According to Malachy’s prophecies, there will be only one Pope after the reign of Benedict XVI. But the prevailing view of the Vatican today is that they are elaborate forgeries, possibly the work of Jesuit monks in the 1600s. The Catholic Encyclopedia noted, “The last of these prophecies concerns the end of the world and is as follows: ‘In the final persecution of the Holy Roman Church there will reign Peter the Roman, 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.’”
It has been noticed concerning Petrus Romanus that the prophecy does not say no popes will intervene between him and his predecessor designated Gloria olivae [Benedict XVI]. It merely says that he is to be the last pope, leaving the possibility of other popes before “Peter the Roman.”
Those who cast doubt on St. Malachy’s forecast of the last in the long line of the papacy as a prophecy of the end of the world hasten to point out that Jesus Christ declared in the Gospel of Matthew, 26:36, “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”
Vatican Library Chronology
This chronology is from New Advent, “The Vatican and Its History” at www.ibiblio.org/expo/vatican.exhibit/exhibit/History.html.
1451
Pope Nicholas V conceives of a library “for the common convenience of the learned,” and the Vatican Library is born. Nicholas’s collection numbered about 1,160 books.
1475
Pope Sixtus IV brings the Library to life, installing the books in a restored suite of rooms, building up the collection, and naming Bartolomeo Platina as the Vatican’s first formal librarian.
1470–1525
During the High Renaissance, the Library grew enormously. By 1481, a handwritten catalog by Platina shows 3,500 entries. As from its inception, the collections are available without restriction regarding the reader’s religious or other views.
1517
Protestant Reformation begins.
1570–1610
Counter-Reformation. The Library inevitably suffers from the introduction of the Index of banned books (1558) and some limitations on access are imposed.
1623
Most of the rich holdings of the Palatine Library in the Protestant stronghold of Heidelberg become part of the Vatican Library collection as war booty.
Mid–1600s
The Library again welcomes unfettered scholarly pursuit, including by Protestants. It acquires vast new holdings of manuscripts and books, most notably a spectacular assortment of items from distant lands.
1785
Pope Pius VI strictly limits the consultation of manuscripts, prompting Spanish priest Juan Andres to accuse the pope of overseeing a “cemetery of books not a library.”
1883
Pope Leo XIII formally declares the Library open to qualified researchers.
1927–39
The Library of Congress and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace help modernize the Vatican Library’s book catalog system.
1992
Vatican Library holdings number almost 2 million printed books and serials; 75,000 Latin, Greek, Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, Ethiopian, Syriac and other manuscripts from the 2nd Century A.D. on; 65,000 units of archival volumes in 23 deposits or fondi; 100,000 prints, engravings, maps and drawings; 330,000 Greek, Roman and papal coins and medals.
2007
Publication of the Chinon Parchment of 1308 exonerating the Knights Templar of charges of heresy.
2007–10
Closes to the public for renovations/rebuilding for first time in 500 years.
Vatican Archives Chronology
This chronology is from Wikipedia, “Vatican Secret Archives” at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vatican_Secret_Archives.
1883
Pope Leo XIII opened archives dated 1815 or earlier to nonclerical scholars.
1924
Documents opened to the end of the pontificate of Gregory XVI (1846).
1966
Documents opened from the pontificate of Pius IX (1846–78).
1978
Documents opened from the pontificate of Leo XIII (1878–1903).
1985
Documents opened from the pontificates of Pius X (1903–14) and Benedict XV (1914–22).
2002
Pope John Paul II took the extraordinary step of making available, beginning in 2003, some of the documents from the Historical Archives of the Secretariat of State (Second Section), which pertain to the Vatican’s relations with Germany during pontificate of Pius XI (1922–39).
JUNE 2006
Pope Benedict XVI authorized opening of all the Vatican Archives for the pontificate of Pope Pius XI.
The Popes
This list is from New Advent, “The List of Popes” at www.newadvent.org/cathen/12272.html.
St. Peter (32–67)
St. Linus (67–76)
St. Anacletus (Cletus) (76–88)
St. Clement I (88–97)
St. Evaristus (97–105)
St. Alexander I (105–15)
St. Sixtus I (115–25) Also called Xystus I
St. Telesphorus (125–36)
St. Hyginus (136–40)
St. Pius I (140–55)
St. Anicetus (155–66)
St. Soter (166–75)
St. Eleutherius (175–89)
St. Victor I (189–99)
St. Zephyrinus (199–217)
St. Callistus I (217–22)
St. Urban I (222–30)
St. Pontain (230–35)
St. Anterus (235–36)
St. Fabian (236–50)
St. Cornelius (251–53)
St. Lucius I (253–54)
St. Stephen I (254–57)
St. Sixtus II (257–58)
St. Dionysius (260–68)
St. Felix I (269–74)
St. Eutychian (275–83)
St. Caius (283–96) Also called Gaius
St. Marcellinus (296–304)
St. Marcellus I (308–09)
St. Eusebius (309 or 310)
St. Miltiades (311–14)
St. Sylvester I (314–35)
St. Marcus (336)
St. Julius I (337–52)
Liberius (352–66)
St. Damasus I (366–83)
St. Siricius (384–99)
St. Anastasius I (399–401)
St. Innocent I (401–17)
St. Zosimus (417–18)
St. Boniface I (418–22)
St. Celestine I (422–32)
St. Sixtus III (432–40)
St. Leo I (the Great) (440–61)
St. Hilarius (461–68)
St. Simplicius (468–83)
St. Felix III (II) (483–92)
St. Gelasius I (492–96)
Anastasius II (496–98)
St. Symmachus (498–514)
St. Hormisdas (514–23)
St. John I (523–26)
St. Felix IV (III) (526–30)
Boniface II (530–32)
John II (533–35)
St. Agapetus I (535–36) Also called Agapitus I
St. Silverius (536–37)
Vigilius (537–55)
Pelagius I (556–61)
John III (561–74)
Benedict I (575–79)
Pelagius II (579–90)
St. Gregory I (the Great) (590–604)
Sabinian (604–06)
Boniface III (607)
St. Boniface IV (608–15)
St. Deusdedit (Adeodatus I) (615–18)
Boniface V (619–25)
Honorius I (625–38)
Severinus (640)
John IV (640–42)
Theodore I (642–49)
St. Martin I (649–55)
St. Eugene I (655–57)
St. Vitalian (657–72)
Adeodatus (II) (672–76)
Donus (676–78)
St. Agatho (678–81)
St. Leo II (682–
83)
St. Benedict II (684–85)
John V (685–86)
Conon (686–87)
St. Sergius I (687–701)
John VI (701–05)
John VII (705–07)
Sisinnius (708)
Constantine (708–15)
St. Gregory II (715–31)
St. Gregory III (731–41)
St. Zachary (741–52)
Stephen II (752)
Stephen III (752–57)
St. Paul I (757–67)
Stephen IV (767–72)
Adrian I (772–95)
St. Leo III (795–816)
Stephen V (816–17)
St. Paschal I (817–24)
Eugene II (824–27)
Valentine (827)
Gregory IV (827–44)
Sergius II (844–47)
St. Leo IV (847–55)
Benedict III (855–58)
St. Nicholas I (the Great) (858–67)
Adrian II (867–72)
John VIII (872–82)
Marinus I (882–84)
St. Adrian III (884–85)
Stephen VI (885–91)
Formosus (891–96)
Boniface VI (896)
Stephen VII (896–97)
Romanus (897)
Theodore II (897)
John IX (898-900)
Benedict IV (900–03)
Leo V (903)
Sergius III (904–11)
Anastasius III (911–13)
Lando (913–14)
John X (914–28)
Leo VI (928)
Stephen VIII (929–31)
John XI (931–35)
Leo VII (936–39)
Stephen IX (939–42)
Marinus II (942–46)
Agapetus II (946–55)
John XII (955–63)
Leo VIII (963–64)
Benedict V (964)
John XIII (965–72)
Benedict VI (973–74)
Benedict VII (974–83)
John XIV (983–84)
John XV (985–96)
Gregory V (996–99)
Sylvester II (999–1003)
John XVII (1003)
John XVIII (1003–09)
Sergius IV (1009–12)
Benedict VIII (1012–24)
John XIX (1024–32)
Benedict IX (1032–45)
Sylvester III (1045)
Benedict IX (1045)
Gregory VI (1045–46)
Clement II (1046–47)
Benedict IX (1047–48)
Damasus II (1048)
St. Leo IX (1049–54)
Victor II (1055–57)
Stephen X (1057–58)
Nicholas II (1058–61)
Alexander II (1061–73)
St. Gregory VII (1073–85)
Blessed Victor III (1086–87)
Blessed Urban II (1088–99)
Paschal II (1099–1118)
Gelasius II (1118–19)
Callistus II (1119–24)
Honorius II (1124–30)
Innocent II (1130–43)
Celestine II (1143–44)
Lucius II (1144–45)
Blessed Eugene III (1145–53)
Anastasius IV (1153–54)
Adrian IV (1154–59)
Alexander III (1159–81)
Lucius III (1181–85)
Urban III (1185–87)
Gregory VIII (1187)
Clement III (1187–91)
Celestine III (1191–98)
Innocent III (1198–1216)
Honorius III (1216–27)
Gregory IX (1227–41)
Celestine IV (1241)
Innocent IV (1243–54)
Alexander IV (1254–61)
Urban IV (1261–64)
Clement IV (1265–68)
Blessed Gregory X (1271–76)
Blessed Innocent V (1276)
Adrian V (1276)
John XXI (1276–77)
Nicholas III (1277–80)
Martin IV (1281–85)
Honorius IV (1285–87)
Nicholas IV (1288–92)
St. Celestine V (1294)
Boniface VIII (1294–1303)
Blessed Benedict XI (1303–04)
Clement V (1305–14)
John XXII (1316–34)
Benedict XII (1334–42)
Clement VI (1342–52)
Innocent VI (1352–62)
Blessed Urban V (1362–70)
Gregory XI (1370–78)
Urban VI (1378–89)
Boniface IX (1389–1404)
Innocent VII (1406–06)
Gregory XII (1406–15)
Martin V (1417–31)
Eugene IV (1431–47)
Nicholas V (1447–55)
Callistus III (1455-58)
Pius II (1458–64)
Paul II (1464–71)
Sixtus IV (1471–84)
Innocent VIII (1484–92)
Alexander VI (1492–1503)
Pius III (1503)
Julius II (1503–13)
Leo X (1513–21)
Adrian VI (1522–23)
Clement VII (1523–34)
Paul III (1534–49)
Julius III (1550–55)
Marcellus II (1555)
Paul IV (1555–59)
Pius IV (1559–65)
St. Pius V (1566–72)
Gregory XIII (1572–85)
Sixtus V (1585–90)
Urban VII (1590)
Gregory XIV (1590–91)
Innocent IX (1591)
Clement VIII (1592–1605)
Leo XI (1605)
Paul V (1605–21)
Gregory XV (1621–23)
Urban VIII (1623–44)
Innocent X (1644–55)
Alexander VII (1655–67)
Clement IX (1667–69)
Clement X (1670–76)
Blessed Innocent XI (1676–89)
Alexander VIII (1689–91)
Innocent XII (1691–1700)
Clement XI (1700–21)
Innocent XIII (1721–24)
Benedict XIII (1724–30)
Clement XII (1730–40)
Benedict XIV (1740–58)
Clement XIII (1758–69)
Clement XIV (1769–74)
Pius VI (1775–99)
Pius VII (1800–23)
Leo XII (1823–29)
Pius VIII (1829–30)
Gregory XVI (1831–46)
Blessed Pius IX (1846–78)
Leo XIII (1878–1903)
St. Pius X (1903–14)
Benedict XV (1914–22)
Pius XI (1922–39)
Pius XII (1939–58)
Blessed John XXIII (1958–63)
Paul VI (1963–78)
John Paul I (1978)
John Paul II (1978–2005)
Benedict XVI (2005–)
Chinon Parchment
The Chinon Parchment is from In Rebus, “The Chinon Parchment: Were the Knights Pardoned?” at www.inrebus.com/chinon.php.
CHINON, AUGUST 17–20, 1308
In the name of the Lord, amen. We, Berengar, by the mercy of God cardinal presbyter of SS. Nereus and Achileus, and Stephanus, cardinal presbyter of St. Ciriacus in Therminis, and Landolf, cardinal deacon of St. Angel, declare through this official statement directed to all who will read it that since our most holy father and lord Clement, by divine providence the supreme pontific of the holy Roman and universal church, after receiving the word of mouth and also clamorous reports from the illustrious king of France and prelates, dukes, counts, barons and other subjects of the said kingdom, both noblemen and commoners, along with some brothers, presbyters, knights, preceptors and servants of the Templar Order, had initiated an inquiry into matters concerning the brothers, [questions of Catholic faith] and the Rule of the said Order, because of which it suffered public infamy, the very same lord Pope wishing and intending to know the pure, complete and uncompromised truth from the lead
ers of the said Order, namely brother Jacques de Molay, grandmaster of the Order of Knights Templar, brother Raymbaud de Caron, preceptor the commandaries of Templar Knights in Outremer, brother Hugo de Pérraud, preceptor of France, brother Geoffroy de Gonneville, preceptor of Aquitania and Poitou, and Geoffroy of Charny, preceptor of Normandy, ordered and commissioned us specifically and by his verbally expressed will in order that we might with diligence examine the truth by questioning the grandmaster and the aforementioned preceptors—one by one and individually, having summoned notaries public and trustworthy witnesses.
And having acted according to the mandate and commissioned by the said Lord Supreme Pontific, we questioned the aforementioned grandmaster and the preceptors and examined them concerning the matters described above. Their words and confessions were written down exactly the way they are included here by the notaries whose names are listed below in the presence of witnesses listed below. We also ordered these things drawn up in this official form and validated by the protection of our seals.
In the year of our Lord 1308, the 6th indiction, on the 17th day of August, in the 3d year of the pontificate of the said Pope Clement V, brother Raymbaud de Caron, preceptor the commandaries of Templar Knights in Outremer, was brought in front of us, the aforementioned fathers, to the town of Chinon of the Tours diocese. With his hand on the Holy Gospel of the Lord he took an oath that he would speak pure and complete truth about himself as well [as] individuals and brothers of the Order, and about the Order itself, concerning questions of Catholic faith and the Rule of the said Order, and also about five particular individuals and brothers of the Order. Diligently interrogated by us about the time and circumstances of his initiation in the Order he said that it has been forty-three years or thereabouts since he had been knighted and admitted into the Templar Order by brother Roncelin de Fos, at the time preceptor of Provence, in the town of Richarenchess, in the diocese of Carpentras or Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux, in the chapel of the local Templar commandery. During the ceremony the patron said nothing to the novice that was not proper, but after the admittance a servant-brother came up to him whose name he does not recall, for he has been dead for a long time. He took him aside holding a small cross under his cloak, and when all the brothers exited and they remained alone, that is this brother-servant and the speaker, this brother-servant showed this cross to the speaker who does not recall whether it bore the effigy of the crucifix or not, but believes however, that there was a crucifix either painted or carved. And this brother-servant told the speaker: “You must denounce this one.” And the speaker, not believing himself to be committing a sin, said: “And so, I denounce.” That brother-servant also told the speaker that he should preserve purity and chastity, but if he could not do so, it was better to be done secretly than publicly. The speaker also said that his denunciation did not come from the heart, but from the mouth. Then he said that the next day he revealed this to the bishop of Carpentras, his blood relative, who was present in the said place, and the bishop told him that he had acted wrongly and committed a sin. Then the interrogated confessed on this account to the same bishop and was assigned penances which he completed, according to him.
Dark Mysteries of the Vatican Page 17
