Author: Jimmy Akin
Jimmy was born in Texas, grew up nominally Protestant, but at age 20 experienced a profound conversion to Christ. Planning on becoming a Protestant seminary professor, he started an intensive study of the Bible. But the more he immersed himself in Scripture the more he found to support the Catholic faith, and in 1992 he entered the Catholic Church. His conversion story, "A Triumph and a Tragedy," is published in Surprised by Truth. Besides being an author, Jimmy is the Senior Apologist at Catholic Answers, a contributing editor to Catholic Answers Magazine, and a weekly guest on "Catholic Answers Live."
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I thought the same thing about #2. I don’t think I breathed until he finished the sentence with “Ratzinger.”
I hope we start to see some real changes, real reform, in the Church, not just in a few isolated pockets like under John Paul the Great’s papacy. I hope we finally have a Pope who will enforce Vatican directives and Church teachings, and do so without ambiguity. I hope we’ve seen the day when Vatican documents won’t just be loads of hot-air, but something of real practicality. I can’t wait to see!
Anybody but me notice that it seemed that Ratzinger was using the “royal plural” when referring to himself (e.g. “We . . . Us”), or that he referred to his predecessor as “the Great”? Does this make it an official title for John Paul II?
I like what I see so far. I hope he doesn’t lose his momentum.
My four years of latin at cardinal newman High School in Montreal is just too far in the past to translate the latin before the english translation kicked in. Well done Jimmy.
Well, watching NBC’s coverage, right before they pulled the curtains shut to prepare for His Holiness’ first public appearance to the faithful, I caught a quick glimpse of Pope Benedict XVI back in the shadows — that is, I caught a glimpse of an elderly white-haired man wearing papal vestments, and the man looked an awful lot like Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger.
So when I heard Cardinal Medina Estevez said, “Josephum,” I knew that my eyes hadn’t deceived me.
I don’t see that happening.
Judging from the translations I’ve seen, it seems that he used the first person singular where he meant himself (“I am consoled by the fact… and I especially trust in your prayers”), and the plural when he might reasonably be supposed to be including his hearers (“…we go ahead, sure that God will help, and Mary, his most beloved mother, stands on our side”).
Did he? I read him saying “our great pope, John Paul II.” Is that the same as “John Paul the Great”?
Can you delete satan’s helper’s comments?
Let’s say a prayer for Jimmy’s visitor “Joe” before his vile posts are deleted.
Have mercy on us and on the whole world.
‘thann
If you’re getting tasteless fisks from misguided folks, it’s certainly a call to pray hard for our new Holy Father. His cross will be heavy, but, with God’s Grace and Mercy, he’ll carry it well.
Well, I never liked Jimmy’s hat myself.
But that doesn’t excuse Joe. I think an anathema is in order.
Have mercy on us and on the whole world.
For the benefit of those who will be reading this after the comments are deleted: Some lost soul using the name “Joe” posted some profane stuff.
Certainly signs of what is to come. 95% of me is elated for what the new Holy Father has in store for us. 5% of me (the baser side of me to be sure) is really looking forward to the coming hysterics from the heterodox and the MSM. Pop some popcorn ladies and gentlemen. It’s going to be quite a show… 🙂
Viva la Papa!
Joe the Troll must have wandered in from the Benighted Lands of Beliefnet, judging by the wailing and gnashing of teeth that is going on over there.
The snakes come out of their nests and rattle their tails when they know that something dangerous approaches. I have a feeling that the new Pope will drive many snakes from their nests. Joe is just one of many….
The Catholics have much to rejoice about today. Your heads are held to high to see the the serpents being crushed under your heals.
By the way Jimmy, from an Okie to a Texan–I love the hat!
D’you think JPII suspected Ratzinger might be next? WYD in Germany and all…
Anyway, I am so Happy!!!
I’m still bouncing off the walls! WOOOOoooooooOOOOOOTTTTTTT!!!!
D’you think JPII suspected Ratzinger might be next? WYD in Germany and all…
The thought occured to me as well.
1-Yeah. Can’t argue with that.
2-Ditto.
3-ever so cool.
Joe…I haven’t read your posts, sed…ANATHAMA SINT!!!
It occured to me that, while I had prayed that God would give us the best shepherd possible in His infinite wisdom, I hadn’t dared ask for Ratzinger by name. But, if I had been offered the opportunity to choose the next pope, without hesitation, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger would have my choice. What a great day! Long live Pope Benedict XVI!
Hi Jimmy,
Remember the prophecy of St. Malachy?
Commentators have been saying that the next pope after JPII (and who Malachy wrote of as ‘Gloria Olivae’) would probably be either a Jew or from the order of St. Benedict (a reference to ‘olive’).
Now we have a Pope Benedict. Coincidence?
Francis
Francis,
That prophecy was a Renaissance hoax.
May be a hoax, but that still does not explain the connections that each of the subsequent titles have had with the person in question. At most, it’s either a self-fulfilling prophecy or “grabbing at straws” that people find coincidences where none reside. My hair stood up when I heard that he took the name “Benedict”: but I imagine that since there are people well-versed in the “prophesy”, surely even Cardinal Ratzinger knows. No stock in it one way or another, but it is some interesting food for thought.
Joe..what the heck? Anathama whatever he said.
1-I agree
2-I guessed it was Ratzinger and a fellow student guesssed it was Benedict or Leo. I wasn’t suprised, but when I heard ‘Joeseph’, I knew…
3-I take latin, so I understood.
HABEMUS PAPAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
May be a hoax, but that still does not explain the connections that each of the subsequent titles have had with the person in question.
If it was a Latin or African Pope, they would have said the prophecy was a reference to skin color. If an Italian or other Mediterranean, a reference to country of origin. The so-called prophetic titles are so vague that with a little imagination, you could make any one of them fit to any pope.
It has begun:
NY Times
Am I deaf? Did I miss what happened according to this commentary?
Does anybody know if our new Pope’s books, especially Salt of the Earth are published in full on the web anywhere? Thanks.
1. I think Pope Benedict’s big smile when he came out to greet the people of Rome and the world was in part inspired by the fact that he knew his old friend was with him in that walk, and will be a powerful intercessor.
2. When he said Joseph, I decided it was Ratzinger and put up a silent cheer.
3. I took Latin, and could follow, but I think a lot of people could follow a good portion of it with a good knowledge of English roots.
This from the NYT piece Nick linked:
“The reception to Benedict XVI was much more measured, punctuated by polite applause.”
Um, I’ve only heard the announcement of Pope Benedict XVI on the radio but it was not “measured” or “polite applause” – more of a tumultuous roar to my ears!
Perhaps the NYT has hired the same guys responsible for the infamous “Clinton booed after heart attack by bloodthirsty Republicans” story.
. “The so-called prophetic titles are so vague that with a little imagination, you could make any one of them fit to any pope”
Oh Really? So if Cardinal Mahoney had been elected, how would that title fit him?
Maybe it is a hoax, but Sandra certainly provides no evidence of this. She just keeps repeating over and over that it’s a hoax without the historical proof. Without hard proof that it’s a hoax, it would seem the prudent thing to do is to reserve judgement.
The glory of the olive is its oil.
Hollywood people are often oily.
The late Pope often greeted Mahoney as “Cardinal Hollywood”.
Q.E.D.
Folks, you need no other proof of the hoax than the warning of Christ about paying heed to prophesies that purport to pinpoint the End of the World. Google to your hearts’ content, if you prefer, but Jesus made it very simple.
As for the crowd’s reaction, I have to say that at the time, I did notice it become more uneven, as compared to the more thorough cheers when Cardinal Medina Estevez came out initially. But I think spinning it is difficult, because the announcement itself departed from the precedents, and I thought folks were trying to decipher the new mode of announcement.
“The glory of the olive is its oil.
Hollywood people are often oily.
The late Pope often greeted Mahoney as ‘Cardinal Hollywood'”.
Now you’re really stretching!
Well, that’s how a lot of the Malachy crap gets stretched. It was well within the substance, though more jocular in style, I admit.
Btw, Mahoney’s first episcopal appointment was to Fresno, home to California’s olive industry’s headquarters.
If Mahoney were elected, someone would have found a connection.
Btw, the new Pope did not use the royal plural. And he deliberately used a different syntax for referring to the greatness of his predecessor: as an adjective rather than as a title.
The term “Great” is one bestowed by custom and history, not by popes; it would be innovative and non-traditional to do otherwise, in fact.
“Woe to you when all men speak well of you.”
On the other hand, I think Pope Benedict has little to worry about on that aspect.
I still don’t see how it could be applied to just anyone. I mean, if it had been say, Cardinal Ouellet, it would have been difficult to maintain the association. Quebec is not known for olives- or for oily characters- although Pierre Trudeau comes close. 😉
You’re gonna laugh, but Ouellet is a Sulpician, founded by JJ Olier…the kind of weird connections often made in concording the Malachy dicta.
Pay attention to what Christ said. Not what Malachy did or did not say. Even if it were true, it would be private revelation, and the new Pope is *REALLY* hostile to giving too much credence to such stuff, MUCH more so than his predecessor.
Will Pope Benedict XVI’s reign last long enough to see 2017?
It might be good to have a German pope for the 500th anniversary of the Reformation…
One more comment about the NYT article —
One theologian, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, called Cardinal Ratzinger “John Paul II, without the imagination.”
I wonder Pope Benedict XIV ever feels the need to gossip like a bratty schoolgirl on the condition of anonymity. I suspect not.
Whoops. XVI, of course.
I was talking to my daughter on the phone this evening. The big news, of course, was the election of the new pope. My daughter came into the Church this Easter vigil, and she is in love with the Church and the Eucharist.
When I told her who the new pope was, she was a little confused. After a few minutes, I realized the problem. She thought that a cardinal rap singer had been elected pope.
Ben one six, maybe?
LawfulGood,
“Viva la Papa” means “Long live the Potato.” 😉
¡Viva el Papa!
Quite apt for me. I live in Idaho.
“Pay attention to what Christ said. Not what Malachy did or did not say. Even if it were true, it would be private revelation, and the new Pope is *REALLY* hostile to giving too much credence to such stuff, MUCH more so than his predecessor.”
Well, it’s obviously untrue that Pope Benedict XVI is “*REALLY* hostile to giving too much credence to” private revelations, judging from what he wrote about the Third Secret of Fatima. But it’s certainly wise not to get carried away with things like the purported Prophecy of St. Malachy. The way I see it, we won’t have to wait long to find out if the prophecy is legitimate or not — the next Pope is supposed to be the last one. I know some prophecy kooks have already invented a loophole, claiming that there may be an unknown number of unmentioned Popes between Gloria Olivae and Petrus Romanus, but that attempt to salvage the prophecy in case it fails really won’t work, because the Prophecy of St. Malachy won’t be as interesting when it no longer predicts who the next Pope will be.
Anyone know if Pope Benedict’s Mass at the Sistine Chapel, supposed to take place Wednesday at 9AM, is going to be televised?
I never thought i’d say this, but I love ‘Papa- Ratzi’
God Bless.
“Folks, you need no other proof of the hoax than the warning of Christ about paying heed to prophesies that purport to pinpoint the End of the World.” Liam, nothing in the prophecies makes any reference to any relation to “the end of the world”!
“The reception to Benedict XVI was much more measured, punctuated by polite applause.”
LOL. Maybe those folks turned the volume down real low.. or maybe the TV reception was poor..
Press
What is the end of the so-called prophesy, then?
“”In the final persecution of the Holy Roman Church there will reign Petrus Romanus, who will feed his flock amid many tribulations; after which the seven-hilled city will be destroyed and the dreadful Judge will judge the people.”
That, metaphorically, is a description of the End.
IGNORE the whole crap.
“‘Folks, you need no other proof of the hoax than the warning of Christ about paying heed to prophesies that purport to pinpoint the End of the World.’ Liam, nothing in the prophecies makes any reference to any relation to ‘the end of the world’!”
Sorry, but the St. Malachy prophecy ends with a reference to the end of the world.
However, it should be clarified that the St. Malachy prophecy does not actually purport to pinpoint “the day or the hour” of the end of the world. It lists the Popes from the time of St. Malachy until the end, but provides no dates or any means of calculating when the end would come, apart from more general speculations based on how many Popes we purportedly have left until the end.
Now, on the face of it, there’s nothing impossible about a private revelation of the papal succession until the return of Christ. You can compare it to the biblical revelation of the kings of the north and kings of the south in Daniel 11, which provides an astonishingly detailed royal succession of Seleucid and Ptolemaic kings down to the time of Antiochus Epiphanes. Many claim that chapter is a spurious prophecy, history misleadingly portrayed as prophecy to deceive people into thinking the Book of Daniel is divinely inspired — but of course that view is irreconcilable with the Catholic faith. But you can see how people could come up with that “explanation” of the accuracy of Daniel’s prophecy. Maybe — maybe — St. Malachy’s prophecy is like that, genuine but looking pretty suspiciously like a forgery. Like I’ve said before, since there is only supposed to be one more Pope after this one, we shouldn’t have too long to wait to find out. But let’s not get carried away with these private revelations. If they end up being confirmed, give God glory. If not, well, they were only private revelations, which often are illegitimate, not of God at all.
“If Mahoney were elected, someone would have found a connection.”
Well, the new L.A. cathedral is sorta near Olvera Street, and “Olvera” sorta *sounds* like “olive”…
“Pay attention to what Christ said. Not what Malachy did or did not say. Even if it were true, it would be private revelation, ”
Private revelation it might be, if true, but the effects are very public, just as Fatima was.
I agree with Press. It’s prudent to check it out one way or the other. It shouldn’t be surprising if our heavenly home sends messages once in a while to guide us folks still here on earth. Though we often get “junk mail” as well.
Francis
>When I told her who the new pope was,
>she was a little confused. After a few
>minutes, I realized the problem. She
>thought that a cardinal rap singer had
>been elected pope.
Just one clarification here. My daughter is 11. I’d expect an adult to know a little more about such things. 🙂
What an exciting moment. When the cardinal said Joseph…..and took that huge pause I actually leaned forward and held my breath. When the Ratzinger finally came I let out a whoop of joy.
Unitl JPII’s passing I had no idea how many Malachite believers there were. Just last week very sincere people were saying that according to St. Malachy’s prophesy the new pope was going to be either Latin, Indian or black because he was supposed to have olive skin. Now we hear a completely different interpretation.
No offense inteneded to anyone but some Malachites sound like the Catholic version of the Left Behind gang and if you’ve ever been unlucky enough to have read any of the Left Behind books you’ll know that’s not a good thing.