In the same century that St. Malachy wrote his cryptic predictions about future popes, the Cistercian abbot Joachim of Fiore composed his own mystical prophecies concerning future popes and the end times.
Born in the southern Italian village of Celico around 1135, he rose as a mystic and counselor, counting Queen Constance of Sicily and King Richard the Lionheart among those who sought his advice. He lived as a Cistercian before founding the Abbey of San Giovanni di Fiore, which was abandoned after his death.
Readers can now access the prophecies of Joachim of Fiore for the first time in English, collected in a slim illustrated volume edited by Fr. Robert Nixon, OSB (Sensus Fidelium Press, 2023).
De Fiore's works were contested—his writings on the Trinity were declared heterodox by the Fourth Lateran Council—and his prophecies are varied. He believed the world would end in the year 1260, but he accurately predicted the rise of the Dominican and Franciscan orders, founded in the century following his death in 1202. He has not yet been officially beatified, though he is commonly called "Blessed." Dante Alighieri places him in Paradise, testifying to his enduring cultural influence.
Building upon the theory of the three ages of human history, De Fiore's writings assume an imminent apocalypse.
The Age of the Father characterizes the Old Testament. The Age of the Son refers to the life of Jesus and the establishment of the New Covenant. The Age of the Holy Spirit encompasses the remainder of human history, from the Ascension until the Apocalypse. We necessarily live in this third age—and for De Fiore, the urgency of this trajectory prevailed in his interpretation of Church events and the near future.
The book consists of De Fiore's 30 prophecies, or "oracles," concerning the popes, supported by his prophecies on the Dominican and Franciscan orders, and complemented by his interpretation of the number of the beast in the Book of Revelation. Appendices include a 17th-century image providing a cyclical interpretation of the oracles, and the 16th-century papal prophecies of Blessed Giodcocho Palmerio.
Readers hoping to draw clear parallels with known pontiffs will likely be disappointed, as the prophecies are almost entirely indecipherable. The editor does not interpret or elaborate on the specific prophecies, leaving that task to the reader. He acknowledges the puzzling nature of the prophecies, stating:
"While identifying the popes mentioned in the probably inauthentic prophecies attributed to St. Malachy is a relatively simple task, understanding the prophetic statements attributed to Blessed Joachim is far from simple (as any aspiring interpreter will soon discover!). Nevertheless, the translator's hope is that modern readers may find these mystical oracles, despite their obscurity and ambiguity, beautiful, striking, and thought-provoking."
My attempts to understand the prophecies led me nowhere, but I noticed several emerging themes.
First, the apocalyptic nature of the writings is evident: for example, Oracle XV states, "It is the final beast, terrible in aspect, which will bring down the stars from the heavens," using cosmic and final language reminiscent of the Book of Revelation.
Second, the succession of popes oscillates between good, evil, and conflicted.
"Fraudulently, you entered, powerfully, you ruled. But weeping, you shall die!" (Oracle VI) suggests a corrupt leader, while the virtues of the pope in Oracle XVI are praised:
"A good work! He will give a treasure to the poor."
Some reigns are not as simple: Oracle XXVIII celebrates the "second life" of a man from an important family, but predicts that "after only two years, he will return to the rock, dead." The distinction between pope and antipope is not made, leaving much room for retrospective speculation.
Third, the author references familiar figures to highlight the future characteristics of popes. Nero makes several appearances, representing a kind of Antichrist. Simon Magus is mentioned as a present adversary, perhaps alluding to the rise of various forms of Gnosticism in the Middle Ages. Joachim of Fiore also uses popular allegorical imagery: the dove, the fox, and the she-bear are frequently used devices, delineating the various shades of virtue, vice, and duplicity.
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Another interesting element of the book is the reproduction of original sketches that accompany each prophecy. As the editor notes, the images are not merely supplementary but are an integral part of each prophecy. They are striking depictions of each pope in question, rich in symbolism and always bearing the inimitable papal tiara.
Overall, this volume is a fascinating primary source from a relatively unknown abbot of an obscure period, made accessible to a new generation of Catholics who are often led to meditate on the role of the papacy. It may not contain many direct answers, but it will be valuable for scholars of the medieval Church and apocalyptic prophecy.
This article was originally published by Catholic Exchange and then translated by LeCatho | Original link.