Malachy
O Morgain(1094-1148)was an Irish priest and seer who foretold the
identities of 112 Roman Catholic popes, from the reign of Celestine
II in 1143 to the present time and beyond.
The most famous and best known prophecies about the popes are those
attributed to Saint 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 Abbe 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 the Saint
Malachy gave his MS. to Innocent II to console him in the midst of
his tribulations, and the document remained unknown in the Roman
Archives until its discovery in 1590 ( Cucherat, "Proph. de la
succession des papes" ). 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 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 the future popes from Celestine II, who was
elected in the year 1130, until the end of the world. They are
enunciated under the mystical titles. Those who have undertaken to
interpret and explain these symbolic prophecies have discovering
some trait, allusion, point or similitude in their application to
the individual popes, either as to their country, 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.
But not far beyond. According to St. Malachy, whose predictions have
proven amazingly accurate so far, only two popes will succeed the
current supreme pontiff, John Paul II. The second of these will be "Petrus
Romanus," or "Peter the Roman," of whom Malachy wrote:
"In
the final persecution of the Holy Roman Church there will be 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". The first formally canonized Irish
saint, Malachy was born into a wealthy and learned family in Armagh.
From early childhood he was drawn to the religious and mystical
life, and while still a youth he apprenticed himself to St. Imar, a
hermetic monk. In his 20s Malachy was made vicar of Amagh. During
the ensuing years he embarked upon a program of church reform and is
also credited with performing miracles of healing. Malachy succeeded
to the archbishopric of Armagh in 1132, but desirous of a simpler
existence, he gave up the post five years later.
Malachy'
s predictions reputedly were made in 1139 while he was on a
pilgrimage to the Vatican, where he was appointed papal legate for
Ireland.(On his last trek to the holy see, in 1148, Malachy
accurately predicted the place and time of his own death: Clairvaux,
France, on All Souls Day, November 2, of that same year).
Malachy
"saw" and committed to paper a series of Latin phrases describing
the popes to come. Except for the final apocalyptic note about
Petrus Romanus, these are brief lines of no more than four words.
They usually refer to a pope's family name, birthplace,
coat-of-arms, or office held before election to the papacy. Some of
the phrases contain ingenious wordplay or even puns; some are
multiple prophecies. Pius III, who reigned for only 26 days in 1503,
was aptly described as "De Parvo Homine," or "from a little man.
"Pius s family name was Piccolomini, Italian for "little man."
Some
Catholic scholars insist that St. Malachy never saw the prophecies,
which bear his name, and the official Church attitude holds that
they are a forgery dating from the 16th century. If hindsight was
responsible for the early predictions, then the accuracy of the
predictions should have decreased sharply after 1600, But consider
what Malachy foresaw for some later profits-all of whom reigned
during the 20th century.
Benedict XV was given the chilling appellation "Religio Depopulata"
(" Religion laid waste"). Unfortunately, it was accurate.
Benedict XV served from 1914 to 1922, when World War I "laid waste"
the religious populations of several continents.
John
XXXIII occupied the Vatican from 1958 to 1963. Malachy called him "
Pastor et Nauta," or "Pastor and sailor" Certainly a great pastor to
his own people, John "modernized" his Church and wrote one of the
most brilliant papal documents in history, Pacem in Terris. He was
also a true pastor of the world, loved and admired by millions of
non-Catholics, from 1953 until he became pope in 195, John was the
patriarch of Venice, a city full of sailors. When he convoked the
Ecumenical Council in 1962, John chose two symbols for the council
badge-a cross and a ship.
"Flos
Florum" represented his successor, Paul VI, in Malachy s vision:
"flower of flowers." Paul's coat of arms depicted three fleurs-de -lis.
John
Paul I, who succeeded Paul in 1978 and held office for only 34 days,
was referred to as "De Medietate Lanae," or "from the half moon.
"John Paul's papal mission was undoubtedly less than " half"
completed when he died. His given name was Albino Luciani, or "white
light"- such as that given off by the half-moon in Malachy s
prophecy.
One of
Malachy' s strangest predictions concerned the pope who would follow
"De Medietate Lunae. "He is designated as "De Labore Solis,' or
"from the toil of the sun." Applied to John Paul II, this phrase
reveals nothing less than a double prophecy. The current pope, the
first non-Italian elected 456 years, is a native of Krakow, Poland.
Krakow is the city where, in the 15th and 16th centuries, Copernicus
"toiled" for years to prove his heretical theory that the earth
revolved around the sun. Many of Malachy s interpreters also
suggested that the "sun" reference indicated a young pope. Fifty-
eight years old at the time of his election, John Paul II is the
youngest pope in over a century.
John
Paul II is successor is called " Gloria Olivae," or "glory of the
olive. "traditionally, the olive branch has been associated with
peace, but bit in both the Old and New Testaments it also serves as
an emblem for the Jews. Putting the two together, some commentators
believe that the reign of this pope will be a peaceful one during
which the prophesied conversion of the Jews will take place.
However
, Malachy' s description may instead refer to St. Benedict's 6th
century prophecy that a member of his order will lead the Church in
its fight against evil just before the Apocalypse. The Benedictine
Order is known by another name: Olivetans.1
After
Gloria Olivae comes Petrus Romanus, the final pope of Rome, during
whose reign " the seven-hilled city will be destroyed. "The Church
particularly, and understandably, repudiates St. Malachy's last,
black prophecy. But it is striking that at least one pope had a
similar mystical vision.
In
1909, while granting an audience, pope Pius x leaned back and closed
his eyes. Suddenly he "awoke" and ride out: "What I see is
terrifying. Will it be myself? Will it be my successor? What is
certain is that the pope will quit Rome, and in leaving the Vatican,
he will have to walk over the dead bodies of his priests."
Pius' s
prophecy was fulfilled neither in his own time nor in that of the
next pontiff. According to Malachy' s vision of the Church's
"tribulation," it applies to the successor of Gloria Olivae the next
pope but one.
Could
destruction of seven hilled city and as a result people get
disappointed from present system and all attention be towards Baha'i
faith and the leather ship of Universal House of Justice (the
dreadful Judge as described by Malachy).
1
This is a fulfilled prophecy, in fact the new Pope has been called
"Benedict XVI"