Pope signals the apocalypse



By Phil Stewart Thu Apr 28, 9:17 AM ET

ROME (Reuters) - Pope Benedict's ascent to the papacy took a conclave of 115 cardinals, four rounds of voting and followed a lifetime of service to the Vatican.

But ask Internet doomsayers eyeing a 12th century Catholic prophecy and they'll tell you it was all stitched up more than eight centuries ago and that judgment day is nigh.

The prophecy -- widely dismissed by scholars as a hoax -- is attributed to St. Malachy, an Irish archbishop recognized by members of the Church for his ability to read the future.

Benedict, believers say, fits the description of the second-to-last pope listed under the prophecy before the Last Judgement, when the bible says God separates the wicked from the righteous at the end of time.

"The Old Testament states: 'believe his prophets and you will prosper' -- so believe it. We are close to the return of the Judge of the nations. Christ is coming," wrote one Internet post by the Rev. Pat Reynolds.

"Thank God for the witness of St. Malachy."

St. Malachy was said to have had a vision during a trip to Rome around 1139 of the remaining 112 Popes. The new pope would be number 111 on that list, and is described in a text attributed to St. Malachy as the "Glory of the Olive."

To connect Benedict, a pale, bookish German, to anything olive takes some imagination. But Malachy-watchers point to the choice of the name Benedict -- an allusion to the Order of Saint Benedict, a branch of which is known as the Olivetans.

"When (he) chose the name Benedict XVI, this was seen as fulfilling the prophecy for this pope," wrote one entry on http://www.wikipedia.org.

Benedict said that he chose the name partly in honor of Pope Benedict XV (1914-1922), calling him a "courageous prophet of peace." On Wednesday, Benedict dedicated his papacy to "the service of reconciliation and harmony between peoples."

"Perhaps Benedict XVI will be a peacemaker in the Church or in the world, and thus carry the olive branch," speculated http://www.catholic-pages.com.

Another site, http://www.bibleprobe.com, went even further, showing a picture of Benedict holding olive branches in March during Palm Sunday celebrations.

"Is this the Pope of Peace (olive)?" it asked in the caption.

Critics widely dismiss the Malachy prophecy as a forgery and possible propaganda meant to influence a 16th century conclave. Doses of skepticism even appear on the most energetic Malachy web pages.

But believers point out similarities between the prophecy's descriptions and past pontificates.
Pope John Paul II, number 110, was described in the prophecy as "de labore solis" -- or "of the labor of the sun."

He was born on May 18, 1920, the same day as a solar eclipse. The pontiff was buried on April 8, 2005 -- the same day as a partial eclipse, visible in the Americas.

More pressing for doomsayers are the prophecy's references to the last Pope on the list, Peter the Roman, who will lead the Church before "the formidable judge will judge his people."

Since Benedict is already 78 years old, they say Peter the Roman must be coming soon, and with him, the end of the world.

"His reign will only last a few years at most. This signals that we are living in what may be the end of days as we know it," said one Web Site entry by someone calling himself SmartBob.

Pope Benedict XVI greets the crowd during the general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 27, 2005. Benedict XVI held the first general audience of his new pontificate Wednesday, pledging to work for reconciliation and peace. (AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito)

I heard this story yesterday...

And I think I just saw the seven horsemen ride though my yard...

Or was that the Nazgul searching for the One Ring?

Damn, if anything signals the beginning of the apocalypse, this pope is it.

Maybe there will only be 1 more pope because the Catholic Church will collapse and go away.

Hey, a guy can dream, can't he?

This was exactly what an expert on this subject said in a TV Show, that St. Malachy didn't prophesy the end of the world, but the end of the Catholic Church as we know it.

The dream is not so far away...

Well I would've kept dreaming regardless. I haven't really watched/read any recent updates on the St. Malachy prophecy, but I did a little research a couple of years ago. And nowhere does it directly indicate the end of the world. In fact, most of the prophecies are written the same way Nostradamus (sp?) wrote his supposed prophecies...so vaguely that you could interpret damn near anything out of them.

There's only four horsemen in the apocalypse.
Here are their names:

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Boy, are people going to be surprised when they find out which camp God splits them into at the end of days.

Of course, if everyone continues to fixate on metaphysical stuff and believe in their various chosen religions and that their gods are coming to take them away, there is not really any point in trying to solve the serious problems here on Earth is there?

Religion and the Deus ex machina that those who believe in God are waiting for is a cop-out excuse for not doing anything while we can to solve environmental and social problems. Let's just sit around and wait for god to show up and split us into groups of the good and the bad....





I really should have coffee before I post on RM....

It's actually a self-fulfilling prophecy. If we expect the end of the world to come, our inattention to the problems of the world will hasten its arrival.

Nicely said. I agree with you. Time for coffee now...

i dunno, maybe its just me, but im not seeing the connection between going to hell and not giving a fuck about the environment

I heard about this like 6 years ago.

This will be SO not funny if it's true.

I'd laugh.

yea, sure you would, youd be getting the flesh flayed from skeleton, and that is hardly a laughing matter

Man, 5.5 billion people proven wrong all at once. That would suuuuuuuuuuuuck.

I'm logging off and going to church boys. I ain't takin any chances.

Well ... at that point, I'd probably stop laughing.

Memeber of crowd checking in at Hell's gates: Well, who got it right?

Hell staffer: *checks clipboard* It was the Mormons, yes the Mormons got it right.

Crowd: Aaahhh!

I am 100% confident that James Dobson, Tony Perkins, and a great many of the highest ranking officials of the Catholic Church will be having their flesh burned off of them as well. That's enoough for me.