Malachi Martin
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Malachi Brendan Martin (23 July 1921 – 27 July 1999), also known under the pseudonym of Michael Serafian, was an Irish-born American Traditionalist
Catholic priest The priesthood is the office of the ministers of religion, who have been commissioned ("ordained") with the Holy orders of the Catholic Church. Technically, bishops are a priestly order as well; however, in layman's terms ''priest'' refers only ...
,
biblical archaeologist ''Near Eastern Archaeology'' is an American journal covering art, archaeology, history, anthropology, literature, philology, and epigraphy of the Near Eastern and Mediterranean worlds from the Palaeolithic through Ottoman periods. The journal is ...
,
exorcist In some religions, an exorcist (from the Greek „ἐξορκιστής“) is a person who is believed to be able to cast out the devil or performs the ridding of demons or other supernatural beings who are alleged to have possessed a person, ...
,
palaeographer Palaeography ( UK) or paleography ( US; ultimately from grc-gre, , ''palaiós'', "old", and , ''gráphein'', "to write") is the study of historic writing systems and the deciphering and dating of historical manuscripts, including the analysi ...
,
professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who pr ...
, and prolific
writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles and techniques to communicate ideas. Writers produce different forms of literary art and creative writing such as novels, short stories, books, poetry, travelogues, p ...
on the Roman Catholic Church. Ordained as a
Jesuit priest , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders = ...
, Martin became Professor of
Palaeography Palaeography (American and British English spelling differences#ae and oe, UK) or paleography (American and British English spelling differences#ae and oe, US; ultimately from grc-gre, , ''palaiós'', "old", and , ''gráphein'', "to write") ...
at the
Pontifical Biblical Institute The Pontifical Biblical Institute (also known as Biblicum) is a research and postgraduate teaching institution specialised in biblical and ancient Near Eastern studies. It is an institution of the Holy See entrusted to the Society of Jesus. His ...
in Rome. From 1958, he served as secretary to
Cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to: Animals * Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae **''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...
Augustin Bea Augustin Bea, S.J. (28 May 1881 – 16 November 1968), was a German Jesuit priest, cardinal, and scholar at the Pontifical Gregorian University, specialising in biblical studies and biblical archaeology. He also served as the personal confessor ...
during preparations for the
Second Vatican Council The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st Catholic ecumenical councils, ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions) ...
. Disillusioned by Vatican II, Martin asked to be released from certain aspects of his Jesuit vows in 1964 and moved to New York City. Martin's 17 novels and non-fiction books were frequently
critical Critical or Critically may refer to: *Critical, or critical but stable, medical states **Critical, or intensive care medicine *Critical juncture, a discontinuous change studied in the social sciences. *Critical Software, a company specializing in ...
of the
Catholic hierarchy The hierarchy of the Catholic Church consists of its bishops, priests, and deacons. In the ecclesiological sense of the term, "hierarchy" strictly means the "holy ordering" of the Church, the Body of Christ, so to respect the diversity of gift ...
, who he believed had failed to act on what he called " the Third Prophecy" revealed by the
Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother o ...
at Fátima. His works included ''The Scribal Character of The
Dead Sea Scrolls The Dead Sea Scrolls (also the Qumran Caves Scrolls) are ancient Jewish and Hebrew religious manuscripts discovered between 1946 and 1956 at the Qumran Caves in what was then Mandatory Palestine, near Ein Feshkha in the West Bank, on the nor ...
'' (1958) and ''Hostage To The Devil'' (1976) which dealt with
Satanism Satanism is a group of ideological and philosophical beliefs based on Satan. Contemporary religious practice of Satanism began with the founding of the atheistic Church of Satan by Anton LaVey in the United States in 1966, although a few hi ...
,
demonic possession Spirit possession is an unusual or altered state of consciousness and associated behaviors purportedly caused by the control of a human body by spirits, ghosts, demons, or gods. The concept of spirit possession exists in many cultures and reli ...
, and
exorcism Exorcism () is the religious or spiritual practice of evicting demons, jinns, or other malevolent spiritual entities from a person, or an area, that is believed to be possessed. Depending on the spiritual beliefs of the exorcist, this may be ...
. ''The Final Conclave'' (1978) was a warning against
Soviet espionage The First Main Directorate () of the Committee for State Security under the USSR council of ministers (PGU KGB) was the organization responsible for foreign operations and intelligence activities by providing for the training and management of cove ...
in the Vatican.


History


Early life and education

Martin was born in
Ballylongford Ballylongford (historically ''Bealalongford'', from ) is a village near Listowel in northern County Kerry, Ireland. Geography The village is situated near the estuary of the Ballyline River, on Ballylongford Bay, a tidal estuary of the River Sha ...
,
County Kerry County Kerry ( gle, Contae Chiarraí) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and forms part of the province of Munster. It is named after the Ciarraige who lived in part of the present county. The population of the co ...
,
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
, to a middle-class family in which the children were raised speaking
Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
at the dinner table. His parents, Conor and Katherine Fitzmaurice Martin, had five sons and five daughters. Four of the five sons became priests, including his younger brother, Francis Xavier Martin. Martin attended
Belvedere College Belvedere College S.J. (sometimes St Francis Xavier's College) is a voluntary secondary school for boys in Dublin, Ireland. The school has numerous alumni in the arts, politics, sports, science, and business. History Belvedere owes its origin ...
in Dublin, then studied
philosophy Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...
for three years at
University College Dublin University College Dublin (commonly referred to as UCD) ( ga, Coláiste na hOllscoile, Baile Átha Cliath) is a public research university in Dublin, Ireland, and a collegiate university, member institution of the National University of Ireland ...
. On 6 September 1939, he became a
novice A novice is a person who has entered a religious order and is under probation, before taking vows. A ''novice'' can also refer to a person (or animal e.g. racehorse) who is entering a profession A profession is a field of work that has ...
with the Society of Jesus. Martin taught for three years, spending four years at Milltown Park, Dublin, and was
ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform va ...
in August 1954. Upon completion of his degree course in Dublin, Martin was sent to the
Catholic University of Louvain The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
in Belgium, where he took a doctorate in
archaeology Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...
, Oriental history, and
Semitic languages The Semitic languages are a branch of the Afroasiatic language family. They are spoken by more than 330 million people across much of West Asia, the Horn of Africa, and latterly North Africa, Malta, West Africa, Chad, and in large immigra ...
. He started postgraduate studies at both the
Hebrew University of Jerusalem The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI; he, הַאוּנִיבֶרְסִיטָה הַעִבְרִית בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם) is a public research university based in Jerusalem, Israel. Co-founded by Albert Einstein and Dr. Chaim Weiz ...
and at the
University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...
. Martin specialized in intertestamentary studies,
Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
in
Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
and
Islamic Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the mai ...
sources, Ancient Hebrew and
Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
manuscripts. He undertook additional study in rational psychology,
experimental psychology Experimental psychology refers to work done by those who apply experimental methods to psychological study and the underlying processes. Experimental psychologists employ human participants and animal subjects to study a great many topics, in ...
,
physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which r ...
, and
anthropology Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including past human species. Social anthropology studies patterns of behavi ...
.


Work and ordination

Martin participated in the research on the
Dead Sea Scrolls The Dead Sea Scrolls (also the Qumran Caves Scrolls) are ancient Jewish and Hebrew religious manuscripts discovered between 1946 and 1956 at the Qumran Caves in what was then Mandatory Palestine, near Ein Feshkha in the West Bank, on the nor ...
and published 24 articles on Semitic
palaeography Palaeography (American and British English spelling differences#ae and oe, UK) or paleography (American and British English spelling differences#ae and oe, US; ultimately from grc-gre, , ''palaiós'', "old", and , ''gráphein'', "to write") ...
. He did archaeological research and worked extensively on the
Byblos syllabary The Byblos script, also known as the Byblos syllabary, Pseudo-hieroglyphic script, Proto-Byblian, Proto-Byblic, or Byblic, is an undeciphered writing system, known from ten inscriptions found in Byblos, a coastal city in Lebanon. The inscription ...
in Byblos, in Tyre, and in the
Sinai Peninsula The Sinai Peninsula, or simply Sinai (now usually ) (, , cop, Ⲥⲓⲛⲁ), is a peninsula in Egypt, and the only part of the country located in Asia. It is between the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Red Sea to the south, and is a l ...
. Martin assisted in his first
exorcism Exorcism () is the religious or spiritual practice of evicting demons, jinns, or other malevolent spiritual entities from a person, or an area, that is believed to be possessed. Depending on the spiritual beliefs of the exorcist, this may be ...
while working in
Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
for archaeological research. In 1958, he published a work in two volumes, ''The Scribal Character of the Dead Sea Scrolls''. In 1958, Martin was assigned to serve as a private secretary to
Cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to: Animals * Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae **''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...
Augustin Bea Augustin Bea, S.J. (28 May 1881 – 16 November 1968), was a German Jesuit priest, cardinal, and scholar at the Pontifical Gregorian University, specialising in biblical studies and biblical archaeology. He also served as the personal confessor ...
, working with him in the Vatican until 1964. This brought Martin into contact with
Pope John XXIII Pope John XXIII ( la, Ioannes XXIII; it, Giovanni XXIII; born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, ; 25 November 18813 June 1963) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 28 October 1958 until his death in June 19 ...
. Martin's years in Rome coincided with the beginning of the Second Vatican Council (1962–65), which was to transform the Catholic Church in a way that the initially liberal Martin began to find distressing. He became friends with Monsignor George Gilmary Higgins and Father John Courtney Murray. In Rome, Martin became a professor at the
Pontifical Biblical Institute The Pontifical Biblical Institute (also known as Biblicum) is a research and postgraduate teaching institution specialised in biblical and ancient Near Eastern studies. It is an institution of the Holy See entrusted to the Society of Jesus. His ...
, where he taught
Aramaic The Aramaic languages, short Aramaic ( syc, ܐܪܡܝܐ, Arāmāyā; oar, 𐤀𐤓𐤌𐤉𐤀; arc, 𐡀𐡓𐡌𐡉𐡀; tmr, אֲרָמִית), are a language family containing many varieties (languages and dialects) that originated in ...
, Hebrew, palaeography, and
Sacred Scripture Religious texts, including scripture, are texts which various religions consider to be of central importance to their religious tradition. They differ from literature by being a compilation or discussion of beliefs, mythologies, ritual prac ...
. He also taught
theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
, part-time, at Loyola University Chicago's
John Felice Rome Center The John Felice Rome Center is a campus of Loyola University Chicago in Rome, Italy. The center was founded as CIVIS (Casa Italiana Viaggi Internazionali Studenti) in January 1962, hosted on premises built for the Olympic Village of the 1960 Summ ...
. Martin worked as a translator for the
Eastern Orthodox Church The Eastern Orthodox Church, also called the Orthodox Church, is the second-largest Christian church, with approximately 220 million baptized members. It operates as a communion of autocephalous churches, each governed by its bishops via ...
es and Ancient Oriental Churches Division of the
Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity The Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, previously named the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (PCPCU), is a dicastery whose origins are associated with the Second Vatican Council which met intermittently from 1962 to 1965. Po ...
under Bea. Martin became acquainted with Jewish leaders, such as
Rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...
Abraham Joshua Heschel Abraham Joshua Heschel (January 11, 1907 – December 23, 1972) was a Polish-born American rabbi and one of the leading Jewish theologians and Jewish philosophers of the 20th century. Heschel, a professor of Jewish mysticism at the Jewish ...
, in 1961 and 1962. Martin accompanied
Pope Paul VI Pope Paul VI ( la, Paulus VI; it, Paolo VI; born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, ; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City, Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his ...
on a trip to
Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
in January 1964. He resigned his position at the Pontifical Institute in June 1964. In 1964, Martin requested a release from his
vow A vow ( Lat. ''votum'', vow, promise; see vote) is a promise or oath. A vow is used as a promise, a promise solemn rather than casual. Marriage vows Marriage vows are binding promises each partner in a couple makes to the other during a wedd ...
s and from the
Jesuit Order , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders = ...
. He received a provisional release in May 1965 and a dispensation from his vows of poverty and obedience on 30 June 1965 (cf. qualified exclaustration). Even if dispensed from his religious vow of
chastity Chastity, also known as purity, is a virtue related to temperance. Someone who is ''chaste'' refrains either from sexual activity considered immoral or any sexual activity, according to their state of life. In some contexts, for example when mak ...
, Martin remained under the obligation of chastity if still an ordained secular priest. Martin maintained that he remained a priest, saying that he had received a dispensation from Paul VI to that effect. Martin moved to
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
in 1966, working as a
dishwasher A dishwasher is a machine that is used to clean dishware, cookware, and cutlery automatically. Unlike manual dishwashing, which relies heavily on physical scrubbing to remove soiling, the mechanical dishwasher cleans by spraying hot water, ...
, a waiter, and
taxi driver ''Taxi Driver'' is a 1976 American film directed by Martin Scorsese, written by Paul Schrader, and starring Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd, Harvey Keitel, Peter Boyle, Leonard Harris, and Albert Brooks. Set in a decaying and ...
, while continuing to write. He co-founded an antiques firm and was active in communications and media for the rest of his life.


Communications and media

In 1967, Martin received his first
Guggenheim Fellowship Guggenheim Fellowships are grants that have been awarded annually since by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the ar ...
. In 1970, he published the book ''The Encounter: Religion in Crisis'', winning the Choice Book Award of the
American Library Association The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with 49,727 members a ...
. He then published ''Three Popes and the Cardinal: The Church of Pius, John and Paul in its Encounter with Human History'' (1972) and ''Jesus Now'' (1973). In 1970, Martin became a
naturalized Naturalization (or naturalisation) is the legal act or process by which a non-citizen of a country may acquire citizenship or nationality of that country. It may be done automatically by a statute, i.e., without any effort on the part of the in ...
U.S. citizen Citizenship of the United States is a legal status that entails Americans with specific rights, duties, protections, and benefits in the United States. It serves as a foundation of fundamental rights derived from and protected by the Constituti ...
. In 1969, Martin received a second Guggenheim Fellowship, allowing him to write his first of four
bestseller A bestseller is a book or other media noted for its top selling status, with bestseller lists published by newspapers, magazines, and book store chains. Some lists are broken down into classifications and specialties (novel, nonfiction book, cookb ...
s, ''Hostage to the Devil: The Possession and Exorcism of Five Living Americans'' (1976). In the book, Martin calls himself an exorcist, claiming he assisted in several exorcisms. According to McManus Darraugh,
William Peter Blatty William Peter Blatty (January 7, 1928 – January 12, 2017) was an American writer, director and producer. He is best known for his 1971 novel, ''The Exorcist'', and for his 1974 screenplay for the film adaptation of the same name. Blatty won ...
"wrote a tirade against Malachi, saying his 1976 book was a fantasy, and he was just trying to cash in." Darraugh also said that Martin became "an iconic person in the paranormal world."McManus Darraugh. "The Strange Case of Father Malachi Martin", ''Independent'', January 13, 2017
/ref> Martin served as religious editor for the ''
National Review ''National Review'' is an American conservative editorial magazine, focusing on news and commentary pieces on political, social, and cultural affairs. The magazine was founded by the author William F. Buckley Jr. in 1955. Its editor-in-chief i ...
'' from 1972 to 1978. He was interviewed twice by
William F. Buckley, Jr. William Frank Buckley Jr. (born William Francis Buckley; November 24, 1925 – February 27, 2008) was an American public intellectual, conservative author and political commentator. In 1955, he founded ''National Review'', the magazine that stim ...
for '' Firing Line'' on PBS. He was an editor for the ''
Encyclopædia Britannica The (Latin for "British Encyclopædia") is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It is published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.; the company has existed since the 18th century, although it has changed ownership various time ...
''. Martin published several works of fiction and non-fiction in the following years: * ''Hostage to the Devil: The Possession and Exorcism of Five Living Americans'' (1976) * ''The Final Conclave'' (1978) * ''King of Kings: a Novel of the Life of David'' (1980) * ''Vatican: A Novel'' (1986) His other works included: * ''The Pilgrim'' (1964) * ''The Encounter'' (1970) * '' The Decline and Fall of the Roman Church'' (1981) * ''The New Castle: Reaching for the Ultimate'' (1982) * ''Rich Church, Poor Church: The Catholic Church and its Money'' (1984) * ''There is Still Love: Five Parables of God's Love That Will Change Your Life'' (1984) Martin's bestselling 1987 non-fiction book, ''The Jesuits: The Society of Jesus and the Betrayal of the Roman Catholic Church'', was highly critical of the Jesuit Order, accusing the Jesuits of systematically undermining church teachings.


Later life

Martin was a periodic guest on Art Bell's radio program, ''
Coast to Coast AM ''Coast to Coast AM'' is an American late-night radio talk show that deals with a variety of topics. Most frequently the topics relate to either the paranormal or conspiracy theories. It was hosted by creator Art Bell from its inception in 19 ...
'', between 1996 and 1998. The show continues to play tapes of his interviews on Halloween. Martin's '' The Keys of This Blood: The Struggle for World Dominion between Pope John Paul II, Mikhail Gorbachev, and the Capitalist West'' was published in 1990. It was followed in 1996 by '' Windswept House: A Vatican Novel''. The Vatican restored Martin's faculty to celebrate Mass in 1989, at his request. He was strongly supported by some
Traditionalist Catholic Traditionalist Catholicism is the set of beliefs, practices, customs, traditions, Christian liturgy, liturgical forms, Catholic devotions, devotions, and presentations of Catholic Church, Catholic teaching that existed in the Catholic Church befo ...
sources and severely criticized by other sources, such as the
National Catholic Reporter The ''National Catholic Reporter'' (''NCR'') is a progressive national newspaper in the United States that reports on issues related to the Catholic Church. Based in Kansas City, Missouri, ''NCR'' was founded by Robert Hoyt in 1964. Hoyt want ...
. Martin served as a guest commentator for
CNN CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...
during the live coverage of the visit of
Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
to the United States in October 1995. In the last three years of his life, Martin forged a close friendship with the Traditionalist Catholic philosopher Rama P. Coomaraswamy (1929–2006). During this period, Martin was received in a private audience by John Paul II.


Death

In 1999, Malachi Martin died in
Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
of an
intracerebral hemorrhage Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), also known as cerebral bleed, intraparenchymal bleed, and hemorrhagic stroke, or haemorrhagic stroke, is a sudden bleeding into Intraparenchymal hemorrhage, the tissues of the brain, into its Intraventricular hemor ...
, four days after his 78th birthday. It was caused by a fall in his apartment in Manhattan. The documentary ''Hostage to the Devil'' claimed that Martin said he was pushed from a stool by a demonic force. Martin's funeral took place in St. Anthony of Padua Roman Catholic Chapel of West Orange, New Jersey, before the burial at
Gate of Heaven Cemetery Gate of Heaven Cemetery, approximately 25 miles (40 km) north of New York City, was established in 1917 at 10 West Stevens Ave. in Hawthorne, Westchester County, New York, as a Roman Catholic burial site. Among its famous residents is ...
, in Hawthorne, New York.


Writings

In 1964, under the pseudonym of "Michael Serafian", Martin wrote ''The Pilgrim: Pope Paul VI, the Council, & the Church in a Time of Decision''. The book contained Martin's views on
the Jewish question The Jewish question, also referred to as the Jewish problem, was a wide-ranging debate in 19th- and 20th-century European society that pertained to the appropriate status and treatment of Jews. The debate, which was similar to other "national ...
in Europe and on the
Second Vatican Council The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st Catholic ecumenical councils, ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions) ...
. Martin's fictional works purported to give detailed insider accounts of
Church history __NOTOC__ Church history or ecclesiastical history as an academic discipline studies the history of Christianity and the way the Christian Church has developed since its inception. Henry Melvill Gwatkin defined church history as "the spiritual ...
during the reigns of Popes
Pius XII Pius ( , ) Latin for "pious", is a masculine given name. Its feminine form is Pia. It may refer to: People Popes * Pope Pius (disambiguation) * Antipope Pius XIII (1918-2009), who led the breakaway True Catholic Church sect Given name * Pius B ...
, John XXIII, Paul VI (''The Pilgrim, Three Popes and the Cardinal, Vatican: A Novel''),
John Paul I Pope John Paul I ( la, Ioannes Paulus I}; it, Giovanni Paolo I; born Albino Luciani ; 17 October 1912 – 28 September 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City from 26 August 1978 to his death 33 days later. Hi ...
(''The Final Conclave'') and
John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
(''The Keys of This Blood'', ''Windswept House''). Martin's non-fictional writings cover a range of Catholic topics, such as
demonic possession Spirit possession is an unusual or altered state of consciousness and associated behaviors purportedly caused by the control of a human body by spirits, ghosts, demons, or gods. The concept of spirit possession exists in many cultures and reli ...
s,
exorcisms Exorcism () is the religious or spiritual practice of evicting demons, jinns, or other malevolent spiritual entities from a person, or an area, that is believed to be possessed. Depending on the spiritual beliefs of the exorcist, this may be do ...
,
Satanism Satanism is a group of ideological and philosophical beliefs based on Satan. Contemporary religious practice of Satanism began with the founding of the atheistic Church of Satan by Anton LaVey in the United States in 1966, although a few hi ...
,
liberation theology Liberation theology is a Christian theological approach emphasizing the liberation of the oppressed. In certain contexts, it engages socio-economic analyses, with "social concern for the poor and political liberation for oppressed peoples". In ...
, the Second Vatican Council (''The Pilgrim''), the
Tridentine liturgy In the Catholic Church, the use of preconciliar rites after the Second Vatican Council has resulted in certain Latin liturgical rites coexisting with older ("preconciliar": "before the Second Vatican Council") versions of those same rites. In the ...
,
Catholic dogma A dogma of the Catholic Church is defined as "a truth revealed by God, which the magisterium of the Church declared as binding." The '' Catechism of the Catholic Church'' states: Dogma can also pertain to the collective body of the church's d ...
,
Catholic modernism The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a p ...
(''Three Popes and the Cardinal''; ''The Jesuits''), the financial history of the Church (''Rich Church, Poor Church''; ''The Decline and Fall of the Roman Church''), the New World Order and the geopolitical importance of the
Pope The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
(''The Keys of This Blood'').


Opinions


Three secrets of Fátima

Martin often spoke and wrote about the
Three Secrets of Fátima The Three Secrets of Fátima () are a series of apocalyptic visions and prophecies which were given to three young Portuguese shepherds, Lúcia Santos and her cousins Jacinta and Francisco Marto, by a Marian apparition, starting on 13 May ...
and was an ardent supporter of Father Nicholas Gruner's interpretations of them:
"Father Gruner is fulfilling a desperately needed function in the ongoing perception of Mary's role in the salvation of our imperiled world. Father Gruner is absolutely correct that the consecration of
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
as—Our Lady desired, has not been executed".
According to Martin, the unreleased third secret of Fatima was that the
Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
would be
converted to Christianity Conversion to Christianity is the religious conversion of a previously non-Christian person to Christianity. Different Christian denominations may perform various different kinds of rituals or ceremonies initiation into their community of belie ...
. Martin then claimed that in 1960, he was standing outside papal living quarters whilst John XXIII, Cardinal Bea, and other church officials were reading a letter from Sister Lúcia Santos revealing that secret. Concerned about Soviet cooperation at the approaching Second Vatican Council, the pope allegedly decided to suppress the letter. Released by the Vatican in 2000, the third secret letter did not mention Russia or the Soviet Union.


Other theories

Martin did not believe in the alleged apparitions of the Virgin Mary at
Međugorje Medjugorje ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Međugorje, Међугорје, ) is a town located in southwestern Bosnia and Herzegovina, about southwest of Mostar and east of the border with Croatia. The town is part of the Čitluk municipality ...
in what is today
Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...
. He said that false pretenses were used in obtaining earlier his recommendation. Concerning the Garabandal apparitions, he remained open minded. In March 1997, Martin claimed on
Radio Liberty Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmit ...
's ''Steel on Steel'', that two popes were murdered during the 20th century: *
Pope Pius XI Pope Pius XI ( it, Pio XI), born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti (; 31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939), was head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 to his death in February 1939. He was the first sovereign of Vatican City fro ...
was allegedly murdered by
Benito Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (; 29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who founded and led the National Fascist Party. He was Prime Minister of Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 until his deposition in 194 ...
, because of his 1931 encyclical, ''
Non abbiamo bisogno ''Non abbiamo bisogno'' (Italian for "We do not need") is a Roman Catholic encyclical published on 29 June 1931 by Pope Pius XI. Context The encyclical condemned Italian fascism's “pagan worship of the State” (statolatry) and “revolutio ...
'', which was critical of the Italian Fascist state. *
Pope John Paul I Pope John Paul I ( la, Ioannes Paulus I}; it, Giovanni Paolo I; born Albino Luciani ; 17 October 1912 – 28 September 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City from 26 August 1978 to his death 33 days later. Hi ...
was allegedly murdered according to Martin's book, ''Vatican: A Novel'', by
Jean-Marie Villot Jean-Marie Villot (11 October 1905 – 9 March 1979) was a French prelate and Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Archbishop of Lyon from 1965 to 1967, Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy from 1967 to 1969, Vatican Secret ...
, formerly Cardinal Secretary of State under Pope Paul VI, under orders from the
Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
. Martin stated that, along with diabolic possession, angelic possession also exists and that angels could have use of
preternatural The preternatural (or praeternatural) is that which appears outside or beside (Latin: '' præter'') the natural. It is "suspended between the mundane and the miraculous". In theology, the term is often used to distinguish marvels or deceptive t ...
powers in certain circumstances. .


Siri theory

Martin partially gave credence to the Siri thesis, saying that Cardinal
Giuseppe Siri Giuseppe Siri (20 May 1906 – 2 May 1989) was an Italian cardinal of the Catholic Church who served as Archbishop of Genoa from 1946 to 1987, and was elevated to the rank of cardinal in 1953. He was a protege of Pope Pius XII. He was considere ...
was twice elected pope in
papal conclave A papal conclave is a gathering of the College of Cardinals convened to elect a Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishop of Rome, also known as the pope. Catholics consider the pope to be the Apostolic succession, apostolic successor of Saint ...
s, but declined his election after being pressured by so-called worldly forces acting through cardinals present at the conclaves. Martin called this ''the little brutality''. On the one hand, Martin says that Siri was intimidated; on the other hand he says that Siri did indicate that his decision not to accept was made freely. * The first election, according to Martin, happened at
Papal conclave, 1963 The 1963 papal conclave was convoked following the death of Pope John XXIII on 3 June 1963 in the Apostolic Palace. After the cardinal electors assembled in Rome, the conclave to elect John's successor began on 19 June and ended two days later, ...
. Martin mentioned the possibility of a nuclear threat which involved "the very existence of the Vatican state" during this conclave on pages 600–610 of ''The Keys of this Blood'', * The second election was the
Papal conclave, October 1978 The October 1978 papal conclave was triggered by the death of Pope John Paul I on 28 September 1978, just 33 days after his election on 26 August. The conclave to elect John Paul I's successor began on 14 October and ended two days later on 16 ...
. Martin said on ''Steel on Steel'' in March 1997, that Siri received a written note after his initial election threatening him and his family with death should he accept.


Freemasons

Martin claimed that John XXIII and Paul VI were
Freemasons Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...
during a certain period and that photographs and other detailed documents proving this were in the possession of the Vatican State Secretariat. He
allegorical As a literary device or artistic form, an allegory is a narrative or visual representation in which a character, place, or event can be interpreted to represent a hidden meaning with moral or political significance. Authors have used allegory th ...
ly mentioned these supposed facts in his 1986 novel ''Vatican: A Novel'', where he related the Masonic adherence of Pope Giovanni Angelica and Giovanni De Brescia. Martin also claimed that Archbishop
Annibale Bugnini Annibale Bugnini (14 June 1912 – 3 July 1982) was a Catholic prelate. Ordained in 1936 and named archbishop in 1972, he was secretary of the commission that worked on the reform of the Catholic liturgy that followed the Second Vatican Counci ...
was a Freemason and that
Agostino Casaroli Agostino Casaroli (24 November 1914 – 9 June 1998) was an Italian Catholic priest and diplomat for the Holy See, who became Cardinal Secretary of State. He was the most important figure behind the Vatican's efforts to deal with the persecuti ...
, long-time Cardinal Secretary of State, was an
atheist Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...
.


Metz accord

In his 1987 book ''The Jesuits'', Martin describes negotiations and a diplomatic agreement between the Vatican and the
USSR The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...
named as the "Moscow Vatican Pact of 1962" or the "Metz Pact". In this "little-known" agreement, the Vatican allegedly promised non-condemnation of
Soviet Communism The ideology of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) was Bolshevist Marxism–Leninism, an ideology of a centralised command economy with a vanguardist one-party state to realise the dictatorship of the proletariat. The Soviet Union's ...
or
Marxism Marxism is a Left-wing politics, left-wing to Far-left politics, far-left method of socioeconomic analysis that uses a Materialism, materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to understand S ...
in exchange for participation of Russian-Orthodox prelates as observers at the Second Vatican Council. Description of this incident was embedded as background within a larger discussion of a meeting at the Vatican in the middle of spring 1981 between
Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
and his six most powerful cardinals. In his book ''The Final Conclave'', published on 1 August 1978, the month of the 1978 conclave that resulted in the 26 August election of Albino Luciani, Martin wrote of the unexpected election of a ''Cardinal Angelico'', a figure that has been interpreted as corresponding to Luciani.


Controversies


Alleged affairs

There were three allegations made against Martin of having affairs with women: * Martin was criticized in the book ''Clerical Error: A True Story'' by
Robert Blair Kaiser Robert Blair Kaiser (January 11, 1931 – April 2, 2015) was an American author and journalist, best known for his writing on the Catholic Church. Biography Kaiser trained as a Jesuit from 1949 to 1959. He left the order and his intention to be or ...
, ''Time'' magazine's former Vatican correspondent. Kaiser, a former Jesuit, accused Martin of having carried on an extramarital affair with his wife during 1964 in Rome, and claimed that Martin fled to the United States as a renegade from the priesthood. A friend of Martin's, William H. Kennedy, published an article in ''The Seattle Catholic'' disputing Kaiser's allegation and other claims made about Martin after his death. Kennedy points out that Kaiser admits in his book that he was diagnosed as having
paranoid schizophrenia Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by continuous or relapsing episodes of psychosis. Major symptoms include hallucinations (typically Auditory hallucination#Schizophrenia, hearing voices), delusions, and disorganized thinking. ...
, and cites passages from Kaiser's book which he believes show that Kaiser was writing from a distorted and delusional perspective due to his mental illness. *In her 2008 book, ''Queen of the Oil Club: The Intrepid Wanda Jablonski and the Power of Information'', Anna Rubino wrote that Martin had a love affair with oil journalist
Wanda Jablonski Wanda Jablonski (23 August 1920, in Czechoslovakia – 28 January 1992, in New York City) was an American journalist who covered the global petroleum industry. She was called "the most influential oil journalist of her time" in Daniel Yergin's '' ...
on a visit to
Beirut Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...
,
Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...
in the 1950s. The book was published long after the deaths of both Jablonski (1992) and Martin (1999).


Laicization dispute

The
Traditionalist Catholic Traditionalist Catholicism is the set of beliefs, practices, customs, traditions, Christian liturgy, liturgical forms, Catholic devotions, devotions, and presentations of Catholic Church, Catholic teaching that existed in the Catholic Church befo ...
website ''Daily Catholic'' said in 2004 that Father Vincent O'Keefe, former
Vicar General A vicar general (previously, archdeacon) is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority and possesses the title of local ordinary. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ...
of the Society of Jesus and a past President of
Fordham University Fordham University () is a Private university, private Jesuit universities, Jesuit research university in New York City. Established in 1841 and named after the Fordham, Bronx, Fordham neighborhood of the The Bronx, Bronx in which its origina ...
, stated that Martin had never been
laicized In the canon law of the Catholic Church, the loss of clerical state (commonly referred to as laicization, dismissal, defrocking, and degradation) is the removal of a bishop, priest, or deacon from the status of being a member of the clergy. The t ...
. According to this report, O'Keefe stated that Martin had been released from his Jesuit vows except for
chastity Chastity, also known as purity, is a virtue related to temperance. Someone who is ''chaste'' refrains either from sexual activity considered immoral or any sexual activity, according to their state of life. In some contexts, for example when mak ...
. No claim has been made that Martin was
incardinated Incardination is the formal term in the Catholic Church for a clergyman being under a bishop or other ecclesiastical superior. It is also sometimes used to refer to laity who may transfer to another part of the church. Examples include transfers ...
into any particular diocese. Martin himself is quoted as stating that "'In 1965, Mr. Martin received a dispensation from all privileges and obligations deriving from his vows as a Jesuit and from priestly ordination' (
Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life The Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, formerly called Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (CICLSAL; la, Congregatio pro Institutis Vitae Consecratae et Soci ...
, 25 June 1997, Prot. N. 04300/65)". The ''Daily Catholic'' said its 2004 statement was based on one by William Kennedy, according to which the declaration of Martin's laicization was mounted in retaliation for his book ''The Jesuits'', which accused the Jesuits of deviating from their original character and mission by embracing
liberation theology Liberation theology is a Christian theological approach emphasizing the liberation of the oppressed. In certain contexts, it engages socio-economic analyses, with "social concern for the poor and political liberation for oppressed peoples". In ...
.


Alleged ordination as a bishop

During a videotaped memorial titled ''Malachi Martin Weeps For His Church'', Rama Coomaraswamy claimed that Martin had told him that he had been secretly consecrated a bishop by Pius XII. Martin's mission was to ordain priests and bishops for the underground churches of
Eastern Europe Eastern Europe is a subregion of the Europe, European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russ ...
and the Soviet Union. Coomaraswamy died in 2006.


Alleged authorship

*The book ''The Pilgrim: Pope Paul VI, The Council and The Church in a time of decision'' was written by Martin under the pseudonym Michael Serafian. This was confirmed by Martin himself and corroborated independently by the Swiss Catholic dissident and priest
Hans Küng Hans Küng (; 19 March 1928 – 6 April 2021) was a Swiss Catholic priest, theologian, and author. From 1995 he was president of the Foundation for a Global Ethic (Stiftung Weltethos). Küng was ordained a priest in 1954, joined the faculty o ...
. Martin related that his choice of surname, ''Serafian'', was due to meeting a carpet dealer in Jerusalem with that name, during the trip of Paul VI to Jordan in January 1964. Serafian is a common
Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''Ox ...
n surname.. The
Southern Poverty Law Center The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal advocacy organization specializing in civil rights and public interest litigation. Based in Montgomery, Alabama, it is known for its legal cases against white su ...
describes the publishing house as specializing in the most extreme radical traditionalist materials
''Intelligence Report, Winter 2006, Issue Number: 124
.
*The pseudonym of Xavier Rynne, used to write more than 20 books on Vatican II, is not that of Martin, but of Fr. Francis X. Murphy C.Ss.R. *The 1966 article ''Laures et ermitages du désert d'Egypte'' published in Mélanges de l'Université Saint-Joseph by the hand of "M. Martin" was written by Maurice Martin, not Malachi Martin.


Joseph Roddy allegations

Journalist Joseph Roddy alleged — in a 1966 '' Look Magazine'' article about the debate about Jews during the Second Vatican Council — that one and the same person under three different pseudonyms had written or acted on behalf of Jewish interest groups, such as the
American Jewish Committee The American Jewish Committee (AJC) is a Jewish advocacy group established on November 11, 1906. It is one of the oldest Jewish advocacy organizations and, according to ''The New York Times'', is "widely regarded as the dean of American Jewish org ...
, to influence the outcome of the debates. Roddy wrote that two timely and remunerated 1965 articles were penned under the pseudonym ''F.E. Cartus'', one for ''
Harper's Magazine ''Harper's Magazine'' is a monthly magazine of literature, politics, culture, finance, and the arts. Launched in New York City in June 1850, it is the oldest continuously published monthly magazine in the U.S. (''Scientific American'' is older, b ...
'' and one for the American Jewish Committee's magazine ''
Commentary Commentary or commentaries may refer to: Publications * ''Commentary'' (magazine), a U.S. public affairs journal, founded in 1945 and formerly published by the American Jewish Committee * Caesar's Commentaries (disambiguation), a number of works ...
''. Roddy alleged that tidbits of information were leaked to the New York press that detailed Council failings vis a vis Jews under the pseudonym of ''Pushkin''. Roddy claimed two unidentified persons were one and the same person — a "young cleric-turned-journalist" and a "Jesuit of Irish descent working for Cardinal Bea...who was active in the Biblical Institute" — he figuratively named as ''Timothy O'Boyle-Fitzharris, S.J.'' so as not to reveal the true identity of his source. In his 2007 book ''Spiritual Radical: Abraham Joshua Heschel in America'', Edward K. Kaplan confirmed that Martin cooperated with the
American Jewish Committee The American Jewish Committee (AJC) is a Jewish advocacy group established on November 11, 1906. It is one of the oldest Jewish advocacy organizations and, according to ''The New York Times'', is "widely regarded as the dean of American Jewish org ...
during the Council "for a mixture of motives, both lofty and ignoble... eprimarily advised the committee on theological issues, but he also provided logistical intelligence and copies of restricted documents." It is confirmed in the book that Martin used the pseudonyms ''Forest'' and ''Pushkin''. Kaplan acknowledges that ''The Pilgrim'' by Michael Serafian, was requested from Martin by Abraham J. Heschel, who arranged for the book to be published by Roger W. Straus, Jr.'s
Farrar, Straus and Giroux Farrar, Straus and Giroux (FSG) is an American book publishing company, founded in 1946 by Roger Williams Straus Jr. and John C. Farrar. FSG is known for publishing literary books, and its authors have won numerous awards, including Pulitzer ...
printing company. It was published in the hope that it would influence the deliberations in the council. Once Martin's identity as author was revealed, it led to protests "and the book had to be removed from circulation at considerable financial loss to the publisher". Kaplan lastly states that Martin was the primary source of information for Joseph Roddy in writing his 1966 article for ''Look Magazine'', and that ''O'Boyle-Fitzharris'' was, in fact, Martin. Kaplan judges the Roddy article as "dangerously misleading ueto the credence it gives to the claim that without organised Jewish pressure the council declaration on the Jews would not have been accepted." Martin explicitly denied he was a spy, along with denying other rumors. Michael Cuneo, in his book ''American Exorcism'', writes that "Martin told me that he was perplexed, and more than a little annoyed, by the swirl of rumors surrounding his personal life." Elsewhere, Martin admitted some of his work involved intelligence gathering behind the
Iron Curtain The Iron Curtain was the political boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1991. The term symbolizes the efforts by the Soviet Union (USSR) to block itself and its s ...
and throughout the
Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
, and at times threatening cardinals with blackmail if they did not want to do what Bea and John XXIII wanted from them at the council. "I saw cardinals sweating in front of me," Martin recalled. "And I began to enjoy it."


Alleged Jewish heritage

Rumors appearing on various Catholic or
sedevacantist Sedevacantism ( la, Sedevacantismus) is a doctrinal position within traditionalist Catholicism, which holds that the present occupier of the Holy See is not a valid pope due to the pope's espousal of one or more heresies and that therefore, for ...
websites and magazines alleged that Martin had
Jewish ancestry ''Zera Yisrael'' ( he, זרע ישראל, , meaning "Seed fIsrael") is a legal category in Jewish law that denotes the blood descendants of Jews who, for one reason or another, are not legally of Jewish ethnicity according to religious criteria. ...
that descended from
Iberian Jews Spanish and Portuguese Jews, also called Western Sephardim, Iberian Jews, or Peninsular Jews, are a distinctive sub-group of Sephardic Jews who are largely descended from Jews who lived as New Christians in the Iberian Peninsula during the i ...
who migrated to
Medieval Ireland Ireland in the Middle Ages may refer to: * History of Ireland (400–800), Ireland in the early Middle Ages *History of Ireland (800–1169), Ireland in the high Middle Ages *History of Ireland (1169–1536), Ireland in the late Middle Ages See a ...
and the
Kingdom of England The Kingdom of England (, ) was a sovereign state on the island of Great Britain from 12 July 927, when it emerged from various Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, until 1 May 1707, when it united with Scotland to form the Kingdom of Great Britain. On 1 ...
in the 15th century, and also alleged him being an
Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
i spy because of his first name, ''
Malachi Malachi (; ) is the traditional author of the Book of Malachi, the last book of the Nevi'im (Prophets) section of the Tanakh. According to the 1897 ''Easton's Bible Dictionary'', it is possible that Malachi is not a proper name, as it simply mean ...
'', after a Hebrew prophet and his extensive travels in the
Levant The Levant () is an approximate historical geographical term referring to a large area in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Western Asia. In its narrowest sense, which is in use today in archaeology and other cultural contexts, it is eq ...
. These allegations were rebutted by William H. Kennedy (''In Defense of Father Malachi Martin''). After having made genealogical inquiries with surviving relatives of Martin in Ireland, Kennedy concluded that Martin's father was an
Englishman The English people are an ethnic group and nation native to England, who speak the English language, a West Germanic language, and share a common history and culture. The English identity is of Anglo-Saxon origin, when they were known in ...
who moved to Ireland, and that Martin's mother was
Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
on both sides. Fr. Rama Coomasrawamy confirmed this independently. The
Irish language Irish ( Standard Irish: ), also known as Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Insular Celtic branch of the Celtic language family, which is a part of the Indo-European language family. Irish is indigenous to the island of Ireland and was ...
name ''Maélsheachlainn'' is usually anglicized as " Malachy", and
Saint Malachy Malachy (}; Modern ga, Maelmhaedhoc Ó Morgair; ) ( 1094 – 2 November 1148) is an Irish saint who was Archbishop of Armagh, to whom were attributed several miracles and an alleged vision of 112 popes later attributed to the apocryphal ...
was a 12th-century Irish Catholic saint.


Alleged photograph

Claims that Martin features as a curial monsignor in full
regalia Regalia is a Latin plurale tantum word that has different definitions. In one rare definition, it refers to the exclusive privileges of a sovereign. The word originally referred to the elaborate formal dress and dress accessories of a sovereign ...
on a prominent photograph next to John Paul I and his assistant Diego Lorenzi appeared on the Internet. The photograph, published in David Yallop's '' In God's Name: An Investigation into the Murder of Pope John Paul I'' as number 28 between pages 120 and 121, shows a "Monsignor Martin", visibly different from Malachi Martin. This is a case of
mistaken identity Mistaken identity is a defense in criminal law which claims the actual innocence of the criminal defendant, and attempts to undermine evidence of guilt by asserting that any eyewitness to the crime incorrectly thought that they saw the defendan ...
: the cleric in the photograph was
Jacques-Paul Martin Jacques-Paul Martin (26 August 1908 – 27 September 1992) was a French Roman Catholic cardinal, raised to the cardinalate in 1988. Education and progression through the Church Martin received his education at the University of Strasbourg, w ...
, Prefect of the Casa Pontificia from 1969 to 1986.


See also

*
Franz König Franz König (3 August 1905 – 13 March 2004) was an Austrian Cardinal of the Catholic Church. He served as archbishop of Vienna from 1956 to 1985, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1958. The last surviving cardinal elevated by Pope John ...
* Alfred Kunz *
Marcel Lefebvre Marcel François Marie Joseph Lefebvre (; 29 November 1905 – 25 March 1991) was a French Catholic archbishop who greatly influenced modern traditional Catholicism. In 1970, he founded the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX), a community to train ...
*
Leo Joseph Suenens Leo Jozef Suenens ( ) (16 July 1904 – 6 May 1996) was a Belgian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels from 1961 to 1979, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1962. Suenens was a leading voice at ...


Bibliography


Books

*''The Scribal Character of the Dead Sea Scrolls Vol. 1'', Bibliothèque du Muséon 44, Publications Universitaires, Louvain, 1958 *''The Scribal Character of the Dead Sea Scrolls Vol. 2'', Bibliothèque du Muséon 45, Publications Universitaires, Louvain, 1958 *''The Pilgrim: Pope Paul VI, The Council and The Church in a time of decision'', Farrar, Straus, New York, 1964 (written under the pseudonym of Michael Serafian) *''The Encounter: Religion in Crisis'',
Farrar, Straus and Giroux Farrar, Straus and Giroux (FSG) is an American book publishing company, founded in 1946 by Roger Williams Straus Jr. and John C. Farrar. FSG is known for publishing literary books, and its authors have won numerous awards, including Pulitzer ...
, New York, 1969; (in collaboration with Henry Allen Moe) *''Three Popes and the Cardinal: The Church of Pius, John and Paul in its Encounter with Human History'', Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, 1972; *''Jesus Now'',
E. P. Dutton E. P. Dutton was an American book publishing company. It was founded as a book retailer in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1852 by Edward Payson Dutton. Since 1986, it has been an imprint of Penguin Group. Creator Edward Payson Dutton (January 4, ...
, New York, 1973; *''Hostage to the Devil: The Possession and Exorcism of Five Living Americans'', 1st edition,
Reader's Digest ''Reader's Digest'' is an American general-interest family magazine, published ten times a year. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, it is now headquartered in midtown Manhattan. The magazine was founded in 1922 by DeWitt Wallace and his wi ...
, New York, 1976; ; 2nd edition with a new preface by the author,
HarperSanFrancisco HarperOne is a publishing imprint of HarperCollins, specializing in books that aim to "transform, inspire, change lives, and influence cultural discussions." Under the original name of Harper San Francisco, the imprint was founded in 1977 by 13 em ...
, San Francisco, CA, U.S. 1992; * The Final Conclave Stein and Day New York 1978 . *''King of Kings: a Novel of the Life of David'',
Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster () is an American publishing company and a subsidiary of Paramount Global. It was founded in New York City on January 2, 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. As of 2016, Simon & Schuster was the third largest publ ...
, New York, 1980; *'' The Decline and Fall of the Roman Church'',
G. P. Putnam's Sons G. P. Putnam's Sons is an American book publisher based in New York City, New York. Since 1996, it has been an imprint of the Penguin Group. History The company began as Wiley & Putnam with the 1838 partnership between George Palmer Putnam and J ...
, New York, 1981; *''The New Castle: Reaching for the Ultimate'', E.P. Dutton, New York; 1984 *''Rich Church, Poor Church: The Catholic Church and its Money'', G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York, 1984; *''There is Still Love: Five Parables of God's Love That Will Change Your Life'',
Macmillan MacMillan, Macmillan, McMillen or McMillan may refer to: People * McMillan (surname) * Clan MacMillan, a Highland Scottish clan * Harold Macmillan, British statesman and politician * James MacMillan, Scottish composer * William Duncan MacMillan ...
, New York, 1984; *''Vatican: A Novel'',
Harper & Row Harper is an American publishing house, the flagship imprint of global publisher HarperCollins based in New York City. History J. & J. Harper (1817–1833) James Harper and his brother John, printers by training, started their book publishin ...
, New York, 1986; *''The Marian Year of His Holiness, Pope John Paul II'', Saint Paul, Remnant Press, 1987 *''The Jesuits: The Society of Jesus and the Betrayal of the Roman Catholic Church'', Simon & Schuster, New York, 1987; *''God's Chosen People: The Relationship between Christian and Jews'', Remnant Press, Saint Paul, 1988 *''Apostasy Within: The Demonic in the (Catholic) American Church'', Christopher Publishing House, Hanover, 1989 (in collaboration with Paul Trinchard S.T.D.) *'' The Keys of This Blood: The Struggle for World Dominion between Pope John Paul II, Mikhail Gorbachev, and the Capitalist West'', Simon & Schuster, New York, 1990; *''The Thunder of Justice: The Warning, the Miracle, the Chastisement, the Era of Peace'', MaxKol Communications, Sterling, 1993; (in collaboration with Ted Flynn and Maureen Flynn) *'' Windswept House: A Vatican Novel'', Doubleday, New York, 1996; *''In the Murky Waters of Vatican II'', MAETA, Metairie, 1997; (in collaboration with Atila Sinke Guimarães) *''Fatima Priest: The Story of Father Nicolas Grüner'', Gods Counsel Publishing, Pound Ridge, 1997; (in collaboration with Francis Alban and Christopher A. Ferrara)


Articles

*"Revision and reclassification of the Proto-Byblian signs", in ''Acta Orientalia'', No. 31, 1962 *"The Balu'a Stele: A New Transcription with Paleographic and Historical Notes", Annual of the Department of Antiquities of Jordan, 1964, pp. 8–9 (in collaboration with Ward William) * (debate with James A. Rudin and David R. Hunter). * . *"Death at Sunset", in ''National Review'', November 22, 1974 *"The Scientist as Shaman", in Clarke, Robin, ''Notes for the future: an alternative history of the past decade'', Universe Books, New York, 1975; *"On Toying with Desecration", in ''National Review'', October 10, 1975 *"On Human Love", in ''National Review'', September 2, 1977 *"Test-Tube Morality", in ''National Review'', October 13, 1978 * .


Related books and articles

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References


External links


Coast to Coast AM's Guest Page on Father Malachi Martin
accessed 10 February 2014

* * . {{DEFAULTSORT:Martin, Malachi 1921 births 1999 deaths 20th-century American Jesuits 20th-century American Roman Catholic priests 20th-century American Roman Catholic theologians 20th-century American male writers 20th-century Christian biblical scholars 20th-century Irish Jesuits 20th-century Irish Roman Catholic priests 20th-century Irish Roman Catholic theologians 20th-century Irish male writers Accidental deaths from falls Accidental deaths in New York (state) Alumni of Milltown Institute of Theology and Philosophy Alumni of the University of Oxford Alumni of Trinity College Dublin Alumni of University College Dublin American anti-communists American biblical scholars American exorcists American male writers American palaeographers American traditionalist Catholics American writers of Irish descent Biblical archaeologists Burials at Gate of Heaven Cemetery (Hawthorne, New York) Catholic exorcists Catholic University of Leuven (1834–1968) alumni Critics of the Catholic Church Former Jesuits Hebrew University of Jerusalem alumni Irish anti-communists Irish biblical scholars Irish emigrants to the United States Irish exorcists Irish palaeographers Irish political writers Irish religious writers John Felice Rome Center faculty Naturalized citizens of the United States Participants in the Second Vatican Council People educated at Belvedere College People from County Kerry Academic staff of the Pontifical Biblical Institute Roman Catholic biblical scholars Semiticists Spiritual warfare Traditionalist Catholic conspiracy theorists Traditionalist Catholic priests Traditionalist Catholic writers United States Air Force chaplains