http://unveilingtheapocalypse.blogspot.co.uk/2017/01/fr-giulio-mancinelli-on-conversion-of.html
The blog is to do with prophecy in Catholic tradition specifically, as its name would indicate, relating to the Apocalypse. The post describes the potential reconversion of England to Catholicism and I don't imagine all readers here would share that aspiration. But if we look at this conversion as a rediscovery of real Christianity then I think we could share common ground. I apologise to the writer of the post, Emmett O'Regan, if it seems to him that his message is being misrepresented by appearing on a blog that is not a Catholic one, but I hope he doesn't mind it being spread to a different audience than the one he might have initially intended.
Anyhow, here's an extract from Mr O'Regan's post quoting a Jesuit missionary who was visiting England in the early 17th century.
"While on a mission to England in 1608, Fr. Mancinelli reported that he had been visited by angels, who revealed to him the future destiny of this country in a series of visions:
"He beheld regions laid waste by all kinds of tempests, and so desolated by thunder, lightning, rain, hail, hurricanes and dreadful earthquakes that their wretched inhabitants knew not whither to flee for safety; even the caverns of the earth afforded no refuge. Being thus beyond all human help, the Father saw them at length with one accord prostrate and crying to God for mercy; he next heard this voice from Heaven: "It is not so much your sins as the enormities of your kings and rulers that has brought you to this condition, and subjected you to such severe punishments. But now know ye that I will deal with you in mercy, and raise your Church to a dignity that it has never heretofore attained. You shall win over the Turks and heretics under my protection, and with manifest prodigies from heaven such triumphs and victories that will astonish the rest of Europe. Lastly, the central sanctuary of the world, which I first established in Jerusalem, and which at present hallows the city of Rome, shall be placed in your midst, so that all surrounding nations shall congratulate you on your happiness. These special blessings shall be bestowed upon you for the sake of the eminent merits of the saints of this kingdom, and the hardships and the sufferings they have undergone for My sake."
(Jesuit Annual Letter of 1605. "Copie of a revelation made to Father Julius Mancinelli, S.J., concerning the success of the Kingdome of England")`"
There's a lot more if you follow the link, and I'd
like to express my thanks to Mr O'Regan for such an interesting essay.
It occurred to me that this could just be seen as
propaganda at a time when it was still thought that England might return to the
Catholic fold if only its rulers could be persuaded of the error of their ways,
if it were not for the reference to the "central sanctuary of the
world" being placed in England which must have seemed extraordinary at the
time.
Very interesting, William. I think that such a restoration would be so wide-ranging and comprehensive - such an astonishing turnaround from what we have now in this land - that it would necessarily appear as 'all things to all men' - to the Catholic as a return to the primacy of the Holy See, to the Protrstant as a return to scriptural authority, and to the more mythically-minded among us as the return of King Arthur and the Grail.
ReplyDeleteThat makes a lot of sense, John. So we could interpret this vision symbolically rather than literally, as in it was originally understood according to the mindset of the receiver but it may have broader implications.
ReplyDeleteJust an aside - This post led me to Emmett O'Regan's, 'Unveiling the Apocalypse', which I have ordered from Amazon. I hope to gain some insight from it.
ReplyDelete