Abbot 'Werdin' d'Otranto (b.? - died c. 1259-1279 AD)


 (Image: the Martyrs of Otranto in Otranto Cathedral)


ABBOT ' WERDIN' D'OTRANTO (b.? - died c. 1259-1279 AD)



The Abbot 'Werden', 'Werdin' or rather Verdino of Otranto is a later translation / inscription for the Latin name 'Verdini Hidruntini', also 'Verdinum Hydruntinum' found in certain later records.(*1) As his name suggests, he was from the town of Otranto in the southern region of Apulia, province of Lecce, Italy and is sometimes called the Salentino prophet of the 13th century.





While the prophecy itself says the text was entrusted to Verdino's students, Giacomo d'Otranto and Mauro of Palermo, and therefore could have been rediscovered in 1594 (*2), later texts say it was found in his grave by an abbot of by an abbot in Cosenza, in Calabria. The 'Acta Sanctorum der Bollandisten' states it was believed his body was discovered in 1714 in a Cistercian church in the 'archidioecesis Cosentinae' (Archdiocese of Consentina, which is Cosenza), suggesting the that Verdino was a Cistercian and died in a monastery belonging to the order in Calabria, although it is not certain which one. Some Italian texts from the early 19th century offer the theory he was an abbot at the Basilian monestary San Nicolas de Casale of Otranto and later buried in a Cistercian church in Cosenza, although this theory seems strange, a Byzantine Rite abbot leaving such a monastery and joining the Latin Rite Cistercians, unless Verdino converted to the Latin Rite, although there is no information and for now is only a theory.





The' Acta Sanctorum der Bollandisten' further states his tomb was discovered with silver plaques on which the following text was inscribed in Latin: “ Cum sancta civitas fulgebit splendore stellae, sol iterum me videbit. Hoc est corpus abbatis Verdini Hidruntini, sepulti VI idus novembris MCCLIX”- “When the Holy City shines with the splendor of the stars, the sun shall see me again. Here is the body of Verdino of Otranto, buried on November 6, 1259. (Later sources have his year of death as 1279.)



The 'Acta Bollandisten' also notes the prevailing theory of the times that if his body was discovered in 1714, the silver plates were referring to the papacy of Clement XI due to the star on his papal crest. This seems a weak theory, but interestingly enough, Clement XI extended the feast of Our Lady of Victories / Our Lady of the Rosary to the whole of the Latin Rite in 1716, a feast originally instituted by Pius V in celebration of the victorious Battle of Lepanto over the Ottoman Turks. The ravaging hoard of Muslims feature heavily in Verdino's prophecies, which indeed is still popular among Italians as they believe he had predicted the Ottoman invasion of Otranto, which happened in July of 1480-1481. The 800 Martyrs of Otranto were canonzied by Pope Francis on May 12, 2013. Of interest, the text I discovered indicates Verdano's prophecies infer he not only predicted the Muslim invasion of Otranto, but also that it will happen again.



However, as the prophecy attributed to him describes the Angelic Pontiff as the 'bright star' of Rome, and that his body and his prophetic texts will not be discovered until the 'bright star' shines in Rome after a troubled conclave, suggests Abbot Verdino's body and the full texts of his prophecies will be found when the Angelic Pontiff is elected. If the students he allegedly entrusted his texts to circulated them beforehand, this could account for how we have a knowledge of them now before the arrival of the 'bright star' of the Angelic Pontiff, and that this prophecy regarding his grave being discovered could have been misconstrued into an event that had already happened.







The troubling thing with Abbot Verdino's prophecies, they do not seem to be in sequential order and appear cyclical in nature, and apparently the prophecies regarding a degenerate earth tends to double for two series of events as the events are similar.  However, I have made an attempt to unravel them with my observation notes provided in brackets.




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Prophecy found in a work / manuscript entitled : “Vaticinium memorabile” (*3)


“I, Abbot Werdin d'Otranto, warned by my guardian angel that the time of my death is approaching, I have written the events that were revealed to me, and that they will happen .... . And I copy a parchment (and place it) into a small box of marble, recommending, by virtue of holy obedience, to Giacomo d'Otranto and Mauro of Palermo my dear disciples, to deposit (them) with my body in my tomb.  At the time when a beautiful star will shine on the chair of Peter, elected against the expectation of men in the midst of a great electoral struggle, the star whose splendour will illuminate the universal Church, the tomb that holds my body will be opened.” (Note: as mentioned, it was thought this 'star' was Clement the XI, but as Verdino's body is still 'lost' and and the 'Angelic Shepherd will later be described as a a 'star' and 'extinct star' in the same prophecy, this could be a prediction Verdino's body will be discovered when the Angelic Pontiff is elected.)


"This good shepherd looked at by the angels, will leave behind (I.e. as a posterity?) a lot of things. By his zeal and solicitude altars will be built, and the destroyed churches restored.” (Note: the Angelic Shepherd will restore the Church after a time of destruction.)

"Then a gracious young man of the posterity of Pepin, (i.e a descendant of King Pepin of France, who was the father of Charlemagne) finding himself in a a strange (foreign) country, (i.e. an exile) will come to contemplate the glory of this shepherd, which shepherd will place in a wonderful way this young man on the throne of France until then (left) vacant. He will crown him, and call him to help his own government.” (Note: the Angelic Pope will crown the Great Monarch – this has to be as Holy Roman Emperor because the Emperor is later described as an 'eagle', symbol of Imperial rule.).




“After a few years, this star (Angelic Pontiff) will become extinguished, and the (sorrow) will be general in the world, because with it the septuagenarian eagle will be buried at this time, (the Great Monarch will be in his late 70s or early 80s when he dies?), leaving its eaglet under the dominion of the nation's primaries. (Apparently Verdino says the Great Monarch will have an heir, but, as most of the prophecies say the Antichrist will soon appear after the Great Monarach, and, if the Great Monarch dies in old age, it seems odd he would sire a very young heir that would require a regent at such a late date, so, this is one element of the Great Monarch that is unique.) From this everything will turn into ruin. The beast (Antichrist?) whose ferocity is unheard of, which carries a bitter-filled tail of poison, will enter its abode, and an innumerable number of snakes will multiply.


Therefore, when the time has come, they (invaders? heretics?) will penetrate all the houses of the clergy and drown the priestly dignities in bloodshed, and such will be in all the corners of hunger and anguish, which most men will invoke the death. (Note: as will other prophecies, it sounds like we have the persecution of the Antichrist. The Church will once more have enemies in its midst, fall into heresy and persecution just like the times before the Great Monarch and Angelic Pontiff appear. However, at this point on, it also seem like Verdino's prophecies switch back to the wars that will come before the Great Monarch and got mixed up here as it is said the Muslims will invade again before his reign.) Of these days, many cities will perish as victims of civil and foreign wars, mainly in Italy, both in the kingdom of Naples and in Tuscany. Such cruelty to be feared, such terrible horrors, that the imagination can not conceive of the most terrible ones! ... Otranto, my homeland, will be once again (novellamente) destabilised by the Mohammedan dragon. Rome will be singularly shaken. Florence of the same will be hit then; she awaits the vengenace under her apostate head. The nest of the philosophers will be equally agitated, and Genoa will be exposed to incursions of the enemy. Thus the Lord announces it. The Turks, with the peoples that will be in those times, will (harness?) Venice, and will unexpectedly give you a battle. The whole kingdom of Sicily will perish. May God be propitious to his servants! Many monasteries will be landed (atterrato=come to land) under the poison (or venom) of the eagle of the North. (Note: there are three 'northern countries' that are represented by the symbol of an eagle, Germany, Russia with a double-headed eagle, and the United States. We could have a prophecy of the poison of Protestantism or Nazi Germany, the rise of Communism from Russia, or, corruption from the USA.) There was a great bloodshed because of two fights between the French and the Dutch. Oh how ever it is to be desired that God should remove his wrath!


"From the East will come an eagle with wings spread out in the sun, followed by a multitude of men to come in support of the son of man. (The Great Monarch 'eagle' with his armies will help the Angelic Pontiff 'son of man'.) Then the fortresses will fall, and the world will be in fear. On that day there will take place in the land of the lion a war between the princes, more cruel than any other than the world's desolate, and will be a flood of blood.


"The lily will lose its crown, that the eagle will steal, and the son of man will be crowned.”   (Note: this seems like an odd text, but if it's out of sequence, it makes sense if it's meant to be read like this: France will lose the crown of the fleur de lys, representing the absolute monarchy, which happened during the French Revolution, and then again in the Third Republic of France. The 'eagle' will steal it = the Great Monarch / Emperor will have to fight for it and steal back what is rightfully his. The next paragraph shows the 'son of man' represents the Angelic Pontiff, see the next prophecy below. He will be crowned pope around the time or after the Great Monarch rightfully steals back his own crown and then comes to his aid. As we saw above, Vidano predicted there would be trouble around the 'star' and his election to the papacy regarding an electoral struggle. Corrupt clergy will not want reform? This also corresponds with other prophecies.)



“During the space of four years, nations will collide with each other, the seven will disappear, (i.e annihilation of nations) and a great number of people will perish. The head of the world (Rome) will fall into ruin. The son of man, crossing the seas, will bear on his head the marvellous sign of promise. (The Angelic Pontiff) And the son of man and the eagle shall prevail, and peace shall reign in the world after the victory of the son of man and of the eagle.” (Note: here we see the rise of the Angelic Pontiff as the 'son of man' – the diminutive form of the word in Italian for 'son' is used in the prophecy, meaning the Pontiff is a symbolic representation of Christ the true Son of Man who is the Head of the Church. The 'eagle' obviously represents the Great Monarch in the role of an Emperor, and this paragraph corresponds with other prophecies that there will be a two to four year war, nations will be annihilated, and Rome will fall into ruins before the Great Restoration / Age of Peace.)


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A text attributed to Abbot Verdino: 
 

The great Monarch and the great Pope will precede Antichrist. The nations will be at war for four years and a great part of the world will be destroyed. All sects will vanish. The capital of the world will fall. The Pope will go over the sea carrying the sign of Redemption on his forehead, and after the victory of the Pope and the Great Monarch peace will reign on earth.”


The Pope will cross the sea in a year when the Feast of St. George (April 23rd) falls on Good Friday, and St. Mark's feast (April 25th) falls on Easter Sunday, and the feast of St. Anthony (June 13th) falls on Pentecost and the feast of St. John the Baptist (June 24th) falls on Corpus Christi….”


"The Great Monarch will come to restore peace and the Pope will share in the victory." (*4)


(Note: since this 'Feastday Prophecy' is not in the earlier document I discovered relating Verdino's other prophecies, see footnote 3 for the document, it is possible this could be a later addition / interpretation based on St. Bridget of Sweden's 'Years of Woe' prophecy, and attributed to Verdino. However, 'The 'Year of Woe' corresponds with other prophecies stating the destructive age before the coming of the King and Pontiff will start circa the 20th century and will last around a century, 'i.e. 'Satan's Century' seen by Pope Leo XIII. The feastdays mentioned above conjoined in 1943, and will occur again in 2038.)

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Footnotes:



  1. Source: Acta Sanctorum der Bollandisten, Band November III – 1, Ökumenisches Heiligenlexikon, https://www.heiligenlexikon.de/ActaSanctorum/8.November.html
  2. Kenneth Meyer Setton, Western Hostility to Islam and Prophecies of Turkish Doom, American Philosophical Society, 1992, p. 36.
  3. Italian translation of the text in the publication, by Ricorretta (?), I futuri destini degli stati e delle nazioni, ovvero Profezie e predizioni riguardanti i rivolgimenti di tutti i Regni dell'Universo, Tourino, 1864.   
    4. Source: Rev R.Gerald. Culleton, The Prophets and Our Times, Tan Books and Publishers 1941, pp. 150-151
     
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