There certainly was a lot of speculation that would be the case. But I'm glad the cardinals don't look to the prophecy to fill the role. You would think that he would be aware of the prophecy and that could certainly influence the selection of the name Benedict. However, that's a little frustrating in that you want to see prophecy fulfilled without people taking action to fulfill it after being aware of it.
I just finished reading this blog I found after searching for Benedict and Olive. Blog on Gloria Olivae. It suggests that the name implies a peace bringer. Which is interesting in that when Russia invades Israel, Israel is supposed to be at peace in a land of "unwalled villages". Israel is practically the only nation in the world that is building walls. (Maybe the US along the Mexican border). Apparently the fence will come down and Israel will acheive peace before the war.
It's not hard to see the possibility of a "hook" being put in Russia's jaw to bring them down into the middle east. After Beslan, they are going to take an increasingly harder line with Islamic terrorism.
"If the prophecies are true we are, what, 2 popes away from The End? ;) "
If Malachy is correct, then this pope is either the last pope or the next to last pope. Gloria Olivae is the last pope that is numbered. Then the prophecy has a paragraph that is not numbered that says that Peter the Great will lead the church through a time of great tribulation.
What that means, I can only speculate. But here's my thoughts. I believe the rapture will occur before the Great Tribulation.
Two possibilities:
I would really like to know where that prophecy of this pope only reigning 8 months came from. If it came from Notradamus, I wouldn't give it much weight. IF IF IF IF If it's a true prophecy and my first scenario is correct, we are 8 months from the rapture and the start of the Great Tribulation. But since no man knows the day or the hour, I'd be surprised that we have valid prophecies that allow us to predict so closely.
Either way I'll be trying to learn more about the 8 month prophecy and I might very well be praying a little extra starting 7 months from now.
I really wish I could understand what you’re saying. No matter how many times I read it, the above makes no sense. What I am saying is that the reason Ratzinger chose the name was in an attempt to validate the prophecy.
As far as your blog’s interpretation, have you even read Malachy's prophecies? The prophecies are short and they are all numbered. The last reads as follows, "In persecutione extrema S.R.E. sedebit Petrus Romanus, qui pascet oves in multis tribulationibus: quibus transactis civitas septicollis diruetur, & Judex tremêdus judicabit 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."
There is absolutely nothing about a city with no walls, Russia invading Israel or anything else about which you speak.
Further, The Gloriae Olivae simply translated means “the Glory of the Olive”. It was the Benedictines who insisted this pope would come from their order. Others have felt it referred to a pope that would come from Israel, a Jew. (The Olive Mount) or a peace-maker (the olive branch.) As you must be aware Jean-Marie Lustiger is a Jew, many thought he would be appointed. Ratzinger’s taking of the name Benedict seems to be his own attempt at keeping with the prophecy. He is neither a Benedictine or a Jew.
Benedictine, as your blog implies, does not stand for peace, per se. The Olive reference has to do with the traditional symbol of the Benedictine Monks, the olive or the olive tree, since they made (among other things) olive oil. The blog that you stumbled upon appears to have more to do with conspiracy theory and subjective interpretation than the actual language of Malachy’s text.
Here is an original source. http://www.catholic-pages.com/grabbag/malachy.asp. It helps if you understand Latin.
And I guess at this point, it's hard to imagine that Ratzinger is ever going to be called "Peter the Roman".