Three Days of Darkness

The Three Days of Darkness is an eschatological belief (based on private revelation) within Catholicism which parallels the Ten Plagues against Egypt in the Book of Exodus.

Advocates

Blessed Anna Maria Taigi (1769–1837) is the most known seer of the Three Days of Darkness and describes the event in this way:

There shall come over the whole earth an intense darkness lasting three days and three nights. Nothing can be seen, and the air will be laden with pestilence which will claim mainly, but not only, the enemies of religion. It will be impossible to use any man-made lighting during this darkness, except blessed candles. He, who out of curiosity, opens his window to look out, or leaves his home, will fall dead on the spot. During these three days, people should remain in their homes, pray the Rosary and beg God for mercy. All the enemies of the Church, whether known or unknown, will perish over the whole earth during that universal darkness, with the exception of a few whom God will soon convert. The air shall be infected by demons who will appear under all sorts of hideous forms.

Marie-Julie Jahenny (1850–1941), known as the "Breton Stigmatist", expanded upon the story of the Three Days of Darkness, saying that it will occur on a Thursday, Friday and Saturday when all of Hell will be let loose to strike at those outside their homes and those without a lit blessed candle of pure wax.

Controversy

Adherents of the Three Days of Darkness are usually traditionalist Catholics or sedevacantists. The latter group hopes that a "true pope" will be miraculously designated by an apparition of Saint Peter and Saint Paul; this tangential belief assumes that the pontiffs in those times of the Church will be, in fact "antipopes". There is also controversy over whether the twentieth-century saint and stigmatist Padre Pio endorsed and taught on the future Three Days of Darkness as the authenticity of the alleged words of Saint Pio are disputed.

See also

• Plagues of Egypt
• "light-bearer"