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SAINT MALACHY is not the most high-profile of saints – but the oncoming vacancy in the office of pope has thrust him back into the limelight.
Malachy is the supposed author of the ‘Prophecy of the Popes’ – a list allegedly written in 1139, but ‘rediscovered’ in 1590 – which claims to have predicted the identities (or at least attributes) of each pope between the time of its writing and the end of the Church.
While its authenticity is not affirmed by the Church itself, and while it is impossible to know whether the list was written retrospectively before it was first published in 1595, it appears to have been successful in some ways – though of course its predictions are suitably vague so as to apply to most cases anyway.
The argument that the list is a hoax gathers further weight with the fact that for each of the popes mentioned before 1590, it describes something historical about their upbringing or background – but only makes vague references to events in subsequent pontificates.
Nonetheless, the whole point of Malachy’s list – which is occasionally attributed to Nostradamus, supposedly to give the latter a way of publishing a prediction without having it stained by association with his name – is that it claims to predict the existence of 112 popes from the time of its writing.
The first of those popes is Celestine II; the 111th is the current pontiff, Benedict XVI. (The full list is outlined in detail on Wikipedia.)
The prophecy refers to the 112th pope as…
Peter the Roman, who will nourish the sheep in many tribulations; when they are finished, the city of seven hills will be destroyed, and the dreadful judge will judge his people. The end.
While no pope since the first (St Peter, one of Jesus’ own disciples) has taken the name Peter, out of reverence for the man who brought the church to Rome, it is not unthinkable that the name could yet be taken on by another.
One of the frontrunners in the forthcoming election is Peter Turkson, a black cardinal from Ghana.
While there are many cities known as the ‘cities of seven hills’, Rome is the best-known one – though Jerusalem is also built on seven hills and could possibly be the city referenced.
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Your photo suggests that i should buy a maserati or ferrari. My payslip determines that is a lie.
The photo is aimed at Irish Water employees and what they should do with their bonuses.
And how much of that is spent on roads and their upkeep?
€23.50….
By law only a third of it has to be spent on roads which is a f’#king joke.
Plus vat & levies on fuel plus levy (for water supply) on insurance plus vat on servicing plus nct costs…
People in the real economy have to pay hand-over-fist to the Government for the right to use a car, yet civil servants are still given free parking in Dublin city centre! It is a microcosm of the mentality of the Irish State.
After paying my Car Tax for 40 yrs I was forced off the road by this obscene Lobby Car Tax of €951 for my 10 yr old car to force me to buy a new one. Those who can afford new cars get the low Car Tax … Ireland a disgusting place to live.
surely your headline should read ” car buyers will pay 1 billion in ‘ illegal’ tax ” after all the e.u has ruled v.r.t as illegal and enda usually obeys every command from the e.u.
Here’s where some of your car tax goes to pay for water
http://www.oireachtas.ie/documents/bills28/acts/1997/a2997.pdf
Hi Dermot. How much is tax on your Kia Rio?
Your one to talk. Driving your car for months untaxed and then going in to the Gardai in Mullingar to have it declared off the road.
Are you talking to yourself ?
have your say