Pope Peter II
Encyclopedia
Pope Peter II is a hypothetical Papal name
and, in recent times, a common name for sedevacantist
group leaders styling themselves as popes.
, who is seen by Catholics as the first Pope
, no Pope has ever adopted the name Peter II. It is considered unlikely that any future pope would choose the name. Many popes have, however, had Peter (or a regional variant) as their baptismal name, most recently Pope Benedict XIII
(Pietro Orsini).
The likelihood of such a choice is further diminished by the final passage of the Prophecy of the Popes
attributed to St. Malachy, a text which is well-known in Catholic circles, though having no official standing. The Prophecy refers to a Petrus Romanus (Peter the Roman) as the final Pope: he would "feed his sheep in many tribulations" and in the days of the "final persecution." This text invests the name of Peter II with an apocalyptic
connotation.
, particularly those whose claim to the papacy derives from a claimed personal divine revelation. The most famous of these is Manuel Alonso Corral of the Palmarian Catholic Church
, though Corral explicitly denies that he is Petrus Romanus of the Prophecy of the Popes.
series, Peter Mathews, a corrupt Catholic Bishop, is elected Pope Peter II and subsequently becomes a leader of the Enigma Babylon One World Faith
. This is a deliberate inversion of the passage from Prophecy of the Popes
.
In The Third Secret
by Steve Berry, an ambitious Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal
Alberto Valendrea, is elected pope and chooses the name Peter II.
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
and, in recent times, a common name for sedevacantist
Conclavism
Conclavism is the belief and practice of some who, claiming that Pope Benedict XVI, Pope John Paul II and other recent occupants of the papal see are not true popes, elect someone else and propose him as the true pope to whom the allegiance of Catholics is due....
group leaders styling themselves as popes.
The name and its connotations
Out of respect for the Apostle Saint PeterSaint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
, who is seen by Catholics as the first Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
, no Pope has ever adopted the name Peter II. It is considered unlikely that any future pope would choose the name. Many popes have, however, had Peter (or a regional variant) as their baptismal name, most recently Pope Benedict XIII
Pope Benedict XIII
-Footnotes:...
(Pietro Orsini).
The likelihood of such a choice is further diminished by the final passage of the Prophecy of the Popes
Prophecy of the Popes
The Prophecy of the Popes, attributed to Saint Malachy, is a list of 112 short phrases in Latin. They purport to describe each of the Roman Catholic popes , beginning with Pope Celestine II and concluding with the successor of current pope Benedict XVI, a pope described in the prophecy as "Peter...
attributed to St. Malachy, a text which is well-known in Catholic circles, though having no official standing. The Prophecy refers to a Petrus Romanus (Peter the Roman) as the final Pope: he would "feed his sheep in many tribulations" and in the days of the "final persecution." This text invests the name of Peter II with an apocalyptic
Apocalypse
An Apocalypse is a disclosure of something hidden from the majority of mankind in an era dominated by falsehood and misconception, i.e. the veil to be lifted. The Apocalypse of John is the Book of Revelation, the last book of the New Testament...
connotation.
Actual use
The name Peter II has been adopted by several modern-day antipopesConclavism
Conclavism is the belief and practice of some who, claiming that Pope Benedict XVI, Pope John Paul II and other recent occupants of the papal see are not true popes, elect someone else and propose him as the true pope to whom the allegiance of Catholics is due....
, particularly those whose claim to the papacy derives from a claimed personal divine revelation. The most famous of these is Manuel Alonso Corral of the Palmarian Catholic Church
Palmarian Catholic Church
The Christian Palmarian Church of the Carmelites of the Holy Face , commonly called the Palmarian Catholic Church , is a schismatic Catholic church with its own pope, Gregory XVIII.-Origins:...
, though Corral explicitly denies that he is Petrus Romanus of the Prophecy of the Popes.
Fiction
In the Left BehindLeft Behind (series)
Left Behind is a series of 16 best-selling novels by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, dealing with Christian dispensationalist End Times: pretribulation, premillennial, Christian eschatological viewpoint of the end of the world. The primary conflict of the series is the members of the Tribulation...
series, Peter Mathews, a corrupt Catholic Bishop, is elected Pope Peter II and subsequently becomes a leader of the Enigma Babylon One World Faith
Enigma Babylon One World Faith
Enigma Babylon One World Faith is a fictional world religion in the Left Behind series that ostensibly seeks to harmonise the remaining faiths on earth after the Rapture as portrayed in the novel....
. This is a deliberate inversion of the passage from Prophecy of the Popes
Prophecy of the Popes
The Prophecy of the Popes, attributed to Saint Malachy, is a list of 112 short phrases in Latin. They purport to describe each of the Roman Catholic popes , beginning with Pope Celestine II and concluding with the successor of current pope Benedict XVI, a pope described in the prophecy as "Peter...
.
In The Third Secret
The Third Secret
-Plot introduction:The story takes us behind the Vatican walls during the reign of a dying pope. Clement XV, a gentle, poetic German, keeps visiting the archives where the Third Secret of Fatima is kept. He is clearly troubled by something, but won't fully confide in his secretary, Father Colin...
by Steve Berry, an ambitious Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
Alberto Valendrea, is elected pope and chooses the name Peter II.