BL. JOACHIM DI FIORE

Translated and edited by Fr. Robert Nixon, O.S.B.

Before the prophecies attributed to St. Malachy appeared, the most widely circulated collection had been that attributed to Blessed Joachim di Fiore.  Today, these older and more cryptic prophecies are virtually unknown outside of scholarly circles.  Despite their attribution to Joachim, it is to be noted that the true origins of this earlier work remain shrouded in mystery:  even the role of Joachim as author is not certain.  Nevertheless, it is evident that this collection is some centuries older than the St Malachy prophecies and is a genuine Medieval work, as the many extant manuscript copies of the work prove.

It is the hope of the translator that modern readers may find these mystical oracles, despite their obscurity and ambiguity, to be beautiful, striking and thought-provoking.  Included also in this volume are Joachim's astonishing prophecies concerning the emergence of the Dominican and Franciscan Order, and his interpretation of the number of the beast found in Revelation 13:18.

It is confidently hoped that this collection of the remarkable writings of Blessed Joachim, offered here for the very first time in English, will inspire both reflection and prayer for those who read them today, and that his wisdom and sanctity may shine forth as a radiant beacon of hope for the future.