Authenticity of Prophecy - St. Francis, Crisis in the Church
Feb 3, 2023 10:00:04 GMT -5
wenceslav likes this
Post by Pacelli on Feb 3, 2023 10:00:04 GMT -5
There has been a lot of discussion online about the authenticity of the prophecy of St. Francis dealing with the coming of a destroyer. I looked into this matter a couple years ago and I will post my findings.
The prophecy is easily found all over the internet and reads:
The prophecy is attributed to a book with an unnamed author, Works of the Seraphic Father St. Francis Of Assisi, but to which an imprimatur is attached by +William Bernard, Bishop of Birmingham. Some things to take note of is that this book was written by a Franciscan as he identifies himself as a religious of that order, and in order to obtain an imprimatur, he must have identified himself to the bishop when he requested it, so in my opinion, the author is what he claims to be, although we do not know who exactly the author was.
Another point is that the author gives an appendix of dubious works of St Francis at the end, thereby implying that all works not in the appendix are what the author believes to be truly from him, not apocryphal.
My next post will look at another source in which the prophecy was published.
The entire book is scanned online and found HERE
I will post pages 248-252 of the book that has the prophecy:
The prophecy is easily found all over the internet and reads:
Act bravely, my Brethren; take courage, and trust in the Lord. The time is fast approaching in which there will be great trials and afflictions; perplexities and dissensions, both spiritual and temporal, will abound; the charity of many will grow cold, and the malice of the wicked will increase.
The devils will have unusual power, the immaculate purity of our Order, and of others, will be so much obscured that there will be very few Christians who will obey the true Sovereign Pontiff and the Roman Church with loyal hearts and perfect charity. At the time of this tribulation a man, not canonically elected, will be raised to the Pontificate, who, by his cunning, will endeavour to draw many into error and death.
Then scandals will be multiplied, our Order will be divided, and many others will be entirely destroyed, because they will consent to error instead of opposing it.
There will be such diversity of opinions and schisms among the people, the religious and the clergy, that, except those days were shortened, according to the words of the Gospel, even the elect would be led into error, were they not specially guided, amid such great confusion, by the immense mercy of God.
Then our Rule and manner of life will be violently opposed by some, and terrible trials will come upon us. Those who are found faithful will receive the crown of life; but woe to those who, trusting solely in their Order, shall fall into tepidity, for they will not be able to support the temptations permitted for the proving of the elect.
Those who preserve their fervour and adhere to virtue with love and zeal for the truth, will suffer injuries and, persecutions as rebels and schismatics; for their persecutors, urged on by the evil spirits, will say they are rendering a great service to God by destroying such pestilent men from the face of the earth. But the Lord will be the refuge of the afflicted, and will save all who trust in Him. And in order to be like their Head, these, the elect, will act with confidence, and by their death will purchase for themselves eternal life; choosing to obey God rather than man, they will fear nothing, and they will prefer to perish rather than consent to falsehood and perfidy.
Some preachers will keep silence about the truth, and others will trample it under foot and deny it. Sanctity of life will be held in derision even by those who outwardly profess it, for in those days Jesus Christ will send them not a true Pastor, but a destroyer.
Works of the Seraphic Father St. Francis Of Assisi, London: R. Washbourne, 1882, pp. 248-250.
The devils will have unusual power, the immaculate purity of our Order, and of others, will be so much obscured that there will be very few Christians who will obey the true Sovereign Pontiff and the Roman Church with loyal hearts and perfect charity. At the time of this tribulation a man, not canonically elected, will be raised to the Pontificate, who, by his cunning, will endeavour to draw many into error and death.
Then scandals will be multiplied, our Order will be divided, and many others will be entirely destroyed, because they will consent to error instead of opposing it.
There will be such diversity of opinions and schisms among the people, the religious and the clergy, that, except those days were shortened, according to the words of the Gospel, even the elect would be led into error, were they not specially guided, amid such great confusion, by the immense mercy of God.
Then our Rule and manner of life will be violently opposed by some, and terrible trials will come upon us. Those who are found faithful will receive the crown of life; but woe to those who, trusting solely in their Order, shall fall into tepidity, for they will not be able to support the temptations permitted for the proving of the elect.
Those who preserve their fervour and adhere to virtue with love and zeal for the truth, will suffer injuries and, persecutions as rebels and schismatics; for their persecutors, urged on by the evil spirits, will say they are rendering a great service to God by destroying such pestilent men from the face of the earth. But the Lord will be the refuge of the afflicted, and will save all who trust in Him. And in order to be like their Head, these, the elect, will act with confidence, and by their death will purchase for themselves eternal life; choosing to obey God rather than man, they will fear nothing, and they will prefer to perish rather than consent to falsehood and perfidy.
Some preachers will keep silence about the truth, and others will trample it under foot and deny it. Sanctity of life will be held in derision even by those who outwardly profess it, for in those days Jesus Christ will send them not a true Pastor, but a destroyer.
Works of the Seraphic Father St. Francis Of Assisi, London: R. Washbourne, 1882, pp. 248-250.
The prophecy is attributed to a book with an unnamed author, Works of the Seraphic Father St. Francis Of Assisi, but to which an imprimatur is attached by +William Bernard, Bishop of Birmingham. Some things to take note of is that this book was written by a Franciscan as he identifies himself as a religious of that order, and in order to obtain an imprimatur, he must have identified himself to the bishop when he requested it, so in my opinion, the author is what he claims to be, although we do not know who exactly the author was.
Another point is that the author gives an appendix of dubious works of St Francis at the end, thereby implying that all works not in the appendix are what the author believes to be truly from him, not apocryphal.
My next post will look at another source in which the prophecy was published.
The entire book is scanned online and found HERE
I will post pages 248-252 of the book that has the prophecy: