The Secrets of La Salette    199 

    The Virgin Mary's words to Pope Pius IX are also her words to the Popes 

who will shepherd the Church during the war and the occupation of Europe. 

She wants the Popes to be on guard against the two Arab leaders, for they 

are two faced and full of deceitfulness. 

    The two Arab leaders (during the occupation of Europe) will be a 

foreshadowing of Antichrist and the false prophet. Thus one of these two 

leaders will have some type of role as a religious leader, and will have 

temporal authority also. One of these two will be a foreshadowing of 

Antichrist and the other a foreshadowing of the false prophet (cf. Rev 

13:11 12). But the one who rises to power after the other will have the 

greater power (cf. Dan 8:3; 9:20). 

    These words of the Virgin Mary also refer to the Popes who will reign 

over the Church during the time of the ten kings. She talks about Napoleon 

in order to warn future popes about Antichrist, who will want to be head of 

a religion as well as Emperor of the world. Antichrist will be two faced; he 

will try to give the appearance of being good and holy, but he will do 

unspeakable evils. He will claim to be the Savior of the world, whereas he is 

really its ruin. May the Pope of that time be on guard against him. 

    When Mary asks the Pope not to leave Rome after 1859, one meaning is 

that the Pope should not move his place of residence and authority from 

Rome. The Virgin Mary is saying that Rome should remain the center of 

authority and leadership in the Church. During the Forty Years, Italy will 

want the Holy See to be relocated to some other country; the Virgin Mary is 

opposed to this desire. She does not want the Holy See to leave Rome. 

    The year 1859 also refers to that year in the Islamic calendar, (which 

would be about A.D. 2425 by the (Gregorian) Christian calendar. This year 

is several years prior to the beginning of the reign of Antichrist over nearly 

the whole world. In a particular way, the Virgin Mary is speaking to the 

Pope of that time, asking him not to leave Rome. 

    Since it is clear that Antichrist and his followers will eventually attack 

Rome and the Church (Dan 9:26 27; Rev 17:9, 16, 18), the Pope of that time 

must expect to suffer much. He will die a martyr. The Virgin Mary is telling 

the Pope of that time, not only to keep his residence in Rome, but also to 

remain in Rome himself, that is,  not to travel away from Rome for any 

reason. The other Popes, the ones before that time, may travel around the 

world, but the Holy See must not be moved out of Rome. When Rome and 

Vatican City are destroyed (in July of 2013), the Holy See will continue and 

must return to Rome as soon as possible. 

    When a new Vatican City is built (in the 2040's) after the end of the Forty 

Years, it must be built in Rome. The center of authority and leadership in