"The Catholic Church between Toto-Papa and Prophecies" di Carlo Coppola
While the Toto-Pope game is raging, with predictions, rumors and analyses on the most popular candidates, a deeper question arises: what do the ancient prophecies say about the future of the Church? Beyond the “famous” list of Saint Malachy, which lists 112 Latin mottos up to a mysterious “Petrus Romanus”, the Christian tradition preserves numerous prophetic visions, often less known, but equally suggestive and full of meaning.
Among these, the prophecies of Saint Giovanni Bosco, the great founder of the Salesian movement who, in the heart of the nineteenth century, had numerous revelations on the destiny of the Church, stand out for their intensity and concreteness.
The historical context in which Don Bosco lived was marked by political upheavals, anticlerical revolutions and profound threats to religious freedom. It is no coincidence that many of his visions speak of a Church besieged, persecuted and in need of a firm leader. His famous vision of the “ship of the Church” of 1862 describes the ecclesial institution as a great vessel at the mercy of the storm, attacked from all sides by enemy ships. In the center of the stormy sea stand two columns: one surmounted by the Eucharist, the other by Mary Help of Christians. Only by anchoring itself firmly to these two pillars can the ship avoid shipwreck. The Pope, the central figure of the vision, falls but is replaced by a strong successor, capable of completing the task. These are not just symbolic images. Don Bosco transmitted a precise message to his boys and his contemporaries: in the darkest times, fidelity to the sacraments and to the Virgin will be the only safe anchor. Another of his visions, equally dramatic, concerns a Pope forced to flee from Rome amidst ruins and violence, pursued by enemies and finally saved by a small group of faithful who remained faithful. This scenario recalls the prophecies of other mystics, such as Anne Catherine Emmerick, who described a Church “stripped” and “devastated” by internal divisions and hostile powers.
The apparitions of La Salette and the third secret of Fatima also seem to converge on this image of extreme tribulation followed by profound renewal.
In this context, the future Conclave, which today fuels media speculation, could take place in completely extraordinary conditions: few voters, a possible escape from Rome, even an election in exile are not such remote hypotheses if read in the light of history and prophetic visions. Some observers believe that a Pope could emerge “from the margins”, as already happened with Francis, but even more stripped of worldly power and anchored to evangelical radicalism. Others speak of a possible great division, with the appearance of opposing figures, recalling ancient dramas such as that of the antipopes.
One thing that all these predictions have in common is the figure of the Pontiff as a suffering shepherd, called to lead the Church not in worldly triumph, but in humble fidelity and sacrifice. Don Bosco, in particular, leaves a clear indication: victory will not depend on the strength of structures, nor on diplomatic ability, but on fidelity to the Eucharist and to Our Lady.
Today, beyond any fanciful apocalyptic theory, the heart of the message remains: vigilance, prayer, rootedness in the sacraments. The Pope of the future, whatever his name or origin, will be called to embody this hope and to put Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Eucharist back at the center of the Church, more than NGOs, the poor, migrants, gender and the forms of nature. All these are in fact only manifestations of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, who in the last twelve years have been too implicit for the benefit of non-Christians.
The Catholic Church does not need a worldly leader, but a sign of contradiction, a witness to the Truth in the present times, which like all times are difficult times.
Carlo Coppola
Ultimately, as Don Bosco himself recalled: “He who trusts in Mary will never be disappointed.”
