Did an ancient prophecy predict Pope Francis would be the last pope? We break down the so-called "Prophecy of the Popes" and separate fact from fiction.
Is Pope Francis the Last Pope?
Following the recent passing of Pope Francis, an old and mysterious prediction has resurfaced—the so-called "Prophecy of the Popes" attributed to 12th-century Irish bishop St. Malachy. The prophecy supposedly lists all future popes and ends with a figure known as Peter the Roman, a pope destined to lead the Church during great tribulation before the end of the world. With Pope Francis thought by some to be the last on that list, the buzz has grown: Is the end near?
Let’s unpack what this prophecy really says, where it came from, and whether there’s any truth to it.
What Is the Prophecy of the Popes?
The "Prophecy of the Popes" is a list of 112 short Latin phrases, each supposedly describing a pope from Celestine II (elected in 1143) through the final pope, "Peter the Roman."
According to legend, St. Malachy received this vision during a pilgrimage to Rome in 1139. However, there's zero historical record of this prophecy until it mysteriously appeared in 1595—more than 440 years after Malachy's death. It was published by Benedictine monk Arnold Wion in a book called Lignum Vitae.
Forgery or Forecast?
Scholars believe the prophecy is a 16th-century forgery, likely written to sway a papal election. For example, one of the mottos perfectly fits Cardinal Girolamo Simoncelli, a candidate in the 1590 conclave, whose hometown Orvieto means "Old City" in Latin—matching the motto Ex antiquitate Urbis.
The mottos that refer to popes before 1590 are surprisingly accurate. Those after 1590 are vague, inconsistent, or don’t match well at all. This strongly suggests the list was backfilled with real history, then continued with vague guesses.
What About Pope Francis?
Many tie Pope Benedict XVI to the second-to-last motto, Gloria Olivae ("Glory of the Olive"). That would make Pope Francis either the final pope or the prelude to Peter the Roman. Some even try to connect Francis’s Italian heritage to the name.
However, the prophecy never said there wouldn’t be other popes before Peter the Roman. And even if it did, historians and theologians overwhelmingly agree: this document is not authentic and not endorsed by the Catholic Church.
What Does the Church Say?
The Catholic Church has never approved this prophecy. St. Bernard of Clairvaux, who wrote Malachy's biography, never mentioned it. The long silence before its sudden appearance in the 1500s is a huge red flag.
Modern Catholic scholars dismiss it outright. It's considered pseudepigrapha (a falsely attributed text), with no theological weight.
Bottom Line: Don’t Bet on Doomsday
The idea that Pope Francis is the final pope might make for a thrilling novel, but it’s not based on reliable prophecy. The "Prophecy of the Popes" is widely seen as a clever 16th-century forgery, not a divine forecast.
So while the world may face challenges ahead, the claim that Francis was our last pope? Highly unlikely.
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