi) and "On the Apocalypse" (cc. xvii-xx), and he endeavours to calculate according to it the remaining years of time.

The Prophecies

Pope No. Name (Reign) Motto No Motto (and explanation)
167 Celestine II (1143-1144) 1 Ex castro Tyberis
(from a castle on the Tiber)
Hist.: Celestin II was born in Citta di Castello, Toscany, on the shores of the Tiber
168 Lucius II (1144-1145) 2 Inimicus expulsus
169 Eugene III (1145-1153) 3 Ex magnitudine montis
(Of the greatness of the mount)
Hist.: Born in the castle of Grammont (latin: mons magnus), his family name was Montemagno
170 Anastasius IV (1153-1154) 4 Abbas Suburranus
171 Adrian IV (1154-1159) 5 De rure albo
(field of Albe)
Hist.: Born in the town of Saint-Alban
Antipope Victor IV (1159-1164) 6 Ex tetro carcere
Antipope Paschal III (1164-1168) 7 Via trans-Tyberina
Antipope Calistus III (1168-1178) 8 De Pannonia Tusciae
172 Alexander III (1159-1181) 9 Ex ansere custode
173 Lucius III (1181-1185) 10 Lux in ostio
174 Urban III (1185-1187) 11 Sus in cribo
175 Gregory VIII (1187) 12 Ensis Laurentii
176 Clement III (1187-1191) 13 De schola exiet
177 Celestine III (1191-1198) 14 De rure bovensi
178 Innocent III (1198-1216) 15 Comes signatus
(signed Count)
Hist.: descendant of the noble Signy, later called Segni family
179 Honorius III (1216-1227) 16 Canonicus de latere
180 Gregory IX (1227-1241) 17 Avis Ostiensis
(Bird of Ostia)
Hist.: before his election he was Cardinal of Ostia
181 Celestine IV (1241) 18 Leo Sabinus
182 Innocent IV (1243-1254) 19 Comes Laurentius
183 Alexander IV (1254-1261) 20 Signum Ostiense
184 Urban IV (1261-1264) 21 Hierusalem Campaniae
(Jerusalem of Champagne)
Hist.: native of Troyes, Champagne, later patriarch of Jerusalem
185 Clement IV (1265-1268) 22 Draca depressus
186 Gregory X (1271-1276) 23 Anguinus vir
187 Innocent V (1276) 24 Concionatur Gallus
188 Adrian V (1276) 25 Bonus Comes
189 John XXI (1276-1277) 26 Piscator Tuscus
190 Nicholas III (1277-1280) 27 Rosa composita
191 Martin IV (1281-1285) 28 Ex teloneo liliacei Martini
192 Honorius IV (1285-1287) 29 Ex rosa leonina
193 Nicholas IV (1288-1292) 30 Picus inter escas
194 Nicholas IV (1288-1292) 31 Ex eremo celsus
(elevated from a hermit)
Hist.: prior to his election he was a hermit in the monastery of Pouilles
195 Boniface VIII (1294-1303) 32 Ex undarum benedictione
196 Benedict XI (1303-1304) 33 Concionator patereus
197 Clement V (1305-1314) 34 De fessis Aquitanicis
(ribbon of Aquitaine)
Hist.: was archbishop of Bordeaux in Aquitaine
198 John XXII (1316-1334) 35 De sutore osseo
(of the cobbler of Osseo)
Hist.: Family name Ossa, son of a shoe-maker
Antipope Nicholas V (1328-1330) 36 Corvus schismaticus
(the schismatic crow)
Note the reference to the schism, the only antipope at this period
199 Benedict XII (1334-1342) 37 Frigidus Abbas
(cold friar)
Hist.: he was a priest in the monastery of Frontfroid (coldfront)
200 Clement VI (1342-1352) 38 De rosa Attrebatensi
201 Innocent VI (1352-1362) 39 De montibus Pammachii
202 Urban V (1362-1370) 40 Gallus Vice-comes
203 Gregory XI (1370-1378) 41 Novus de Virgine forti
(novel of the virgin fort)
Hist.: count of Beaufort, later Cardinal of Ste-Marie La Neuve
Antipope Clement VII (1378-1394) 42 De cruce Apostilica
Antipope Benedict XIII (1394-1423) 43 Luna Cosmedina
Antipope Clement VIII (1423-1429) 44 Schisma Barcinonicum
204 Urban VI (1378-1389) 45 De Inferno praegnanti
205 Boniface IX (1389-1404) 46 Cubus de mixtione
206 Innocent VII (1404-1406) 47 De meliore sydere
207 Gregory XII (1406-1415) 48 Nauta de ponte nigro
Antipope Alexander V (1409-1410) 49 Flagellum Solis
Antipope John XXIII (1410-1415) 50 Cervus Sirenae
208 Martin V (1417-1431) 51 Corona veli aurei
209 Eugene IV (1431-1447) 52 Lupa caelestina
Antipope Felix V (1439-1449) 53 Amator crucis
210 Nicholas V (1447-1455) 54 De modicitate lunae
211 Callistus III (1455-1458) 55 Bos pascens
(grazing ox)
Hist.: Alphonse Borgia's arms sported a golden grazing ox
212 Pius II (1458-1464) 56 De capra et Albergo
213 Paul II (1464-1471) 57 De cervo et Leone
214 Sixtus IV (1471-1484) 58 Piscator Minorita
215 Innocent VIII (1484-1492) 59 Praecursor Siciliae
216 Alexander VI (1492-1503) 60 Bos Albanus in portu
217 Pius III (1503) 61 De parvo homine
218 Julius II (1503-1513) 62 Fructus jovis juvabit
219 Leo X (1513-1521) 63 De craticula Politiana
220 Adrian VI (1522-1523) 64 Leo Florentius
221 Clement VII (1523-1534) 65 Flos pilaei aegri
222 Paul III (1534-1549) 66 Hiacynthus medicorum
223 Julius III (1550-1555) 67 De corona Montana
224 Marcellus II (1555) 68 Frumentum floccidum
225 Paul IV (1555-1559) 69 De fide Petri
226 Pius IV (1559-1565) 70 Aesculapii pharmacum
227 St. Pius V (1566-1572) 71 Angelus nemorosus
228 Gregory XIII (1572-1585) 72 Medium corpus pilarum
229 Sixtus V (1585-1590) 73 Axis in medietate signi
230 Urban VII (1590) 74 De rore caeli
231 Gregory XIV (1590-1591) 75 De antiquitate Urbis
232 Innocent IX (1591) 76 Pia civitas in bello
233 Clement VIII (1592-1605) 77 Crux Romulea
234 Leo XI (1605) 78 Undosus Vir
235 Paul V (1605-1621) 79 Gens perversa
236 Gregory XV (1621-1623) 80 In tribulatione pacis
237 Urban VIII (1623-1644) 81 Lilium et rosa
238 Innocent X (1644-1655) 82 Jucunditas crucis
239 Alexander VII (1655-1667) 83 Montium custos
240 Clement IX (1667-1669) 84 Sydus Olorum
(constellation of swans)Hist.: upon his election, he was apparently the occupant of the Chamber of Swans in the Vatican.
241 Clement X (1670-1676) 85 De flumine magno
242 Innocent XI (1676-1689) 86 Bellua insatiabilis
243 Alexander VIII (1689-1691) 87 Poenitentia gloriosa
244 Innocent XII (1691-1700) 88 Rastrum in porta
245 Clement XI (1700-1721) 89 Flores circumdati
246 Innocent XIII (1721-1724) 90 De bona Religione
247 Benedict XIII (1724-1730) 91 Miles in bello
248 Clement XII (1730-1740) 92 Columna excelsa
249 Benedict XIV (1740-1758) 93 Animal rurale
250 Clement XIII (1758-1769) 94 Rosa Umbriae
251 Clement XIV (1769-1774) 95 Ursus velox
252 Pius VI (1775-1799) 96 Peregrinus Apostolicus
253 Pius VII (1800-1823) 97 Aquila rapax
254 Leo XII (1823-1829) 98 Canis et coluber
255 Pius VIII (1829-1830) 99 Vir religiosus
256 Gregory XVI (1831-1846) 100 De balneis hetruriae
(bath of Etruria)
Hist.: prior to his election he was member of an order founded by Saint Romuald, at Balneo, in Etruria, present day Toscany.
257 Pius IX (1846-1878) 101 Crux de cruce
258 Leo XIII (1878-1903) 102 Lumen in caelo
259 St. Pius X (1903-1914) 103 Ignis ardent
(ardent fire)
260 Benedict XV (1914-1922) 104 Religio depopulata
261 Pius XI (1922-1939) 105 Fides intrepida
262 Pius XII (1939-1958) 106 Pastor angelicus
263 John XXIII (1958-1963) 107 Pastor et Nauta
(pastor and marine)
Hist.: prior to his election he was patriarch of Venice, a marine city, home of the gondolas
264 Paul VI (1963-1978) 108 Flos florum
(flower of flowers)
Hist.: his arms displayed three lilies.
265 John Paul I (1978) 109 De medietate Lunae
(of the half of the moon)
Hist.: Albino Luciani, born in Canale d'Ogardo, diocese of Belluno, (beautiful moon) Elected pope on august 26, his reign lasted about a month, from half a moon to the next half...
266 John Paul II (1978-) 110 De labore Solis
(of the eclipse of the sun, or from the labour of the sun)
Hist.:Karol Wojtyla was born on May 18, 1920 during a solar eclipse. He also comes from behind the former Iron Curtain. He might also be seen to be the fruit of the intercession of the Woman Clothed with the Sun labouring in Revelation 12 (because of his devotion to the Virgin Mary).
267 ??? 111 Gloria olivae
268 ???   In persecutione extrema S.R.E. sedebit Petrus Romanus, qui pascet oues in multis tribulationibus: quibus transactis ciuitas septicollis diruetur, & Iudex tremêdus iudicabit populum suum. Finis.
(In extreme persecution, the seat of the Holy Roman Church will be occupied by Peter the Roman, who will feed the sheep through many tribulations, at the term of which the city of seven hills will be destroyed, and the formidable Judge will judge his people. The End.)



TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: endtimes; papacy; pope; prophecy; stmalachy
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Perhaps it's time to review this prophecy.

I first became familiar with this prophecy back around 1972. It's proved accurate so far, and other end time prophecies continue to fall in place as well.

I understand there is some controvery about the last Pope, Peter the Great, not being numbered. The general understanding is that there are two popes remaining, Gloria Olivae and Peter the Great. Some have speculated that the Gloria Olivae, the next pope is the same as Peter the Great. Some have speculated that because Peter the Great is not numbered, that there may be an undetermined number of popes between Gloria Olivae and Peter the Great.

1 posted on 04/02/2005 7:21:53 AM PST by DannyTN
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Comment #3 Removed by Moderator

To: DannyTN

What's with all the big gaps in explanations for whether the mottos fit or not? Isn't it perfectly possible, that even if the prophecy is true, the cycle hasn't even started yet?


4 posted on 04/02/2005 7:28:05 AM PST by thoughtomator (Fight terror - strangle a caribou!)
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To: DannyTN

IIRC The Glory of the Olive reigns briefly.

One might suspect that the end times are quite near...


5 posted on 04/02/2005 7:28:05 AM PST by null and void (innocent, incapacitated, inconvenient, and insured - a lethal combination for Terri...)
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To: DannyTN

It seems that the next pope, THEY say, would be there for only a short time. I thought I remembered someone saying the the last vision from the Lady was that this would be the last pope and when the Pope read this, it brought him to tears. Anyone else hear this?


6 posted on 04/02/2005 7:33:13 AM PST by queenkathy (I'm working on the forgiveness thing (Nevermind...I'm not)!)
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To: queenkathy

So how are they going to interpret this propechy when like 5 more popes come and go??


7 posted on 04/02/2005 7:35:13 AM PST by Boogieman69
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To: Boogieman69
So how are they going to interpret this propechy when like 5 more popes come and go??

Not sure who "they" are in your query, but I guess "they" will cross that bridge when they come to it.

8 posted on 04/02/2005 7:45:56 AM PST by COBOL2Java (If this isn't the End Times it certainly is a reasonable facsimile...)
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To: DannyTN
In persecutione extrema S.R.E. sedebit Petrus Romanus, qui pascet oues in multis tribulationibus: quibus transactis ciuitas septicollis diruetur, & Iudex tremêdus iudicabit populum suum. Finis.

(In extreme persecution, the seat of the Holy Roman Church will be occupied by Peter the Roman, who will feed the sheep through many tribulations, at the term of which the city of seven hills will be destroyed, and the formidable Judge will judge his people. The End.)

This sounds eerily similar to what is reported to be Lucy's final secret.

9 posted on 04/02/2005 7:47:19 AM PST by COBOL2Java (If this isn't the End Times it certainly is a reasonable facsimile...)
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To: Boogieman69

"So how are they going to interpret this propechy when like 5 more popes come and go??"


They'll invent some other meaning to some other "prophecy" and continue to scream "The Sky is falling" in hopes that people continue to come to church and fill the coffers.

Not much difference between this and astrology.


10 posted on 04/02/2005 7:50:09 AM PST by Blzbba (Don't hate the player - hate the game!)
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To: Great Prophet Zarquon
IOW, Cardinal Martini.

LOL!

11 posted on 04/02/2005 7:52:27 AM PST by mtbopfuyn (Legality does not dictate morality... Lavin)
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To: Boogieman69
So how are they going to interpret this propechy when like 5 more popes come and go??

How are you going to feel if it proves true?

12 posted on 04/02/2005 7:59:45 AM PST by mtbopfuyn (Legality does not dictate morality... Lavin)
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To: DannyTN

I have been thinking about this for days..


13 posted on 04/02/2005 8:01:08 AM PST by The Mayor ( Our character is only as strong as our behavior.)
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To: DannyTN

I didn't realize that they counted antipopes. Maybe they shouldn't be numbered, and if so, we may have a few more to go yet before the return of St. Peter.


14 posted on 04/02/2005 8:10:25 AM PST by Unam Sanctam
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To: DannyTN
Thanks for posting this DannyTN. For my children's sake, I hope it's not accurate; but I'm not counting on it.

Interesting note about John Paul II's motto: Laborer Under the Sun...

During WWII, after the Nazi's took control of Poland, Karol Wojtyla had to get a job to keep himself and his father alived. Here's some of the story:

In the fall of 1940, as the Nazis began to interpret their work rules ever more strigently, Karol Wojtyla began almost four years as a manual laborer for the Solvay chemicals company. For a year, he walked every day from the apartment in Debniki to and from the Solvay quarry at Zakrzowek--a thirty-minute hike, but that was no small matter in the sub-zero winter weather when he and his friend and fellow quarryman, Juliusz Kydrynski, had to make the trek with petroleum jelly smeared all over their faces to keep their skin from freezing.

The Zakrzowek quarry, a pit hundreds of feet deep, mined limestone, essential for the production of soda in the Solvay chemical plant located in another Krakow suburb, Borek Falecki. Throughout the harsh winter of 1940-1941, in which temperatures dipped to -22 Fahrenheit (-30 Celsius), Lolek [the pope's nick name!] shoveled limestone into miniature railway cars at the bottom of the pit, occasionally working as a brakeman on the trains. In the spring he received a kind of promotion, as an assitant to Franciszek Labus, a veteran dynamiter. Labus took a liking to the young man whose previous experience hadn't prepared him for the rigors of the quarry and offered Lolek some career advice. "Karol, you should be a priest," he told the novice blaster. "You have a good voice and will sing well; then you'll be all set."

Source: Witness to Hope: the biography of Pope John Paul II
by George Weigel (ISBN=0-06-018789-X)

So John Paul II was a LITERAL "laborer under the sun" doing the most horrendous and difficult labor of all: working in an open-pit limestone quarry, using hand tools! This is also the place where the idea of becoming a priest first came to him, in the form of his co-worker's friendly advice!

So there's a bit more to this prophecy than meets the eye!

15 posted on 04/02/2005 8:11:24 AM PST by Ronzo (God ALONE is enough.)
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To: COBOL2Java

"I guess "they" will cross that bridge when they come to it."

That would be Ted Kennedy.


16 posted on 04/02/2005 8:12:13 AM PST by Fudd Fan (MaryJo Kopechne needed an "exit strategy")
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To: Boogieman69
So how are they going to interpret this propechy when like 5 more popes come and go??

That the prophecies of St. Malachy were baloney.

17 posted on 04/02/2005 8:12:35 AM PST by sinkspur (I wouldn't be in this mess if I had a war time consigliere.)
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To: Blzbba

Then find another thread.


18 posted on 04/02/2005 8:13:04 AM PST by Fudd Fan (MaryJo Kopechne needed an "exit strategy")
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To: DannyTN
Posted:

Prophecy of St Malachy (with list of Popes)

The Prophecies of St. Malachy

19 posted on 04/02/2005 8:15:23 AM PST by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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Self-ping (cause I find this stuff interesting)


20 posted on 04/02/2005 8:16:06 AM PST by dpa5923 (Small minds talk about people, normal minds talk about events, great minds talk about ideas.)
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