Many have made many speculations of various kinds. This is an attempt to explain one possible interpretation or conjecture (with no claims to prophecy or inspiration) of how such events could take place, within a Catholic context. Please note that what seems a sequence of events could in reality occur simultaneously, or within a small spread of time. The latter is quite likely.

Update on 2nd April 2005 after the death of Pope John Paul II at 9.37pm: New section - no 2 added.

NO 1. Mankind has turned away from God. Just look at the media of all countries. Our Lady in many messages says that this is the result of the errors spread by atheist communism, including the apostasy of priests, faithful etc.

NO 2. Based on Berry's "Interpretation of the Apocalypse", The Papacy is likely to be the obstacle to the coming of Antichrist. When 'he is taken away', the mystery of iniquity will be revealed. The timing of this is after the tail of the dragon succeeds in deceiving a large number of people and pastors (ie. No 1). Berry says that "During the interegnum 'that wicked one shall be revealed' in his fury against the Church". Thus this may be the period after the death of Pope John Paul II and before the new Pope is elected. Berry points out that history agrees that the most disastrous periods for the Church occurred when the Papal throne was vacant or when antipopes contended with the legitimate head of the Church. He wrote "Thus also shall it be in those evil days to come. The Church deprived of her chief pastor must seek sanctuary in solitude there to be guided by God himelf during those trying days. This place of refuge prepared for the Church is probably some nations, or nations, that remain faithful to her." Interestingly, it was Maria Esperanza, the famous and Church-approved Catholic mystic, who predicted that the death of an innocent person would herald a long-expected step-up in purification. This innocent person could be either the victim-soul Terry Schiavo or Pope John Paul II, or both. She said that "an innocent person whom He (Jesus) loves a lot will die, an innocent person. This will shock the world, will move the world." I think that this refers to the Pope. St. Faustina Kowalska, who quoted the Lord as saying, "I bear a special love for Poland and if she will be obedient to My will, I will exalt her in might and holiness. From her will come forth the spark that will prepare the world for My final coming" (Diary 1732). The "spark" is Pope John Paul II. Rejoice, because God is in control. Like the Pope said many times, "Do not be afraid!"

NO 3. It is possible (some may say likely) that Medjugorje's First Secret will take place. This may be a local sign to the world after some major disaster e.g. a nuclear disaster, or perhaps an asteroid/meteor impact. But God is faithful and will protect those who trust in God. This is also how the Our Lady's Triumph might begin. Mirjana of Medjugorje has to tell Fr. Petar Ljubicic in Medjugorje 10 days before the First secret is to happen and then both her and the priest are supposed to fast and pray for 7 days and then three days before the secret is supposed to happen, the priest will announce it to the whole world for all to see. Mirjana said this again to Radju Marija (Malta). This period is likely to begin a purging process, or cleansing of heretics, schismatics and apostates. In other words, they will begin to return to their senses.
MORE INFORMATION ON THE FIRST SECRET:
All of Medjugorje is horrified and deeply saddened by the terrorist attacks of September 11 2001 against America. One of the visionaries has confirmed that these events are not part of the secrets. Remember, according to Jakov and Vicka the first secret is beautiful (as well as the 3rd one which is the Great Sign) and it will show that Medjugorje is true. (Source: Children of Medjugorje
Thus the FIRST SECRET IS A BEAUTIFUL EVENT.

NO 4. The Warning (Garabandal terminology)/ The Second Secret (Medjugorje terminology) takes place. This may be what is described in the Scriptures as Trumpet No 6.

The Warning is also the Second Pentecost. We will see ourselves as God sees us, to help us convert. This is possibly referred to as a 'mirror' in the Third Secret of Fatima. Simultaneously this is referred to as the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, but this does not mean that this happens at this point like a magician bringing out a rabbit of a hat. It will happen within a period of time, consider it as the beginning.

Great Evangelisation would take place. Many would in this way, through God's Grace, convert to Catholicism and become Christians. Everyone will have decide they are either going to believe in God, or not, in a real way. The other religions will not have any more believers after the Warning takes place. It is not impossible, indeed some may say likely, that some might distort the authentic doctrine even at this stage and one should be careful and discern properly.

According to many prophecies, including Fr. Gobbi, Masonry has infiltrated the Church (ecclesiastical masonry) and has been attempting its deterioration via many forms including liberal doctrine (this is not the official teaching of the Church). Vatican II was good, yet they have been furthering intentionally their goals by claiming that they should have been done "in the Vatican II spirit". But it should be clear that their spirit is not the real Vatican II spirit. Some examples include: (1) the Holy Mass is just a meal, not the sacrifice of Calvary, thus Christ is not really present (and there is no Altar, there is just an ordinary table. The table is there because of the Altar! ), (2) sacramental confession is not required, since they propose public confession instead 'as in the early church' (3) removal of crucifixes, tabernacles and statues from churches and removal of eucharistic adoration and devotions such as the rosary, (4) the rewriting of the Bible to be 'politically correct', (5) the claim that the phenomenon of resting in the spirit is due to hypnosis (absolutely nonsense - it happens when one's body reacts to the Holy Spirit, as in a 'short circuit') and (6) women priests being ordained, etc.

While the Garabandal apparitions have not yet been approved, the Bishop who called the second commision on Garabandal, Bishop del Val, said that the message of Garabandal was "important" and "theologically correct". Indeed many elements of this prophetic message have been found in other private revelations e.g. the Diary of Blessed, soon to be Saint, Faustina (Diary n. 83) and the message of Divine Mercy given to her (Diary n. 1588) and that of Akita (approved by the local Bishop) speak in similar terms. Similar content can be found in the writings of Elizabeth Canori-Mora and Mary of Jesus Crucified, both beatified by Pope John Paul II, and in prophecies given by God to Blessed Anna Maria Taigi and St Caspar del Bufalo. The principal promoter of Garabandal, Joey Lomangino, testifies that it was Blessed Padre Pio who told him the Blessed Virgin was appearing at Garabandal and that he should go. It is likely that for approval to be given, the "warning" must first occur. The message of Garandal mentioned the current scandal of the priesthood, so it has become current news. We should heed the message of conversion, whether it is proposed by Fatima, Garabandal or any other source.

NO 5. The Miracle & Permanent Sign (Garabandal) / Third Secret (Medjugorje) will take place

NO 6. The Ninth and Tenth Secrets, as stated by Father Tomislav Vlasic as part of the initial report of Medjugorje in 1982, are grave matters - a chastisement for the sins of the world, and it is inevitable because we cannot expect the conversion of the entire world. People have free will. They can choose whether they want to love God and can freely reject Him. It stands to reason that some will still refuse, like they do today. When the Son of Man returns, will he find faith on Earth? The chastisement or final tribulation can be mitigated by prayers and penance, but not suppressed completely. This will be the final trial of the Church, it will include the manifestation of the Antichrist as a person.

The Second Coming of Christ in Glory is the Triumph of Christ, and coincides with the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. God has pushed these final events further on so that more persons may be saved as a result. It is God's timing, not ours. Another point to understand is that this triumph is NOT a SUDDEN EVENT, something that happens between one evening and the following morning - like some magical trick. It might have begun and we have not noticed it. This triumph is building up gradually, until it becomes an avalanche. I do not believe Jesus will return as some have said, "in the Spirit" only - sort of an extra coming before the last judgement. We will not have a reign where Jesus returns "in the Spirit" - I call this "the reign of the Holy Spirit". We will have one return of Jesus as the Church teaches, that is, in Glory (see the Catechism quotes). I see the previously mentioned "Holy Spirit reign" as somewhat an immature and new agey concept. I have read that this concept is not new but was invented by the Heretic called Joachim, in 1210! Jesus is present right here in His Body and Blood, in the Eucharist which is the same Sacrifice of the Cross at Calvary. The Holy Spirit is also present, and can be experienced today in the here and now, there is no need to wait for some special time in the future. Just open your heart to the Lord! Do not wait because it might be too late.

Millenarism refers to an earthly realisation of God's Kingdom i.e. Christ returns and everything is as it is right now - meaning that all creation remains in its present state with people dying, animals dying, the possibility of sin, and so on. This error is refuted by the Church since many years ago. Old heresies die hard. St. Augustine dismissed this legend with contempt. Other forms of this include the return of Jesus as a child i.e. not in glory. Thus what can we conclude, and expect, is the final defeat of evil and humanity will come back to God. This is not the end of the world. People imagine the end meaning that everything will be destroyed (eg by some doomsday asteroid as in the movies) and nothing more will exist afterwards - this is incorrect.

Some are even calling millenarism by a new name - 'The Millennium'. Here is what an archdiocesan theological commission said on messages claimed to be delivered to Gianna Talone Sullivan:

>The archdiocese and the commission were also critical of a video called, "Unbridled Mercy," >produced by Dr. Talone-Sullivan’s Mercy Foundation, in which references are made to a >"eucharistic spiritual reign where the Child Jesus will usher in a kingdom of peace."
>
>The commission noted that "such a spirituality is not the traditional Church teaching about >the eucharistic mystery.
>
>"It may well be a comforting devotion for the visionary," the commission stated, "but it >cannot claim to be a private revelation of divine inspiration, to be presented as a divine >message for the public."
(Extract from this site)

So you can understand how what I had said on this page was correct - regarding the incorrect claims by some (including U.S. priests) that Jesus will NOT return in Glory and that He will return in some "eucharistic spiritual reign". The presence of Jesus, both eucharistic and spiritual, is here with us now.

The world is going to be changed by God. All creation will be changed in this final conflagration and rebuilt (as the book of the Apocalypse says after all, but some tend to ignore this). Also, the end will come for evil in this world, and we will have, to quote Fr Gobbi, "the beginning of a new world, in which Christ will reign". Thus, the Period of Peace promised at Our Lady in Fatima refers to how we will be after the Second Coming of Christ. It is not a number of years e.g. 100 years or a millennium. It is forever, an infinite period.

Our Lady Speaking to Sister Faustina: "...I gave the Savior to the world; as for you, you have to speak to the world about His great mercy and prepare the world for the Second Coming of Him who will come, not as a merciful Saviour, but as a just Judge. Oh, how terrible is that day! Determined is the day of Justice, the day of Divine wrath. Speak to souls about this great mercy while it is still the time for [granting] mercy. If you keep silent now, you will be answering for a great number of souls on that terrible day. Fear nothing. Be faithful to the end...." Notebook II:635

Our Lord Speaking to Sister Faustina: "...I am giving them the last hope of salvation; that is, the Feast of My Mercy. ...tell souls about this great mercy of Mine, because the awful day, the day of My justice, is near." Notebook II:965

Our Lord Speaking to Sister Faustina: "...let all mankind recognize My unfathomable mercy. It is a sign for the end times; after it will come the day of justice. While there is still time, let them have recourse to the fount of My mercy;..." Notebook II:848

Our Lord Speaking to Sister Faustina: "...before I come as the just Judge, I am coming first as the King of Mercy. Before the day of justice arrives, there will be given to people a sign in the heavens of this sort: All light in the heavens will be extinguished and there will be great darkness over the whole earth. Then the sign of the cross will be seen in the sky, and from the openings where the hands and the feet of the Savior were nailed will come forth great lights..." Notebook I:83.

Message no. 166 (His Second Coming): "He will come suddenly and the world will not be ready for His coming. He will come for a JUDGEMENT for which man will find himself unprepared..."

Message no. 405: "...at the moment of death and of God's judgement..."

Message no. 478: "To the First Angel belongs the task of proclaiming this announcement to everyone: 'Give glory and obedience to God; praise Him, because the moment has come in which He will judge the world....'

Message no. 598: "...His last and universal judgement..."

Message no. 142, 147 are on related themes.

Will there be a Rapture of believers?
I can definitely say that there is no real backing in Scripture or Church Tradition for the Rapture. The rapture doctrine does not exist anywhere in the Bible. The passage usually claimed to mention the rapture - St Paul in his 1st letter to the Thessalonians says that the "Lord Himself will descend from heaven", gives enough details to make it clear that he is not talking about a secret rapture but about the same event described by Jesus and by Paul when he wrote to the Corinthians. In all cases the descent of Christ from heaven, clouds, the trumpet and resurrection are mentioned. So there is just one Second Coming of Christ (not three as some are claiming!). No Bible passage says that He will return in secret. For more on this subject read the catholic book "The Rapture Trap - A Catholic Response to 'End Times Fever'" by Paul Thigpen.

Are the Prophecies of St Malachy real or a forgery?
The Catholic Encyclopedia writes: "there has been much discussion as to whether they are genuine predictions of St. Malachy or forgeries. The silence of 400 years on the part of so many learned authors who had written about the popes, and the silence of St. Bernard especially, who wrote the "Life of St. Malachy", is a strong argument against their authenticity, but it is not conclusive if we adopt Cucherat's theory that they were hidden in the Archives during those 400 years.". The prophecies claim to list all the mottos of the Popes until the end of the world, most are very appropriate. The last Pope, in one version, is claimed to be Petrus Romanus (Peter the Roman). In this case there may be any number of Popes before this last one. Some claim that a Pope would take such a name only if there were an antipope claiming the same title. It is also possible that this version of the Malachy Prophecies may be a forgery and if the older version of the Prophecies is genuine, the last Pope would be one with the motto 'Gloria olivae' (this could signify he would be Jewish, or from north-western Italy - the Sabine area), perhaps Christ Himself or perhaps signifying the Conversion of the Jews.

Does the Final Triumph of the Church come about only by Divine Intervention or solely by human work or activity? The answer is given as follows:
We can definitely say it is NOT SOLELY BY HUMAN ACTIVITY OR WORKS. God's part in it is the most important. However, we Christians are co-heirs with him (Rom 8:17). 2Pt 3:11-12 throws light on the human-divine partnership: "What sort of persons ought you to be, in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and HASTENING THE COMING OF THE DAY OF GOD"!
This text from the New Testament declares that the kind of life we lead can actually have an impact on the timing of God's final and definitive victory over Evil! The quality of our lives can actually hasten the Second Coming of the Lord. Also, our unholy lives can delay it - In 2Pt 3:9 Peter writes "The Lord is not slow about his promise as some count slowness but is forebearing toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance". (For more information on this concept, see the book "God's Best Ideas" by Fr Fio Mascarenhas, S.J. This book is difficult to obtain and perhaps the best thing could be to contact the National Catholic Charismatic Renewal in India.)

What else can be said on this topic? Well there is much more that can be said. There are some signs that are indicated in the Gospels such as pestilence, famines and earthquakes, as well as "wars and rumours of wars". In the Gospel of St. Mark, Ch.13 we read "But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, the moon shall not give her light. And the stars of the heaven shall be falling down, and the powers that are in heaven shall be moved." The Apocalypse, ch.16, tells us of plagues ensuing from the seven vials. St. Paul in his epistles to the Thessalonians announces the "man of sin". Other possible signs usually quoted by theologians include the preaching of the Gospel to the whole world, the conversion of the Jews, the return of Enoch and Elias (the two witnesses - so it is either them or two similar prophets), false "signs and wonders" (and true ones) and the persecution of Christians by unbelievers. Also, Pope John Paul II is very important with respect to the Second Coming of Christ. St. Faustina Kowalska was told that a "spark" from Poland would set the way for Christ's Second Coming. Many are the current-day visionaries and locutionists who claim that major trends will be set in motion -- in the words of one, a "great storm." Others have gone so far (too far) as to state a conviction that he will be the last Pope.

Read the section in the Catholic Catechism about the Second Coming of Christ...
The Catechism of the Catholic Church, the gift of Pope John Paul II to the Catholic World, warns us:

[675] Before Christ's second coming the Church must pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers... The supreme religious deception is that of the Antichrist, a pseudo-messianism by which man glorifies himself in place of God and of his Messiah come in the flesh.

[676] The Antichrist's deception already begins to take shape in the world every time the claim is made to realize within history that messianic hope which can only be realized beyond history through the eschatological judgment. The Church has rejected even modified forms of this falsification of the kingdom to come under the name of millenarianism, especially the "intrinsically perverse" political form of a secular messianism.

[677] The Church will enter the glory of the kingdom only through this final Passover, when she will follow her Lord in his death and Resurrection. The kingdom will be fulfilled, then, not by a historic triumph of the Church through a progressive ascendancy, but only by God's victory over the final unleashing of evil, which will cause his Bride to come down from Heaven....



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