St. Caesarius of Arles (469-543)

a

"When the entire world, and in a special manner France, and in France more particularly the provinces of the North, of the east, and above all, that of Lorraine and Champagne, shall have been a prey to the greatest miseries and trials, then the provinces shall be succored by f\ prince who had been exiled in his youth, and who shall recover the crown of the lilies.

"This prince shall extend his dominion over the entire universe. At the same time there will be a great Pope, who will be most eminent in sanctity and most perfect in every quality. This Pope shall have with him, the Great Monarch, a most virtuous man, who shall be a scion of the holy race of the French kings. This Great Monarch will assist the Pope in the refor" mation of the whole earth. Many princes and nations that are living in error and impiety shall be converted, and an admin.

able peace shall reign among men during many years, because the wrath of God shall be appeased through their repentence, penance, and good works. There will be one common law, one only faith, one baptism, one religion. All nations shall recognize the Holy See of Rome, and shall pay homage to the Pope. But after some considerable time fervor shall cool, ini.. quity shall abound, and moral corruption shall become worse than ever, which shall bring upon mankind the last and worse persecution of Anti-Christ, and the end of the world."

b

"There shall be a great carnage and as great an effu.. sion of blood as in the time of the Gentiles: the Universal Church and the whole world shall deplore the ruin and capture of that most celebrated city, the capital and mistress of France: the altars and temples shall be destroyed; the holy virgins after experiences many outrages, shall fly from their monasteries: the pastors of the Church shall abandon their pulpits and the Church itself be despoiled of all temporalities."