Pope John Paul II Says
That Our Times Are Apocalyptic
Excerpt from farewell address to 1976 Eucharistic Congress in Philadelphia
(Speaking as Cardinal of Krakow, Poland, two years before he was the Holy Father)
"We are now standing in the face of the greatest historical confrontation humanity has ever experienced. I do not think the wide circle of the American society or the wide circle of the Christian community realize this fully. We are now facing the final confrontation between the Church and the anti-church, the Gospel and the anti-gospel, Christ and the Antichrist. This confrontation lies within the plans of Divine Providence. It is, therefore, in God’s plan and it must be a trial which the Church must take up and face courageously." (emphasis added)
Later, as the Pope, he would certainly have known even more about the reality of our times. In Falda, Germany (several years ago) he was asked, in reference to the third secret of Fatima, "What will happen to the Church?" His reply:
"We must prepare ourselves to suffer great trials before long, such as will demand of us a disposition to give up even life, and a total dedication to Christ and for Christ. With your and my prayers, it is possible to mitigate the coming tribulation, but it is no longer possible to avert it, because only thus can the Church be effectually renewed. How many times has the renewal of the Church sprung from the shedding of blood? This time, too, it will not be otherwise. We must be strong and prepared and trust in Christ and in His Holy Mother and be very, very assiduous in praying the Holy Rosary."