Is there just one Pontiff past Pope Benedictus XVI?
COGwriter
The German press reported the following:
The Final Battles of Pope Benedict XVI
Spiegel – June 15, 2012 excerpts…
The mood at the Vatican is apocalyptic. Pope Benedict XVI seems tired, and both unable and unwilling to seize the reins amid fierce infighting and scandal. While Vatican insiders jockey for power and speculate on his successor, Joseph Ratzinger has withdrawn to focus on his still-ambiguous legacy…the pope himself seems exhausted and no longer able to exert his power…
Already Searching for a Successor
Ratzinger survived two mild strokes in the early 1990s. Both his father and sister died of strokes. The pope takes aspirin as a preventive medicine. He is plagued by osteoarthritis in his knees, especially the right one. Walking is getting more difficult for him, and he now uses a rolling platform, which he mounts upon entering St. Peter’s Basilica, such as when he is wearing heavy garments.
In the Curia and the backrooms of the Vatican’s palaces, efforts are already underway to search for a successor…Benedict himself knows that he doesn’t have much time left. “The last segment of my life is now beginning,” he told birthday guests in April. http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/pope-benedict-focuses-on-legacy-while-ignoring-vatican-power-struggle-a-838830.html
In the past, Pope Benedict himself has suggested that perhaps he might retire from the papacy for someone else to takeover. If he does that, or perhaps even if he does not, he may actually fulfill certain Catholic prophecies, like some of the following:
Nun Emmerich (19th century): 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 Yves. Catholic Prophecy: The Coming Chastisement. TAN Books, Rockford (IL), 1973, 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).
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). {Note the comment is from Yves Dupont personally}.
The above are interesting for many reasons, including the fact that the current pope is “weakened by old age and much suffering” and it would also seem logical that this German pontiff may wish to go to Cologne, Germany.
Furthermore, both biblical and Catholic prophecy point to the time of one who could be considered as an “antipope.”
Interestingly, in the 12th century, a Catholic saint and Bishop named Malachy predicted, with what some to believe is complete accuracy, every pope since 1143. When it his list became public in the 16th century, it was considered to have been so accurate in predicting the 12th – 16th century pontiffs, that some thought it that it had not been written until the 16th century.
While its original date is hard to absolutely prove (this writer tends to accept the 12th century date), many of the post 16th century predictions on Malachy’s list have apparently come true. Some Catholics have written the following about it:
…a list…attributed to St. Malachy…has given fitting descriptions of every pope since the 16th century, when it was discovered (Dupont, p.19).
…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).
It should be understood that Malachy’s list includes several leaders that the Roman Catholics call antipopes (e.g. Clement VII, Benedict XIII, Alexander V, with Felix V the last antipope being resigning in 1449; see Bander, p. 54) and those are inserted sometimes together as opposed to always being in strict chronological order. The fact that Malachy’s list is NOT completely accurate as it has those considered legitimate and illegitmate pontiff “successors” should show people that the list was not truly inspired by God. But the list is accurate enough that it would seem that the coming False Prophet/Antipope will point to it as further “proof” that the final ecumenical Roman Catholic Church is the proper church.
As it turns out, the second to the last pope on the Malachy list is the current Pope Benedict XVI (number 111 on the Malachy list, see Bander, p. 96). Although some hold different views, Catholic writers have concluded that there is only one pope left on Malachy’s list. Notice the following three writings which for now (June 15, 2012) are consistent with that:
Priest Gaudentius Rossi (1873): According to St. Malachy, then, only ten, or at most eleven, popes remain to be in future more or less legitimately elected. We say more or less legitimately elected, because out of those future popes it is to be feared that one or two will be unlawfully elected as anti- popes. (Rossi, G. THE CHRISTIAN TRUMPET, OR, Previsions and Predictions about Impending General Calamities, The Universal Triumph of the Church, The Coming of Antichrist, The Last Judgment, and The End of the World. Compiled by PELLEGRINO [Gaudentius Rossi], A Missionary Priest with Superior’s permission. Boston, THOS. B. NOONAND & CO., 1873, p. 139)
E. Culligan (1966): St. Malachy named all the popes from the year 1130 to the end of time…On St. Malachy’s 1966 schedule we will only have four more popes to follow Paul. (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. 118)
J.J. Dietzen (1983): According to the alleged predictions, only two popes remain after the present one {John- Paul II}, ending with Petrus Romanus (Peter of Rome) who is to preside over the destruction of Rome and the end of the present age. (Dietzen JJ. The new Question box: Catholic life in the ’80s. Revised edition. Guildhall, 1983, p. 65)
Since various Catholic prophecies warn that a major “antipope” is to come—and since this has not happened since 1449—those prophecies could be interpreted to mean that the next pope is likely to be an antipope:
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 {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).
Jeanne le Royer (d. 1798): I see that when the Second Coming of Christ approaches a bad priest will do much harm to the Church (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. 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).
Catholic priest and writer R. Gerald Culleton (20th century): A schism of short duration is destined to break out…An antipope, of German origin, is to be set up, and finally Rome itself will be destroyed” (Culleton, p. 42).
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, Edward. Prophecy for Today. Imprimatur + A.J. Willinger, Bishop of Monterey-Fresno; Reprint: Tan Books and Publishers, Rockford (IL), 1984, 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).
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 those heretics which will cause My order to divide, then will there be such universal dissentions and persecutions that if these days were not shortened even the elect would be lost (Culleton, p. 130).
Priest E. Sylvester Berry (published 1920): It has been a matter of history that the most disastrous periods for the Church were times when the Papal throne was vacant or when anti-popes contended with the legitimate head of the Church. Thus shall it be in those evil days to come (Berry ES. The Apocalypse of St. John, 1920. Quoted in Culleton RG. The Reign of Antichrist. Reprint 1974, TAN Books, Rockford (IL), p. 195).
Catholic writer and priest P. Huchedé (19th century): …the false prophet…will not be a king, nor a general of an army, but a clever apostate, fallen from episcopal dignity. From being an apostle of the Gospel he will become the first preacher of the false messiah…(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).
Priest Herman Kramer (20th century): 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 (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. 319).
Thus, there are many Catholic writers who have warned of some type of an antipope, and that he could even be the False Prophet.
And, it is highly possible that this successor to Benedict XVI could be the next Pope/Antipope and the “False Prophet” warned against in scripture (Revelation 16:13; 19:20).
So, if Malachy’s list is accurate (and it is complete) AND Catholic private prophecies about an antipope coming are true, then the next pope will be an antipope and that during his reign Rome will be destroyed.
However, it should be noted that decades ago, the editor of at least one book on Malachy’s list specifically wrote that Malachy’s list does not require that there could be no other popes prior to the last one. Notice:
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).
So, the above does give some “wiggle room” if there remains more than one pope left. But if there is only one, the next one would likely be the False Prophet of Revelation 16:13.
Notice also the following prophecy:
Bishop Malachy (12th century): During the persecution of the Holy Roman Church, there will sit upon the throne, Peter the Roman…the City of Seven Hills (Rome) will be utterly destroyed (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. 138).
Notice that the final Pope sits on the City of Seven Hills (which the Catholic writer G. Culleton labeled Rome) Babylon the Great sits on in Revelation 17:9—but then God has it destroyed in verses 14-18. above)—the one that Babylon the Great sits on in Revelation 17:9—but then God has it destroyed in verses 14-18.
We seem to be inching closer to that time. And Pope Benedict’s failing health is getting closer to the time that he will be replaced.
VS. 
Berlin Reichstag
