The death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday at the age of 88 has sent shockwaves through the religious world, with many mourning the passing of a deeply influential figure. But months before his passing, a prophetic voice had already raised the alarm about signs in the heavens—literally.
On Dec. 17, 2023—Pope Francis’ birthday—a bolt of lightning struck the statue of the Apostle Peter in Buenos Aires, Argentina. That same day, the Vatican was preparing a decree that would open the door to blessing homosexual unions, a move that stirred controversy across Catholic and Christian communities alike.
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According to New York Times best-selling author Jonathan Cahn, the timing and location of the lightning strike were too precise to ignore.
“It strikes the sign of the office in the land, in the nation, in the province of the Pope,” Cahn said. “It turns out there are major lightning rods around the statue to prevent this. So this shouldn’t have happened—but it happened anyway.”
Cahn emphasized the gravity of the event. “December 17th happens to be the birthday of the Pope… the very day the Vatican was planning to release that colossal decree that would change everything,” he said.
But it wasn’t just the strike itself that caught Cahn’s attention. It was what the lightning did to the statue.
“The lightning bolt removed the halo from the statue. It removed the sign of holiness,” Cahn explained. “The act of blessing homosexual couples was an unholy act.”
Even more symbolic, he said, was the destruction of the statue’s right hand, which traditionally represents blessing and power in biblical symbolism.
“The lightning struck the right hand… the hand of blessing. It eviscerated it,” he said. “Meaning there is no blessing. There can be no blessing. All blessings are nullified.”
Cahn also pointed to the melted keys in Peter’s hand, referencing Jesus’ words in Matthew 16 about the keys of the kingdom. “The lightning bolt removed the keys… the authority is gone. No spiritual authority,” he said. “If any man goes against the will of God and instructs others to do the same, they have no authority at all.”
With the passing of Pope Francis now confirmed by the Vatican, Cahn’s words resonate even more. He warned those in churches—Catholic or Protestant—not to ignore the signs.
“The hand that is raised to bless that which God calls sin is the hand that is raised against God. It will be cut off,” Cahn declared. “You cannot entrust your salvation to any man, any organization… God alone is our Shepherd.”
In stark contrast, another statue—this one of the Apostle Paul—stood nearby, sword in hand, untouched by the storm. Cahn closed his message with a charge from Scripture.
“In days of evil, in days of apostasy… it is more important that you, as a child of God, hold up the Word of God without bending, without compromise, without fear.”
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James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.
