THAT SUPERMARKET TABLOID: CLAIMS OF LOURDES PROPHECY AT BEST DUBIOUS
We're constantly asked about an alleged hidden prophecy that St. Bernadette of Lourdes supposedly received and sent to the Pope. It was reported in a supermarket tabloid called the Weekly World News, and supposedly was the fifth prophecy of Lourdes.
The prophecy was interesting in that it said that physicians would one day use their knowledge to create an "abomination" -- a combination human and animal, which cloning doctors have been trying to do and on some scale have accomplished. Moreover, it supposedly foresaw a "final" clash between Christians and Muslims and a "bomb of great power" dropped on Iran, prophecies that resonate in the current world situation.
But this is perplexing because in reality, as far as we can tell from detailed histories, there were never any such Lourdes prophecies. We are highly skeptical, to say the least. St. Bernadette had been given a secret (underscore singular), but had commented that it was something that not even the Pope would be privy to. It was buried with her. One has to ask: Why would she send it to the Vatican if she had said it was not even intended for the Pope? Moreover, the Weekly World News is considered a step below The National Enquirer or The Star and is often accused of -- well, let's put it this way: one recent headline is about locusts the size of French poodles invading Russia, and another recent headline was, "HOW YOU CAN GET ANYTHING YOU WANT WITH VOODOO!"
We
apologize about having to be so forthright, and think we have said enough...