The Next Pope

Future News-The Next Pope
Bill Tenuto
April 6, 2005

I see an image of Pope John Paul II, dressed in white, with a few Cardinals standing to his right side. He is waiving a handful of papers at them, telling them to remember to do what they have all agreed to do. John Paul II and a handful of cardinals have made an arrangement for who will become the next pope. They already have discussed this and agreed to it.

I see a man now who is dressed in black, and he is wearing the hat of a Catholic Monsignor. This man has a dark, long moustache. He may be Italian or Spanish, but I feel he is a Latin American cardinal. The image I see here is probably as this cardinal once looked when he was a younger man, with dark hair and a long moustache. His dark hair seems long on the back of his head, but maybe what I see is something which hangs from the back of his hat. His black garments are probably a symbol for me. I doubt that he literally wears black garments now. The personality characteristic which stands out for me is that this cardinal is demanding and frightening.

To interpret the image of this man further, the image may have a broader meaning. What I see could represent one specific cardinal who has a major influence, but the image also could represent a bloc of cardinals, perhaps all of the cardinals from Latin America. Whether the image represents one cardinal or a bloc of cardinals, I will refer to the image I see as "the cardinal in black." The cardinal in black appears to be the driving force at the upcoming conclave to elect the next pope, having a decided influence over the outcome of the election. Later, the cardinal in black will exert a powerful influence over the next pope during his papacy.

The image I see is that the cardinal in black will insist on being heard at the conclave. The very sound of his voice and the words he speaks will create a kind of shaking in the conclave. Most if not all of the other cardinals already understand that they must fall in line with what the cardinal in black is telling them. He is insisting on who must be elected as the next pope, reminding the cardinals of their previous agreement.

Now the cardinal in black is reading something from an old scroll. He is saying a prayer in front of the other cardinals, invoking the guidance of the Holy Spirit to elect the right man to become the next pope. This prayer seems like a concession to the necessity of presenting at least the outward appearance of adhering to the Church tradition of asking for spiritual guidance to elect a pope. What I sense, however, is that most if not all of the 117 cardinals who will be voting know in advance who the next pope will be. I feel this decision had been made while John Paul II was alive.

Now the image I see changes. I see the next pope standing in front of a window at the Vatican to greet the people outside. It is raining. The new pope is wearing white. He is holding a staff. He has the appearance of an Asian man. I sense that the new pope could be from the Philippines or from China. His features are Asian. He is stocky looking, probably not too tall. He addresses the people, and then he lifts up his staff indicating to the crowd that has gathered that they should all cheer for something. But there is an energy about this gesture which feels awkwardly political to me. It may be literal or symbolic, but, as a symbol, the awkwardness I feel about it suggests something is not quite right about the cheering that the new pontiff asks for.

I sense a political link between the new pontiff, the Vatican and Asia. This link seems to be the source that will stir unrest in Asia, perhaps in the form of religious, social or political upheaval and conflict. This link appears to be at the root of escalating trouble for the Vatican in Asia. This new pope will have problems. They seem to be political problems which stem from who this pope is and where he comes from. I see him being forced to remove himself for a time from the public eye, perhaps for his own safety.

I see another image now. I see the new pope coughing. Possibly he is ill. With this I sense something is out of balance. There is a mental and/or emotional disconnect for the new pontiff. The church will become divided because of this new pope. His personality exhibits a flaw which suggests some sort of instability. For whatever the reason, the new pope will cause great division among the clergy and the Catholic laity. He seems to want to rally Catholics together in a common restoration of the spirit of the Church, yet he will create the opposite effect.

Now I see an image of the ground under the Vatican cracking, causing the floor on which the new pope stands to break, separate and open. It is like an earthquake or an explosion under the Vatican. I see the new pope now wearing black, not white. Again, something is not right with this pope. He is shown to me in black garments. This is a symbol, and it suggests some sort of shadow around him. I hear, "he scatters the people" or "the people scatter."

Perhaps the next pope will be so out of touch with the clergy and the Catholic laity that his authority will be diminished. I feel the Church will become fragmented. I see cardinals standing in the Vatican, unable to find a solution, feeling as if they no longer have anything of substance to hold onto. They appear to be questioning. They look puzzled.

Copyright 2005 by William L. Tenuto