The Prophecy of St Francis

Just before his death, St. Francis of Assisi had a gift of prophesy about a future Church crisis such as ours.
 

He described a corrupt pontificate where Our Lord had placed a “non canonically elected destroyer” into the visible seat.
 
This prophecy, with Impramatur, should help resolve the papal legitimacy debate because it defines who Francis is and his role in Church history.
 
 
 

* * *

 
 
 

The Saint Prophesies Great Schisms and Tribulation in the Church

 
A short time before the holy Father’s death, he called together his Children and warned them of the coming troubles saying:
 
‘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, and the 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 true 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 endeavor to draw many into error and death. Then scandals will be multiplied. Our Order will be divided and others 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 fall 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 fervor 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 doing 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 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 underfoot, and deny it. Sanctity of life will be held in derision even by those who outwardly profess it, for in those days, Our Lord Jesus Christ will send them not a true Pastor but a destroyer.
 

Source: WORKS OF THE SERAPHIC FATHER ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI, TRANSLATED BY A RELIGIOUS OF THE ORDER
R. WASHBOURNE, 18 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON, 1882
IMPRAMATUR. +WILLIAM BERNARD, BISHOP OF BIRMINGHAM
 
See Chapter XIII Pages: 248, 249, 250.
 
http://www.saintsbooks.net/books/St.%20Francis%20of%20Assisi%20-%20Works%20of%20the%20Seraphic%20Father.pdf

 
 
 

* * *

 
 
 
Thanks to “Incredulous” for locating the prophecy and providing the link:
http://abplefebvreforums.proboards.com/thread/4245/conciliar-popes
 
So, what can we do, how do we survive the crisis?
 
Take the advice of Pope St Sixtus, who said that the Church would be rescued by two amazing men:
 
St Francis
St Dominic, who promoted a cord
 
And the advice of Our Lady

 
 

1 thought on “The Prophecy of St Francis”

  1. Thank you very much indeed for these prophecies of St. Francis. You may find it interesting that today, besides being the great feastday of the Holy Spirit pouring His gift of Understanding upon us, was the feast of Pope St. Gregory VII.

    Reading through the account of his life by Fr. Prosper Gueranger (1870) I found this passage:

    “Though so near his end, yet was Gregory as full of paternal solicitude for the Church as ever he had been. Calling to him, one by one, the faithful few who stood round his couch, he made them promise on oath that they would never acknowledge Henry as Emperor, until he had made satisfaction to the Church. Summing up all his energy, he solemnly forbade them to recognize any one as Pope, unless he were elected canonically and in accordance with the rules laid down by the holy Fathers.”

    My source is located here: http://catholicharboroffaithandmorals.com/St.%20Gregory%20VII.html

    It is highlighted in red towards the end here:
    http://cor-mariae.proboards.com/thread/3921/saint-gregory-seventh-pope-confessor

    Reply

Leave a Comment