Saint Malachy’s Prophecy and the Pope Hierarchy

Compiled and researched by Dhon72 & J4

This is about the man behind the prophecy of the papal hierarchy whose prophecy have ignited a debate to some scholars and non-scholars alike of the present times. He was known by many names such as Maol Maedoc, Maolmhaodhog ua Morgair and Malachy O'Morgair better known as Saint Malachy. He was born on the year 1094 at Armagh, Ireland and died on November 2, 1148 at Clairvaux, France. An Archbishop of, and according to some reports having supernatural powers such as levitation, healing in which several miracles were credited to him and clairvoyance when he foretells the last 111 Popes. Just like Nostradamus, he too predicts the exact date of his own death. And according to experts, his prophecy has a 99% accuracy. He was canonized by Pope Clement III on July 6, 1199, and was the first Irish to be canonize as a saint.

Saint Malachy replaced the Celtic liturgy (the "Stowe" missal) with the Roman liturgy in an attempt to bring into Roman influence in the form of uniformity of the church ceremonies. As the story tells, he was on his way to Vatican, Rome, to take upon the post as papal nuncio for Ireland, when he fell into a hypnotic state and saw a vision of papal hierarchy stretching from Pope Celestine II and up to the last pope which to some scholar thinks is the time of tribulation or simply the end of the world. In his vision, the Holy Spirit revealed each of the future popes in symbolically related manner either by family name, character or attitudes, family insignia, region where he lived or work or his physical features. Then he wrote it in Latin, describing each pope either in short phrases or motto. All in all, he symbolically describes 111 pontiffs.

The much debated part of the prophecy was the 1820 printed version of Malachy’s prophesies, Lignum Vitre written by a Benedictine Historian, Arnold de Wyon in the year 1559, an additional pope appeared and was not in the original manuscript of Saint Malachy. It was then found out that the Olivetan monks (Order of Saint Benedict) are the one who added it claiming the final pope will come within their Order. Because Saint Benedict himself foretold that before the end of the world, his Order will triumphantly lead the Catholic Church in its battle against evil (the so-called Battle of Armageddon). Thus the creation of the additional pope, described as Peter the Roman (Petrus Romanus) came to being.

Because of this, many conspiracy theories sprung up trying to debunk the credibility of Saint Malachy’s Prophecy, saying that it was a forgery perpetrated by Jesuits scholars of that time and up to some mongers riding the wave to discredit the Vatican for its role on tampering the manuscript for their hidden agenda. Thus, affecting a lot of documents and manuscripts starting from the bible conceptions, Dead Sea scrolls, The Third Secrets of Fatima and many more.

Here is the list of the last ten mottos in Saint Malachy’s Prophecy with its english translation including Saint Benedict’s Prophecy:

(Signus Ardens or Ignis Ardens) Burning Sign or Burning Fire pertains to Pope PIUS X who reigns in the year 1903 to 1914. He reformed the Church customs and laws and his letter to all the bishops showing his desire to restore all things in Christ making him the exact description of this motto.

Religio Depopulata) Religion Laid Waste was related to Pope BENEDICT XV who reigns in the year 1914 to 1922. Because, it was in his time when World War I broke out and a disturbing and shocking news reached the whole church about hunger, starvation and the slaughter of many people that happened during the Russian Civil War and what Lenin’s Government has taken on and implemented an anti-religious policy.

(Fides Intrepida) Unshaken Faith regarded to Pope PIUS XI who reigns in the year 1922 to 1939. He published his letter to the bishops Mit Brennender Sorge to denounce the Nazi racism and anti-Semitism. He challenges without fear Hitler and Mussolini’s policy against the Jews and on the other hand Stalin for the persecution of Christians and the annihilation of Priests and Nuns in the Soviet Union.

(Pastor Angelicus) Angelic Shepherd pertaining to Pope PIUS XII who reigns in the year 1939 to 1958. This Pope characterized by a great spirituality, reaffirmed the rights of the family, the rights of parents to supervise their children's education, and the rights of conscience, stressing the fundamental unity of all mankind under the fatherhood of God. He also showed interest and concern in nature and for all God's creatures. Sometimes at the farm in Castelgandolfo, the pope would walk about simply enjoying the presence of the animals, especially the sheep, which he often gently touched.

(Pastor et nauta) Pastor and Mariner describing Pope JOHN XXIII who reigns in the year 1958 to 1963. It was in his time when he called the Second Vatican Council and to which a lot of changes have been seen in the Catholic Church such as the comprehensive revised liturgy, the strong emphasis on ecumenism and the new approach to the world. Many protestant organizations honor him as a renewer of the Christian church and were remembered with the affectionate appellative “The Good Pope”. He was a pastor to the world, a much beloved, and was also a Patriarch of Venice (the water city) before he became a pope.

(Flos Florum) Flower of Flowers describing Pope PAUL VI who reigns in the year 1963 to 1978 and whose coat-of-arms depicts three fleurs-de-lis (Iris blossoms).

(De Medietate lunae) Of the Half Moon was pertaining to Pope JOHN PAUL I whose reigns was among the shortest in papal history, August 26, 1978 to September 29, 1978. It was a half moon when he became Pope.

(De Lobaore solis) Labor of the Son is Pope JOHN PAUL II who reigns in the year 1978 to 2005. Like the sun which never ceases to labor and provides light daily, the most traveled Pope who persevere in spreading the faith to every corner of the world. He was born on May 18, 1920 on which there was a near total eclipse of the sun over Europe and at the time of his funeral a Hybrid Solar Eclipse also occurred.

(De Gloria Olivae) The Glory of the Olive is Pope Benedict XVI who reigns in the year 2005 up to the present. Quoting from his General Audience speech on April 27, 2005 at Saint Peter’s Square, “I wanted to be called Benedict XVI in order to create a spiritual bond with Benedict XV, who steered the Church through the period of turmoil caused by the First World War. He was a courageous and authentic prophet of peace and strove with brave courage first of all to avert the tragedy of the war and then to limit its harmful consequences. Treading in his footsteps, I would like to place my ministry at the service of reconciliation and harmony between persons and peoples, since I am profoundly convinced that the great good of peace is first and foremost a gift of God, a precious but unfortunately fragile gift to pray for, safeguard and build up, day after day, with the help of all.”

(Petrus Romanus) Peter the Roman – From the manuscript of Saint Malachy the 112 motto states “In persecutione extrema sacrae romanae ecclesiae sedebit Petrus romanus, qui pascet oves in multis tribulationibus; quibi transactis, civitas septis collis diruetur, ed Judex tremendus judicabit populum suum. Finis.” The translation of which is “In the final persecution of the Holy Roman Church there will reign Peter the Roman, 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.”

Some of the prophecies of the famous French seer Nostradamus also have a connection in Saint Malachy's prophecy. From Nostradamus prophecy Century 5 Quatrain 49:

Nul de l'Espagne, mais de l'antique France
Ne sera esleu pour le trembant nacelle
A l'ennemy sera faicte fiance,
Qui dans son regne sera peste cruelle.

meaning:

Not from Spain but from ancient France
Will one be elected for the trembling bark,
To the enemy will a promise be made,
He who will cause a cruel plague in his realm.

“Not from Spain but from ancient France" Even though most of the conclave wants a Spanish Pope, Pope Benedict XVI was still elected. He was born at Marktl am Inn, Bavaria, Germany in which was under the rule of Franks before.

“Will one be elected for the trembling bark,” He was elected as pope at the time when the church was in grave danger, when war against terrorism (War on Iraq) had been initiated and was in full swing.

“To the enemy will a promise be made,” Probably to make peace and to avert war.

"He who will cause a cruel plague in his realm." And through the treacherous act made by those whom the pope made peace with, instead of peace it might cause a lot more persecution of Christians by those people of other religion that hates Christianity.

In the last motto we see Peter the Roman was the reigning Pope during the final persecution of the Holy Roman Church and at the time of many tribulation, does it mean that Pope Benedict XVI as “De Gloria Olivae” (The Glory of the Olive) of the present times will reign at the start of the final persecution of the Holy Roman Church and the said tribulations? Does the aforementioned Final Persecution of the Church and the tribulations; are the tribulations whom our Lord Jesus spoke of and the rest of the prophets of the Holy Bible?

In this trying times, where oil crisis, war and news of war, famine, civil unrest, political and religious upheaval, racial discrimination, plaques and diseases, natural calamities and life’s tragedy roaming every corner of the world and were always been the main issue of every televisions, radios, newspapers, tabloids, magazines and even in the internet, one may think and ask, is it the end? Are we living in the end of times, the so-called tribulation, just like what all the prophets of the Holy Bible speak about?

The News on Israel’s Military exercise in the east Mediterranean on a possible bombing on Iran’s nuclear facilities and Iran’s answer it by showing its missile capabilities, while U.S. announcing they will defend American Interest and the interest of their allies was an eerie feeling sending a message on each one of us on what would be the outcome in the days to come. The most affected part if war broke out between Israel and Iran would be the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway to whom 40% of Worlds' crude oils passes through. Just imagine the impact of this event, for countries heavily dependent on oil, it could cause an economic collapse triggering a domino effect where all countries might get involved into, thus starting a world war.

Relatively our Lord Jesus gave his apocalyptic prophecy about the end of time from the Mount of Olives sighting Matthew 24:1-2,

“As Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him in private. Tell us when all this will be, they asked, and what will happen to show that it is the time for your coming and the end of the age.”

Either Saint Malachy's Prophecy is true or not, no one really knows about the future, when it will happen or if it will happen, as stated in the bible, Matthew 24:36-38,

“No one knows, however, when that day and hour will come - neither the angels in heaven nor the Son; the Father alone knows. The coming of the Son of Man will be like what happened in the time of Noah”.

But our Lord Jesus teach us also the lesson of the Fig Tree, as stated in the bible, Luke 21:29-33,

“Then Jesus told them this parable: Think of the fig tree and all the other trees. When you see their leaves beginning to appear, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see these things happening, you will know that the Kingdom of God is about to come.

Remember that all these things will take place before the people now living have all died. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my word will never pass away”.

Quoting from The History Channel – Lost Book of Nostradamus “What Nostradamus is trying tell us from his prophecy and what it is all about was, “that we have a choice here and at the end of this age, here at the end of time, and the choice is to become our destiny, become who we are and if we fail, we will fail completely and we’re going to loose everything that we’ve gain.”

God gave each one of us, freewill; a choice to decide on what path we have to take. And from it, we carve our own destiny as we may say; we are the master of our own destiny. The choices we take and the decisions we make today shall be the fruits we shall reap tomorrow and the days to come.

So in the end, it is our choice, it is our decision to make, either to have a future of enlightenment and happiness or a future of destruction and the end of everything.


References:

St. Malachy’s Prophecy: Made Centuries Ago Regarding The Popes, It Still Seems To Hold Good. - The New York Times. Published: August 23, 1914
Saint Malachy from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
Why Last Pope by Mario Menichella
The Pope’s Funeral And The Malachy Prophecy by Jon Christian Ryter
The History Channel – Lost Book of Nostradamus
Pope Benedict XVI - General Audience – April 27, 2005
Morgana’s Observatory

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