The prophet is someone who tells the truth
on the strength of his contact with God —
the truth for today, which also, naturally,
sheds light on the future.
—Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (POPE BENEDICT XVI),
Christian Prophecy, The Post-Biblical Tradition,
Niels Christian Hvidt, Foreword, p. vii
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Pope Leo made headlines this past week when he quoted his predecessor, John XXIII, who took issue “with the ‘prophets of doom’ who, ‘though burning with zeal for religion […] go about saying that our times, when compared with past centuries, are entirely worse.”[1]General Audience, September 2, 2026 Leo was quoting John XXIII’s opening address to the Second Vatican Council.[2]Address Gaudet Mater Ecclesia, 11 October 1962, 4.2; cf. catholicculture.org
No doubt, the Pope’s remarks are being used by some to dismiss, out of hand, the sometimes dire prophecies that mark our era. So, is it true that our times are essentially no different than others, that they are just one more difficult bump on the long road of history and that everything will straighten itself out, as it has in the past?Continue reading
Footnotes
| ↑1 | General Audience, September 2, 2026 |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | Address Gaudet Mater Ecclesia, 11 October 1962, 4.2; cf. catholicculture.org |
