St Anselm, Canterbury, England, 10th Century

 

Feastday: 21st April                                    

Born: 1033                 

Died: 1109

 

Italian nobility. After a childhood devoted to piety and study, Anselm wanted to enter religious life, but his father prevented it, and Anselm became rather wordly for several years. Upon his mother's death, Anselm argued with his father, fled to France, and became a Benedictine monk at Bec, Normandy. Studied under and succeeded Lanfranc as abbot. Archbishop of Canterbury. Theological writer. Counselor to Pope Gregory VII, Pope Urban II, and William the Conqueror. Opposed slavery and obtained English legislation prohibiting the sale of men. Fought King William Rufus's encroachment on ecclesiastical rights and the independence of the Church, and was exiled. Resolved theological doubts of the Italo-Greek bishops at Council of Bari in 1098. Strongly supported celebate clergy. King Henry I invited him to return to England, but they disputed over investitures, and Anselm was exiled again to return in 1106. One of the great philosophers and theologians of the middle ages. Doctor of the Church in 1720 by Pope Clement XI. 1

 

1. Taken from  the Patron Saints Index at http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/sainta16.htm

 

“Certain doctors truly say that one of the kings of the Frankish (Roman) Empire shall possess it in its entirety, which king shall live in the last time and shall be the greatest and last of kings. Who after he shall have happily governed his kingdom, shall come to Jerusalem and lay down his sceptre and crown on Mount Olivet. He shall be the last and consummate Emperor of the Roman and Christian Empire. And immediately thereupon according to the sentence of Paul, they say Antichrist will come…” 1

 

“The Last Judgment will be preceded by the imposter Antichrist, who will try to deceive men in four ways: a)  By a false exposition of Scripture, wherein he will try to prove that he is the Messiah promised by the Law. b)  By working miracles. (i.e. false miracles) c)  By handing out gifts. d)  By inflicting punishments….“ 2

 

“Antichrist will rule the world from Jerusalem, which he will make into a magnificent city….” 3

 

“You will be ruined, city of seven hills (Rome), when the letter K will be praised in your walls. Then, your fall will be near. (...) And you, man of big beard , you will lose it and you will lose your value in the whole world, for having presided the death of the Pontiff called John Obi…” 4

 

“Towards the end of the world antichrist will draw the hearts of the Jews to him by his great generosity and sympathetic attitude so much that they will praise him as a demi-god.  The Jews will say to one another “There is not a more virtuous, just and wise man that he to be found in our entire generation.. Of all men he certainly will be able to rescue us from our miseries…” 5

 

“For the temple which Solomon built having been destroyed in its place he (antichrist) shall restore it, he shall circumcise himself and he shall give forth the lie that he is the son of the omnipotent God…” 6

 

References

1.  Corpus Christianorum, Continuo Mediaevalis Vol 45 p 164 Liber Anselmi De Antichristo as quoted by Desmond A. Birch Trial Tribulation and Triumph: Before, During and After Antichrist, (Queenship Publishing. 1996) p 253

2. Yves Dupont Antichrist World Trends Magazine, September, 1975

3.  ibid

4. Source unavailable. Please write in.

5. ibid

6. ibid.