St. Anthony Mary Claret, pray for your children in Cuba!
Posted on 08/06/2006 10:34:44 AM PDT by Mount Athos
Fidel Castro's illness has renewed interest in a legend of Cuba's patron saint predicting the death of a terrible ruler in the fourth decade of his reign.
Stories about the prediction are making the rounds on the Internet -- with some variations -- the Miami Herald said Saturday.
The legend begins in the 1850s and goes something like this:
A Spanish priest, San Antonio María Claret, had been sent to Cuba to become archbishop of Santiago de Cuba, coincidentally Castro's home province. While riding his horse through Sierra Maestra -- also coincidentally Castro's mountain rebel stronghold in the mid-1950s -- he saw La Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre in a vision.
She relayed to him the future of Cuba in the hands of a leader that resembled Castro -- long hair, a beard, a uniform, bearing weapons with followers who look just like him.
He would promise reforms to the Cuban people but betray, imprison, divide and inflict them with great pain and heartache.
Claret said the virgin told him the ruler would rule for four decades, and Cuba would be devastated during this time. However, the young man would grow old and die -- and Cuba would be free.
Well I still say it's been 4 Decades too much. About time this is about to happen.
All I have to say is:
Adios El Presidente.
St. Anthony Mary Claret, pray for your children in Cuba!
Just to be argumentative. He has ruled for four decades. He has to rule for 50 years to be ruler for five decades.
If we really want to get picky, we need to get the exact words of the prediction and then parse them.
The prophecy isn't exactly wrong though. While he's in his fifth decade, he hasn't completed his fifth decade. He HAS ruled for 40 years at least, which started in 1959. He has a few more years to make 50 complete years, in 2009, and THAT would make the prophecy wrong, since then it would mean he would have been ruling for a full five decades. Upon his death, which I hope will be soon, it will be said that he ruled for about 47 years, it will not reference any number 50 as his term of rule.
I bet Snopes would have a field day with this one.
He was in his first decade from year zero to year ten. Of course at that time it was not known if he would have a whole decade. He has had four decades and is on his fifth, which he may not complete.
Fidel will be dead in 24 business hours!
Rather broad, most insurrectionists are in their 30s or so and after four decades might well be expected to die.
he saw La Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre in a vision.
The Lady of the Charity of Copper? Or maybe there's a town named Cobre and it's just The Lady of the Charity of Cobre.
It sounds like a prophecy passed by oral tradition -- probably not written down anywhere. A little bit of web surfing showed me "40 years" and "at least 40 years."
She is the patroness of Cuba and the Miami exile community. They have a beautiful shrine in Miami (a replica of the original Cuban basillica) and a vibrant faith community inspired by Cuban priests and sisters. It sits on the water off Biscayne bay near Vizcaya; my favorite place to visit in Miami.
No, he is still in the 4th decade, meaning he has ruled for 47 years.
47 years is correct and that means 4 decades + 7 years or 7 years into the fifth decade.
Even if Fidel dies tomorrow I don´t see much changing with his brother and communist cronies still in power. Unless there is another revolution this regime will be around until Raul dies.
I predict! "Castro is dead!"
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