During the apparitions of Garabandal, Our Lady made some startling revelations regarding the papacy. When the Garabandal Apparitions began in June of 1961, John XXIII was Pope. We are not aware of his having said anything regarding the Garabandal events. At that time, Pope John was very much involved in preparations for the new Council, Vatican II. This was his great undertaking, which was very much involved in preparations for the new Council, Vatican II. This was his great undertaking, which he believed would rejuvenate the Church. He never lost conviction and in his final illness prayed, "May it be God’s will that the Council fathers be able still to crown the great work they have begun. I offer up all my sufferings ut unum sint [that they may be one], that all may be a sole entity in Christ." The Council fathers did continue their wok although the aftermath of the Council hardly lived up to Pope John’s expectations. He never lived to see it and died on June 3, 1963, just eight months after presiding at the solemn opening on October 11, 1962. When the bells tolled in the village church of Garabandal on the day Pope John died, Conchita said to her mother, Aniceta, "The Pope is dead. Now there will be only three more." Aniceta reproved her, "How do you know that" Why do you say such silly things?" Conchita answered, "The Virgin told it to me." When asked by another person what it meant, if it meant the end of the world, she replied, "I don’t know what will happen, only that three Popes remain."	Home
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The Three Popes

This prophecy of the three Popes has always been a subject of great interest because of its enormous implications. According to Conchita, the Virgin told her that after the third Pope then will come the end of time but not the end of the world, a statement which Conchita herself does not understand. There is a maxim of mystical theologians that applies here: no prophecy is fully understood until after it happens.

But for us today, living on the threshold of the third millennium, what seems clear is that we are approaching the stage of human history mentioned in this prophecy. A brief review of the three Popes after John XXIII will bring us up to date.

Paul VI is the first. He was elected on June 21, 1963 and brought the Council started by Pope John to its completion in October of 1966. Subsequently he reigned during one of the most turbulent periods in the Church’s 2,000 year history as unprecedented changes swept over the Church in the wake of the Council, changes often made in the name of the Council but not according to the dictates of the Council Fathers as expressed in the official documents. Pope Paul is the first Pope who was in some way connected to Garabandal.

In January of 1966, Conchita was called to Rome by Prefect of the Holy Office (now the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith), Cardinal Alfredo Ottaviani and was interrogated for two and a half hours by the Cardinal and other members of the Holy Office. Although Conchita was experiencing doubts and lapses of memory at the time, which the Virgin had predicted, Conchita later said that during the interrogation everything about the apparitions passed before her eyes, as though "on film." Cardinal Ottaviani was satisfied and the overall impression made by Conchita was favorable. Afterwards, she asked to see the Pope. Here is Father Joseph Pelletier’s account of that memorable meeting.

"She was given an appointment that was later cancelled. Arrangements were made for Conchita to meet a personal representative of the Pope, someone of considerable rank. He told her that the Pope gave her his blessing and with it that of all the Church. Quite unexpectedly, on the following day, the Holy Father himself actually received Conchita and repeated verbally what he had said to her the preceding day through his personal representative. These are incontrovertible facts, which the author is in position to substantiate if need be. What has been affirmed repeatedly and challenged just as often is true: the Pope did say: "I bless you and with me the whole Church blesses you." -- Our Lady Comes to Garabandal, p. 201

Conchita’s meeting with the Holy Father was a private audience, in the strictest sense of the word, where only two ore three persons are present as opposed to a semi-private one where several persons can be in attendance. Conchita was not permitted to divulge what was said during the meeting and has always honored this injunction even until today. She did reveal, however, that while in Rome, she told the date of the Miracle to both Cardinal Ottaviani and the Pope’s personal secretary (no doubt intended for the Pope).

On August 6, 1978, Feast of the Transfiguration, Pope Paul VI died peacefully at Castelgandalfo, the papal summer residence. He was 80 years old.

The following conclave elected as his successor, Cardinal Albino Luciani, Patriarch of Venice, who chose the name John Paul I in deference to his two predecessors. He was to reign for just 33 days and died on September 28, 1978. There is no record we know of where this Pope said anything about Garabandal but he was apparently referred to by Our Lady during the events. Santander businessman, Placido Ruiloba, a witness to more than a thousand ecstasies has testified to having heard Conchita say that of the three Popes that would remain after John XXIII, one would have a very short reign – muy poquisimo.

On October 16, 1978, Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, Archbishop of Krakow, Poland, was elected to succeed Pope John Paul I. He was the first non-Italian in some 400 years and took the name John Paul II in deference to his three predecessors.

What can’t we say about this Pope who according to Garabandal is the last of the three remaining Popes? His reign now in its twentieth year, is one of the most remarkable in the 2,000 year history of the papacy and one that certainly is leaving an indelible imprint on the latter part of the 20th century. During his tenure John Paul has logged nearly 700,000 miles visiting 119 countries in 84 trips outside Italy, issued 13 papal encyclicals, canonized 280 saints, beatified 804 people, published the Catechism of the Catholic Church and published new codes of Canon Law for the Latin Rite (1983) and Eastern Rite Churches (1990). This is only a partial listing of what has been accomplished under the leadership of this Pope.

Today, John Paul is not as vigorous as he was when chosen 263rd successor of St. Peter in 1978 at the youthful age (for a pope) of 58. The gunshot wounds he received from attempted assassin, Mehmet Ali Agca in 1981 and subsequent operations for other physical problems have taken their toll and his state of health is always a subject of concern. But according to Vatican press secretary, Dr. Navarro-Valls, "Certain physical limits are evident, and the Pope doesn’t try to hide them. They don’t worry him and, thank God, up to this point, they don’t interfere with his work." John Paul is determined to lead the Church into the third millennium and knowing his resolve, we have no reason to doubt that he will do it.

There is one other revelation made at Garabandal about the papacy. Our Lady told Conchita that the Pope "will see the Miracle from wherever he is." Since John Paul II is the third Pope, he automatically becomes the one to whom this prophecy refers. And while we don’t know the date of the Miracle – only Conchita knows that -- what we do know is that it will occur within John Paul’s lifetime. Taking into consideration his age and state of health it would seem that it is not far off. May we prepare ourselves for these fateful events of the Warning and Miracle by living the Message that can be found on this website.

(Reprinted from the the write-up by Barry Hanratty, Garabandal Magazine, January-March 1999 Issue) 

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