The record-union., 1899-04-10
REMARKABLE PROpHESY.
THE NEXT POPE WILL BE A
"IGNIS ARDENS."
A Title That Would Fit Both
Cardinals Gotti and
Svampa.

One of the most active factors in the
prevailing gossip in Rome about sue
cessor to Pope Leo is series OF
PROPHECIES concerning occupants of the
chair of st. Peter made by an Irish
monk st. Malachy, more than TOO
years ago. ST. Malachy's remarkable
success in predicting the line OF papai
succession in the past leads many peo-
pie to think his predictions Will be
again fulfilled on the death of the pres
ent Pope. According to the Irish saint
the next wearer of the tiara will be
man of fire"
There are several canomcal uecreeS
prohibiting electioneering TOR the TIARA
during the lifetime of a. Pope. But, ike
the ancient customs of Denmark, they
are more honored in the breach than In
the observance So even before there IS
any certainty of the date OF ofnclal
summons to the conclave the specula-
ton as to it's possible choice goes on.
A few weeks ago Pope Leo, speaking
to a foreign Bishop who was Visiting
him, said:
Il am very old. very far advanced In
years Yet / require at least anotner
four years of life to carry out all my
plans, my ideas; four years at the very
least. God alone knows If they will be
granted me-
Four years ago in September of 1894,
there was also much talk about the
Papal succession. A statement made
by Cardinal Parocchi started 1t. Pope
Leo. referring to this gossip in con-
yersation he had with the Duke OF
Montalto, said that perhaps the con-
clave was yet far off, as he came OF a
long lived family, most OF the Peccls
having been over 80 when they died,
and then he added:
80 it seems to me that certain
Cardinals who interest themselves sc
much as to my successor rush along
too fast. They wish to divide the Skin
of the bear while the bear is yet alive.
WILLING TO WEAR THE TIARA
Leo XIII. is now in the twenty-second
year of his pontificate. Only seven OF
the 262 Popes preceding him reigneo
twenty-one years The average length
of the papal reign is a little more than
seven years. Ten Popes died within
"a month after their election. The short
est reign was that of Stephen H., three
days. The choice of Pope is usually
made from the Cardinals. but it is not
generally known that layman mlgh'
be legally chosen. provided he shall
take holy orders before his coronation
Tt is known, though, that lnterna-
tional as we'll as ecclesiastical politics
PLAYS a considerable part in the cleo
ton. There are two parties now IN
formal active influence among the
Cardinals-the intransigents, or sup
porters of the rights of temporal SOW
ereigntv. and the conciliationists, who
advocate a certain measure of compro-
mise with the Italian Government OF
the first Cardinal Parocchi the present
Vicar of the Pope. is the candidate; OF
the second. Cardinal Vincenzo Van
nutelIi Isl the leader. Cardinal Rampolla
the Secretary of State. is believed tc
he the ablest man in the Sacred Col
lege. but, like many another statesman
this strength is his greatest weakness
as a candidate. Cardinals Oreglia, ia
cobini and satclli are also regarded as
available in the clash of the tive
groups.
There are. of course, outsiders. and i
is in the consideration Of these thai
the forecasts of St Ma1achy's prophe-
application to the personality of the
next Pope.
THE PROPHET AND HIS SIGNS
ST. Malachy was an Irish saint, borr
in Armagh in the year 1904. He became
in time Archbishop of that see. He
was an intimate friend of st. Bernard
Abbot of Clairvaux, France. and dice
in the latter's arms on November
114S. in his fifty-fourth year
His series of prophecies concerning
the succession of Popes has for severa
hundred years been a marvel to sue
ceeding generations. They are men
toned first in print by Arnold Wion,
monk of Monte Casino, in 1898, in hi:
book. ''Lgnum Vitae" Another work
written in 1910 by John Germano and
published in Naples, is called "Th'
Life. Works and Prophecies of Hol,
St. Malachy.' The prophecies are als'
to be found in History of th'
Popes." dated Lyons. 1858; in the Abb
de vallemont's Elements de rHis
toire," 1902, and other volumes of NOR
recent date.
These predictions are short forecasts
giving some noticeable trait of all th'
future Popes, from Celestine II, wh'
was elected in the year 113o, until tn
end of time, which, in accordance witt
this scheme, will come with the tent
Pontiff after the present incumbent
reign is over As the good saint has
however not indicated the duration o
each reign, the average mortal of to
day need have no immediate terror 0
the general Judgment. The coincidence
of the predictions have in many in
stances been most remarkable. 1t wcul
take up too much space to go over tn
whole hist. Those for the Pontiffs o
the present century will serve to shoy
the scope of the prophecies and thei
seeming accuracy.
TESTS OF THIS CENTURY.
Pope Plus VI. was elected Februar
Is, 17T5. St. Malachy's title for hir
was .Peregrinus Apostolicus' the Apos
tclic Pilgrim. He died an exile afte
much iourneying in France. The title