Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 12.djvu/542

 PROPHECY

476

PROPHECY

confessoris", from MS. Selden 55 in Bodleian Li- brary, Oxford.)

The interpretation given to tliis prophecy is remark- able when appUed to the events which have happened. The spirits mentioned in it were the Protestant inno- vators who pretended, in the sixteenth century, to reform the CathoUc Church in England. The sever- ance of the green tree from its trunk signifies the separation of the English Church from the root of the Catholic Church, from the Holy 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 prophec}' was quoted by Ambrose Lisle Philipps on the occasion of the re- establishment of the Catholic hierarchy in England by Pope Pius IX in 1850.

(2) Prophecies of St. Malachy. — Concerning Ire- land. — This prophecy, which is distinct from the prophecies attributed to St. Malachy concerning the popes, is to the effect that his beloved native isle would undergo at the hands of England oppression, persecution, and calamities of every kind, during a week of centuries; but that she would preserve her fidelity to God and to His Church amidst all her trials. At the end of seven centuries she would be delivered from her oppressors (or oppressions), who in their turn would be subjected to dreadful chastisements, and Catholic Ireland would be instrumental in bring- ing back the British nation to that Divine Faith which Protestant England had, during three hundred years, BO rudely endeavoured to WTest from her. This prophecy is said to have been copied by the learned Benedictine Dom Mabillon from an ancient MS. preserved at Clairvaux, and transmitted by him to the martyred successor of Oliver Plunkett.

Concerning the Popes. — The most famous and best known prophecies about the popes are those at- tributed to St. Malachy (q. v.). 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 (accord- ing to the Abb6 Cucherat) the strange vision of the future wherein was unfolded before liis 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 MS. 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 (Cu- cherat, "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 BO many learned authors who had -n-ritten 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 the future popes from Celestine II, who was elected in the year 1130, until the end of the world. They are enunciated under mystical titles. Those who have undertaken to interi)ret and explain these .symbolical [irophecies have succeeded in disccivering some trait, allusion, point, or similitude in tln'ii- application to the iiidivi(l- ual popes, either as to llicir i-<iiiiitry, tlu-ir uanic, their coat of arms or insignia, their- liiith-placc, tlicir talent or learning, the title of their .•aniiiialatc. the dignities which they held etc. For example, the pro[)h('cy con- cerning Urban VIII is Lilium ct 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 Peregrirms 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 ex- patriation 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 proph- ecies of St. Malachy and their wonderful appropriate- ness: Crux de cruce (Cross from a Cross) Pius IX; Lumen in calo (Light in the Sky) Leo XIII; Ignis ardens (Burning Fire) Pius X. There is something more than a 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 cardinalitial titles, to see the fitness of their designations as given in the proph- ecies. 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 in 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 trib- ulations, after which the seven-hilled city will be destroyed and the dreadful Judge will judge the people. The End. " It has been noticed concerning Pelrus Romaniis, who according to St. Malachy's list is to be the last pope, that the prophecy does not say that no popes shall intervene between him and his predecessor designated Gloria olivce. 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 proph- ecy 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.

(3) Prophecy of St. Paul of the Cross. — During more than fifty years this saint was accustomed to pray for the return of England to the Catholic Faith, and on several occasions had visions and revela- tions about its re-conversion. In spirit he saw the Pas- sionists established in England and labouring there for the conversion and sanctification of souls. It is well known that several of the leaders of the Oxford Movement, including Cardinal Newman, and thou- sands of converts have been received into the Church in England by the Passionist missionaries.

There are many other private prophecies concern- ing 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, Venerable Anna Maria Taigi, the Curd d'Ars, and many others. These do not enlighten us any more than do the Scriptural proph- ecies as to the day and the hour of that judgment, which still remains a Divine secret.

Benedict XIV, Heroic Virtue in Oralorian Series (London, IS.'il): Devine, il/i/srtra; rAfofoB!/ (London, 1903); Mar4chaijx, Le men'rilleuz divin el le memeilleux itemmiaque (Paris, 1901); RiBET. La mi/stiqxie divine (Paris, 1895) ; St. Thom.as, Summa (Turin, ISfll), II-IL QQ. cUxi-iv; Schram. Theoloaia mystxea (AugHbnrK, 1767); O'Bbien, Prophecy of St. Malachy (Dublin, 18S0); (lEKMANO, Vita del g. p. s. Malachia (Naples, 1670); PAVlNUi.t. Epitome Romanarum pontificum (Vemoe, 1553); Senehiu. Profetia veredica di tutti summi pontifici siti' al fine del mundo faltn a San Malachia (Venice, 1675); WiON, Lignum tita (Venice, 1595); I Juturi deslini degli stati e delle nazioni (Turin,