Seems as if Our Lady (The Queen of Prophets) refutes an empty seat...
"The Vicar of My Son will suffer a great deal, because for a while the Church will yield to LARGE persecution, a time of darkness and the Church will witness a frightful crisis[/u]. He will suffer a great deal. I will be with him until the end and receive his sacrifice. The mischievous would attempt his life several times to do harm and shorten his days. Neither he nor his successor will see the triumph of the Church of God. (Our Lady of LaSalette, 1846)
"As I told you, if men do not repent and better themselves, the Father will inflict a terrible punishment on all humanity. It will be a punishment greater than the deluge, such as no one has ever seen before. Fire will fall from the sky and will wipe out a great part of humanity, the good as well as the bad, sparing neither priests nor faithful. The survivors will find themselves so desolate that they will envy the dead. The only consolation which will remain for you will be the Rosary and the Sign left by My Son. Each day recite the prayers of the Rosary. With the Rosary, pray for the Pope, the bishops and priests." (Our Lady of Akita, 1973)
What say you?