These are among the greatest private prophecies of the New Testament era. Saint Francis of Paola was a lofty saint. Famous for his miracles, spirit of prophecy, and love of animals. He founded a new religious order, and had many adventures through his long life. He is the patron saint of boatmen, mariners and naval officers. He even has a beer named after him.
I still marvel at these prophecies. Apparently, this mysterious Lord of Montalto was having problems conceiving with his wife. And he gets this prophetic response from Saint Francis of Paola. This great leader who Saint Francis prophecies is usually regarded as synonymous with this Great Catholic Monarch of prophecy who some other Saints and Mystics predicted. But Saint Francis does not use the name "Great Monarch" in his description. As you will see he uses many other superlatives.
Toward the end of the second letter he asks a rhetorical question as to when all these events will happen and he mentions when "the crosses with stigmas will be seen . . . These I think refer to the Seal of the Living God predicted in the Book of Revelation. The Great Monarch and some of his followers will have the Seal on their forehead which will be a miraculous cruciform stigmata. Of course him having this in public will have all sorts of consequences, and it like many of the charisms given to saints is a gift which will help others. This Great Monarch will also have other gifts like that of reading hearts so as to help accomplish his great mission.
Letters of St. Francis of Paola (1470)
From your lordship, (Simeon de Limena, Lord of Montalto), shall be born the great leader of the holy militia of the Holy Spirit, which shall overcome the world, and shall possess the earth so completely that no king or lord shall be able to exist, except he belongs to the sacred host of the Holy Spirit.
These devout men shall wear on their breasts, and much more within their hearts, the sign of the living God, namely, the cross.
The first members of this holy order shall be natives of the city of ... where iniquity, vice, and sin abound. However, they shall be converted from evil to good; from rebels against God they shall become most fervent and most faithful in His divine service. That city shall be cherished by God and by the Great Monarch, the elect and the beloved of the Most High Lord. For the sake of that place all holy souls who have done penance in it shall pray in the sight of God for that city and for its inhabitants. When the time shall come of the immense and most right justice of the Holy Spirit, His Divine Majesty wills that such city become converted to God, and that many of its citizens follow the great prince of the holy army. The first person that will openly wear the sign of the living God shall belong to that city, because he will through a letter be commanded by a holy hermit to have it impressed in his heart and to wear it externally on his breast.
That man will begin to meditate on the secrets of God, about the long visitation which the Holy Spirit will make and the dominion that he will exercise over the world through the holy militia. Oh happy man, who shall receive from the Most High the greatest privileges! He will interpret the hidden secrets of the Holy Spirit, and he shall often excite the admiration of men by his revealed knowledge of the internal secrets of their hearts. Rejoice, my Lord, because that Prince above other princes, and King over other kings, will hold you in the greatest veneration, and after having been crowned with three most admirable crowns, will exalt that city, will declare it free, and the seat of the Empire, and it shall become one of the first cities in the world.
. . .
You and your consort desire to have children; you shall have them. Your holy offspring shall be admired upon earth. Among your descendants there will be one who shall be like the sun amidst the stars, he shall be a first-born son; in his childhood he will be like a saint; in his Youth, a great sinner; then he will be converted entirely to God and will do great penance, his sins will be forgiven him, and he shall become a great saint.
He shall be a great captain and prince of holy men, who shall be called 'the holy Cross Bearers of Jesus Christ,' with whom he shall destroy the Mahometan sect and the rest of the infidels. He shall annihilate all the heresies and tyrannies of the world. He shall reform the Church of God by means of his followers, who shall be the best men upon earth in holiness, in arms, in science, and in every virtue, because such is the will of the Most High. They shall obtain the dominion of the whole world, both temporal and spiritual, and they shall support the Church of God until the end of time.
God Almighty will exalt a very poor man of the blood of the Emperor Constantine, son of St. Helena and of the seed of Pepin, who shall on his breast wear the sign which you have seen at the beginning of this letter (a red Cross). Through the power of the Most High he shall confound the tyrants, the heretics, and infidels. He will gather a grand army, and the angels shall fight for them; they shall kill all God's enemies.
From the beginning of the world, after the creation of man, and to the end of human generation, there have been and there shall be seen wonderful events upon the earth. Four hundred years shall not pass when his Divine Majesty shall visit the world with a new religious order much needed, which shall effect more good among men than all other religious institutions combined. This religious order shall be the last and the best in the Church; it shall proceed with arms, with prayer, and with hospitality. Woe to tyrants, to heretics, and to infidels, to whom no pity shall be shown, because such is the will of the Most High! An infinite number of wicked men shall perish through the hands of the Cross Bearers, the true servants of Jesus Christ. They shall act like good husbandmen when they extirpate noxious weeds and prickly thistles from the wheat field. These holy servants of God shall purify the earth with the deaths of innumerable wicked men.
How spiritually blind are those persons who, having no thought about the things of God, fix their end in earthly objects. Wretched men! by far worse than the very beasts which are guided by their senses, because they cannot have reason; but when men abandon the use of their reason, they become brutalized. Hence they shall ever be in confusion. Let, therefore, the princes of this world be prepared for the greatest scourges to fall upon them. But from whom? First from heretics and infidels, then from the holy and most faithful Cross Bearers elected by the Most High, who, not succeeding in converting heretics with science, shall have to make a vigorous use of their arms. Many cities and villages shall be in ruins, with the deaths of an innumerable quantity of bad and good men. The infidels also will fight against Christians and heretics, sacking, destroying, and killing the largest portion of Christians. Lastly, the army, styled 'of the Church,' namely, the holy Cross Bearers, shall move, not against Christians or Christianity, but against the infidels in pagan countries, and they shall conquer all those kingdoms with the death of a very great number of infidels. After this they shall turn their victorious arms against bad Christians, and shall destroy all the rebels against Jesus Christ. These holy Cross Bearers shall reign and dominate holily over the world until the end of time. The founder of these holy men shall, my lord, be one of your posterity. But when shall this take place? When crosses with the stigmas shall be seen, and the crucifix shall be carried as the standard.
The time is coming when his Divine Majesty will visit the world with a new religious order of holy Cross Bearers, who will carry a Crucifix, or the image of our Crucified Lord, lifted up upon the principal standard in view of all. This standard will be admired by all good Catholics; but at the beginning it will be derided by bad Christians and by infidels. Their sneers shall, however, be changed into mourning when they shall witness the wonderful victories achieved through it against tyrant, heretics, and infidels. Many wicked men and obstinate rebels against God shall perish: their souls will be plunged into hell. This punishment shall fall upon all those transgressors of the Divine commandments who with new and false doctrines will attempt to corrupt mankind and turn men against the ministers of God's worship. The same chastisement is due to all obstinate sinners, but not to those who sin through weakness, because these being converted, doing penance, and amending the conduct of their life, shall find the divine mercy of the Most High full of kindness towards them. Oh holy Cross Bearers of the Most High Lord, how very pleasing you will be to the great God much more than the children of Israel! God will, through your instrumentality, work more wonderful prodigies than he has ever done before with any nation. You shall destroy the sect of Mahomet, and all infidels of every kind and of every sect. You shall put an end to all the heresies of the world by extinguishing all tyrants. You will remove every cause of complaint by establishing a universal peace, which shall last until the end of time. You will work the sanctification of mankind. Oh holy men: People blessed of the Most Holy Trinity! Your victorious founder shall triumph over the world, the flesh, and the Devil.
. . .
One of your posterity shall achieve greater deeds and work greater wonders than your lordship. That man will be a great sinner in his youth, but like St. Paul he shall be drawn and converted to God. He shall be the great founder of a new religious order different from all the others. He shall divide it into three classes, namely:
1. Military knights;
2. Solitary priests;
3. Most pious hospitallers.
This shall be the last religious order in the Church, and it will do more good for our holy religion than all other religious institutes. By force of arms he shall take possession of a great kingdom. He shall destroy the sect of Mahomet, extirpate all tyrants and heresies. He shall bring the world to a holy mode of life. There will be one fold and one Shepherd. He shall reign until the end of time. On the whole earth there shall be only twelve kings, one emperor, and one pope. Rich gentlemen shall be very few, but all saints. May Jesus Christ be praised and blessed; for He has vouched to grant to me, a poor unworthy sinner, the spirit of prophecy, not in an obscure way as to His other servants, but has enabled me to write and to speak in a most clear manner. I know that unbelieving and reprobate persons will scoff at my letters and will reject them; but they will be received by those faithful Catholic souls who aspire to the possession of heaven. These letters shall infuse such sweetness of divine love in their hearts, that they will be delighted in perusing them often, and in taking copies of them, because such is the will of the Most High. In these letters it will be found out who belongs to our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ and who does not, who is a predestinate or a reprobate. Much better will this be known through the holy sign of the living God. He shall be a saint of God who will take it, love it, and wear it.
I have some concerns about this prophecy, namely:
ReplyDelete-Are there any records of a historical "Simeon de Limena" outside of this letter?
-400 years did in fact pass and no Great Monarch.
-Where are these letters kept and when were they first revealed to the public?
-Wasn't St. Paola known to be an illiterate? At the very least, there aren't any samples of his writing in existence. This would be an incredible find on a few levels.
-I'm really not thrilled when the author attempts to elevate this prophecy to the same level as Church doctrine: "In these letters it will be found out who belongs to our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ and who does not, who is a predestinate or a reprobate." That doesn't fit with anything we know about St. Francesco.
-If it was found in the mid 1800s, then it might explain the " Four hundred years shall not pass" element and a likely pseudepigrapha made to bolster the case for Henri Chambord.
Despite all my reservations about this particular source, I think you've got a really interesting perspective on the whole. I agree that this man will be absolutely necessary to the long awaited Restoration!
God bless.
thanks for the compliment, and your post is welcome. These are good concerns.
DeleteFirst I would suggest that if interested you could research your concerns a little if you can and share your findings!!!
--- as far as historical records of Simeon de Limena I have failed to find any in the past. However there are several locations named Montalto in Italy, and even a castle of Montalto in Tuscany. So it is not hard to imagine a Lord of Montalto, writing to the Saint and requesting prayers for conception of a child. Maybe to actually track down a Simeon de Limena, one would need to travel Italy. I don't have that ability.
---With the 400 years, yes I noticed that. In response to this I would say that this is a private prophecy and forecasting a date hundreds years into the future seems futile without a guarantee of Divine Inspiration. Maybe Saint Francis, in his enthusiam committed a fault or perhaps someone added that in when copying. It is probably going to end up being closer to 550 years or so.
---Don't know where the letters were kept, and first revealed, but they somehow ended up published in several collections of Catholic Prophecies. The authors of these books from the 1900s are all dead, so I don't know how to even begin tracing this.
---It is said that he was educated by Franciscans in St Paola. He may have been illiterate, but he spent time with nobles, even kings, and he had a following. Charles VIII built two monasteries for him and kept him near his court according to the encyclopedia. It isn't hard to imagine that he could have dictated these letters if he felt the urge to reply. Someone close to him must have written up the rule of his religious order. Right?
--- Well, you know sometimes even Saints can get carried away, make mistakes, and so on. And they can be forceful at times. Saint Paola seemed like a 'force of nature' type personality so to speak. But the key is to read these with wisdom and reservation. This isn't Sacred Scripture or teachings of the Magisterium.
---I vaguely remember the Henri Chambord story when I first started studying this stuff a decade ago. I don't think this prophetic figure has anything to do with Monarchism, Ultra-Conservatism and all that jazz even though a few of the more traditional type know about these prophecies. This is something new and original that God will work.
Overall these letters strike me as unique and imaginative. It would be hard for me to believe that they are fraudulent, although I wouldn't be surprised if they were modified. In any case other Saints and Mystics wrote about this Great Monarch so these can all be compared.
Most importantly though I think is an enlightened interpretation of the prophecies in Sacred Scripture, especially Revelation. And as far as all the private prophecies we will see what happens. I tried to give my all to the interpretation of the White Horse and Rider, and the Seven Churches. These letters of Saint Francis of Paola definitely influenced me but I've been influenced and inspired by many others, have prayed over this, thought about it, relied on providence, and so on.
And I think others like you could also come up with insights, and I would be open to them.
Anyway take care. Thank you for your post, and feel free to question or challenge me. I'm always willing to modify and refine my understanding of all this. Its not easy work.
I say Paola seemed like a 'force of nature' type personality because of the stories of some his miracles, his other prophecies and life's adventures. One doesn't get followers or sought out by kings if one is dull. He was famous for his lifestyle, miracles, prophecies, maybe even his personality??? He influenced a lot of people. And even though it is said that he was humble, meek, mild, that doesn't necessarily entail that one cannot be bold, powerful, exalted. God exalts and inspires those who are low.
DeleteGod seems on one hand humble and meek as a fawn but on the other hand he can be as forceful as a trillion warriors. God is perfect. He can do all and do so fittingly at the right time. Saints are a microcosm of what God does and says.
This dates to 1644:https://books.google.com/books?id=UUFGAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA227&lpg=PA227&dq=simone+limena+montalto+calabria+san+francesco+di+paola&source=bl&ots=2_66Tvm3zP&sig=ACfU3U2l4OmfTQegHPEVyYJmAvDHPyCRqQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj7m5rkvqbrAhX3IjQIHcjCBwMQ6AEwAXoECAcQAQ#v=onepage&q=simone%20limena%20montalto%20calabria%20san%20francesco%20di%20paola&f=false
DeleteOk that didn't go very well!! Well, in a book written in Italian called Brief description of the Reign of Naples, dated 1644, the prophetic letters of St Francis of Paola are clearly noted and that the Lord of Montalto was considered related to Pepin. Calabria back then was under the rule of Normas, French and Spanish for centuries and I am sure many nobles traveled to sunny Calabria to set up shop. It wasn't as back water then. That is why Aquinas was big and blond, he was a Norman!!
DeleteThank you for sharing this!
DeleteThere is a Montalto in Calabria, and St. Francis is from this same region. Here is an excerpt from Wiki to supplement what you said above Cameron:
DeleteOf note is that the Normans established their presence here, in southern Italy (namely Calabria), 6 years prior to their conquest of England, (see The Battle of Hastings). The purpose of this strategic presence in Calabria was to lay the foundations for the Crusades 30 years later, and for the creation of two Kingdoms: the Kingship of Jerusalem, and the Kingdom of Sicily. Ships would sail from Calabria to the Holy Land. This made Calabria one of the richest regions in Europe as princes from the noble families of England, France and other regions, constructed secondary residences and palaces here, on their way to the Holy Land. Guiscard's son Bohemond, who was born in San Marco Argentano, would be one of the leaders in the first crusade. Of particular note is the Via Francigena, an ancient pilgrim route that goes from Canterbury to Rome and southern Italy, reaching Calabria, Basilicata and Apulia, where the crusaders lived, prayed and trained, respectively.
I actually studied there for one year and completed my degree in theology there in Catanazaro. It was a strange year but I learned a lot about Calabrian history. It is notable that St Francis of Paola not only prophecied these events but himself played such an important role in the Kingdom of France, counseling their Kings for several decades. I'm glad there is a piece of the puzzle a little closer to his death!
DeleteThe trajectory of my experience in Europe has forced me to examine these prophecies in detail, and I think you are correct in saying that Monarchist pretensions, i.e. blood line necessity, is not what Divine Providence has in mind. That is, it will be much more based on principles of the GCM's connection with the Faith of Rome more than anything. Frankish ascendancy was based soley on the baptism of Clovis and the Holy Ampulla, i.e. the Holy Spirit anoints, not genetic 'wealth'. Plus, Merovingians lose to the Carolingians who lose to the Robertians who lose to the Capetians. It is not blood but Faith that is the common denominator for the title 'Eldest Daughter of the Church'. I believe these prophecies refer to the profound connection with the Faith of France not the Blood of France.
DeleteAlso, the theories of Chambord rising from the dead make no sense and arguing that God can raise the dead doesn't make for a good argument. They seem heavily contrived with awkward and oblique interpretations. Divine Providence is much more simple and hidden in my opinion.
DeleteAll well said. Agreed. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
DeleteYeah, think how the prophet Samuel chose David. David wasn't the obvious choice. And Cyrus the Great. Who would have ever believed he was anointed by the Lord, the God of another nation? Once he discovered this he was stirred up and inspired to have the Jews rebuild the Temple!
If only I had the means to trace it down! St. Francesco, very much like Padre Pio (also born a Francis!) was such an incredibly gifted saint with so many astounding miracles ascribed to him that it's hard to see a moment where he would need to make it a requirement to believe his words. He routinely showed up his critics and skeptics with miracle after miracle. I especially love the cloak-as-ferry, the hot coals in his bare hands, the reanimated pet lamb and fish.
ReplyDeleteAll told, I think I'd agree with you about this possibly having authentic parts mixed with the not-so-authentic. In that sense, it would be similar to Ven. Ann Catherine Emmerich's thoughts and visions transcribed by a professional writer Clemens Brentano. Even St. Pio had writings circulated around that were of more than questionable veracity while he still lived. The one downside to being a superstar is being used for the ulterior motives of lesser individuals, if for no other reason than to get some undeserved attention.
The bits about the Cross Bearers, the mysterious city, his saint-to-sinner-to-saint trajectory are tantalizing though! In the end I hope it can be salvaged.
I agree with you. I think this is a spiritually healthy stance to take.
ReplyDeleteI thought about you implication that maybe monarchists following Henri Chambourd may have doctored them and added in that 400 years number. That makes sense. But I don't think they were imaginative or inspired enough to conceive something like the above as a whole. And Henri Chambourd didn't even come near fitting all the supposedly prophetic descriptions of the Great Monarch. He wasn't holy as compared to someone like Blessed Charles of Austria or some of the early Christian kings like Saint Louis and company. Maybe some monarchists got a bit delusional in the 19th century. It happens. But again I don't think the GCM has anything to do with monarchism or ultra-conservatism. Its like what Isaiah prophesied:
Don’t remember these earlier events;
don’t recall these former events.
“Look, I am about to do something new.
Now it begins to happen! Do you not recognize it?
Yes, I will make a road in the desert
and paths in the wilderness. (43:18-19)
As far as the predestinate vs. reprobate at the end, that does seem a bit odd and doesn't seem to fit in with the rest. So either he got carried away or someone fudged with these to make them more forceful or dramatic or maybe even misleading for whatever purpose. I just assumed that Paola simply over-exaggerated at the end. Saints make mistakes. But that a disciple or someone could have added that makes more sense. Anyway, these are private prophecies. No Divine Inspiration in the process of writing. They are not inerrant. And a lot can happen since they were written.
the 400 years is just comparing him to Moses and the freedom from slavery.so, he is going to free America from the protestants that got started on the wrong road back in 1600's. he loves the Eucharist and laying down his life for the Church. he rids the earth of the Muslims and sterilizes the roman church and turns wretched bums into a holy militia... i would join him.
ReplyDeletei hope he smokes weed and believes in flat earth, that sure would be visible stigmata of a cross to bear. i carry a rebel flag just for when he shows up, he knows its an important flag, because theirs is the only flag that hasn't signed the antartic treaty. plus, the south will rise again, has to happen. i bet he is with the Church of the wilderness, the order of the Mother of God, they have an order here in suwannee county with a bunch of us low life vagabums. he would be wellcome here to have a beer...on St.Francis de Paola day. me a wretch of a servant, but atill a servant___Stephen Joseph
This response was pretty awesome.
DeleteThis will come to pass, simply because it will.
ReplyDeleteWatch for a leader of Armies, a man of military merit. He will descend form a lacking but loving home.
He will be of the utmost innocence as a child, yet he will learn to blame the evils of the world on the creator himself. He will have the utmost disdain and hate towards god almighty as a young man until he comes to terms with what must be and why. His heart will always 'seem' empty and void, he will be but a tool. A tool for use with no personal agenda. He will do what no others will nor want to. He will come as a great eagle from across the vast oceans. He does what he does because it must be; Much as fire must burn or how rain must fall. There is no choice, no rest, no reprieve until the end; when his trials are done, when he ascends the mount and presents crown and scepter to the one true power. Then and only then will he rest.
In 20 to 30 years he will become known to us, in some manner. He will be a man of great physique and look down on his frail rivals. He will not speak in a manner to please those listening, but will say only what needs to be said. His initials are M.H. I do not know if he has more then 2 names.
Personnel Opinion - Take what you will from this, but I intend to look for a General of some sort to appear on the political scene in 20-30 years with those initials.
Thank you so much for this prophecy! Never heard of it before today. But it would make sense that such an event would need to take place in the future in order for our Lady's words to be fulfilled "In the end my immaculate Heart will triumph!" If the whole world were not to be converted to Christ and His Church then I do not see the victory! But it will, and must be!
ReplyDeleteYour welcome. Yeah, this is one fascinating piece of the puzzle which Ive always been intrigued by. It makes a lot of sense when taken in a broader eschatoligical context and the promises of Mary. The secular powers led by evil elite psychopaths are out of control and have their grip everywhere.
DeleteHi Nicholas-
ReplyDeleteVery interested in your sight. Where can I find copies or reprints of St. F of P’s letters? Are they collected in a book somewhere? Thanks!
Frank
They are collected in Catholic Prophecy: The Coming Chastisement by Yves Dupont p. 38 to 40 pub 1970 by Tan. They are not in the Mirabilis Liber an older Medieval collection which contains other Great Monarch prophecies. I wish I could trace their origin but its not crucial for me cause there are a lot of other prophecies and insights to go by.
DeleteGreat thanks! Do you know what city he is referring to in the first letter?
DeleteMy guess and I go into this in other posts is somewhere in Eastern Europe or the Balkans, but beyond that I have no idea. The reason I think Eastern Europe is complex. Basically some have speculated Fr. Zlatko Sudac could be the Angelic Shepherd who assists the GCM. He is from Croatia. The BVM in private prophecies seems to hint that if Russia is converted they will play some positive role. It seems the GCM may end up being a Hapsburg based on Holzhauer`s prophecy though I dont necessarily think the head. They are from Austria. Last I think he, the GCM is going to take control of Turkry and the Medditeranean early on and split the connection between Europe and the Middle East.
DeleteAmazing, this sounds credible to me. Have you read Simi and Segreti’s biography? Opinions on their work? I just secured a copy but it was hard to come by.
DeleteNo I have not, but it looks good! If there is any relevant info on the above prophecies please share! Enjoy. Its great being Catholic. A blessed Easter to you.
DeleteInteresting. I just became acquainted with the Saint while visiting Macau churches where his statue is commonly placed. I had never heard of him and have been struck by his story and miracles.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your post. Where did you get the long versions of the letters? I have couple of books with these prophecies but they are edited.
ReplyDeleteAlexander Tschugguel will use this prophecy to declare himself the Great Monarch....."I have a very very very big task from God that will change the face of the world" 27 March 2020 from the video interview: He Had Corona Virus and Recovered: Alexander Tschugguel talks to Dr. Taylor Marshall
ReplyDeleteHahaha
DeleteHa! Marshall has gone spiritually postal, and needs to repent. He is no longer Roman Catholic.
DeleteAs for his associate, this Tschuggel, that would be ridiculous if he were to declare himself. Reminiscent of all the antipopes from the last 40 years.
This is the unfortunate dark side of these prophecies. People can get delusions about themselves or their group. And this is not necessarily due to vice, although it could be, but also to mental illness and perhaps even as a response to trauma in life. For whatever reason you see this a lot on the far right, in all these ultra conservative groups. They just can't see the sun shine... ever.
People who are unstable tend to attract to prophecies about End Times because these can bring immense comfort to all the darkness in their lives. There is even a book written about this interviewing all sorts of Christians and why they are particularly attracted to Eschaton themes in Divine Revelation.
The rise of the Great Monarch will happen organically even in a messy world. Sort of like the rise of Cyrus the Great. Cyrus had to work extremely hard, overcome a lot of adversity, get lucky, have some providential intuitions and graces, had to make allies, fight a lot of battles, etc. before he even was able to take Babylon and discover it was all foretold by Isaiah. He just made things happen. He was favored ... anointed by God as it is written. He had a gift. And looking back on it all, he would have never imagined that he would be king of kings. From beginning to end it is almost a fairy tale.