Three Days of Darkness

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The Three Days of Darkness is a tradition within Catholicism which recalls the plague of Moses against Egypt. Just as God punished the idolatrous Egyptians during the days of Moses with Ten Plagues including the "three days of darkness," so also, at the end of time will God will punish the entire world with "three days of darkness." The theory holds that the entire earth will be enveloped by perfect darkness lasting the span of three days and three nights. The only light that will be seen during these three days will come from blessed candles. Catholic visionaries agree that the faithful should stay within their homes during this plague of darkness as most of the earth's inhabitant shall die.

Advocates of the Theory

Many Catholic saints and mystics have affirmed the coming Three Days of Darkness, such as, Padre Pio, Saint Hildegard, BlessedAnna Maria Taigi, Elizabeth Canori-Mora, Rosa-Colomba Asdente, Palma d'Oria, Pere Lamy, Marie Baourdi, Marie Martel, and Marie Julie Jahenny.

Blessed Anna Maria Taigi (1769–1837) is the greatest known advocate for 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", embellished the story of the Three Days of Darkness: the blessed wax candles for protection must be of 100% pure wax, they must not have other ingredients, candles with mixtures that are not of pure wax will not light. A Two Day Period of Darkness would fall 37 to 40 days before the Three Days of Darkness. The blessed wax candles will be the only sources of light at night during these Two Days, but can be put out during the daytime of the Two Days.

However, the blessed candles must be lit for all of the Three Days of Darkness and must not be put out. They will not light in the homes of the impious or blasphemers. The furniture on which the blessed candles are placed will not shake during the incessant earthquakes that will occur during those days. The faithful are instructed to gather around a blessed crucifix and image of the Blessed Virgin and pray. The Three Days will fall on a Thursday, a Friday, and a Saturday. All hell will be let loose during this time and strike all who are not in their homes and have a blessed candle lit. The faithful are instructed not to look out during the Three Days, or they will also be struck dead.

Description of the Three Days of Darkness

It will be a bitterly cold winter night in the northern hemisphere. Presumably, a very cold summer night in Australia or, by contrast, a torrid night. The wind will howl and roar. Lightning and thunderbolts of an unprecedented magnitude will strike the earth. The whole earth will shake, heavenly bodies will be disturbed – this will be the beginning of the Three Days. Every demon will be released from Hell and will be allowed to roam the earth. Terrifying apparitions will take place. Many will die from sheer fright. Fire will rain forth from the sky, all large cities will be destroyed, poisonous gases will fill the air, cries and lamentations everywhere. The unbelievers will burn in the open like withered grass. The entire earth will be afflicted. Then it will become dark for three days as it did in the days of Moses.

Instructions for Adherents

Those who subscribe to the coming Three Days of Darkness instruct the faithful to flee into their homes whenever they observe the prophesied "bitterly cold winter night." The faithful should lock their doors, and close their blinds. Beeswax candles previously blessed by a Catholic priest are kept stored in homes in preparation for the event. Holy water is also kept as a remedy against demonic activity. Once the darkness descends, no one should go outside. Rather, the faithful should stay indoors and pray fervently.

Controversy and the Three Days

Adherents of the Three Days of Darkness are usually traditionalist Catholics or sedevacantism adherents. In the latter case, they hope that a true pope will be miraculously designated by an apparition of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. This tangental belief assumes that the current pontiffs of the Roman Catholic Church are not true popes, but antipopes. There is also controversy over whether the twentieth century saint and stigmatist Padre Pio of Pietrelcina endorsed and taught the future Three Days of Darkness. The authenticity of the alleged words of Saint Pio are disputed.