The evening times., 1900-10-19

It may be safely conjeetured that the
French able who has lately written a book
in which he states that the world viii
come to an end at the close Of this ex-
piring century, has. by this time, found
many believers.
But it is possible to offset the abbe's
predictions in this regard by the citation
of another ecclesiastical authority on the
same subject, namely: St MaIachy- st.
Malachy. whose biography has been writ
ten by st. Bernard, flourished during the
latter part OF the eleventh and the first
half OF the twelfth centuries. Besides hay-
ing been Archbishop CT Armagh, in Ire
land, St. Malachy has. according to ira
dition left a most extraordinary monu-
ment to posterity in the shape of a series
OF predictions concerning the number and
personalities OF the various Popes who
should after his (Malachy'sJ time, occupy
the chair of Peter.
These prophecies designate by. a few
brief phrases, the leading characteristics
OF each successive reign Many Of them
have proved such palpable hits as to cause
Eo little wonder even in the minds of skep-
ties, that applied to the late Polun Plus
TX having been the subject OF much
speculation.
1t is true that considerable doubt has
of late, been cast upon the genuineness
of these reputed prophecies OF Saint
Malachy, and Ii is further a fact that the
Catholic Church has never acknowledged
their authenticity, regarding them as
purely legendary. The earliest known
edition of them is contained in a work
entitled "Lignum Vitae by Dom Arnold
Wion. a Benedictine monk, printed at
+ Venice, a. D.. 1885
The present Pcntiff, Leo KILL is desig
mated in the prophecies ''LuInen in coelo''
Ia light in the sky): his successor. .Ignis
/ ardens" "a burning fire.. The following
! are predicted in order;
/ Reiigio epopulata-Relgion deDopu-
! lated
] F'ides intrepida-Inlrepid faith.
Pastor angeiicus- AuSelic pastor
Pastor ct nauta-Pastor and sailor.
FIos foruin-The flower of flowers.
De medietate Iunae-Of the half OBJ
scured moon.
De lahore sclis-Of the labor of the sun.
Gloria olivae-The glory of the olive.
! Petrus Romanus-PeteF of Rome, who
shall feed his sheep in the midst OF many
troubles, which, being ended, The seven
hilled city shall be destroyed, and the
1 tremendous judge shall judge his people
| 1t is nanifestly improbable. if not i'm
/ possible, that the pontiffs enumerated
/ could succeed one another in the short
/ space of time assigned the world by the
French able. Viewing the matter in this
| light. one naturally turns for consolation,
between the two prophets, to the cham
pion of more protracted existence, and
| SO the amount of faith that may be put
! in st. MaIachy's predictions becomes an
interesting subject for consideration.
The prophecies start from Celesti II, in
1143, and as it would be somewhat tedious
to enumerate them all, few OF the more
ext xtraordinary only. viii be cited. The
| successor of Celisti II WAS pre-eaIied ''Ipi-
LII -
foe Lucius II, to-whoEl it was applied,
had for his family name Caceianemiei.
which signifies IN Italian the same as his
pro 0hetic Latin designation.
One OF the most remarkable of the pre-
/ dictions is that applied TO the sixteenth
Pope, Alexander VI (Borgia). This is.
'Bcs Albanus in Partu," the Albanox at
the gate. Alexander is believed 10 haze
made a secret pilgrimage TO Jerusalem.
and to have prayed at the gate OF the
holy city feeling himself unworthy TIC
enter At the Worlds Fair in Chicago in
1883, was to be seen in the Convent CT
La Rabida, a superb mosaic executed By
order OF Pope Borgia and representing
him, in full pcDtitcal robes praying az
the gate Of Jerusalem. The B0rgia family
had an OK on their escuteheon- This
/ prophecy ard the event which it sym
bolizes, should go down in history to the
credit OF a man whose memcry has been
SO perststeEtiy vilifed that he is Pcpu-
larly regarded as having been complete
monster in human form. The saint would
appear at times to be something of a l u
morist. Thus Plus II was predicted in the
words: DE CaPra ct AlbergC the
goat and the hCsteiTy. Plus II was Sec
retary in turn to Cardinal Capranica ana
to Cardinal Albergati. Capranica means
a goat, and Albergati, publieans.
The symbol applied 10 Plus * was
sadly appropriate. This gentle and able
man sought. time after time, to redress
the grievances of his own people and OF
the whole human family, only to fI.d that
his ideals did not conso-t with the inter
ests of more worldly-minded statesmen
Assuredly no phrase IN better designate
this simple, noble Christian life thar
'.CruX de Cruce."