The ascension of Pope Francis to the papacy got the cyberworld (go search google and youtube) speculating wildly, particularly in regard to the 12th century prophecy of St. Malachy that Petrus Romanus or Peter the Roman would come after the resigned Pope Emeritus Benedict the XVI. And after this Peter, “the end”.
Where in Pope Francis is Peter the Roman? He is Argentinian, although his parents are migrants from Italy.
Was the prophecy wrong after all?
But wait. Before the last conclave which elected him pope, Francis was quoted to have stressed that the mission of the conclave was not only to elect a pope, but also to pick the bishop of Rome which he now is.
Does not this make him, in such sense, a Roman?
Assuming then that the pope can therefore be properly referred to as Roman, where is the name Peter as contained in St. Malachy’s prophecy?
The Pope, then Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, did not expect to be elected in the conclave. His name was not in the list of papabili and had bought himself a two-way ticket to his native Buenos Aires.
So when he was elected pope, he did not have in mind a name for himself as pope until, seconds after he won, a cardinal whispered to him, “Don’t forget the poor.”
In a press conference later, Pope Francis said that the reminder was what instantaneously gave him the idea to choose the name Francis, as in St. Francis of Assisi.
Here’s the surprise. The full name of St. Francis of Assisi: FRANCISCO DI PIETRO DI BERNARDONE. In other words, Francis Peter Bernardone.
Pope Francis, Bishop of Rome, therefore, chose a name of a saint whose full name also contains Peter.
Would the name Peter the Roman be thus appropriate for him? And that after his term, as St. Malachy wrote, “THE END”?
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In 1982, the Blessed Virgin Mary gave Medjugorje visionary Marija all the 10 secrets. Since then the Blessed Mother stopped appearing to her daily, but promised to appear yearly during Marija’s birthday on March 18. She did last March 18 and conveyed through Marija yet another message for us as follows:
“Dear children! I call you to, with complete trust and joy, bless the name of the Lord and, day by day, to give Him thanks from the heart for His great love. My Son, through that love which He showed by the Cross, gave you the possibility to be forgiven for everything; so that you do not have to be ashamed or to hide, and out of fear not to open the door of your heart to my Son.
To the contrary, my children, reconcile with the Heavenly Father so that you may be able to come to love yourselves as my Son loves you. When you come to love yourselves, you will also love others; in them you will see my Son and recognize the greatness of His Love. Live in faith!
Through me, my Son is preparing you for the works which He desires to do through you – works through which He desires to be glorified. Give Him thanks. Especially thank Him for the shepherds – for your intercessors in the reconciliation with the Heavenly Father. I am thanking you, my children. Thank you.”
