Comets and Coincidences

Comet Pan-STARRS on March 2, 2013.
Taken by astro-photographer
Luis Argerich of Buenos Aires, Argentina,
who says "Easy to see with the naked eye
from a rural location."

It seems 2013 promises to be “the Year of Comets,” close calls, and coincidences.  On February 11, the pope renounced his office. At 6 p.m. that very day, lightning struck the clock-tower (sorry, I meant the dome of St. Peter’s). Four days later (the first Friday of Lent, commemorating the Crown of Thorns), at 7:25 a.m. (Moscow time), Russia was sonically boomed by a meteor (some say a comet) that injured at least 1,200 people (including children). The timing of these incidences certainly gives one reason to pause. A pope resigns and a few days afterward, Russia gets zapped by a meteor. You know…Fatima, pope, Russia. That’s a wee coincidence.

As it turns out, there was a rather large (and close) “space rock” flying around out there in the heavenly skies. (No, it was not I who coined the term “space rock.”) “After skimming closer to the earth than any other asteroid of its size, space rock 2012 DA14 missed us by about 17,100 miles …In a rather uncomfortable coincidence, a measure of the type of damage that can result from such rocks from space was demonstrated earlier on Friday [February 15, 2013] when a meteor streaked across the sky and exploded over central Russia, raining fireballs over a vast area and causing a shockwave that smashed windows, damaged buildings and injured 1,200 people.”  (The Guardian, UK )

Then an earthquake struck Rome, just three days after the former pope’s official February 28 resignation. Benedict XVI (Pope Emeritus) was at Castel Gandolfo (the traditional summer residence of the popes) when the mild earthquake momentarily shook things up. Agence France-Presse reported the earthquake had a local magnitude of 2.5 and was felt in Rome, Ciapino, Marino and Castel Gandolfo. The Italian Department of Civil Protection receives no reports of death, injury, or serious damage. Italia Domani asked whether the earthquake wasn't a sign for the cardinals who will soon be choosing a new pope.

Aw, c’mon…these are just coincidences – right? Right?

Coincidences? I don’t believe in them. I do believe and profess in Tradition and Scripture (otherwise known as “Divine Revelation” or “the Deposit of Faith.”), which are matters of faith. With a very ardent human faith, I believe in Fatima, Lourdes, LaSalette, Rue-de-bac, the Sacred Heart apparitions, Guadalupe, and other Church-approved apparitions and locutions. Finally, I keep an eye (and an open but objective mind) on “private revelations” made by saints and beati or highly respected (and deceased) persons of the Catholic Faith.

With that said, the following is a bit o’ coincidental information on the comets of 2013 that I literally grabbed (ok, copied and pasted), edited a bit, and put into what I believe is a more logical order.

“This year could be the ‘year of the comets,’ according to some astronomers keeping an eye on icy balls of gas and dust roaming through the solar system. Two comets will brighten the Northern Hemisphere in a potentially history-making fashion, with the first one coming into view this week.” [Space] I should also make a quick mention of Comet Lemon, which was seen in the southern hemisphere.

GET THIS: “A newly discovered asteroid the size of a football field will cruise through Earth's neighborhood this weekend, just days after another space rock made an even closer approach to our planet. There is no danger that 2013 ET will hit Earth, researchers say, just as 2013 EC posed no threat. But their flybys are slightly unsettling nonetheless, since both asteroids were discovered a mere few days ago.”

 

FIRST OF TWO BRIGHT COMETS IN 2013 APPEARS IN NORTHERN SKIES - TONIGHT!

FIRST COMET for the Northern Skies: “The first comet set to give northerners a show is Comet Pan-STARRS. Discovered in June 2011, it will first pass into view in the Northern Hemisphere early this month, after streaking through the southern skies earlier in the year, according to David Eicher, Editor-in-chief of Astronomy Magazine.

SEE IT NOW: “The comet makes its Northern Hemisphere appearance today (March 7) and will be at its brightest, and closest to the sun, on Sunday (March 10). Previously, it was only visible from the Southern Hemisphere, where it wowed stargazers and was even visible at the same time as another southern comet, Comet Lemmon. [How to see the comet]”

“PANSTARRS will appear above the western horizon after sunset for Northern Hemisphere viewers. To see it, you will need an unobstructed, cloudless view of the west after sunset. It is best to pick a dark spot, away from streetlights. Look in the sunset direction, as soon as the sky darkens. The comet will be just above the horizon.”

 

In simpler terms: “Go out and, in the evening sky, especially the first week of March, look to the west,” Eicher said of Pan-STARRS. “It will be one of the brightest things in the sky. It will pop out. It will look like a blob, a fuzzy star, and you should be able to see a tail sticking upward from horizon.” According to Eicher, the comet's tail will be visible in a dark, evening sky, and it should match the brightness of Polaris, the North Star.

 

 

THIS Sunday, March 10, 2013. “The comet passes closest to the sun – as close as our sun’s innermost planet, Mercury – at 0.30 AU – or about 28 million miles (45 million kilometers). Comets are typically brightest and most active around the time they are closest to the sun when solar heating vaporizes ice and dust from the comet’s outer crust. Not only will the comet quickly brighten, but it should also develop the long classic comet dust tail.” [EarthSky]

NOVEMBER COMET: Its name is Comet ISON, and it sounds like “the Big Kahuna.” As Eicher said, "In late November, ISON should be in the morning sky. It should be as bright or brighter than Venus. It could be the brightest comet that anyone alive has ever seen."

Cool beans. (I think.) Comet ISON could become visible – even in broad daylight. Discovered in 2012, astronomers note it is spewing gas and dust in great amounts. On November 28, 2013, ISON will fly through the sun’s atmosphere. If it survives, it could glow as bright as the moon – again, even in broad daylight.

Now here comes an amazing coincidence. But first, may I suggest viewing the video link below? Afterward, kindly scroll down and see a bit more about this comet and a pretty amazing “coincidence.” On the other hand, perhaps you should scroll now and see what I have to say about Comet ISON and the connecting coincidence, and then see the video. “Your choice,” she said with a smile. )

A video on Comet ISON (This link will open a new window)

Moving on to the “coincidental coincidence,” remember the Nostradamus prophecy about the cloud and the two stars and the howling Mastiff and the Pope going into exile? If not, here it is again:

 

 “The great star will burn for seven days,
The cloud will cause two suns to appear.
The Mastiff will be howling all night
When the Great Pontiff will change country.”

 

Ready for the "big coincidence"?

THE COMETS FROM THE CLOUD: “Both PanSTARRS and ISON are thought to come from the Oort Cloud, a mass of icy bodies orbiting the sun from up to 93 trillion miles (150 trillion km) away. Occasionally, a comet gets expelled from the cloud and finds a new orbit that brings it closer to the inner solar system.”

Known as sungrazers, “these comets come so close to the sun that some of them shatter or even collide with the star. But if they survive, Eicher said, they could become some of the brightest objects in the sky. The gas trails from these comets are even more dazzling than usual because the ice in the nucleus of the comets is melting for the first time.”

“Astronomers are particularly excited about ISON because its orbit should bring the comet close enough to the sun and the Earth to make it one of the brightest objects in the sky come November. However, it is possible that the comet could break apart if it flies too close to the sun.”

 

While both comets may come from the Oort Cloud, it is Comet ISON that may shine so brightly during the day that it, together with the sun, could appear as "two suns in the sky." In fact, it may shine that brightly for a week! If that turns out to be the case, Comet ISON may portend world events in which the "Mastiff" (interpreted as a "Middle East" power) will be howling all night" and "the Pontiff" will flee to another country, resulting in his exile.

 

“Will it sizzle – or fizzle?” as the NASA narrator asked (in the video above).  Ah, that is the question. “There's no way to predict it," Eicher said of ISON. "The major factors are all favoring that it will be really bright.” Or as comet specialist David Levy says, "Comets are like cats; they have tails, and they do precisely what they want."

 

Hmmm. What a coincidence!

When a Pope Flees Rome: Fatima & Other Prophecies

Benedict XVI’s resignation and the upcoming conclave to elect a new pope deserves attention of the Catholic kind, issuing from prayer, study, and action - as opposed to the (usual) yellow journalism that blows everything out of proportion. When we consider the Pope's selection of words that he - with full freedom" did "renounce" the ministry of the Bishop of Rome (etc.) - we can only take him at his word. We may or may not agree that a Pope "should" resign when he no longer feels up to the task. For now, that is a topic I will leave to other Catholic writers. Perhaps it is my practical Italian side but, in my view, the deed is done and now the Church needs a new and very holy pope.

And so, I again return to "Petrus Romanus,” Fatima and the Third Secret Vision which describes a mysterious "bishop dressed in white.” May we also keep in mind that the apparitions of the Virgin of Fatima (approved by the Church as worthy of belief) offer to mankind highly efficacious spiritual solutions which the Malachy prophecies do not?

Simply stated, Our Lady of Fatima asked for the following: Worldwide devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, papal promulgation of the Five First Saturdays of Reparation, the public dissemination of the Third Secret Text, and the collegial consecration of Russia (and Russia alone) to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.  Individual Catholics can and do respond to other Fatima requests (daily Rosary, daily duty offered in penance and for the conversion of sinners, the wearing of the Brown Scapular, conscientiously working not to offend the Lord our God any longer, and taking part in First Saturday devotions where they might be offered, or otherwise trying to privately make the intentions when the public intentions of required Confession, Holy Mass, Rosary, and 15 additional minutes on the 15 Rosary mysteries of the Redemption) . However, only a Pope can take action to fulfill the other requests of the Fatima Virgin.

In my first article on Petrus Romanus, I wrote about the most famous (and controversial) prophecies which allegedly predict a line of popes. The list was supposedly written by St. Malachy of Ireland (1094 A.D. - 1148 A.D.). The popes, listed by attributes (not by name) are said to be the “last” popes - either in historical time or the end of a certain period of time. The main problem is a question of validity, since the Malachy prophecies were supposedly "lost" for a few centuries, only to be discovered in the 16th century.

It was then that Arnold de Wyon (also spelled "Wion") claimed to have found the prophecies and published them in a very large book known as the "Lignum Vitae," which translates from Latin to English as "Ironwood Life." However, another version of the story says the prophecies were written by someone else (presumably Wyon) who gave the credit to the respected but deceased Malachy.  Another problem arises when it is claimed that St. Bernard, a good friend of St. Malachy's and in whose arms the saint died, never made any mention of Malachy’s papal prophecies. (Incidentally, there are other prophecies of St. Malachy which are not contested as truly his.)

In another of my recent articles,  I shared a partial list of the popes (as they appear in one book of prophecy), so I won’t repeat them here.  Instead, I'll refer only to the last two mentioned - "Gloria Olivae" (Glory of the Olive) and "Petrus Romanus" (Peter the Roman).

Long before Benedict XVI became pope, it seems that many among the Benedictines believed that "Gloria Olivae" would come from their order or somehow represent their order. Benedict XVI was not a Benedictine; he was and is an academic. As it turns out, Benedict XVI chose his papal name in honor of Pope Benedict XV (who reigned immediately after Pope St. Pius X, ascending the papal throne in 1914 and ruling during World War I) and St. Benedict of Nursia, who was founder of the Benedictines.

Interestingly enough, the Benedictine crest bears an olive branch, which is the symbol of a peace offering.  Furthermore, it is said that St. Benedict of Nursa prophesied that, shortly before the world's end, the Olivetans would lead the Catholic Church. (Technically, an Olivetan – an “olive branch” - refers to a member of the Benedictines, but some think it could also mean all those who are the spiritual children of St. Benedict. If that is true, it is then surmised that it is possible that Benedict XVI could be considered an Olivetan.)

How do some think that Benedict XVI fulfills the alleged prophecy that he is/was "the Glory of the Olive”? One could point to the act of justice which he made on behalf of the Tridentine liturgy, especially when Benedict XVI coolly stated in his Moto Propio of July 7, 2007 that it had never been “juridically abrogated.”  Certainly, this one act has done much for the Church, although it cannot be denied that access to the Tridentine Rite is still not universal, as it should be. He also extended the olive branch of peace to the SSPX, lifting the excommunications of the four living bishops (and so it follows that the SSPX should not be accused of schism, especially by those who speak of the proper and due filial obedience to the Holy Father).

In the Malachy prophecy, Petrus Romanus (in Latin, Peter the Roman) then follows Glory of the Olive: "In the final persecution of the Holy Roman Church, there will reign Petrus Romanus, 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." (Some versions add the word "Finis" - i.e., "The End." This addition is also questioned – was it added simply to indicate the end of the prophecy or the end of time? Or was it added by an early printer who published the papal prophecies? Nobody knows.)

While we Catholics should be earnestly praying for a deeply holy Pope's election, it seems that conjecture of Petrus Roman’s actual identity is still arousing curiosity. For now, let's discuss a generous number of "private" prophecies that describe events surrounding a future pope (who might be Peter the Roman and/or which also may refer to “a bishop dressed in white,” as described in the Third Secret Vision).

“Everywhere there is war! Peoples and nations are pitted against each other. War, war, war! Civil and foreign wars! Mourning and death everywhere! Famine over the whole world. Will Lutetius [Paris] be destroyed? Why, O Lord, dost Thou not stop all this with Thy arm? Must also the elements be the instrument of Thy wrath? Enough, O Lord, enough! The cities are destroyed, the natural elements are set loose, the earthquakes are everywhere. But mercy, mercy for Rome! But Thou hearest not my entreaties, and Rome also collapses in the tumult. And I see the king of Rome with his Cross and his tiara, shaking the dust off his shoes, and hastening in 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.” (The source of this prophecy is unknown, but there exist many manuscript copies of it dating to the late fifth century, A.D.)

St. Hildegard of Bingen (1098 A.D. - 1179 A.D.)

St. Hildegard was "officially" canonized during Benedict XVI's papacy. (She was also proclaimed a Doctor of the Church, joining three other women who are  canonized saints and also Doctors of the Church - St. Catherine of Siena, St. Terese of Avila and St. Therese of Lisieux, commonly known as "The Little Flower of Jesus.") Coincidentally, St. Hildegard was a member of the (womens’) order of Benedictines. A very gifted woman, she was a healer and a prophetess. Now, since canonizations are not supposed to be an arbitrary process (the Church doesn't "make" saints like an auto factory "makes" cars!), it's intriguing to know that, in the centuries since her death, she was always considered a saint (and usually called one). However, and as already mentioned, only in the past year was she canonized - by Pope Benedict XVI.

Recently, it was said that Benedict XVI "turned to the writings of the 12th century visionary with her sharp critique of clergy and the church [sic] during her own 12th century milieu as a contemporary diagnosis for the sins of its priests in the global sex scandal."   In other words, St. Hildegard (like St. Catherine of Siena) was no coward and so she did not hesitate to openly correct the clergy when they deserved it.  In one of her  prophecies, St. Hildegard stated:

"The time is coming when princes and peoples will renounce the authority of Rome. 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." (Did anyone else catch that last part? St. Hildegard implicitly stated that Christians are those who adhere to the Holy Catholic Faith.)

She also said, "Toward the end of the world, mankind will be purified by sufferings. This will be true especially of the clergy, who will be robbed of all property...When the clergy has adopted a simple manner of living, conditions will improve."

Now, onto other prophecies about a future pope, the dangers to the entire Church, and related subjects.

Abbot Werdin of Otranto (died 1279 A.D.)

“The great monarch and the great Pope will precede the Antichrist. The nations will be at war for four years and a great part of the world will be destroyed. The Pope will go over the sea carrying the sign of Redemption on his forehead. The great Monarch will come to restore peace and the Pope will share in the victory.”

Brother John of the Cleft Rock (1340 A.D.)

"Toward the end of the world, the tyrants and the hostile people will suddenly rob the prelates and clergy of the Church of all their possessions and grievously afflict and martyr them. The ones who heap the most abuse upon them will be held in high esteem. The clergy cannot escape these persecutions, but because of them all servants of the Church will be forced to lead an apostolic life. At that time the Pope, with the cardinals, will have to flee Rome under trying circumstances to a place where he will be unknown. He will die a cruel death in exile. The sufferings of the Church will be much greater than at any previous time in history…God will raise a holy Pope over whom the Angels will rejoice. Enlightened by God, this man will reconstruct almost the entire world through his holiness."

Blessed Tomasuccio de Foligno (1319 -1377 A.D.)

"One from beyond the mountains shall become the Vicar of God. Religious and clerics shall take part in this change. Outside the true path, there will be only disreputable men; I shrug my shoulders when the Barque of Peter is in danger and there is no one to lend it help... The schismatic shall fall into the scorn of the Italian faithful... By about twelve years shall the millennium have passed when the resplendent mantle of legitimate power shall emerge from the shadows where it was being kept by the schism. And beyond harm from the one who is blocking the door of salvation, for his deceitful schism shall have come to an end. And the Mass of the faithful shall attach itself to the worthy Shepherd, who shall extricate each one from error and restore to the Church its beauty. He shall renew it."

St. John Capestran (died in 1456 A.D.)

"The Tree shall give forth its fruits, but the destroying beast shall devour them." (Supposedly "From the Half Moon" in the St. Malachy prophesy, allegedly denoting Pope John Paul the First, who died within a month of his pontificate.)

"The brightness of the exposed countenance shall be lifted, and the faces of the proud shall fall before the face of the oppressor." (Supposedly "The Glory of the Olive")

"There shall be signs of the sun and moon when there shall be created a man stronger than any prince, and he shall renew the face of the Church. At this time, Anti-Christ shall have been trodden under foot and all the world shall enjoy the faith and peace of the Most High." (Supposedly "Peter the Roman")

Nicholas of Fluh (died in 1487 A.D.)

"The Church will sink still deeper until she will at last seem to be extinguished, and the succession of Peter and the other Apostles to have expired. After that, she will be victoriously exalted in the sight of all doubters." He (along with Dionysius Ryckel) also foresaw that "the Church will be punished because the majority of Her members - high and low - will become so perverted."

Michel de Nostredame – aka Michael of Our Lady, “Nostradamus” (16^th century):

“For seven days, the great star shall be seen,
As if two Suns in the sky should appear.
The big Mastiff (Islamic or Arab powers) shall be howling all night
When the Pontiff shall go into exile.”

Another translation of the above prophecy is rendered:

“The great star will burn for seven days,
The cloud will cause two suns to appear.
The Mastiff will be howling all night
When the Great Pontiff will change country.”

 

Helen Wallraff (died in 1801 A.D.)

"Someday a Pope will flee from Rome in company of only four cardinals and come to Koeln [Cologne]." [Coincidentally, World Youth Day 2005 took place in Cologne, in which Benedict XVI participated. During that same visit to Cologne, he also visited a Jewish synagogue. It was his first visit to his native Germany in many, many years. The prophecy above mentions that a Pope will some day flee to a place where he is unknown. Is it possible that the citizens of Cologne would not recognize the Pope, whoever he may be? One way or the other, it is difficult to answer that question with certainty.]

Venerable Anna Katerina Emmerich (1774 A.D. – 1824 A.D.)

On May 13, 1820 (Take note of the date – 97 years before the first Fatima apparition, to the day!): “I saw also the relationship between the two popes…I saw how baleful would be the consequences of this false church.” [Catholics know there cannot be two popes. What is meant by the relationship between the two popes? Was Venerable Anna Katerina seeing a vision of a reigning pope and a retired, living pope? And what does she mean by “this false church?”] Of this false church, she said: “I saw it increase in size; heretics of every kind came into the city [presumably, the city of Rome]. The local clergy grew lukewarm, and I saw a great darkness…Then, the vision seemed to extend on every side. Whole Catholic communities were oppressed, harassed, confined, and deprived of their freedom. I saw many churches close down, great miseries everywhere, wars and bloodshed. A wild and ignorant mob took to violent action. But it did not last long.”

“Once more, I saw the Church of Peter was undermined by a plan evolved by the secret sect, while storms were damaging it. [Remember Benedict XVI’s comments about steering the Barque of Peter through tempests?] 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. 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.”

In August, 1820, Venerable Emmerich saw a vision that brings to mind a vision later seen by Blessed Jacinta of Fatima in 1917 (which,  at the appropriate point, I will later insert):

“I see the Holy Father in great anguish. He lives in a palace other than before and he admits only a limited number of friends near him. I fear that the Holy Father will suffer many more trials before he dies. I see that the false church of darkness is making progress, and I see the dreadful influence it has on the people. The Holy Father and the Church are verily in so great a distress that one must implore God day and night.”

In other visions from August to October, 1820, Ven. Emmerich said: “I see more martyrs, not now but in the future…I saw the secret sect relentlessly  undermining the great Church. All over the world, good and devout people, especially the clergy, were harassed, oppressed, and put into prison. I had the feeling that they would become martyrs some day. Then I saw an apparition of the Mother of God [could this be a reference to the future apparitions at Fatima?], and she said the tribulation would be very great…The Church is in great danger. We must pray so that the Pope may not leave Rome; countless evils would result if he did. In those days, Faith will fall very low, and it will be preserved in some places only. “ [At Fatima, Our Lady introduced the Third Secret with these words: “In Portugal, the dogma of the Faith will always be preserved, etc.” This warning strongly indicates that only in parts of Portugal will “the dogma” of the Faith remain. That is, while parts of one nation in the entire world will remain faithful, it is also likely that it will also be preserved in “some places” like individual homes.]

In 1822, Ven. Emmerich also stated: “I saw the battle also. The enemies were far more numerous, but the small army of the faithful cut down whole rows [of enemy soldiers]. During the battle, the Blessed Virgin stood on a hill, wearing a suit of armor. It was a terrible war. At the end, only a few fighters for the just cause survived, but the victory was theirs.”

Blessed Anna Marie Taigi (19^th century wife, mother, and mystic)

Blessed Taigi foretold the three days of world-wide darkness, which is one of two great punishments that will affect the whole earth.  What is especially interesting is that all of the following quotes were included in the documents of her Beatification:

“God will send two punishments: one will be in the form of wars, revolutions and other evils, it shall originate on earth. The other will be sent from Heaven. There shall come over the whole earth an intense darkness lasting three days and three nights. Nothing can be seen, and the air will be laden with pestilence which will claim mainly, but not only, the enemies of religion.”

“It will be impossible to use any man-made lighting during this darkness, except blessed candles. He, who out of curiosity, opens his window to look out, or leaves his home, will fall dead on the spot. During these three days, people should remain in their homes, pray the Rosary, and beg God for mercy.”

“All the enemies of the Church, whether known or unknown, will perish over the whole earth during that universal darkness, with the exception of a few who will be converted. The air shall be infected by demons who will appear under all sorts of hideous forms. “

“Religion shall be persecuted, and priests will be massacred. Churches will be closed, but only for a short time. The Holy Father shall be obliged to leave Rome.”

She then spoke of events in France that presage the increasing chastisements: “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 any satisfactory settlement, shall agree to 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.”

“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.” [Since Blessed Anna Marie foresaw that those days will “claim mainly, but not only, the enemies of religion,” the inference here is that the pope who appointed a King for France will have died, possibly a victim of the Three Day’s darkness. Perhaps he resigns but it is more likely he died. The question is:  Why is there not a conclave of cardinals to elect the new Pope? Are they also dead? This last sentence also implies the literal, heavenly assistance of the two great saints, martyred in Rome – Peter, the first pope, and Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, whose souls will appear to resemble their bodies.]

Blessed Anna Marie concludes this prophecy by saying, “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.” [It seems, then, that the earth will be renewed spiritually and materially, for many prophecies of the chastisement known as the Three Day’s darkness declare that dead bodies will outnumber the living and the world itself will be almost rent asunder by earthquakes, catastrophic flooding of oceans, seas, and rivers, and “tempests” – like tornadoes, hurricanes, and tsunamis.]

Bishop George M. Wittman (19^th century)

“Very sad times are coming for the Holy Church of Jesus Christ. The Passion of Our Lord will be renewed in a most painful manner in the Church and in her supreme Head [the Pope]. Brutal hands will be laid upon his person. Secret societies will work great ruin, and they will exercise a great financial power.”

Blessed Jacinta of Fatima in 1917:

“I saw the Holy Father in a very big house, kneeling by a table, with his heard buried in his hands, and he was weeping. Outside the house, there were many people. Some of them were throwing stones, others were cursing him and using bad language. Poor Holy Father, we must pray very much for him.”

Sometime later in the same year, Jacinta said to Lucia and her brother, Francisco: “Can’t you see all those highways and roads and fields full of people, who are crying with hunger and have nothing to eat? And the Holy Father in a church praying before the Immaculate Heart of Mary? And so many people praying with him? A few days afterward, she asked Lucia: Can I say that I saw the Holy Father and all those people?” Lucia promptly answered: “No. Don’t you see that’s part of the secret? If you do, they’ll find out right away!”

 

Shortly before her death, Blessed Jacinta said : “If men will repent, God will pardon them, but if they do not amend their lives, there will come upon the earth the most terrible chastisement ever known.”

Pope St. Pius X (died 1914 A.D.)

In 1909: “What I have seen is terrifying! Will I be the one, or will it be a successor? What is certain is that the Pope will leave Rome and, in leaving the Vatican, he will have to pass over the dead bodies of his priests!”

 

In 1914, he again had a vision: ‘I saw one of my successors by name fleeing over the corpses of his brethren. He will flee to a place for a short respite where he is unknown; but he himself will die a cruel death.’

 

“In the Third Secret Vision, the pope walks ‘half trembling and with halting step,’ indicating advanced age. As for Pope St. Pius X’s vision, it may be that a future pope will take the name of Pius, but there is another consideration, which may or may not be of significance: Pope St. Pius X’s baptismal name was Giuseppe Sarto; in Italian, Giuseppe means Joseph – the baptismal name of Pope Benedict XVI.’” (Fatima and the Great Et Cetera: Traces ofthe Third Secret Message)

 

Sister Elena Aiello (20^th century, died in June 1961)

The foundress of the Calabrian nuns and a stigmatic, Sister Aiello was told by the Virgin Mary:  

“Russia will march upon all the nations of Europe, particularly Italy, and will raise her flag over the dome of St. Peter’s. Italy will be severely tried by a great revolution and Rome will be purified in blood for its many sins, especially those of impurity. The flock is about to be dispersed and the Pope will suffer greatly.”

The Blessed Virgin Mary also spoke to Sr. Elena of the Three Day’s Darkness, which other prophecies indicate shall arrive toward the end of a period of great tribulation and is sent by God to end the man-made chaos on earth. If these "private" prophecies (and others mentioned here) are true, it seems that the Three Days' Darkness will come before the consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart and the promised triumph of the same.

On a Good Friday, the Virgin said: “Clouds with lightning rays of fire and a tempest of fire will pass over the whole world and the punishment will be the most terrible ever known in the history of mankind. It will last 70 hours. The wicked will be crushed and eliminated. Many will be lost because they stubbornly remained in their sins. Then they will feel the force of light over darkness. The hours of darkness are near…some nations will be purified while others will disappear entirely.” [Let us also recall that Our Lady of Fatima foretold, if Her requests are not heeded, the “annihilation of nations.”]

Our Lady of Akita (October 13, 1973; 56^th anniversary of the Miracle of the Sun):

In Akita, Japan, a wooden statue of the Virgin “perspired,” wept tears, and also issued blood from its right hand – a total of 101 times.  (Akita was investigated and approved as “worthy of belief.”) Sister Agnes Sasaga, a deaf nun, interiorly heard the Virgin Mary speak to her on many occasions. In October of 1973, the Virgin of Akita said:

“As I told you, if men do not repent and better themselves, the Eternal Father will inflict a terrible punishment on all humanity. It will be a punishment greater than the deluge, such as one will never have been seen before. Fire will fall from the sky and will wipe out a great part of humanity, the good as well as the bad, sparing neither priests nor faithful.”

And so we return to the most important Marian apparition in the world’s history – to Fatima and its Great Secret, which opened with a particular Vision and closed with yet  another Vision. The last and Third Secret of Fatima includes a vision which begins with “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.”  The Church and the world still await the publication of the Virgin’s words that describe this mystifying Vision.

In the Great Secret of Fatima, Our Lady foretold many terrible things, all of which were conditional upon the collective response of the Church to Her requests.  All of the warnings have come to pass except the “annihilation of nations” and the other chastisements which the Third Secret Vision portends. And why has this happened? Because like the ancients of Old Testament times, not enough people are remaining faithful to God and to the one true Church which He established.

“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 splendour 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. “

 

“This is the third part of the Message of Our Lady…It will be very sad for everyone, not one person will rejoice at all if beforehand the world does not pray and do penance,” said Sr. Lucia, the eldest Fatima visionary, in the famous 1957 Fr. Fuentes interview. She also spoke of Our Lady’s sadness, “because no one has paid any attention to her Message, neither the good nor the bad. The good continue on their way but without giving any important to Her Message. The bad, not seeing the punishment of God actually falling upon them, continue their life of sin without even caring about the Message.”

“But believe me, Father, God will chastise the world and this will be in a terrible manner. The punishment from Heaven is imminent.”

-Copyright 2013 by Marianna C. Bartold. All Rights Reserved World-wide.

The Third Secret and a Pope's Heroic Decision

“In the Third Secret it is foretold, among other things, that the great apostasy in the Church begins at the top.”
- Cardinal Luigi Ciappi, Papal theologian for 40 years to five popes

Benedict's resignation (actually, it was an abdication) wasn't surprising - but the timing was. He formally announced his renunciation of the papacy on Sunday, February 11, the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. He made the announcement just a few days before Lent began on Ash Wednesday and in a year proclaimed "The Year of Faith." In effect, the Pope Emeritus gave the Church and the world a 17 day notice. So why did he make the decision to abdicate now?

First of all, with the exception of Benedict's remarks enroute to Fatima in May 2013, the Huffington Post highlights that the idea of resignation had long been on Benedict’s mind.

Benedict, as I keep repeating (because it should be repeated) already knew the Third Secret of Fatima when he became the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church. Let us also consider that Sr. Lucia said that the Third Secret “is in the Gospels and the Apocalypse. Read them!” Lucia – who as a 10 year old little girl had seen Hell – was so terrified of the Third Secret that she, always so obedient, could not make herself submit it to paper when her bishop finally commanded her to do so in October, 1943. (Think for a moment. What could be worse than actually seeing the demons of Hell and the souls of the damned?) This the bishop did only because Lucia had become very ill, and it was feared she would die. Because Lucia continued to struggle in writing the Third Secret, Our Lady personally intervened in January 1944 to tell her that it had to be done, and then somehow assisted her in writing it.

So how does the Third Secret Vision that was released in the June, 2000 A.D. line up with what is revealed in the Gospels and the Apocalypse?  Simply stated - it doesn’t. There is something missing – and Benedict XVI, Pope Emeritus, knows what.

In fact, Benedict XVI knew the Third Secret as far back at 1984 (if not longer, since in his 1984 interview he never did indicate when he read it).  Let’s consider what he, as Cardinal Ratzinger, said at the time, in an interview with Vittorio Messori - which took place after Pope John Paul II made a second “entrustment” to the Immaculate Heart of Mary in March of that year.

Mr. Messori asked Cardinal Ratzinger why the Third Secret had not been made public. Mr. Messori said the Cardinal "dryly" replied, answering: “Because, according to the judgment of the Popes, it adds nothing to what a Christian must know from Revelation – i.e., a radical call for conversion; the absolute importance of history; the dangers threatening the faith and the life of the Christian and therefore the world. And also the importance of the last times…But the things contained in this Third Secret correspond to what is announced in Scripture and are confirmed by many other Marian apparitions, beginning with the Fatima apparitions in their known contents. Conversion and penance are essential to salvation.” (All emphasis mine.)

Please - hold it right there. Read those words above very, very carefully. Where are any of those “themes” seen in the Third Secret Vision (released in 2000 A.D.) - themes that were specifically stated by Cardinal Ratzinger in 1984 A.D.?

---What in the Vision conveys anything about “the last times”?

---What are the specific dangers that threaten the faith, the life of the Christian, and therefore the world?

---If the Third Secret adds nothing to Divine Revelation (which it could not do since Divine Revelation, aka “the Deposit of Faith,” ended with the death of St. John the Evangelist), then how exactly does it “correspond to what is announced in Scripture and are confirmed by many other Marian apparitions, beginning with the Fatima apparitions in their known contents”?

---Where does Scripture foretell the death of a bishop dressed in white, or the death of a Holy Father (if they are one and the same man)? All of the early popes were martyred, it is true, but Our Lady of Fatima was not showing a vision of the past.

---Does Scripture prophesy the death of this particular man as well as Catholics from all walks of life? If so, has this era now reached all of Chapter 12 of the Apocalypse?

---Does Scripture foretell the two angels who gather the blood of the martyrs and sprinkle it on the souls of those who are still making their way to God, as is seen in the Third Secret Vision? Where?

---What other Marian apparitions (after Fatima and approved by the Church as true) reveal any of these things? We know that Akita, Japan is one – Cardinal Ratzinger said that the message of Fatima and of Akita are essentially the same.  But in 1984, Cardinal Ratzinger said that the Third Secret is also to be found in “many other Marian apparitions.” Which ones? Are they Church-approved apparitions or ones still under investigation?

He also said the Third Secret is found in other Marian apparitions but --- “beginning with the Fatima apparitions in their known contents.” That means Fatima was the first to say and/or show something other Marian apparitions did not. That means Fatima is unique among all true Marian apparitions before 1917. How so?

“…in their known contents.” That’s an unusual way to phrase it. The “known” contents of the Third Secret.  Known to whom? In 1984, the Third Secret Vision had not been released to the public; hence, the reason for Mr. Messori’s questions. Were there “unknown” contents to the Third Secret that Cardinal Ratzinger didn’t yet know? If so, it seems that by 1984, he already read the actual words of Our Lady that accompany the Vision but which were never publicized. It had to be the Text, because Cardinal Ratzinger’s explanation of the Third Secret reveals six themes which the Vision does not.

It’s clear that Benedict XVI has long known the entire contents of the Third Secret. But when the Text was suppressed in 2000, and he became Pope in 2005, Benedict may have been in a true quandary. To release the Text after certain Vatican people denied it, after he “went along” (for whatever reasons), and after avoiding any real discussion over the other, ongoing debate about the collegial consecration of Russia, it would (admittedly) be a great humiliation to publicly explain everything.

But the Pope did do something highly important  (in relation to Fatima) when he said on May 13, 2010 that the Third Secret is spoken. It obviously had been on his mind for a long time, as was his resignation/abdication.

The Third Secret, like the first two, is actually made up of two parts. If we were to outline the Great Secret (which Sr. Lucia herself said given in three distinct parts), we have a sum total of six points. (More on that in a bit.) Recalling that Pope John Paul II said that “the message of Fatima places an obligation on the Church,” and that Pope Benedict XVI said that “We would be mistaken to think that Fatima’s prophetic mission is complete,” below I will quote a healthy-sized excerpt from one of my earlier articles, The Six Themes of the Third Secret of Fatima.   

I promise you, in light of Benedict’s resignation, the upcoming papal election, and the consideration of whether Papa Ratzinger might be “the bishop dressed in white” (described in the Third Secret), the following information will also have us pondering whether the next pope – who will literally inherit a mess – is the one who will make a positive step to fulfill the requests of Our Lady of Fatima. Now, onto the article excerpt I mentioned:

The Third Secret
and Its Two Parts
In fact, when the Pope said the Third Secret is spoken and shown, his words correlate with other proofs that this last Secret is comprised of two parts. To cite only one example, this essay will momentarily turn to what was said decades ago by Fr. Joseph Schweigel. This priest, upon his return from an important mission given to him by Pope Pius II to question Sr. Lucia about unfulfilled parts of the Fatima Message (the Third Secret, the consecration of Russia, etc.),was momentarily questioned by a curious colleague about the Third Secret.

Fr. Schweigel responded in the following manner:
“I cannot reveal anything of what I learned at Fatima concerning the third Secret, but I can say that it has two parts: one concerns the Pope. The other, logically – although I can say nothing – would have to be the continuation of the words: In Portugal, the dogma of the Faith will always be preserved.” 

The colleague pressed a little further, asking, “The present Pope or the next one?” However, as the interrogator himself attested in a written letter, “To this question, Fr. Schweigel made no reply.”

Only a few years later, Fr. Schweigel would also say that the Third Secret “seems to suppose a victorious, triumphant, but difficult and heroic decision” of a Pope’s.  In considering the purpose of Fr. Schweigel’s  papally-directed mission in questioning Sr. Lucia and in light of the tragic circumstances in which the Church Militant finds itself today, one can reasonably presume that, sometime in the future, a Pope will make a “difficult and heroic decision” under circumstances in which he faces vehement, if not physically violent, opposition to his unique prerogatives in his office as Vicar of Christ when he decides to comply with at least one, if not all, of Our Lady’s unfulfilled requests at Fatima.

Since Our Lady still awaits three particular actions to be made by the Pope and the bishops of the Catholic Church, it appears that Fr. Schweigel’s description of a “victorious, triumphant, but difficult and heroic decision,” made by the present Pope or a future one, lends further insight into Our Lady’s promise, “In the end, My Immaculate Heart will triumph.”

Benedict's Resignation: Due to the Third Secret of Fatima?

On February 12, I posted the article “Benedict XVI and the Prophecy of Petrus Romanus: Is the Last Pope Here?” On that day, I mentioned the most pertinent fact (and one that is not seriously deliberated, even in the Catholic media): “Benedict XVI was the only pope to ascend the throne of stewardship in the Catholic City already possessing full knowledge of the Third Secret of Fatima.”

Unbeknownst to me at the time, Antonio Socci was on the same track.  Mr. Socci is a well-respected, prominent gentleman of the Italian Catholic mainstream media, and he was well-acquainted with Cardinal Ratzinger and Cardinal Bertone, to the point that he personally hosted press conferences for both prelates. Soon after Cardinal Ratzinger became pope, Mr. Socci decided to fully investigate the debate on the Third Secret of Fatima.

To his surprise, Mr. Socci found crucial evidence which contradicted his earlier “anti-Fatimist” assumptions. Furthermore, he found himself stone-walled by the formerly friendly Cardinal Bertone, who denied him an interview regarding the Third Secret. That was Socci’s “Aha” moment, for it was then that he realized the possibility that “there are embarrassing questions and that there is above all something to hide.”  In the end, Mr. Socci – who is clearly an honest man  - concluded that the “Fatimists” were right. He laid out the evidence (including his investigative experiences) in his book, The Fourth Secret of Fatima.

Regarding the missing text of the Third Secret, Mr. Socci’s research led him to reasonably conclude that “the words of the Madonna preannounce an apocalyptic crisis of the faith in the Church starting from the top.” He deduced that the Virgin’s words are “also an explanation of the vision (revealed on June 26, 2000) where there appear the Pope, the bishops and martyred faithful, after having traversed a city in ruins.” Mr. Socci was also convinced that Our Lady’s words further clarify “the pre-announced assassination of a Pope [the white-clad bishop in the vision] in the context of an immense martyrdom of Christians and of a devastation of the world.”

Fast forward to Mr. Socci’s blog post of February 12, 2013 (written in Italian here ), in which he basically states his opinion that Benedict XVI (now Pope Emeritus) decided to resign/abdicate based on what the Third Secret Text fully reveals.

Mr. Socci further opines that Benedict XVI felt unable to reveal the “hidden” part of the Secret (that is, the Virgin’s words – the Text - pertaining to the Vision of the Third Secret) because his “collaborators” involved in the Third Secret’s release[1] made a personal judgment that the Third Secret Text was inauthentic;  in his opinion, that is why in June of 2000, the Virgin’s words were not included in the Vatican’s public release of the Vision. Mr. Socci also considers it likely that Benedict XVI also felt that, if the Third Secret Text was released during his papacy, the world would ridicule it.

What has also come to my mind is the following concern:  If by his abdication, Benedict XVI is trying to avert some future disaster, he may inadvertently cause it. Many of us have watched “time paradox” movies where people act to avoid a future disastrous outcome but ironically, those actions actually caused the disaster.  Might Benedict XVI"s resignation be a similar case? After all -  “Truth is stranger than fiction” and “Art imitates life.”
 

From the beginning of his papacy, the Pope Emeritus made very compelling comments about the Church's suffering, her future,and perhaps his own. As I pointed out in my previous post (Fatima, Pope Benedict, and a Bishop in White), Benedict XVI began his papacy with a request to the Church to "pray for me so that I do not flee from fear of wolves."
 

On May 10, 2010, he willingly chose to answer questions about the Third Secret of Fatima, briefly but clearly stating that the Third Secret is spoken. (That last link takes you to my article published in the July 2010 issue of Catholic Family News. My July article  was an expanded version of my original blog article of May 27, 2010 - written because I found a very important discrepancy in the Italian-to-English translation of the Holy Father's words. 
 

There are other things la Papa Emeritus said - very important things to which not enough of the faithful have paid much attention.  For example, in his last Ash Wednesday homily, Benedict XVI stated: “I am thinking in particular of the sins against the unity of the Church, of the divisions in the body of the Church.” That sentence is very similar to what he said about the Third Secret not even three years ago.

 

Pope Benedict XVI (my translation from Italian to English): “Beyond this great vision of the suffering of the pope...That is, it is true that beyond the moment indicated in the vision, it is spoken (or “it is said”), it is shown [or “it is seen”] the necessity of the passion of the Church...and therefore are the sufferings of the Church that is announced.” (Incidentally, I realize the last sentence is awkward, but what I am providing is a literal translation. The last sentence better reads in English as follows: “...and therefore are the sufferings of the Church announced” OR “...and therefore it is the sufferings of the Church that are announced."

 

I'll be writing more on the Pope, the bishop in white, and the Third Secret later tonight. Please keep posted!

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[1] Presumably Cardinal Angelo Sodano , who in 2000 A.D. was Secretary of State and Archbishop (now Cardinal ) Tarcisio Bertone, then Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.