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Historical Timeline of the “3 Days of Darkness” Prophecy
1700s – Early Catholic Mystics
- Blessed Anna Maria Taigi (1769–1837, Italy)
- One of the earliest mystics associated with the prophecy.
- Said a worldwide chastisement would come, including three days of darkness where only blessed candles would give light.
- Important: her writings are secondhand — much is legend, not documented by the Church.
1800s – Marian Visionaries
- Marie-Julie Jahenny (1850–1941, France)
- A stigmatist who described catastrophic events: three days of darkness, poisonous air, and demonic attacks.
- Claimed only sacramentals (rosaries, holy water, blessed candles) would protect the faithful.
- This version strongly influenced later Catholic “doom prophecies.”
1900s – 20th Century Circulation
- Padre Pio (1887–1968, Italy)
- Widely attributed with predicting the 3 days, but no verified letters or Church-confirmed statements exist. Most are apocryphal.
- Likely a case of posthumous attribution to give the prophecy authority.
- Mid-1900s Marian Apparitions (Unapproved)
- Some alleged seers (e.g., Garabandal, Bayside, Medjugorje) were linked by followers to the prophecy, though official messages never mention 3 days of darkness.
- Some alleged seers (e.g., Garabandal, Bayside, Medjugorje) were linked by followers to the prophecy, though official messages never mention 3 days of darkness.
1970s–1990s – Apocalyptic Revival
- Catholic prophecy books and pamphlets spread the warning again, often tied to nuclear war fears and Cold War anxieties.
- Evangelical & New Age groups adopted it, rebranding it as an “astronomical or planetary event.”
2000s – Internet & New Age Spin
- The prophecy spread widely online.
- Often connected to:
- Planet X / Nibiru (a mythical rogue planet).
- Solar flares or EMPs.
- Mayan 2012 Doomsday — many claimed Dec 21, 2012 would bring the 3 days of darkness.
2020s – TikTok & YouTube
- Resurfaced again during the COVID-19 pandemic (fear climate).
- Viral videos linked it to:
- Pole shift theories.
- NASA “warnings” (completely fabricated).
- Claims that specific dates (often around equinoxes/solstices) would trigger it.
✅ Reality Check
- Never Fulfilled: Despite at least 200+ years of predictions, no such global event has ever happened.
- Church Position: The Catholic Church has never endorsed the prophecy — it remains private revelation and unapproved.
- Modern Science: No known astronomical or geophysical process can create such an event.
👉 So every time it’s recycled, it adapts to the anxieties of the era:
- 1800s: divine punishment.
- 1900s: war and apocalypse fears.
- 2000s: space and planetary catastrophes.
- 2020s: social media “prophecy culture.”