Posted on 03/28/2012 3:05:17 PM PDT by sreastman
At The Vatican: Vying Factions For Petrus Romanus Highlighted, Unknown Reasons May Keep Benedict On Past April
by Steve Eastman, Raiders News Network
One thing we may be certain of is that Benedict XVI is the next to the last Pope in St. Malachy’s Prophecy of the Popes. And both those who speak openly of his successor as Petrus Romanus and those who don’t, can’t help thinking about the upcoming Conclave. No date has been announced since Benedict has neither died nor resigned, but that did not stop the "National Catholic Reporter" from featuring Papal Transition as a top story.
The article by John Allen starts by discussing the pontiff’s age. Benedict turns 85 on April 16th, which would make him the oldest Pope in 109 years and only one of six in the last 500 years to reach that age while still in office. Then Allen turns to perceived leadership problems and quotes Italian newspaper columnist, Galli della Loggia, who argues for "further strengthening of the role of the pontiff," preventing it from being "conditioned" by the personal rivalries and careerist ambitions of a handful of figures at the top of the system. Current events from this past week highlight the existence of these agendas.
The closing of the Vatican bank account by JP Morgan Chase was a long time coming, but not generally expected. According to "Il Sole" newspaper, the Vatican bank “had failed to provide sufficient information on money transfers.” Reportedly, 1.5 billion euros passed through the account in eighteen months. The closing comes at a time when the Vatican is trying to make the European Union’s (EU) “white list” of institutions meeting its transparency rules, especially in regard to money laundering policies. The Holy See tried to rein in the situation a couple years ago and was looking forward to a clean bill of financial health from the EU, possibly in May. Reuter’s columnist Pierre Briançon added to the embarrassment with the statement that “The Holy See’s financial arm has been seeking absolution for past sins for two years, but remains reluctant to confess to what it did wrong.”
An even more extreme example of Vatican leadership pulling in different directions came back into the spotlight this past week as reporters looked for another angle to cover the Pope’s trip to Mexico. Actually, they didn’t have to look too far. Former Mexican priest, Jose Barba, is co-author of a new book that claims Vatican officials knew for years that the founder of a religious order, the Legion of Christ, was a pedophile and drug addict. Barba says the book — "The Will not to Know" — is based on 212 documents in a Vatican archive. It seems the Church received the first complaint against Reverend Marcial Maciel in 1944. Barba, and other former seminarians instigated a church trial against Maciel in 1998, accusing him of sex abuse. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who’s now Benedict XVI, was in charge of the office that received their complaint. It took eight years for Maciel to be sanctioned, and he enjoyed John Paul II’s favor during that time. Benedict says it took two years for him to learn the nature of the allegations. Fox News puts it this way, “…with the Vatican's very decentralized fiefdoms, it's not surprising that accusations that may have landed in one official's hands were never forwarded on ….” CatholicCulture.org is quick to point out, “it was Pope Benedict who pressed for disciplinary action against Maciel, eventually overcoming resistance by other Vatican officials.”
A third example of Vatican leadership pulling in opposite directions this past week involves stem cell research. The Vatican’s Pontifical Academy for Life was scheduled to host a scientific conference on the subject April 25th – 28th. The proposal raised some eyebrows in both the scientific and Catholic communities because the Church has long opposed the use of cells culled from the destruction of embryos, supplying the most common form of stem cell research. But the flexible cells, which can generate over 200 types of human tissue, may also be taken from an adult donor or from placentas or umbilical cords. The conference was scheduled to feature embryonic stem cell researchers including Alan Trounson, of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, and John Wagner, of the University of Minnesota’s Stem Cell Institute. Academy officials had said this was okay because the researchers were also experts in adult stem cells. This past week the conference was cancelled. An Academy member attributes this to “directives coming from a higher level of the Curia.” This is especially strange since, according to the brochure, Pope Benedict XVI was scheduled to meet with participants at the concluding event on April 28th.
There is a second significance to the Pope’s planned appearance that is echoed in another recent news story. Benedict apparently plans to remain in office past his 85th birthday on April 16th, despite conjecture that he might step down then. The other story, originally appearing in the Italian newspaper "La Stampa" and repeated in UCAnews.com, discusses the Pope’s interest in visiting East Asia. The news sources quote Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, as saying the Pope “has often thought about a trip to Asia and examined the possibility of visiting those Asian countries where he has often been invited and that he deeply loves.” Bertone adds, “Naturally, traveling in Asia is demanding, but it has not been ruled out a priori.” Since a papal visit takes much preparation, it is difficult to see how a trip to Asia could occur before Benedict’s birthday.
There is still plenty of time for Petrus Romanus, the final Pope, to make his appearance on the world stage before the end of the year, as seems likely from a multitude of indicators. We may also be sure there will be a lot of manipulation behind the scenes from various factions in the lead-up to his appearance.
© 2012 Raiders News Network
It sat in the Vatican library for about 400 years, if I recall. The thinking at the time was, it shouldn’t influence how Popes are elected. Turns out the wisdom held, when during one election after the prophesies resurfaced, an ambitious Cardinal loaded a boat full of sheep and sailed it up the river outside the chapel where the election was to be held.
Benedict, an Olivetan, obviously fits ‘Gloria Olivae’, but it doesn’t count since the election happened after the prophesy resurfaced.
It’s become a recipe more than a prophesy now. “We need an Olivetan this time!”
Next Pope will call himself Peter, not because I’m a prophet, or Malachy was a prophet, but because his prophesy became prescription.
What in the world is this author writing?
Popes do not resign.
Vying factions???
LOL!
There's another way of leaving.
There has been a rumor/meme that I have heard floating around recently among the fringe dispensationalist conspiracy theorists that this pope will be assassinated.
You wrote:
“It sat in the Vatican library for about 400 years, if I recall.”
No, it is said by some to have sat in the archive for that length of time. There is no evidence it was written in the 12th century. There’s no evidence it sat in the archive for 400 years. There is no evidence it existed before being published.
“The thinking at the time was, it shouldn’t influence how Popes are elected.”
False. There was no “thinking” about it that anyone has any proof of. There is not a single mentioning of the document until about the time it was published.
“Turns out the wisdom held, when during one election after the prophesies resurfaced, an ambitious Cardinal loaded a boat full of sheep and sailed it up the river outside the chapel where the election was to be held.”
Sorry, you’re wrong again. What you’re doing is passing on a jibe at Cardinal Spellman who supposedly rented the boat and flock in 1958. It’s a joke - either one he played, or one someone played on him.
“Benedict, an Olivetan, obviously fits ‘Gloria Olivae’, but it doesn’t count since the election happened after the prophesy resurfaced.”
Benedict is not an Olivetan. He was never a member of a religious order. He was a diocesan priest and bishop only.
“It’s become a recipe more than a prophesy now. “We need an Olivetan this time!” Next Pope will call himself Peter, not because I’m a prophet, or Malachy was a prophet, but because his prophesy became prescription.”
Nope. The next pope might call himself Peter - incredibly unlikely actually - but it will have nothing to do with any supposed prophecies of Malachy since they are consistently wrong after 1590 - just a few years before the document was published! In other words, someone forged it around 1590.
They have not in our lifetime, but yes, Popes have resigned or abdicated.
They have not in our lifetime, but yes, Popes have resigned or abdicated.
Pope Benedict is not an Olivetan. The Olivetans are a branch of the Benedictines. Pope Benedict is not a Benedictine, either (he was a diocesan priest before he was elevated to the episcopacy). The only connection he has with the Olivetans is the name he chose for his papacy. That's pretty tenuous. It's also after-the-fact, like Paul VI's coat of arms reflecting his "prophecy," "Flos Florum".
The "St. Malachy" prophecy almost certainly wasn't written by St. Malachy. It's unknown before 1595 (St. Malachy died in 1148). Not surprisingly, the "prophecies" before 1595 are dead-ringers.
Most of those after 1595 have at best a coincidental relationship to the Pope they are supposed to describe, though I'll grant that some of them are spooky -- "Religio depopulata" for Benedict XVI, Pope during WW I, and "de labore Solis" for JP2, a Pope closely linked to Fatima and its solar miracle.
The assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II was foretold. I have heard it said that Pope Benedict XVI might have to rule in exile.
(Which makes me wonder about end times — but I don’t want to hijack the thread.)
It's also funny how dispensationalists who refuse to accept the Christian canon of the OT because, like the Pharisees and Luther, they don't want to accept what is taught in them turn around and recommend books like Enoch and Jubilees as containing insights that are convenient for their conspiracy theories.
What kind of dolts decry the Christian canon out of one side of their mouths and recommend Enoch out of the other?
Why, the sort that rely on The Lego Block Method of Scripture Interpretation of course !!
What are the odds that without much effort you could find a link between the site this article is pimping, the company pushing survivalist gear on this site, and the Comic Book Author Who Cannot Be Named?
Funny how as the date for some prediction nears the conspiracy and dispensationalist crowd always seem to "discover" a sub-plot within the plot they dreamed up or some sort of "exception" they've overlooked (oh yeah, that was only recently "revealed").
And funny how quickly someone's wild idea speculation turned into a popular book becomes received truth. "We've always believed this." Riiiight.
It's also funny how dispensationalists who refuse to accept the Christian canon of the OT because, like the Pharisees and Luther, they don't want to accept what is taught in them turn around and recommend books like Enoch and Jubilees as containing insights that are convenient for their conspiracy theories.
I've got a couple podcasts I listen to, because they're sometimes interesting. And as often, "oh come on, people!".
"Raiders News Service" is part of this school of thought.
"Flying saucers over out cities!" "Comet Elenin!"
That makes no sense. Pope Peter is supposed to be evil. If anything I would think the next Pope would deliberately AVOID the name Peter.
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked;
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
Where’s the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?
Did you check the original site. The site will have classical anti- catholic books and material but will take the word of a saint catholic legendary myth to use against Catholics. Lol!!!
The Peter meme is out there. I can’t imagine the next Pope playing into it by taking the name Peter.
Neither can I see that happening.
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