Posted on 11/19/2003 10:42:24 PM PST by Salvation
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?
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.
| 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.) |
St. Malachy was reported to have possessed the powers of levitation, healing, and clairvoyance. While on his way to the Vatican to assume the post of papal legate for Ireland, he fell into trance and saw a line of papal reigns stretching from the successor to Innocent II and extending through centuries to the last of the line, identified as Peter of Rome. Malachy assigned short descriptions in Latin to each pope when he committed his vision to paper. These mottoes usually refer to a family name, birthplace, coat-of-arms, or office held before election to the papacy. Some of the phrases are multiple prophecies, written with ingenious word play. For example, Pius II, who reigned for only 26 days in 1503, was aptly described as "De Parvo Homine" (from a little man). His family name was Piccolomini, Italian for "little man."
Sometimes the personal history of the pope plays a part in the motto given by Malachy. Clement XIII (1758-69), who had conenctions with the government of the Italian state of Umbria and whose emblem was a rose, was called by Malachy Rosa Umbriae, the "Rose of Umbria."
The passage of time has proved doubters of St. Malachy wrong, for his prophecies have turned out to be amazingly accurate. He even prophesied the precise date of his own death, and got it right. The prophecies concern the papacy, starting with Pope Celestine II in 1143. In all, 112 popes and their characteristics are listed from 1143 to the "end of the world."
Here are descriptions of the final popes according to Malachy:
Pastor et Nauta/Shepherd and Navigator: John XXIII (1958 -1963), patriarch of Venice (a city full of sailors) led his flock to a modernization of the Church through the Ecumenical Council. John chose two symbols for this Council -- a cross and a ship.Flors Florum/Flower of Flowers: Paul VI (1963-1978) had a coat-of-arms depicting three fleurs-de-lis.
De Medietate Lunae/From the Half Moon: John Paul I (1978-1978) had the given name of Albino Luciani or "white light." Half-way into his short reign, a lunar eclipse occurred.
De Labore Solis/From the Toil of the Sun [Labore could also be Effort, Distress, Suffering, Trouble, leading to quite a few variations. The preceding is the usual translation.]: John Paul II was born during the solar eclipse of May 18, 1920.
De Gloria Olivae/From the Glory of the Olives: The Order of Saint Benedict has claimed that this pope will come from their ranks. Saint Benedict himself prophesied that before the end of the world his Order, known also as the Olivetans, will triumphantly lead the Catholic Church in its fight against evil.
Petrus Romanus/Peter of Rome: The Final Pope? "In the final persecution of the Holy Roman Church there will reign Peter the Roman, who will feed his flock among many tribulations, after which the seven-hilled city will be destroyed and the dreadful Judge will judge the people."
To claim that one merely "found" the manuscript rather than having written it oneself was an almost universal literary device at the time. Consider for example "Don Quixote" which was roughly contemporaneous.
No doubt. That which has come to pass is no longer prophesy, but history. Many of the once mysterious designations that Saint Malachi assigned to future popes have now been factually related to very personal traits of these Pope's lives, such as birth circumstances, geographical locations, coat-of-arms, obvious personality traits, etc.
The final prophesy seems to be regarding a Pope and a Church which is being badly persecuted. Considering such indicators as the phenominal rise of Islam, atheism, socialism, homosexuality, abortion, divorce, public lewdness, abolition of public prayer and religious expression, sparsely attended Churches, Catholics suing their own Church for money earmarked for charity, excessive media focus on the sins of clergy, well....... this is indeed a major persecution of Christ and His Church. I feel that we are not at all very far from the next stage of persecution, the bloody stage that nobody will be able to deny; not even those "Catholic" ostriches who have chosen to suck sand all day rather than look around themselves and face the sad reality.
I don't believe so. In taking a closer look at his 'pedigree', I notice that he was born in 1926. That would make him 77 years old ... perhaps not as likely a candidate as we had originally thought.
Keep in mind that Malachy's prophecies are said to have been locked away for four hundred years before they were allegedly discovered in 1590 in the Roman Archives. Arnold de Wyon first published them. The debate has raged ever since as to whether they are forgeries or genuine predictions of St. Malachy.
This topic seems to be a popular one in this forum. Came across this in my search ... lol!
The Prophecies of St. Malachy Posted on 10/14/2001 11:20 AM PDT by Asmodeus
Good heavens! How amazingly accurate! Fleur-de-lis on his coat of arms and the prediction was "flower of flowers" and aren't those exactly the same things! And aren't flowers the very first thing you'd think about in connection with the reign of Pope Paul VI!
/sarcasm off
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