Is the Next Pope the One From John Bosco’s Dream? (Patrick Madrid offers an intriguing twist)

For at least the next month, we will be bombarded with a myriad of theories, speculations, and predictions about who will be elected the next pope. One name you will hear a LOT about in the coming weeks is Cardinal Tarcisio Pietro Evasio Bertone, S.D.B., who currently holds two important and powerful positions in the Vatican, Secretary of State and Camerlengo.

Already, the speculators and conspiracy-theorists are theorizing that Cardinal Bertone will be the next pope because, at least according to the dubious “prophecy of Saint Malachi,” the next pope after Pope Benedict XVI will be known as “Peter the Roman,” in part because his middle name, Pietro, is Italian for Peter. Some of these theorists are saying, Cardinal Bertone was “born in Rome.”

False. He was born in the Northern Italian town of Romano Canavese, in the Piedmont region, near the City of Turin.

Personally, I don’t buy into any of the hyped-up speculation about possible or probable papabili. My guess (and guessing is all anyone can do here) is that we will all be surprised by the election. For that matter, I’m not fazed by the speculation gyrations people are into right now. The Holy Spirit is in charge of this process and will write straight with the crooked lines we humans use.

So, all speculation and Saint Malachi stuff aside, I will point out something that I believe is a genuinely interesting factoid about Cardinal Bertone : Namely,that he is a Salesian of Don Bosco, and Saint Don Bosco, as you will recall, had a prophetic dream about a future pope who will guide the Catholic Church through a fierce storm of attacks into a respite of calm and peace.

In his dream, Don Bosco saw the Church as a great three-masted ship being moored securely between two towering pillars representing the Holy Eucharist and the Blessed Virgin Mary. I think many Catholics today would agree that, however choppy the water may be right now, the Catholic Church seems to be headed straight into a dark and dangerous storm of gale proportions. Cardinal Francis George recently said as much when he commented prophetically that he expects to die in his bed, he expects his successor to die in prison, and he expects his successor’s successor to die a martyr’s death.

In several weeks’ time, once the new pope is elected, I may look back and laugh at this blog post. Very possibly someone completely unexpected will be elected (which, I tend to think is what will happen). And yet, for the moment at least, I am simply taking note of the fact that Cardinal Bertone is a Salesian, a disciple of Saint John Bosco. When it’s all said and done and we have our new pope, wouldn’t it be just a tad remarkable if the future pope whom Don Bosco saw in his dream turned out to be one of his own sons?

Just to add a few comments..

I do question if some of the things were just coincidence or in the case of certain dreams just my mind being over active.

I suppose that’s normal to question things sometimes, but when I think about the odds of such coincidences It seems like it would be like the odds of winning the lottery.

21 posted on 02/15/2013 3:50:47 PM PST by stfassisi ((The greatest gift God gives us is that of overcoming self"-St Francis Assisi)))

I do not believe you are far from the truth. I believe you could be dead on. It's conjecture for some but not from you. When I admitted to what I have seen then come true years ago on these threads many people admitted privately in message mail their own dreams come true. You and I are not alone.

The dream you had can make sense when you consider that China is reported to be behind N. Korea's actions. Also the Chinese believe they can survive a nuclear war because of the one billion plus population. If you have read some sources. Thank you for telling me. May Christ guide us in these last days. Amen.

22 posted on 02/15/2013 4:58:35 PM PST by johngrace (I am a 1 John 4! Christian- declared at every Sunday Mass , Divine Mercy and Rosary prayers!)

23 posted on 02/15/2013 5:03:26 PM PST by johngrace (I am a 1 John 4! Christian- declared at every Sunday Mass , Divine Mercy and Rosary prayers!)

John,

I have not always connected these things to the end of mankind as we know it, but rather for our Lord leading me to pray for others during these difficult time

Prayer at Eucharistic Adoration seems to be where Christ is always leading me

24 posted on 02/15/2013 6:04:28 PM PST by stfassisi ((The greatest gift God gives us is that of overcoming self"-St Francis Assisi)))

25 posted on 02/15/2013 8:20:45 PM PST by johngrace (I am a 1 John 4! Christian- declared at every Sunday Mass , Divine Mercy and Rosary prayers!)

"Alta Vendita, permanent instruction"

Thanks for the information. (I had to look that term up, and I found there is also a book with that name. I wonder if our Priest here read that book.)

26 posted on 02/15/2013 8:24:52 PM PST by Heart-Rest ("I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse; therefore choose life" Deuteronomy 30:19)

You may find this of interest.... Under imprimatur. A different printed had a letter of recommendation from Leo XIII if memory is correct.

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