Pope Benedict announces resignation! Might he fulfill Catholic prophecies and COGwriter speculation?

Pope Benedict XVI Sitting & Wearing White

Is there just one Pontiff past Pope Benedictus XVI?

The Pontiff of the Church of Rome announced his resignation:

11 February 2013

Pope Benedict XVI Says He Will Resign

ROME – Citing advanced years and infirmity, Pope Benedict XVI stunned the Roman Catholic world on Monday by saying that he would resign on Feb. 28 after less than eight years in office, the first pope to do so in six centuries…

“In today’s world,” the pope said, “subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the bark of St. Peter and proclaim the gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me.”

“For this reason,” he continued, “and well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom, I declare that I renounce the ministry of bishop of Rome, successor of St. Peter.”

Pope Benedict XVI To Resign On Feb. 28 Due To Health Concerns

Pope Benedict XVI announced Monday that he would resign on Feb. 28 — the first pontiff to do so in nearly 600 years.

Now, as far as “apostolic succession” goes, those interested in learning more about that should read the article titled Apostolic Succession.

In the past, some have criticized me for following a practice in the Church of God to sometimes cite non-biblical prophecies and explain what they may mean from a Christian perspective. But this is an established practice as fair-minded seekers of the truth (who may wish to be like the Bereans of Acts 17:10-11) have long done (cf. (Acts 17:28; Hill, David Jon. Will you be deceived by Antichrist? Good News magazine of the Radio Church of God, October 1964, pp. 9-12,18; Hill DJ. Christ or Antichrist. Good News magazine, Radio Church of God, April 1961, pp. 10-11; Stump K. Arab world in prophecy. Plain Truth magazine, Worldwide Church of God, December 1979, pp. 11-12). Where I have differed is mainly in looking at more of them than others I am aware of, but by also attempting to show when they tie to scriptures in the Bible.

Anyway, got an email from someone today that stated:

Hi, Bob,

Seems like you missed a good chance to prophesy that the pope was going to resign (first time in 600 years!).

But no worries, who’s your money on for his successor? If you get it right, it will greatly enhance your cred.

Il papa si è dimesso. Viva il papa!

___

My response was:

Dear ___:

Actually, I am pretty sure that I did write that he might resign.

Best regards,

Bob Thiel

So, after sending the above email, I found that the headline of a post I made on April 8, 2012 was Might Pope Benedict XVI Resign? Also I found the following that I posted on July 19, 2008 (One More Pope?):

In the 12th century, a Catholic saint named Malachy predicted, with what some to believe is complete accuracy, every pope since 1143. When it his list became public in the 16th century, it was considered to have been so accurate in predicting the 12th – 16th century pontiffs, that some thought it that it had not been written until the 16th century.

While its original date is hard to absolutely prove (I tend to accept the 12th century date), many of the post 16th century predictions on Malachy’s list have apparently come true. Some Catholics have written the following about it:

…a list…attributed to St. Malachy…has given fitting descriptions of every pope since the 16th century, when it was discovered (Dupont, Yves. Catholic Prophecy: The Coming Chastisement. TAN Books, Rockford (IL), 1973, p.19).

…the vast majority of Malachy’s predictions about successive Popes is amazingly accurate (Bander, Peter. Introductory commentary in The Prophecies of St. Malachy. TAN Books, Rockford (IL), 1973, p. 11).

I should add that Malachy’s list includes several leaders that the Roman Catholics call antipopes (e.g. Clement VII, Benedict XIII, Felix V, Alexander V, etc.) and those are inserted sometimes together as opposed to always being in strict chronological order. The fact that Malachy’s list is NOT completely accurate should show people that the list was not inspired by God. But it is accurate enough that I believe that the False Prophet will point to it as further “proof” that the Roman Catholic Church is the proper church, and many people will be deceived.

Specifically, I believe that the False Prophet (like most other Catholic bishops have) will falsely claim that there were bishops in Rome from Peter onwards (which is untrue, please see chapter ), that there have been bishops of Rome from the 2nd through 21st centuries (which is essentially true, though some were in France), and that since Malachy’s list has accurately predicted every pope since the middle of the 12th century (which is not quite true as the list includes what Catholics would consider to be false or “antipopes” without indicating that they would be false), that therefore the Roman Catholic Church is the one true Christian faith (which is untrue).

Now if Malachy’s prophecies on the popes is a complete list, there is only one pope left to come after Benedict XVI.

Since some other Catholic prophecies that state prior to the last pope, another pope will flee and die, then (if these prophecies are accurate) this would mean that this would happen with the current pope (who is elderly and German). Therefore, the following are Catholic prophecies that might apply to Pope Benedict XVI:

Nun Emmerich (19th century): I also saw the Holy Father– God-fearing and prayerful. Nothing left to be desired in his appearance, but he was weakened by old age and by much suffering (Dupont p. 68).

Helen Wallraff (19th century): Some day a pope will flee from Rome in the company of only four cardinals . . . and they will come to Koeln [Cologne] (Dupont, p. 78).

The Prophecy of Premol (5th century): And I see the King of Rome and his Cross and his tiara, shaking the dust off of his shoes, and hastening his flight to other shores. Thy Church, O Lord, is torn apart by her own children. One camp is faithful to the fleeing Pontiff, the other is subject to the new government of Rome which has broken the tiara. But Almighty God will, in His mercy, put an end to this confusion and a new age will begin. Then, said the Spirit, this is the beginning of the End of Time.

Comment: From this prophecy, it is clear that the true Church will be faithful to the Pope in exile; whereas the new Pope in Rome will be, in fact, an anti-pope…a large number of Catholics will be misled into accepting the leadership of the anti-pope (Dupont, pp. 72-73). {Note the comment is from Dupont personally}.

So if the current pope flees and goes to Cologne (Germany) he might fulfill those prophecies.

However, it should be noted that decades ago, the editor of a book I own on Malachy’s list specifically wrote that Malachy’s list does not require that there could be no other popes prior to the last one. Notice:

Some medieval interpreters have gone out of their way to stress that Malachy in his prophecies does not specifically mention that no Popes reign between Gloria Olivae and the last Petrus Romanus; nor on the other hand does he mention that there will be others (Bander, p.96).

So, the above does give the Roman Catholics “wiggle room” if there remains more than one pope left. But if there is only one, the next one would likely be the False Prophet of Revelation 16:13.

Notice also the following prophecy:

St. Malachy (12th century): During the persecution of the Holy Roman Church, there will sit upon the throne, Peter the Roman…the City of Seven Hills (Rome) will be utterly destroyed (Culleton, R. Gerald. The Prophets and Our Times. Nihil Obstat: L. Arvin. Imprimatur: Philip G. Scher, Bishop of Monterey-Fresno, November 15, 1941. Reprint 1974, TAN Books, Rockford (IL), p. 138).

Notice that the final Pope sits on the City of Seven Hills (which the Catholic writer G. Culleton labeled Rome Babylon the Great sits on in Revelation 17:9—…but then God has it destroyed in verses 14-18.

Certain Catholic prophecies warn that a major “antipope” is to come—and since this has not happened—they could be interpreted to mean that the next pope is likely to be an antipope:

Anna-Katarina Emmerick (19th century): I saw again a new and odd-looking Church which they were trying to build. There was nothing holy about it… (Dupont, p. 116)

Yves Dupont {writer interpreting A. Emmerick}: They wanted to make a new Church, a Church of human manufacture, but God had other designs…The Holy Father shall have to leave Rome, and he shall die a cruel death. An anti-pope shall be set up in Rome (Dupont, p. 116).

Jeanne le Royer (d. 1798): I see that when the Second Coming of Christ approaches a bad priest will do much harm to the Church (Culligan E. The Last World War and the End of Time. The book was blessed by Pope Paul VI, 1966. TAN Books, Rockford (IL), p. 128).

Yves Dupont {reader and collector of Catholic prophecies}: “prophecies are quite explicit about the election of an anti-pope…Many prophecies predict an anti-pope and a schism ” (Dupont, pp. 34,60-61).

Catholic priest and writer R. Gerald Culleton (20th century): A schism of short duration is destined to break out…An antipope, of German origin, is to be set up, and finally Rome itself will be destroyed” (Culleton, p. 42).

Frederick William Faber (died 1863): Antichrist…Many believe in a demonical incarnation–this will not be so–but he will be utterly possessed…His doctrine as apparent contradiction of no religion, yet a new religion…He has an attending pontiff, so separating regal and prophetic office (Connor, Edward. Prophecy for Today. Imprimatur + A.J. Willinger, Bishop of Monterey-Fresno; Reprint: Tan Books and Publishers, Rockford (IL), 1984, p. 87).

Blessed Joachim (died 1202): Towards the end of the world Antichrist will overthrow the Pope and usurp his See (Connor, p. 76).

Merlin (7th century): There will come a German Anti-Pope. Italy and Germany will be sorely troubled. A French King will restore the true Pope (Culleton, p. 132).

St. Francis of Assisi (d. 1226): There will be an uncanonically elected pope who will cause a great Schism, there will be divers thoughts preached which will cause many, even those in the different orders, to doubt, yea even agree with those heretics which will cause My order to divide, then will there be such universal dissentions and persecutions that if these days were not shortened even the elect would be lost (Culleton, p. 130).

Priest E. Sylvester Berry (published 1920): It has been a matter of history that the most disastrous periods for the Church were times when the Papal throne was vacant or when anti-popes contended with the legitimate head of the Church. Thus shall it be in those evil days to come (Berry ES. The Apocalypse of St. John, 1920. Quoted in Culleton RG. The Reign of Antichrist. Reprint 1974, TAN Books, Rockford (IL), p. 195).

Catholic writer and priest P. Huchedé (19th century): …the false prophet…will not be a king, nor a general of an army, but a clever apostate, fallen from episcopal dignity. From being an apostle of the Gospel he will become the first preacher of the false messiah…(Huchedé, P. Translated by JBD. History of Antichrist. Imprimatur Edward Charles Fabre, Bishop of Montreal. English edition 1884, Reprint 1976. TAN Books, Rockford (IL), p. 24).

Priest Herman Kramer (20th century): This false prophet possibly at the behest of Antichrist usurps the papal supremacy…His assumed spiritual authority and supremacy over the Church would make him resemble the Bishop of Rome…He would be Pontifex Maximus, a title of pagan emperors, having spiritual and temporal authority. Assuming authority without having it makes him the False Prophet…Though he poses as a lamb, his doctrines betray him (Kramer H.B. L. The Book of Destiny. Nihil Obstat: J.S. Considine, O.P., Censor Deputatus. Imprimatur: +Joseph M. Mueller, Bishop of Sioux City, Iowa, January 26, 1956.Reprint TAN Books, Rockford (IL), p. 319).

Thus there are many Catholic writers who have warned of some type of an antipope, and that he could even be the False Prophet.

And, it is highly possible that this could be the next Pope (or antipope).

Thus I made a speculative prediction back in 2008 that Pope Benedict XVI might leave Rome, and now he has indirectly suggested that he may. And in April 2012, I and the church I was then part of speculated that Benedict XVI might resign (see Might Pope Benedict XVI Resign?).

On July 3, 2012, I posted (see Pope Appoints New Head for Inquisition Office: A Candidate to be the Final Antichrist?):

If the current pope actually resigns, and he has suggested that he might, it may well be that he may further influence who will be the next pope. And, it may be that he may try to promote Cardinal Marc Ouellet, Cardinal Kurt Koch, or Archbishop Gerhard Ludwig Müller to be the next pope. And the next pope may well be the final antipope/antichrist.

Interestingly, various Catholic private prophecies have suggested that more than one “pope” could be alive at the time of the end, and now this is looking likely (although how long Pope Benedict XVI or the next pontiff will actually live is unknown). Although God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33), Satan often is and has plans to deceive many–and I have long believed that certain private Catholic prophecies would be part of that deception.

Now, I was sufficiently serious about the final pontiff matter years ago that our family spent a significant amount of money to purchase a URL related to a book that I have been working on related this.

And by the way, related to some of the Catholic prophecies cited in 2008, back on June 15, 2012 I posted (Battles of Pope Benedict XVI: An Antipope Soon to Arise?):

Pope Benedict himself has suggested that perhaps he might retire from the papacy for someone else to takeover. If he does that, or perhaps even if he does not, he may actually fulfill certain Catholicprophecies, like some of the following:

Nun Emmerich (19th century): I also saw the Holy Father– God-fearing and prayerful. Nothing left to be desired in his appearance, but he was weakened by old age and by much suffering (Dupont Yves. Catholic Prophecy: The Coming Chastisement. TAN Books, Rockford (IL), 1973, p. 68).

Helen Wallraff (19th century): Some day a pope will flee from Rome in the company of only four cardinals . . . and they will come to Koeln [Cologne] (Dupont, p. 78).

The Prophecy of Premol (5th century): And I see the King of Rome and his Cross and his tiara, shaking the dust off of his shoes, and hastening his flight to other shores. Thy Church, O Lord, is torn apart by her own children. One camp is faithful to the fleeing Pontiff, the other is subject to the new government of Rome which has broken the tiara. But Almighty God will, in His mercy, put an end to this confusion and a new age will begin. Then, said the Spirit, this is the beginning of the End of Time.

Comment: From this prophecy, it is clear that the true Church will be faithful to the Pope in exile; whereas the new Pope in Rome will be, in fact, an anti-pope…a large number of Catholics will be misled into accepting the leadership of the anti-pope (Dupont, pp. 72-73). {Note the comment is from Yves Dupont personally}.

The above are interesting for many reasons, including the fact that the current pope is “weakened by old age and much suffering” and it would also seem logical that this German pontiff may wish to go to Cologne, Germany.

And if Pope Benedict does end up in Cologne, Germany (which he has not yet stated–he is suggesting staying in Italy, at least for a while) it is highly likely that Church of Rome supporters will use this and other matters as proof that their church has the proper gift of prophecy. And that type of situation is part of what I have warned about for years related to Catholic private-prophecies.

There are many reasons that people will be deceived at the time of the end (Matthew 24:24; 2 Thessalonians 2:7-12)–and misunderstandings of the source of prophecies and their applicability will be part of that.

Perhaps I should also add that despite various ones who tried to tell me that Pope Benedict XVI was the final Antichrist, in my book, 2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect, published back in 2009, I wrote:

I also want to make it clear that I do not believe that Pope Benedict XVI is the final prophesied Antichrist…(Thiel B. 2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect. Nazarene Books, 2009, p. 198)

And the pontiff’s resignation has shown that writing to apparently be correct.

We are living in the end times and it is certainly possible that the next pope will be the final Antichrist.

Why?

Because we are nearly finished with the 6,000 years that God has given humankind to rule itself.

The idea that God Had a 6,000 year plan was a common belief in the first few centuries of Christendom, and is still held by groups such as the Continuing Church of God; and was even held by some in the Church of Rome in the 20th century (for details, please see Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End?). Biblical chronology suggests that this 6,000 years is nearly over.

So, it is possible that the next pope will be the antipope of Catholic prophecies and the final Antichrist of biblical prophecies. We are living in the last days.

Articles of related interest may include:

Some Doctrines of Antichrist Are there any doctrines taught outside the Churches of God which can be considered as doctrines of antichrist? This article suggests at least three. It also provides information on 666 and the identity of “the false prophet”. Plus it shows that several Catholic writers seem to warn about an ecumenical antipope that will support heresy.
Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? Does God have 7,000 year plan? What year may the six thousand years of human rule end? When will Jesus return? 2019 or 202x?
Apostolic Succession What really happened? Did structure and beliefs change? Are many of the widely-held current understandings of this even possible? Did you know that Catholic scholars really do not believe that several of the claimed “apostolic sees” of the Orthodox have apostolic succession–despite the fact that the current pontiff himself seems to wish to ignore this view? Is there actually a true church that has ties to any of the apostles that is not part of the Catholic or Orthodox churches? Read this article if you truly are interested in the truth on this matter!
How To Determine If Someone is a True Prophet of God There are many false prophets. How can Christians determine who is a true prophet?
2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect This is a link related to a book by Bob Thiel (COGwriter). This link also has YouTube videos. This book documents and explains hundreds of prophecies. And since it was published, world events have aligned with at least 33 predictions in the book and many more will to come to pass. Those who purchase the book at the www.thesecretsect.com website receive a lengthy bonus report documenting world events that aligned with the book.
2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect (English Kindle edition). This is the 2nd edition of the book, released in January 2012, and includes a summary of many of the predictions that world events have aligned with since the book originally came out in September 2009.
2012 y el surgimiento de la secta secreta 2012 libro del Dr. Thiel en Español.
2012 und das Auftreten der geheimen Sekte (German Edition) 2012 Buch von Dr. Thiel in deutscher Sprache. 2012 und das Auftreten der geheimen Sekte (German Kindle Edition)
2012 e o Surgimento da Seita Secreta (Portuguese Edition) 2012 livro do Dr. Thiel em português. Este livro documenta e explica centenas de profecias. E desde que foi publicado pela primeira vez, pelo menos 33 já começaram a acontecer.
2012 e o Surgimento da Seita Secreta (2 ª Edição em português do Brasil): Um Guia Revolucionário de Sobrevivência Espiritual e Física para 2012-2020 (Portuguese Edition) 2012 livro do Dr. Thiel. 2 ª edição em português do Brasil. Este livro documenta e explica centenas de profecias. E desde que foi publicado pela primeira vez, pelo menos 33 já começaram a acontecer.2012 e o Surgimento da Seita Secreta (KINDLE Edição em português do Brasil) 2 ª edição.-Kindle.
Do Certain Catholic Prophecies About Antichrist Warn Against Jesus? Will the final “Anti-Christ” be Jewish, insist on Saturday, be opposed to the trinity, and bring in the millennium? Catholic writings indicate this, but what does the Bible show?
The Antichrist Quiz Do you really know much about the Antichrist?
Why Be Concerned About False and Heretical Leaders? There have been many false leaders–here is some of why you should be concerned about them.
Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Continuing Church of God? Do you know that both groups shared a lot of the earliest teachings? Do you know which church changed? Do you know which group is most faithful to the teachings of the apostolic church? Which group best represents true Christianity? This documented article answers those questions.