Church of God News

One reason I posted about this is because a reader sent me the following related news item (bolding and larger font size his):

POPE Francis has named 19 new cardinals, 16 of whom will hold voting rights in the conclave that elects the next pontiff.

Francis made the announcement as he spoke from his studio window to a crowd in St Peter’s Square.

Sixteen of the appointees are younger than 80, meaning they are eligible to elect the next pope, which is a cardinal’s most important task.

The ceremony to formally install them as cardinals will be held on February 22 at the Vatican.

Some appointments were expected, including that of his new secretary of state, the Italian archbishop Pietro Parolin, and the German head of the Vatican’s watchdog office for doctrinal orthodoxy, Gerhard Ludwig Mueller.  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/12/pope-francis-cardinals-_n_4584578.html

Based on other items in the email from him, I got the impression that the reader felt that Archbishop Pietro Parolin could be the last pope, the final Antichrist.  Archbishop Pietro Parolin seems to have an ecumenical bent, and back in October indicated that the Vatican may be open to addressing whether priestly celibacy needs to be kept or changed (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/10/pietro-parolin-priestly-celibacy-not-dogma_n_3901271.html).

Speaking of being ecumenical, the same reader sent me another news item with the following quote:

Pope Francis baptised the child of an unmarried couple (not pictured) during a ceremony in Rome’s Sistine Chapel. http://news.ninemsn.com.au/world/2013/12/04/10/21/is-francis-the-coolest-pope-ever

While I have not eliminated Pope Francis from possibly being the last pope, there are a few Catholic private prophecies that someone like Archbishop Pietro Parolin could possibly fulfill.  Not that we can truly rely on Catholic private prophecies, but some are consistent with Bible prophecy, while others flatly contradict it.

I believe the reason the reader sent me the item about Pietro Parolin is because of his name and the fact he is Italian.  Pietro means Peter.
A Catholic bishop named Malachy in the 12th century, put together a list of future popes, and the list has been somewhat accurate. The most famous prediction is the last one on the list for one commonly referred to in English as “Peter the Roman.”  Some have also called him Peter II.  Malachy’s list was written in Latin.  Here is what he wrote about the last pope on his list:

In persecutione extrema SRE sedebit. Petrus Romanus, quipascet oves in multis tribulationibus: quibus transactis civitas septicollis diruetur, et Iudex tremendus iudicabit populum suum. Finis.

Here is an English translation from The Catholic Encyclopedia:

“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.”

Here is a slightly different version of it (with the word “Rome” inserted by Catholic Priest Culleton):

St. 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 and the awful Judge will then judge the 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), p. 138)

Notice that the final Pope sits on the City of Seven Hills (which the Roman Catholic writer G. Culleton labeled Rome above), obviously the same one that Babylon the Great sits on in Revelation 17:9, that God has destroyed in verses 14-18.

Here is some of what Catholic writer A. Gurugé wrote about the Peter the Roman matter:

There are many, around the world, who, thanks to this prophecy, are totally convinced that the next pope will indeed call himself ‘Peter’–most not considering or caring what the implications of this could be.

In the considered opinion of the author, it is highly improbable that the next pope will be ‘Petrus Romanus‘ or even ‘Petrus II.’

For a start, given the Last Judgment implications, many respected Catholic sources have tried to point out, for quite a long time, that the pope talked about in motto 112 does not have to necessarily be the pope who follows the one described by motto 111; this 111th pope now being the current pope, Benedict XVI (#266). The justification for this “hedging’ is that the mottos were not numbered in de Wyon’s 1595 Lignum Vitae. The numbering, to facilitate manageability, came later. Consequently, it can be contented that the author of this prophecy, whoever it was, did not necessarily mean that the pope described in the last motto would come immediately after the one identified in the previous motto. Basically, the last, very long, atypical motto describes the last pope. This last pope may come to be at a much later time–with an indeterminate number of intervening popes between him and the one described by motto 111. Therefore, this last motto may not actually apply to the next pope, in which case, the expectation of ‘Petrus Romanus‘ becomes mute.

But what the proponents of the ‘Petrus Romanus‘ belief do not appear to appreciate is that the next pope, by the sheer necessity of the duties confronting him, is not going to be naive. Naiveté…is not a characteristic that one readily associates with today’s cardinals. They know the ways of the world and are world politic. There will be none amongst them who is not familiar with the Malachy prophecy. They all understand what the ramifications would be if the next pope surprised them all by stating that he will be called ‘Petrus Secundus.’

The protodeacon announcing ‘Petrus Secundus‘ from the balcony of St. Peter’s would be worse than shouting ‘fire’ in a crowded theater. There would be mayhem in what is likely to be another jam-packed St. Peter’s Square. People would panic. There could be a stampede, people could get hurt. The authorities in Rome and the Italian government would be forced to take immediate action to quell the understandable alarm. It would be considered, quite rightly, a security threat! For the first time in over a century there could be troops, Italian, NATO or both, surrounding the Vatican. There would be no celebrations, The Urbi et Orbi blessing, if it was to take place, would be viewed with understandable askance.

It is difficult to imagine the next pope doing anything this reckless. It is difficult to envision the cardinal electors permitting him to do anything this reckless. Hence, it is extremely unlikely that the next pope will be ‘Petrus Secundus,’ let alone ‘Petrus Romanus.’ If he is, head for the hills, and hope for the best. (Gurugé A. The Next Pope. Anura Guruge, 2010, p. 221)

On August 18, 2012, in a news post, I wrote the following about the above:

Now, I agree that the next pope (who could be the last pope) may not chose the name Peter II or anything similar–but that does not mean that he could not fulfill that prophecy. It needs to be clear, whether he does or not pick that name, the last pope will be a destructive antipope.  Malachy’s list generally did not name pontiffs, but give descriptions. And while some have concluded that Petrus Romanus is a name, it could instead be a description. The description could signify that he is a pebble (or “rocky” which is what the term petrus signifies) supporting the final Roman empire.

It should be noted that while some Catholic writers believe that Peter the Roman may personally be a problem, others (who also accept the Malachy prophecies) see him as a prophesied faithful leader.  While that latter view seems to be the opinion of various ones, I would state that differs from what I see written in the Bible. But it is possible that Pietro Parolin could be “Peter the Roman.”

But what about other cardinals?

Since even Germanic cardinals are Roman Catholic, they too can be considered to be Roman.  And the fact that the Bishop of Rome claims to be in Peter’s place makes all pontiffs a claimed type of “Peter the Roman.”

One leader that was also mentioned by Pope Francis was Gerhard Ludwig Mueller.  In a speech Gerhard Ludwig Mueller gave in October 2011, while quoting the Second Vatican Council’s document on ecumenism, Unitatis Redintegratio, the English translation of what he said was that “the Catholic Magisterium is far from denying an ecclesial character or an ecclesial existence to ‘the separated Churches and ecclesial Communities of the West” (http://www.kath-akademie-bayern.de/tl_files/Kath_Akademie_Bayern/Veroeffentlichungen/zur_debatte/pdf/2011/Vortrag_Mueller.pdf).  So, he is also one to watch.  Former Pope Benedict XVI once held essentially the same position as Gerhard Ludwig Mueller.

I would like to mention, however, that other Catholic prophecies, seem to suggest that a German leader will be the final Antichrist (there are other Germanic cardinals, such as Kurt Koch that I have been watching).   Certain Catholic prophecies suggest that a treacherous religious leader, sometimes described as an antipope, will have Germanic ties and/or influence:

Anne Catherine Emmerich (October 22, 1822): I saw in Germany among the worldly-wise ecclesiastics, and enlightened Protestants, plans formed for the blending of all religious creeds…(Emmerich AC. The Life and Revelations of Anne Catherine Emmerich, p. 346)

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)

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)

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)

Other Catholic writers have suggested that a coming antipope would be the final Antichrist.

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)

Venerable Bartholomew Holzhauser (Born in the 17th century, in Germany): There will rise a valiant monarch anointed by God.  He will be Catholic…He will rule supreme in temporal matters.  The pope will rule supreme in spiritual matters at the same time.
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…

‘Golden crown’ refers to his Holy Roman (German) Empire…(Culleton, pp. 171,172)

Bl. Johannes Amadeus de Sylva (died 1482): In the latter days…Germany and Spain will unite under a great prince designated by God.  After much slaughtering, the other nations will be forced to come into this union.  There is no hope for unbelievers until all Germany  becomes converted; then all happens quickly…the time will be prolonged until all countries unite under the Great Ruler.  After this union mass conversions will take place…peace and prosperity will follow. (Tzima Otto, p. 147; Connor, p. 34)

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).

It will likely be a combination of factors that get the Germans to support the final warned about leader (cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12). But if he is at least partially Germanic (cf. Isaiah 10), that could seem to be a possible factor.

So, because of his name and Italian ancestry, Archbishop Pietro Parolin could be the last pope, an antipope, and the final Antichrist of biblical prophecy.  If he follows in the steps of Pope Francis, he certainly will be one to watch.  But there are others, with a more Germanic background that also bear watching.

While it is still too early to tell for sure if Pope Francis or one of the leaders he just appointed is the individual who will be the final Antichrist, based upon the ecumenical direction that the Vatican has been taking, that is a possibility.