Malachy's Prophecies - The Last 10 Popes: Another reference to Dec 2012?

Saint Malachy (1094 - November 2, 1148) was known as great prophet. While in Rome in 1139 he received a vision showing him all the Popes from his day to the end of time. According to these prophecies, only two Popes remaining after John Paul II.

St. Malachy was reported to have possessed the powers of levitation, healing, and clairvoyance. While on his way to the Vatican to assume the post of papal legate for Ireland, he fell into trance and saw a line of papal reigns stretching from the successor to Innocent II and extending through centuries to the last of the line, identified as Peter of Rome. Malachy assigned short descriptions in Latin to each pope when he committed his vision to paper. These mottoes usually refer to a family name, birthplace, coat-of-arms, or office held before election to the papacy. Some of the phrases are multiple prophecies, written with ingenious word play.

Through the centuries, his prophecies have turned out to be amazingly accurate, even prophesying the date of his death. In all, 112 popes and their characteristics are listed from 1143 to the alleged end of the world, or perhaps religion as we know it, when truth is inlay revealed about human creation and destiny.

Saint Malachy's final words were: "Rome, the seat of the Vatican, will be destroyed and the dreadful Judge will judge the people."

Prophecy of the Popes is a list of 112 short phrases in Latin. They purport to describe each of the Roman Catholic popes (along with a few anti-popes), beginning with Pope Celestine II (elected in 1143) and concluding with a pope described in the prophecy as "Peter the Roman", whose pontificate will end in the destruction of the city of Rome.


Malachy's Prophecies - The Last 10 Popes
1. The Burning Fire. PIUS X. 1903-1914. This Pope showed a burning passion for spiritual renewal in the Church.

2. Religion Laid Waste. BENEDICT XV. 1914-1922. During this Pope's reign saw Communism move into Russia where religious life was laid waste, and World War I with the death of millions of Christians who were carnage in Flanders Field and elsewhere.

3. Unshaken Faith. PIUS XI. 1922-1939. This Pope faced tremendous pressure from fascist and sinister powers in Germany and Italy, but he was an outspoken critic of Communism and Fascism which enraged Hitler.

4. An Angelic Shepherd. PIUS XII. 1939-1958. This Pope had an affinity for the spiritual world and received visions which have not been made public. Peter Bander says Pius XII "has emerged as one of the great Popes of all time," and he "was in the truest sense of the word an Angelic Pastor to the flock..."

5. Pastor and Mariner. JOHN XXIII. 1958-1963. John was a pastor to the world, much beloved, and the Patriarch of Venice. The connection to "mariner" is thus remarkable.

6. Flower of Flowers. PAUL VI. 1963-1978. Paul's coat-of-arms depicts three fleurs-de-lis, corresponding to Malachay's prophecy. His coat of arms included three fleurs-de-lis (iris blossoms).

7. Of the Half Moon. JOHN PAUL I. 1978-1978. John Paul I was elected Pope on August 26, 1978, when there was a half moon. He reigned 33 days, that is, about one month, when he died, although many think he was murdered. He was the 109th Pope - is "De Medietate Lunae" (Of the Half Moon). The corresponding pope was John Paul I (1978-78), who was born in the diocese of Belluno (beautiful moon) and was baptized Albino Luciani (white light). He became pope on August 26, 1978, when the moon appeared exactly half full. It was in its waning phase. He died the following month, soon after an eclipse of the moon.

8. The Labor of the Son. JOHN PAUL II. 1978-2005. Pope John Paul II was the most traveled Pope in history. He circled the globe numerous times, preaching to huge audiences everywhere he went. He survived an assassination attempt. He has written a book which has enjoyed a large circulation. Like the sun which never ceases to labor and provides light daily, this Pope has been incessant. He was born on May 18, 1920. On that date in the morning there was a near total eclipse of the sun over Europe. Prophecy - The 110th Pope is "De Labore Solis" (Of the Solar Eclipse, or, From the Toil of the Sun). Like the sun he came out of the East (Poland).

Pope John Paul II (De labore solis)
The prophetic motto corresponding to Pope John Paul II is "De labore solis", which literally means "Of the labor (work/giving birth) of the sun"; but "labor solis" is a common Latin expression that means a solar eclipse.There are a variety of explanations that have been given to explain the motto:
Karol Jozef Wojtyła, who later became Pope John Paul II, was born on 18 May 1920, the day of a partial solar eclipse over the Indian Ocean, and buried on 8 April 2005, the day of a rare hybrid eclipse over the south-western Pacific and South America.
During World War II, Karol Wojtyła worked in a quarry, "laboring in the sunlight".
It might also be seen to be the fruit of the intercession of the "Woman Clothed with the Sun labouring" in the Book of Revelation 12, because of his devotion to the Virgin Mary, to whose intercession he credited surviving an assassination attempt early in his papacy.
Also, he affirmed the importance of the reported messages of the Virgin Mary at Fatima, which had as its confirming event, the strange "solar miracle" or "sun spinning in the sky" event, reported in the secular media in 1917.
It has also been suggested that the associated Latin phrase could also be an anagram for "de borealis sol" (correct Latin: de boreali sol) or "a Sun from the North", being a luminary coming from Poland which is north of Rome.
Another interpretation points simply to the sun rising in the east and his being the first Pope from Eastern Europe.
A further theory is that the combination of "labore" and "solis" cryptically refers to "the sun of the workers", i.e., "the star of communism", with John Paul being the only pope to have spent much of his life under a communist regime.
Said Pope rose in history together – and probably had special relationship with – the Gdansk "Solidarity" workers union. The logo of this union is the circle of the sun and some lines which represent its rays, plus the word "SOL" which is the beginning of the Polish Union name "Solidarity".
Yet another theory exists among some traditionalist Catholics, who believe that the motto translates as "Eclipse of the Sun". These Catholics view the Second Vatican Council as a fundamental departure of the Catholic faith. and that the differences between the church before and after the council are stark enough to regard the contemporary official Catholic Church as a new modernist church and not truly Catholic. The sun is so interpreted as the true Catholic faith, which has been eclipsed by the heterodoxy of the council teachings. They identify this time period as the Great Apostasy, that has been predicted for the End of Times.
John Paul II introduced the Luminous Mysteries to the Rosary.
During his pontificate, John Paul II traveled extensively all around the world, more than any other pope before, and similarly to what the sun does daily, from an earth-centric point of view.[67] Nicolaus Copernicus , who was the first astronomer to formulate a comprehensive heliocentric cosmology, spent his youth in Kraków, Poland. The heliocentric model of the universe was described as heretical by Catholic Church during the early 17th century, when the Copernican system was espoused by Galileo Galilei. This position was reversed in 1992 by Pope John Paul II, who also spent his youth in Kraków, Poland, in his apology to Galileo, 450 years after Copernicus published De revolutionibus and 360 years after Galileo's trial. Thus, the "Toil of the Sun" may have referenced the Church's acceptance of heliocentricity.

9. The Glory of the Olive. The Order of St. Benedict has said this Pope will come from their order. It is interesting that Jesus gave his apocalyptic prophecy about the end of time from the Mount of Olives. This Pope will reign during the beginning of the tribulation Jesus spoke of. The 111th prophesy is "Gloria Olivae" (The Glory of the Olive). The Order of Saint Benedict has claimed that this pope will come from their ranks. Saint Benedict himself prophesied that before the end of the world his Order, known also as the Olivetans, will triumphantly lead the Catholic Church in its fight against evil.

Pope Benedict XVI (Gloria olivae)
"Gloria olivae" or "glory of the olive", is the last short phrase on the list.
Prior to the papal conclave, this motto led to speculation that the next pontiff would be from the Order of Saint Benedict, whose symbols include the olive branch.
Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, elected in April 2005, is not a Benedictine, but did choose Benedict XVI as his regnal name, partially named after Benedictine founder Benedict of Nursia, which might be regarded as a fulfillment of this prophecy.
By choosing the name Benedict, the Pope became linked with St. Benedict, who in turn is distantly connected to the Olivetans, a small sub-order of Benedictines. Although it is frequently stated that the Order of St Benedict is also known as that of the Olivetans, this is not true: while all Olivetans are Benedictines, few Benedictines are Olivetans.
On 5 April 1993, the future Pope Benedict XVI was installed as the cardinal bishop of Velletri-Segni. Velletri's coat of arms are emblazoned with three olive trees. It was while Cardinal Bishop of the Sees of Ostia and Velletri-Segni that Cardinal Ratzinger took part in the 2005 Conclave, in which he was elected Pope.
Pope Benedict XVI was born on 16 April, the feast day of Saint Benedict Joseph Labre (26 March 1748 – 16 April 1783), also known as the Holy Pilgrim, with whom the Pope now shares both names, Benedict and Joseph. St. Benedict Labre, however, is not associated with olives, Olivetans or Mount Olivet in any way.
Yet another possible interpretation might be that, like his predecessor — who spoke of the Church needing to "breathe with both lungs" again — Pope Benedict XVI has a special desire to reunite with the Eastern Orthodox churches, which have been separated since the Great Schism in 1054. The olive can of course be taken as a symbol of Greece, and hence the Greek Orthodox Church (and — by extension — the Russian Orthodox Church which grew out of it).
Another interpretation was that "Gloria Olivae" would promote world peace, as symbolized by the olive branch. In a general
Pope Benedict XVI (Gloria olivae)
"Gloria olivae" or "glory of the olive", is the last short phrase on the list.
Prior to the papal conclave, this motto led to speculation that the next pontiff would be from the Order of Saint Benedict, whose symbols include the olive branch.
Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, elected in April 2005, is not a Benedictine, but did choose Benedict XVI as his regnal name, partially named after Benedictine founder Benedict of Nursia, which might be regarded as a fulfillment of this prophecy.
By choosing the name Benedict, the Pope became linked with St. Benedict, who in turn is distantly connected to the Olivetans, a small sub-order of Benedictines. Although it is frequently stated that the Order of St Benedict is also known as that of the Olivetans, this is not true: while all Olivetans are Benedictines, few Benedictines are Olivetans.
On 5 April 1993, the future Pope Benedict XVI was installed as the cardinal bishop of Velletri-Segni. Velletri's coat of arms are emblazoned with three olive trees. It was while Cardinal Bishop of the Sees of Ostia and Velletri-Segni that Cardinal Ratzinger took part in the 2005 Conclave, in which he was elected Pope.
Pope Benedict XVI was born on 16 April, the feast day of Saint Benedict Joseph Labre (26 March 1748 – 16 April 1783), also known as the Holy Pilgrim, with whom the Pope now shares both names, Benedict and Joseph. St. Benedict Labre, however, is not associated with olives, Olivetans or Mount Olivet in any way.
Yet another possible interpretation might be that, like his predecessor — who spoke of the Church needing to "breathe with both lungs" again — Pope Benedict XVI has a special desire to reunite with the Eastern Orthodox churches, which have been separated since the Great Schism in 1054. The olive can of course be taken as a symbol of Greece, and hence the Greek Orthodox Church (and — by extension — the Russian Orthodox Church which grew out of it).
Another interpretation was that "Gloria Olivae" would promote world peace, as symbolized by the olive branch. In a general audience on 27 April 2005, Benedict XVI explained that he chose his regnal name as a link to Benedict XV, "Religio Depopulata", and that: "In his footsteps I place my ministry, in the service of reconciliation and harmony between peoples, profoundly convinced that the great good of peace is above all a gift of God, a fragile and precious gift to be invoked, safeguarded and constructed, day after day and with everyone's contribution."
Some, who expect Pope Benedict XVI to restore order and discipline, namely, the "rule", Latin "regula", within the Catholic Church, the "sheepfold", Latin "ovilis", whence "ovilia", the place where the sheep lay to rest. Consider the phrase to be an imperfect and ungrammatical anagram, "de regola ovilia" (correct Latin: de regula oviliae) or "of the rule of the sheepfold" for the counter-reformation he is expected to introduce.
Others have pointed to the Olivet Discourse in the Gospel of Matthew and argued that the events described therein will come to completion during the reign of this Pope. These people argue that the Tribulation will begin during the reign of Benedict XVI.
Cardinal Ratzinger's choice of the name Benedict XVI was seen by some as the fulfillment of the prophecy gloria olivae, since it is claimed that the olive branch is sometimes used as a symbol of St. Benedict. However, prior to his election there were numerous speculations in the media as to what could be considered as "fulfillment of the prophecy". For example, it was said that any pope from the Benedictine Order; or any Latin American pope (with olive complexion) or any black pope; or any pope from Italy or Spain (two countries strongly associated with the cultivation of olives); or any pope with links to Judaism—any of the aforementioned possibilities was advanced as constituting a fulfillment of the prophecy, giving a broad array of possibilities. It has also been noted that the choice of name, while interesting for those who predicted the choice of the name, was not statistically unlikely, as modern papal names are generally chosen from a fairly limited set of names. In the last 250 years, for example, there have only been eight names used for Popes: Clement, John, Benedict, Pius, Gregory, Paul, Leo, and John Paul. Media comments on Pope Benedict XVI's choice of name have suggested that his motive was to emulate Pope Benedict XV's legacy of diplomacy and theological conservatism. audience on 27 April 2005, Benedict XVI explained that he chose his regnal name as a link to Benedict XV, "Religio Depopulata", and that: "In his footsteps I place my ministry, in the service of reconciliation and harmony between peoples, profoundly convinced that the great good of peace is above all a gift of God, a fragile and precious gift to be invoked, safeguarded and constructed, day after day and with everyone's contribution."

10. PETER THE ROMAN - Pope Benedict XVI (2005-present). This final Pope will likely be Satan, taking the form of a man named Peter who will gain a worldwide allegiance and adoration. He will be the final antichrist which prophecy students have long foretold. If it were possible, even the very elect would be deceived. The 112th prophesy states: "In the final persecution of the Holy Roman Church there will reign Petrus Romanus, who will feed his flock amid many tribulations; after which the seven-hilled city will be destroyed and the dreadful Judge will judge the people. The End."


Petrus Romanus

The longest and final motto reads in the original Latin:

In p̲ſecutione extre-
ma S.R.E. ſedebit.

Petrus Romanus, qui
paſcet oues in mul-
tis tribulationibus:
quibus tranſactis ci-
uitas ſepticollis di-
ruetur, & Iudex tre
mẽdus iudicabit po
pulum ſuum. Finis.

This is usually translated into English as:

"In the last persecution of the Holy Roman Church, Peter the Roman will hold the see (lit. "sit"),
who will pasture his sheep in many tribulations:
and when these things are finished, the city of seven hills will be destroyed,
and the terrible judge will judge his people.
The End."

However, in the 1595 Lignum Vitae, the line In persecutione extrema S.R.E. sedebit. forms a separate sentence and paragraph of its own, and it is unclear whether it is grammatically related to Gloria Olivae which precedes it, or to Petrus Romanus, which follows it.

There is, also, a claim that the original list written by St. Malachy, does not contain a reference to Petrus Romanus and that the last lines were added to the printed text in Wyon's Lignum Vitæ. This, however, cannot be proved, as the original manuscript (if any) probably no longer exists.

Authenticity and scepticism

Spanish writer father Benito Jerónimo Feijóo wrote in his Teatro Crítico Universal (1724–1739), in an entry called Purported prophecies, that the ones by Saint Malachy's were a shameful forgery, claiming that they were created ad hoc during the 16th century.

As a proof, he offers an accurate fact: that the first time the prophecy is mentioned is on a handwritten account by patriarch Alfonso Chacón (a.k.a Alphonsus Ciacconus, 1540–1599) in 1590 (this account would be later published, in 1595, by the abovementioned historian Arnold de Wyon); in this account, Chacón only comments the prophecies until the papacy of Urban VII (whose papacy only lasted September 1590, and was the current pope at the time Chacón wrote the comment).

According to Feijóo, Chacón, who held a great intellectual prestige at the time, was lured to comment the prophecies by someone who wanted to help cardinal Girolamo Simoncelli (1522–1605) reach the papacy. By showing them to be accurate till Urban VII, it was expected people to believe the next ones; that way, Girolamo Simoncelli could be easily elected pope, since the prophecy after Urban VII's one tells about a pope Ex antiquitate urbis (from the antiquity of the city), a fact that seems to fit him, who was cardinal of Orvieto (literally "old city", urbs vetus), or at least better than Gregory XIV, who was elected pope after Urban VII.

Thus, the forgery would have been useless, since Simoncelli was not elected pope. Jesuit father Claude-François Menestrier also claimed that the prophecies were forged in order to help the papal candidacy of Girolamo Simoncelli, offering similar reasons to those of Feijóo.

Spanish historian José Luis Calvo points out that the prophecies seem to be very accurate till Urban VII, fitting perfectly even the antipopes, but that afterwards great efforts have to be made in order to make the prophecies fit their pope. Feijóo's explanation is usually regarded as being the most probable proof of the forgery.

Erroneous claims

A number of claims have been made about the original text of the Prophecies. Many of these claims attempt to allay anxiety arising from the apparently imminent appearance of the "last Pope" and the subsequent Last Judgment. These claims include the following:

Claim: The last entry describing Petrus Romanus was first recorded sometime after 1820 and so is not part of the original prophecy. Alternatively, the 112th pope was added in 1559 by the Olivetan monks.

• Response: The entry is definitely attested earlier than 1820. There is no 1559 text of the prophecies. The 1595 printing of Lignum Vitæ is the earliest extant copy of the prophecies, and contains the full text referring to Petrus Romanus.[69]

Claim: There is no 112 number preceding the Petrus Romanus prophecy,[70] therefore either Gloria olivæ and Petrus Romanus are the same, or there may be many unprophesied Popes between Gloria olivæ and Petrus Romanus.

• Response: There is indeed no "112" preceding the entry for Petrus Romanus; there are also no numbers given for any of the other Papal mottos, yet it is plain that it is intended to be a sequential list. There is no potential in the first printed publication list for confusion between Gloria olivæand Petrus Romanus, which follows below it. 

Claim: The original text reads psecutione which is an abbreviation either for persecutione or for prosecutione. In the very first publication of the prophecies (1595) Arnold de Wion had this word as "psecutione", an abbreviation either for "persecutione" (persecution) or for "prosecutione" (continuation in time), while Messinghan's 1624 had it as "persecutione". If it were indeed "psecutione" it could be interpreted as "continuation" and the opening line of prophecy 112 could read as – "In the extreme passage of time the seat of the Holy Roman Church will be occupied by Peter the Roman" – thus suggesting that there may be a Pope or Popes in between Gloria olivae and Petrus Romanus.

• Response: The first printed publication reads not psecutione but p̲secutione, with a line through the descender of the p letter. This is a common and unambiguous scribal abbreviation for the sequence per, and cannot be confused with the scribal abbreviation for pro. All subsequent variants of the text read persecutione, unambiguously, and the word fits the context well.