The Pope had a Dream

Pope Innocent III once had a dream in which he saw the church about to collapse.

He watched helplessly as the walls were about to give way and fall; the sanctuary was desecrated, exposed to all the destructive forces. Faith disappeared, hope decreased, love fled from the Church...But suddenly a poor man in shabby clothes appeared. He put his shoulders against the falling walls and with all his might prevented the church from collapsing.

Stones that had already fallen to the ground moved back into place, the roof covered the church once more, giving protection to all that is good. Faith, hope and love were growing again in the Church and people became reconciled.

On the day after the dream the Pope received an unexpected visitor. When Francis entered the hall, the Pope recognized him as the shabby man whom he had seen in his dream, the beggar who renewed the Church (according to LMj III:10).

CCFMC, Lesson Unit 25, From the Sources