Blessed Abbot ‘Merlin’ Joachim of Fiore

 

Feastday not known                                               

Born not known                   

Died 1202

 

Merlin Joachim, on account of his prophetic spirit surnamed the Prophet, was born in 1130, in the town of Celico near the city of Cosenza, Kingdom of Naples. In his youth he was page to Roger, King of Sicily; but some years later he became a Cistercian monk in the Monastery of Corazzo, of which, on account of his great knowledge and eminent virtue, he was soon elected prior and abbot. But with the permission of Pope Lucius III, in the year 1185, Joachim retired to the solitude, of Casemara, where he occupied himself in writing commentaries on Holy Scriptures. He returned to his Monastery of Corazzo in 1187; but having been ordered by the Pope to continue his learned biblical commentaries, he asked and obtained permission to renounce his abbatial dignity, and withdrew to Flora, in Calabria, where he established a new monastery with a rule similar to that of Citeaux. He died in 1202, when he was seventy-two years old, leaving a great number of works which were printed in Venice in a large folio volume in the year 1510. Dom Gervais, Monk of La Trappe, wrote his Life in two volumes, which he published in 1745. In the Bollandists many details can be found about this holy and learned monk. 1

 

 

“After many prolonged sufferings endured by Christians, and after a too great effusion of innocent blood, the Lord shall give peace and happiness to the desolated nations. A remarkable Pope will be seated on the pontifical throne, under the special protection of the angels (Angelic Pastor?). Holy and full of gentleness, he shall undo all wrong, he shall recover the states of the Church, and reunite the exiled temporal powers. He shall be revered by all people, and shall recover the kingdom of Jerusalem. As the only Pastor he shall reunite the Eastern to the Western Church, and thus one only faith will be in vigour. The sanctity of this beneficent Pontiff will be so great that the highest potentates shall bow down before his presence. This holy man shall crush the arrogance of religious schism and heresy. All men will return to the primitive Church, and there shall be one only pastor, one law, one master-humble, modest, and fearing God (Pope). The true God of the Jews, our Lord Jesus Christ, will make everything prosper beyond all human hope, because God alone can and will pour down on the wounds of humanity the oily balm of sweetness….” 1a

 

“Excellent man! When a monster shall appear to thee in the sky, thou shalt find a ready escape towards the east and after nine years thou shalt render thy soul to God” 1b

 

“The heavens proclaim the glory of God, and the faithful are in joy and happiness, because the Lord has vouchsafed to be merciful to them. He shall invite his elect to the banquet of the Lamb, where melodious canticles and harmonious concerts will be heard…” 2

 

“The power of this Pontiff's holiness will be so great as to be able to check the fury and impetuosity of threatening waves. Mountains shall be lowered before him, the sea shall be dried up, the dead shall be raised, the churches shall be reopened and altars erected…” 3

 

“It should be known that there will be two heads, one in the East, and the other in the West. This Pope shall break the weapons and scatter the fighting hordes. He will be the joy of God's elect. This angelic Pope will preach the gospel in every country. Through his zeal and solicitude the Greek Church shall be forever reunited to the Catholic Church…” 4

 

“Before, however, being firmly and solidly established in the Holy See, there will be innumerable wars and violent conflicts during which the sacred throne shall be shaken. But through the favour of Divine clemency, moved by the prayers of the faithful, everything will succeed so well that they shall be able to sing hymns of thanksgiving to the glory of the Lord…” 5

 

“This holy Pope shall be both pastor and reformer. Through him the East and West shall be in everlasting concord. The city of Babylon shall then be the head and guide of the world. Rome, weakened in temporal power, shall forever preserve her spiritual dominion, and shall enjoy great peace. During these happy days the Angelic Pope shall be able to address to Heaven prayers full of sweetness. The dispersed nation (Jews) shall also enjoy tranquillity. Six and a half years after this time the Pope will render his soul to God. The end of his days shall arrive in an arid province, situated between a river and a lake near the mountains….” 6

 

“At the beginning, in order to obtain these happy results, having need of a powerful temporal assistance, this holy Pontiff will ask the cooperation of the generous monarch of France (Great Monarch). At that time a handsome monarch, a scion of King Pepin, will come as a pilgrim to witness the splendour of this glorious pontiff, whose name shall begin with R . . . A temporal throne becoming vacant, the Pope shall place on it this king whose assistance he shall ask” 7

 

“When a monster shall appear to thee in the sky, thou shalt find a ready escape towards the east, and after nine years thou shalt render thy soul to God…” 8

 

“A man of remarkable sanctity will be his successor in the Pontifical chair. Through him God will work so many prodigies that all men shall revere him, and no person will dare to oppose his precepts. He shall not allow the clergy to have many benefices. He will induce them to live by the tithes and offerings of the faithful. He shall interdict pomp in dress, and all immorality in dances and songs. He will preach the gospel in person, and exhort all honest ladies to appear in public without any ornament of gold or precious stones. After having occupied the Holy See for a long period of time he shall happily return to the Lord…” 9

 

“His three immediate successors shall be men of exemplary holiness. One after the other will be models of virtue, and shall work miracles, confirming the teaching of their predecessors. Under their government the Church shall spread, and these Popes shall be called the Angelic Pastors…” 10

 

“Toward the end of the world, Antichrist will overthrow the pope and usurp his See…” 11

 

References

1. Fr Guadentius Rossi (Pellegrino) The Christian Trumpet (Thos. B. Noonand & Co, Boston, U.S. 1873) p. 142

1a. Rev R. Gerald. Culleton The Prophets and Our Times  (Tan Books and Publishers 1941) p 146

1b. Fr Guadentius Rossi (Pellegrino) The Christian Trumpet (Thos. B. Noonand & Co, Boston, U.S. 1873) p. 143

2. ibid p146-147

3. ibid p 147

4. ibid

5. ibid

6. ibid

7. ibid p147-148

8. ibid

9. ibid

10. ibid

11. Catholic Encyclopaedia Antichrist http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01559a.htm