An interesting question is raised on this blog-site about the Church stance on Nostradamus. Is he a true prophet? The answer is that he is not recognized by the Church. His prophecies have been interpreted as having been right, so far. Is he a "prophet" or not? Easy to answer. I wish to dwell on this subject, since a few days ago, I posted a report on the "prophecy" that had described, and justified the Tsunami 2004 several weeks ahead of it occuring.
 
What is a prophecy? It is a prediction of the future given by God, which is often made unclear but to an interpreter who is enlightened by the Holy Ghost. This means that the "prophet" usually had no idea of what he or she was "prophesying", and that a third party, or time, help interpreting it.
 
What is a prophet? The word itself has a lose meaning. There are great prophets such as Jeremiah or Daniel, and also there are the faithful who are said to "prophecies", such as in the Acts, the three daughters of St Philip the Apostle were said to "prophecy". It appears that those early Christians were merely able to see clearly what was happening around them, because they were enlightened by the Holy Ghost, such as Saint John the Baptist, who never made a "prophecy" of the future, but who was able to authenticate Jesus Christ while still in the womb as an unborn-child, and then who paved the way of the Lord by his ministry. Technically St. John the Baptist was not a "prophet", but was nevertheless named the greatest prophet of all time by Our Lord. It appears that the definition of a "prophet" is simply to be filled with the Holy Ghost. Once the faithful is "filled with the Holy Ghost", while also having a near perfect love for Jesus and Mary (also of the Catholic Faith as defined by the Athanesian Creed), then the faithful may start "prophecizing", which means to either be able to see clearly, or, if God wants, occasionally to predict the future. Saint Terese of Avila was therefore a "prophet" while at her time an other woman in Spain was seen as a prophet. This said woman was an impostor who later confessed to have sold her soul to the devil. She ended-up losing the Catholic Faith, and became a Protestant.
 
That say, it appears that Nostradamus was not a genuine Catholic, for example he was buried in a very strange way, and also he had pronounced a curse to whoever will desecrate his tomb, a prediction that proved right. Those are the probable reasons why the Church does not recognized him as a prophet. The prophecies of Nostradamus should therefore not come from God but from the devil. The devil is able to deduct the future in a better way than man, but those "prophecies" are impostures.
 
To-day, the Internet is filled with false-prophets. Those lads are so many that they could almost form their own union! The real "prophets" are simply genuine lovers of Jesus Christ and of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In my case of posting the report of a past "prophecy" of the Tsunami 2004 (please see FAMINE AND WAR), the question may be tricky. The Tsunami occurred, but also the devil might have vaguely known ahead of time. The "prophecy" (of the Tsunami) had come from a cluster of letters, built around a single letter that spelled the description of a Mozart Mass. The author of those letters was not aware of what was metaphorically described, but was simply disquieted before, and after this particular Mass.
The infernal nature of this Mozart Mass was only revealed to me, a mere writing hand, only a few days ago. I believe that the Tsunami 2004 was announced by God to this fellow who I name Church Militant, because this said fellow, although being imperfect in many ways, loves Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary, and is faithful to the Catholic Faith as defined by the Athanesian Creed. The Church of Saint Dominic where this Mozart Mass was said, is not "evil" although Novæ Ordo, because it has not totaly embraced the spirit of V2. For example, it is still praying the 15 decades of the Rosary, and has not caved-in to the devotion of the Christ of the Divine Mercy (an Antichrist). There is no doubt that God was sensitive to the infernal nature of this particular Mozart Mass. The Church of Saint Dominic in San Francisco is reputable; it has its own cloister. It is no average "new-Church" parish where Pastor Billy-Bob and his altar-girls say Clown-Mass, or perform Dance-Mass that mimic copulation, and where God seems to not care any longer!
 
Nostradamus might have made some fulfilled prophecies, but was apparently not a genuine Catholic, which makes him a false-prophet, while the fellow who I name Church Militant, who is a faithful, was merely used by God to make a prophecy that was not thought of. This said fellow prophesied in the same way as the early Christians, while Nostradamus apparently became a prophet out of a pact made with the devil.
The fruit of a prophecy is to warn the faithful in order to keep them in line. The prophecies of Nostradamus do not do such a thing as saving the faith, but only fill the ego of the writer, perhaps fill his belly, and to inflate the self-importance of Satan.

To Nadir: I do not understand your comment. "take 1 2 etc". Please explain! Are you refering to numerology?

I'll use this occasion to submit a RETRACTION: St. Phillip the evangelist did not have three daughters, but four. Those four daughters were virgins, and did prophecy. This is a mistake of mine. I do not always carry a Bible with me.

Thank you Matthew for the scolding! I take the liberty to respond in the conversation format because I do not know how to use the "private message window".

There is no purposeful ill-will in not always following the protocol. My usage of words such as "blog-site" is improper, and I did not realized that until being told, because I admit to have not read your posting on this subject. I will!

As for the nature of my postings: They seem to be in tune with the present time. We live in time of uncertaincy, and fear is among many, who instinctively dodge the choice that soon we'll all have to make. I'd too wished to stay in the confort-zone of the cozy subjects that are making the meat of most of the forums, but it cannot be done now. In fact Matthew, if we were in other times, I would not exist!

As for the subject of my intelligence, which you suggest to be very low. I am glad to tell that you are absolutely right. I also read little, and I am an abject failure in all my past ventures, which present venture on this forum might quicly be added to all my past failures. See me as a stupid 9 to 5 steno-dactilo.

The "prophecies" that I mention are extraordinary for this forum, and disturbing to the general peace. I wished to have avoided them, and even the very topics of transportation; vision; dream to which I had been forced to enter. Matthew, I wholeheartedly hope to never have to speak about demonic attacks, demonic expultion nor of an angelic apparition, neither on catholicforum nor anywhere else!

greetings rowofvoices9: You are spelling the correct and fully encompassing definition of what is a prophecy.
In this particular posting, this is what I attempted to tell: why Nostradamus might not be a true prophet inspired by the Holy Ghost, because he did not behave as a Catholic. He was buried in a strange way according to his own request (a way somewhat reminicent to the Ancient Egypt), and more so, he cast a spell to whoever would desecrate his tomb, an act of hatred which is incompatible with God's own words: "vengeance is mine". His "prophecies" of future events might have proven to be correct for the most part, but they might simply come from the devil. The devil is not God, but being supremely intelligent, the devil may deduct some of the future. Nostradamus is likely a false prophet, a man of the devil.

A true prophet is "walking with God", and might never make any predictions, but might simply see clearly a present situation. All great prophets of the Ancient Testament, without exception, were able to see clearly the errors of their present time, as well as to see the hand of God, with the prediction of the future being just one of their multi-fold mission. Most prophets were contradicted during their lifetime, such as the Prophet Elias who was challenged by hundreds of false prophets.
Also, true prophets act in total obedience to God's will, even if it appears to defy all human logic. For example when Moses crossed the dryed-out Red Sea, it defied all logics, but he obeyed. His obedience mades him a great prophet. Later he showed hesitation at confronting the inhabitants of the promised land (because they were giants), and he was punished. It is to be said that St. Peter as opposed to Moses showed hesitation at the begining, while he showed no hesitation later. When St. Peter walked over water, he nearly drowned for his lack of faith. St. Peter (by Our Lord's infinite mercy who did not hold this particular failure against him) was nevertheless made the first of the Apostles, because he authentified Christ. Then later (Jn. Chap 21), Saint Peter, this time did not hesitate to dive in the water to reach Our Lord who was standing by the lake-side. St. Peter never made a prediction of the future, but "walked with God", and acted in total obedience to the will of God by building the Catholic Church, after having been forgiven by Our Lord, and naturally believing in Jesus Christ.

Saint John the Baptist, who never predicted the future, is named the greatest prophet by Our Lord. It is probably because St. John was able to clearly define the baptism with water, as opposed to the baptism with fire of the Holy Ghost. St. John fits the second part of your definition of a prophet because he gave a correct meaning to the scriptures.

Lastly. The qualification to interpret the Bible must come from the Magisterium is absolutely necessary, so rowsovoices9, you cover all the requirements of a "prophet".
However one important question remains. Magisterium, as a word, means the authority and power of the church to teach religious truth. We also know that the Church is not just bricks & mortar, but it is made of the faithful to the Catholic Faith. So to day, in the chaos of V2, what is the Magisterium made of? The faithful who "walk with God", who will act without hesitation against all human logic for the love of Christ, or is the Magisterium made of the body-politic of the clergy who might be tempted to lord it to its charges?

Greetings copticruiser: Your raise an important issue. It is often repeated that St. John the Baptist was the "last prophet", or again that Jesus Christ Our Lord would be followed by false prophets. The Protestants often repeat this. Does that means that heaven has become silent after Christ? The answer is no. Heaven manifests through saints or holy men and women, which also might not exclude some abject repentant sinners.