Recognizing Prophecy: Do You See What I See?

Our sacred texts include the words of people recognized as prophets. These individuals were capable of reading the signs of time and acknowledging the direction in which a people or society were moving. Prophets are neither universally recognized nor appreciated. For a relatively recent example, Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. prophesied, “I may not get there with you, but we as a people will reach the Promised Land.” To him, the Promised Land was full citizenship for people of African descent.

Reading the signs of the time, King knew that the nation’s moral compass was off kilter as it denied the dignity of citizens in Black bodies a century after the end of chattel slavery. This was no secret. It was common knowledge. The world knew. God knew. King recognized the power of his words. Yet, he was inspired and compelled to liberate his people. In doing so, the United States of America would move closer to the ideals the nation espoused.

King also knew people worshiping at the 500-year-old altar of white supremacy and other forms of violence were committed to stopping him. On April 4, 1968, they did, but moving towards the Promised Land continues with each generation reaching new milestones. This is why so many of us held our breath, as Barack and Michelle Obama walked the street openly after his first inauguration. I had not planned to begin with referencing King or Obama, but it is helpful to provide a modern-day context of prophecy. 

Growing in understanding, it is common to recognize the insight of one’s mentor. I know little about the late Cardinal Francis George of the Archdiocese of Chicago. However, Bishop Robert Barron identifies him as a mentor. During the recent conclave following the death of Pope Francis, my attention was caught by a statement Barron shared from George. “There will never be a Pope from the United States until the nation falls into political decline.” A short time later, the world learned of the election of Chicago-born Pope Leo XIV.

George died in 2015. I do not know when he made the statement but his words were indeed true and prophetic. The consistent chaos, and cruel indifference, as well as the disregard for the Constitution that we are witnessing at warp speed reflect a radical political decline in the United States. To my surprise, Barron does not share this perspective. The day after the election of Pope Leo XIV, he shared this on social media: “I’m still trying to take it all in. The election of Cardinal Robert Prevost as Pope Leo XIV was an extraordinary and delightful surprise. I was one of many commentators who said that the choice of an American as Pope was an impossibility ( or at least extreme improbability). I took my cue from the late Cardinal George who said that there would never be an American Pope until our country went into political decline. But the Cardinal electors obviously felt otherwise.”

No, Bishop Barron, Cardinal George was correct. The view from the peripheries is clear. In fact, it is very clear based on the lived experiences of the many who are weeping and mourning. This is no secret. It is common knowledge. The world knows. God knows. The United States of America is in political decline.