END TIMES PROPHECY OF ST FRANCIS OF ASSISSI (Catholic Caucus)

Real Clear Religion ^ | July 13, 2011

[NYer]

The Prophecy of St. Francis

Shortly before he died, St. Francis of Assisi called together his followers and warned them of the coming troubles, saying:

1. The time is fast approaching in which there will be great trials and afflictions; perplexities and dissensions, both spiritual and temporal, will abound; the charity of many will grow cold, and the malice of the wicked will increase.

2. The devils will have unusual power, the immaculate purity of our Order, and of others, will be so much obscured that there will be very few Christians who will obey the true Sovereign Pontiff and the Roman Church with loyal hearts and perfect charity. At the time of this tribulation a man, not canonically elected, will be raised to the Pontificate, who, by his cunning, will endeavour to draw many into error and death.

3. Then scandals will be multiplied, our Order will be divided, and many others will be entirely destroyed, because they will consent to error instead of opposing it.

4. There will be such diversity of opinions and schisms among the people, the religious and the clergy, that, except those days were shortened, according to the words of the Gospel, even the elect would be led into error, were they not specially guided, amid such great confusion, by the immense mercy of God.

5. Then our Rule and manner of life will be violently opposed by some, and terrible trials will come upon us. Those who are found faithful will receive the crown of life; but woe to those who, trusting solely in their Order, shall fall into tepidity, for they will not be able to support the temptations permitted for the proving of the elect.

6. Those who preserve in their fervour and adhere to virtue with love and zeal for the truth, will suffer injuries and, persecutions as rebels and schismatics; for their persecutors, urged on by the evil spirits, will say they are rendering a great service to God by destroying such pestilent men from the face of the earth. but the Lord will be the refuge of the afflicted, and will save all who trust in Him. And in order to be like their Head, [Christ] these, the elect, will act with confidence, and by their death will purchase for themselves eternal life; choosing to obey God rather than man, they will fear nothing, and they will prefer to perish rather than consent to falsehood and perfidy.

7. Some preachers will keep silence about the truth, and others will trample it under foot and deny it. Sanctity of life will be held in derision even by those who outwardly profess it, for in those days JESUS CHRIST WILL SEND THEM NOT A TRUE PASTOR, BUT A DESTROYER."

(Except for breaking up the narrative into numbered paragraphs and adding bold print for emphasis, the prophecy is presented without any alteration, as given in the Works of the Seraphic Father St. Francis Of Assisi, Washbourne, 1882, pp. 248-250)

[NYer]

This is a Catholic Caucus Thread

[the invisib1e hand]

common sense.

don't think you need to be a weatherman to know which way the wind is blowing.

joy. so looking forward to all this.

[bgill]

We’re down to the last or next to the last Pope in St. Malachy’s prophecies. With the world in the shape it is, things aren’t looking good.

[stuartcr]

He certainly was both observant and a good judge of people.

[unkus]

ping

[4yearlurker]

In 1979 I was having lunch with a coworker who was also a Baptist preacher. We were talking and he started telling me about the end times. he said: “The beginning of the end will be when Homosexuals have their own rights.” Also he stated that you will want to die,but cannot die. What he said always stayed with me for some reason.

[Elendur]

We’re down to the last or next to the last Pope in St. Malachy’s prophecies. With the world in the shape it is, things aren’t looking good.
///
Thanks to NYer for posting this. Most “end times” articles come from evangelicals (who i greatly respect for their faith. unlike people like “Father” Pfleger).

I do believe, that Benedict is the last true Pope.
as Cardinal, he himself has spoken of the corruption in the Church that St Frances predicts. (and #7 is chilling!)

And other things in the Bible itself, like the remaking of Israel (after 1800 years! ...but it says the true miracle, is that it will occur in a single day. which it did.)
...the false Prophet (and false teachers) that Jesus himself warned about, and that another religion would become the largest in the world (which the Pope quietly announced last year), etc.

This, St Francis, bgill’s reminder about St. Malachy, and Fatima, reminds us that Catholics too understand Matthew 24, and while no man may know the hour, we are certainly told we WILL know the season, so we can prepare.

i only disagree about “...looking good.”
yes, it will be terrible. but, also it is joyous to know,
that possibly within our lifetimes, we will see prophecy fulfilled, and the return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

[Dr. Thorne]

This look like a reiteration of many Scriptural prophecies, but as applied to the Catholic Church.

[ottbmare]

OK, I don’t have a problem with most of this, but Jesus Christ sending us a destroyer??

[varon]

....and that another religion would become the largest in the world (which the Pope quietly announced last year),

Can someone enlighten as to the religion being mentioned?

[CJ Wolf]

Revelation 9:1-11

references the destroyer.

[wagglebee]

Can someone enlighten as to the religion being mentioned?

I have a feeling that there are more Muslims in the world than TRUE Christians.

And my guess is that there are more secularists than true Christians or Muslims.

Look at America, sure most people profess to be Christians, but when you get right down to it and examine their attitudes toward abortion, homosexuality and a host of other problems, their actual religion is secularism. And, as bad as it is in America, it is far worse in Europe.

Fifty years ago, C.S. Lewis warned that secularism was the greatest threat the world faced, and I firmly believe that he was right.

[campaignPete R-CT]

Franciscan prophecy ping

[CJ Wolf]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,343336,00.html

[theKid51]

ping

[bmwcyle]

Now we stand in the mess.

[surroundedbyblue]

“Can someone enlighten as to the religion being mentioned?”

I would guess secular humanism. Most “Christians” I know subscribe more to mainstream B.S. than the teachings of Jesus. And they take an attitude of “who am I to judge” on issues like contraception, abortion, euthanasia, & gay “rights”.

If I’m wrong than my second guess would be the cult of Islam. They are reproducing like bunnies & taking over many parts of the world.

[dangus]

Nothing in Saint Malachy’s prophecies suggest that the last pope he lists will be the last pope. “Peter the Roman” was added by a later hand to St. Malachy’s, and even if it were legitimate, there’s nothing to suggest that “Peter the Roman” immediately follows “The Glory of the Olive.”

[wagglebee]

Nothing in Saint Malachy’s prophecies suggest that the last pope he lists will be the last pope. “Peter the Roman” was added by a later hand to St. Malachy’s, and even if it were legitimate, there’s nothing to suggest that “Peter the Roman” immediately follows “The Glory of the Olive.”

The "prophecy" was discovered more than four centuries after St. Malachy's death.

Many consider it to be a forgery for two reasons:

1. The popes prior to the discovery fit very well into the predictions. The popes after the discovery require a lot of latitude to fit within the predictions.

2. Some of the prophecies only apply to anti-popes.