Papabile Óscar Andrés Rodríguez Maradiaga
Anura Guruge
Texas-resident, Juan Carrillo, the author of ‘As I Passed Him: A Prophecy within Our Times,‘ send me an e-mail last night (just after my post on the Lord’s rain on the pope’s parade) about Honduran, papabile cardinal Óscar Andrés Rodríguez Maradiaga’s three catecheses for the World Youth Day 2011 in Madrid, Spain. You can ‘Look Inside‘ Juan’s book at Amazon.
Juan’s book is based on a Maradiaga apparition while he was on a 100 km bike race in Mexico (though I am not expert enough to determine whether in reality it was a doppelgänger rather than an apparition — which still begs the question as to what a Honduran was doing, surreptitiously, in Mexico). Juan is totally convinced that what he saw was the next pope. [Some of you, if you look at Juan's book or the blurb might think that it was the heat in the dessert, à la the Road to Damascus, or possibly even that his racing shorts were too tight -- though I really don't want to go there. But, you may want to check out his patented bicycle seat. Anybody think that these bicycle racing shorts should be in black or more accommodating?]
So this was a papabile apparition (or doppelgänger) and I, with my insatiable fascination with all things papabili, am all in favor of this contemporary genre of visions. So if anybody else has had papabile apparitions please let me know and I will give you all the publicity you seek — and as with Juan even ‘help’ you write a book.
Given that I had the piano playing, psychologist cum psychotherapist Maradiaga as my #7 papabile in 2009 I was quite happy with Juan’s vision of him as the next pope. Currently, in ‘The Next Pope 2011,’ I have Maradiaga, thought to be a ‘closet moderate,’ at #9 — as a dark-horse, Latin American, upset candidate that may be favored by electors from the developing countries (though I am not sure whether the ‘Tanned Ratzinger‘ will see himself as from such a nation). Many in the U.S., however, know him best for his claim in May 2002, to an Italian publication, that the Jews were fanning the flames of the clergy sexual abuse crisis to divert attention from the Israeli-Palestinian crisis!
Where Juan and I disagree, fundamentally and vehemently, is that Juan believes that Maradiaga, per the ‘Malarkey’ prophecy (see this link) will chose to ‘Peter the Roman’! Yes, and pigs will fly over St. Peter’s. He also is a believer in the tribulation etc.
Well, given his ‘Peter the Rock’ belief, Juan cites the many ‘rock’ references in Maradiaga’s planned catecheses. You can read the article, as sent to me by Juan, here. Juan said this in his e-mail:
Just wanted to share this article from World Youth Day in Madrid Spain. This Cardinal is the one I saw during a 100 Km race in Juarez Mex. in bilocation and whom I didnt know it was him at the time, and 3 weeks or so later triggered me, by the Holy Spirit, to know him as “Peter it is you Peter”.
Anu, you may better understand this, but in the Cardinal’s article link below, he makes mention to “solid foundation” and “building on rock” a few times which is indicative of Petrus or Peter which in Greek means “Rock”; Peter (physical name Simon) the first Pope, was called by Christ Peter as the the rock upon which Christ’s Church was to be founded. The following may be far fetched, but is his mention of this foundation indicating a possible name?
I am obviously far from convinced. To say that Maradiaga is dropping hints as to the name he intends to take when pope actually breaks the law and insults the other electors — particularly with the Peter the Roman malarkey with its implication of Rome in flames. Cardinals, in particular, per John Paul II’s Universi Dominici Gregis, Chapter VI, Clause #79 & #82, are not permitted to ‘openly plan’ on the pope’s successor while the pope is still alive. So, IF Maradiaga is dropping hints that he will be ‘Peter’ when elected pope he definitely is making plans while poor, old Benedict XVI is still alive and giving speeches in the rain. I, rightly or wrongly, also believe that most of the cardinal electors are quite savvy. So, in my opinion, they will NOT be impressed with this malarkey about the next pope being the last pope etc. Ruins job security.
So, I don’t buy that Maradiaga was in any way dropping hints that he will be Peter II. No way, Jose.
Here is an interesting interview by the cardinal, where he does, at the very end, talk about his papabile status.
But, here is what caught my attention, in Maradiaga’s prepared statements for Madrid. “Cardinal Oscar Rodríguez Maradiaga is recommending a “spiritual GPS“ for young people in Madrid for World Youth Day. It should be tuned to the Word of God, the Bread of Life, and the Virgin Mary, the cardinal suggested.”
Now Maradiaga wanted to be a pilot and has taken flying lessons. He talks about this in the above mentioned interview and I have written about it in my book. So he of all people will know a bit about GPS. That is what got me. If the Pope made this statement I would just laugh because I don’t expect the pope to know that much about modern technology. But Maradiaga. Come on, he has to know better.
So, what is my problem. Tuning a GPS! No there is no dial or up/down buttons on a GPS to ‘tune’ in desired frequencies. So this was a very bad and poor analogy. If he carries on like this he will be #11 in my 2012 list.
