The Next Pope and the Prophecy of St. John Bosco

The prophecy...fromThe Prophetic Dream Of St. John Bosco
and my commentary in bold...

"In the midst of this endless sea, two solid columns, a short distance apart, soar high into the sky. One is surmounted by a statue of the Immaculate Virgin, at whose feet a large inscription reads Auxilium Christianorum (Help of Christians). The other, far loftier and sturdier, supports a Host of proportionate size, and bears beneath it the inscription Salus credentium (Salvation of believers).

The flagship commander -- the Roman Pontiff -- standing at the helm, strains every muscle to steer his ship between the two columns, from whose summits hang many anchors and strong hooks linked to chains. The entire enemy fleet closes in to intercept and sink the flagship at all costs. They bombard it with everything they have: books and pamphlets, incendiary bombs, firearms, cannons. The battle rages ever more furious. Beaked prows ram the flagship again and again, but to no avail, as unscathed and undaunted, it keeps on its course. At times, a formidable ram splinters a gaping hole in its hull, but immediately, a breeze from the two columns instantly seals the gash.

Interestingly in the dream the violent attack on the church is as much a media attack as a physical attack on the church. But even in the midst of the attack devotion to Mary and the Eucharist are what keep the church afloat.

Meanwhile, enemy cannons blow up; firearms and beaks fall to pieces; ships crack up and sink to the bottom. In blind fury, the enemy takes to hand-to-hand combat, cursing and blaspheming. Suddenly the Pope falls, seriously wounded. He is instantly helped up, but struck a second time, dies. A shout of victory rises from the enemy, and wild rejoicing sweeps their ships. But no sooner is the Pope dead than another takes his place. The captains of the auxiliary ships elected him so quickly that the news of the Pope's death coincides with that of his successor's election. The enemy's self-assurance wanes.

The violent attackers (Soviet Union?) are destroyed, so that attack becomes even more personal and one might even say from within. The Pope is attacked (and of course this happened literally to Pope John Paul II and one wonders if the second "strike" was not his illness).

Now we move to the present. If Cardinal Ratzinger were elected by the Cardinals (and even at this moment that would be a great surprise) one could say that news of his election was almost as soon as the Pope's death...remember dreams even prophetic are symbolic and use symbolic langauge--what is startling about much of John Bosco's dream is how literal much of it is.

One could also see that if a successor of John Paul were to be even more stringent in carrying out the previous pope's program that the enemies (especially those within the church) would probably finally give up their battle against the Faith.

Breaking through all resistance, the new Pope steers his ship safely between the two columns; first, to the one surmounted by the Host, and then the other, topped by the statue of the Virgin. At this point, something unexpected happens. The enemy ships panic and disperse, colliding with and scuttling each other.

This should give every true believer great hope in this upcoming Conclave! The enemies of the Church essentially destroy each other in thier retreat.

Some auxiliary ships, which had gallantly fought alongside their flagship, are the first to tie up at the two columns. Many others, which had fearfully kept far away from the fight, stand still, cautiously waiting until; the wrecked enemy ships vanish under the waves. Then they too head for the two columns, tie up at the swinging hooks and ride safe and tranquil beside their flagship. A great calm now covers the sea. "

These auxiliary ships deserve mention. While there have been some dioceses that have blazened a path of orthodox renewal, there have been more that have sat off in the distance with less vigor and energy--almost as thought they were waiting to see who is going to win in the end.

Pope John Paul II predicted a new spring time in the church...we may be on the very threshold of that as this week begins!