Pope Benedict XVI Resigns - Is Peter The Roman Next?

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Earlier this week (February 11, to be exact), Pope Benedict sent shockwaves around the world when he announced his resignation from the Papacy, effective February 28, citing health reasons. The announcement was so sudden that it even caught Vatican insiders offguard. So unprecedented was the pope's move (at least in recent history) that soon after the news broke out, a couple of my friends contacted me to ask what I thought about it. The first thing that came to my mind upon hearing the news was the Prophecy of the Popes.

I became aware of the Prophecy of the Popes following the death of Pope John Paul II when a friend and I were discussing whether the (then unknown) new pontiff would be as progressive as John Paul II. The Prophecy of the Popes refers to a series of prophecies attributed to St. Malachy, a monk from the 12th century, who left behind cryptic phrases in Latin that supposedly described a line of future popes up until the last one.

According to interpretations of St. Malachy's prophecies, Pope Benedict is the one described in the Latin phrase Gloria olivae or For the glory of the olive because he chose the papal name "Benedict" after St. Benedict of Nursia. Supposedly, the crest of the Benedictine Order contains an olive branch. Ominously, only one other pope follows after Gloria olivae and that is Petrus Romanus or Peter the Roman. The full Latin phrase goes as follows:

In persecutione extrema S.R.E. sedebit Petrus Romanus, qui pascet oves in multis tribulationibus: quibus transactis civitas septicollis diruetur, & Judex tremêdus judicabit populum suum. Finis.

(In extreme persecution, the seat of the Holy Roman Church will be occupied by Peter the Roman, who will feed the sheep through many tribulations, at the term of which the city of seven hills will be destroyed, and the formidable Judge will judge his people. The End.)

Understandably, the above prophecy could lead people to think that the next pope will be the much dreaded anti-Christ. And it didn't help that scant hours after Pope Benedict's surprise announcement lightning struck the top St. Peter's Basilica, adding a dramatic punctuation to this almost unheard of event (the last time a pope resigned was in the Middle Ages). This other website also lists other prophecies by saints that would seem to support the hypothesis about the end times being nigh.

However, before you start thinking that it was perhaps too early to come out of the bunker after all, let's take a closer look at other views on the prophecies. For one, theological scholars believe that St. Malachy's prophecies about the popes are a forgery, most likely made to influence some internal Church maneuverings in the 1600s. Scholars say the text only came out in the 1590s and while the list of popes up until that time was accurate, the list of popes after that time are filled with errors.

Any skeptic would point out that it would be easy for believers to identify characteristics of any pope that would retroactively fit in with the Latin phrase he is supposed to represent (much like how a major catastrophe can be made to fit in with one of Nostradamus' quatrains). Considering that all the doomsday hoopla about December 21, 2012 amounted to nothing, we should be cognizant of the skepticism about this latest doomsday scenario.

But let's say that the prophecies are not a forgery, will the next pope really be the anti-Christ? The Latin phrase qui pascet oves in multis tribulationibus or who will feed the sheep through many tribulations may sound like Peter the Roman would lead the sheep into tribulation. On the other hand, it could mean that the pope will feed (nourish) the sheep throughout the time of tribulation. In that case, perhaps we are expecting a compassionate and enlightened leader protecting the faithful in a time of hardship and challenge to Church authority. Of course, the downside is that the wording of the latter part of the prophecy seemingly indicates that this leader would be leading his Church just before its destruction.

So does this "last pope prophecy" amount to anything at all? I'm not one to give unequivocal statements, especially when it comes to prophecies and predictions, but I will share my own observations. First of all, I find the timing of the Pope's announcement interesting. It was made during the time of the new moon (a day after the Chinese New Year, but technically still considered a new moon). Generally, new moons represent a time of new beginnings, new directions and rejuvenation. One other fact worth noting is that the announcement occurred on the moon's day (i.e. Monday = Moon-day).

Now, was the timing deliberate? Don't expect any corroborating statements from the Vatican, but timing one's spells forms an important part of spellcasting. I'm sure that someone more literate in spell timing can work out if the timing of the Pope's announcement was significant from a magical standpoint (i.e. taking into account the Pope's birthdate, what zodiac sign the moon was in, etc.). In any case, it's also interesting that the Pope's resignation will take effect on February 28, a full moon (the full moon itself is on February 26, but 3 days before to 3 days after the actual full moon is considered the period of the full moon). It is the height of moon power when major workings can take place for most effect.

For me, it's also interesting that the Pope's resignation happened as we officially entered the Year of the Snake. From a feng shui perspective, this year is generally positive although we may see major changes and challenges, a manifestation of the way the snake sheds its skin. If that's the case, then the Year of the Snake is already living up to its name.

Another interesting tidbit that one of my friends mentioned is that a few years ago, the father of one of his wife's friends started a conversation about the Church with, "When Pope Benedict resigns...." So it seems this guy had an inkling that the pope would resign. My friend says that this guy is into researching these types of things. Whether this ties in to any number of other conspiracy theories out there remains to be seen.

Whatever the astrological or magical confluences that may or may not be there, the next papal conclave may start as early as March 15 so hopefully there will be a new pope by the time Holy Week rolls in. Which brings us to the next interesting tidbit. The timing of the conclave is interesting because it will happen as the Vernal (Spring) Equinox approaches. Generally, the spring equinox is a time of celebrating new beginnings. Among pagans and witches, Ostara (Eostre) is celebrated when the sun enters 0 degrees of Aries, usually every March 20 or 21. Ostara derives from the German fertility goddess Ostare and the Catholic Church adopted this practice, calling it Easter.

To quote from from a Celtic Druid site:

There is a distinct relationship between the Spring Equinox and Easter. The new religion of the Catholic Church absorbed the existing traditions and their symbols and developed a new name ‘Easter’ which is obviously a variant of a German / Saxon Goddess name whose festival was with the arrival of spring. In the pre-Catholic times the celebration of the Vernal Equinox was about new life and hope, the planting of seeds and the activation of the fertility cycle. But the Catholic Church replaced this with solemn displays commemorating Christ and Catholic dogma (written rules). The Old Testament heroine was the goddess Ishtar in thin disguise (Esther is the Aramaic word for Ishtar). Ishtar is Persian for 'star'. So Ishtar was the goddess of the morning & evening star, as well as being the Great Mother, Shining One, Lady of Visions, Priestess of Priestess', she was the source of the Oracles of Prophesy, & Possessor of the Tablets of Life's Records.

If the timing of Pope Benedict's resignation was meant to introduce regenerative energies into the Church, the next pope would certainly need those energies. The Catholic Church has been facing many scandals, often handled in a way that is less than satisfactory. These scandals have most likely influenced the declining numbers of the faithful attending church or those active in the faith. Renewal or further decline? Only time will tell the significance of this one event for the Catholic Church. But it would be interesting indeed if the new pope is elected on March 20 or 21, to coincide with the Vernal Equinox.

The next question of course is whether or not the next pope will be Roman. And by Roman, it doesn't necessarily mean Italian. It could also mean someone who is closely connected with the Roman Curia (the administrative body of the Holy See and the whole Catholic Church). In the last 170 years, only one pope was serving in the Roman Curia just prior to his election as pope, and that was Pope Pius XII who took over the Vatican in March 1939, just a few months before the start of World War 2. So Peter the Roman could just as easily mean "the Pope (seat of Peter) who was part of the Roman Curia."

Among the current frontrunners for the future papacy, only two of the candidates have strong Curial connections. They are Cardinal Marc Ouellet of Canada and Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi of Italy. Let's see if either one of these two becomes the new pope.

In the meantime, what does this mean for us personally? Right now, absolutely nothing. I mean this in the sense that it's not necessarily something to panic about, especially in light of the doubt surrounding the authenticity of the Prophecy of the Popes. But if there is a lesson to be derived from this news, it is this: the importance of spirituality.

Throughout this blog, I've kept reiterating in one form or another that it's important to develop one's spirituality, a connection with God that is not dependent on outside factors, organizations or personalities. Once we are connected to this Divine and Universal Source, we are better buttressed against any negative events. We are connected to the real and everlasting. We can see through life in a calm and objective manner and are not prone to mass blind beliefs, whatever may be happening in our projected surroundings.

The fate of the whole Catholic Church perhaps hangs in the balance, but as we wait with bated breath about the direction the Church will take, ultimately it all boils down to us as individuals. We have our own path to forge, and if we are sincere and persistent in our quest, it will lead us to the same paradise that has been promised by countless religions throughout the ages.