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Spooky 12th Century Prophecy on the Pope
The first thing we want to say upfront is that what you are about to read has been widely dismissed as a hoax by religious scholars. That said, the world may soon end. Judgment day approaches. The clue? Pope Benedict XVI's rise to the papacy.
According to a 12th century Catholic prophecy by the Irish archbishop St. Malachy, who was recognized for his ability to see into the future, Pope Benedict XVI fits his description of the second-to-the-last pope before the Last Judgment, report Reuters and WorldNetDaily. The Bible says the Last Judgment is when God will separate the wicked from the righteous.
Legend has it that St. Malachy was traveling to Rome in the year 1139 when he had a vision concerning the next 112 popes. Benedict XVI is No. 111 on that list. St. Malachy described pope No. 111 as the "Glory of the Olive."
Here's where you may have to stretch your imagination a bit to connect Benedict to an olive, although the Internet doomsayers seem to have had an easy enough time of doing this.
The-world-is-ending crowd points to this:
1.The choice of the name "Benedict" is a reference to the Order of Saint Benedict. A branch of this order is known as...are you ready? The Olivetans.
2.Benedict XVI chose his name in part to honor Pope Benedict XV, whom the new pope described as a "courageous prophet of peace." Get it? Olive branches have long been associated with peace.
3.During Palm Sunday celebrations in March 2005, then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was photographed holding olive branches and not the more traditional palms.
Reuters notes that scholars have long dismissed the wide publication of St. Malachy's prophecy as nothing more than a propaganda attempt to influence a 16th century conclave. But those who believe are not swayed by this. They insist that Pope John Paul II fits Malachy's description of pope No. 110, who was supposed to be "of the labor of the Sun." Turns out that Pope John Paul II was born on the day of a full solar eclipse and died on the same day as a partial eclipse.
And that brings us to the last pope in Malachy's vision, pope No. 112. He is supposed to be Peter the Roman, who will lead the Catholic church before "the formidable judge will judge his people." Since Pope Benedict XVI is 78 years old, it is presumed his reign will not be long. And then we will welcome the last pope and the Last Judgment.
Did that give you goose bumps?
