By COGwriter
Do you know much about end-time prophecy? Do you know what the Bible teaches? Do you know what Roman Catholics teach? Do you know that the Bible shows that false prophets will arise and that nearly everyone on the Earth will be deceived?
This article will discuss the Bible, Roman Catholic understanding of private prophecies, selected prophecies generally accepted by the Roman Catholic Church, some fulfilled Roman Catholic prophecies, some Roman Catholic prophecies that might be fulfilled, some Roman Catholic prophecies that were not fulfilled, some Roman Catholic prophecies that are certain to be fulfilled (though not quite as many understand), and some understanding of biblical prophecy by the Living Church of God (LCG).
This paper will be divided into sections of generally related items. Some items could be placed into more than one category. This article contains one of the most comprehensive collections of end-time Catholic prophecies from multiple writers anywhere on the internet showing how they often "mirror" Bible prophecies as many are the reverse image (while some support the Bible).
Many of the "prophecies" in this article are translations (almost always by Roman Catholics) and hence may not always precisely convey what the "prophet" intended. And in some cases, those listed as the supplier of the "prophecies" may have received or acknowledged receiving the information contained in them from other sources (such as stating they were from an apparition or heard/read from a prophet).
I normally use the term "Roman Catholic", and not simply "Catholic", to distinguish that Eastern Orthodox sources (which consider themselves to be Catholic) do not necessarily have the same teachings. In addition any word(s) in the following type of brackets "{}" was an insert from me. Other parenthetical comments were added by other commentators like the authors of the books cited. Nearly all of the italics and boldings in quotes were in the original sources. It also should be noted that even though I have over two dozen volumes of them, I have not seen all Catholic prophecies, and many are not translated or otherwise generally available. I do not consider most of the "private prophets" claimed by certain Catholics to be sent by God, hence while I have quoted titles such as "saint", "Holy Pope", "Great Monarch", father, bishop, etc., I do not normally accept that God would call them that in an ecclesiastical sense.
Before getting into Catholic prophecies themselves, it is important to understand that the Bible has various warnings about deceiving spirits and false prophets.
A lying spirit once stated:
'I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets' (1 Kings 22:22, NKJV throughout unless otherwise indicated).
The Apostle Paul taught and warned:
1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons (1 Timothy 4:1).
Notice what Jesus taught and warned:
11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many...24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand (Matthew 24:11, 24-25).
How can it be possible to deceive nearly every one since the Bible is warning about this in advance?
I believe that there are several reasons that will converge to allow Jesus' prophecy to be fulfilled at the end, including people being influenced by private prophecies that may have came to them from their own imaginations or demons.
Notice that the Bible shows that the demons, though they know Jesus is the Christ, also have some understanding of prophecy:
28 When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way. 29 And suddenly they cried out, saying, "What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?" (Matthew 8:28-29).
The Bible also shows that even one who aids idolaters (such as Balak was) can be a prophet:
5 Then the LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, "Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak." 6 So he returned to him, and there he was, standing by his burnt offering, he and all the princes of Moab..." (Numbers 23:5-6).
Even the Roman Catholic Church itself teaches that one can be other than pious and be a prophet:
Benedict XIV (Heroic Virtue, III,144,150) says: "The recipients of prophecy may be angels, devils, men, women, children, heathens, or gentiles; nor is it necessary that a man should be gifted with any particular disposition in order to receive the light of prophecy provided his intellect and senses be adapted for making manifest the things which God reveals to him. Though moral goodness is most profitable to a prophet, yet it is not necessary in order to obtain the gift of prophecy." (Devine, Arthur. Transcribed by Marie Jutras. Prophecy. The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XII. Published 1911. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Nihil Obstat, June 1, 1911. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York).
Thus, many recognize that prophecies can come from various sources. Sources that can be false, even if from the spirit world.
The Catholic Encyclopedia teaches that the acceptance of private prophecies is optional:
The Church allows freedom in accepting or rejecting particular or private prophecies according to the evidence for or against them...The minatory prophecies which announce calamities, being for the most part conditional, may or may not be fulfilled. Many private prophecies have been verified by subsequent events, some have not; others have given rise to a good deal of discussion as to their genuineness. Most of the private prophecies of the saints and servants of God were concerned with individuals, their death, recovery from illness, or vocations. Some foretold things which would affect the fate of nations, as France, England, and Ireland. A great number have reference to popes and to the papacy; and finally we have many such prophecies relating to the end of the world and the approach of the Day of Judgment (Devine, Arthur. Transcribed by Marie Jutras. Prophecy. The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XII. Published 1911. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Nihil Obstat, June 1, 1911. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York).
Yet, it needs to be understood that Roman Catholics believe that their private prophecies are highly important:
Private revelations (i.e. apparitions and locutions with or without prophecies) are those which have been recorded since the days of Christ. Revelations which were recorded up to the days of Christ are known as public, biblical, or scriptural revelations...
Many Catholic devotions are based solely on private revelations: the Rosary, the Sacred Heart, and the Scapular are cases in point. More recently, devotion to Our Lady of Fatima was accepted and encouraged by the Church. (Dupont, Yves. Catholic Prophecy: The Coming Chastisement. TAN Books, Rockford (IL), 1973, p.9).
In other words, even the rosary, one of the foundations of current-day Catholic living, is admitted to have entered the Catholic world through "private revelation" (this particular "revelation" was supposedly given to "St. Dominic" the inquisitor in the early 13th century "as an antidote to heresy and sin").
Various Roman Catholics have made private prophecies that other Roman Catholics and even the Roman Catholic Church itself believe have been fulfilled.
For the sake of space, the details of them will not be discussed here (though a few are included in Appendix A). But the following is certainly an impressive list with the comments essentially a paraphrase of what the "private prophet" or the Roman Catholic writer cited have concluded about it:
Now it needs to be understood that not all Roman Catholic private prophecies have come to pass--including at least one apparition claiming to be Mary, which predicted the end of the world in the 19th century (see Culligan E. The Last World War and the End of Time. The book was blessed by Pope Paul VI, 1966. TAN Books, Rockford (IL), p. 120), a claim that 1957 would cause the healing of all wounds (ibid, p. 130), and another that the world would end in 1991 (ibid, p. 131). When they do not happen, Roman Catholics tend to feel that either the person was not properly inspired by God, the prophecy was misunderstood, or that the prophecy was somehow conditional and some condition changed that stopped it from happening.
However, the above list of possibly fulfilled prophecies is certainly impressive (and I could have made it a lot longer) and I strongly believe will set the stage for the masses of people to accept a final modified Roman Catholic Church interpretation of future events as well.
Perhaps I should add the following private Roman Catholic prophecy also in this section:
Jeanne le Royer (Sister of the Nativity). The storm began in France, and France shall be the first theatre of its ravages after having been its cradle. (Dupont, p.59)
Certain Roman Catholics teach something called "the minor chastisement" which is discussed in a later section. It is supposed to essentially be civil unrest/civil wars in Europe. And while that has not clearly happened yet, there were riots in Paris, France in the summer of 2005. I believe that they will possibly later be interpreted as the start of "the minor chastisement", hence in that sense, the above private prophecy may have been partially fulfilled (but essentially major devastation of Paris is still ahead if the related Catholic prophecies do come to pass).
Here is a basic outline of quotes of what may be the majority position (other Catholics have a different view which is more consistent with that of the Living Church of God) within the Roman Catholic world on prophetic sequence mainly put together by the Catholic writer Desmond A. Birch wrote (all sequentially on pages 553-557 and by him unless other pages/authors are noted):
Our Lady told Sister Marianne:..."But this knowledge will only become known to the general public in the 20th. Century. "During this epoch the Church will find itself attacked by waves by the secret sect... (Birch, p. 326).
At some time in the future, the corrupt faithless age we live in now will come to an end either through repentance (immediately followed by an age of peace)--or there will be a chastisement. This would be a Minor Chastisement preceding an Age of Peace. It is not the Tribulation of the Antichrist...
Civil war breaks out in France and Italy at almost the same time. This is the sign given by many prophets that the Chastisement has begun...
This will spread to general wars, and, famine and pestilence (the usual by-products of war)...
Earthquakes, tidal waves, floods and all other sorts of "natural" disasters will occur...
Some Moslems will cause great trouble for the Church and Europe in general...
England will suffer a terrible civil war which starts after the French and Italians have gone through theirs.
The Pope will flee Rome in the company of several other cardinals and go into hiding, be found, and cruelly murdered (Birch, p. 553).
Anne Catherine Emmerich (October 1, 1822) "The Church," she groaned, "is in great danger. I must ask every one who comes to see me to say an Our Father for that intention. We must pray that the Pope may not leave Rome, for unheard-of evils would result from such a step. We must pray the Holy Ghost to enlighten him, for they are even now trying to exact something of him...Two men live at this time who long to ruin the Church, but they have lost one who used to help them with his pen. He was killed by a young man about a year ago, and one of the two men of whom I speak left Germany at the same time. They have their employees everywhere. The little black man in Rome, whom I see so often, has many working for him without their clearly knowing for what end. He has his agents in the new black church also. If the Pope leaves Rome, the enemies of the Church will get the upper hand. I see the little black man in his own country committing many thefts and falsifying things generally. Religion is there so skillfully undermined and stifled that there are scarcely one hundred faithful priests. I cannot say how it is, but I see fog and darkness increasing. There are however, three churches that they cannot seize: St. Peter's, St. Mary-Major's and St. Michael's. Although they are constantly trying to undermine them, they will not succeed. I help not. All must be rebuilt soon for every one, even ecclesiastics are laboring to destroy--ruin is at hand. The two enemies of the Church who have lost their accomplice are firmly resolved to destroy the pious and learned men that stand in their way." (Emmerich AC. The Life of Lord Jesus Christ and Biblical Revelations. Schmöger edition, Vol. IV. Nihil Obstat: D. Jaegher, 14 Februari 1914. Imprimatur: A.C. De Schrevel, Brugis, 14 Februari 1914. Reprint TAN Books, Rockford (IL), 2004, p.298)
A man who will subsequently be known as a great saint will ultimately be elected pope near the end of the Chastisement. He will be heavily responsible for the French acceptance of a king to be their military and civil leader...(Birch, p. 553)
Bl. Anna-Maria Taigi (19th Century)..."After the three days of darkness, St. Peter and St. Paul, having come down from Heaven, will preach in the whole world and designate a new Pope. A great light will flash from their bodies and will settle upon the cardinal who is to become Pope. Christianity, then, will spread throughout the world. He is the Holy Pontiff, chosen by God to withstand the storm. At the end, he will have the gift of miracles, and his name shall be praised over the whole earth (Birch, pp. 362-363).
The Great King will be crowned Holy Roman Emperor by the reigning Pope (Birch, p. 555).
At some point, the Great King chases an invading Moslem army back to the Holy Land...(Birch, p. 553)
The Great King will lead his forces to...victory (Birch, p. 554)
In the 12th century, Catholic saint Hildegard of Bingen declared, "And fly from those who linger in caves and are cloistered supporters of the Devil. Woe to them, woe to them who remain thus! They are the Devil's very viscera, and the advance guard of the son of perdition" (Hildegard of Bingen. Scivias. Paulist Press, Mahwah (NJ), p. 301).
The Great King will establish Peace and justice in civil matters on a worldwide basis, and protect the primacy of the Church in spiritual matters. The former disciplines of the Church are fully restored and order is re-established.
The Pope calls an Ecumenical Council which will be viewed as the greatest in the history of the Church. The world is spiritually and materially prosperous as never before and many Jews, Mohammedans, heathens and heretics will enter the Church.
Extended prosperity causes people to begin to grow lax in the practice of their faith.
Wars and bad economic times break out again after some period of time during which the faithful fall into laxity...
The "False Prophet" arrives--the Precursor of Antichrist. He will "ape" the role that St. John the Baptist performed in preparing the people for the arrival of the Messiah.
All of this prepares the way for the coming of Antichrist. He begins his rise to power at about the age of thirty. After he seizes total power he begins a three and one half year of bestial persecution of the Church. (Birch pp. 555,556).
St. Hildegard (d. 1179): ...this cardinal will proclaim himself Anti-Pope, and two thirds of the Christians will go with him. He, also well as Antichrist, are descendants of Dan (Culleton, R. Gerald. The Reign of Antichrist, Reprint TAN Books, Rockford, IL, 1974, p. 128).
St. Cyril of Jerusalem (4th century) ..."This aforementioned Antichrist is to come when the times of the Roman Empire have been fulfilled and the end of the world is drawing near" (Birch, p. 227).
Dionysius...Antichrist will be an iconoclast. Most in the world will adore him. He will teach that the Christian (Catholic) religion is false, confiscation of Christian (Catholic) property is legal, Saturday is to be observed instead of Sunday, and he will change the ten commandments...He will read people's minds, raise the dead, reward his followers, and punish the rest (Connor Edward. Prophecy for Today, 4th ed. TAN Books, Rockford (IL) 1984, p.85).
During this period, Enoch and Elijah, who have never died but have been maintained in "Paradise" return to the presence of men and preach to the people against Antichrist...It is the arrival of these "Two Witnesses"...
After the death of Antichrist...Then Jesus comes in glory to judge the living and the dead. It is the end of the world and time. (Birch, pp.556,557)
In the above, essentially what writer Birch considered to be the "Minor Chastisement" was followed by a claimed "time of peace" and then followed by the beginning of the "Great Tribulation" (which Birch elsewhere calls the "Major Chastisement").
Now the following is my own understanding of certain relevant supportive Catholic prophecies in a relatively chronological sequence (some are concurrent) with my comments in italics as to where they are accurate in the sense that they appear to mirror (they are the opposite/reverse) biblical prophecy:
1. There will be a reduction in active Catholics truly practicing the Catholic religion, especially in Europe.
This has occurred to a degree already.
2. This will lead to what some Catholics call the "minor chastisement". Essentially this chastisement will include serious civil turmoil in Europe.
This possibly may have started with the small riots in Paris in 2005, in Denmark in 2006, Greece in 2008, Latvia in 2009--but much much more devastating riots are expected according to their "prophets"--and biblically this is possible.
3. This will lead to military leaders putting down the riots and minimizing Moslem influence in Europe.
This seems to be biblically essential for certain biblical prophecies to be fulfilled.
4. The one who ultimately emerges as the main military leader will not be widely accepted at first and will probably offend some of the clergy as this new leader will promote a different religious order and claim that it is within Catholicism.
I would tend to consider that this religious order may fulfill Daniel 11:37-39 as it will combine the god of fortresses (the god of the Roman Empire, who is the god of those professing Christian religions that endorse, and often encourage, carnal warfare as acceptable for their followers) and the foreign god that his fathers did not know (probably the new, probably more ecumenical and changed, religious order the King of the North will honor). Many Catholics are rightly concerned that one who will change their faith should be considered as suspect.
5. A pope, who will later do miracles, will crown the military leader as the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire (some Catholic prophecies consider this pope to be some type of "Holy Pontiff", while others would seem to consider him to be a false pope). This pope or perhaps his immediate predecessor (who may die in exile while old) is prophesied to bring the Eastern Orthodox back into some communion with Rome. There are several Catholic prophecies warning against a future antipope.
We in the Living Church of God would likely call the miracle performing pope the false prophet or final Antichrist. I (and several respected Catholic writers) consider him to be an antipope in the sense that unlike most other pontiffs this one is in direct and close league with the demons. Catholics generally consider that a pontiff in direct/close league with demons would be an antipope. But although there are Catholic prophecies warning against a future antipope, many Catholics (even according to Catholic prophecies) will not realize that this miracle performing pontiff is the antipope that some of their writers/prophets have apparently warned about.
6. Many Catholic prophecies refer to the military leader as the "Great Monarch" and be crowned as head of the new Holy Roman Empire. He will put down all then considered by "Catholics" as heresies, including the "secret sect"-- a group that denies "the unity of God" and whose plans undermine the revised "Catholic" Church. The Great Monarch will uproot Islam and invade various Arab lands. This time under the Great Monarch certain Catholics indicate will be their "time of peace".
We in LCG would likely call the military leader the Beast (as well as the King of the North). As discussed throughout this article, we in LCG are probably the group that some Catholics will later claim is the "secret sect" that they have been concerned about rising up. Some Catholic prophecies indicate that the secret sect will cause some clergy and other Catholics to leave the Catholic Church. About the time of the Great Monarch we in LCG will have gotten the Gospel out to more completely fulfill Matthew 24:14, which will lead to persecution from the Beast (which persecution they seem to call putting down heresies) then the end of the Philadelphia church efforts come as the Philadelphians will go to the place of safety. The Catholics suggest that the trinity that they adopted in 381 A.D., which we in LCG deny as they define it (although we do believe in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and accept a certain threeness about God, see Theophilus of Antioch), expresses "the unity of God". I also believe that carrying out LCG's plans to restore apostolic Christianity and to proclaim the truth about God's plan of salvation will be interpreted as undermining Catholicism.
The claimed "time of peace" (when it is not really peace, cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:3) is actually probably just before and after the start of the Great Tribulation that will begin with the destruction of the Anglo-American nations (see Anglo - America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel), followed by a "retaliatory" invasion of an Arab-Muslim block (see The Arab World In the Bible, History, and Prophecy), and ultimately the destruction Europe itself (see Europa, the Beast, and Revelation).
7. The combination of the Great Monarch and "Holy Pope" with this new religious order will convert the world to this new brand of Catholicism (false apparitions claiming to be Mary may also play a role, see Mary, the Mother of Jesus and the Apparitions). This will be the last true Roman Empire (one 12th century Catholic leader, as well as an Orthodox monk, also called this Empire "Babylon" in a positive light) in which "there will be on earth twelve Kings, one Emperor, one Pope and a few Princes". Some Roman Catholics believe that this will lead to the final fulfillment Matthew 24:14 as much of the world will then hold to this new order within the name Catholicism.
The Bible teaches that ten kings will give their power to the Beast--I suspect that it starts with 10, but that one or two other kings join later in order to make 12 and/or one or two kingdoms become subdivided into two each).
8. During this time two will preach, one of whom certain "Catholics" will refer to as the false prophet. This "false prophet" will announce that one many Catholics consider to be the Antichrist to come is Christ.
We in LCG will apparently consider that the two who will preach are the two witnesses who will announce that Jesus will come and that there will be a millennial reign of Christ followed by the second resurrection. The one whom we call Jesus, they seem to call the Antichrist (see Do Certain Catholic Prophecies About Antichrist Warn Against Jesus? ).
9. Prior to the coming of the son of perdition, a group of pious people will live in caves and be miraculously taken care of. They are considered servants of the devil as well as his viscera. The mystic Hildegard warned end-time "Catholic" people (which would seem to be those that accepted a changed form of Catholicism), over 800 years ago, to stay away from them.
We consider that during the time of the son of perdition, the Philadelphians will be protected in the wilderness and be fed by God--for various reasons, it appears that an area with caves is likely. It is possible that those protected may provide some assistance to the two witnesses.
10. Certain Catholic leaders now denounce the idea of a future millennial reign as heretical doctrines of Antichrist. Some will likely claim that ones that they call the "false prophets" cannot be the two witnesses because some contend that the two witnesses are Enoch and Elijah (which they sometimes spell as Henoch and Elias) who are still waiting in Paradise to come down to earth.
Since we in LCG teach that Enoch and Elijah are dead, and thus believe that the two witnesses would deny that they came down from Paradise as Enoch and Elijah--this will likely confirm to certain "Catholics" that those that we refer to as the two witnesses will be to them as "false prophets". This will also be consistent with the improper view that the millennial teaching is a doctrine of Antichrist.
It is important to note that certain other Catholics have correctly indicated that the two witnesses can be some other than Enoch and Elijah.
11. Some Catholics seem to believe that many Catholics will fall away from Catholicism (their "great apostasy") during the end of time of the Great Monarch and this will lead to a "major chastisement" that will result in the destruction of the final Roman Empire and usher in the reign of Antichrist. The Antichrist is specifically prophesied by various Catholics to come immediately at end of the time of the Great Monarch and Holy Pontiff.
The so-called "major chastisement" seems to be what we in LCG call "the day of the Lord". The one several of their prophets call the Antichrist is the one whom we call Jesus (Do Certain Catholic Prophecies About Antichrist Warn Against Jesus?). Those that "turn away" from the new ecumenical Catholicism will be likely part of the great multitude that converts to true Christianity during the great tribulation (cf. Revelation 7:9).
12. Although the "Antichrist" may be considered as an antipope (a minority, but valid, view within Catholicism), certain writings indicate that he may be Jewish. He will either try to establish a new Roman Empire (possibly a minority view within Catholicism) or some type of Jewish Empire. He will insist on a seventh-day Sabbath, eliminate Catholic mass, change (perhaps put back in their original numbering and meaning) the ten commandments, and eliminate all idols. This "Antichrist" will raise the dead, read people's minds, be able to fly, and will usher in a prosperous age. Determined revisionist end-time Catholics will not accept this one and will wait and fight him and ultimately hope to triumph as Jesus will come.
We in LCG believe that the one some "Catholic" writers teach is Antichrist is really Jesus (Do Certain Catholic Prophecies About Antichrist Warn Against Jesus?), hence this is why they will fight Him upon His return. The prosperous age would then be the millennium, an original doctrine of the early Church that the ecumenically-minded Cardinal Ratzinger previously denounced (see Did The Early Church Teach Millenarianism?).
Since at the time of the end, from a religious perspective it will essentially be God's Church verses the Church of Antichrist (a changed religion that will likely call itself "Catholic"), I believe that better understanding the Catholics' past and their prophecies helps LCG better tailor our message so that we will better be able to properly fulfill the first part of Matthew 24:14. I also suspect that our improved future effectiveness in getting the Gospel out (perhaps a very "short work", see Romans 9:28) will trigger persecution from the Beast and that this causes the end to come (the second part of Matthew 24:14).
Here is a Catholic prophecy that seems to predict that:
Priest Nectou S.J. (d. 1772): They indeed shall conspire for the destruction of the Church; but the time shall not be allowed them, because this frightful crisis shall be for a short duration. When all will be considered lost, all shall be found safe...The triumph of the Church will then be so complete that nothing like it shall ever be seen...A man disliked by France will be placed on the throne...(Culleton, p. 176; cf. Dupont, p. 48).
Perhaps another, semi-official, view of these prophecies by another Catholic, who is Vice President for Theology at EWTN (a Catholic broadcasting organization) might also help show that my understanding of some of these events is consistent with the generally accepted order by some of the Catholics:
The term "endtimes" applies both to the era of Christ's first coming (Heb 1:2, 1 Cor 10:11, Heb 9:26) and to the events immediately before his return and the end of the ages (Mt 24:13, 2 Tim 2:1, 2 Peter 3:3). The definitive Catholic teaching on the endtimes is contained in the Catechism of the Catholic Church under the discussion of the article of the Creed, "From thence He will come again to judge the living and the dead." [CCC 668-682]...The Catechism provides us with a general order of events at the End [CCC 673-677]...
Approved Catholic mystics (Venerables, Blessed and Saints, approved apparitions) throw considerable light on this order, by prophesying a minor apostasy and tribulation toward the end of the world, after which will occur the reunion of Christians. Only later will the entire world fall away from Christ (the great apostasy) and the personal Antichrist arise and the Tribulation of the End occur.
Although this is not Catholic doctrine, arising as it does from private revelation, it conforms to what is occurring in our time, especially in light of Our Lady of Fátima's promise of an "Era of Peace." This "Triumph of the Immaculate Heart" (other saints have spoken of a social reign of Jesus Christ when Jesus will reign in the hearts of men) would seem to occur prior to the rise of the Antichrist. The optimism of the Pope for the "New Evangelization" and a "Civilization of Love" in the Third Millennium of Christianity fits here, as well. This would place us, therefore, in the period just before the events spoken of in the Catechism, that is, on the verge of the evangelization of the entire world. Other interpretations are possible, but none seem to fit the facts as well, especially when approved mystics are studied, instead of merely alleged ones. (Colin B. Donovan, STL. Endtimes, Millennium, Rapture. http://www.ewtn.com/expert/answers/endtimes.htm viewed 09/27/08)
Thus, even The Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) teaches that Catholics have approved mystics that suggest that a minor apostasy and tribulation (which D. Birch called the "minor chastisement") will happen that will lead to an "era of peace" (the time dominated by the Great Monarch, which may also be related to the immaculate or sacred heart doctrine) and that shortly thereafter then the one some writers falsely call Antichrist (who is likely Jesus, see Do Certain Catholic Prophecies About Antichrist Warn Against Jesus?) will come.
On the other hand, some Catholic writers correctly understand that false leaders will rise up and make changes to their church. That is consistent with what we in LCG teach.
We in LCG expect to get Christ's Gospel of the Kingdom to the world as a witness, suffer persecution, flee during the time that some claim is "the era of peace", The King of the North/The Beast will reign with the final Antichrist, and Jesus will return to establish His kingdom on earth for a thousand years.
While we in LCG rely primarily upon the Bible for our understanding of end-time events (as do certain Catholics), some Catholics appear to rely on visions/utterances that seem to take essentially the opposite view of many end-time events (even though many Catholic writings are supportive of the LCG position).
As alluded to earlier, many Roman Catholics believe that there will be two punishments coming to the earth. The first is to essentially wake Roman Catholics up and make existing ones become practicing Catholics again (sometimes called the "minor chastisement") and the second which they believe will occur during the time of Antichrist (sometimes called the "major chastisement").
Here are comments from two authors of books on Catholic prophecies:
This is so because there are two different stages within the Latter-Days period: the first, heralding the final stage, being of lessor intensity: the final stage bringing about the consummation of the world. To each of these two stages will the proximate signs of the End apply. Thus, we are now about to enter the first stage, the Great disaster which is imminent and which shall be followed by a period of peace...In short, virtually the whole world will be Catholic. The universal preaching of the Gospel, in turn, will constitute the first sign of the second stage (Dupont, p. 90)
The Minor Chastisement...This would be a Minor Chastisement preceding an Age of Peace. It is not the Tribulation of Antichrist...The Major Chastisement - the Tribulation of Antichrist (Birch, pp. xlii-xliii)
Many Catholics apparently believe that there will be a time of peace and strangely claim that this is what Revelation 9:20-21 allows:
This text gives no indication about the interval of time between the first and second woe...Verses 20 and 21 presage a time of peace between the first reign of terror in the second woe and the reign of Antichrist (Kramer H.B. L. The Book of Destiny. Nihil Obstat: J.S. Considine, O.P., Censor Deputatus. Imprimatur: +Joseph M. Mueller, Bishop of Sioux City, Iowa, January 26, 1956. Reprint TAN Books, Rockford (IL), p. 228).
However, this "time of peace" appears to be reading something into the Book of Revelation that it does not say. Notice:
20 But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. 21 And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts (Revelation 9:20-21).
It should be noted that the above scripture is the ONLY scriptural proof that Priest Kramer (or Birch text, p. 410, which also claim the same thing) cites for the time of the "age of peace", the time that there will be a Great Monarch and Great Pope. And of course, the above verses in Revelation do not even hint that this alleged "age of peace" happens then.
What kind of proof is that?
False proof of course.
Actually, the Bible warns of a time when peace will falsely be proclaimed:
... they have seduced My people, saying, 'Peace!' when there is no peace (Ezekiel 13:10).
Thus "the age of peace" may be the type of "peace" that the Bible warns against as it otherwise does not endorse that concept prior to the millennial reign of Jesus Christ (see also Did The Early Church Teach Millenarianism?).
Some Catholic writers also expect a false peace.
However, here are comments from those often considered to have been Roman "Catholic" prophets concerning their expected chastisements:
Blessed Anna Maria Taigi (died 1837): "God will ordain two punishments: one, in the form of wars, revolutions and other evils, will originate on earth; the other will be sent from Heaven." (Connor, p. 21)
Venerable Maria of Agreda (died 1665): "An unusual chastisement of the human race will take place toward the end of the world." (Dupont, p.21)
Mother Shipton (16th century). "The great chastisement will come when carriages go without horses..." (Dupont, 113)
Mother Shipton was born Ursula Sontheil in 1488 in a cave beside the river Nidd in North Yorkshire, England. Close by was an ancient well with supposed mystical powers...
When pictures seem alive with movements free When boats like fishes swim beneath the sea, When men like birds shall scour the sky Then half the world, deep drenched in blood shall die.
For those who live the century through In fear and trembling this shall do. Flee to the mountains and the dens To bog and forest and wild fens.
For storms will rage and oceans roar When Gabriel stands on sea and shore And as he blows his wondrous horn Old worlds die and new be born.
A fiery dragon will cross the sky Six times before this earth shall die Mankind will tremble and frightened be for the sixth heralds in this prophecy.
For seven days and seven nights Man will watch this awesome sight. The tides will rise beyond their ken To bite away the shores and then The mountains will begin to roar And earthquakes split the plain to shore.
And flooding waters, rushing in Will flood the lands with such a din That mankind cowers in muddy fen And snarls about his fellow men.
He bares his teeth and fights and kills And secrets food in secret hills And ugly in his fear, he lies To kill marauders, thieves and spies.
Man flees in terror from the floods And kills, and rapes and lies in blood And spilling blood by mankinds hands Will stain and bitter many lands (Mother Shipton's Prophecies. http://www.crystalinks.com/shipton.html 08/26/08).
Bl. Rembort (18th century). "God will punish the world when men have devised marvelous inventions which will lead them to forgetting God. They will have horseless carriages, and they will fly like the birds. But they will laugh at the idea of God, thinking that they are 'very clever'..." (Dupont, p. 113)
Nicholas of Fluh (15th century). "The Church will be punished because the majority of her members will become so perverted. The Church will sink deeper and deeper until she will at last seem to have been extinguished, and the succession of Peter and the other Apostles to have expired. But, after this, she will be victoriously exalted in the sight of all doubters.' (Dupont, p. 30)
Dionysius of Luxemberg (died 1682): a. "After the birth of Antichrist the people of the world will be very wicked and godless. People of real virtue will be very scarce. Pastors in many places will neglect the service of God, and will live with women. Even the religious will crave for worldly things. The churches will be dreary and empty like deserted barns...At the time when Antichrist is about twenty years of age the whole world will be without faith, subjects will be oppressed by rulers and others in authority. In every period of tribulation God aids His Church, and He will do it in the time before the coming of Antichrist. From the midst of His Church He will raise up a Christian ruler who will perform most remarkable deeds. With divine assistance this ruler will not only lead erring souls back to the true Faith but also deal a heavy blow to the foes of the empire; the Turks, to take away their empire and restore it to Christianity (Connor p.84).
Father Bernard Maria Clausi, O.F.M. (died 1849): "Before the triumph of the Church comes, God will first take vengeance on the wicked, especially against the godless. It will be a new judgment; the like has never been seen before, and it will be universal. It will be so terrible that those who outlive it will imagine that they are the only ones spared. All people will then be good and contrite. The judgment will come suddenly and be of short duration. (Connor, p.24)
Nursing Nun of Beliz (died 1830): "There will be a great slaughtering whereby the wicked will try to eradicate the religion of Jesus Christ. After they have killed a great number they will raise a cry of victory, but suddenly the good will receive help from above. This great crisis, in which the good will eventually triumph, will be of short duration, namely about three months. The majority of the wicked will perish and the living will be very much afraid over the chastisement of the others. They cannot but recognize the finger of God and adore His omnipotence. Many will then be converted and justice restored." (Connor, p.24)
Blessed Anna Maria Taigi (died 1837): "described to me the great ordeal ahead. Rome would be battered by revolutions...Millions of men would die by the sword in war and civil strife, other millions would perish in unforeseen death. Then entire nations would return to the unity of the Church, and many Turks, Pagans and Jews would be converted and their fervour cover with confusion the original Christians. In one word she told me that our Lord was intending to cleanse the world and His Church..." (Bessieres A. Wife, Mother and Mystic (Blessed Anna Maria Taigi). Nihil Obstat: Carlos Davis, S.T.L. Imprimatur: E Morrough Bernard, Westmonasteri, die Februari, 1952. Reprint TAN Books, Rockford (IL), 1982, p. 166).
(Note: The term "Turks" sometimes is only referring to followers of Islam as opposed to Turkish peoples. Notice this from a secular, non-Catholic prophecy, source,
"IT WAS A LONG TIME before Christendom was ready to recognize Islam as an independent religious and historical fact. For centuries, Christians were content to refer to Muslims simply as unbelievers or, if some more specific designation was required, by the ethnic names of the various Muslim peoples whom they encountered, as Saracens, Moors or Turks. Even a convert to Islam was said to have 'turned Turk'. When finally Christian Europe consented to give tis great neighbour a religious appellation, it invented one by false analogy, calling to people Muhammadans and their faith Muhammadanism, in the mistaken belief that Muhammad was for Muslims what Christ was for Christians. From the Renaissance onwards, however, European scholars made a serious attempt to learn the languages of the Muslims, and to understand and interpret their religion and civilization" source: Lewis, Bernard, ed. Islam and the Arab World. Alfred A. Knopp, distributed by Random House, NY, 1976, p.9.)
Mother Alphonse Eppinger (1867): "After God has purified the world faith and peace will return. Whole nations will adhere to the teachings of the Catholic Church." (Connor, p.25)
Jeanne le Royer (Sister of the Nativity). "I see in God that a long time before the rise of Antichrist the world will be afflicted with many bloody wars. Peoples will rise against peoples, and nations will rise against nations, sometimes allied, sometimes enemies, in their fight against the same party. Armies will come into frightful collisions and will fill the earth with murder and carnage. (Dupont, p.54)
Jeanne le Royer (Sister of the Nativity). "I saw in the light of the Lord that the faith and our holy Religion would become weaker in almost every Christian kingdom. God has permitted that they should be Chastised by the wicked in order to awaken them from their apathy. And after the justice of God has been satisfied, He will pour out an abundance of graces on His Church, and He will spread the Faith and restore the discipline of the Church in those countries where it had become tepid and lax. (Dupont, pp.55-56)
Basically this first punishment/chastisement is supposed to be civil unrest in Europe that will lead to the acceptance of a Great Monarch/Prince who some claim will restore order, drive out Moslems, be considered to be the head of the Holy Roman Empire, and will help the world become a religion with the name "Catholic" (although some of the accounts are somewhat contradictory), and who they believe comes before the Antichrist:
Birch Tree Prophecy (Old German) “When the world becomes Godless: revolutions will break out against kings; fathers will be against sons and sons against fathers; dogma will be perverted; men will try to overthrow the Catholic Church…A terrible war will find the north fighting against the south. The south will be led by a Prince wearing a white coat with a cross on the front…” (Culleton, R. Gerald. The Prophets and Our Times. Nihil Obstat: L. Arvin. Imprimatur: Philip G. Scher, Bishop of Monterey-Fresno, November 15, 1941. Reprint 1974, TAN Books, Rockford (IL), p. 143).
Jean Paul Richter (d. 1809): Through a terrible purgatory Europe will return to the faith (Culleton, p. 182).
Monk Hilarion (d. 1476): The people of the Peninsula of Europe will suffer by unnecessary wars until the Holy Man comes (Culleton, p. 137).
Venerable Bartholomew Holzhauser (Born in the 17th century, in Germany). "The fifth period of the Church, which began circa 1520, will end with the arrival of the Holy Pope and of the powerful Monarch who is called "Help From God" because he will restore everything [in Christ]...The fifth period is one of affliction, humiliation, and poverty for the Church. Jesus Christ will purify His people...He will also afflict and weaken the Latin Church with many heresies (Dupont, p.38)
Werdin d' Otrante (13th century): "The Great Monarch and the Great Pope will precede Antichrist...All the sects will vanish. The capital of the world will fall...The Great Monarch will come and restore peace and the Pope will share in the victory." (Connor, p. 33)
Venerable Bartholomew Holzhauser...During this period, many men will abuse of the freedom of conscience conceded to them. It is of such men that Jude, the Apostle, spoke when he said" 'These men blaspheme whatever they do not understand; and they corrupt whatever they know naturally as irrational animals do...They feast together without restraint, feeding themselves, grumbling murmurers, walking according to their lusts; their mouth speaketh proud things, they admire people for the sake of gain; they bring about division, sensual men, having not the spirit.' (Dupont, p.39)
Brother Louis Rocco (19th century): Terrible wars will rage all over Europe. God has long been patient with the corruption of morals; half of mankind He will destroy. Russia will witness many outrages. Great cities and small towns alike will be destroyed in a bloody revolution that will cause the death of half the population. In Istanbul (Constantinople) the Cross will replace the half-moon of Islamism, and Jerusalem will be the seat of a King. The southern Slavs will form a great Catholic Empire and drive out of Europe the Turks (Mohammedans), who will withdraw to North Africa and subsequently embrace the Catholic faith. (Dupont, p.76)
Brother Louis Rocco (19th century): All over Europe there will rage terrible civil wars...The German sections of Austria will join Germany, so will also the commercial cities of Belgium and Switzerland. A Catholic descendant of a German imperial house will rule a united Germany with peace, prosperity and great power, for God will be with this sovereign (the Great Monarch?)...A Great Monarch will arise after a period of terrible wars and persecutions in Europe. He will be a Catholic; he will not be a German (Culleton, p. 195).
Priest Lavinsky (died 1708): The world will be harassed by civil wars...the Cross, to the astonishment of all, will shine in double splendor through many lands because of the great ruler (Connor, pp.36-37).
John of the Cleft Rock (1340): The White Eagle (Great Monarch), by order of the Archangel Michael, will drive crescent from Europe where none but Christians will remain--he himself will rule from Constantinople. An era of peace and prosperity will begin for the world. There will no longer be Protestants {there were no "Protestants" then and author Connor of that book suggests that perhaps this word should have been translated as heretics} or schismatics...God will raise up a holy Pope (Connor, pp. 33-34)
Venerable Bartholomew Holzhauser (died 1658):...Are we not to fear, during this period, that the Mohammedans will come again, working out their sinister schemes against the Latin Church? (Dupont, p.39).
Venerable Bartholomew Holzhauser (died 1658):..."When everything has been ruined by war; when Catholics are hard pressed by traitorous co-religionists and heretics; when the Church and her servants are denied their rights, the monarchies have been abolished and their rulers murdered...then the hand of Almighty God will work a marvelous change, something apparently impossible according to human understanding. There will rise a valiant monarch anointed by God. He will be a Catholic, a descendant of Louis IX, (yet) a descendant of an ancient imperial German family, born in exile. He will rule supreme in temporal matters. The Pope will rule supreme in spiritual matters at the same time. Persecution will cease and justice shall reign. Religion seems to be oppressed, but by the changes of entire kingdoms it will be made more firm.
"He will root out false doctrines and destroy the rule of the Moslemism. His dominion will extend from the East to the West. All nations will adore God their Lord according to Catholic teaching. There will be many wise and just men. The people will love justice, and peace will reign over the whole earth, for divine power will bind Satan for many years until the coming of the Son of Perdition.
"The reign of the Great Ruler may be compared with that of Caesar Augustus, who became Emperor after his victory over his enemies, thereby giving peace to the world--also with the reign of Emperor Constantine the Great, who was sent by God, after severe persecutions, to deliver both the Church and State. By his victories on water and land he brought the Roman empire under subjection, which he then ruled in peace...
"The Great Monarch will have the special help of God and be unconquerable.
"The Fifth Epoch of time dates from the reign of Charles V until the reign of the Great Monarch.
"The Sixth Epoch from the Great Monarch until Antichrist. This Sixth Epoch of the Church--'the time of consolation'--begins with the Holy Pope and the Powerful Emperor, and terminates with the reign of Antichrist. This will be an age of solace, wherein God will console His church after the many mortifications and afflictions she had endured in the Fifth period, for all nations will be brought to the unity of the true Catholic Faith." (Connor, pp.35-36)
I suspect that the comments about "when Catholics are hard pressed by traitorous co-religionists and heretics" refers to books and papers written by those who consider themselves Catholics (traitorous co-religionists) and those that once did (heretics--only those once baptized as Catholic are officially considered to possibly be heretics, see appendix B). I believe that we in LCG will help get out more true documented information out that this will help lead to the persecutions Daniel 11:32-35 and Revelation 12:13-15.
It is possible that Washington D.C. is "the capital of the world" that is prophesied to fall by Werdin d' Otrante.
Notice what was taught by at least one Catholic saint:
Giovanni Melchiorre Bosco also known as "Saint Don Bosco" (1862): There will be chaos in the Church. Tranquility will not return until the Pope succeeds in anchoring the boat of Peter between the Twin Pillars of Eucharist Devotion and devotion to Our Lady (Flynn Ted and Maureen. The Thunder of Justice. MaxKol Communications, Inc. Sterling (VA), 1993, p. A213).
Notice that the minor chastisement does not look like it is supposed to end, at least according to one Catholic saint, until Mary devotion increases (for more details, please see Mary, the Mother of Jesus and the Apparitions).
How will the increase of "Catholicism" (the final revised ecumenical religion that will apparently take that name) come about? I suspect it will occur with a combination of events, including signs and wonders (c.f. 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12).
It would also seem that only by eliminating the bastions of Protestantism, such as the United States and its Anglo-allies (like the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand), would it be reasonable for this new Catholicism to reign over the earth (and even then, it is likely to be a changed, more ecumenical, form of Catholicism). For more on what happens to the United States and its Anglo-allies, please see Anglo - America in Prophecy; more on Catholic prophecies that foretell the destruction of the English/Anglo peoples is included later in this article.
Around the time of the destruction of the United States and its Anglo-allies, an ecumenical religion is expected (cf. Daniel 11:37-39, explained in the article Who is the King of the North?; Revelation 13:3-4). Furthermore, there are Catholic prophecies that suggest that an ecumenical council is expected:
Venerable Bartholomew Holzhauser (Born in the 17th century, in Germany) …God will bind Satan for a number of years until the days of the Son of Perdition…there will be an ecumenical council which will be the greatest of all councils. By the grace of God, by the power of the Great Monarch, and by the authority of the Holy Pontiff, and by the union of the most devout princes, atheism and every heresy will be banished from the earth. The Council will define the true sense of Holy Scripture , and this will be believed and accepted by everyone (Dupont, p. 40).
Yet, contrary to the above private Catholic prophecy, the Bible nowhere indicates that Satan will be bound just before the "Son of Perdition" comes. The binding of Satan comes afterwards, even according to the Rheims New Testament:
20. When the beast was apprehended, and with him the false prophet: which wrought signs
before him, wherewith he seduced them that took the character of the beast, and that adored
his image. These two were cast alive into the pool of fire burning also with brimstone.
21. And the rest were slain by the sword of him that sitteth upon the horse, which
proceedeth out of his mouth: and all the birds were filled with their flesh.
__________________________________________________________________________1 AND I saw an Angel descending from heaven, having the key of the bottomless depth,
and a great chain in his hand.
2. And he apprehended the dragon the old serpent, which is the Devil and Satan,
and bound him for a thousand years. (Apocalypse, 19:20-21; 20:1-2).
This is another example of how Catholic some prophecies do not teach what even the Catholic translation of Bible prophecy teaches. And since even the Vatican states that private prophecies do not need to be believed, people of all persuasions should always take the word of the Bible over those who teach in conflict with it (Deuteronomy 13:1-4).
Also, instead of proclaiming ecumenical unity prior to the return of Jesus Christ, the Bible warns that there will be one major religion at the end and people should not adhere to it:
4"Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?" 5 And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies...
8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. 9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear. 10 He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints (Revelation 13:4-5,8-10).36 Then the king shall do according to his own will: he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies...38 he shall honor a god of fortresses; and a god which his fathers did not know (Daniel 11:36,38).
Note: The "beast" and the "king" above are the same individual. These verses show that this leader wants worship and publicly honors two gods, and that the world will follow him, which implies ecumenicalism of some type. Clearly the Bible warns of a coming ecumenical leader that will lead a religion that the world will follow, and that will make the traders of the world prosperous (Revelation 18:11-15). Yet, the true Church, according to Jesus, was only to be "a little flock" until Jesus returned (Luke 12:32).
Notice the following prophecies which also tend to confirm the idea that after the Roman Catholics have troubles (like their "minor chastisement"), a great leader will arise and a form of Catholicism will gain the upper hand:
The Ecstatic of Tours..."The revolution will spread to every French town. Wholesale slaughter will take place. This revolution will last only a few months but it will be frightful; blood will flow everywhere because the malice of the wicked will reach its highest pitch. Victims will be innumerable. Paris will look like a slaughter-house. Persecutions against the Church will be even greater, but it will not last long...Many bishops and priest will be put to death. The archbishop of Paris will be murdered...At this juncture, the French people will turn back to God and implore the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mary Immaculate...
"The French people will ask for the good King, he who was chosen by God. He will come, this saviour whom God has spared for France, this King who is not wanted now because he is dear to God's Heart. He will ascend to the throne; he will free the church and reassert the Pope's rights..." (Dupont, p.37)
Venerable Magdalene Porzat (died 1850) (Great Monarch)...shall...restore to their dominions the legitimate kings. A just and pious man born in Galacia shall be the Supreme Pontiff: then the whole world will be united and prosperous. One faith only and one emperor shall reign over the whole earth (Connor, p. 38).
Old Saxon Prophecy. "The seven-headed city, now more admirable than Jerusalem, shall be a place more desolate than Jerusalem. The Dog shall enter Germany but shall afterwards forsake his master and choose for himself a new man, whereby Scripture shall be fulfilled. This Dog shall signify the Turk which shall forsake his Mohammed and choose unto him the name Christian...But after all these things the end of the world shall approach, and there shall be heavey and pitiful days."
Comment: The seven-headed city is probably Rome...(the comment is from Dupont personally, Dupont, pp.23-24)
St. Methodius (4th century). "A day will come when the enemies of Christ will boast of having conquered the whole world {perhaps Moslems?}. They will say: 'Christians cannot escape now!' But a Great King will arise to fight the enemies of God. He will defeat them, and peace will be given to the world, and the Church will be freed from her anxieties." (Dupont, p.13)
Telesphorus of Cozensa (16th century). "A powerful French Monarch and French Pope will regain the Holy Land after terrible wars in Europe. They will convert the world and bring universal peace. They will overcome the German ruler.'' (Dupont, p. 31)
Pius IX (19th century). "There will be a great prodigy which will fill the world with awe. But this prodigy will be preceded by the triumph of a revolution during which the Church will go through ordeals that are beyond description." (Dupont, p.13)
Melanie Calvat (The Seeress of La Salette, 19th century). "After a frightful war a Great King will arise and his reign will be marked by a wonderful peace and a great religious revival." (Dupont, p.13)
St. Thomas a'Becket (12th Century). St. Thomas says:
"A knight shall come from the West. He shall capture Milan, Lombardy, and the three Crowns. He shall then sail to Cyprus and Famagoste and land at Jaffa, and reach Christ's grave where he will fight. Wars and wonders shall befall till the people believe in Christ toward the end of the world."
Notice that St. Thomas says wars and wonders will precede a resurgence in belief in Christ during the latter times (Birch, p. 255). {The comments in italics were from Birch personally}.
Of course, a religious revival that would tend to include most people throughout the world would tend to be an ecumenical one. Hence, this is a somewhat different religion than the current Catholic faith. Catholics should not accept any changes from the true faith that was once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3) and truly turn to true apostolic Christianity.
While many of the following prophecies may not seem to be as impressive as those listed earlier or those discussed later in this article, they too seem to have a certain accuracy (or in some cases, misapplied applicability) for the 21st century.
Notice what it has been claimed that a Catholic saint named Nilus allegedly (there is controversy around the veracity of this) stated in 430 A.D.:
After the year 1900, toward the middle of the 20th century, the people of that time will become unrecognisable. When the time for the Advent of the Antichrist approaches, peoples minds will grow cloudy from carnal passions, and dishonour and lawlessness will grow stronger. Then the world will become unrecognisable. Peoples appearances will change, and it will be impossible to distinguish men from women due to there shamelessness in dress and style of hair. These people will be cruel and will be like wild animals because of the temptations of the Antichrist. There will be no respect for parents or elders, love will disappear, and Christian pastors, bishops, and priests will become vain men, completely failing to distinguish the right hand way from the left. At that time the morals and traditions of Christians and the Church will change. People will abandon modesty, and dissipation will reign. Falsehood and greed will attain great proportions, and woe to those who pile up treasures. Lust, adultery, homosexuality, secret deeds and murder will rule in society (CATHOLIC PROPHECIES - PART I http://www.freehomepages.com/nostradamus/catholic_prophecies_PartOne.htm 01/30/07).
The following, which have not come to pass quite as indicated below (and some are clearly in error), do demonstrate that some Roman Catholic sources suggest that the end is fairly near to now:
St. John of the Cleft Rock (14th century). "It is said that 20 centuries after the incarnation of the Word, the Beast in its turn will become man. About the year 2000 A.D., Antichrist will reveal himself to the world.' (Dupont, p. 23)
Jean de Roquetaillade (died 1365): Because it is said that twenty centuries after the incarnation of the Verb, the Beast would also be embodied and she would threaten the earth with evils as impressive as the graces brought by the divine incarnation (Araujo, Fabio R. Selected Prophecies and Prophets. BookSurge LLC, Charlestown (SC), 2007, p. 59).
St. Bridget of Sweden (d. 1373): In the year 1980 the wicked shall prevail; they will profane and sacrilegiously defile the churches, by erecting in them altars to idols and to Antichrist (Culleton, Reign of Antichrist, p. 139).
E. Culligan (20th century): The author feels that there is convincing evidence for him to accept that the Antichrist was born on February 5, 1962...The Antichrist will be a Jew by race and religion (Culligan E. The Last World War and the End of Time. The book was blessed by Pope Paul VI, 1966. TAN Books, Rockford (IL), pp. 100-101).
Also notice the following which essentially did come to pass as we in LCG believe that the "beginning of the end" also occurred in the 20th Century (e.g. Meredith RC. When Will the END Come? Tomorrow's World, May-June 2006):
SISTER BERTINA BOUQUILLION (d. 1850)...The beginning of the end will not come in the nineteenth century BUT CERTAINLY IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY." (Culligan E. The Last World War and the End of Time. The book was blessed by Pope Paul VI, 1966. TAN Books, Rockford (IL), Pp. 130-131)
Sister Bouquillon (19th century). "The beginning of the end shall not come in the 19th century, but in the 20th for sure." (Dupont, p. 23)
Archbishop Fulton Sheen (1950) We are living in the days of the Apocalypse--the last days of our era.... The two great forces of the Mystical Body of Christ and the Mystical Body of Antichrist are beginning to draw up the battle lines for the catastrophic contest. (Flynn T & L. The Thunder of Justice. Maxkol Communications, Sterling (VA), 1993, p. 20)
It was only in the 20th century that the Philadelphia era of the true Church of God emerged and began to proclaimed the millennial gospel of the kingdom to the world as a witness. A gospel message that essentially draws battle lines between the true Church of God (now best represented by the Living Church of God) who look for Christ's millennial reign and the Vatican who condemns it as a doctrine of Antichrist (as it was Bishop Ratzinger, now called Pope Benedict XVI, who has been at the forefront of strongly condemning the millennial message, see Did The Early Church Teach Millenarianism? for details).
Now there were also other Catholics that seem to foretell of the end time coming soon.
While some Roman Catholics dislike Nostradamus, others recognize him as an Roman Catholic prophet. In the 16th century, Nostradamus wrote:
Under the sign of Libra, America shall reign, Shall hold power in the sky and on land, Shall never perish under Asian forces, Until seven Pontificates have passed. (Dupont, p.94)
Comment: As a great world power, the U.S.A. began its "reign" during the first World War--but it was not the greatest world power; in 1918, that was France. In 1945, however, the U.S.A. was, by and large, the greatest world power. I think it is from the reign of Pius XII that the seven Pontificates must be counted, and this brings us to the last Pope according to St. Malachy's list--when the world will end. (comment from Dupont personally, p.94)
Anyway, it appears that the above private prophecy suggests that the end of the USA will thus be in the 21st century as there is only one pontiff left on Malachy's list. And as far as Asian forces go, this could be interpreted to include terrorists from places like Afghanistan and others parts of Asia (though another translation seems to lead to a differing conclusion, see Prophecies of Barack Obama?).
Also, even if one ignores Nostradamus and simply looks at the Malachy list, there is only one pope left on that list.
And unless the current Pope Benedict XVI lives a record amount of years, the final pope on the Malachy list would would reign sometime prior to the middle of the 21st century--and could reign as early as next month if Pope Benedict XVI were to die today (it normally takes a few weeks from the time one pontiff dies until the successor is designated)-- and he could die any time. Hence, the Malachy list clearly indicates the end of all pontiffs by the middle of the 21st century (more on Malachy and his list are found later in this article).
Also notice:
Sister Ludmilla of Prague (cir. 1250): Hardly three generations will pass after the world war, when one will also endeavor to prevent the Pope from exercising his sacred office, which will be a sign that the fall of Rome and the end of the world is near (Culleton, Reign of Antichrist, p. 131).
Now, if a generation is 20 years, and if WWII is the world war (which ended in 1945), then shortly after 2005 will be near the end of the world. If a generation is 40 years, and if WWI in the world war (which ended in 1918), then shortly after 2038 will be near the end of the world.
Since WWII was more of a global world war, it is likely that this would be the war--the question is how long is a generation supposed to be in this context? And that is not completely clear.
Yet, even if it a generation is supposed to be 20 or 40 years or something in-between, that Catholic predictor (Ludmilla of Prague) seem to be indicating the end in the 21st century.
There are also other Roman Catholic prophecies that state that the beginning of the end will occur in the 20th century, but that also refer to a group that is a problem for the Catholics, that some call the "secret sect":
Ven. Sor Marianne de Jesus Torres (17th Century)...
Our Lady told Sister Marianee: "...But this knowledge will only become known to the general public in the 20th Century.
"During this epoch the Church will find herself attacked by waves of the secret sect...
"Know, beloved daughter, that when your name is made known in the 20th Century, there will be many who do not believe, claiming this devotion is not pleasing to God..." (Birch, pp. 317,326) .
Nun Anne Catherine Emmerich (about 1820): "I heard that Lucifer (if I don't mistake) will be freed again for awhile fifty or sixty years before the year 2000 A.D. I have forgotten many of the other dates were told (Emmerich AC. The Life of Lord Jesus Christ and Biblical Revelations. Schmöger edition, Vol. IV. Nihil Obstat: D. Jaegher, 14 Februari 1914. Imprimatur: A.C. De Schrevel, Brugis, 14 Februari 1914. Reprint TAN Books, Rockford (IL), 2004: pp. 353-354).
Jeanne le Royer (d.1798): “My Father, God has manifested to me the malice of Lucifer, and the perverse and diabolical intentions of his emissaries (secret societies) and the Holy Church of Jesus Christ. At the command of their master these wicked men have traversed the earth like furies, with the intention to prepare the way and place for Anti-Christ whose reign is approaching…They have succeeded in confounding all sound principles, and spreading everywhere such darkness as to obscure the light both of faith and of reason…” (Culleton, R. Gerald. The Prophets and Our Times. Nihil Obstat: L. Arvin. Imprimatur: Philip G. Scher, Bishop of Monterey-Fresno, November 15, 1941. Reprint 1974, TAN Books, Rockford (IL), p. 179).
I believe that the Philadelphia-portion of the COG (which is now in the 21st century best represented by the Living Church of God) is the secret sect that is being discussed above and that we have affected the Roman Catholics in waves, starting with Herbert W. Armstrong (HWA)--who put out the Plain Truth magazine for between 50-60 years before 2000 A.D. (specifically from February 1934 until his death in January 1986; he also was on radio and/or television from October 9, 1933 until his death). And thus, I suspect that it may have been Herbert W. Armstrong, that the demons had Nun Emmerich falsely identify as Lucifer.
Furthermore, notice something about a pontiff who had a vision in 1884:
Pope Leo XIII had a vision of a confrontation between God and Satan. Pope Leo was made to understand that would be allowed one hundred years to tempt and try to destroy the Church. In the vision, Satan chose for his one hundred years the Twentieth Century (Flynn, pp. 4-5).
Pope Leo XIII had a remarkable vision. When the aged Pontiff had finished celebrating Mass in his private Vatican Chapel, attended by a few Cardinals and members of the Vatican staff, he suddenly stopped at the foot of the altar. He stood there for about 10 minutes, as if in a trance, his face ashen white. Then, going immediately from the Chapel to his office, he composed the prayer to St. Michael, with instructions it be said after all Low Masses everywhere. When asked what had happened, he explained that, as he was about to leave the foot of the altar, he suddenly heard voices - two voices, one kind and gentle, the other guttural and harsh. They seemed to come from near the tabernacle. As he listened, he heard the following conversation:
The guttural voice, the voice of Satan in his pride, boasting to Our Lord: "I can destroy your Church"
The gentle voice of Our Lord: "You can? Then go ahead and do so."
Satan: "To do so, I need more time and more power."
Our Lord: "How much time? How much power?
Satan: "75 to 100 years, and a greater power over those who will give themselves over to my service."
Our Lord: "You have the time, you will have the power. Do with them what you will." (The Vision Of Pope Leo XIII, October 13, 1884. http://www.stjosephschurch.net/leoxiii.htm viewed 02/25/09)
If the 20th century was meant, then the above vision that the Pope claimed was completely false (as opposed to being a mirror image of God's plan). In order for the above to fit in with other private prophecies, it would probably need to be interpreted that the 75 to 100 years started about the same time as the timeframe that Nun Emmerich indicated. If so, then the 75 years ended in 2008, and the outside date would be about 2033. Hence, unless this Pope had it completely wrong, the end is fairly soon.
Eventually, I believe that we in LCG will eventually be perceived to have attacked the Roman Catholic Church with two rather large waves in the near future (in addition to the waves under Herbert W. Armstrong in the 20th century). One just before it is time to flee (see There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Petra), which may trigger the persecution in Daniel 11:32-35 and Revelation 12:13-15 (see Persecutions by Church and State) and the other will be the two witnesses (Revelation 11:3-12) (see also Who Are The Two Witnesses?).
Michel De Nostradamus may have also prophesied about the persecution of LCG:
Michel De Nostredame (Michael of our Lady...died in 1566). "The holy people of God, the keepers of His law, and all the religious orders shall be grievously persecuted and afflicted, so much that the blood of the true ecclesiastics shall flow all over. (Dupont, p.101)
The above "prophecy" may be one of the few that refers to the "keepers of the law" in a positive light--we who are truly in the true Church of God are the holy people of God (cf. 1 Peter 1:16-16; 2:9) and we do keep the law (see also The Ten Commandments and the Early Church). But persecution will occur and the blood of some of LCG leaders is expected to flow (see also Persecutions by Church and State). Presuming Nostradamus' prophecy is referring to LCG, that is not that far-fetched as even Balaam prophesied some truth about the children of Israel (c.f. Numbers 24:1-9).
There are also several centuries old prophecies from Anna-Katarina Emmerick, a nun who was a stigmatic (an Roman Catholic term for someone with some of "the wounds of Jesus" on them, she also allegedly had a cross on her chest) that may involve the Living Church of God and/or separated COGs as "the secret sect":
Anna-Katarina Emmerick...Blessed Sister Emmerick was an Augustinian nun. She was born in Germany in 1774...
"Once more I saw that the Church of Peter was undermined by a plan evolved by the secret sect, while storms were damaging it. But I saw also that help was coming when distress had reached its peak. I saw again the Blessed Virgin ascend on the Church and spread her mantle [over it]. I saw a Pope who was at once gentle, and very firm...I saw a great renewal, and the Church rose high in the sky." (Dupont, p.60)
Anne Catherine Emmerich: May 13, 1820...I saw again the present Pope and the dark church of his time in Rome. It seemed to be a large, old house like a town-hall with columns in front. I saw no altar in it, but only benches, and in the middle of it something like a pulpit. They had preaching and singing, but nothing else, and only very few attended it...The whole church was draped in black, and all that took place in it was shrouded in gloom...I saw the fatal consequences of this counterfeit church ; I saw it increase ; I saw heretics of all kinds flocking to the city. I saw the ever-increasing trepidity of the clergy , the circle of darkness ever widening...Again I saw in vision St. Peter's undermined according to a plan devised by the secret sect whilst, at the same time, it was damaged by storms; but it was delivered at the moment of greatest distress. (Schmöger, pp. 277,279-281).
October, 1820. Sister Emmerich's labors at this time were constantly directed to the welfare of the Church which, as usual, she beheld typified by St. Peter's, at Rome. The secret society, with its world-wide ramifications engaged against ceaseless war against the Bride of Christ, was shown to her as the empire of Antichrist symbolized by the beast in the Apocalypse rising out of the sea and fomenting attacks upon the flock of Christ.
In relating this vision, the Pilgrim makes the following remarks: "It is, indeed, full of breaks, for the invalid saw it under allegorical representations difficult for her to describe. What is most astonishing, is that it touches upon many points of the Apocalypse of St. John, of which humanly speaking she must have been wholly ignorant, as she has very little knowledge of the Holy Scriptures or of any other book. If, at times, she seems to read, it is with a mind deeply absorbed in contemplation and she sees very different things from those discussed in the volume before her. The vision is, as follows:
'I see new martyrs, not of the present but of the future, though even now they are oppressed. I saw the secret society undermining the great church (St. Peter's) and near them a horrible beast that arose out of the sea. It had a tail like a fish, claws like a lion, and numberless heads that lay like a crown around one large head; its jaws were large and red, its body spotted like a tiger. It was very familiar with the demolishers, lying near them whilst they worked, and, again, concealing itself in a cave. Here and there throughout the whole world I saw many good, pious people, especially ecclesiastics, harassed, imprisoned, and oppressed, and I felt that at some future day, they would be martyred. When the church was well-nigh overturned, the choir and alter alone remaining untouched, I saw the demolishers thronging into it accompanied by the beast. But they encountered a tall, majestic female who seemed to be with child for she walked very slowly. The wretches were filled with affright on seeing her and the beast lay paralyzed, furiously darting its head toward her, as if to devour her; but she turned and fell prostrate on her face. Then I saw the beast fleeing to the sea, the enemy hurrying off in disorder, and immense circles of combatants surrounding the church, some on the earth, others high in the air. The first circle was composed of youths and maidens; the second, of married persons of all classes from royalty down; the third, of religious; the fourth, of warriors, led by a rider on a white horse; and the fifth, and last was made up of citizens and peasants, many of whom were marked on the forehead with a red cross. As this army drew near, the captives and oppressed were delivered and swelled the ranks whilst the demolishers and conspirators were put to flight on all sides. They were, without knowing how, gathered together into one confused mass in the midst of a dense fog; they knew neither what they did nor what they ought to do; and they ran pell-mell against one another, as I so often see them. Then I saw the church speedily rebuilt and more magnificent than before, for its defenders brought stones from all parts of the earth. When the most distant circles drew near, the nearest withdrew to make way for them. The former appeared to represent the various labors of prayer; the latter, the soldiers, the deeds of war. I saw among these last friends and enemies of all nations, simply soldiers like our own and dressed like them. They did not form a perfect circle, but a crescent opening toward the north into an immense dark abyss like a chasm, a precipice, like a descent into darkness, like that to which Adam was driven from Paradise. I felt that a region of darkness lay beyond. I saw that some out of these circles remained behind. They would not advance, but stood gloomily huddled together. I saw some also who would one day be martyred for Jesus; but there were many wicked people among them, and another separation was to take place.--The church was completely restored. Above it on a mountain, was the Lamb of God surrounded by a troop of virgins with palm-branches, and five circles of celestial cohorts corresponding to the five circles below. They all arrived together, and all acted in concert. Around the Lamb stood the four mysterious beasts of the Apocalypse" (Schmöger, pp. 290-291).
Sept. 12, 1820. "I saw a strange church being built against every rule...No angels were supervising the building operations. In that church, nothing came from high above...There was only division and chaos. (Dupont, p.61)
But there (in the strange big church) all the work was being done mechanically (i.e. according to set rules and formulae). Everything was being done according to human reason...(Dupont, p.61)
"I saw all sorts of people, things, doctrines, and opinions. There was something proud, presumptuous, and violent about it, and they seemed to be very successful. I did not see a single Angel nor a single saint helping in the work. (Dupont, p.61)
August to October 1820. "I see more martyrs, not now but in the future...I saw the secret sect relentlessly undermining the great Church. (Dupont, p.62)
August to October 1820. "When the Church had been for the most part destroyed (By the secret sect), and when only the sanctuary and alter were still standing. (Dupont, p.62)
June 1, 1821. "Then, I saw the everything that pertained to Protestantism was gradually gaining the upper hand, and the Catholic religion fell into complete decadence. (Dupont, p.68)
October 22, 1822. "Very bad times will come when non-Catholics will lead many people astray. (Dupont, p.71)
I believe that some of the above apply to LCG in particular (e.g. it will flee per Revelation 12:14 & Matthew 24:20; see There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians), and others include the COGs in general. I specifically believe that LCG's plans will be considered as undermining the revising/changing Roman Catholic Church: specifically LCG's theme of "restoring Apostolic Christianity", increasing television responses, revising booklets on history, re-evaluating certain areas of prophecy, Living University, etc. (I bolded the expression red cross above because this seems to be a symbol associated with the Great Monarch, cf. Culleton, p. 159).
Now while some of the above private prophecies can be considered to include Protestants, nearly all of them apply to the COG and several cannot possibly apply to Protestants (they are not small enough to be considered to be a "secret sect"). It should also be noted that although the Living Church of God is not Protestant, certain Roman Catholics basically consider us to be a Protestant sect (for a starting point on details on why we in the Living Church of God best represent the original church, please see The History of Early Christianity and Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Living Church of God?).
Also notice that Anna-Katarina Emmerick foretells that a secret sect relentlessly undermines that Catholic Church, that it will harm the Catholic Church, and that the Catholics generally believe this is bad.
I suspect that all of this may end up being a partial fulfillment of Matthew 24:14-16:
14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. 15 "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains...
While the two witnesses lead to the final witness and the final end, the old Worldwide Church of God (WCG) correctly taught that the preaching of the gospel by the Philadelphia portion of the Church ends about when it goes to the place of safety (see What is the Laodicean Church? Good News, August 1959, p.12, which is quoted in There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Petra). And this time is coming fairly soon.
What may happen is that LCG's preaching may be so powerfully effective for a while (completely fulfilling Matthew 24:14 and Romans 9:28) that the revising Roman Catholic Church will experience suffering from a little group that it did not really know existed--that is perhaps why we are called "the secret sect". (I strongly suspect that LCG will get a lot of media attention for its positions on the King of the North, once that individual starts to become obvious to LCG, but not the world in general--who not tend to place that sinister moniker on him.)
This effective preaching may lead to the events in Daniel 11:31-35 including the persecution of the Philadelphians. But it will also lead to reprisals by the revised Roman Catholics, that will eventually affect others (including ultimately the non-Philadelphian COGs; cf. Revelation 12:17).
The following private prophecies support the idea of reprisals from the changed Roman and Orthodox Catholics and that we in the true Church of God are rendered inconsequential:
Blessed Anna Maria Taigi (died 1837): "On this terrible occasion so many of these wicked men--enemies of His Church and of their God--shall be killed by this divine scourge that their corpses round Rome will be as numerous as the fish which a recent inundation of the Tiber had carried into the city. All the enemies of the church, secret as well as known, will perish over the whole earth during that universal darkness, with the exception of the some few, whom god will soon after convert. The air shall be infected with demons, who will appear under all sorts of hideous forms. (Connor, p.26)
St. Andrew the Fool-for-Christ (4th century): ...the remaining ones will be annihilated, they will be burned to death and they will die a cruel death. (Tzima Otto, p. 113)
Anne Catherine Emmerich (Purification day 1822) "I saw during the last few days marvelous things connected with the Church. St. Peter's was almost entirely destroyed by the sect, but their labors were, in turn, rendered fruitless and all that belonged to them, their aprons and tools, burned by the executioners on the public place of infamy. They were made of horse-leather, and the stench from them was so offensive that it made me quite sick..." (Schmöger Carl E. The Life and Revelations of Anne Catherine Emmerich, Volume 2. Approbation: Bishop of Limbourgh Peter Joseph. TAN Books, reprint 1976, p.292)
The horse-leather stench comment may be referring to some of true Christians people being burnt up. And this seems to be prophesied in the Book of Daniel:
Those who are wise will instruct many, though for a time they will fall by the sword or be burned or captured or plundered (Daniel 11:33, NIV).
Hence, that burning sadly is a "Catholic" private prophecy that will, to some degree, come to pass.
The following private prophecy that mentions secret societies and a particular false religion would seem to specifically apply to those in the true Church of God:
JANE LE ROYER (d. 1798)
SISTER MARY OF THE NATIVITY"Many precursors, false prophets, and members of infernal secret societies, worshippers of Satan, shall impugn the most sacred dogmas and doctrines of our holy religion, shall persecute the faithful, shall commit abominable actions; but THE REAL AND EXTREME ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION SHALL MORE FULLY BE ACCOMPLISHED DURING THE REIGN OF ANTICHRIST, which will last about three years and a half.
"Thereupon I saw a great power rising up against the Church...After desecrating the celibate and suppressing monasticism, this power boldly confiscated the properties of the Church and at the same time usurped the powers of the pope, whose person and laws they condemned...
"When the time of the reign of Antichrist is near, a false religion will appear which be opposed to the unity of God and His Church. This will cause the greatest schism the world has ever known. The nearer the time of the end, the more darkness of Satan will spread on Earth, the greater will be the number of children of corruption, and the number of Just will correspondingly diminish.
"Antichrist will kill the pope (Culligan, pp.127,128)
Now the above suggests that secret societies will impugn the most sacred dogmas and doctrines of the Catholic religion, and before Jesus (who they sometimes seem to identify as the Antichrist, see Do Certain Catholic Prophecies About Antichrist Warn Against Jesus?) comes, a false religion will "appear" that is "opposed to the unity of God and His Church"--this apparently group with ties to the original apostles that does not accept the trinitarian formula adopted and enforced under the authority of Emperor Theodosius in 381 A.D.
It should be noted that contrary to the claims of Jane Le Royer, there is no scripture in the Bible that suggests that "Antichrist will kill the pope".
Furthermore, the one certain "Catholic" prophets refer to as Antichrist is probably Jesus (see also Do Certain Catholic Prophecies About Antichrist Warn Against Jesus?) as He is the the one who put puts the antipope, the false prophet (cf. Revelation 19:20; 2 Thessalonians 2:8), into the lake of fire where he dies according to even a major Catholic-approved translation of the New Testament into English:
20. When the beast was apprehended, and with him the false prophet: which wrought signs before him, wherewith he seduced them that took the character of the beast, and that adored his image. These two were cast alive into the pool of fire burning also with brimstone. (Apocalypse 19:20, RNT).
Hence, the Bible is clear that the false prophet is killed by God. There is no hint in the Bible that "the Antichrist will kill the pope" (nor are there popes mentioned in the Bible, see also What Do Roman Catholic Scholars Actually Teach About Early Church History?).
Here is another translation of part of Jeanne le Royer private Roman Catholic prophecy, as well as a part that was missing above, which seems to involve the banishing of the secret sect:
Jeanne le Royer (Sister of the Nativity). "When the reign of Antichrist draws near, a false religion will appear which will deny the unity of God and will oppose the Church. Errors will cause ravages as never before. (Dupont, p.58)
Jeanne le Royer (Sister of the Nativity). "All the false cults will be abolished. (Dupont, p.56)
So a group that some "Catholics" will consider as false will appear, deny "the unity of God", and eventually be abolished.
What kind of group claiming Christianity denies the "unity of God"? Well, none. But the one that comes to mind would be one that denies the 381 A.D. definition of the unity of God.
In other Catholic writings, it is the doctrine of the trinity that they adopted in 381 that is linked with the unity of God. Notice some examples:
We find it again with still greater authority in the letter of Pope St. Dionysius to his namesake, the Bishop of Alexandria (see Athan., "De decret. Nic. syn.", 26, in P.G., XXV, 461-65): "They lie as to the generation of the Lord who dare to say that His Divine and ineffable generation is a creation. We must not divide the admirable and Divine unity into three divinities, we must not lower the dignity and sovereign grandeur of the Lord by the word creation, but we must believe in God the Father omnipotent, in Christ Jesus His Son, and in the Holy Ghost, we must unite the Word to the God of the universe, for He has said: 'I and the Father are one', and again: 'I am in the Father, and the Father in me'. Thus we protect the Divine Trinity, and the holy avowal of the monarchy [unity of God]." ( "The Logos." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 9. Nihil Obstat. October 1, 1910. Remy Lafort, Censor. Imprimatur. +John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. 11 Dec. 2008 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09328a.htm>)
But it is necessary first to indicate in what consisted the transition effected by St. Augustine . This may be summed up in three points: He views the Divine Nature as prior to the Personalities. * Deus is for him not God the Father, but the Trinity. This was a step of the first importance, safeguarding as it did alike the unity of God and the equality of the Persons in a manner which the Greek system could never do. ( "The Blessed Trinity." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 15. Nihil Obstat. October 1, 1912. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 11 Dec. 2008 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15047a.htm>)
Catholics use the idea of the trinity to describe God. By that we mean that God is a unity, one God, but within that unity of God there is a three-“person” relationship. (God Stories. Copyright © 2004 St. John the Evangelist Church, http://www.stjohnrcia.com/journey/jof_god.asp viewed 02/10/09)
Question 11. The unity of God...Bernard says (De Consid. v): "Among all things called one, the unity of the Divine Trinity holds the first place." (Aquinas T. The Summa Theologica of St. Thomas Aquinas Second and Revised Edition, 1920 Literally translated by Fathers of the English Dominican Province Online Edition Copyright © 2008 by Kevin Knight Nihil Obstat. F. Innocentius Apap, O.P., S.T.M., Censor. Theol. Imprimatur. Edus. Canonicus Surmont, Vicarius Generalis. Westmonasterii. APPROBATIO ORDINIS Nihil Obstat. F. Raphael Moss, O.P., S.T.L. and F. Leo Moore, O.P., S.T.L. Imprimatur. F. Beda Jarrett, O.P., S.T.L., A.M., Prior Provincialis Angliæ)
In the various conciliar definitions regarding the Trinity of Persons in God, emphasis is laid on the unity of the Divine nature; see, e.g., Fourth Council of Lateran (1215), in Denzinger-Bannwart, "Enchiridion", 428. ( "Monotheism." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 10. Nihil Obstat. October 1, 1911. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911. 10 Feb. 2009 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10499a.htm>.)
The refrain of “Sing Praise to Our Creator” is:
Praise the Holy Trinity, undivided Unity,
Holy God, Mighty God, God Immortal be adored.The words of this melodious hymn speak of the unity of the Trinity. Yes, three distinct Persons—the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit—but only one God Who is “holy,” “mighty,” and “immortal.”
The third verse of “Holy God, We Praise Thy Name” is especially Trinitarian:
Holy Father, Holy Son, Holy Spirit, Three We Name Thee,
While in essence only One, undivided God we claim Thee.
And adoring bend the knee, while we own the Mystery,
And adoring bend the knee, while we own the Mystery.Again, we recall the unity of God, Who is three Persons in one God. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are distinct but equal and united.
We are constantly reminded of the Most Blessed Trinity...
Unity in the Church is in some real sense derived from the unity in the Most Blessed Trinity. (Msgr. Charles M. Mangan, he currently works in Rome as a member of the Vatican's Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and for Societies of Apostolic Life. United in the Trinity. Sunday Homilies Feed Your Sou. Catholics United For the Faith, Sunday, May 18, 2008. http://www.cuf.org/homilies/archive/051808.asp viewed 02/10/09)
Of course, we in the true Church of God have long opposed the Theodosius Council trinity. Hence the "false religion" in the prophecy can only be referring to a group, like the Living Church of God (it should be noted that LCG does believe in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and holds a view of the Godhead more akin to that held by the Roman Bishop Liberius in the mid-4th century than to the Theodosius Council). And recall that we, according to Nun Jeanne le Royer, "appear" just before Antichrist.
While we in the Living Church of God are not the only ones who can write books that some Roman Catholics disapprove of as a false religion, as it gets closer to the end, I believe that our writings will be perceived as a serious threat to the changing Roman Catholic Church as we claim ties to the original apostles and have kept the faith of the original Christians without change (for many details, please see Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Living Church of God?).
Further, notice these prophesies:
Anne Catherine Emmerich January 27, 1822 Then my guide exhorted me anew to pray and, as far as I could, to incite others to pray for sinners and especially for erring priests. 'Very evil times are coming,' he said. 'The non-Catholics will mislead many. They will use every possible means to entice them from the Church, and great disturbances will follow.' (Schmöger, p. 348)
Note: "My guide (Jesus)" (Dupont, p. 68).
Nursing Nun of Bellay. "All these things shall come to pass once the wicked have succeeded in circulating large numbers of bad books." (Dupont, p.51)
Trappistine Nun of Notre Dame des Gardes. "Chastisement will come when a very large number of bad books have been spread" (Dupont, p 114).
Abbe Voclin. "People will speak only of money. Horrible books will be freely available. Intellectuals will argue fiercely among themselves. Then war will break out that will see the rise of the Great Monarch" (Dupont, p. 114).
We in LCG will likely make more books/booklets that will be perceived to fulfill the above--and even some of LCG's existing materials may be considered to be in that category by them relatively soon.
Furthermore, some Roman Catholic prophecy suggests that someone will attempt the attack the Roman Catholic Church at its very foundations during a time that seems to parallel the "minor chastisement" that many of them believe will happen before the ecumenical Roman Catholic Church truly gains it major end-time prominence.
The following may be how some "prophets" interpret what we in LCG are doing (we seem to be called " impious blasphemers" below, and any of our leaders who were once Catholic would also be in the "heretical persons" category according to the Church of Rome) and how Satan (who they refer at least once refer to as "God" below), may punish us with demons:
Elizabeth Canori-Mora (died 1825): "All men shall rise one against the other, and they shall kill one another without pity. During this sanguinary conflict the avenging arm of God will strike the wicked, and in His mighty power He will punish their pride and presumption. God will employ the powers of {Hades} for the extermination of these impious and heretical persons who desire to overthrow the Church and destroy it to its very foundation. These presumptuous men in their mad impiety believe that they can overthrow God from His throne; but the Lord will despise these artifices, and through an effect of His Mighty Hand He will punish these impious blasphemers by giving permission to the infernal spirits to come out from Haydes. Innumerable legions of demons shall overrun the earth, and shall execute the orders of Divine Justice by causing terrible calamities and disaster; they shall attack everything; they shall devastate property and alimentary productions, cities and villages. Nothing on earth shall be spared. God will allow the demons to strike with death those impious men because they gave themselves up to the infernal powers and had formed with them a compact against the Catholic Church. (Connor, pp.22-23)
Elizabeth Canori-Mora (died 1825): God will use the powers of darkness in order to root out the followers of the Sects and godless who want to shake and destroy the foundation of the Church . . . They will be punished by the cruelty of demons and die a tragic death. Hereupon the grand triumph of the Catholic Church will follow (Culleton, Reign of Antichrist, p. 160).
Thus, certain "Catholic" prophets (others are mentioned in other parts of this paper) believe that God will use demons to punish His enemies and that cruelty from demons against the enemies of the ecumenical Catholic Church leads to its triumph.
Lest anyone think that I have been overly presumptuous about a portion of the Church of God (like the Living Church of God) being portrayed as a "secret sect" by certainCatholics, notice the following 19th century quote, which I found by accident, some time after I originally wrote this section of the paper (two translations are provided as I found it in two sources):
“In the Middle Ages, the Popes and Councils were successful in destroying the Jewish revolutionary movements which appeared within Christianity in the form of false teaching and which were introduced by seeming Christians but by Jews in secret. The latter then recruited upright and good Christians for the arising heretical movement by persuading the latter in a crafty way.“The secret Jews organized and controlled in secret manner the movements, which were the creative and driving-force of wicked false teachings, such as those of the ‘Catarensers,’ of the ‘Patarines,’ of the ‘Albignensians,’ of the ‘Hussites,’ of the ‘Illuminati’ and others.” (The Plot Against the Church, p.236).
In the Middle Ages, the Popes and the Councils were successful in destroying the Jewish revolutionary movements which appeared within Christianity in the form of false teaching and which were introduced by those who were Christians in appearance but Jews in secret. The latter then recruited upright and good Christians for the arising heretical movement by persuading the latter in a crafty way.
The secret Jews organised and controlled in secret manner the movements, which were the creative and driving force of wicked false teachings, such as those of the Iconoclasts, the Cathars, the Patarines, the Albigensians, the Hussites, the Alumbrados and others. (Pinay, Maurice. The Plot Against the Church, Part Four Chapter One. Translated from the German and Spanish editions of the same work. 1962).
Hence, some claiming Roman Catholicism have considered some of the ancestors (like some of the Cathars and Albigenses, see The Thyatira Church Era) of the Living Church of God to have been a secret Jewish group (this probably is because even though true Christians profess Christ, they also keep the Sabbath and have other practices that many Catholics consider to be Jewish; cf. Revelation 14:12).
Also notice from the same Catholic book:
The work of these Jews smuggled as a “Fifth Column” into the bosom of the Church of Christ was made easier through their hypocritical conversion to Christianity or that of their forefathers. In addition, they laid aside their Jewish surnames and took on very Christian names, which were embellished with the surnames of their godfathers. Thus they were successful in mixing with Christian society and taking possession of the names of the leading families of France, Italy, England, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Poland and the other lands of Christian Europe. With this system, they were successful in penetrating into the bosom of Christianity itself, in order to conquer it from within and to destroy the core of the religious, political and economic institutions.
The network of secret Jews existing in Mediaeval Europe passed on in secret manner the Jewish belief from fathers to children, even if all openly led a Christian life and filled their houses with crucifixes and images of Catholic saints. In general they observed Christianity in an ostentatious manner and appeared most devout, in order not to arouse any suspicion. (Pinay, Maurice. The Plot Against the Church, Part Four Chapter One. Translated from the German and Spanish editions of the same work. 1962. American Edition, St. Anthony Press, Los Angeles, California, 1967. Online version 5/12/07).
Hence some Catholic writers have also felt that perhaps some of our Thyatira-era ancestors penetrated the core of their "Christianity".
Notice these quotes from the same book states (bolding mine):
In order to combat not only the tentacles of the octopus, which the heretical revolutions in the Middle Ages represented, but the head itself, the Holy Catholic Church resorted to different methods, amongst which the Holy Office of the Inquisition, so slandered by Jewish propaganda, stands out on account of its importance,. This organisation was intended to eliminate the false doctrines and to give the death blow to the secret power of Jewry, which directed and stirred up the same. Thanks to the Inquisition, Holy Church was able to overthrow Jewry and for several centuries to hold up the catastrophe that now hovers threateningly over mankind; for several of the so-called false doctrines were already revolutionary movements of the same kind of scope and pretensions as those of recent times, and they not only fought to destroy the church of Rome, but also to destroy all princes and to destroy the existing social order in favour of Jewry...
It is important to mention the fact that the Inquisition which functioned in Rome was, of course, the Holy Papal Inquisition whose serviceable activity was successful in the Middle Ages in holding up the progress of the apocalyptic beast of the Antichrist...
Jesus Himself despised the Jews, because He was a Galilean. Unfortunately, the Samaritans, Galileans and the other inhabitants of Palestine were ruined by assimilation into modern Jewry, with the exception of those who had already previously been converted to the faith of our Divine Redeemer.
This rule of distrusting the conversions of the Jews was also heeded by the Apostles; and later by the various hierarchies of the Catholic Church. If precautionary measures were not always enforced to clearly prove the honesty of the conversions, the results were disastrous for Christianity; for these conversions served only to increase the destructive crypto-Jewish “Fifth Column”, which had infiltrated into Christian society...
Saint Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, one of the great Saints and illustrious Church Fathers, who exercised such a decisive influence upon the Emperors Gratian and Theodosius I, and to whom belongs thanks for the final triumph of Holy Church in the Roman Empire, was at that time the most restless and most energetic fighter against the “Synagogue of Satan”. (Pinay, Maurice. The Plot Against the Church, Part Four Chapters One, Two, Three, and Seven. Translated from the German and Spanish editions of the same work. 1962).
In other words, it appears that historically, some Catholic leaders have considered that those who hold to any practices that Catholics consider to be Jewish were false converts to Christianity. Jesus, of course, did not despise the Jews because Jesus was a Jew (Luke 3:23-26; John 4:9-10). It is odd that the author Pinay repeatedly defends the Inquisition for having stopped the Antichrist from coming. This type of logic will likely (and sadly) be used to persecute and kill us as well as those who are not Philadelphians.
I should mention that while the book The Plot Against the Church essentially is blaming Jews who pretend to be Christians for being the prophesied “Synagogue of Satan”, Theodosius (who is praised in the above book) specifically decreed capital punishment on Christians who kept Passover on the 14th (Gibbon E. Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Volume III, Chapter XXVII. ca. 1776-1788), like we in the Living Church of God do, hence we are definitely the type of group they are worried about.
It should be noted that The Plot Against the Church is a book put out put by part of the "right-wing" of the Roman Catholics and not all of its views are currently accepted by the Vatican (though the book itself cites various Councils making statements in support of many of its positions).
Since we in the Living Church of God believe that we descend from those who professed Christ, but had reportedly "Jewish practices", it may be us that Maurice Pinay and Ambrose of Milan falsely have labeled as "the Synagogue of Satan".
Furthermore, notice another Catholic writing related the Book of Revelation and these matters:
Another evil force were the Jews in attacking and persecuting the Church. St. John calls them "the synagogue of Satan" (Kramer H.B. L., p. 20).
But is the Bible warning against Jews attacking the Church? No, not at all.
Notice what the Rheims' translation (an accepted Catholic translation into English) of part of Chapter 3 of the Book of the Apocalypse actually teaches:
[7] And to the angel of the church of Philadelphia, write: These things saith the Holy One and the true one, he that hath the key of David; he that openeth, and no man shutteth; shutteth, and no man openeth:
[8] I know thy works. Behold, I have given before thee a door opened, which no man can shut: because thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.
[9] Behold, I will bring of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie. Behold, I will make them to come and adore before thy feet. And they shall know that I have loved thee.
Notice that it is NOT the Jews that the Bible warns about. It is not those that claim to be Christian, but are secretly Jews. It is those who claim to be JEWS that are the problem. Notice, also that these verses actually imply that the Philadelphia portion of the true Church is being shown as having certain desirable "Jewish" doctrinal characteristics. This is true of the Living Church of God, but is not true of the Church of Rome (for many documented details, please see Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Living Church of God?).
Oddly, even though in one place he condemns "Jews" when he actually writes about Revelation 3:9, Priest H.B. Kramer actually admits that false Jews are the problem:
Verse 9
In the first sentence, Christ shows the contrast between Himself, who is the True One, and the "synagogue of Satan", who claim to be Jews but are false Jews and liars. (Kramer H.B., p. 100).
But even the above is only partially correct--the message is not just contrasting Christ to false Jews, it is contrasting Christians who have retained the proper Jewish practices from those who FALSELY identify themselves as true Christians.
So strangely, the Catholics are getting mixed signals. The strongest one seems to be to watch out for those who seem to be Jewish Christians, yet it is false Christians, not those true Christians with Jewish practices that the Bible warns about.
It should be made clear that in the New Testament in several places (Revelation 3:9 being one) the term "Jews" refers to true followers of Christ, as opposed to those of Jewish heritage or who practice straight Judaism. Actually the term "Jew" is used slightly more for Christians than the term "Christian" is. "Jew/s" is used four times (Romans 2:28;2:29; Revelation 2:9; 3:9), while "Christian/s" is used three times.
Thus, true Christians are, in a sense, considered by God to be true Jews. Thus, it is false Jews, which in this context means false Christians, that are the problem. That is, people who falsely claim to be part of the true Church--those who made many significant doctrinal changes over the centuries. To learn more about which group is faithful and which made the changes, please see Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Living Church of God?
There are a number of private Catholic prophecies that predict various problems for England and/or the English/Anglo peoples.
Many of the older Roman Catholic prophecies that mention the English were written before that area actually was called England (and of course, if any apply to the USA, Canada, Australia, and/or New Zealand, they were not formed as we now understand them until several centuries after some of the Roman Catholic prophecies were first written). Hence, these are errors, changes, and/or distortions in translations (probably often just a "modernized" translation of some form of the word "Anglo"). Many of these private prophecies are believed to be intended to somehow refer to the British-descended peoples.
But it is of major interest, to me at least, to note that there are many Roman Catholic prophecies concerning the English/Anglo peoples being punished.
The following seems to predict after the time of movies and rockets, there will be bloodshed in Europe (WWII or civil unrest in Europe?), but that ultimately England will suffer:
Old English Prophecy (On a tombstone at the Kirby cemetery, Essex).
When pictures look alive, with movements free,
(T.V. and movies)When ships like fish swim beneath the sea,
(Submarines)When outstripping birds can soar in the sky
(Jets and rockets)The half the world drenched in blood shall die...
In Germany begins a dance,
Which passes through Italy, Spain, and France,
But England shall pay the piper. (Dupont, pp. 21-22)
What several Roman Catholic prophecies appear to generally state is that there will be some type of civil unrest in parts of Europe which occur after England becomes less powerful, and that ultimately England (and/or perhaps more accurately, the English/Anglo peoples) will be severely chastised, and basically the Anglo-nations will no longer be self-governed. Here are several along those lines:
Saint Cataldus of Tarentino (c. 500): "The Great Monarch will be in war till he is forty years of age....he will assemble great armies and expel tyrants from his empire. He will conquer England and other island empires" (Connor, p.30).
Foretelling the fall of France and England, the famous Jesuit Father Necton, said in 1772, "When England shall wane in power, the destruction of Paris will be near at hand" (Culligan E. The Last World War and the End of Time. The book was blessed by Pope Paul VI, 1966. TAN Books, Rockford (IL), p. 84).
Priest Nectou (d. 1772): ...when England shall begin to wane in power, the destruction of Paris shall be at hand. This shall be a sign. England shall, in her turn, suffer a more frightful revolution than that of France (Culleton, p. 176).
The Ecstatic of Tours..."When everyone believes that peace is assured, when everyone least expects it, the great happenings will begin. Revolution will break out in Italy almost at the same time as in France. For some time, the Church will be without a Pope. England, too, will have much to suffer..." (Dupont, p.37)
St. Edward (11th century). "The extreme corruption and wickedness of the English nation has provoked the just anger of God. When malice has reached the fullness of its measure, God will, in His wrath, send to the English people evil spirits who will punish and afflict them with severity by separating the green tree from its parent stem the length of three furlongs. But at last this same tree, through the compassionate mercy of God and without any national assistance, shall return to its original root, reflourish, and bear abundant fruit."... It is to be noted, too, that there was no English nation as such in the 11th Century, but only a kingdom of the Angles and Saxons. This discrepancy, however, may be due to a mis-transcription {the preceding was the comment from Dupont personally on the Edward's prophecy}, Dupont, pp.18,19)
Saint Edward (d. 1066) “The extreme corruption and wickedness of the English nation has provoked the just anger of God. When malice shall have reached the fullness of its measure, God will, in His wrath, send to the English people wicked spirits, who will punish and afflict them with great severity…” (Culleton, p. 137).
Mother Shipton (d. 1551) “The time will come when England shall tremble and quake…London shall be destroyed forever after . . . and then York shall be London and the Kingdom governed by three Lords appointed by a Royal Great monarch…who will set England right and drive out heresy (Culleton, p. 163).
It has been foretold in 597, by ST. Columbkille..."...English nobility shall sink into horrible life--wars shall be proclaimed against them, by means of which the franatically proud race shall be subdued, and will be harassed from every quarter. The English shall dwindle into disreputable people and shall forever be derived of power" (Culligan, pp. 118-119).
St. Columbine (d. 597): The enemies of the English shall be aroused in battle--they who reside in the eastern and western parts of the world...the English shall be defeated...After the English shall be defeated in this battle, they shall be harassed by every quarter; like a fawn surrounded by a pack of voracious hounds, shall be the position of the English amidst their enemies. The English afterwards shall dwindle down to a disreputable people (Culleton, R. Gerald. The Prophets and Our Times. Nihil Obstat: L. Arvin. Imprimatur: Philip G. Scher, Bishop of Monterey-Fresno, November 15, 1941. Reprint 1974, TAN Books, Rockford (IL), pp. 131,132).
St. Senanus (d. 560): They (English) themselves will betray each other: in consequence their sovereignty will be broken...One monarch will rule in Ireland over the English (Culleton, p. 128).
Merlin (7th century): After destruction of England...shall come a dreadful man...he shall set England on the right way and put out all heresies (Culleton, p. 132).
Ancient Irish source: England will again injure the Irish...This will be a sign for the frightful punishment of England...England suffers the same degradation as she meted out to her neighbor, and for the same length of time. Not the smallest fraction of time in this long period shall be remitted...Never shall world power be hers again...France restores order in England (Culleton, pp. 234,235).
St. Malachy (12th century). "Ireland will suffer English oppression for a week of centuries, but will preserve her fidelity to God and His Church. At the end of that time she will be delivered, and the English in turn must suffer severe chastisement. Ireland, however, will be instrumental in bringing back the English to the unity of Faith." (Dupont, p.15)
Certain Catholic sources claim that the first portion involving oppression in the above Malachy prophecy has been fulfilled. But notice that the above also claims that England will suffer from severe chastisement. And apparently many those that survive will become some type of "Catholic" (probably through desperation, coercion, deception, and/or force).
Also notice:
Fr. Balthassar Mas (17th century). "I saw a land swallowed up by the sea and covered with water. But afterwards, I saw that the sea receded little by little and the land could be seen again. The tops of the towers in the city rose again above the water and appeared more beautiful than before, and I was told that this land was England.' (Dupont, p.32)
The above may have several interpretations. Figuratively, it may mean that Protestant England is to be destroyed and will become Catholic. Or it may simply mean some type of tsunami will affect England. However, notice that elsewhere England is prophesied to become Catholic:
Bl. Anna-Maria Taigi (19th century). Whole nations will come back to the Church and the face of the earth will be renewed. Russia, England, and China will come into the Church. (Dupont, p.45)
Of course, Russia and China will finally turn on the European power (Daniel 11:44-45), but the Bible shows that for a while "All who dwell on the earth will worship him {the European beast power}, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" (Revelation 13:8). (For more about what is ahead for Russia, China, and other Asian powers please see Asia in Prophecy).
It is also interesting that an Roman Catholic prophecy states that England will leave the Roman Catholic Church, be punished, then return. Notice the following prophecy and commentary from The Catholic Encyclopedia:
Prophecy of St. Edward the Confessor
Ambrose Lisle Philipps in a letter to the Earl of Shrewsbury dated 28 October, 1850, in giving a sketch of English Catholic history, relates the following vision or prophecy made by St. Edward:
"During the month of January, 1066, the holy King of England St. Edward the Confessor was confined to his bed by his last illness in his royal Westminster Palace. St. Aelred, Abbott of Rievaulx, in Yorkshire, relates that a short time before his happy death, this holy king was wrapt in ecstasy, when two pious Benedictine monks of Normandy, whom he had known in his youth, during his exile in that country, appeared to him, and revealed to him what was to happen to England in future centuries, and the cause of the terrible punishment. They said: 'The extreme corruption and wickedness of the English nation has provoked the just anger of God. When malice shall have reached the fullness of its measure, God will, in His wrath, send to the English people wicked spirits, who will punish and afflict them with great severity, by separating the green tree from its parent stem the length of three furlongs. But at last this same tree, through the compassionate mercy of God, and without any national (governmental) assistance, shall return to its original root, reflourish and bear abundant fruit.' After having heard these prophetic words, the saintly King Edward opened his eyes, returned to his senses, and the vision vanished. He immediately related all he had seen and heard to his virgin spouse, Edgitha, to Stigand, Archbishop of Canterbury, and to Harold, his successor to the throne, who were in his chamber praying around his bed." (See "Vita beati Edwardi regis et confessoris", from manuscript Selden 55 in Bodleian Library, Oxford.)
The interpretation given to this prophecy is remarkable when applied to the events which have happened. The spirits mentioned in it were the Protestant innovators who pretended, in the sixteenth century, to reform the Catholic Church in England. The severance of the green tree from its trunk signifies the separation of the English Church from the root of the Catholic Church, from the Roman See. This tree, however, was to be separated from its life-giving root the distance of "three furlongs". These three furlongs are understood to signify three centuries, at the end of which England would again be reunited to the Catholic Church, and bring forth flowers of virtue and fruits of sanctity. The prophecy was quoted by Ambrose Lisle Philipps on the occasion of the reestablishment of the Catholic hierarchy in England by Pope Pius IX in 1850 (Devine, Arthur. Transcribed by Marie Jutras. Prophecy. The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XII. Published 1911. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Nihil Obstat, June 1, 1911. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York).
Of course, the interpretation that three furlongs meant that England would become Roman Catholic in three centuries was in error (so yet another Catholic "saint" had a false prophecy), but notice that the Roman Catholics believe that England was prophesied to separate from the Roman Catholic Church, that it will be severely punished, and that it will again become Roman Catholic (AFTER it is punished).
D.A. Birch (Catholic writer commenting on the above "prophecy") stated , "It is interesting to note that the National (Government) of England is foretold to have no role in the return of England to Roman allegiance. As a matter of fact, a number of prophecies specifically state that England will be reevangelized by the French and Irish after England has suffered a terrible and specific chastisement" (Birch, pp. 308-309).
I should probably add that the "National Government" will probably have no role, because England itself will have been taken over (see Anglo - America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel) by the European Beast power. And that is consistent with many of the private Catholic prophecies in this section (as well as the Bible teachings, see Anglo - America in Prophecy for details).
Notice also the following (bolding in the original):
Our blessed Mother through Father Gobbi of the Marion Movement…provided several messages…
On November 15, 1990: Mary spoke about the great trial coming to the United States and for all humanity. The Blessed Mother specifically mentions the United States will know the hour of weakness and of poverty as well as “the hour of suffering and defeat”. The thunder of God’s justice will have arrived:
..."...Sins of impurity have become ever more widespread, and immorality has spread like a sea which has submerged all things. Homosexuality, a sin of impurity which is against nature, has been justified; recourse to the means of preventing life have become commonplace, while abortions,--these killings of innocent children--have spread and are performed in all areas of your homeland. The momement of divine justice and of great mercy has now arrived. You will know the hour of weakness and poverty; the hour of suffering and defeat; the purifying hour of the great chastisement..." America will know poverty and defeat! Those are strong statements made by the Virgin herself. (Flynn, pp. 341,342).
The “hour of trial” that the Bible speaks of (Revelation 3:10) seems to begin with the Great Tribulation, which is likely to begin sometime next decade (see Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2009, 2010, or 2011?).
Now while the following prophecy is not specific to the English-speaking peoples, I believe that Roman Catholics will believe that the destruction of the USA and its English-speaking allies by the beast power will be justified by it:
St. Francis of Paola (Born in Italy, 15th century). "By the grace of the Almighty, the Great Monarch will annihilate heretics and unbelievers. He will have a great army, and angels will fight at his side. He will be like the sun among the stars. His influence will spread over the whole earth. All in all, there will be on earth twelve Kings, one Emperor, one Pope and a few Princes. They will all lead holy lives." (Dupont, p.38)
The above shows that Roman Catholics will believe that God is on the side of the beast (Protestants would be considered to be among those considered as heretics or unbelievers). A peculiar part of the above is that the Roman Catholics believe that there will be twelve kings associated with what we call the beast, yet the Bible states that there are ten (Daniel 7:24; Revelation 17:12)--however this is not necessarily a contradiction. Daniel 7:24 says the last kingdom arises from ten kings, while Revelation 17:12 states that ten kings will give their power to the beast, perhaps a couple of others will be added later to make twelve.
Both the Bible and some Roman Catholic prophecies show seem to show that the coming King of the North will have a new religion.
First from the Bible:
37 He shall regard neither the God of his fathers nor the desire of women, nor regard any god; for he shall exalt himself above them all. 38 But in their place he shall honor a god of fortresses; and a god which his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and pleasant things. 39 Thus he shall act against the strongest fortresses with a foreign god, which he shall acknowledge, and advance its glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and divide the land for gain (Daniel 11:37-39).
Notice something that seems to be similar in Roman Catholic writings:
Anne Catherine Emmerich (19th century): I saw the Church inspired by the Holy Spirit , introducing various changes in her discipline when devotion and veneration towards the blessed sacrament had grown weak...Incalculable graces were thereby bestowed upon the whole Church (Schmöger, pp.156,157).
The above suggests some major changes to occur within the Catholic church.
This seems to be close to what an earlier Catholic prophet taught:
St. Francis of Paula (15th Century)...Francis also speaks in a series of letters to Simeon de Limena, Count of Montalto in great detail of a future Great Monarch who will be a Roman Emperor. Limena was a great patron of St. Francis' order and also a great military protector of the Church...Several potentially confusing things are now told about this future Monarch. He is described as founding a new religious order. To the reader this may sound like he also become a priest. That is not the case. What happens is that he founds a religious order, part of which contains military men who take religious vows. He will be the head of the military arm of this order. In this sense it will be like the Knights Templar of the Middle Ages.
"He shall be the founder of a new religious order different from all others. He will divide it into three strata, namely military knights, solitary priests, and most pious hospitalliers. This shall be the last religious order in the Church, and it will do more good for our holy religion than all other religious institutions."
"...These devout men will wear on their breasts...the cross" [It becomes clear from other prophecies that it is from this that they will receive their popular name "the cross bearers."]...
"He shall...destroy all tyrants and heresies. There will be one fold and one shepherd. He shall reign until the end of time. On the whole earth there will be twelve Kings, one Emperor and one Pope. (Birch, pp.267-270)
St. Francis de Paul (1470):...From your lordship shall be born the great leader of the holy militia...These devout men shall wear on their breasts, and much more in their hearts, the sign of the living God, namely the cross...members of this holy order...
...the Great Monarch...He shall be a great captain and prince of holy men, who shall be called 'the holy Cross-bearers of Jesus Christ,' with whom he will destroy the Mahometan sect and the rest of the infidels. He shall annihilate all the heresies and tyrannies of the world. He shall reform the Church of God by means of his followers, who shall be the best men upon the earth in holiness, in arms, in science, and in every virtue...They shall obtain dominion over the whole world, both temporal and spiritual...
God Almighty will exalt a very poor man of the blood of Emperor Constantine...who shall on his breast wear a sign which you have seen at the beginning of this letter (a red Cross)...He will gather a grand army, and the angels shall fight for them...
This religious order shall be the last and best in the Church: it shall proceed with arms...Woe to tyrants, to heretics, and to infidels to whom no pity will be shown...An infinite number of wicked men shall perish through the hands of the Cross-bearers...most holy Crossbearers elected by the Most High, who, not succeeding in converting heretics with science, shall make vigorous use of their arms...These holy Cross-bearers shall reign and dominate holily over the whole world until the end of time...
But when shall this take place? When crosses with the stigmas shall be seen, and the crucifix shall be carried as the standard. The time is coming when the Divine Majesty will visit the world with a new religious order of holy Cross-bearers, who will carry a crucifix, or the image of our crucified Lord, lifted up upon the principal standard in view of all. This standard will be admired by all good Catholics; but at the beginning it will be derided by bad Christians and by infidels...You shall destroy the sect of the Mahomet, and all infidels of every sect. You shall put an end to all the heresies of the world...
He shall be the great founder of a new religious order different from all the others...This shall be the last religious order in the Church and shall do more good for our holy religion than all other religious institutes. By force of arms he shall take possession of a great kingdom. He shall destroy the sect of Mahomet...There will be one fold, one shepherd. He shall reign until the end of time. On the whole earth there will be twelve kings, one emperor and one pope. (Culleton, p. 157-161).
St. Francis de Paul (d. 1507): A new order will be founded, that of the Cruciferi, because its members will carry the cross on their banners...The Crusaders will lead the Mohammedans, the teachers of heretical doctrines and bad Christians back to Christ...the power of Islam {was} destroyed by the Great Monarch. (Culleton, The Reign of Antichrist, p. 142).
Joseph Goires (d. 1848): The people will be united under a powerful monarch who will make new laws (Culleton, p. 197; Connor, p. 38).
Would God institute a military order for Christians? This is NOT something that God would approve for true followers of Christ--this is another CHANGE that the Church of Rome has accepted (for details, see Military Service and the Churches of God: Do Real Christians Participate in Carnal Warfare?). Would God use the cross as a military symbol?
Notice also that Francis prophesied that there will be a new essentially Roman Catholic crossbearing religious order that will do more for the Roman "Catholic" Church than all other religious institutions. This is probably because the King of the North will work with the Pope to make the world nominally Catholic.
There is also a Catholic writer who indicates that the image or perhaps mark of the beast may be something that resembles a cross:
Priest P. Huchedé (19th century): What this sign shall be time alone will reveal. Yet there are some {Catholic} commentators of the Holt Writ, who, according to a special revelation pretend to say that it shall be formed out of the Greek letters X and P, interlaced...which resembles the number of Christ. (Cornelius a Lapide in Epis. 2 to Thes.). No one can either buy or sell without that…(Huchedé, P. Translated by JBD. History of Antichrist. Imprimatur: Edward Charles Fabre, Bishop of Montreal. English edition 1884, Reprint 1976. TAN Books, Rockford (IL), p. 24).
What is of particular interest about the above is that he is stating that what is now known as the labarum is the same cross that Emperor Constantine claimed to see in 312 A.D.:
In 312, the Roman Emperor Constantine I the Great was in Trier, Germany where he had an unexpected vision of a cross that appeared in the sky..Constantine’s soldiers, the majority of whom were pagans, placed the sacred image of the cross on their shields (Mangan C.M. In This Sign You Conquer, 10/15/03 Copyright © 2004 Catholic Online).
He {Constantine} said that about noon, when the day was already beginning to decline, he saw with his own eyes the trophy of a cross of light in the heavens , above the sun, and bearing the inscription , Conquer by this...in his sleep the Christ of God appeared to him with the same sign which he had seen in the heavens , and commanded him to make a likeness of that sign which he had seen in the heavens , and to use it as a safeguard in all engagements with his enemies....At dawn of day he arose, and communicated the marvel to his friends: and then, calling together the workers in gold and precious stones, he sat in the midst of them, and described to them the figure of the sign he had seen, bidding them represent it in gold and precious stones...Now it was made in the following manner. A long spear, overlaid with gold, formed the figure of the cross by means of a transverse bar laid over it. On the top of the whole was fixed a wreath of gold and precious stones; and within this, the symbol of the Saviour's name, two letters indicating the name of Christ by means of its initial characters, the letter P being intersected by X in its centre...(Eusebius. The Life of Constantine, Chapters 28,30,31).
If some type of cross is a symbol of the future Antichrist as Priest P. Huchedé claims it will be (and it is in a book with an official imprimatur), perhaps those who come from faiths descended from Emperor Constantine should be concerned about their religion now--before it becomes even further removed from the original faith (see also Early Church History: Who Were the Two Major Groups Professed Christ in the Second and Third Centuries?).
A "Brother David Lopez," made the following claims about a message supposedly from Mary in August 1987:
Before the great tribulation, there is going to be a sign. We will see in the sky one great red cross on a day of blue sky without clouds. The color red signifies the blood of Jesus Who redeemed us and the blood of the martyrs selected by God in the days of darkness. This cross will be seen by everyone: Christians, pagans, atheists, etc., as well as all the prepared ones (understand for prepared ones not only the Christians, because there are people who have never heard the Gospel, but also for those who have the voice of God in the sanctuary of their consciences) who will be guided by God in the way of Christ. They will receive grace to interpret the significance of the cross (Flynn, p.349).
But first, before the order's influence is fully accepted, there may be some jostling for position first within the Vatican:
Franciscan Friar (18th century). "All the religious orders will be suppressed, except one, the rule of which will be as rigid and severe as that of the monks of the past. During these calamities the Pope will die. As a result, the most powerful anarchy will prevail within the Church. Three Popes will vie for the pontifical throne, one German, one Italian, and another Greek. They will all be installed by the armed might of three factions" (Dupont, p. 79).
Sister Rose Asdenti of Taggai (1847): During a frightful storm against the Church, all religious orders shall be abolished, except two (Culleton, p. 197).
But is the true church supposed to change? Is even the Church of Rome supposed to change?
Please pay attention to the fact that that the Bible teaches:
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 9 Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines (Hebrews 13:8-9).
Furthermore, it appears that other Catholic private prophecies/writings warn that it is an antipope that supports a new religious order:
Oba Prophecy: It will come when the Church authorities issue directives to support a new cult, when priests are forbidden to celebrate in any other, when the highest positions in the Church are given to perjurers and hypocrites, when only the renegades are admitted to occupy those positions (Dupont, p. 115).
Anna-Katarina Emmerick (19th century): I saw again a new and odd-looking Church which they were trying to build. There was nothing holy about it...(Dupont, p. 116).
Yves Dupont {Catholic writer interpreting A. Emmerick}: They wanted to make a new Church, a Church of human manufacture, but God had other designs...The Holy Father shall have to leave Rome, and he shall die a cruel death. An anti-pope shall be set up in Rome (Dupont, p. 116).
Ted and Maureen Flynn (readers and reporters Catholic prophecies): Catholic prophecy warns us of severe problems facing the papacy in these end times…chaos will be within our midst. An Antipope will seize papal authority…It will be those who hold fast to the truths of the faith who will be labeled as the perpetrators of this horrible schism, according to some visionaries (Flynn, p. 255).
Priest Herman Kramer (20th century): Antichrist will have a forerunner or prophet, who will prepare the way for him...This false prophet possibly at the behest of Antichrist usurps the papal supremacy…His assumed spiritual authority and supremacy over the Church would make him resemble the Bishop of Rome…He would be Pontifex Maximus, a title of pagan emperors, having spiritual and temporal authority. Assuming authority without having it makes him the False Prophet...Though he poses as a lamb, his doctrines betray him...His principles and dogmas to be accepted...it will comprise emperor-worship...with the persecution of true believers (Kramer H.B. L. The Book of Destiny, pp. 318,319).
...Antichrist, if he ever were of or in the Church, shall be an Apostate and a renegade out of the Church, and he shall usurp upon it by tyranny, and by challenging worship, religion, and government thereof, so that himself shall be adored in all the Churches of the world which he list to leave standing for his honor. And this is to sit in the temple or *against the Temple of God, as some interpret. If any Pope did ever this, or shall do, then let the Adversaries call him Antichrist (Annotations on The Second Epistle of Saint Paul to the Thessalonians. The Original and True RHEIMS NEW TESTAMENT of Anno Domini 1582 , p. 423).
Thus, while some Catholic prophecies (quoted earlier) praise a new religious order, others indicate that a new type of Catholicism will not be true. And in either case, whatever new order that the Great Monarch implements, it will not be faithful to the teachings of Christ or His original faithful followers.
Additionally, some Catholic writers clearly have understood that the two-horned beast in Revelation 13 is likely to be an antipope:
Priest E. Sylvester Berry (published 1920): The two horns denote a twofold authority – spiritual and temporal. As indicated by the resemblance to a lamb, the prophet will probably set himself up in Rome as a sort of anti-pope…Antichrist will establish himself in Jerusalem…with his ‘lying wonders’... (Berry ES. The Apocalypse of St. John, 1920. Quoted in Culleton RG. The Reign of Antichrist. Reprint 1974, TAN Books, Rockford (IL), pp. 199-200).
The above teaching is consistent with that of the Living Church of God.
Both the Bible and some Roman Catholic prophecies show that a power from the South (called the King of the South in the Bible) will cause a power from the North to invade (called the King of the North in the Bible).
Notice what is taught by some Roman Catholic prophets:
St. John Bosco (1815 – 1888 )...War comes from the south, peace from the north (St. John Bosco, Part 3. CATHOLIC PROPHECIES - PART I http://www.freehomepages.com/nostradamus/catholic_prophecies_PartOne.htm 01/30/07).
Telesphorus of Cozensa (died 1388): A powerful French monarch and French pope will regain the holy land after terrible wars in Europe, convert the world, and bring universal peace" (Connor, pp. 34-35).
Michel De Nostredame (Michael of our Lady...died in 1566)...The Great Arab shall progress well forward, But betrayed by the Byzantines. (Turks) The ancient Rhodes shall come and meet him, Then great evil will befall Hungary (Dupont, p, 107).
Y. Dupont (commentator on the above) "What the third verse says about Rhodes may mean the Knights of St. John...As for the fourth verse, it alludes once again to the determining battles which are to take place in Hungary" (Dupont, p, 107).
David Poreus (17th century). "The Great Monarch will be of French descent, large forehead, large dark eyes, light brown wavy hair and an eagle nose. He will crush the enemies of the Pope and will conquer the {Middle?} East." (Dupont, p.31)
Pay special attention to the next three private prophecies (and one comment) and compare them to the scripture that comes afterwards:
Nostradamus: Then the King of the North, hearing the complaint of the people from his chief state, will raise up a mighty army, and pass through the limits of his last progenitors and great-grandfathers, to him who will replace almost everything in its old condition. The great Vicar of the Cope shall be put back to his pristine state; but, desolated and abandoned by all (Letter to Henry II, King of France, From Salon this 27th June, 1558. Cited in Culleton R. Gerald. The Reign of Antichrist, TAN Books, Rockford, IL, p. 144).
Monk Hilarion (d. 1476): The people of the Peninsula of Europe will suffer by unnecessary wars...That Lion will come from a high mountain in the enlightened nation. Then the people of the Half-Moon {Islam} of the tribe of Agar overrun many nations. toward midnight (North) and commit depredations. Three years will they reign destroying all. Yet in the third year will be one of the unconquerable Eagles who reign over the Enlighted Nation between the Rhine and the North Sea, with a great army meet them at the mouth of the River Rhine and in a fearful battle almost entirely annihilate them (Culleton, p. 138).
Y. Dupont (20th century) commenting on the above from Monk Hiliaron: Europe--and Italy in particular--will suffer greatly through wars. The Mohammedans will take advantage of the complete anarchy in Europe and invade the land...But eventually they will be thrown back into the sea by the Great King who comes from the Ardennes in Belgium (Dupont, p. 21).
Rudolph Gekner (died 1675). "A great prince of the North with a most powerful army will traverse all Europe, uproot all republics, and exterminate all rebels. His sword moved by Divine power will most valiantly defend the Church of Jesus Christ. He will combat on behalf of the true orthodox faith, and shall subdue to his dominion the Mahometan Empire. A new pastor of the universal church will come from the shore (of Dalmatia) through a celestial prodigy, and in simplicity of heart adorned with the doctrines of Jesus Christ. Peace will come to the world." (Cited in Connor, Edward. Prophecy for Today. Imprimatur + A.J. Willinger, Bishop of Monterey-Fresno; Reprint: Tan Books and Publishers, Rockford (IL), 1984, p.36).
Pseudo-Methodius (7th century): This new Muslim invasion will be a punishment without limit and mercy…In France, people of Christians will fight and kill them…At that same time the Muslims will be killed and they will know the tribulation…The Lord will give them to the powers of the Christians whose empire will be elevated above all empires…The Roman King (Great Monarch) will show a great indignation against those who will have denied Christ in Egypt or in Arabia (Araujo, pp. 101,103).
Now from the Bible:
"40 At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through. 41 He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown..." (Daniel 11:40-41).
Notice that there are major similarities between the "great prince of the north"/Eagle/Lion that some Catholics have written prophecies about and the invading of the King of the North in Daniel 11:40-41.
It is of interest to note that while most of the Roman Catholic prophets (Pseudo-Methodius, however, would be Orthodox) tend to indicate that this ruler is good, the one that sounds just like him is condemned in the Bible:
36 Then the king shall do according to his own will: he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished; for what has been determined shall be done 40...the king of the North...44 But news from the east and the north shall trouble him; therefore he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many. 45 And he shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas and the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and no one will help him (Daniel 11:36,40,44-45).
Are not the parallels between the "Great Monarch" and the biblical King of the North becoming clear? Since this ruler is condemned, no one should be looking forward to his rule.
But many, though not all, affiliated with Rome tend to ignore the warnings about the King of the North.
Why?
That is a good question. Because this is a change from a long standing position:
Archbishop Jacob Voragine (13th century): Daniel xi...Antichrist and his complices shall give abomination and desolation to the temple of God in this time...he shall destroy the law of God (Araujo, p. 132).
But as far as I have been able to determine, many (but not certainly not all) "modern" Roman Catholics seem to view that much of Daniel 11 has come to pass (cf. Kurz, p. 68, quoted later). They seem not to understand the future fulfillment of many portions of it and seem to be on the opposite side of where God would want His followers to be. Thus, those who believe that Daniel 11 has been fulfilled are not looking for the future King of the North.
However, the following is from a Catholic writer named Robert Conte, Jr. and he is consistent with past Catholic traditions as he does admit that the King of the North is still to come and that he is from Europe (even though he seems not to understand that the "great monarch" is the King of the North, nor does he understand when events will occur):
After the great monarch's kingship ends, when he willingly steps down as leader, his kingdom will be divided into four parts. The northern part includes most of Europe. The southern part consists of Israel, the Middle East, and northern Africa. The rulers over these two parts are referred to, in the Book of Daniel, as the king of the North and the king of the South...
This reign of the ten kings begins during the 24th century (the 2300's A.D.). While some of these 'kings' will be despots or monarchs, others will be nominally democratic leaders (elected, but with excessive power). These ten kingdoms will all be very sinful. Their laws will permit, encourage, or even require all manner of serious sin in society. They will obtain a kind of false peace, which is an exterior-only peace brought about by severities in law enforcement, by excessively harsh punishments, and by a sinful permissiveness that does not count as a crime many acts that are certainly crimes against humanity and against God. There will also be little or no war, except between the kingdom of the North (Europe) and the kingdom of the South (Israel, Middle East, northern Africa)...
The Antichrist then decides to try to destroy the Church from within, by making it legal for these apostates and heretics to openly practice their perverse version of Catholicism. He give them control of church buildings and he alters laws, customs, and culture in order to support their ideas. In exchange, they take the last step in the perverse progression of their apostasy: they agree to worship and promote the worship of the Antichrist...
The Antichrist allows these apostates and severe heretics to elect an antipope. They choose a woman to be their antipope. She is the false prophet described in the Book of Revelation. (She is the Aversatrix foreshadowed in the Old Testament.)...
The false prophet helps the Antichrist by convincing the world to worship him, by means of this perverse version of Catholicism...(Conte Jr., Ronald L. The Great Apostasy and the Abomination of Desolation. December 23, 2005. http://www.catholicplanet.com/future/great-apostasy.htm viewed 12/13/08).
So, there does appear to be some Catholics who might see some of what is now happening in Europe--but only partially.
The Bible states that after he has arisen, that those of the North and East will invade the European King of the North in Daniel 11:44-45. The Bible also teaches that the King of the North will then meet his end, but the Roman Catholics seem to believe that Europe will beat the Asians and the Asians will be destroyed. Notice one of their private prophecies that suggest that:
Countess Francesca de Brillante (20th Century). "I see yellow warriors and red warriors marching against Europe. Europe will be completely covered with a yellow fog that will kill the cattle in the fields. Those nations that rebelled against the law of Christ will perish by fire. Europe will then be too large for them who survive (Dupont, p. 78).
Instead of normally tying it in with the abomination of Daniel 11:31, Roman Catholics sometimes tend to hint that the abomination that Jesus warned of in Matthew 24:15 is referring to the abomination in Daniel 12:11--which they tend to consider to be something Jewish that abolishes the Catholic Mass (which is what many consider to be the "daily sacrifice" spoken about):
Desmond Birch (1996): According to both Tradition & Scripture, and private prophecy, the Antichrist shall have abolished the {sic} “the Holy Sacrament of the Altar” (the Mass). That is part of the Scriptural “abomination of desolations" (Birch, p. 509).
Also notice where Daniel 12:11 is specified:
Michael Muller (1884): He will prohibit any other deity to be acknowledged but himself, and prohibits all worship of the Supreme Being, all exercise of the Christian religion, and particularly the holy sacrifice of the Mass, because in it Christ is personally present and adored as God. All this has been foretold by the prophet Daniel. (Dan. 8:11; 12:11.) The Holy Sacrifice of Mass will not be offered up publicly for three years and a half, and the abomination unto desolation is set up in the place of that of God. (Matt. 24:5,16.) (Culligan, p. 107).
Yet, The Catholic Encyclopedia does allow for Daniel 11:31 to be fulfilled in the future, but is quite unclear about its relevance/meaning:
The Abomination of Desolation
The importance of this Scriptural expression is chiefly derived from the fact that in Matthew 24:15, and Mark 13:14, the appearance of the "abomination of desolation" standing in the "Holy Place" (Matthew), or where "it ought not" (Mark), is given by Our Lord to His disciples as the signal for their flight from Judea, at the time of the approaching ruin of Jerusalem (Luke 21:20). The expression itself is confessedly obscure. To determine its meaning, interpreters have naturally betaken themselves to the original Hebrew of the book of Daniel; for our first Evangelist distinctly says that "the abomination of desolation" he has in view "was spoken of by Daniel the prophet"; and further, the expression he makes use of, in common with St. Mark, is simply the Greek phrase whereby the Septuagint translators rendered literally the Hebrew words shíqqûç shômem found in Daniel 12:11; 9:27; 11:31. Unfortunately, despite all their efforts to explain these Hebrew terms, Biblical scholars are still at variance about their precise meaning (The Abomination of Desolation, 1907).
Actually, some modern Catholic scholars imply that Daniel did not write the prophecies ascribed to him and teach that Daniel 11 has already been fulfilled. Notice:
The First six chapters of the Book of Daniel contain older stories about a wise man, Daniel, from an earlier era. The stories are set during the Babylonian exile in the sixth century B.C. (see Ezekiel 14:14; 28:3), whereas Daniel 7 through 12 present visions received during the later Hellenistic period of writing (second century B.C.). As most apocalypses did, the visions in Daniel are presented as if namely, the hero of Daniel 1-6. This follows the Jewish practice of writing under the names of ancient authors. Internal historical references in the visions prompt scholars to ascribe their visions quite narrowly to a Jewish seer suffering under the persecution of the later Greek emperor, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, in 167-164 B.C., the same persecution that 1 and 2 Maccabees describe. (Kurz, W. What Does the Bible Say About the End Times? A Catholic View. Servant Books, Cincinnati. Nihil Obstat: Kistner H., Schehr T.P. Imprimi Potest: Link F., Paul J.M. Imprimatur: Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxillary Bishop, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, July 19, 2004, p. 68)
Because of their conclusions and their private prophecies, however, I believe that, sadly, many modern Catholics have become so misled that they will simply not be able to understand prophetic fulfillment when it is right before their eyes. I believe that it is heretical to teach that all of Daniel has been fulfilled.
Furthermore, I should state that the Catholic Jerome disagreed with the conclusions of the above book as he dealt with a similar heresy in his time (late 4th/early 5th century):
Porphyry wrote his twelfth book against the prophecy of Daniel, denying that it was composed by the person to whom it is ascribed in its title, but rather by some individual living in Judaea at the time of the Antiochus who was surnamed Epiphanes. He furthermore alleged that "Daniel" did not foretell the future so much as he related the past, and lastly that whatever he spoke of up till the time of Antiochus contained authentic history, whereas anything he may have conjectured beyond that point was false, inasmuch as he would not have foreknown the future. Eusebius, Bishop of Caesarea, made a most able reply to these allegations in three volumes, that is, the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth. Appollinarius did likewise, in a single large book, namely his twenty-sixth. Prior to these authors Methodius made a partial reply.
But inasmuch as it is not our purpose to make answer to the false accusations of an adversary, a task requiring lengthy discussion, but rather to treat of the actual content of the prophet's message for the benefit of us who are Christians, I wish to stress in my preface this fact, that none of the prophets has so clearly spoken concerning Christ as has this prophet Daniel. For not only did he assert that He would come, a prediction common to the other prophets as well, but also he set forth the very time at which He would come...
Verse 24...those of our persuasion believe all these things are spoken prophetically of the Antichrist who is to arise in the end time...Verses 40, 41...the king of the North (Jerome. Commentary on Daniel, Preface and Chapter 11. Translated by Gleason L. Archer. (1958). p. 15 http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/jerome_daniel_02_text.htm viewed 12/20/08).
Hence, Jerome had to deal with some who preferred to deny the highly prophetic nature of Daniel. And, on the specific point that there was future fulfillment in Daniel 11 involving a King of the North, Jerome was correct. Those affiliated with Rome that teach (or that will teach) that Daniel 11 has been completely fulfilled are teaching heresy.
There are various additional prophecies (though, some of seem contradictory), about the "Great Monarch" (and sometimes they call him, the "Eagle") and the "Angelic Pastor" (sometimes called the "Holy Man") that some modern Catholics are looking for:
Bl. Anna-Maria Taigi (19th century). France shall fall into a frightful anarchy. The French shall have a desperate civil war in the course of which even old men will take up arms. The political parties, having exhausted their blood and their rage without being able to arrive at any satisfactory settlement, shall agree at the last extremity to have recourse to the Holy See. Then the Pope shall send to France a special legate...In consequence of the information received, His Holiness himself shall nominate a most Christian King for the government of France. (Dupont, p.45)
Bl. Rabanus Maurus (d. 856): Our principal doctors agree in announcing to us, that towards the end of time one of the descendants of France shall reign over all the Roman Empire; that he shall be the greatest of the Empire; and that he shall be the greatest of the French monarch, and the last of his race. After happily governed his kingdom, he will go to Jerusalem, and depose on Mount of Olives his sceptre and crown. This shall be the end and conclusion of the Roman... Empire (Culleton, p. 136).
Monk Adso (d. 992). "Some of our Teachers say that a King of the Franks will possess the entire Roman Empire. This King will be the greatest and the last of all Monarchs, and after having prosperously governed his kingdom, he will come in the end to Jerusalem and he will lay down his sceptre and his crown upon the Mount of Olives and immediately afterwards, Anti-Christ will come" (Culleton, p.137).
Comment: The Great King will be of Frankish descent, although his actual nationality is uncertain. Inter-marriage between the various royal families of Europe makes it possible for virtually every prince to claim Frankish ancestry. It seems that he will travel twice to Jerusalem, once at the beginning of his reign to reassert the right of the Christians, and again at the end to fight Israel, which by then, will have grown powerful under the rising Antichrist. The mention of his laying down his sceptre and crown, coupled with that of Antichrist, seems to indicate that he will be defeated and killed by the Anti-Christians. (the comment is from Dupont personally, p.18)
Magdeburg Chronicle. "Of the blood of the Emperor Charles the Great and of the Kings of France shall arise as emperor named Charles, who shall rule in Europe, by whom the decay of the Church shall be reformed and the ancient glory of the Empire restored.' (Dupont, p.26)
Josefa von Bourg (d. 1807): God will choose a descendant of Constantine, Pepin, and St. Louis, who has been tried by a long period of exile to rule over Europe. He will have the sign of the cross on his breast...Under him the Catholic religion will spread as never before (Culleton, pp. 181-182; Connor, p.37).
St. Remigius (5th Century): Take notice that the Kingdom of France is predestined by God for the defense of the Roman church which is the only true Church of Christ. This kingdom shall someday be great among the kingdoms of the earth, and shall embrace all the limits of the Roman Empire, and shall submit all other kingdoms to its own scepter (Birch, p. 246).
Abbe Souffrand (d. 1828): The Great Ruler will perform such great and noble deeds that the infidels will be forced to admit the working of God's Providence (Culleton, p. 191).
St. Caesar of Arles (6th Century) Father..."When the entire world, and in a special way France, and in France especially the provinces of the north, of the east, and above all that of Lorraine and Champagne, shall have been laid waste by the greatest miseries and trials, then the provinces shall be comforted by a prince who had been exiled in his youth, and who shall recover the crown of the lilies. This prince shall extend his dominion over the total universe.
"At the same time, by the will of God, a most holy man shall receive the Papacy, who will be most perfect in every spiritual perfection. This Pope will have with him the great Monarch, a most virtuous man, who shall be an eminent leader of the holy line of French Kings. This great Monarch shall assist the Pope in the reformation of the whole earth. Many nations and their princes that are living in error and impiety [at that time] shall be converted, and an admirable peace shall reign among men during many years, because the wrath of God shall be appeased through their repentance, penance, and good works. There will be one common law, only one faith, one baptism, one religion..." (Birch, pp.247-248)
St. Caesar of Arles (6th Century) ..."there will be a great Pope...This Pope shall have with him, the Great Monarch...This Great Monarch will assist the Pope in the reformation of the whole earth...All nations shall recognize the Holy See of Rome, and shall pay homage to the Pope. But after some considerable time fervor shall cool...which shall bring upon mankind the last and worse persecution of Anti-Christ...There shall be great carnage" (Culleton, pp. 126-127).
Priest R. Gerald Culleton (20th century): During the reign of the Great Monarch and the Angelic Pastor the Catholic Church will spread throughout the world...The Great Pope will reign for approximately four years (Culleton, p. 50).
Monk Hilarion (d. 1476): Before the Christian churches are renovated and united, God will send the Eagle (Great Monarch) who will travel to Rome and bring much happiness and good. The Holy Man (Angelic Pastor?) will bring peace between the clergy and the Eagle and his reign will last for four years (Culleton, p. 137; also Dupont, p. 20).
St. Caesarius of Arles (469-543): "When the entire world, and in a special manner France, and in France more particularly the provinces of the north, of the east, and above all, that of Lorraine and Champagne, shall have been a prey to the greatest miseries and trials, then the provinces shall be succored by a prince who had been exiled in his youth, and who shall recover the crown of the lilies." This prince shall extend his dominion over the entire universe. At the same time there will be a great Pope, who will be most eminent in sanctity and most perfect in every quality. This Pope shall have with him the Great Monarch, a most virtuous man, who shall be a scion of the holy race of the French kings. This Great Monarch will assist the Pope in the reformation of the whole earth. Many princes and nations that are living in error and impiety shall be converted, and an admirable peace shall reign among men during many years, because the wrath of God shall be appeased through their repentance, penance, and good works. There will be one common law, only one faith, one baptism, one religion. All nations shall recognize the Holy See of Rome, and shall pay homage to the Pope. But after some considerable time fervor shall cool, iniquity shall abound, and moral corruption shall become worse than ever, which shall bring upon mankind the last and worst persecution of the Antichrist, and the end of the world." (Culleton, pp. 126-127). Note: he was an Archbishop for Arles.
Abbe Souffrand (died 1828): "The Great Ruler will perform such great and noble deeds that the infidels will be forced to admit the working of God's Providence. Under this reign the greatest righteousness will be practiced and the earth will bear in overabundance.
"Between the cries 'Everything is lost' and 'Everything is saved' there will be scarcely any interval." (Connor p.37)
Sister Marianne Gaultier (18th century): "...When all shall appear lost, all will be saved...It is then that the Prince shall reign, whom people did not esteem before, but whom they shall then seek. The triumph of religion shall be so great that no one has ever seen the equal (Dupont, p. 75).
D. Birch (commenting after the above in his book), "Many of the prophecies speak of the fact that the Great King at first will not be well-liked, especially by the French clergy" (Birch, p. 276).
M. Porsat (19th century). "There will be confusion among the clergy" (Dupont, p. 114).
Sister Rose Asdenti of Taggia (1847): "A great revolution will spread all over Europe, and peace will not be restored until the white flower, the lily (Bourbon), has taken possession of the throne of France." (Connor p.38)
Bernhardt Rembordt (18th century). "Cologne will be the site of a terrible battle. Many foreigners will be slaughtered there; both men and women will fight for their Faith. It will be impossible to prevent this horrible devastation. People will wade up to their ankles in blood. At last, a foreign King will appear and win a victory for the cause of the righteous. The remaining enemy will retreat to the Birchtree country. There, the last battle will be fought for the just cause.
At that time France will be divided. The German Empire will choose a simple man as the Emperor, who will rule for a short time. His successor will be the man for whom the world has longed. He will be called a "Roman Emperor," and he will give peace to the world. A good and happy era will follow. God will be praised on earth, and war will be no more." (Dupont, pp.34-35)
Father Laurence Ricci, S.J. (died 1775): "After the rule of Napoleon a time will come when the people will become poor and the world will be punished in three ways: wars, famines, and pestilences. At a time when the whole world seems doomed, God will intervene. With His aide a valiant duke will arise from the ancient German house which was humiliated by the French monarch. This great ruler will restore stolen Church property. Protestantism will cease and the Turkish empire will end. This duke will be the most powerful monarch on earth. At a gathering of men noted for piety and wisdom he will, with the aid of the Pope, introduce new rules, and ban the spirit of confusion. Everywhere there will be one fold and one shepherd." (Connor p.37)
I should probably add that the prophecies about this person essentially state that he will be somehow French and have some type of German-French royalty (there was a lot of inter-marrying within the royals of Europe centuries ago).
While this would appear to contradict Daniel 11:21 (presuming it applies to the same person), it may be that the royalty is only something that will later be claimed (as it may be very hard to disprove).
But I do believe that the person described as the King of the North from Daniel 11:27 onwards is the one that many private Catholic prophecies identify as the "Great Monarch" or "the Eagle". Also, if the "Great Pope" only reigns for four years, then this would suggest that the end of humanity's rule cutting itself off from God is relatively soon.
There are many Roman Catholic prophecies that suggest that a pope will flee and die. Afterwards, according to some, there is to be a special pope who is assisted by the Great Monarch. Could the next pope be the future antipope that is prophesied?
A Catholic saint named Malachy has predicted with what some to believe is complete accuracy, every pope since 1143--it was considered as so accurate, that some said it was not written until the 16th century, when it became made public. However, some believe the following about Malachy's list
...has given fitting descriptions of every pope since the 16th century, when it was discovered (Dupont, p.19).
...when Malachy visited Pope Innocent II in Rome in 1139, he was given a vision of all the Holy Fathers of the future...Of the 112 popes described on the list 74 had already reigned when the list was discovered…Proponents of the prophecy…stand on the fact that the prophetic utterances did fit all the popes after 1590 with uncanny aptness. A study of the entire prophecy shows that fulfillment is made possible only by including anti-popes (Connor, pp. 7-9).
...the vast majority of Malachy's predictions about successive Popes is amazingly accurate (Bander, Peter. Introductory commentary in The Prophecies of St. Malachy. TAN Books, Rockford (IL), 1973, p. 11).
In 1139…St. Malachy gave his manuscript to Innocent II to console him in the midst of his tribulations, and that the document remained unknown in the Roman Archives until its discovery in 1590...These short prophetical announcements, in number 112, indicate some noticeable trait of all future popes from Celestine II, who was elected in the year 1143, until the end of the world. They are enunciated under mystical titles. Those who have undertaken to interpret and explain these symbolical prophecies have succeeded in discovering some trait, allusion, point, or similitude in their application to the individual popes, either as to their country, their 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. (Devine, Arthur. "Prophecy." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 12. Nihil Obstat. June 1, 1911. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911. 10 Mar. 2009 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12473a.htm>).
I should add that Malachy's list includes several leaders that the Roman Catholics call antipopes (e.g. Clement VII, Benedict XIII, etc., Bander, pp. 50-54) and that, thus, many are inserted sometimes together as opposed to always being in strict chronological order.
Now if Malachy's last prophecies on the last popes are correct, and a pope prior to the last one on that list will flee and die, then this would mean that this will happen with the current Pope Benedict XVI as there is only one pope left on Malachy's list. And that could be the current pope, who is German. The following is an example of some prophecies that might apply to him:
Nun Emmerich: I also saw the Holy Father-- God-fearing and prayerful. Nothing left to be desired in his appearance, but he was weakened by old age and by much suffering. (Dupont p. 68)
Helen Wallraff (19th century). "Some day a pope will flee from Rome in the company of only four cardinals . . . and they will come to Koeln [Cologne]." (Dupont, p. 78)
And if a pope was to flee to Germany, it would seem to make sense that he might be from Germany himself.
So it would seem that if this would be fulfilled, that Pope Benedict XVI would be the one to do that.
However, it should be noted that the editor of the book I own on Malachy's list specifically states that Malachy's list does not require that there could be no other popes prior to the last one:
Some medieval interpreters have gone out of their way to stress that Malachy in his prophecies does not specifically mention that no Popes reign between Gloria Olivae and the last Petrus Romanus; nor on the other hand does he mention that there will be others (Bander, p.96).
The above does give the interpretation of the list some "wiggle room". But if not, there is only one pope left!
Anyway, here are some future private prophecies concerning the popes, with the last one possibly being the last on Malachy's list:
John of Vatiguerro (13th century). "...The Pope will change his residence and the Church will not be defended for twenty-five months or more..." (Dupont, p. 28)
Bl. Anna-Maria Taigi (19th century). Religion shall be persecuted, and priests massacred. Churches shall be closed, but only for a short time. The Holy Father shall be obliged to leave Rome. (Dupont, p.45)
St. Pius X (20th century). "I saw one of my successors taking to flight over the bodies of his brethren. He will take refuge in a disguise somewhere; after a short retirement, he will die a cruel death. The present wickedness of the world is only the beginning of sorrows which must take place before the end of the world."(Dupont, p. 22)
Capuchin Friar (18th century)..."The Pope shall die during these calamities, and the Church will be reduced to the most painful anarchy as a result. Much human blood will be shed in Italy; many cities, towns and castles shall be brought to ruins, causing the death of many thousands of people. By the Catholic clergy and people the true and lawful Pope will be elected who shall be a man of great holiness and goodness of life.
"A scion of the Carolingian race, by all considered extinct, will come to Rome and behold and admire the piety and clemency of this Pontiff, who will crown him, and declare him to be the legitimate Emperor of the Romans. He shall destroy the Ottoman Empire and all heresies. With the assistance of God and of the Pope, he will cooperate in the reformation of abuses; he will assume the direction of temporal governments; he will assign a decent pension to the Pope and also the bishops and clergy. And they all will live in peace which shall last till the End of Time." (Dupont, p.34)
Capuchin Friar (18th century)...A scion of the Carlovingian race, by all considered extinct, will come to Rome to behold and admire the piety and clemency of this Pontiff, who will crown him, and declare him to be the legitimate Emperor of the Romans, and from the Chair of St. Peter, the Pope will lift up the standard, the crucifix, and will give it to the new emperor. This new emperor...will form a most powerful host called the Church Army, through which he will destroy the Ottoman Empire and all heresies (Culleton, pp. 177-178).
St. Ephraem (5th century)..."Then the Lord from his glorious heaven shall set up his peace. And the kingdom of the Romans shall rise in place of this latter people, and establish dominion upon the earth, even to its ends, and there shall be no one who will resist it.
Comment on the above from Catholic writer Desmond Birch: He is talking about some future "Kingdom of the Romans" of a "latter people." (Birch, pp. 225,226)
Nursing Nun of Bellay. "A saint raises his arms to Heaven; he allays the wrath of God. He ascends the throne of Peter. At the same time, the Great Monarch ascends the throne of his ancestors. All is quiet now. Altars are set up again; religion comes to life again. What I see now is so wonderful that I am unable to express it. (Dupont, p.51)
Elizabeth Canori-Mora (19th century)."...All men shall become Catholics, and they shall acknowledge the Pope as Vicar of Jesus Christ." (Dupont, p.35)
Bl. Anna-Maria Taigi (19th century). After the three days of darkness, St. Peter and St. Paul, having come down from Heaven, will preach in the whole world and designate a new Pope. A great light will flash from their bodies and will settle upon the cardinal who is to become Pope. Christianity, then, will spread throughout the world. He is the Holy Pontiff, chosen by God to withstand the storm. At the end, he will have the gift of miracles, and his name shall be praised over the whole earth. (Dupont, p.45)
Blessed Anna-Maria Taigi (died 1837). After three days of darkedness Saints Peter and Paul, having come down from Heaven, will preach throughout the world and designate a new pope. A great light will flash from their bodies and will settle upon the cardinal, the future Pontiff. Then Christianity will spread throughout the world. Whole nations will join the Church shortly before the reign of Antichrist. These conversions will be amazing (Connor, p. 26).
The last two prophecies seem to be referring to the same thing, but are from two different sources. What they seem to agree upon is that a future (and perhaps final) pope will be chosen from spirit-influence--that may be consistent with Revelation 16:13, presuming this last pontiff fulfills the biblical role of the false prophet:
13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet (Revelation 16:13).
Here is what Malachy wrote about the last pope:
Malachy (12th century) "In the final persecution of the Holy Roman Church there will reign Peter the Roman, who will feed his flock with among many tribulations; after which the seven-headed city will be destroyed and the dreadful Judge will judge the people". (Bander, p. 96)
Here is an unusual commentary on that:
The part that concerns me most in Malachy's vision that the "dreadful Judge will [then] judge the people". Malachy wanted us to believe that the Judge is Christ coming to rule this confused planet. This is perhaps Satan's greatest delusion of all and that doctrine is known as the "temporal millennium" or "the age to come". ( Clever, Charles Huntley. The Wise Shall Understand. Xulon Press, 2009, p. 63).
I would like to state that the Bible teaches the millennium (and an age to come). They are NOT a Satanic deception. But my bigger point is that the Malachy prophecy is believed by some to teach that Christ will come at the end of the reign of the next pope.
Regarding the last pope on the Malachy list, Wikipedia's article Prophecy of the Popes (at least on 4/11/07 claimed):
Separate doubts are raised about the last entry, describing Petrus Romanus. Some claim that this was first recorded sometime after 1820 and so is often considered not to be part of the original prophecy...
Thus if there are popes past the next one, there is a view that they could be considered to be antipopes.
Here is a comment from a prophecy writer on the last pope on Malachy's list:
112th Pope? The Last Pope - Petrus Romanus (Peter the Roman; the apostate pope; the anti-pope?) (Miller, Shirley. The Ancient Malachy Prophesy.THE LAMPHOLDER NEWSLETTER. Published by Lampholder Publications An International Prophecy Journal April 2, 2005. http://www.lampholderpub.com/Italy_Pope_Vatican_new_page_52.html#THE%20LAST%20GREAT%20POPE verified 10/09/07).
If there is an antipope to come, and IF Malachy's list has only one more pope, then the antipope would be the next pope.
There are some private Catholic prophecies about the Eastern Orthodox uniting again with the Church of Rome (see also Orthodox Must Reject Unity with the Roman Catholics).
One Roman Catholic saint declared:
St. Bridget of Sweden (died 1373): Let the Greeks know that their empire, their kingdoms, their dominions, shall never be secure or in settled peace, but will always be in subjection by their enemies, from whom they shall have to suffer most grievous hardships and constant distresses: until, with true humility and good will, they shall have submitted themselves to the Church of Rome and to her faith, conforming themselves entirely to the holy rites and ordinances of that Church (Culleton, The Prophets and Our Times , p. 154).
The same saint also declared that the Great Monarch (called "The Eagle below) was going to lead to peace and that this will ultimately lead to the restoration of the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul (historically known as Constantinople--for photos and information on it and the Santa Sophia please go to Joyce's Photos of Constantinople) which is where the leading "Orthodox see" is:
St. Bridget of Sweden (died 1373): The Eagle will also invade the Mohometan countries and will carry the admirable sign in the land of promise (Palestine). Peace and abundance shall return to the world. This most unhappy war shall end when an emperor of Spanish origin will be elected, who will, in a wonderful manner, be victorious through the sign of the Cross. He shall destroy the Jewish and Mahometan sects: he shall restore the Santa Sophia (in Constantinople), and all the earth shall enjoy peace and prosperity; new cities will be erected in many places (Culleton, The Prophets and Our Times , p. 154).
Since Bridget states that peace cannot come to the Orthodox until after they embrace the Church of Rome, then it would appear that by the time the Eagles allies restore the Haggia Sophia, that the Orthodox would have accepted Catholic dominance, which is something that they should not do (for more details, please see Orthodox Must Reject Unity with the Roman Catholics)--nor should the Catholics accept doctrinal changes in the name of ecumemicalism.
It may be of interest to note that an Eastern Orthodox monk praised the upcoming future city of Babylon:
Monk Leontios: Rejoice, oh most unhappy one, oh New Babylon!...You, who are the New Babylon rejoice now on behalf of Zion! New Babylon, dance, bounce and leap greatly, make known even those in Haydes what a Grace you have received. Because that peace which was yours to enjoy in times past, and which God has deprived you of in course of battles, receive it once more from the hand of an Angel...oh, the City of Seven Hills the dominion will be yours (Tzima Otto, H. The Great Monarch and WWIII in Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Scriptural Prophecies. The Verenika Press, Rock Hill (SC), 2000, pp. 82-83).
While ancient Babylon was on a plain, both Rome and Constantinople originally were cities of seven hills.
Furthermore, notice an astounding private "Catholic" prophecy that actually praises the future city of Babylon and states that a Pope will re-unite the Eastern Orthodox somehow with the Western (Roman) Church:
Abbott Joachim (died 1202): A remarkable Pope will be seated on the pontifical throne, under special protection of the angels. Holy and full of gentleness, he shall undo all wrong, he shall recover the states of the Church, and reunite the exiled temporal powers. As the only Pastor, he shall reunite the Eastern to the Western Church...This holy Pope shall be both pastor and reformer. Through him the East and West shall be in ever lasting concord. The city of Babylon shall then be the head and guide of the world. Rome, weakened in temporal power, shall forever preserve her spiritual dominion, and shall enjoy great peace...At the beginning, in order to bring these happy results, having need of a powerful assistance, this holy Pontiff will ask the cooperation of the generous monarch of France (Great Monarch)...A man of remarkable sanctity will be his successor in the Pontifical chair. Through him God will work so many prodigies that all men shall revere him (Cited in Connor, Edward. Prophecy for Today. Imprimatur + A.J. Willinger, Bishop of Manterey-Fresno; Reprint: Tan Books and Publishers, Rockford (IL), 1984, pp. 31-32).
It needs to be understood that although the above quote is in a book with an Imprimatur (high level Roman Catholic approval), some Roman Catholics (like Birch, pp. 143,235) have wisely somewhat distanced themselves from some of Abott Joachim's writings (Note: other Roman Catholics writings tend to support the Abbott's writings, but I do not recall seeing others that support "Babylon"). However since the Bible warns about being part of Babylon (e.g. Revelation 18:4), those who think that they are faithful among the Catholics and Orthodox should distance themselves from becoming part of the ecumenical church at the end (see also Orthodox Must Reject Unity with the Roman Catholics).
And it needs to be understood that Roman Catholics realize that the expression, " Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!" (Revelation 18:2) is referring to Rome:
Priest W. Kurz (21st century) Revelation 18 announces and exults the fall of Babylon-Rome under God's judgment...The ultimate and primary reason for God's judgment follows: "And in her was found the blood of the prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on earth" (Revelation 18:24) (Kurz, p. 166).
And readers of the Bible know that the Bible says this fall happens after the Antichrist comes. And so do Catholic writers as the admit that the Antichrist comes on the scene in Revelation 13 and is on in Revelation 17:
1. A beast coming up. ] This beast is the universal company of the wicked, whose head is Antichrist: and the same is called (Apoc 17) (Annotations on the Apocalypse, Chapter 13. The Original and True RHEIMS NEW TESTAMENT of Anno Domini 1582 , p. 590).
Yet, oddly, some of the Roman "Catholic" prophets teach that the final Antichrist will come AFTER a Roman Empire is destroyed:
Catholic doctor Robert Bellarmine {taught that before the coming of the Antichrist will be} "the devastation of the Roman Empire" (as quoted in Birch, p. 474).
Richard Rolle of Hampole (died 1349): "After the destruction of Rome, Antichrist will appear (Connor p.80)
On Sept. 19, 1846, an apparition claiming to be Mary foretold at LaSalette that: "Rome will lose the faith and become the seat of the Antichrist" (APPARITION of the BLESSED VIRGIN on the Mountain of LA SALETTE the 19th of September, 1846. Published by the Shepherdess of La Salette with Imprimatur by Mgr. Bishop of Lecce. It was published at Lecce on the 15th of November 1879 – with the “Imprimatur” of Bishop Zola - and reprinted “ne varietur” at Lyon in 1904; also in Culligan, p. 173).
* "HE (the anti-Christ) WILL SIT IN THE TEMPLE OF GOD" (2 Thes.2:4) The Catholic Church is the ONLY Temple of God.(http://www.whoistheantichrist.org/parttwo.html verified 10/09/07).
St. Augustine therefore li. 20 de civit. c. 19 and St. Jerome q. 11 ad Algasiam. do think, that this sitting of Antichrist in the temple, doth signify his sitting in the Church of Christ, rather than in Solomon's temple. Not as though he should be a chief member of the Church of Christ, or a special part of his body mystical, and be Antichrist and yet withal continuing within the Church of Christ, as the Heretics feign, to make the Pope Antichrist (whereby they plainly confess and agnise60 that the Pope is a member of the Church, & in ipso sinu Ecclesia, and in the very bosom of the Church, say they:) for that is ridiculous, that all Heretics whom St. John calleth Antichrists as his precursors, should go out of the Church, and the great Antichrist himself should be of the Church, and in the Church, and continue in the same. And yet to them that make the whole Church in revolt from God, this is no absurdity. But the truth is, that this Antichristian revolt here spoken of, is from the Catholic Church: and Antichrist, if he ever were of or in the Church, shall be an Apostate and a renegade out of the Church, and he shall usurp upon it by tyranny, and by challenging worship, religion, and government thereof, so that himself shall be adored in all the Churches of the world which he list to leave standing for his honor. And this is to sit in the temple or *against the Temple of God, as some interpret. If any Pope did ever this, or shall do, then let the Adversaries call him Antichrist (Annotations on The Second Epistle of Saint Paul to the Thessalonians. The Original and True RHEIMS NEW TESTAMENT of Anno Domini 1582 , p. 423).
Yet, contrary to some (though not all) Roman Catholic writers, the Bible suggests that Jesus Himself comes after Rome is destroyed (for more details, see also Do Certain Catholic Prophecies About Antichrist Warn Against Jesus?).
It needs to be emphasized that the Antichrist will apparently be an ecumenical pontiff, as he will in a sense change or challenge its "worship, religion, and government thereof". Hence although most do not realize it, many Catholic warnings point to a final pontiff as the Antichrist (and some even call him that or an antipope).
Roman Catholics tend to have two types of prophecies that involve the two witnesses. Essentially, some teach that Enoch (who they sometimes call Henoch) and Elijah (who they often call Elias) must be the two witnesses. Those who believe that will not recognize the actual two witnesses.
Part of the foundation for Enoch comes from one of the so-called deuterocanoconical books (the Old Testament Apocrypha):
"Henoch pleased God, and was translated into paradise that he may give repentance to the nations." (Ecclus. 44:16) (Cited in Connor, p. 64).
One of the earliest post-New Testament Catholic writings on the witnesses seems to come from the Roman Catholic saint Irenaeus who wrote:
Enoch, too, pleasing God, without circumcision, discharged the office of God's legate to the angels although he was a man, and was translated, and is preserved until now as a witness of the just judgment of God, because the angels when they had transgressed fell to the earth for judgment, but the man who pleased [God] was translated for salvation (Irenaeus. Adversus Haereses, Book IV, Chapter 16, Verse 2).
For Enoch, when he pleased God, was translated in the same body in which he did please Him, thus pointing out by anticipation the translation of the just. Elijah, too, was caught up [when he was yet] in the substance of the [natural] form; thus exhibiting in prophecy the assumption of those who are spiritual, and that nothing stood in the way of their body being translated and caught up. For by means of the very same hands through which they were moulded at the beginning, did they receive this translation and assumption...If, however, any one imagine it impossible that men should survive for such a length of time, and that Elias was not caught up in the flesh, but that his flesh was consumed in the fiery chariot, let him consider that Jonah, when he had been cast into the deep, and swallowed down into the whale's belly, was by the command of God again thrown out safe upon the land (Irenaeus. Adversus Haereses, Book V, Chapter 5, Verses 1-2).
Sadly, many Catholics believe the above statements from Irenaeus (which were later confirmed by writers such as Catholic saints Ephraem, John Damascene, and Hildegard), and this is one of the reasons that many of the Roman Catholics will be deceived about the real two witnesses and will not believe their message.
Hippolytus, one of the "greatest" Roman Catholic early scholars wrote:
Hippolytus (died 235) Now Daniel will set forth this subject to us. For he says, "And one week will make a covenant with many, and it shall be that in the midst (half) of the week my sacrifice and oblation shall cease." By one week, therefore, he meant the last week which is to be at the end of the whole world of which week the two prophets Enoch and Elias will take up the half. For they will preach 1, 260 days clothed in sackcloth, proclaiming repentance to the people and to all the nations...
It is a matter of course that His forerunners must appear first, as He says by Malachi and the angel,"I will send to you Elias the Tishbite before the day of the Lord, the great and notable day, comes; and he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, lest I come and smite the earth utterly." These, then, shall come and proclaim the manifestation of Christ that is to be from heaven; and they shall also perform signs and wonders, in order that men may be put to shame and turned to repentance for their surpassing wickedness and impiety.
For John says, "And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth." That is the half of the week whereof Daniel spoke...
These things, then, being to come to pass, beloved, and the one week being divided into two parts, and the abomination of desolation being manifested then, and the two prophets and forerunners of the Lord having finished their course, and the whole world finally approaching the consummation, what remains but the coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ from heaven, for whom we have looked in hope who shall bring the conflagration and just judgment upon all who have refused to believe in Him (Hippolytus. On Christ and Antichrist, Chapters 43,46,47,64).
Hippolytus (died 235) For when the threescore and two weeks are fulfilled, and Christ is come, and the Gospel is preached in every place, the times being then accomplished, there will remain only one week, the last, in which Elias will appear, and Enoch, and in the midst of it the abomination of desolation will be manifested,17 viz., Antichrist, announcing desolation to the world. And when he comes, the sacrifice and oblation will be removed, which now are offered to God in every place by the nations (Hippolytus. Exegetical Fragments, Chapter 22).
Hippolytus (died 235) His first advent had John the Baptist as its forerunner; and His second, in which He is to come in glory, will exhibit Enoch, and Elias, and John the Divine (Hippolytus. On the End of the World, Chapter 21).
For this is what the prophets Enoch and Elias will preach: Believe not the enemy who is to come and be seen; for he is an adversary and corrupter and son of perdition, and deceives you; and for this reason he will kill you, and smite them with the sword. Behold the deceit of the enemy, know the machinations of the beguiler, how he seeks to darken the mind of men utterly. For he will show forth his demons brilliant like angels, and he will bring in hosts of the incorporeal without number. And in the presence of all he exhibits himself as taken up into heaven with trumpets and sounds, and the mighty shouting of those who hail him with indescribable hymns; the heir of darkness himself shining like light, and at one time soaring to the heavens, and at another descending to the earth with great glory, and again charging the demons, like angels, to execute his behests with much fear and trembling. Then will he send the cohorts of the demons among mountains and caves and dens of the earth, to track out those who have been concealed from his eyes, and to bring them forward to worship him. And those who yield to him he will seal with his seal; but those who refuse to submit to him he will consume with incomparable pains and bitterest torments and machinations, such as never have been, nor have reached the ear of man, nor have been seen by the eye of mortals (Hippolytus. On the End of the World, Chapter 29).
Some lesser known Catholic prophets have confirmed the belief that Enoch and Elijah will come again:
Saint Bernard (died 543): "During the three and one half years reign of Antichrist, God will send Henoch and Elias to help the Christians." (Connor, p. 75).
Richard Rolle of Hampole (died 1349): The greatest opposition to Antichrist will come from the preaching of Henoch and Elias whom he will destroy after 1260 days. They will rise again after three and one half days and ascend into heaven. Antichrist will then reign for three and one half years (Culleton, Reign of Antichrist, p. 137).
Dionysius of Luxemberg (died 1682): The Antichrist will kill Henoch and Elias and leave them unburied. These will, however, be resurrected...This miraculous event will actually confuse Antichrist...in this moment Christ will strike him down (Culleton, Reign of Antichrist, p. 152).
So, notice that above, one prophet indicates that Antichrist is around for 3 1/2 years after Enoch and Elijah, where as the other states that Antichrist's death is almost immediately after two are raised. Hence, there is diversity of opinion amongst the private prophets--even when cited in the same text.
Another "great" Roman Catholic theologian was Thomas Aquinas:
Thomas Aquinas (13th century): Paradise did not become useless through being unoccupied by man after sin, just as immortality was not conferred on man in vain, though he was to lose it. For thereby we learn God's kindness to man, and what man lost by sin. Moreover, some say that Enoch and Elias still dwell in that paradise...Elias was taken up into the atmospheric heaven, but not in to the empyrean heaven, which is the abode of the saints: and likewise Enoch was translated into the earthly paradise, where he is believed to live with Elias until the coming of Antichrist (Aquinas, Thomas. Summa Theologica I:102; III: 49).
Some Roman Catholics believe, however, that Enoch and Elijah will not appear until after the discovery of the ark of the covenant. Notice the following:
Bl. Dionysus of Luetzenberg...prophecies:
"After the discovery of the Ark of the Covenant, Enoch and Elias will restore the Holy Sacrament of the Altar; Because of the fact that the Ark of the Covenant will be in the possession of the two holy prophets and not in Antichrist's hands, the Jews will recognize that Jesus is the true Messias..."
( Luetzenberg, Antichristus Chapter 29 as cited in Birch D.A. Trial, Tribulation & Triumph. Queenship Publishing, Goleta (CA), 1996, p. 509)
Hence when the actual two witness arise, and they will not be Enoch and Elijah, many Catholics simply will not be able to discern the true witnesses from God, as improper interpretation of prophecies (partially began by Irenaeus) will deceive them.
Because of the position that Enoch and Elijah are the two witnesses, those who believe it will have an excuse to ignore the real two witnesses as they will not literally be Enoch and Elijah (even though one certainly may be a type of Elijah).
I believe that nearly all of those who accept the coming ecumencial so-called "Catholic" religion will for a while believe that the actual two witnesses are false prophets. There are private prophecies that currently suggest this (beyond the Enoch/Elijah ones) which I believe many will point to when the two witnesses are doing God's work publicly.
Actually, there are even some Catholics who seem to think that one of the actual two witnesses is the false prophet warned about in Revelation 16:13; some suggest more than one.
Some also seem to teach that a certain false prophet essentially is a type of John the Baptist or false leader as they believe that this prophet precedes Antichrist:
Catholic writer Desmond Birch (20th century) "The "False Prophet" arrives - - the Precursor of Antichrist. He will "ape" the role that John the Baptist performed in preparing the people to for the arrival of the Messiah." (Birch, p. 556)
Br. Thomas Mary Sennott, M.I.C.M. (21st century): Cornelius a Lapide...Commentary on Holy Scripture , Book 21, On the Apocalypse...In his work cited above, Cornelius a Lapide relates that Saint Ambrose, Tertullian and others say that, just as Our Lord had His precursor, Saint John the Baptist, who pointed to Him and told the people that this was the Messias, “Behold the Lamb of God . . .”, so also will Antichrist have his false prophet who will make the people worship him. He also says the phrase, “like a lamb,” indicates that he will be an apostate Catholic, probably a priest or bishop. So, as Our Lord’s precursor was a priest of the order of Levi, so Antichrist’s precursor will be a priest of the order of Melchisedech. (Sennott TM. The False Prophets. August 1, 2005. http://catholicism.org/false-prophets.html viewed 12/12/08)
St. Vincent Ferr (15th century)..."In the days of peace that are to come after the desolation of revolutions and wars -- before the end of the world -- Christians shall be so lax in their religion that they will refuse the sacrament of Confirmation, saying it is unnecessary. And when the false prophet, the precursor of Antichrist, comes, all who are not confirmed will apostatize, while those who are confirmed will stand fast in their faith, and only a few will renounce Christ." (Dupont, pp. 29-30)
Priest R. Gerald Culleton (20th century): Toward the end of the reign of the Great Monarch...the precursor of Antichrist will gather those lax Christians to his cause (most of those having received confirmation will not apostatize) (Culleton, o, 51).
Priest H. Kramer (20th century): Antichrist will have a forerunner or prophet, who will prepare the way for him...The prophet...comes out of the earth which is the term for the Gentile nations from which he sprang (Kramer, p. 318).
Jeanne le Royer (18th century, Sister of the Nativity): One day the Lord said to me: 'A few years before the coming of my enemy, Satan will raise up false prophets who will announce Antichrist as the true Messiah, and they will try to destroy all our Christian beliefs. And I shall make the children and the old people prophesy. The closer we get to the reign of Antichrist, the more will the darkness of Satan spread over the earth, and the more will his satellites increase their efforts to trap the faithful in their nets. (Dupont, p.57)
The Didache (circa 100 A.D.): For in the last days false prophets and seducers shall be multiplied, and the sheep shall be turned into wolves, and love shall be turned into hate; and because iniquity aboundeth they shall hate each other, and persecute each other, and deliver each other up; and then shall the Deceiver of the world appear as the Son of God, and shall do signs and wonders, and the earth shall be delivered into his hands; and he shall do unlawful things, such as have never happened since the beginning of the world. (Didache, 16:3-4. Translated by C. Hoole).
Pope Gregory (c. late 6th/early 7th century): Now I confidently say that whosoever calls himself, or desires to be called, Universal Priest, is in his elation the precursor of Antichrist, because he proudly puts himself above all others (Pope Gregory "the Great". Registrum Epistolarum. Book VII, Letter 33).
Alexander of Alexandria (4th century): For you yourselves are taught of God, nor are you ignorant that this doctrine, which has lately raised its head against the piety of the Church, is that of Ebion and Artemas; nor is it anything else but an imitation of Paul of Samosata, bishop of Antioch, who, by the judgment and counsel of all the bishops, and in every place, was separated from the Church.2 To whom Lucian succeeding, remained for many years separate from the communion of three bishops...Since the body of the Catholic Church is one,4 and it is commanded in Holy Scripture that we should keep the bond of unanimity and peace, it follows that we should write and signify to one another the things which are done by each of us; that whether one member suffer or rejoice we may all either suffer or rejoice with one another. In our diocese, then, not so long ago, there have gone forth lawless men, and adversaries of Christ, teaching men to apostatize; which thing, with good right, one might suspect and call the precursor of Antichrist (Alexander of Alexandria to Alexander, Bishop of Constantinople. Epistles on Arianism and the Deposition of Arius).
And while the Bible warns about false prophets, THE false prophet does not come prior to Antichrist. Hence the above suggests that perhaps many of the Roman Catholics simply will not recognize the two witnesses as God's witnesses.
Although many Catholic sources have the wrong order, it should be emphasized that the Bible and Hippolytus place the false prophet coming right after the first beast of Revelation 13 (cf. Revelation 13:1,11).
Here is what Hippolytus wrote, which is in this case has the correct biblical, not the prevailing Roman Catholic, order (though other parts are in error):
By the beast, then, coming up out of the earth, he means the kingdom of Antichrist; and by the two horns he means him and the false prophet after him. And in speaking of the horns being like a lamb , he means that he will make himself like the Son of God, and set himself forward as king. And the terms, he spoke like a dragon, mean that he is a deceiver , and not truthful .(Hippolytus. On Christ and Antichrist, chapter 49).
Catholics generally do correctly understand that the two-horned beast from the earth is the false prophet, and some suspect he is the Antichrist (some, though, make the Protestant error and identify the Antichrist as the ten-horned beast). Here are some that seem to have correct identification:
E. Connor (20th century):...the false prophet (the beast of the earth) (Connor, p.108).
C. Van Den Biesen (20th century): The beast from the land has two horns like a ram. Its power lies in its art of deceiving by means of tokens and miracles. Throughout the remainder of the book it is called the false prophet. Its office is to assist the beast from the sea, and to induce men to adore its image (Van Den Biesen C. Transcribed by Michael C. Tinkler. Apocalypse. The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume I. Published 1907. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Nihil Obstat, March 1, 1907. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York ).
A. Maas (20th century): Nearly all commentators find Antichrist mentioned in the Apocalypse... many scholars identify Antichrist with the beast which had "two horns, like a lamb " and spoke "as a dragon " ( "Antichrist." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. Nihil Obstat. March 1, 1907. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York. 10 Dec. 2008 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01559a.htm>.)
Priest Herman Kramer (20th century): In the vision of the Seer now appears a second beast rising out of the earth, having two horns like a lamb but speaking like a dragon...In other places he is called the false prophet...This prophet may re-establish the pagan Roman Empire and build the "Great Harlot", Babylon...this GREAT harlot is a city whose apostasy from the true faith is a monstrous thing. This may point to Rome...And the apostasy of this city, and her becoming the head of an empire that would lead all possible nations and peoples into antichrist-emperor worship would indeed merit the title of THE GREAT HARLOT...So the conclusion is near that the great harlot of the future shall be Rome. St. John uses ancient pagan Rome as the model of the Babylon of the future (Kramer H.B. L. The Book of Destiny, pp. 318,383).
Priest S. Berry (20th Century): Then the earth whence comes the second beast is a symbol of the Gentile nations in revolt against the Church. The two horns denote a twofold authority -- spiritual and temporal....the prophet will probably set himself up in Rome as a sort of anti-pope...(From Interpretation of the Apocalypse, quoted in Culleton, p. 199-200).
Priest S. Berry (20th Century): The great harlot sitting upon many waters is Rome holding sway over many nations that share in her corruption and infidelity to God...The harlot wears a mantle of purple and gold, an emblem of the imperial power possessed by Rome as capital of the world...Through her power and riches, Rome leads other nations to worship Antichrist and imitate her own immoralities...(From Interpretation of the Apocalypse, quoted in Culleton, The Reign of Antichrist, pp. 207,208).
Priest W. Kurz (21st century): In Revelation 13:11 John has a vision of a second beast, this one coming out of the land. This beast has two horns like a lamb--perhaps as a counterfeit imitation of a substitute for the Lamb. But though it looks like the Lamb, it sounds like the dragon.
Later in Revelation this second beast is usually referred to as a "false prophet" (Revelation 16:13; 19:20; 20:10) for two reasons. First, it tries to look like the Lamb and, thus, a good prophet, even though its voice and message is that of the satanic dragon. Second, its role is to lead people away from God. It works on behalf of the first beast and makes the earth worship it, and it meets that beast's ultimate fate in the lake of fire. (Kurz, pp. 162-163)
Thus, there are respected Catholic writers that agree with the Living Church of God that the two-horned beast is the false prophet, that the two-horned beast is the Antichrist, and that the two-horned beast will likely set himself up in Rome (perhaps as an antipope).
Yet, there are several problems in certain Catholic understandings.
The following is one of few places in Catholic private prophecies that it seems that they are objecting to two specific individuals towards the time of the end that I believe is most likely a reference to the two witnesses (it also refers to others):
Anne Catherine Emmerich (October 1, 1822) "The Church," she groaned, "is in great danger. I must ask every one who comes to see me to say an Our Father for that intention. We must pray that the Pope may not leave Rome, for unheard-of evils would result from such a step. We must pray the Holy Ghost to enlighten him, for they are even now trying to exact something of him. The Protestant doctrine, as also that of the Greeks, is spreading everywhere. Two men live at this time who long to ruin the Church, but they have lost one who used to help them with his pen. He was killed by a young man about a year ago, and one of the two men of whom I speak left Germany at the same time. They have their employees everywhere. The little black man in Rome, whom I see so often, has many working for him without their clearly knowing for what end. He has his agents in the new black church also. If the Pope leaves Rome, the enemies of the Church will get the upper hand. I see the little black man in his own country committing many thefts and falsifying things generally. Religion is there so skillfully undermined and stifled that there are scarcely one hundred faithful priests. I cannot say how it is, but I see fog and darkness increasing. There are however, three churches that they cannot seize: St. Peter's, St. Mary-Major's and St. Michael's. Although they are constantly trying to undermine them, they will not succeed. I help not. All must be rebuilt soon for every one, even ecclesiastics are laboring to destroy--ruin is at hand. The two enemies of the Church who have lost their accomplice are firmly resolved to destroy the pious and learned men that stand in their way." (Schmöger, p.298)
Notice that there are "two enemies of the Church" that are being warned about --but if these are actually two enemies of error, then they would seem to be God's two witnesses (see Who Are The Two Witnesses?).
I am not convinced that the "little black man in Rome" (which is not "his own country") that Anne Catherine Emmerich claimed to see on October 1, 1822 is actually Negroid in race. Nor were the one or two Catholic commentators I have read who discussed this matter related to Anne Emmerich's "little black man"--they indicated some type of Caucasian.
This is because a dark/black church is spoken about there and in other places from Nun Emmerich (i.e. Schmöger, pp.279-280,283-284,292), the term black (as shown in some other Catholic writings, i.e. Hildegard, pp. 173-174,299) appears to mean one contrary to or outside of the Roman Church, and the two witnesses seem to wear some black cloth (sackcloth is black per Revelation 6:12).
But irrespective of why "black" is mentioned, the fact is that it is mentioned in conjunction with two suggests that this is probably a reference to the two witnesses.
Here is more on the black man (also called the fellow) from Anne Catherine Emmerich:
I saw the black fellow plotting again, the destroyers attacking the Church of Peter, Mary standing with her mantle over it, and the enemies of God put to flight. I saw Sts. Peter and Paul laboring actively for the Church and their basilica greatly enlarged. Then I saw darkness spreading around and people no longer seeking the true Church...The Pope shows no energy now ; he has been advised to hold out till death, and this he gained by an act of firmness. But his last orders are of no account, he enforces them too feebly. I saw over the city terrible evils from the north...
I continued my journey eastward over the sea into a cold country...the inhabitants were all staunch Protestants...I saw the fellow lurking near the shining place (Schmöger, p.131).
Nov. 15, 1819...I saw many people in Rome deeply saddened by the intrigues of the black man, who looks like a Jew (Schmöger, p.273; possibly see also p. 299).
Perhaps I should remind everyone that those in the Churches of God "look like a Jew" to various historical Catholic writers (including some I have previously quoted).
The term "little" could suggest relationship to the Philadelphia portion of the Church of God (as it has "a little strength", per Revelation 3:8), but since an individual is discussed, it seems more likely that this suggests someone who is not portly in girth or tall in height, so at least one that Nun Emmerich warns about is possibly short of stature (in contrast to "little"; it may also be of interest to understand that another Catholic prophecy indicates that those who are "taller" are defenders of the Catholic Church and the successors of the apostles, see Hildegard, p. 457, hence little may imply non-supportive of the large Catholic church).
As far as having their "employees everywhere" and having "agents", I suspect that these may include some people recently converted into the COG or some COG people who did not flee to protection with the Philadelphians.
The term "the new black church" would possibly be some version of either the Living Church of God or the combination of those COG members who did not flee and those individuals newly converted during the Great Tribulation (cf. Revelation 7:3-14).
Of course, private Catholic prophecies cannot be completely trusted, so perhaps no writer gets killed as the above passage from Nun Emmerich states, and perhaps other details will not be fulfilled as written (such as one of the witnesses going to Germany and possibly the other to Rome). However, it does seem that this is a Catholic warning against those who will be the actual two witnesses, as well as perhaps those who may assist them. And since the Bible shows that many will be converted towards the end, she may be warning against the growth in God's Church as the "new black church".
Since the Bible records that various prophets may have made statements that are not in the scriptures themselves, any potentially accurate predictions that "Catholic private prophecies" beyond what the Bible contains may come from a knowledge of those statements. But the bottom line is that some of the Catholics specifically seem to be teaching against following those that we in LCG probably believe will be the two witnesses.
It is possible that the one Anne Catherine Emmerich called the little black man (or the fellow) is the same one that is identically warned about by two other prophetesses (although it is possible that Culleton made a mistake by having it twice) as a "precursor" to Antichrist (which is who some other Catholics have suggested is some type of false prophet):
Hildegard of Bingen (d. 1179): A great enemy of the Church, a precursor to Antichrist, will take the title of Saviour. Heretics will join this precursor of Antichrist and persecute the true Church of Christ. Their cunning will be great, so great in fact that they will be able to draw many righteous men to their side. (Culleton, The Reign of Antichrist, p. 128).
Sister Rose Coloma Asdenti of Taggai (d. 1847): A great enemy of the Church, a precursor to Antichrist, will take the title of Saviour. Heretics will join this precursor of Antichrist and persecute the true Church of Christ. Their cunning will be great, so great in fact that they will be able to draw many righteous men to their side. (Culleton, The Reign of Antichrist, p. 171).
Thus, it appears that the prophetesses are worried that a leader, who is some type of prophet (and may be one of the two witnesses as Hildegard calls him a "precursor to Antichrist", which certain Catholic prophets seem to confuse with the returning Jesus, see Do Certain Catholic Prophecies About Antichrist Warn Against Jesus?) will rise up and point out the flaws of Catholicism. He probably will not actually take the title of "Saviour", but will try to help save people from deception.
The following is a report by two (possibly non-Catholic) scholars regarding an out-of-print report, that I have not been able to purchase (Lucken, Brother Linus Urban, F.S.C. Antichrist and the Prophets of Antichrist in the Chester Cycle. Stanford: Stanford UP, 1940) written by a Catholic:
Following an indeterminacy in medieval orthography between "anti-" and "ante-" (Lucken 12-16), we could say that theme of circumcision marks the Antichrist as an Antechrist, a kind of devilish John the Baptist whose reinstitution of the law and attendant re-judaizing of historical existence permits and predicts the second coming of Christ (Lucken 12-16). (Bonita Rhoads and Julia Reinhard Lupton, Yale University and University of California--Irvine. Circumcising the Antichrist: An Ethno-Historical Fantasy. http://social.chass.ncsu.edu/jouvert/v3i12/rhoad.htm viewed 12/12/08)
The above is of interest as it suggests that someone with Jewish practices (like someone part of the Living Church of God) may be one of the prophets that many Catholic prophets have warned against.
It is possible that the individual would have been Catholic or the son of a former Catholic as both of those types of people can be considered as "apostates" (see appendix B). Notice that an odd punishment seems believed by some to affect prophetic apostates:
Priest H. Kramer (20th century): God threatens wormwood as food for the perverse priests and false prophets...Wormwood should be the food of false prophets...They were self-appointed prophets, who received no call or vision from God and contradicted the warnings of true prophets...He himself becomes wormwood by apostasy, because he becomes a self-appointed teacher or prophet. (Kramer H., p. 202)
It needs to be understood that since Catholic writers would not consider it possible that a true prophet appointed by God would contradict the warnings of Catholic-approved prophets, this seems to be a warning against some prior with affiliation with Catholicism being used by God as prophets.
Could this then be referring to perhaps one or both of the two witnesses? I suspect it could be.
As would be expected there are many private prophecies allegedly involving Mary--and relatively few will be here (for more see Mary, the Mother of Jesus and the Apparitions).
Essentially, the Roman Catholics seem to feel that Mary will make the end-time events that they are looking forward to come to pass and bless the Emperor (the Great Monarch, also known as the King of the North):
St. Louis-Marie Grignion De Montfort (18th century). "The power of Mary over all the devils will be particularly outstanding in the last period of time. She will extend the Kingdom of Christ over the idolaters and Moslems, and there will come glorious era when Mary is the Ruler and Queen of Hearts." (Dupont, p. 33). Mary will shine forth higher than ever in these latter days (Flynn, p. 73).
Sister Marie Lataste (died 1847): Peace shall return to the world because of the Blessed Virgin Mary will breathe over the storms and quell them...From the east to the west, from the north to the south, all shall proclaim the holy name of Mary (Connor, p. 50).
R. Gerald Culleton (20th century): During the reign of the Great Monarch and the Angelic Pastor the Catholic Church will spread throughout the world, conversions will be innumerable…The Blessed Virgin will be the chief one in gaining victory over all heresy and schism...This will be recognized by her enthronement as “Mistress and Queen of Men’s Hearts.” (Culleton, p. 50)
The message of Heede...Our Lady...did however ask...that she be named Queen of Universe (Culligan, p. 161).
Anna-Katarina Emmerick...July 12, 1820. "I had a vision of the holy Emperor Henry. I saw him at night kneeling alone at the foot of the main alter in a great and beautiful church...and I saw the Blessed Virgin coming down all alone. She laid on the Alter a red cloth covered with white linen. She placed a book inlaid with precious stones. She lit the candles and the perpetual lamp...Then came the Saviour Himself clad in priestly vestments. He was carrying the chalice and the veil. Two Angels were serving Him and two more were following...His chasuble was a full and heavy mantle in which red and white could be seen in transparency, and gleaming with jewels...Although there was no alter bell, the cruets were there. The wine was as red as blood, and there was also some water. The Mass was short. The Gospel of St. John was not read at the end. When the Mass had ended, Mary came up to Henry (the Emperor), and she extended her right hand towards him, saying that it was in recognition of his purity. Then, she urged him not to falter. Thereupon I saw an angel, and he touched the sinew of his hip, like Jacob. He (Henry) was in great pain; and from that day on he walked with a limp..." (Dupont, p.62)
Notice that there are some similarities between Mary and the Great Monarch--both essentially are credited for getting rid of the Moslems and heretics at the end. Hence, it would appear that somehow the Mary apparitions/locutions will generally be supportive of the Great Monarch. But as many have claimed to receive messages from Mary which have not come to pass, these messages certainly should not be trusted.
Now here is a non-Vatican approved apparition to one calling herself Mariamante in 1987 who claimed that "Mary" said:
The wickness of man would destroy my plan if possible…You will know by the sign in the heavens which is I myself that the time is at hand for the instant conversion of the multitude (Flynn, p. 326).
Thus, there are unapproved apparitions that seem to warn that someone will oppose the false apparitions, and that apparitions claiming to be Mary will be instrumental in converting multitudes of peoples. Thus, it appears that apparitions claiming to be Mary may be among the signs and lying wonders that the Bible warns are coming (2 Thessalonians 2:9).
Interestingly, there is an Orthodox prediction (Jackson P. ORTHODOX LIFE., No. I, 1997) that warns about not listening to false Marian apparitions that will be used to draw Muslims and Protestants into the religion of Antichrist! For those details, and more about Mary, please see Mary, the Mother of Jesus and the Apparitions.
The Roman Catholics tend to have two views on the identity of the Antichrist. Either he will be a false pope (minority view) or Jewish (majority view). Most of the private prophecies suggest that he is somehow Jewish.
It may be best to first report some of the official teachings of the Roman Catholic Church on the Antichrist matter, approved by the one who is now the pope:
The Church's ultimate trial
675 Before Christ's second coming the Church must pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers. The persecution that accompanies her pilgrimage on earth will unveil the mystery of iniquity in the form of a religious deception offering men an apparent solution to their problems at the price of apostasy from the truth. The supreme religious deception is that of the Antichrist, a pseudo-messianism by which man glorifies himself in place of God and of his Messiah come in the flesh.
676 The Antichrist's deception already begins to take shape in the world every time the claim is made to realize within history that messianic hope which can only be realized beyond history through the eschatological judgment. The Church has rejected even modified forms of this falsification of the kingdom to come under the name of millenarianism, especially the "intrinsically perverse" political form of a secular messianism. (Catechism of the Catholic Church. Imprimatur Potest +Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger. Doubleday, NY 1995, pp. 193-194)
If I understand Roman Catholicism correctly, a Catholic must accept the above teachings as a matter of faith or one is a heretic, but one does not have to accept anything else on that prophetic matter (including pronouncements of other Roman Catholic leaders or private prophecies) as this is all that is in the current official Catechism. But since a millennial belief existed from the beginning according to Catholics, maybe this denouncement is not something that they need to accept.
Notice that the view from the Catechism of the Catholic Church is that the millennial reign of Christ is hinted as being a major doctrine of Antichrist. This is essentially because the Roman Catholic leaders now tend to teach that the thousand years is symbolic (c.f. Kurz, p. 173).
But this was not always the case as the Catholic Church has endorsed many millennial concepts. Notice some Catholic admissions:
Millenarians, i.e., believers in the reign of a thousand years. This belief was common in the early Church...It appeared from time to time in the Middle Ages, and is still advocated by some of the more obscure sects...
...the time of the First Resurrection will end...It is the time when the Seventh Millennium will set in, and will be the day of Sabbath in the plan of creation...It has been the common opinion among Jews, Gentiles, and Latin and Greek Christians, that the present evil world will last no more than 6,000 years...Christians and Jews, from the beginning of Christianity, and before, have taught that 6,000 years after the creation of Adam and Eve, the consummation will occur. The period after the consummation is to be the seventh day of creation--the Sabbath...St. Jerome said, "It is a common belief that the world will last 6,000 years."
...I believe that as the last days come to an end so will the sixth day of creation (Culligan, pp. 67, 113-115).
So, no longer teaching the millennium (see Did The Early Church Teach Millenarianism?), nor the 6000 year plan (for more details see Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End?) are changes in Roman Catholic understanding. Because of these and other changes, many Catholics will not know what the end will come (see also Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2009, 2010, or 2011?).
Also notice something written by a major Catholic theologian:
Saint Thomas Aquinas (died 1274):..."Some say Antichrist is of the tribe of Dan and that, therefore, the Jews will first receive him and will rebuild the temple of Jerusalem, and it will be this temple that he will sit. Others, however, maintain that never will Jerusalem or the temple be rebuilt, and that he will sit in the Church in the sense that many from the Church will receive him (Connor, pp. 76,78).
The latter . It is interesting that Thomas Aquinas admits that an early understanding has been that the temple in Jerusalem does not have to be rebuilt (that view is consistent with that of the Living Church of God, see Why is a Jewish Temple in Jerusalem Not Required?) and that the Antichrist will sit in the Catholic Church.
Regarding Antichrist, The Catholic Encyclopedia teaches:
the False Prophet or second Apocalyptic Beast is identified with Antichrist and the Papacy by Aretius, Foxe, Napier Mede, Jurieu, Cunninghame, Faber, Woodhouse, and Habershon
...concerning the Antichrist, we shall be able to appreciate some of Cardinal Newman's critical remarks on the question.
- If any part of the Church be proved to be antichristian, all of the Church is so, the Protestant branch inclusive.
- The Papal-Antichrist theory was gradually developed by three historical bodies: the Albigenses, the Waldenses, and the Fraticelli, between the eleventh and the sixteenth centuries: are these the expositors from whom the Church of Christ is to receive the true interpretation of the prophecies?
- The defenders of the Papal-Antichrist theory have made several signal blunders in their arguments; they cite St. Bernard as identifying the Beast of the Apocalypse with the Pope, though St. Bernard speaks in the passage of the Antipope; they appeal to the Abbot Joachim as believing that Antichrist will be elevated to the Apostolic See, while the Abbot really believes that Antichrist will overthrow the Pope and usurp his See; finally, they appeal to Pope Gregory the Great as asserting that whoever claims to be Universal Bishop is Antichrist, whereas the great Doctor really speaks of the Forerunner of Antichrist who was, in the language of his day, nothing but a token of an impending great evil...
- If the Church must suffer like Christ, and if Christ was called Beelzebub, the true Church must expect a similar reproach; thus, the Papal-Antichrist theory becomes an argument in favor of the Roman Church.
- The gibe, "If the Pope is not Antichrist, he has bad luck to be so like him", is really another argument in favour of the claims of the Pope; since Antichrist simulates Christ, and the Pope is an image of Christ, Antichrist must have some similarity to the Pope, if the latter be the true Vicar of Christ.
(Maas A.J. Antichrist. The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume I. Copyright © 1907 by Robert Appleton Company. Online Edition Copyright © 2003 by K. Knight. Nihil Obstat, March 1, 1907. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York).
Since we in the Living Church of God believe that Protestants are generally not true Christians (though some calling themselves by that title likely are), that the Albigenses and Waldenses contained some members of the true Church, and that the Antichrist has similarities to the pope, I found the above Roman Catholic comments helpful.
Furthermore, perhaps I should comment that Cardinal Newman states that some have held the view that the papacy represents antichrist from as far back as the fourth century, but that it came from heretics such as the Paulicians--which in the document from Newman claims came from the 12th century (see Newman JH. The Protestant Idea of Antichrist. [British Critic, Oct. 1840]. Newman Reader — Works of John Henry Newman. Copyright © 2004 by The National Institute for Newman Studies).
Also note the following writings from the late Cardinal Newman:
If, indeed, it be a truth that the Bishop of Rome is Antichrist, let us of course boldly follow it out...Theodorus Studites, writing against the Iconoclasts, considers their proceedings "the apostasy which must first come, the invasion of Antichrist." (Newman JH. The Protestant Idea of Antichrist. [British Critic, Oct. 1840]. Newman Reader — Works of John Henry Newman. Copyright © 2004 by The National Institute for Newman Studies).
Again, venerated writers have been stirred up to speak {131} of the bishops of Rome as Antichrist, from the fierce persecuting spirit which these bishops have so often evidenced. Men, who are smarting under injuries inflicted, will naturally view their tormentor in the least favourable light. It was persecution which led the Waldenses to call Rome the Apocalyptic Babylon; and it has been persecution, or the fear of it, which has led much better and more learned men of modern times to call the Pope Antichrist. Moreover, it should be carefully borne in mind, that Protestants will ever feel a strong temptation to this view, by the ease with which it disposes of the plausible and apparently cogent proofs with which Rome fights her battles. No one can deny that the Roman theory is in the abstract most exceedingly specious and persuasive; nor can it be refuted without considerable labour and learning, and an appeal to principles which are not felt to be axioms by ordinary minds, and are deficient in practical persuasiveness. The problem then which lies before the Protestant controversialist is, to find some popular answer to popular and intelligible pretensions, and the position that Papal Rome is Babylon is the "wherefore" to the "why,"—a brief, clear, strong, and simple refutation of them. If once we assume that the Pope is Antichrist, then all the apparent evidences in favour of Rome only become the more convincing evidences of the truth of the assumption with which we start. Antichrist doubtless is to deceive many; he is to bring with him a plausible doctrine; he is to be very like the truth. In consequence, universality, antiquity, claim to miraculous power, sanctity, all the Notes of the Church, become but symptomatic of its being the Synagogue of Satan. Is it far spreading?—The reign of Antichrist was to be over the earth. Is it ancient?—The mystery doth already work, from the Apostles' {132} time downwards. Does it profess the power of doing miracles?—Antichrist is to come with "lying wonders." Is it in appearance holy?—Antichrist is to be Satan transformed into an Angel of light. Has it all these and much more of cumulative evidence in favour of its divine origin? It is a mystery of iniquity...
The truth is, that when people so freely call Rome Babylon and the Pope Antichrist, they know not what they are saying and whither they are going. They think to make exceptions; they think to confine their imputation of corruption and apostasy within bounds; they think, on the one hand, to except Bernard or Fenelon, and to keep clear of their own Church on the other. On the latter point something more presently; here we do but observe in answer to that wish to make exceptions, which the objection, as we have stated it, involves, that it is directly in opposition to the plain letter of Scripture. If the bishop of Rome be "the man of sin, the son of perdition, the lawless one," what are those who receive and submit to him? Hear the Apostle's description of them: "They received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved; and for this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie, that they all might be damned who believed not in the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." But it may be said that if Papists have the love of the truth, they are not involved in the ruin of Antichrist;—rather surely we ought to say, since Papists may have the love of the truth, therefore the Pope is not Antichrist. Followers of Antichrist are in the above text described as utterly lost; which Papists, it seems, need not be (Newman JH. The Protestant Idea of Antichrist. [British Critic, Oct. 1840]. Newman Reader — Works of John Henry Newman. Copyright © 2004 by The National Institute for Newman Studies).
If we believe she has a commission, we {173} shall be Catholics, and call her holy: if we make our inward light, or our reason, or our feelings, our guide, and set up Antichrist within us, then, with Gnostics, Montanists, Novatians, Manichees, Donatists, Paulicians, Albigenses, Calvinists, and Brownists, we shall, in mere self-defence and mere consistency, call her Babylon, Sodom, sorceress, harlot, Jezebel, Beelzebub, and Antichrist. A sacerdotal order is historically the essence of the Church; if not divinely appointed, it is doctrinally the essence of Antichrist.
England does not differ then from Rome in principles, but in questions of fact, of degree, of practice; and whereas Antichrist differs from Christ, as darkness from light, if one of the two Churches is Antichrist, the other must be also...Since Antichrist simulates Christ, and bishops are images of Christ, Antichrist is like a bishop, and a bishop is like Antichrist...The only question then is this, "Has Christ, or has He not, appointed a body representative of Him on earth during His absence?" If He has, the Pope is not Antichrist;—if He has not, every bishop in England, Bishop Newton, Bishop Warburton, Bishop Hurd, is Antichrist; every priest is Antichrist, Mr. McNeile, Dr. Jortin, and Dr. Faussett inclusive ...We take it then for granted, as being beyond doubt, that one main reason why Protestants are suspicious both of the Fathers of the early Church, and of the more orthodox of our writers, is the dread that the doctrine and {182} system which these divines teach is denounced in prophecy as the element of Antichrist, and savours of the predicted apostasy. When pressed with arguments from Scripture or reason, they cannot perhaps answer them, but they see, as they consider, the end to which the Catholic system tends. They judge that the teaching recommended to them is of Antichrist, because it has before now resulted in Popery; and, under the impression that Popery is Antichrist, they say to themselves that somewhere or other there must be a fallacy in the reasoning, for that the fruit is the proof of the tree. Their dread of what is really Apostolical doctrine mainly, nay often solely, rests upon a religious apprehension that the prophecies have denounced it. To persons in this state of mind we propose the following question: If we must go by prophecy, which set of prophecies is more exactly fulfilled in the Church of the middle ages, those of Isaiah which speak of the evangelical kingdom, or those of St. Paul and St. John which speak of the anti-Christian corruption? If the history of Christian Rome corresponds to the denouncements of the Apocalypse, does it not more closely and literally correspond to the promises of Isaiah? If there is a chance of our taking part with Antichrist, taking into account the Apocalypse, is there not a greater chance of our "speaking against the Holy Ghost," considering the book of Isaiah?
To take a broad view of the subject, two traits of Antichrist, we suppose, will be particularly fixed upon as attaching to the see of Rome, pride and luxury, the one seen in its extravagant temporal power, the other in its splendour. For instance, St. Paul speaks of Antichrist as "exalting himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped," sitting "as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God." Again, the beast {183} is said to have seven heads and ten crowned horns; and the dragon gives him power. And Babylon is called "that great city," and she has power over other cities, and over kings, because she is said to have "made all nations drink of the wine of" her "wrath," and "the kings of the earth had committed fornication with her." And the Beast "opened his mouth in blasphemy," and the woman was on a scarlet-coloured beast "full of names of blasphemy." All this, it is urged, is fulfilled in the Medieval Church's proclaiming herself (as the early Church did before her) to be Christ's vicar, in her assumption of power over kings, and her claim to define and maintain the faith, and to confer spiritual gifts. Now, as to the mode in which her functionaries did this, their motives, their characters, their individual knowledge of the faith, with all this we are not here concerned; but as to the ultimate facts in which the action of the whole system resulted, surely they far more literally correspond to the inspired prophecy of Isaiah than to that of St. John. "The sons of the strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister to thee. The nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted. The sons of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet." "Kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers; they shall bow down to thee with their face towards the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet." "Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel. Behold I will make thee a new thrashing instrument having teeth; and thou shalt thrash the mountains, and beat them small, and make the hills as chaff. Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall {184} scatter them." Surely if the correspondence, whatever it is, of the prophecies of Antichrist with the history of the Medieval Church should frighten us from that Church, much more should that of the prophecies concerning Christ's kingdom with her history draw us to her.
The other point commonly insisted on is the Medieval Church's wealth and splendour, the rich embellishment of her temples, the jewelled dress of her ministers, the offerings, shrines, pageants, and processions, which were part of her religious service. All these are supposed to be denoted by "the purple and scarlet colour, and gold, and precious stones, and pearls," with which the sorceress in the Apocalypse is arrayed; where mention is also made of the merchandize of gold and silver, precious stones, and of pearls and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner of vessels of ivory, and precious wood, and brass, and iron, and marble, and cinnamon, and odours, and ointment, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men, and the voice of harpers and musicians, and of pipers and trumpeters." All such magnificence would of course, in itself, as little prove that the Church is Antichrist, as that any king's court is Antichrist, where it is also found.
(Newman JH. The Protestant Idea of Antichrist, October 1840. (2). Newman Reader — Works of John Henry Newman. Copyright © 2004 by The National Institute for Newman Studies).
As regards my reason, I began in 1833 to form theories on the subject, which tended to obliterate it; yet by 1838 I had got no further than to consider Antichrist, as not the Church of Rome, but the spirit of the old pagan city, the fourth monster of Daniel, which was still alive, and which had corrupted the Church which was planted there. Soon after this indeed, and before my attention was directed to the Monophysite controversy, I underwent a great change of opinion. I saw that, from the nature of the case, the true Vicar of Christ must ever to the world seem like Antichrist, and be stigmatized as such, because a resemblance must ever exist between an original and a forgery; and thus the fact of such a calumny was almost one of the notes of the Church (Newman JH. Apologia pro Vita Sua (1865), Chapter 3. Newman Reader — Works of John Henry Newman. Copyright © 2004 by The National Institute for Newman Studies, p. 121).
First, then, I say, if Antichrist is to come immediately before Christ, and to be the sign of His coming, it is manifest that Antichrist is not come yet, but is still to be expected; for, else Christ would have come before now.
Further, it appears that the time of Antichrist's tyranny will be three years and a half, or, as Scripture expresses it, "a time, and times, and a dividing of time," or "forty-two months,"—which is an additional reason for believing he is not come; for, if so, he must have come quite lately, his time being altogether so short; that is, within the last three years, and this we cannot say he has...And I grant that as Rome, according to the prophet Daniel's vision, succeeded Greece, so Antichrist succeeds Rome, and the Second Coming succeeds Antichrist (Newman JH. The Patristical Idea of Antichrist, Lecture I. Newman Reader — Works of John Henry Newman. Copyright © 2004 by The National Institute for Newman Studies).
Now let us recur to the ancient Fathers, and see whether their further anticipations do not run parallel to the events which have since happened.
Antichrist, as they considered, will come out of the Roman Empire just upon its destruction;—that is, the Roman Empire will in its last days divide itself into ten parts, and the Enemy will come up suddenly out of it upon these ten, and subdue three of them, or all of them perhaps...(Newman JH. The Patristical Idea of Antichrist, Lecture II. Newman Reader — Works of John Henry Newman. Copyright © 2004 by The National Institute for Newman Studies).
It appears that some form of Arianism (which we in LCG are considered to be part of by some outsiders that accept the Theodosian Council trinity) is supposedly related to antichrist--and this claim seems to go back to the fourth century. The following is from Cardinal Newman:
But, whereas one heresy and that the last, which has now risen as harbinger of Antichrist, the Arian, as it is called (Athanansius. Perhaps translated by Newman JH. Four Discourses of S. Athanasius, Archbishop of Alexandria, Against the Arians Discourse 1. Copyright © 2004 by The National Institute for Newman Studies.)
Thus we have found S. Athanasius calling Arianism "the forerunner of Antichrist," Syn. § 5, [prodromos], præcursor; vid. also Orat. i. §§ 1 and 7; Ap. c. Ar. fin.; Hist. Ar. 77; Cyr. Cat. xv. 9; Basil. Ep. 264; Hilar. Aux. 5, no distinction being carefully drawn between the apostasy and the Antichrist. Constantius is called Antichrist by Athan. Hist. Arian. 67; his acts are the [prooimion kai paraskeue] of Antichrist, Hist. Arian. 70, {14} fin., 71 and 80. Constantius is the image, [eikon], of Antichrist, 74 and 80, and shows the likeness, [homoioma], of the malignity of Antichrist, 75. Vid. also 77. "Let Christ be expected, for Antichrist is in possession." Hilar. contr. Const. init., also 5. Speaking of Auxentius, the Arian Bishop of Milan, he says, "Of one thing I warn you, beware of Antichrist; it is ill that ... your veneration for God's Church lies in houses and edifices ... Is there any doubt that Antichrist is to sit in these? Mountains, and woods, and lakes, and prisons, and pits are to me more safe," &c., Contr. Auxent. 12. ( Newman JH. Four Discourses of S. Athanasius, Archbishop of Alexandria, Against the Arians Discourse 2. Copyright © 2004 by The National Institute for Newman Studies.)
Thus, from the time of the fourth century (once there was a formal papacy with the title Pontifex Maximus and an emperor-approved trinitarian position), some affiliated with the true Church of God have indicated that the papacy seemed to best represent the final Antichrist and the trinitarians tended to label those opposed to trinitarianism as Antichrist. Well, only one of those positions is correct.
Those interested in the truth should truly pray about it and study the article Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Living Church of God?
There are many approved Catholic writers that indicate that some type of false Catholic clergy member will be the final Antichrist, and/or some type of antipope.
Here are some comments from private prophecies that suggest some type of antipope:
The Prophecy of Premol (5th century) "...And I see the King of Rome and his Cross and his tiara, shaking the dust off of his shoes, and hastening his flight to other shores. Thy Church, O Lord, is torn apart by her own children. One camp is faithful to the fleeing Pontiff, the other is subject to the new government of Rome which has broken the tiara. But Almighty God will, in His mercy, put an end to this confusion and a new age will begin. Then, said the Spirit, this is the beginning of the End of Time."
Comment: From this prophecy, it is clear that the true Church will be faithful to the Pope in exile; whereas the new Pope in Rome will be, in fact, an anti-pope...a large number of Catholics will be misled into accepting the leadership of the anti-pope. (Dupont, pp. 72-73) {comment from Dupont personally}
Anna-Katarina Emmerick...January 27, 1822. I saw a new Pope who will be very strict. He will estrange from him the cold and lukewarm bishops. He is not a Roman, but he is Italian... (Dupont, p. 70).
Jeanne le Royer (d. 1978) I see that when the Second Coming of Christ approaches a bad priest will do much harm to the Church (Culligan, p. 128).
Yves Dupont (reader and collector of Catholic prophecies) "prophecies are quite explicit about the election of an anti-pope...Many prophecies predict an anti-pope and a schism " (Dupont, pp. 34,60-61).
Frederick William Faber (died 1863):...Antichrist...Many believe in a demonical incarnation--this will not be so--but he will be utterly possessed...His doctrine as apparent contradiction of no religion, yet a new religion...He has an attending pontiff, so separating regal and prophetic office (Connor, p. 87).
Blessed Joachim (died 1202): Towards the end of the world Antichrist will overthrow the Pope and usurp his See (Connor, p. 76).
Merlin (7th century): There will come a German Anti-Pope. Italy and Germany will be sorely troubled. A French King will restore the true Pope (Culleton, p. 132).
"But as early as Scivias, Hildegard shockingly portrayed Ecclesia {the Catholic Church} as giving birth to Antichrist himself...Some other early works of Hildegard's, written before 1159, show a similar sourness of tone with respect to the institutional church" (Newman, Barbara. Voice of the Living Light: Hildegard of Bingen and Her World. Published by University of California Press, 1998, p. 83).
St. Hildegard (d. 1179): But now you see her from the waist down; for you see her in her full dignity as the Church...And from her waist to the place that denotes the female, she has various scaly blemishes...And thus in the place where the female is recognized is a black and monstrous head. For the son of perdition will come raging with the arts he first used to seduce...causing people to deny God and tainting their minds and tearing the Church with the greed of rapine. (Hildegard of Bingen. Scivias. Paulist Press, Mahwah (NJ), pp. 497,498).
St. Hildegard (d. 1179): When the great ruler exterminates the Turks almost entirely, one of the remaining Mohammedans will be converted, become a priest, bishop and cardinal, and when the new Pope is elected (immediately before Antichrist) this cardinal will kill the pope before he is crowned, through jealousy, he wishing to be pope himself; then when the other cardinals elect the next pope this cardinal will proclaim himself Anti-Pope, and two thirds of the Christians will go with him. He, also well as Antichrist, are descendants of Dan (Culleton, Reign of Antichrist, p. 128).
St. Gregory the Great, Pope (d. 604): In those days, near the end, hardly a Bishop, but an army of priest and two-thirds of the Christians will join the Schism (Culleton, R. Gerald. The Reign of Antichrist, p. 122).
Saint Cyril of Jerusalem (died 386): Antichrist...shall through his great power, deceit and malice, succeed in decoying or forcing to his worship two thirds of mankind (Connor, p. 74).
St. Francis of Assisi (d. 1226): There will be an uncanonically elected pope who will cause a great Schism, there will be divers thoughts preached which will cause many, even those in the different orders to doubt, yea even agree with the heretics, which will cause my Order to divide (Culleton, R. Gerald. The Reign of Antichrist, p. 130).
Priest H. Kramer (20th century): The False Prophet...will persuade all infidels, apostates and apostate nations to worship and adore him...Antichrist "sitteth in the temple of God" (I Thes. II. 4). This is not the ancient Temple in Jerusalem...this temple is shown to be a Catholic Church, possibly one of the churches in Jerusalem or St. Peter's in Rome...The False Prophet will proclaim the resurrection of the Roman Empire...The False Prophet...will advise his followers to chisel a statue...will animate it and order it to speak. The word "image" is in the singular number, indicating only one statue, which he may set up in the great church, St. Peter's (Kramer H., p. 320-323).
Thus a "false pope" is expected and a great loss in Catholic members is prophesied.
Some have interpreted statements like the following to mean that there will be an antipope and this is why Peter needs to become involved:
Elizabeth Canori-Mora (died 1825): Saint Peter then chose the new pope. The Church was again organized; religious orders were reestablished; the private families of ordinary Christians, through their great fervor and zeal for the glory of God, became like the most exemplary communities. Such is the glorious triumph reserved for the Catholic Church; she shall be praised, honored and esteemed by all men. All men shall become Catholics, and shall acknowledge the Pope as Vicar of Jesus Christ." (Connor, p.24)
A Catholic priest has claimed:
Priest Paul Kramer “The errors of Orthodoxy and of Protestantism will be embraced by that false church, it will be an ecumenical church because the Anti-Pope will be recognized by the world — not by the faithful, but by the world — by the secular world and the secular governments. The Anti-Pope will be recognized as the legitimate Pope of the "church," and the legitimate head of the Vatican State. That "church" will be united with all the false religions. They will be united together under the universality of the Masonic umbrella. In that motley ecumenical union will be the established religion of the so-called civilized world. This is how we will get into the time of great persecution such as the world has never seen. (Kramer P. The Imminent Chastisement for Not Fulfilling Our Lady’s Request. An edited transcript of a speech given at the Ambassadors of Jesus and Mary Seminar in Glendale, California, September 24, 2004.THE FATIMA CRUSADER Issue 80, Summer 2005, pp. 32-45 http://www.fatimacrusader.com/cr80/cr80pg32.asp viewed 4/15/08)
(The Anti-Pope will be recognized as the legitimate Pope of the “church,” and the legitimate head of the Vatican State. That “church” will be united with all the false religions. They will be united together under the universality of the Masonic umbrella. In that motley ecumenical union will be the established religion of the so-called civilized world. This is how we will get into the time of great persecution such as the world has never seen. [p. 40] (Priest Kramer. As cited by Mario Derksen's article The Blind Leading the Blind Memo to Chris Ferrara, Father Nicholas Gruner and Father Paul Kramer: Please, please take off the blindfolds! in TRADITIONAL INSIGHTS October 7, 2005 Volume 16, no. 250; http://www.dailycatholic.org/issue/05Oct/oct7mdi.htm 10/10/07).)
Notice what another priest has allegedly claimed:
Father O'Connor quotes from Holy Scripture, the stunning prophecies of St. Vincent Ferrer, Pope St. Pius X, St. Francis of Assisi, St. John Eudes, Sr. Lucy of Fatima, Pope Pius XII and Bishop Fulton J. Sheen. Father explains how God will and is punishing the world for sin, and that the Fathers of the Church all wrote that the False Prophet would be a Catholic Bishop who will become an invalid anti-pope while the real Pope dies a cruel death in exile. http://www.catholictreasures.com/cartdescrip/20104.html 10/12/07
"This final false prophet will be a bishop of the church and will lead all religions into becoming one." - Father O'Connor (http://www.geocities.com/rebornempowered/ApparitionsofMary.htm 10/12/07)
Another priest wrote:
E. Sylvester Berry (1921): . . . As indicated by the resemblance to a lamb, the prophet will probably set himself up in Rome as a sort of antipope during the vacancy of the papal throne . . .(Berry E.S. The Apocalypse of St. John. First published 1921. http://journals.aol.com/langosh5/Father_E_Sylvester_Berry/ 10/12/07)
Anne Catherine Emmerich apparently prophesied that just before the Book of Revelation begins to have some fulfillment in the end, the Pope (the "true pope"?) is not present:
I saw the Evangelist John and I was told that the book contained the revelations he had on Patmos. Before it was opened something happened which I have forgotten, and it is a pity that there is a break here! The Pope was not present, he was concealed somewhere. I think the people knew not where he was (Schmöger, p. 195).
She also stated on May 13, 1820:
Then I saw the connection between the two Popes and two temples...in authorizing the erection of false temples, he had allowed the only true God , the only true religion to be lost among so many false gods and false religions...
I saw the fatal consequences of this counterfeit church ; I saw it increase (Schmöger, pp. 280,281).
So, some type of "antipope" is included in various prophecies, and this is an antipope that has not yet appeared.
A Catholic saint named Don Bosco stated, "The Pope will die and live again" (Connor, p. 29)--which either suggests that he will be healed of a deadly wound or that perhaps someone will also fill his office.
Interestingly, John/Don Bosco and Nun Emmerich's prophecies often came in the form of dreams. And even though they are accepted by many Catholics, notice what The Catholic Encyclopedia states:
State of the Prophet during the Vision -- Ordinarily the vision occurred when the Prophet was awake. Dreams, of which the false Prophets made ill use, are scarcely ever mentioned in the case of true Prophets...In any case, we must remember what St. Jerome (In Isaiam, Prolog. in P. L., XXIV, 19) and St. John Chrysostom (In I Cor. homil. XXIX in P. G., LXI, 240 sqq.) remarked that the Prophets always retained their self-conciousness and were never subject to the disordered and degrading psychic conditions of the pagan soothsayers and pythias; and, instead of enigmatical and puerile sybilline oracles, their pronouncements were often sublime and always worthy of God (Calès J. Transcribed by Sean Hyland. The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XII. Published 1911. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Nihil Obstat, June 1, 1911. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York).
Hence, some Catholic writers have warned against those who lose the consciousness for their visions. Yet, that is the case for many of the mystics that Catholic writers have believed were approved by God.
It appears that another view amongst Catholic writers is that the Antichrist will not necessarily be an antipope, but that he is likely to be Jewish. The first ideas about the Antichrist being Jewish or of the tribe of Dan seems to have come from the 2nd and 3rd centuries.
Irenaeus wrote:
1...Moreover, another danger, by no means trifling, shall overtake those who falsely presume that they know the name of Antichrist. For if these men assume one [number], when this [Antichrist] shall come having another, they will be easily led away by him, as supposing him not to be the expected one, who must be guarded against.
2. These men, therefore, ought to learn [what really is the state of the case], and go back to the true number of the name, that they be not reckoned among false prophets. But, knowing the sure number declared by Scripture, that is, six hundred sixty and six, let them await, in the first place, the division of the kingdom into ten; then, in the next place, when these kings are reigning, and beginning to set their affairs in order, and advance their kingdom, [let them learn] to acknowledge that he who shall come claiming the kingdom for himself, and shall terrify those men of whom we have been speaking, having a name containing the aforesaid number, is truly the abomination of desolation. This, too, the apostle affirms: " When they shall say, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction shall come upon them. " And Jeremiah does not merely point out his sudden coming, but he even indicates the tribe from which he shall come, where he says, " We shall hear the voice of his swift horses from Dan; the whole earth shall be moved by the voice of the neighing of his galloping horses: he shall also come and devour the earth, and the fulness thereof, the city also, and they that dwell therein. " This, too, is the reason that this tribe is not reckoned in the Apocalypse along with those which are saved.
3. It is therefore more certain, and less hazardous, to await the fulfillment of the prophecy, than to be making surmises, and casting about for any names that may present themselves, inasmuch as many names can be found possessing the number mentioned; and the same question will, after all, remain unsolved. For if there are many names found possessing this number, it will be asked which among them shall the coming man bear. It is not through a want of names containing the number of that name that I say this, but on account of the fear of God, and zeal for the truth: for the name Evanthas (ΕΥΑΝΘΑΣ ) contains the required number, but I make no allegation regarding it. Then also Lateinos (ΛΑΤΕΙΝΟΣ ) has the number six hundred and sixty-six; and it is a very probable [solution], this being the name of the last kingdom [of the four seen by Daniel]. For the Latins are they who at present bear rule: I will not, however, make any boast over this (Irenaeus. Adversus Haereses, Book V, Chapter 30).
Hippolytus wrote:
14. Thus did the Scriptures preach before-time of this lion and lion's whelp. And in like manner also we find it written regarding Antichrist. For Moses speaks thus: "Dan is a lion's whelp, and he shall leap from Bashan." But that no one may err by supposing that this is said of the Saviour, let him attend carefully to the matter. "Dan," he says, "is a lion's whelp; "and in naming the tribe of Dan, he declared clearly the tribe from which Antichrist is destined to spring. For as Christ springs from the tribe of Judah, so Antichrist is to spring from the tribe of Dan. And that the case stands thus, we see also from the words of Jacob: "Let Dan be a serpent, lying upon the ground, biting the horse's heel." What, then, is meant by the serpent but Antichrist, that deceiver who is mentioned in Genesis, who deceived Eve and supplanted Adam (πτερνίσας, bruised Adam's heel)? But since it is necessary to prove this assertion by sufficient testimony, we shall not shrink from the task.
15. That it is in reality out of the tribe of Dan, then, that that tyrant and king, that dread judge, that son of the devil, is destined to spring and arise, the prophet testifies when he says, "Dan shall judge his people, as (he is) also one tribe in Israel." But some one may say that this refers to Samson, who sprang from the tribe of Dan, and judged the people twenty years. Well, the prophecy had its partial fulfillment in Samson, but its complete fulfillment is reserved for Antichrist. For Jeremiah also speaks to this effect: "From Dan we are to hear the sound of the swiftness of his horses: the whole land trembled at the sound of the neighing, of the driving of his horses." And another prophet says: "He shall gather together all his strength, from the east even to the west. They whom he calls, and they whom he calls not, shall go with him. He shall make the sea white with the sails of his ships, and the plain black with the shields of his armaments. And whosoever shall oppose him in war shall fall by the sword." That these things, then, are said of no one else but that tyrant, and shameless one, and adversary of God, we shall show in what follows.(Hippolytus. On Christ and Antichrist).
Since then, others have tended to follow Irenaeus' and Hippolytus' lead (including one or more prominent Protestants).
Now while many Roman Catholic writings suggest that the Beast is the Roman Empire, including two below, at least one of Hippolytus' writings state that the Antichrist establishes a Judean Kingdom:
25. Then he says: "A fourth beast, dreadful and terrible; it had iron teeth and claws of brass." And who are these but the Romans? which (kingdom) is meant by the iron—the kingdom which is now established; for the legs of that (image) were of iron. And after this, what remains, beloved, but the toes of the feet of the image, in which part is iron and part clay, mixed together? And mystically by the toes of the feet he meant the kings who are to arise from among them; as Daniel also says (in the words), "I considered the beast, and lo there were ten horns behind it, among which shall rise another (horn), an offshoot, and shall pluck up by the roots the three (that were) before it." And under this was signified none other than Antichrist, who is also himself to raise the kingdom of the Jews. He says that three horns are plucked up by the root by him, viz., the three kings of Egypt, and Libya, and Ethiopia, whom he cuts off in the array of battle. And he, after gaining terrible power over all, being nevertheless a tyrant, shall stir up tribulation and persecution against men, exalting himself against them. For Daniel says: "I considered the horn, and behold that horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them, till the beast was slain and perished, and its body was given to the burning of fire." (Hippolytus. On Christ and Antichrist).
28. The golden head of the image and the lioness denoted the Babylonians; the shoulders and arms of silver, and the bear, represented the Persians and Medes; the belly and thighs of brass, and the leopard, meant the Greeks, who held the sovereignty from Alexander's time; the legs of iron, and the beast dreadful and terrible, expressed the Romans, who hold the sovereignty at present; the toes of the feet which were part clay and part iron, and the ten horns, were emblems of the kingdoms that are yet to rise; the other little horn that grows up among them meant the Antichrist in their midst; the stone that smites the earth and brings judgment upon the world was Christ.(Hippolytus. On Christ and Antichrist).
2. After this, then, what remains, beloved, but the toes of the feet of the image, in which " part shall be of iron and part of clay mixed together? " By the toes of the feet he meant, mystically, the ten kings that rise out of that kingdom. As Daniel says, " I considered the beast; and, lo, (there were) ten horns behind, among which shall come up another little horn springing from them; " by which none other is meant than the antichrist that is to rise; and he shall set up the kingdom of Judah...3...The "legs of iron" are the "dreadful and terrible beast," by which the Romans who hold the empire now are meant. The "toes of clay and iron" are the "ten horns" which are to be. The "one other little horn springing up in their midst" is the "antichrist." The stone that "smites the image and breaks it in pieces," and that filled the whole earth, is Christ, who comes from heaven and brings judgment on the world. (Hippolytus. Exegetical fragments).
Other Roman Catholic writings suggest that the Antichrist will be accepted by the Jews. Here are some comments from Cardinal Newman:
Hence, considering that Antichrist would pretend to be the Messiah, it was of old the received notion that he was to be of Jewish race and to observe the Jewish rites.
Further, St. Paul says that Antichrist should "sit in the Temple of God;" that is, according to the earlier Fathers, in the Jewish Temple...
It seems then, on the whole, that, as far as the testimony of the early Church goes, Antichrist will be an open blasphemer, opposing himself to every existing worship, true and false,—a persecutor, a patron of the Jews, and a restorer of their worship, and, further, the author of a novel kind of worship. Moreover, he will appear suddenly, at the very end of the Roman Empire, which once was, and now is dormant (Newman, Cardinal John Henry. Lecture 2. The Religion of Antichrist. Copyright © 2004 by The National Institute for Newman Studies).
Additionally, it should be pointed out that there many private prophecies on the Antichrist (or comments about them) that seem to support the view that the one we in LCG consider will be Christ, certain writers tend to consider as the Antichrist:
St. Francis of Paula (15th Century)...St. Francis prophesies that Antichrist will destroy the Roman Empire. (Birch, pp.267-268).
ST. ANSELM -- 1109...While Antichrist reigns he will prohibit under the pain of death the offering of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass (Culligan E. The Last World War and the End of Time. The book was blessed by Pope Paul VI, 1966. TAN Books, Rockford (IL), p. 131).
St. Hildegard (died 1179): Antichrist...His doctrine of faith will be taken from the Jewish religion and seemingly will not differ much from the fundamental beliefs of Christianity, for he will teach that there is one God who created the world, who rewards the obeyers of his commands and trespassers he chastises, who will raise all from the dead in due time. This God has spoken through Moses, therefore the precepts of the Mosaic law are to be kept, especially circumcision and the keeping of the Sabbath...and he will ridicule the graces of the Church...(Culleton R. Gerald. The Reign of Antichrist, Reprint TAN Books, Rockford, IL, 1974, p. 127).
Pope Gregory the Great (late 5th century), “It has come to my ears that certain men of perverse spirit have sown among you some things that are wrong and opposed to the holy faith, so as to forbid any work being done on the Sabbath day. What else can I call these but preachers of Antichrist” (Gregory I. Registrum Epistolarum, Book XIII, Letter 1).
Richard Rolle of Hampole (died 1349): "After the destruction of Rome, Antichrist will appear and exalt himself above pagan deities and the Trinity. His name signifies one who is against Christ. Begotten of a sinful man and a woman into whom the devil has entered, Antichrist will be born of the tribe of Dan in the city of Corozain...Coming to Jerusalem, he will proclaim himself Christ and at first feign to be holy. He will succeed through the false preaching, miracles, gifts, terror, aided throughout by the devil. An evil spirit will come out of the air and descend upon his followers. He shall feign a resurrection from the dead, cause rain to fall, stone images to speak, and perform other wonders, all through the power of the devil. (Connor p.80)
Dionysius...Antichrist will be an iconoclast. Most in the world will adore him. He will teach that the Christian (Catholic) religion is false, confiscation of Christian (Catholic) property is legal, Saturday is to be observed instead of Sunday, and he will change the ten commandments...He will read people's minds, raise the dead, reward his followers, and punish the rest (Connor Edward. Prophecy for Today, 4th ed. TAN Books, Rockford (IL) 1984, p.85).
The truth is that Antichrist will accept idols (iconoclasts destroy idols), originally embrace Catholicism, originally practice Sunday worship, and accept the Roman Catholic numbering of the ten commandments. The Bible does not teach that the Antichrist will read people's minds or raise the dead (although it mentions one who was healed of a deadly wound, Revelation 13:12).
Jesus, on the other hand, was a Jew, will destroy idols, will insist on the Saturday Sabbath, and correctly number the ten commandments after His return. He will of course be able to read people's minds, and will raise the dead (1 Thessalonians 4:16; Revelation 20:5).
Jesus also will not be trinitarian in the Council of Constantinople sense and will be exalted above that trinitarian godhead.
The Bible shows that Jesus will come after earthquakes and famines, especially after the great earthquake that levels the mountains:
12 Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared...
17 Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, "It is done!"
18 And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth. 19 Now the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath. 20 Then every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. 21 And great hail from heaven fell upon men, each hailstone about the weight of a talent. Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great (Revelation 16:12, 17-20).
Yet notice what a Catholic prophet has claimed:
Hildegard of Bingen (d. 1179): Immediately preceding Antichrist, there will be starvation and earthquakes...Antichrist will make the earth move, level mountains, dry up rivers, produce thunder and lightnings and hail (Culleton, The Reign of Antichrist, pp. 128,129).
According to the Bible, dry rivers, thunders, lightnings, earthquakes, mountains leveled, and great hail precede the return of Jesus Christ (the Antichrist is on the scene by Revelation 13). Clearly, those who rely on the declarations of Hildegard will confuse Christ and Antichrist (see also Do Certain Catholic Prophecies About Antichrist Warn Against Jesus?).
Also notice the following:
Francisco Suarez (died 1617). Suarez (following Saint Jerome, Saint Ambrose, Sulpitius Severus, et al.) says that "Antichrist shall be born of Jewish extraction, and will profess the Jewish religion. (Connor p.81)
Venerable Bartholomew Holzhauser (died 1658): "Antichrist will come as the Messiah from a land between two seas in the East...
"Antichrist and his army will conquer Rome, kill the Pope and take the throne...
"He will restore the Turkish regime destroyed by the Great Monarch. The Jews, knowing from the Bible that Jerusalem will be the seat of the Messiah, will come from everywhere, and accept Antichrist as the Messiah...
"He will be able to fly... (Connor p.82)
Dionysius of Luxemberg (died 1682)...f. "Antichrist's life will be a mockery of Christ's. He will be a convincing speaker, have great knowledge, the gift of tongues, and be a child wonder at six or seven...
g. "He will take the riches of the world to Jerusalem and appear to have power over natural laws. (Connor p.84)
He will forbid any other deity to be acknowledged but himself, and prohibits all worship of the Supreme Being...particularly the holy sacrifice of the Mass, because in it Christ is personally present and adored as God. All this has been foretold by the Prophet Daniel. (Dan 8:11; 12:11.) The Holy sacrifice for the Mass will not be offered up publicly for three years and a half. and the abomination unto desolation is set up (Culligan E. The Last World War and the End of Time. The book was blessed by Pope Paul VI, 1966. TAN Books, Rockford (IL), p. 107).
Saint Zenobius (died 285)..."Antichrist will work a thousand prodigies on earth. He will make the blind see, the deaf hear, the lame walk, the dead rise, so that even the elect, if possible, shall be deceived by his magical arts. Swollen with pride, Antichrist shall enter in triumph the city of Jerusalem, and will sit on the throne in the temple to be adored as if he were the Son of God..." (Connor, p. 73)
St. Hildegard (12th century). "And in this way the son of perdition will practice his deceitful arts on the elements and show in them the beauty and sweetness and delight desired by those he deceives...He will show them his treasures and riches, and allow them to feast as they will, confirming his teachings by deceitful signs so they think they need not restrain or chaste their bodies in any way. He will command them to observe circumcision and the Jewish laws and customs, but will alleviate for them as much as they want the stronger commands of the Law, which the Gospel, by worthy penance, converts to grace. And he will say, "When anyone is converted to me, I will blot out his sins, and he shall live with me forever." He will throw out baptism and the Gospel of my Son, and scorn all the precepts handed down to the Church. And he will say with devilish mockery: "See what a madman that was, Who through His falsehoods decreed that the simple people should observe these things!..." (Hildegard, p. 504)
Other than the fact that Jesus will not be begotten by man, much of the above appears to be applicable to Him. And He will abolish Catholic mass and other non-biblical practices that He will consider to contain falsehoods. And the Bible is clear that in the millennium the blind will see, the deaf will hear, and the lame will walk (Isaiah 35:1-6)--but these are not specifically mentioned as miracles of Antichrist (for a related article, please see Do Certain Catholic Prophecies About Antichrist Warn Against Jesus?)--hence this appears to be a warning against Jesus, not Antichrist!
Anne Catherine Emmerich seems to suggest that there will be secret Catholics after Jesus returns:
June 22, 1822...Mass was said secretly in a cave below the sacrisity...For terrible times are approaching, non-Catholics will use every artifice to oppress the Church and snatch from her her possessions. The troubles will ever increase (Schmöger p.180).
There is also another possible interpretation of that, as there are reports from various fringe Catholic sources (such as the late priest Malachi Martin, author Kathleen Keating, and editor and author Ronald L. Conte Jr.) that the Catholic Church will at one time be led by a figure they call the Anti-Pope who will turn against the fundamentals of the Catholic faith and accept the Antichrist. Specifically, Ronald Conte refers to this individual as "the false prophet (i.e. the antipope)" (http://www.catholicplanet.com/future/map4.htm 10/10/07). And although we in LCG identify the false prophet as the final Antichrist, many of these Catholic commentators (like most Protestant ones) seem to consider that the false prophet is not the Antichrist, but that the Beast is the Antichrist (see also Two Horned Beast of Revelation and 666).
Though some "Fatima" prophecies have been mentioned, here is another:
Mary apparition in Fatima (20th century): But in the end my Immaculate Heart shall triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me, she will be converted, and a certain period of peace will be in the world (Connor, p. 14).
Some believe that this is started to happen (more on Russia can be found in the article Russia: Its Origins and Prophesied Future).
But there was a third message that was kept secret. While Lucia (the oldest of the three children who claimed to see the original Mary apparition at Fatima) wanted it to be made public in the 1960s, the Vatican refused.
The Vatican claims that the following is the complete text of the "third secret" of Fatima that Lucia wrote down in 1944:
"J.M.J.
The third part of the secret revealed at the Cova da Iria-Fatima, om 13 July 1917.
I write in obedience to you, my God, who command me to do so through his Excellency the Bishop of Leiria and through your Most Holy Mother and mine.
"After the two parts which I have already explained, at the left of Our Lady and a little above, we saw an Angel with a flaming sword in his left hand; flashing, it gave out flames that looked as though they would set the world on fire; but they died out in contact with the splendor that Our Lady radiated towards him from her right hand: pointing to the earth with his right hand, the Angel cried out in a loud voice: 'Penance, Penance, Penance!'. And we saw in an immense light that is God: 'something similar to how people appear in a mirror when they pass in front of it' a Bishop dressed in White 'we had the impression that it was the Holy Father'. Other Bishops, Priests, men and women Religious going up a steep mountain, at the top of which there was a big Cross of rough-hewn trunks as of a cork-tree with the bark; before reaching there the Holy Father passed through a big city half in ruins and half trembling with halting step, afflicted with pain and sorrow, he prayed for the souls of the corpses he met on his way; having reached the top of the mountain, on his knees at the foot of the big Cross he was killed by a group of soldiers who fired bullets and arrows at him, and in the same way there died one after another the other Bishops, Priests, men and women Religious, and various lay people of different ranks and positions. Beneath the two arms of the Cross there were two Angels each with a crystal aspersorium in his hand, in which they gathered up the blood of the Martyrs and with it sprinkled the souls that were making their way to God.
Tuy 3-1-1944."
(Source: JosephCard. Ratzinger Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. THE MESSAGE OF FATIMA. http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20000626_message-fatima_en.html)
Additionally, there is a belief that an undisclosed portion of the Fatima vision predicts that the false prophet will be a pope:
Twice now Kathleen Keating has been interviewed on Art Bell. Recently deceased Father Malachi Martin was a guest on Art Bell numerous occasions. Ms. Keating revealed that she had spoken with Malachi Martin and shared the same information during their interviews. BOTH revealed on air that (this is paraphrased) "the Fatima secret was the worst thing you could ever imagine and then go way beyond that"...
Kathleen Keating, author of "The Final Warning" http://www.finalwarningthebook.com/ was Art's guest, I think on February 20th and again on April 12th of this year. Her interviews were riveting as were Malachi Martin's. Both of these people, especially Kathleen, were up front that the famed secret stated the next Pope will be the False Prophet or the AntiPope as Catholics refer to him (Did The Vatican Reveal The FULL Fatima Prophecy? From Stan and Holly Deyo http://www.millennium-ark.net 5-14-00. http://www.rense.com/general/fullfatima.htm 10/10/07).
Malachi Martin, in his last interview on the Art Bell Show, spoke of an Anti-Pope. There was a caller calling in from Australia, and he said that a Jesuit had revealed to him that in the Third Secret it is revealed that there will be, as it were, a pope who was entirely in the control of the devil. Malachi answered, "that sounds like the verbatim words of the Secret." (The Imminent Chastisement for Not Fulfilling Our Lady’s Request given at the Ambassadors of Jesus and Mary Seminar in Glendale, California, September 24, 2004 by Priest Paul Kramer, B.Ph., S.T.B., M.Div., S.T.L. (Cand.) http://www.fatima.org/crusader/cr80/cr80pg32.asp 10/10/07).
It should be noted that according to the Keating interview, the false prophet would be the current pontiff--but in one of her writings that I have seen, she indicates that it would be the next pontiff. While I do not believe that the current pontiff will be the false prophet, it is remotely possible.
But my major point is simply that there exists within Roman Catholic circles the widespread belief that there will be an "antipope" at the time of the end and I believe that we in the true Church of God need to be knowledgeable of that belief.
Are the Catholic prophets/prophetesses inspired by God or may demonic influence or other factors be involved?
At least two of the Catholic mystics I have read about admitted that they may have been victims of demons or illusions. Here is information about one:
Blessed Anna Maria Taigi (died 1837): Although she was carried away daily by ecstacy...Indeed, Anna herself had known fear, at first, thinking herself a victim of an illusion, from which she strove to free herself (Rigby S. Wife, Mother And Mystic (Blessed Anna-Maria Taigi). Edited by D. Newton. Nihil Obstat: Carolus Davis, S.T.L., Censor deputatis. Imprimatur: E. Morrough Bernard Vic. Gen. Westmonasterii, die Februarii, 1952. Reprint TAN Books, Rockford (IL), 1970, pp. 173,180).
The second was the stigmatic Anne Emmerich:
Nun Emmerich: 1822...October 4...I fought against a whole legion of devils who excite minds against me and do all they can to harass me...They want to install bad Bishops...(Schmöger, p. 299).
It should be mentioned that on October 3, 2004 Anne Catherine Emmerich was beatified by Pope John Paul II (Wikipedia). Yet, it should be mentioned that she claimed to see Limbo, a place that the current Pope Benedict XVI has indicated does not exist (see What is Limbo? Is there such a place as Limbo?).
Also notice the following from a book on Nun Emmerich:
(Being in a state of ecstasy today, Sister Emmerich related what follows:)
The first descent of Jesus into Limbo was the fulfillment of early types, and in itself a type whose fulfillment is effected by today's releasing of the poor souls (Schmöger, p. 355).
So, a demon-influenced woman in some type of trance, saw Limbo, which does not exist, yet she was made a Roman saint (many more quotes from Nun Emmerich on Limbo are in the article What is Limbo? Is there such a place as Limbo?).
There were other seers who also had problems that should disqualify them as being send as God's servants.
Thus, I contend that my belief that certain "Catholic prophets" were influenced by demons does have support, even among a variety Catholic approved literature.
Additionally, Catholic seers such as Nostradamus practiced a form of astrology--and this something that the Bible warns against, even in an accepted Catholic translation of the Old Testament:
12 Stand with thine enchanters, and with the multitude of thy sorceries, in
which thou hast travailed from thy youth, if perhaps it may profit thee any
thing, or if thou mayest become stronger.
13 Thou hast failed in the multitude of thy counsels: let the astrologers of the
heaven stand and save thee, which did contemplate the stars, and count the
months, that by them they might tell things that shall come to thee.
14 Behold they are become as stubble, fire hath burnt them, they shall not
deliver their soul from the hand of the flame: there are no coals, Wherewith
they may be warmed, nor fire, that they may sit thereat.
(Isiae 47:12-13, The Original And True Douay Old Testament Of Anno Domini 1610)
Furthermore, if there were no demonic influences and all these mystics and writers were actually inspired by God, then their prophecies would not fail.
But they often have.
For example, notice again what was taught by one normally called Don or John Bosco, who claimed to have received a vision--but this time I added more of what he stated:
Giovanni Melchiorre Bosco also known as "Saint Don Bosco" (1862): Don Bosco said, "There will be chaos in the Church. Tranquility will not return until the Pope succeeds in anchoring the boat of Peter between the Twin Pillars of Eucharist Devotion and devotion to Our Lady. This will come about one year before the end of the century." (Prediction made in 1862 for the end of the 20th century (Flynn Ted and Mary. The Thunder of Justice. MaxKol Communications, Inc. Sterling (VA), 1993, p. A213).
This prophecy by the Catholic saint Don Bosco did not come to pass when he said it would. Hence, he is a false prophet, yet he is still consder as a Roman Catholic saint. God did not give Don Bosco that vision.
What about all these stigmatics and other mystics with various signs and wonders?
Notice the following about Therese Neumann:
Therese Neumann (1898-1962) mystic and stigmatist of Germany. She did not eat, drink, sleep, or have body functions for 40 years--a well documented fact in light of being so contemporary. She lived solely on the Eucharist. When asked in 1945 after World War II if America would ever be destroyed or invaded by war, she responded,
"No, at the end of this century America will be destroyed economically by natural disasters." (Flynn Ted and Mary. The Thunder of Justice. MaxKol Communications, Inc. Sterling (VA), 1993, p. A259)
Now even though she was apparently a stigmatic and many believe that she only lived on the eucharistic host for 40 years, her prophecy has been proven false (I should also add that the United States not only was not destroyed prior to the end of the 20th century, it, contrary to her claims, will be destroyed by war, please see Anglo - America in Prophecy). Yet, it has been reported about Therese Neumann:
In 2005, Gerhard Ludwig Müller, Bishop of Regensburg, formally opened the Vatican proceedings for her beatification. (Therese Neumann. Wikipedia, viewed 02/07/09).
But it should be clear that God did not speak through her either. The fact that some claim that Rome has had 321 stigmatics (Flynn, p. 20), does not mean that these individuals had a sign from God. There is NOTHING in the Bible that would suggest that God would place the "stigmata" upon His true followers.
Those who are impressed by signs and wonders would do well to heed the following scriptures:
9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12).
21 "And if you say in your heart, 'How shall we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?'-- 22 when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him (Deuteronomy 18:21-22).
Thus, it should be clear that God did not speak though people such as Don Bosco and Therese Neumann.
But then, you might ask, what about the prophecies that have or may still come to pass, do they not prove that the prophets/prophetesses came from God?
No, not actually. Notice that the Bible covers this as well:
24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand (Matthew 24:24-25).
... they are spirits of demons, performing signs...(Revelation 16:14).
1 "If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, 2 and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, 'Let us go after other gods'--which you have not known--'and let us serve them,' 3 "you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the LORD your God is testing you to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 4 You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice, and you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him (Deuteronomy 13:1-4).
It needs to be emphasized that the Church of Rome that claims to be the Catholic Church and sometimes even "the Church of God", has changed many of the original teachings that the true Church of God had (which the Living Church of God still has, for documented details, please see Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Living Church of God?). Rome has not been faithful to many of the most basic early church beliefs, practices, and traditions.
The Church of Rome sadly does tell people to worship other than how the Bible shows. It also has changed the numbering of the ten commandments (see The Ten Commandments and the Early Church) and even encouraged military participation (in violation of the commandments and the early traditions of the even its church, see Military Service and the Churches of God: Do Real Christians Participate in Carnal Warfare?).
Those Roman-connected mystics whose prophecies will be somewhat fulfilled are often (though not always) the mirror-image, the opposite, of what the Bible says real Christians should heed.
But some may say, aren't these saints, God's ministers, or holy people?
While they may be called saints, etc., notice that the Bible warns that false ones will look like the real thing:
12...I will also continue to do, that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast. 13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works (2 Corinthians 11:12-15).
Thus, those who rely on the Bible realize that priests and mystics can sometimes perform signs and wonders, but that is NOT proof that God approves of what they are doing.
The Apostle John wrote:
1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world (1 John 4:1).
And that is what everyone should do. All should also realize that God's prophets do not utter false prophecies when they claim that they are speaking for God.
Regarding Catholic private prophecies, Desmond A. Birch, a Roman Catholic writer, has made the following observations:
Several private prophecies of canonized Saints specifically state that there will be a latter restoration of the Holy Roman Empire and that there will be at least one last Holy Roman Emperor. The authenticity of the authorship of such prophecies of canonized Saints (e.g., St. Hildegard, St. Vincent Ferrer, St. Francis of Paula, and St. John Vianney) at least over the last eight hundred years is scholastically unquestionable.
We are left with the options that:
(1) the prophecies are genuine,
(2) all of the Fathers and Saints, throughout the centuries who attested to some form of this tradition were deluded or mistaken in exactly the same way, or
(3) that they were all liars and part of a massive Catholic conspiracy which has spanned seventeen centuries, within which they are managed to tell exactly the same lies. (Birch, p.281)
I would tend to state none of the above is fully accurate. I believe that various "Catholic prophets" have often been deluded by demons (as well as their own imaginations, cf. Romans 1:21, KJV) and that this is part of a Satanic conspiracy with frequent Catholic complicity that has spanned more than seventeen centuries. I would also like to emphasize that not all the "prophecies" are exactly the same way, which is consistent with demonic influence--as some "private prophecies" are in contradiction to others. On the other hand, many Catholic private prophecies are quite supportive of the LCG position about the Beast and False Prophet (an antipope as Antichrist) position and some others are also likely to be accurate.
But it is no surprise that demons may have influenced mystics and that sometimes they do cause outcomes to be changed--even in accordance with God's will as the Bible has shown this to be the case in the past (e.g. 1 Kings 22:21-23).
Understanding part of God's plan and trying to affect outcome is also consistent with Satan's practices in the past (cf. Matthew 4:3-11). Also, remember that the Apostle Paul taught:
9 For to this end I also wrote, that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things. 10 Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, 11 lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices (2 Corinthians 2:9-11).
I strongly believe that part of the reason that Jesus showed John what was in the Book of Revelation was because it was clear what Satan was going to try to do to annihilate the true Church. Of course, God also knew that Satan's first attempt would be to kill Jesus as an infant (hence the prophecies about that in Jeremiah 31:15; Matthew 2:17-18) and that that attempt would fail.
Probably immediately after Revelation was penned, Satan realized that he somehow needed to get major portions of humanity to reject Revelation as written--and his plan to do that has succeeded to a major degree.
Perhaps I should add that at least five Catholic private prophecies say that Ireland will be be inundated by the ocean seven years before the last day (Connor, pp. 94-95). I suspect this is a demonic reference to Revelation 16:17-21 and is intended to persuade the supporters of the Beast to fight with Christ as the actual fulfillment of Revelation 16 will be less than 3 years before Jesus returns. This is just one more example of how certain private prophecies are mirror-image opposites of what the Bible teaches.
And lest it seem that I have found fault only in writers/mystics that claim to be Catholic, there are many problems amongst those considered to be Protestant.
Notice that even the Protestant leader Martin Luther falsely who claimed to believe the Bible for doctrine (see also Sola Scriptura or Prima Luther? What Did Martin Luther Really Believe About the Bible?) essentially rejected Revelation as he wrote:
About this book of the Revelation of John...I miss more than one thing in this book, and it makes me consider it to be neither apostolic nor prophetic…I can in no way detect that the Holy Spirit produced it" (Luther, M. Preface to the Revelation of St. John, 1522).
Though some Protestants understand some parts of Revelation now (but normally only a few parts), many misunderstand much of it (for one example, see Is There A Secret Rapture for the Church?). Thus, most Protestants will, similar to those affiliated with Rome, not truly understand what is happening prophetically as they truly do not normally understand much Revelation or many other prophetic books in the Bible. Many of them, like much of the rest of the world, will accept the ecumenical religion that will form and call itself "Catholic" as the correct church.
But everyone, be they Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, unbelievers, or even in the true Church of God need to "walk by faith, not by sight", as the Apostle Paul taught in the Bible (2 Corinthians 5:7).
Thus, do not allow yourself to be persuaded by stigmatics, apparitions claiming to be Mary, or other lying wonders. They are not part of the original, true Church of God. And you, if you truly have a willing heart and able mind, can prove this for yourself (for additional details see and What Do Roman Catholic Scholars Actually Teach About Early Church History? and Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Living Church of God?).
There have been many mystics, stigmatics, priests, and others who have claimed to have had visions or received understanding about what the future holds. And some of them have been correct, and some will be correct in the future (at least to a degree, though sometimes in a manner opposite of what they proclaimed).
Even though this paper contains many quotes from approved Catholic sources, Catholics are generally free to accept or not accept the teachings that come from private prophecy.
Furthermore, for Roman Catholics, it needs to be understood:
The Apocalyse...has never been interpreted as ex-Cathedra by the Church. The Apocalypse is now actually being enacted day by day in our times, and is, therefore being interpreted for us (Culligan E. The Last World War and the End of Time. The book was blessed by Pope Paul VI, 1966. TAN Books, Rockford (IL), p. 82).
In other words, the Roman Catholic Church has a lot of wiggle-room in the area of prophecy. But I strongly feel that those leading it in the future will pick and choose to try to persuade everyone that they have always been the true and correct Church--even when they support major changes to it. And that those ecumenical ones at the end will somehow refer to select private prophecies that their understanding it least as "tradition" that supports what they are doing. Yet, the faithful in the Living Church of God will rely on the Apocalypse (the Book of Revelation) and the other prophetic books of the Bible as written.
And those who rely on private prophecies over the revealed word of God will be seriously misled. But both the Bible and private prophecies warn of an ecumenical world religion to rise up that will apparently call itself "Catholic"--this will be a changed Catholic Church, thus even if you are Catholic you should accept those warnings and NOT follow the dictator (Beast) and antipope (Antichrist) that will likely come on to the world scene sometime next decade.
I strongly believe that there have been certain private Roman Catholic prophecies that are going to contribute to the deception of Antichrist and that this paper contains several of them (see also Do Certain Catholic Prophecies About Antichrist Warn Against Jesus?).
In my opinion, Satan has clearly been preparing some within the Catholic Church in particular, and the world in general, for his plan at the end. And when someone starts a new religious order and claims that it is "Catholic", this will not cause massive suspicion, as it should. This is a major reason why the entire world will be deceived.
But you do not have to.
Thiel B. Catholic Prophecies: Do They Mirror, Highlight, or Contradict Biblical Prophecies? www.cogwriter.com/catholicprophecy.htm (c) 2008/2009 1102
Appendix A: Some Additional Fulfilled Private Prophecies/Apparitions Accepted by the Roman Catholic Church
From The Catholic Encyclopedia:
The more noteworthy of the prophecies bearing upon "latter times" seem to have one common end, to announce great calamities impending over mankind, the triumph of the Church, and the renovation of the world. All the seers agree in two leading features as outlined by E.H. Thompson in his "Life of Anna Maria Taigi" (ch. 18): "First they all point to some terrible convulsion, to a revolution springing from most deep-rooted impiety, consisting in a formal opposition to God and His truth, and resulting in the most formidable persecution to which the Church has ever been subject. Secondly, they all promise for the Church a victory more splendid than she has ever achieved here below. We may add another point in which there is a remarkable agreement in the catena of modern prophecies, and that is the peculiar connection between the fortunes of France and those of the Church and the Holy See, and also the large part which that country has still to play in the history of the Church and of the world, and will continue to play to the end of time."...
Prophecies of St. Malachy
The most famous and best known prophecies about the popes are those attributed to St. 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 Abbé 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 that St. Malachy gave his manuscript to Innocent II to console him in the midst of his tribulations, and that the document remained unknown in the Roman Archives until its discovery in 1590 (Cucherat, "Proph. de la succession des papes", ch. xv). 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 a 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 future popes from Celestine II, who was elected in the year 1143, until the end of the world. They are enunciated under mystical titles. Those who have undertaken to interpret and explain these symbolical prophecies have succeeded in discovering some trait, allusion, point, or similitude in their application to the individual popes, either as to their country, their 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. For example, the prophecy concerning Urban VIII is Lilium et Rosa (the lily and the rose); he was a native of Florence and on the arms of Florence figured a fleur-de-lis; he had three bees emblazoned on his escutcheon, and the bees gather honey from the lilies and roses. Again, the name accords often with some remarkable and rare circumstance in the pope's career; thus Peregrinus apostolicus (pilgrim pope), which designates Pius VI, appears to be verified by his journey when pope into Germany, by his long career as pope, and by his expatriation from Rome at the end of his pontificate. Those who have lived and followed the course of events in an intelligent manner during the pontificates of Pius IX, Leo XIII, and Pius X cannot fail to be impressed with the titles given to each by the prophecies of St. Malachy and their wonderful appropriateness: Crux de Cruce (Cross from a Cross) Pius IX; Lumen in caelo (Light in the Sky) Leo XIII; Ignis ardens (Burning Fire) Pius X. There is something more than coincidence in the designations given to these three popes so many hundred years before their time. We need not have recourse either to the family names, armorial bearings or cardinalatial titles, to see the fitness of their designations as given in the prophecies. The afflictions and crosses of Pius IX were more than fell to the lot of his predecessors; and the more aggravating of these crosses were brought on by the House of Savoy whose emblem was a cross. Leo XIII was a veritable luminary of the papacy. The present pope is truly a burning fire of zeal for the restoration of all things to Christ.
The last of these prophecies concerns the end of the world and is as follows: "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." It has been noticed concerning Petrus Romanus, who according to St. Malachy's list is to be the last pope, that the prophecy does not say that no popes will intervene between him and his predecessor designated Gloria olivæ. It merely says that he is to be the last, so that we may suppose as many popes as we please before "Peter the Roman". Cornelius a Lapide refers to this prophecy in his commentary "On the Gospel of St. John" (C. xvi) and "On the Apocalypse" (cc. xvii-xx), and he endeavours to calculate according to it the remaining years of time...
There are many other private prophecies concerning the remote and proximate signs which will precede the General Judgment and concerning Antichrist, such as those attributed to St. Hildegarde, St. Bridget of Sweden, Blessed Anna Maria Taigi (the "three days' darkness"), the Curé d'Ars, and many others. These do not enlighten us any more than do the Scriptural prophecies as to the day and the hour of that judgment, which still remains a Divine secret. (Devine, Arthur. Transcribed by Marie Jutras. Prophecy. The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XII. Published 1911. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Nihil Obstat, June 1, 1911. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York).
Hildegard of Bingen apparently foresaw are pollution and weather turmoil in the end times as she wrote:
There will be no justice then, because the greenness of virtue will have withered. The freshness of the earth will also dry up, because the atmosphere will no longer be pure, as it was originally. Summers will become cold and winters will be hot...No one does what is right and the Church is abandoned (Butcher, Carmen A. A Spiritual Reader, Hildegard of Bingen. Paraclete Press, Brrewster (MA), 2007, p. 157).
It probably should also be added that there was an Russia Orthodox saint priest named Seraphim (1759-1833) who mentioned Russia in a prophecy that also seems to have come to pass:
Seraphim left a letter concerning prophecy of Russian history that assumed greater significance after 1917, for it was "about the fall and resurrection of Russia . . . a prophecy concerning those horrors and misfortunes which would befall Russia . . . about the pardon and salvation of Russia." One who read the prophecy could not remember exactly when the salvation and deliverance of Russia would come, but it would be "in any case, in the later years of the 20th century." (Fanning S. Mystics of the Christian Tradition. Routeldge, New York. 2001, reprinted 2006, p. 56)
The following comment from Julian of Norwich (1342 to after 1416) suggests something of interest:
In one of her most famous images, God showed her all that was made and it was so little, no bigger than a hazelnut in the palm of her hand, "so little that it could fall into nothing" (Fanning S. Mystics of the Christian Tradition. Routeldge, New York. 2001, reprinted 2006, p. 125).
The reason that the above was of interest is that it has only been in quite recent times that scientists have believed that if all empty space was removed from the universe between the protons, neutrons, and electrons, that the entire universe would be no bigger than Julian's hazelnut. To me, this actually helps prove that there is a spirit world, but not that the Catholic mystics have been inspired by God.
A little bit more about Fatima from a Catholic source:
During the Sunday Angelus he presided over this morning, Pope Benedict recalled today the apparitions in Fatima and the prophecy uttered by the “Lady of White Light” to the shepherds: “In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph.” He recalled as well the miraculous saving of his predecessor John Paul II by “the intervention of a maternal hand.”
Yesterday was the 25th anniversary of the assassination attempt against Pope Wojtyla, in which the “Servant of God, John Paul II, felt he had been miraculously saved from death by the intervention of ‘a maternal hand’, as he himself used to say. His entire pontificate was marked by what the Virgin pronounced at Fatima”.
Only yesterday, the statue of Our Lady of Fatima was welcomed in St Peter’s Square by tens of thousands of believers, and a plaque was unveiled in the square on the exact spot where the attempt to take the life of the Polish Pope took place.
Benedict XVI recalled that the message the Virgin entrusted in Fatima, “was a strong call to prayer and conversion. It was a truly prophetic message considering that the XX century was ravaged by unheard-of destruction caused by wars and totalitarian regimes, as well as long drawn out persecution against the Church”. (Benedict XVI recalls miraculous saving of Pope John Paul II in assassination attempt. Catholic News Agency. http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=6719 01/27/07).
More on Fatima, From a Non-Catholic Source:
Third Vision of Fatima Revealed
Vatican Announcement Stuns the World
"Understand this: the vision shows the time of the End."
Daniel 8:17_____________
On Saturday, May 13, 2000, the 83rd anniversary of the Fatima vision, the Roman Catholic Church, under the direction of the Bishop of Rome, revealed the contents of the third vision of Fatima to the world.
The startling announcement was front page news all across the world. The Los Angeles Times, for instance, wrote that the "the third secret of Fatima had become one of the most intriguing mysteries of modern times."
According to Vatican sources, the vision described a bishop in white, agonizingly making his way to the Cross through a sea of corpses of Christian martyrs, suddenly cut down by a fusilade of bullets. Together with the revelation, the Vatican gave an interpretation that applied in part, but failed to address completely major elements of the prophecy.
Vatican officials concluded that the third Fatima prophecy applied to the past, especially to the attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II in St. Peter's Square in 1981.
The Vatican found compelling evidence to make this association during the subsequent trial of Mehmet Ali Agca, the Turkish gunman. During his 1985 trial Agca made the statement that his assassination attempt was "connected to the third secret of the Madonna of Fatima." (Agca made his attack on May 13, 1981. The apparition at Fatima first occurred on May 13, 1917, exactly 64 years to the day earlier).This day, the 13th day, seemed to follow all through the prophecy and its aftermath. On that day in May of 1917, and on the 13th of every month thereafter, until October of 1917, a period of 5 months, the visions appeared to Lucia and the other two schoolchildren with her. Pope John Paul's assassination attempt on the 13th of May in 1981 only added to the speculation concerning the prophecy and now Lucia's own death on the 13th of February in 2005 seems to have sealed the symbolism and insured that God truly was its source.
The question that remains is whether or not Pope John Paul II was the end of it. The prophecies insist that he was not.
The Vatican, and especially Pope John Paul II, found the coincidence of dates compelling, but they were completely awestruck by Mehmet Ali Agca's later trial announcement because no one knew the contents of the prophecy except for the Pope himself and a very few of the highest Papal Cardinals. The obvious conclusion was that Agca must have been inspired to make that claim through supernatural means. It meant that the Holy Spirit had used the gunman to verify the truth of the Fatima prophecy.
If any questions about the truth of the prophecies remained, they were swept away by Agca's comments. The incident guaranteed a permanent embrace of Lucia dos Santos' visions by the Catholic Church. All three visions were defined as true prophecy and Lucia's two cousins, partners to the vision, were beatified by the Pope. Lucia herself could not be beatified at the same time because she is still alive.
The first vision predicted the end of World War I and the coming of World War II. The second was an appeal to pray for the conversion of Russia, which occurred with the fall of the Soviet Union in 1992. The third vision, sealed by Lucia under orders that it could not be opened until 1960 (apparently by the instruction of the vision of Mary), was never revealed. Not until now.
Agca's claim with respect to Fatima and the fact that he said he had not acted alone (many high officials say he was a paid gunman acting under orders of the Soviet Union and communist Bulgaria) seem to tie the Fatima prophecies to the collapse of the Soviet Union, the second of the three aspects of the visions. The actions of Pope John Paul II following the assassination attempt played a central role in that collapse and the subsequent re-conversion of Russia, starting first with Perestroika in 1984 and leading to the total collapse of Russian communism in 1992.
Those events, and the fact that the papal shooting coincided with the anniversary of the Fatima visions made a deep and personal impact on John Paul II. He felt that his life had been spared by Mary, the Virgin of Fatima, for the purpose of the prophecy, especially with respect to his role in the conversion of Russia. John Paul realized that these visions came from the Holy Spirit and were very important.
The facts surrounding the second vision speak for themselves and cannot be argued. However, the Vatican's interpretation of the third vision seems to leave large vacancies. (http://goodnewschristianministry.org/fatima-prophecy.htm 01/27/07).
Ambrose, Bishop of Havilburg, wrote in approximately 1145 AD,
"The white horse typifies the earliest state of the church, white with the luster of miraculous gifts: the rider Christ, with the bow of evangelical doctrine ... The red horse is the next state of the church, red with the blood of martyrdom; from Stephen the proto-martyr to the martyrs under Diocletian ... The black horse depicts the Church's third state, blackened after Constantine's time with heresies ... The pale horse signified the Church's fourth state, colored with the hue of hypocrisy ... This state he makes to have commenced from the beginning of the fifth century ..." (Horae, Vol. 3, p. 383). Highlights of Historicism by Steve Wohlberg http://whitehorsemedia.com/articles/details.cfm?art=71
Some comments related to Victorinus (3rd century):
Arrived thus at the opening of the Seals, Victorinus explains the four horses and riders of the first four Seals as indicating respectively the triumphant progress of the Gospel, begun from after Christ’s ascension, [68] and the wars, famines, [69] and pestilences, [70] which Christ said would precede his second coming: also the fifth Seal’s souls under the altar, as marking the continuous persecutions and martyrdoms of Christ’s saints; for whose consolation, till the last great day of retribution, white robes, or joys of the Holy Spirit, are given: the region under the brazen altar of vision figuring the place under-ground where the separate spirits rest; [71] while the place of the golden altar (as being that to which our offerings of prayer and praise are brought) [72] typified heaven. Further, the earthquake of the sixth Seal he makes to be the last persecution: [73] that wherein the darkening of the true doctrine to the unfaithful would answer to the eclipsed sun in the vision, and the bloodshed of martyr-saints to the moon like blood: the falling away of vain professors from the Church, under force of persecution, fulfilling the symbol of the falling stars from heaven; and the removal of the Church itself from public sight that of the rolling away of the figured firmament...http://www.historicism.com/Elliott/Appendix1-1.htm
Thus, there are certain prophetic interpretations amongst those that claim the Catholic faith.
Appendix B: Catholic Heresy Defined
In this paper, many issues have been raised. And sometimes, the mystics/writers have used the terms heresy, heretics, apostates, or heresies. As many do not know how the Church of Rome actually defines them, I felt that having them so defined in this appendix could be helpful for some.
Heresy
From The Catholic Encyclopedia:
Heresy thus willed is imputable to the subject and carries with it a varying degree of guilt; it is called formal, because to the material error it adds the informative element of "freely willed".
Pertinacity, that is, obstinate adhesion to a particular tenet is required to make heresy formal. For as long as one remains willing to submit to the Church's decision he remains a Catholic Christian at heart and his wrong beliefs are only transient errors and fleeting opinions...
On the other hand a born Catholic may allow himself to drift into whirls of anti-Catholic thought from which no doctrinal authority can rescue him, and where his mind becomes incrusted with convictions, or considerations sufficiently powerful to overlay his Catholic conscience. (Wilhelm J. Transcribed by Mary Ann Grelinger. Heresy. The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume VII. Published 1910. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Nihil Obstat, June 1, 1910. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York).
From Catholic Answers:
What Is Heresy?
Heresy is an emotionally loaded term that is often misused. It is not the same thing as incredulity, schism, apostasy, or other sins against faith. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, "Incredulity is the neglect of revealed truth or the willful refusal to assent to it. Heresy is the obstinate post-baptismal denial of some truth which must be believed with divine and Catholic faith, or it is likewise an obstinate doubt concerning the same; apostasy is the total repudiation of the Christian faith; schism is the refusal of submission to the Roman Pontiff or of communion with the members of the Church subject to him" (CCC 2089).
To commit heresy, one must refuse to be corrected. A person who is ready to be corrected or who is unaware that what he has been saying is against Church teaching is not a heretic.
A person must be baptized to commit heresy. This means that movements that have split off from or been influenced by Christianity, but that do not practice baptism (or do not practice valid baptism), are not heresies, but separate religions. Examples include Muslims, who do not practice baptism, and Jehovah’s Witnesses, who do not practice valid baptism.
Finally, the doubt or denial involved in heresy must concern a matter that has been revealed by God and solemnly defined by the Church (for example, the Trinity, the Incarnation, the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, the sacrifice of the Mass, the pope’s infallibility, or the Immaculate Conception and Assumption of Mary).(The Great Heresies. NIHIL OBSTAT: I have concluded that the materials presented in this work are free of doctrinal or moral errors. Bernadeane Carr, STL, Censor Librorum, August 10, 2004 IMPRIMATUR: In accord with 1983 CIC 827 permission to publish this work is hereby granted. +Robert H. Brom, Bishop of San Diego, August 10, 2004 http://www.catholic.com/library/Great_Heresies.asp 01/19/07)
What is an apostate?
Apostasy...The heretic differs from the apostate in that he only denies one or more of the doctrines of revealed religion, whereas the apostate denies the religion itself, a sin which has always been looked upon as one of the most grievous...
In order, however, to incur these penalties, it is necessary, in accordance with the general principles of canon law, that the apostasy should be shown in some way. Apostates, with all who receive, protect, or befriend them, incur excommunication, reserved speciali modo to the Sovereign Pontiff (Constitution Apostolicæ Sedis, n° 1). They incur, moreover, the note of "infamy", at least when their apostasy is notorious, and are "irregular"; an infamy and an irregularity which extend to the son and the grandson of an apostate father, and to the son of an apostate mother, should the parents die without being reconciled to the Church [Decree of Gratian, Distinction L, xxxii; V, tit. 2, ii, xv of the sixth book of the Decretals (Friedberg, I, 191, II, 1069 and 1075)]. Most authors, however, are of opinion that the irregularity affects only the children of parents who have joined some particular sect, or who have been personally condemned by ecclesiastical authority [Gasparri, De sacrâ ordinatione (Paris, 1893), II, 288 and 294; Lehmkuhl, Theologia moralis (Freiburg im Br., 1898), II, 725; Wernz, Jus decretalium (Rome, 1899), II, 200; Hollweck, Die kirchlichen Strafgesetze (Mainz, 1899), 162]. Apostates are debarred from ecclesiastical burial (Decretals of Gregory IX, Bk. V, title 7, viii, Friedberg, II, 779). Any writings of theirs, in which they uphold heresy and schism, or labour to undermine the foundations of faith, are on the Index, and those who read them incur the excommunication reserved, speciali modo to the Sovereign Pontiff [Constitution of Leo XIII, Officiorum et munerum, 25 January, 1897, i, v; Vermeersch, De prohibitione et censurâ librorum (Rome, 1901), 3d ed., 57, 112]. ( "Apostasy." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. Nihil Obstat. March 1, 1907. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 30 Dec. 2008 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01624b.htm>)
Now, I would however, suggest that those that departed from "the faith once for all delivered unto the saints" (Jude 3) would best defined as heretics and apostates.
Those truly interested in knowing what the original doctrines of the true Christian church was, who changed doctrines, and who still holds to the original doctrines, should carefully read and study the article Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Living Church of God?
Appendix C: Other Unclassified Writings
In this appendix are some other writings, in no particular order that I may eventually reclassify somewhere else.
Who is correct? The Living Church of God or the what appears to be the predominant view within modern Catholicism?
And while that should be clear to any with eyes to see (for more details, please study Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Living Church of God?), perhaps a few scriptures here would also be appropriate.
The scriptures warn about those that use foreign gods, idols, and other practices of demons:
Deut 32:16-17
They provoked Him to jealousy with foreign gods; With abominations they provoked Him to anger. 17 They sacrificed to demons, not to God, To gods they did not know, NKJV1 Cor 10:20-22
0 Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord's table and of the table of demons. 22 Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He? NKJVRev 9:20
But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk NKJVJames 2:19
You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe--and tremble! NKJVRev 16:13-14
3 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty NKJV
Rev 18:2
2 And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird! NKJV
Yet, the Roman Church has embraced images and idols in violation of both scripture and tradition. For proof of what the early true church taught about images, please study the article What Did the Early Church Teach About Idols and Icons?
Here are some additional unclassified Catholic prophetic writings:
St. Methodius (385). "A day will come when the enemies of Christ will boast...Then a Roman emperor will rise in great fury against them...In the last period Christians will not appreciate the great grace of God who provided a Great Monarch, a long duration of peace, a splendid fertility of the earth...Many men will wonder if the Catholic faith is the true and only saving one and whether the Jews are perhaps correct when they still expect the Messias (Culleton, p. 110).
St. Hildegard (d. 1179). "The time is coming when princes and peoples will renouce the authority of the Pope. Individual countries will prefer their own Church rulers to the Pope. The German Empire will be divided. Church property will be secularized. Priests will be persecuted. After the birth of Anti-Christ heretics will preach their false doctrines undisturbed, resulting in 'Christians having doubts about their holy Catholic faith'" (Culleton, The Prophets and Our Times, p.139).
Fatima (20th century). Our Lady said: "If my requests are granted, Russia will be converted and there will be peace. If not, Russia will spread her errors in every country, raising up wars and persecution against the Church; many will be martyred. The Holy Father will have much to suffer, and many nations will be destroyed." (Dupont, p.81)
Rufinus: Yet it behoves us to know that the enemy is wont to counterfeit this salutary advent of Christ with cunning fraud in order to deceive the faithful, and in the place of the Son of Man, Who is looked for as coming in the majesty of His Father, to prepare the Son of Perdition with prodigies and lying signs, that instead of Christ he may introduce Antichrist into the world (Rufinus. Commentary on the Apostles' Creed, The Creed of Aquileia, Chapter 34).
Nostradamus made a lot of writings:
Nostradamus (16th century): Meanwhile the great Asiatic Empire will spread across the sea and continents to destroy the Christian world (Culleton, p. 168).
Michel De Nostredame (Michael of our Lady). "Italy, emulating Ancient Rome, will raise great armies and put her wings high in the sky (planes). And at that time, great Bysantine sails (the British fleet based in the Middle East), with the help and power of Aquila (the American Eagle), shall meet the Ligustics (Italians) and hinder them so, that the two Cretans (the perfidious ones: Hitler and Mussolini), shall not keep their faith. In the sea, there shall be great commotion, beginning in the Panpotam (Sicily) to the European Mesopotamia (Italy) at forty-five and others, from forty-one, forty-two, and thirty-seven." (Dupont, pp.98-99)
From Nostradamus concerning the US? (Note: I have supplied two translations of each as well as the French)
X / 66
The chief of London by rule of America,
The Island of Scotland shall be tempered by frost,
Kings and Priests shall have one, who is a false Anti-Christ
Who will put them altogether in discord.C10:Q66
Le chef de Londres par regne l'Americh,
L'Isle d'Escosse tempiera par gelee:
Roy Reb auront vn si faux Antechrist,
Que les mettra trestous dans la meslee.
The chief of London through the realm of America,
The Isle of Scotland will be tried by frost:
King and "Reb" will face an Antichrist so false,
That he will place them in the conflict all together.(Nostradamus. Les Propheties. 1840 Bareste edition. http://yowusa.com/nostradamus/c10/61.shtml visted 10/22/07)
VI / 33
His last hand bloody through all U.S.
Shall not save him by sea,
Between two rivers he shall fear the military hand,
The black and wrathful one shall be repentant.XXXIII. Sa main derniere par Alus sanguinaire, Ne se pourra par la mer garentir: Entre deux fleuues craindre main militaire, Le noir l'ireux le fera repentir. His last hand through "Alus" sanguinary, He will be unable to protect himself by sea: Between two rivers he will fear the military hand, The black and irate one will make him rue it.
Nun Emmerich claimed (any bolding was added by me) :
September 10, 1820. "I saw the Church of St. Peter: it had been destroyed but for the Sanctuary and the main Alter. (Dupont, p.65)
1822...October 4...I fought against a whole legion of devils who excite minds against me and do all they can to harass me...They want to install bad Bishops. In one place they want to turn a Catholic church into a Lutheran meeting house...
Last night I had a vision of the Pope. I saw St. Francis carrying the church, and the basilica of St. Peter borne on the shoulders of a little man who had something of a Jew in his countenance. It looked very perilous. Mary stood on the north side of the chuch with her mantle extended over over it. The little man almost bent double. He is, as yet, a laic. I know who he is...It was only the pavement and the back part of the church, for all the rest had been destroyed by a secret society helped by the servants of the church themselves...
When I saw St. Peter's in this ruinous state and so many ecclesiastics laboring, though secretly, at its destruction, I was so overcome that I cried earnestly to Jesus for mercy...He told me that this translation of St. Peter's signified that the Church would fall to total ruin : but that raising on these supports, she would be raised again. Even if there should remain but one Catholic Christian, the Church would again triumph as its foundations were not cast in the intellect or councils of men...I was also told that there very few Christians, in the true sense of the word are found nowadays and that the Jews of our day are pure Pharisees, only more obstinate; only Judith's people in Africa belong to the ancient Jews (Schmöger, p. 299-300).
The bolded passage above could have a several interpretations. The context seems at first to suggest that the little man is the Pope, if so, then it would seem to be a vision that after some destruction of Catholic properties, the little man will become Pope, perhaps a bad one. However since the little man is a laic, and not yet even a priest, this seems questionable. But, if the little man is the same as the little black man that looks like a Jew (as in her vision 3 nights earlier), then this seems to signify that one who is considered Catholic (all persons baptized Catholic, but not formally excommunicated, are considered to be Catholics according to the current Pope Benedict XVI) and not part of the clergy (a laic) will have something to due with the destruction of Roman Catholic influence. Since Nun Emmerich states "as yet" for being a laic, perhaps this "little man" will be one of the two witnesses, and one who may have affiliation with what is called "a secret society" above (Nun Emmerich also claimed to have seen a "secret sect" working for the destruction of Roman Catholicism in other "visions").
Notice:
Hildegard of Bingen (The italicized words are a vision she claims to have seen, while the non-italicized words are her explanation): After this I saw the image of a woman as large as a great city, with a wonderful crown on her head and arms from which a spendor hung like sleeves, shining from Heaven to earth. Her womb was pierced like a net with many openings, with a huge multitude of peole running in and out...I could not make out her attire, except that she was arrayed in great spendor and gleamed with lucid serenity, and on her breast shone a red glow like the dawn; and I heard a sound of all kinds of music singing about her, "Like the dawn, greatly sparkling." And that image spreads out its splendor like a garment, saying, "I must conceive and give birth!" And at once, like lightning, there hastened to her a multitude of angels, making steps and seats within her for people, by whom the image was to be perfected..
.Wherefore now you see the image of a woman as large as a great city; this designates the Bridge of My Son, who always bears her children by regeneration in the Spirit and in water, for the strong Warrior founded her on a wide base of virtue, that she might hold and perfect the great crowd of His elect; and no enemy can conquer or storm her...
Her womb was pierced like a net with many openings, with a huge multitude of people running in and out; that is, she displays her maternal kindness..And thus the Church is the virginal mother of all Christians, since by the mystery of the Holy Spirit she conceives and bears them...So she, beningly gazing on them, says in a sad voice that these children of hers will return again to dust (Hildegard of Bingen. Scivias. Paulist Press, Mahwah (NJ), pp. 169-175).
So Hildegard of Bingen indicated that something bad would come out of her church
She also wrote:
And fly from those who linger in caves and are cloistered supporters of the Devil. Woe to them, woe to them who remain thus! They are the Devil's very viscera, and the advance guard of the son of perdition.
Therefore, O you My beloved children, avoid them with all devotion and with all the strength of your souls and bodies. For the ancient serpent feeds and clothes them by his arts, and they worship him as God and trust in his false deceptions. They are wicked murderers, killing those who join them in simplicity before they can turn back from their error; and they are wicked fornicators upon themselves, destroying their semen in an act of murder and offering it to the Devil. And they also invade My Church with their schisms in the fulness of vice; in their shameful plots they wickedly scoff at baptism, and the sacrament of My Son's body and blood, and the other institutions of the Church. Because they are afraid of My people, they do not openly resist these institutions of Mine, but in their hearts and their deeds they hold them as nothing. By devilish illusion, they pretend to have sanctity; but they are deceived by the Devil, for if he were to show himself to them openly they would understand him and flee him. By his arts he shows them things he pretends are good and holy, and thus deludes them. O woe to those who persevere in this death!
But because the Devil knows he has only a short time for his error, he is not hastening to perfect infidelity in his members; you, you evil deceivers, who labor to subvert the Catholic faith. You are wavering and soft and thus cannot avoid the poisonous arrows of human corruption, which you employ as you wish against the Law. And after you pour out your lust in the poisonous seed of fornication, you pretend to pray and falsely assume an air of sanctity, which is more unworthy in My eyes than the stinking mire.
And thus for certain the punishment of all the schisms shall fall upon you: The one that arose in Horeb when the Jewish people made a graven image and played before it in devilish mockery, as some wantonly do to this very day; and the one about Baal, in which many perished; and the one about fornications, where the Midianites did shameful deeds; and all the others. For you have part in all of them by your evil actions; but you are worse than the earlier people, because you perceive the true law of God but stubbonly abandon it.
But, O you who desire to be saved and have received baptism and form the holy mountain of God, resist Satan, and do not descend from the height of your salvation.
(Hildegard of Bingen. Scivias. Paulist Press, Mahwah (NJ), pp. 301-302).
More related to the above can be found in the article There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Petra
Here are some interesting side notes of the Rheims' New Testament related to certain end-time views:
vThis often insinuateth
that Anti-christ's reign
shall be but three years
and a half (Dan. 7:25,
Apoc 11:2,3, and in
this chapter v. 6, c.
13:5) proveth that the
Heretics be
exceedingly blinded
with malice, that hold
the Pope to be Anti-
Christ, who hath ruled
so many ages.The Church shall flee
as to a desert in Antichrist's
time, but not
decay or be unknown,
no not for so short a
time. (p. 556).
So, even some Catholic writings suggest that it is the true church that will flee. And that is what the Living Church of God still teaches today (There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Petra).