The internet is on fire with articles, videos, and blogs, about the Garabandal prophecy of a pope visiting Moscow. The following is an excerpt from the forthcoming book being released this fall titled: Garabandal — The Divine Reset, The Warning and the Miracle, Two Supernatural Events That Will Change the World.
Austrian author Albrecht Weber, is the key figure in the Garbandal story, as it relates specifically to the story of the Moscow prophecy. He is the sole source of the Moscow prophecy story which he alleged took place in the kitchen of Conchita’s home on November 14, 1965, the day after the last apparition of November 13 at Garabandal.
In 1993, Weber published a book in German called Garabandal—Der Zeigefinger Gottes, which in English is, Garabandal—The Finger of God, The book was sent to Pope John Paul II and his then assistant Bishop Stanislaus Dziwisz (1939—) who was later made Cardinal. In the year 2000 there was a revision of the book by Weber with the following written on page 19, and reprinted by Our Lady of Mount Carmel Garabandal Association, London, England, which then appeared in their newsletter in June of the same year. It reads:
May God reward you for everything, especially for the deep love with which you are making the events connected with Garabandal more widely known. May the message of the Mother of God find an entrance into hearts before it is too late. As an expression of joy and gratitude, the Holy Father gives you his apostolic blessing.
Signed Msgr. Stanislaus Dziwicz
Inscribed was a greeting by Pope John Paull II in his own handwriting. This is just another instance of another’s belief from well-known and authoritative figures in the Church (a reigning pope no less) expressing belief in what happened in Garabandal.
There is an area of puzzlement on the Moscow prophecy. The following quote is attributed to Conchita by Albrecht Weber. It was not Conchita’s mother who said this as many claim. It was said by Conchita in a long conversation with Weber in her house on November 14, 1965. It says, “The pope will go to Moscow. As soon as he returns to the Vatican, hostilities will break out in different parts of Europe.”
It is true that Mr. Weber confirmed Conchita’s statement several times; at least once to the recently deceased American editor of the Garabandal Journal, Barry Hanratty (1938 – 2022). Argentine author, Santiago Lanus, with a Garabandal News Blog researched this quote. The blogger and Albrecht Weber were friends of Garabandal.
However, the quote DOES NOT APPEAR anywhere inMr. Weber’s book, “Garabandal – Der Zeigefinger Gottes,” (1993, revised 2000). People in possession of the Second Edition of the book, who have personally gone through the entire work seven (7) times have never found the word “Moscow” appear in the book. This research was independently confirmed to be correct by a Brazilian Garabandalist and friend of Santiago Lanus.
An unanswerable question remains: Why would Mr. Weber withhold such a unique and significant piece of information from his own publication, and also with a revision of his book in 2000? This remains a puzzle, and actually quite bizarre.
Weber writes:
Author: “When should we expect the Warning?”
Conchita: “When communism comes again everything will happen.”
Author: “What do you mean by comes again?”
Conchita: “Yes, when it newly comes again,” she replied.
Author: “Does that mean that communism will go away before that?”
Conchita: “I don’t know,” she said in reply, “the Blessed Virgin simply said ‘when communism comes again’.” Weber, Albrecht, Garabandal: Der Zeigefinger Gottes, 2000, p. 130
IF the pope does go to Moscow, and nothing happens “as soon as he returns to the Vatican,” and events do not unfold as expected, it could be a reason some would see the prophecy unfulfilled, and fall away. However, the war in Ukraine and Russia is getting more dangerous by the day—and anything is now possible.
However, there is recently another reason that could have a much broader implication for the faithful who believe what happened at Garabandal, which would deflate enthusiasm for any apparition. On April 15, 2023, a new body was created by the International Pontifical Marian Academy ‘to discern the different cases of Marian apparitions as well as mystical phenomena linked to the figure of the Virgin Mary.” Its goal for the future is to prevent alleged messages from generating confusion inside the Church. Father Stefano Cecchin, OFM, President of the Academy states, “the apparitions which speak of the punishments from God are absolutely false.” This would mean under the new guidelines for authenticity, Fatima, Garabandal, La Salette, Tre Fontane, Akita, Medjugorje, and many others fall into this category. Of all reasons that have the potential to squash excitement among people for Garabandal, these are all serious considerations.
There are several possible scenario’s why people may fall away before the events. Conchita was asked about the timing of the Miracle, and her response was, “The Miracle will not delay in coming.” Conchita added an interesting observation: Although it is taking time to come, it will not be late. God’s time is always the appropriate time.” On another occasion, Conchita indicated people fall away not because of the timing of the Miracle, but for other reasons.
Pope Francis has expressed interest in visiting Moscow from as early as 2016, and said the same again on his way back to Rome after his five-day Greece and Cyprus trip in December 2021. Patriarch Kirill of Moscow then sent a representative soon after to the Vatican to work out details. However, no trip was announced. Pope Francis visited the Russian Embassy on February 25, 2022 in Rome, at the beginning of the Russia Ukraine war, making a plea for peace.
Patriarch Kirill and Pope Francis were on cordial speaking terms prior to the war in Ukraine, and have a history together. They have previously met at the Havana, Cuba airport, on February 12, 2016, just months before Fidel Castro died. Their meeting was for over two hours and was called extremely cordial. As the war continued in Ukraine, Kirill publicly sided with Vladimir Putin’s position on the war and talks cooled between the Vatican and Moscow. However, Pope Francis has continued to be resolute and he hopes to get an invitation from Putin and Patriarch Kirill to visit Moscow.
It is known that Putin disagrees with many of the more liberal positions of the World Economic Forum (WEF) and the liberal elites in the West, as well as their economic and social positions. Putin has stated on numerous occasions he does not want to bring Russia into the orbit of western Central Bank control and LGBT, Transgender type social policies. Putin believes Ukraine under Zelensky is captive by these immoral and economic programs, and is a puppet of the west. He also believes that Ukraine is a giant laundering center washing cash for the west and the U.S. in particular. A trip to Moscow by Pope Francis could pose an embarrassment for Putin if peace terms are proposed, that he is unwilling to accept. The term in diplomatic circles for resolution to a conflict is an off ramp. The west has never given Putin an off ramp which prompted Pope Francis early on to say that the west provoked the war. If a meeting does take place, it could be called miraculous because the differences are so vast in the politics of the Church and state between the two countries.
May 13, 2023—Ukrainian President Zelensky and Pope Francis Meet
As the on-going Russia-Ukraine war continues, with massive destruction on both sides, on May 13, 2023 President V. Zelensky of Ukraine flew to Rome to meet with Pope Francis in a plea that the Pope would back his proposal for a peace plan. After a forty-minute meeting, few details were provided on a tangible solution to end the war. However, the press noted that the meeting did not go as Zelensky had hoped. May 13, 1917 was the first apparition of the Blessed Mother at Fatima, where Russia was central to the messages. The Vatican surely had this Fatima date in mind, after months of Vatican officials working back channels for a resolution to the war. What will be the final resolve to end the war, or the role of Pope Francis brokering a deal is anyone’s guess at this point. In June of 2023, the Vatican sent a delegation headed by Cardinal Zuppi to Kyiv (meeting was June 8 and 9) and Moscow to seek a settlement both sides could accept. Patriarch Kirill did meet with the delegation June 29, and 30 in Moscow. Whether or not this was a meeting to pave the way for Pope Francis is unknown, as the Vatican has said little.
On July 24, 2023 it was reported by the Russian press, that Pope Francis on his way to Mongolia or on the return trip home asked to meet Patriarch Kirill at the Moscow airport as the plane refuels. The dates proposed were either August 31, or September 4 or 5. Casorosendi.com, as reported by TASS Pope Francis asked for a meeting at the airport in Moscow.
Mongolia is the 19th largest country in the world, and about the size of Alaska. It is sparsely populated with only 2.8 million people, and is between Russia to the north, and China to the south. There are an estimated 1,400 Catholics in all Mongolia. As a way for Pope France to get a meeting with Patriarch Kirill, this trip was used as a pretense that Francis has wanted for some time. This is another story we will wait to see if it comes to fruition. The on-going developments in this story will surely continue. To date, the press on this trip is from Russia, not the Vatican.
Ukraine at the beginning of the war was a country with 44 million people, and with millions either killed, wounded, or displaced to refugee status because of the war, at some point leaders will need to come to their senses and seek a proposal for peace and bury past conflicts and move towards the future. With approximately 45% of the Ukrainian population declaring themselves Russian, especially in the east and south, this is a problem that looks like there is no resolution at the moment.
An Unorthodox Situation
This aspect of the Garabandal story will continue to change and evolve until a pope does visit Moscow at some point. The war in Ukraine will continue to drive the narrative for an official visit. On March 13, 2023 the story was reported that President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine ordered authorities to close the 980-year-old Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) Pechersk Lavra Monastery complex, which is under the authority of the Russian Orthodox Church. Zelensky gave them three weeks to vacate the premises after having a compound on the premises for nearly 1000 years. Zelensky asserts that the church is undermining Ukrainian unity and collaborating with Moscow. This prompted Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill to ask Pope Francis and others with influence to stop the shuttering of the facility. Zelensky further said by doing this, “it is one more step towards strengthening our spiritual independence.” The Russian Orthodox Church has a long-established presence in Ukraine, and Zelensky now wants to close Ukrainian Orthodox Churches because he feels the church is undermining Ukrainian influence. Millions of people in the Ukraine who identify as Russian will take a strong stand against this, further complicating internal politics. What this will look like in the future is unknown as both sides see no common ground for peace. The war is a very complex situation between the warring factions who have a long and tumultuous history between them.
Kirill has been a vocal advocate of Russia’s position in the war. If Kirill did not take the stance of Putin, then he would immediately be removed from his position as Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church.
It has been nearly 1,000 years since Eastern Orthodoxy split from Rome, and it would be a significant event for some sort of reconciliation. Events are now pointing to the fruition of the prophecies by just looking at the social upheaval in the world and nuclear conflict as an increasing possibility. We may know shortly if Weber is correct.