Can Catholics believe Nostradamus?

[Prodigal1984]

Can Catholics believe the Prophecies of Nostradamus when so many seem to have come true?

 

[jrgmercado]

Have they? Like which ones…

 

[undead_rat]

Wouldn’t these prophecies be branded as “an unapproved private revelation?” And, therefore, wouldn’t discussion of them be prohibited on CAF?

 

[MrZoom]

Many of Nostradamus’ predictions, said to have “come true,” were written in such vague and cryptic terms that they can be interpreted in various ways.

http://www.ewtn.com/v/experts/showr...stradamus&pgnu=1&groupnum=0&record_bookmark=2

The above post from EWTN’s Q&A forum was written regarding a TV program trying to tie Nostradamus’ “predictions” to the 2012 end-of-the-world hysteria.

 

[Johann_du_Toit]

Well Michel de Nostradame (his birth name) was a devout Catholic. Not sure how much effect it had on his alleged prophecies though.

 

[edwest211]

He was using a form of divination. His predictions are questionable.

 

[MrZoom]

Another link from EWTN’s Q&A:

http://www.ewtn.com/v/experts/showr...stradamus&pgnu=1&groupnum=0&record_bookmark=5

Answer by Matthew Bunson on 01-24-2005:
Michel de Nostradamus (d. 1566) was a nominal Catholic, having been raised by Jewish converts. There is no question that he was an earnest and sincere person who used his talents as a physician to assist the many victims of the plagues and epidemics of the time. Had he remained exclusively a physician, he would probably still be remembered today. Of course, Nostradamus is known chiefly for his prophecies, preserved in the form of The Centuries (a book of visions about the future, written in arcane, cryptic, and obscure language, and organized into rhymed quatrains) and assorted letters. The style was a deliberate one to protect him against charges of sorcery. Owing to his fame as a seer, Nostradamus was interviewed on several occasions by the Inquisition, although no formal charges were ever brought against him as far as I am aware. It is likely that Church officials in France did not take his prophecies very seriously. In truth, he was in greater danger from the Protestant Huguenots who accused him of witchcraft and being able to predict the future with the help of devils. He thus spent years traveling to help insure his safety, although for some time he served as physician to King Charles IX of France, a post that brought him the protection of the powerful Catherine de Medici.

The Church has never recognized his prophecies as genuine, and one should note that the very peculiar nature of the forecasts in The Centuries renders them ultimately un-interpretable without considerable linguistic and mental gymnastics. One can point easily, for example, to the many predictions that were supposedly made about the disasters that were to befall the world at the end of the 20th century. None of these predictions – including a famous one about a disaster in 1999 – ever came to pass. Further, the ambiguity of his prophecies is such that they were twisted easily into a hoax that traveled the Internet in the wake of the terrible events of 9-11 in New York and Washington.

In essence, the prophecies are an interesting historical oddity, but we should not base our actions and especially our beliefs on them.

 

[Johann_du_Toit]

Duly noted.

 

[Salibi]

He was using a form of divination. H

You have to understand Nostadarmus in context. He lived during a time when astrology was considered somewhat of a science, perfectly acceptable for a gentleman to pursue. It has no bearing on how devout of a Catholic he was.

 

[edwest211]

Astrology? His method was not alchemy either.

 

[Londoner]

Can Catholics believe the Prophecies of Nostradamus when so many seem to have come true?

I don’t know why you’d want to believe anything that Nostradamus said. If any of his prophecies seem to have come true, it’s probably because (a) he wrote so many of them and (b) they are so vague that it would be astonishing if some of them had not apparently come true. Much the same as somebody who claims to be a psychic/medium: they only have to say, "I’m seeing a man … he wore a uniform … possibly he was a soldier … his name could have begun with M … or possibly it’s an N … ", and somebody realises that this must be a message from their grandfather who fought in Korea and whose middle name was Nigel.

Wouldn’t these prophecies be branded as “an unapproved private revelation?” And, therefore, wouldn’t discussion of them be prohibited on CAF?

Surely the prophecies of Nostradamus are so well known in our culture that it would be ridiculous to try to prevent people even from discussing them.

 

[TMC]

I don’t know why you’d want to believe anything that Nostradamus said. If any of his prophecies seem to have come true, it’s probably because (a) he wrote so many of them and (b) they are so vague that it would be astonishing if some of them had not apparently come true.

I am not aware of ANY of his prophecies that have “come true” is a forward looking manner. All of his prophecies are true only in hind sight - which is not prophecy. What happens, as you point out, is that he has a large volume of vague predictions. People take that large vague corpus and conform them to past events. For example, some people now claim that Nostradamus predicted 9/11, but noone before 2001 said that Nostradamus predicted a major terrorist attack in NY on Sept. 11. Conforming vague statements to past events is not prophecy (obviously). If anyone is aware of any truly predictive prophecies, let’s hear them…

 

[edwest211]

There was also a claim of accuracy when he mentioned Hister which some took to mean Hitler. I really don’t understand why he still gets any mention today, outside of those unfamiliar with his predictions.

 

[thistle]

Can Catholics believe the Prophecies of Nostradamus when so many seem to have come true?

No and No.

You can make anything after the event fit something that someone has ever said.

 

[0Scarlett_nidiyilii]

If somebody says a thing, and the thing turns out to be true, then they were right about that thing.

If a person is found to be repeatedly right about things, they build up a reputation for being smart or wise, and people start to trust them.
This is reasonable.

But always keep in mind that the most trustworthy person can still make a mistake.

There isn’t any point in “believing” predictions for the future. Either the thing will happen or it won’t. It’s not a matter of belief, it’s a matter of evidence.