Will There Be Three Days of Darkness?

[Michie]

In certain Catholic prophetic circles, there is a concept known as the “three days of darkness,” according to which a judgment will come upon the earth, and it will be preternaturally shrouded in darkness.

One of the most famous quotations about this event is attributed to the Italian mystic Bl. Anna Maria Taigi (1768-1837). She is said to have stated:

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.

Another mystic—Marie-Julie Jahenny (1850-1941)—is said to have claimed that only 100% wax candles will work, and this has led to people selling pure beeswax candles to Catholic households for use during the event.

Some Catholics have been very concerned about this event, because if it were to occur—as described—it would be terrifying.

What should we make of the prediction? How credible is it? And what does the Church have to say about it?

Continued below.

Will There Be Three Days of Darkness? – Jimmy Akin

jimmyakin.com

 

[Wolseley]

I tend to place this in with stuff like Fatima and Akita: you can believe in it or not, but the Church doesn't require it.

That being said, I have to say that the description of three days of darkness, pestilence-laden air, and dropping dead from sticking your head out of windows strikes me an awful lot like the immediate after-effects of the detonation of a nuclear weapon---the amount of debris in the atmosphere would account for the darkness, and the rest, of course, is due to radioactive fallout. No electricity could be due to the destruction of power plants or to electromagnetic pulse. Not opening your door for any reason, no matter what you hear, is prudent in the light of keeping irradiation out, as well as looters and anarchists.

Just my speculations, of course. But when I was in the Air Force, facing off against the Soviets, we had so many training films and classes on atomic war that the stuff has stuck with me all these years.