Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1914-08-29
PROPHECY
Made Centuries Ago by st.
Malacby still Holds
Good.
Stands as the Most Remarkable
of which We Have Any
Knowledge.
Famous Manuscript Remained
Hidden Four Hundred
Years.
ITS AUTHOR AN IRISH PRELATE

and the question of his successor
there is brought to mind the famous
prophecy of the Popes," which
many of the credulous find APP
plieable even today, though 10
years have passed since 1t was
written. However much it may
have been stretched to fit subse-
suent facts, it stands as undoubtedly
the most remarkable prophecy OF
which we have knowledge. Its
author was st. Malachy, an Irish
prelate, who while transacting some
business at Rome had strange
vision of the future. There was
unfolded before his mind the long
list of Pontiffs who we're to rule the
church until the end of time. The
future Popes were not revealed to
him by name, but by their natures.
For each one there was a mystical
title, supposed clearly to represent
some dominant trait of character or
some outstanding event. Some of
these titles do not need Jealous in
terpreters; their application is as
obvious as it is startling.
For instance, Plus TX. is the
alogue. His designation would seem
almost something more than coin
cidence. 1t is "Crux de Cruce"-
l"Cross from a Cross" No Pope In
history had had reign so filled with
trial and tribulation as Plus TX. De-
nounced as a traitor to his country
for his refusal to declare war
against Catholic Austria in 1S4S,
subjected to the insults of riotous
mobs in the streets of Rome, forced
finally to flee into exile at Gaeta,
his temporal power lost, "Crux de
Cruce' is an excellent epitome of
his history as Pope, and the more
so since the most aggravating of the
crosses we're brought upon him by
the House of Savoy, whose emblem
was a cross.
"Signus ardens," or "lgnus
ardens," 1.-The burning sign" or 1.-The
burning fire." is the designation by
which St. Malachy, attending to his
visions in the twelfth century, char
acterized the recent Plus X. THE
present Pope" declared one eminent
Catholic authority writing a few
years ago on the application of st.
Malachy's prophecy, lis truly a
burning fire of zeal for the restora-
ton of all things in Christ" This
has seemed to some too broad an
Interpretation, and one which might
have fitted any well-loved Pontiff.
These would regard the burning
fire" rather as the recent eruption
of Vesuvius, which occurred during
the reign of Plus X, and during
which he earned the praise of the
world for the prompt relief which
he procured the stricken people.
Plus VIII. was foreseen by the
Irish saint as a "vir religiosus,"
designation which might have fitted
any Pope, since piety is a quality to
be assumed. But "religiosus" is, in
the Latin sense, not so much mat
ter of piety as of conscience, and 1t
is a curious fact that this was the
outstanding character of the eighth
Plus character. Not only did he
possess a tremendous knowledge OF
canonical law and Biblical literature,
but his extreme conscientiousness
has remained as the dominant quail
ity of his character. On his Access
sion to the Pontifical throne for
instance he ordered all of his rela-
tives, to the very remotest, to resign
all positions which they then held,
and his whole life was marked by
the same scrupulousness. More
over, France and Austria, deliberat-
ing on the question of the successor
of Plus VII, had announced their
desire for a Pope whose nature
should be distinctly "religiosus," a
man gentle and scholarly, more Pope
than politician. History has en-
phasized this quality of Plus life;
| II is curious that the twelfth century
prophet could have struck the same
note. The coming Pope, 104 on st.
Malachy's list, has a disquieting
title-'religio depopulata, the
faith laid waste" II might have
any one of the ominous meanings
which pessimistic interpreters place
upon it, but as intrepid trust" is
the summing up for the following
Pontiff, there is evidently prophesied
no great catastrophe at this point.
The end of the world. however, is
bound to come. according to St.
Malachy. and he has made due pro-
vision for IL at the conclusion of the
reign of Peter the Roman" This
Is the paragraph which concludes the
prophecy In the final persecution
of the Holy Roman Church, there
will reign Peter the Roman, who
will feed his flock amid many tribu-
lations, after which the seven-hilled
city will be destroyed and the dread
full Judge win Judge the people. The
End.
There are to be only eight more
Popes to occupy the Pontifical chair
which Plus X. has Just vacated, ac-
cording to st. Malaehy. Then fol-
lows the final paragraph, which
contains the mention OF Peter the
Roman as the last Pope. Whether
Sc. Malachy foresaw Peter as the
successor TO "Gloriae Olivae" OF
whether an indefinite number are
to intervene between the two. Peter
being the last OF the line. is matter
for conjecture.
The famous manuscript which
contains this prophecy remained
hidden In the Roman archives fol
over 400 years. II was first dis
covered by Arnold de Wyon, since
when there has been lively discussion
as TO whether the Holy Malachy ever
wrote II or not. But according Il
the Able cucherat. none but ST