"The Glory of the Olivetans" -- Another of a series of articles by BonnieBlueFlag

By BonnieBlueFlag



Saint Benedict
"Gloria Olivae" The Glory of the Olivetans

By BonnieBlueFlag

Prior to the Papal election, I researched and read all that I could find on the Catholic Cardinals that might coincide with Saint Malachy's prediction of "The Glory of the Olives" (Gloria Olivae).

Most others who had an interest in determining if St. Malachy was correct once again, believed that the reference to the "Olives" had a connection to the Jews. Evidently, an olive branch is considered to be a symbol for the Jewish people.

Therefore, the next Pope might be of Jewish descent. Yes, there was a Jewish Cardinal who would be among those in the Conclave, Joseph Cardinal Lustiger, of Paris. His mother had died at the Auschwitz concentration camp during the war.

In my early research I discovered that Jose Cardinal Policarpo of Lisbon, had attended Christ the King Seminary in Olivais, Portugal; and a number of years later he returned to serve as the rector of the Olivais seminary. These small bits of information seemed to have potential in meeting with St. Malachy's "The Glory of the Olives."

To complicate matters, there was another prediction made by Saint Benedict himself, that "The Glory of Olives" Pope would come from the Order of Saint Benedict, also known as the "Olivetans." St. Benedict foretold that this Pope would lead the church during the beginning of the apocalyptic prophecy, given to a gathering on the Mount of Olives by Jesus.

A review of all the Cardinals revealed only one who belonged to the Order of St. Benedict (O.S.B.), Paul Augustin Cardinal Mayer, O.S.B., who was presently 93 years of age. I felt sure that the college of Cardinals would select an older man as the next pope, because Pope John Paul II's 26 years had been one of the longest reigns of any pope. However, it seemed certain that Cardinal Mayer's age of 93 was a little older than would be practical.

So, as the Cardinals went into the Conclave, there didn't seem to be a great deal of evidence that St. Malachy would continue to be as accurate as he had been in the past.

Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger appeared to be the favorite, and there were rumors that he had a sizable number of supporters on Monday before the first vote.

As much as I hoped that Cardinal Ratzinger would be the next Pope, it also meant that St. Malachy would be incorrect in "The Gory of the Olives" prophecy. Cardinal Ratzinger was not a member of the Order of St. Benedict, he did not seem to be of Jewish descent, nor had he attended the seminary in Olivais, Portugal.

Yesterday, when they announced that Cardinal Ratzinger had been elected to be the next Pope, I was at once joyous and disappointed. The man that I had hoped to be named as Pope had been, but I was a little sad that St. Malachy and his papal prophecies would now be tossed aside.

I continued listening to the radio intently, for the new Pope's name to be given. The radio news anchors talked over the top of the name, and then began to mispronounce the Latin words over and over again, oblivious to the fact that they were making me crazy.

Finally, the name became discernible, Pope Benedict XVI. My mind went racing back over St. Benedict's prophecy, but I knew that Cardinal Ratzinger did not belong to the Order of Saint Benedict. Of all the names to choose, he chose Pope Benedict XVI, it set my mind to spinning to say the least.

All afternoon one pundit and religious expert after another began to compare this known conservative to Pope Benedict XV. According to them, Pope Benedict XV was a moderate, so they felt that this new conservative Pope was trying to send a message that he intended to be a moderate.
Well, so much for the pundits. Grasping at straws as usual just to fill air time.

Once I was able to get back to my research on now Pope Benedict XVI and The Benedictine Order; I realized that his choice had nothing to do with the ineffectual (and sometimes corrupt) Pope Benedicts that had gone before him. This man had a great admiration for the Benedictine monks and their work in maintaining Christianity in many parts of the world.

In the mid 1800s King Ludwig I of Bavaria founded the St. Boniface Benedictine monastery in Munich. He then purchased the Andechs Monastery (which had fallen into ruin) to be used as a farm to support the St. Boniface Monastery, where eventually 130,000 books and works would be housed in the Library. In 1943 during W.W.II, the St. Boniface Library was hit during a bombing attack and destroyed. However, about 25,000 books had been saved by moving them to the Andechs' Monastery in Bavaria.

Joseph Aloysius Ratzinger grew up knowing the Benedictine monks who labored at the Andechs' Monastery, and the Benedictine religious who cared for the St. Boniface Library in Munich.

In 1998 Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger presented his new autobiography, entitled "Milestones: Memoirs 1927-1977" to the press at the Kloster Andech Monastery in Upper Bavaria, just a stone's throw from where he was born and raised.

Cardinal Ratzinger received the St. Benedict Award for the Promotion of Life and Family on April 1, 2005, in Subiaco, Italy; where St. Benedict had lived as a hermit for three years, before he began his work in founding the Benedictine Monasteries.

In less than 24 hours, Pope Benedict XVI, has already renewed global interest in St. Benedict, the Benedictine Monasteries, and "The Glory of the Olivetans."

Written by BonnieBlueFlag