Appendix VI 

Summary of Future Events 

The following text is from my posts in an online seminar about the future 

that I gave in an online Catholic discussion group. I've edited the text to 

some extent. Much of the material is also found in the body of this book. 

The Future and the Popes 

This section is based on my article of the same name at CatholicPlanet.com 

St. Malachy wrote a prophetic list of phrases describing future popes.  His 

phrase about John Paul I is: from the half of the moon.  Pope John Paul I 

was elected on August 26 of 1978, when half the moon was visible in the  

sky. He died on September 28, when the moon was again a half moon. 

His phrase about John Paul II is: from the labor of the sun.  This phrase is 

usually misinterpreted to mean that John Paul II labored under the sun as a 

youth.  Actually, the meaning refers to the work that the sun does. 

Ostensibly, the sun's work  is to travel constantly around the world.  John 

Paul II is the most traveled pope in history. He has been a pure light of truth 

constantly traveling around the world. 

The next pope is given the phrase: from the glory of the olive.  Some have 

interpreted this to mean that the next pope will be a Benedictine  (because 

they have a group within their order called Olivetans). But no Benedictine is 

currently among the papabile (those seen as possible candidates for election 

to the papacy). 

My understanding is that the next pope will fit this phrase in three ways. 

    1) He will constantly seek peace during his pontificate: peace between 

nations, peace between religions, peace within the Christian faith and within 

the Catholic Church. 

    2) He will not be a Benedictine, but he will take the name Pope Benedict 

XVI.  He will be like Saint Benedict the Moor (a.k.a. Saint Benedict the 

Black). The next Pope will be a black man. 

    3) He will also be like Pope Benedict XV, who sought peace among 

nations prior to  World War I. He failed to bring peace to the nations and 

war broke out.  Therefore, Pope Benedict XVI, the black pope, will seek