The Future and the Popes

About the year A.D. 1139, Saint Malachy O'Morgair, Archbishop of Armagh, Ireland, wrote down a list of Popes. He listed 112 future Popes, each described by a phrase in Latin. [1] There has been increasing interest in this list among Roman Catholics, for two reasons. First, the descriptions of Popes #109 and #110 match the pontificates of Popes John Paul I and John Paul II to a tee. Second, there are only two more Popes on the list, and the last Pope on the list is given a long apocalyptic description, instead of a quaint and cryptic phrase.

Pope #109 on St. Malachy's list is given the phrase: “From the Half of the Moon.” [2] Pope John Paul I was elected on August 26 of 1978, when the moon was in its last quarter (i.e. half the moon was visible in the sky). He died on September 28, when the moon was again in its last quarter. [3] The length of his Pontificate was only 33 days, a little more than the length of one lunar cycle. St. Malachy's prophecy matches John Paul I's Pontificate well.

Pope #110 on St. Malachy's list is given the phrase: “From the Labor of the Sun.” [4] What kind of labor does the sun do? The sun's work is to travel around the earth, so to speak. (Yes, I know the earth revolves around the sun.) The sun constantly travels around the world. And so does Pope John Paul II. He is the most traveled Pope in history. His Pontificate is marked by his constant travels around the world. St. Malachy's phrase fits John Paul II's Pontificate precisely.

Pope #111 on St. Malachy's list is given the phrase: “From the Glory of the Olive.” This prophetic phrase has several meanings which correctly apply to this Pope.

a. What is the glory of the olive? The olive branch is a well-known symbol of peace. The glory of the olive is peace. The next Pope after John Paul II will be a man of great peace. Peace will be his banner, peace will be his work, peace will be his goal. He will seek peace among individuals, among nations, among Catholics, between Catholics and other Christians, and between Catholics and adherents of other religions. The next Pope after John Paul II will have a Pontificate distinguished for seeking Peace around the world. He is called the Pope of Peace.

I do not know which man will be elected as Pope after John Paul II. St. Malachy's prophecy about John Paul II only fit his Pontificate. Before being elected Pope, Karol Wojtyla did not distinguish himself by traveling constantly. The next Pope after John Paul II may not have distinguished himself yet in works of peace-making. Or, he may have distinguished himself in peace-making in God's eyes, but not yet in the eyes of the world.

b. Some say that this prediction of St. Malachy, “From the Glory of the Olive,” refers to the Order of St. Benedict, who are sometimes called 'Olivetans.' This is true. But it does not mean that this Pope will come from the Order of St. Benedict, but rather that he will take the name of Benedict and live in imitation of him.

c. He will take the name Pope Benedict XVI, in imitation also of Pope Benedict XV. Just as Pope Benedict XV was an emissary of peace, so will Pope Benedict XVI be an emissary of peace. Just as Pope Benedict sought peace and spoke of peace and wrote papal documents seeking peace, so will Pope Benedict XVI do also. Just as Pope Benedict XV failed to achieve peace in the world, so will Pope Benedict XVI fail to achieve peace in the world. Just as the Pontificate of Benedict XV began prior to World War I, so will the Pontificate of Benedict XVI occur prior to World War III. After the Pontificate of Benedict XVI, the Arab nations will invade and conquer Europe and much of Africa.

Pope #112 on St. Malachy's list is given this description: “In the final persecution of the Holy Roman Church there shall reign Peter the Roman who will feed his flock amid many tribulations, after which the seven-hilled city will be destroyed and the terrible judge will judge the people.” [6]

Why is he called Peter the Roman? The descriptions given for John Paul I and II were about their Pontificates, not about their lives before they were elected Pope. Will Peter the Roman be someone born in Rome or who grew up in Rome or who has spent most of his vocation in Rome? Perhaps. But I think it is more likely that the expression “Peter the Roman” refers to his Pontificate.

Perhaps he will take the name Peter: Pope Peter II. No Pope has chosen the name Peter since Christ gave that name to Simon bar-Jonah, who became Saint Peter, leader of the Apostles and of the Church. The choice of the name Peter by this modern Pope would reaffirm that the Pope is the Successor of Peter. On the other hand, he might not actually take the name “Peter.” It could be that “Peter the Roman” is merely an expression describing his Pontificate.

As a descriptive expression, “Peter the Roman” indicates that this Pope reaffirms the authority of the Pope over the Church, authority based on his place as a Successor of Peter. The expression also indicates that this Pope will reaffirm Rome as the proper seat of authority in the Church and require the faithful to acknowledge “the holy, Catholic, and apostolic Roman Church as the mother and teacher of all churches.” [7] His predecessor, the Pope of Peace, will emphasize the good in other faiths and the unity among all peoples. But Peter the Roman will emphasize the supremacy of the Roman Catholic Faith and the Roman Catholic Church above all other religions and denominations, and its authority over all Christians and all peoples of the world.

Some commentators say that Peter the Roman will be the last Pope ever and that the world will end during his Pontificate. No, not so! Peter the Roman is merely the last Pope on this list, not the last Pope ever. The time of Peter the Roman's Pontificate is described in Apocalyptic terms because His Pontificate will see the beginning of the events described in the Apocalypse (the Book of Revelation). But the events described in that last book of the Bible unfold over many years (more than 400 years).

The seven-hilled city is the city of Rome, which not only has seven hills, but also is divided into seven Roman Catholic dioceses. St. Malachy is predicting that the city of Rome will be destroyed during the Pontificate of the second Pope after John Paul II, the Pope called Peter the Roman. My own interpretation of the Bible places the destruction of Rome and Vatican City in July of A.D. 2013. [8]

My understanding is that Pope Benedict XVI, the Pope of Peace, will be elected sometime during 2003. His reign will be short. Peter the Roman will reign at the time that the events of the Book of Revelation begin, about the time of the end of this decade (the first decade of the 21st century). Therefore, the next Pope (after John Paul II) will die before the end of the same decade in which he is elected.

The next Pope after John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, will seek to make peace in the world, but he will not succeed. After his reign ends, during the reign of Peter the Roman, there will begin World War III. During this war, the Arab nations together will attack, invade, conquer, and occupy Europe and large portions of Africa. They will also attack, but neither invade nor conquer, the United States of America. This war begins in 2010 or 2011. (It is preceded by a small war among the Arab nations.)

One of these two Popes, either Pope Benedict XVI or Peter the Roman, will suggest that three places of worship be built in Jerusalem: for Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, but it doesn't happen. In chapter one of my book The Bible and the Future of the World, in the section called “The Three Booths of the Transfiguration,” I say that it would probably be Peter the Roman who suggests the Three Booths (or three places for the three religions), but it could be the Pope just before him. Now I have changed my mind on that point. I now think that it will most probably be the Pope of Peace, Pope Benedict XVI, who will make this suggestion. This act seems to fit the Pontificate of the Pope of Peace more than that of Peter the Roman (because this is a type of peace-making between religions).

Pope Benedict XVI will be like Saint Benedict, who lived in the fifth and sixth centuries. He will be a man dedicated to Peace and holiness. But this Pope will also be like Saint Benedict the Black, il moro santo, who lived in the sixteenth century. I am not certain, but I think that Pope Benedict XVI will be black.

Wait a second, Penance in 4th? That's supposed to come before First Communion. And what is wrong with the list of sins in the Catechism and examining the conscience against it? Why make it more complicated than it needs to be?

BTW, I waited half an hour in line last night for Confession, and there was quite a line behind me. We also got a homily on Confession this morning.

Honestly, you all need new bishops. I'll keep you in my prayers.

Honestly, you all need new bishops. I'll keep you in my prayers.

Yeah. I'm pretty sick of hearing of your great orthodox diocese! ;-)

All kidding aside, that is fantastic that there are LINES for Confession. I haven't seen that in years and years.

There's a pretty good rumor that Bishop Wuerl is to be sent to Boston... he's in Pittsburgh now, I believe. I'm kinda curious about him... any Catholic FReepers from Pittsburgh that we know of? I'd like to hear their take on him. What we need is a Tomás de Torquemada and his minions. Things are a mess here with the dissident priests and the so-called Catholic universities. The Boston Globe did a little piece on Wuerl and the rumor he may be sent to Boston... he didn't say no and he didn't sound too thrilled.

The 12 &13 year olds in the class were clueless. I am one who believes that since marriage is not allowed until 18, there is no reason to Confirm so young. And the fact that your daughter wants mote time to think about it is a good sign. This means she takes it seriously.

Oh Des! Nothing could be farther from the truth. She views the teachings of the church as fantasy. This from a child raised in a catholic home and educated in catholic schools. A year ago, she would have eagerly embraced the sacrament.

As for the 10 and 12 year olds, I was in 6th grade when I made my Confirmation (granted that was a long time ago, in antiquity). The bishop came once every two years to confirm the 6th and 7th grade classes., I was 10 when I made my confirmation and I remember that day as though it were yesterday. We processed into the church to take our places. My greatest fear was that the bishop would slap us hard across the face. In his address to the confirmandi, he called us Soldiers of Christ. That message struck home like a laser beam (before it was ever invented).

During my teen years, I abandoned the faith, like my daughter ...... and consider it perfectly normal. Once my life settled down in the post 20 years, my faith returned, along with the memories of my confirmation. Those 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit are critical in our lives. Actually the church places Confirmation in between Baptism and First Eucharist. It is supposed to be administered any time after the age of awareness - in other words, any time after age 7.

I apologize but at times I feel like an old dinosaur. Having been raised in the pre VCII church when nuns were truly religious and priests were anything but gay. My daughter attended mass beginning the week she was born. At age 3, she would bring little gifts to the statue of the BVM outside the church. These 16+ teen years are a painful burden to a mother who loves her daughter with all her heart. Thank you, Colleen, for the rosary. We certainly need it.

....there is no reason to Confirm so young.

Well, yes there is. Remember, the Grace of God is the chief effect of this, and all, the Sacraments. The argument would be similar to those non-Catholics who assume you can't baptize infants because they haven't reached the age of reason. The reality of the Grace of God working in the soul of an individual is not dependent on the age or current knowledge of the recipient of the Sacrament received.

There are many in the Latin Church who are arguing for the Church to give the Sacraments of initiation in their proper order, i.e. - Baptism, Confirmation, first Holy Communion. In the Eastern Churches infants are Chrismated (Confirmed) right after Baptism and even receive their first Holy Communion at that time as well! This assumes, of course, that the child is a member of a practicing Catholic family and will be receiving the teachings of the Church continuously as they grow - in their homes (the Domestic Church) as well as formal catechism. I think this last statement points to where the problems of the Church really are in terms of ignorance. It also points to the importance of correct liturgical practices, particularly in their wider significance of following the life of Christ throughout the year in the various feast days and seasons.

The liturgy, in it's totality and balance, is a very powerful catechetical tool among it's other purposes. It is precisely here that dissidents attack the beliefs of the Church through their selfish, self-centered, and self-serving "developments" of the liturgy, which is the locus of the Sacraments.

A year ago, she would have eagerly embraced the sacrament.

At 16 she was fine and now at 17 she views the teachings of the Church as fantasy? You are almost lucky, I am thinking. I'll wager most kids abandon ship way before that. But if she knew the Truth last year and has abandoned it this year, it sounds like just plain old rebellion. She probably says whatever it is that she knows will hurt you the most.

You are the one who directed me to that fantastic shroud book... I know you have it in your house and I know she's seen it. No matter what, she knows that Jesus Christ was born and lived and was crucified and rose from the dead. Sounds like maybe the teachings of Catholicism (as we know them, not as they are taught and not taught in a lot of the parishes) are cramping her lifestyle?

Once I met my husband (as a teenager), off came the Immaculate Conception medal and the teachings of the Church went out the window. Some things were hard to hear for me.

Well, let's see....

Cardinal Polycarp would be put to better use in a "Culture of Life" ministry. Believe me, there are MANY good men and women who would vie for the job of cleaning out the perverts, so you won't have a problem finding a worthy replacement here.

Cardinal Ultima Ratio in charge of liturgical standards? Umm.... No. With some proper training, he can start out as an assistant in this discastery.

Cardinal Catholic Guy's verbage would be wasted with him as a personal body guard, he's a natural to be your press secretary - be funner to watch than Ari going against Helen.

Desde might not mind sharing her ministry with Cardinal ninenot.

Otherwise, I'm game! How does the saying go when elected and consecrated Pope? See that bed over there, it's the bed you will die in.

Yeah. I'm pretty sick of hearing of your great orthodox diocese! ;-)

I counted this morning. We have 54 in the Seminary. And there are parishes closing here. There are also fewer and fewer EEMs and fewer people willing to do it. I haven't seen one under 40.

All kidding aside, that is fantastic that there are LINES for Confession. I haven't seen that in years and years.

Yes. It is. And only two were nuns. And no one went to the face to face side.

Having been confirmed as late as I was and with three younger siblings, my perspective is a little different. I actually understood what I was accepting and proclaiming. Even now, I understand it better than my classmates in grade school who were confirmed a couple months after we moved (in 5th).

I also think that our preparation was a joke. And I will stand by that and say that a good chuck of the problem with the church right now is horrid Catechisis. I didn't even know the word until this pope released the current Catechism. I had never heard of the Baltimore Catechism - and I went to Catholic schools in all but 7th and 8th grades.

I'll have to think about it some more, but there is a point, I can see, to Confirming and making First Communion together and older than 7. I think my grandmother did this when she was an adolescent. Baptism is totally different. That's a parents' faith and commitment to receiving grace and raising the child in the church.

It also points to the importance of correct liturgical practices, particularly in their wider significance of following the life of Christ throughout the year in the various feast days and seasons.

That assumes that the parents actually take their children to church and that they do not have parents like mine - one completely embracing every liturgical novelty to come down the pike and one who may or may not believe in God, but still does not miss Mass and must have ashes on Ash Wedenesday (don't even ask what a doctor of the church is. this parent of mine could not begin to answer that). That's kind of what I was raised with. They think I'm strange for 1. going to Confession with a wall between me and the priest, 2. for saying more than one Rosary a day, 3. for hanging a Crucifix over my bed - among other things. I bought a Douhey-Rheims Bible and I was questioned as to why.

Oh, and they don't really like our orthodox archbishop.

Honestly, you all need new bishops.

Tease...

You haven't heard the half of it. THis morning, Bishop Neuman (an auxillary), said Mass and he told this story of being in the drive thru at Steak and Shake and the kid serving him said, "Father, I need to go to Confession." So, the good bishop didn't give absolution, but did his pastoral best while sitting in the drive thru. This was in the middle of a homily of Confession and Lent.

Actually, the bishop here might be orthodox, but not everyone is. We, too, have the big, suburban parishes which have really ugly buildings and people in them who are nominally Catholic. There are thos that outright oppose many church teachings. Remember that the Jesuit "music" got its start here. It's not all great. You have to go looking for the good.

The protestant church where I work is taking a summer choir hiatus, so I'm going to go exploring in the city. There are some big, beautiful old gothic churches here.

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