Ven Bartholomew Holzhauser

Predicted in the “fifth age” disaster: apostasy, moral collapse, civil/religious decline; “heretics and tyrants” invade, Rome is attacked and burned, enemies in control. The Church will seem destroyed, but God will bring about a “wonderful change”—the Monarch and Angelic Pontiff restore peace and unity.

Prophesied a “valiant Monarch anointed by God” descendant of Louis IX and German imperial family, born in exile will destroy heresies, unite Christendom, restore peace on earth; at the same time, the “Holy Pope” reigns, a new council defines doctrine, worldwide unity.

After tribulation, “Sixth Age” described as era of Catholic renewal—sciences, arts, and spiritual life flourish, Holy Scripture unanimously interpreted, Satan bound and atheism/heresies suppressed; peace lasts until Antichrist.

In the fifth age the Church will be humiliated and afflicted. Faith will be extinguished in almost all nations. The clergy will become slothful and negligent. Monarchies will fall and democracies will replace them, but they will bring only disorder, confusion, and moral decay. This age corresponds to the Church of Sardis in the Book of Revelation.

The Great Monarch will come from exile. He is a descendant of both the French King Louis IX and the German imperial house. He will be born in obscurity but rise to power through divine providence. He will be crowned by the Angelic Pope himself. Together they will liberate the Holy Land, establish Christian rule over all of Europe, and bring about the greatest era of peace the world has known.

The seventh and final age begins when the era of peace expires. Gog and Magog will rise. The Antichrist will be born — he will be a Jew from the tribe of Dan, born in the region of Babylon. He will perform false miracles, deceive many, and establish his throne in Jerusalem. His reign lasts three and a half years, after which Christ returns for the Last Judgment.

The Muslim nations will attack Christendom one more time during the great tribulation. But this time they will be utterly and completely defeated. Islam will cease to be a threat to Christianity forever. The Muslim peoples will convert to the true faith in great numbers.

The heresies of the fifth age — principally Protestantism — will be entirely eradicated during the sixth age. All Christians will unite under one Pope. The Protestants will voluntarily return to Rome, recognizing the truth of the Catholic faith. There will be one fold and one shepherd, as Christ promised.

Ven. Holzhauser described a powerful leader from the East, identifying him with the Persian King Khosrov (Chosroes), who would serve as a precursor and type of the Antichrist. Just as King Khosrov II of Persia devastated the Christian East in the 7th century — conquering Jerusalem, stealing the True Cross, and massacring Christians — so a future leader from that same region would arise to persecute the faithful and wage war against Christendom before the coming of the Great Monarch who would restore order.