People love a good apocalypse story. Honestly, there is something about the end of the world that keeps us scrolling through ancient texts and dusty quatrains at 2:00 AM. For decades, the name Michel de Nostredame—better known as Nostradamus—has been the centerpiece of these doomsday discussions. But lately, the chatter has reached a fever pitch. With the passing of Pope Francis in April 2025 and the subsequent election of a new leader in the Vatican, everyone is asking the same thing: Is this it? Is the "last pope" finally sitting on the throne?
The fascination with Nostradamus on the last pope isn't just about some 16th-century guy with a quill. It's about a collision of different legends. You've got the cryptic verses of Nostradamus on one side and the terrifyingly specific "Prophecy of the Popes" by Saint Malachy on the other.
When you mix them together, you get a cocktail of dread that suggests we are living through the final chapter of the Catholic Church.
The Quatrain That Started the Panic
Let's look at what the Frenchman actually wrote. He didn't use names like "Francis" or "Leo." That wasn't his style. Instead, he wrote in quatrains—four-line poems designed to be vague enough to avoid the Inquisition but specific enough to sound like he knew something you didn't.
One particular verse has been cited by scholars like Mario Reading and various online trackers as the "smoking gun" for our current era. It says:
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"Through the death of a very old Pontiff,
A Roman of good age will be elected,
Of him it will be said that he weakens his see,
But long will he sit and in biting activity."
This is Quatrain 2.97, and it's basically the foundation of the current Nostradamus on the last pope theories. For years, people pointed to Pope Francis because he was "very old" and arguably "weakened" the traditionalist views of the Church through his reforms. But since his death at 88 in 2025, the focus has shifted. The "Roman of good age" is now the one to watch.
Whether that refers to a literal Roman or someone of Italian descent, the prophecy suggests a long, controversial reign that eventually leads to a "weakened" institution.
Is the "Black Pope" Real?
You might have heard the term "Black Pope" thrown around. In Vatican circles, this usually refers to the Superior General of the Jesuit order because they wear black robes instead of the papal white.
Nostradamus didn't explicitly use the term "Black Pope," but he did write about a "young man of dark skin" who would "deliver the purse to another of red colour."
Believers argue this symbolizes a shift in power—perhaps a leader from the Global South—that marks the beginning of the end. It's a bit of a stretch, sure. But in the world of prophecy, stretches are the norm.
The St. Malachy Connection
You can't talk about Nostradamus on the last pope without mentioning Saint Malachy. This is where things get really spooky. Malachy was a 12th-century Irish bishop who allegedly had a vision of every pope from his time until the end of the world.
He gave each pope a short Latin motto.
- Pope Benedict XVI was "The Glory of the Olive."
- Pope Francis was supposed to be the 112th and final name on the list.
The final entry in Malachy's list is the one that keeps people up at night. It describes a figure called Petrus Romanus (Peter the Roman). The prophecy says this Peter will "pasture his sheep in many tribulations," and once those are done, the "city of seven hills" (Rome) will be destroyed.
The big debate right now? Whether the current Pope fits the description of "Peter the Roman." Some say it’s a symbolic name. Others are looking for a literal Peter in the College of Cardinals.
Why 2026 is the New Flashpoint
Why are we talking about this right now, in 2026? Because the timeline is tightening. Nostradamus interpreters often link his work to broader astrological cycles. Many point to the year 2027 as a potential "expiration date" for the papacy as we know it.
They base this on a calculation starting from 1585, the reign of Pope Sixtus V. If you do the math—adding 442 years to that date—you land right on 2027.
Is it a coincidence? Probably. But for those who follow Nostradamus on the last pope, it feels like a countdown. We are standing on the edge of that window.
Fact-Checking the Seer
We need to be real for a second. Nostradamus was an expert at being vague. His "prophecies" are like a Rorschach test; you see what you want to see.
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Historians like Peter Lemesurier have spent years debunking the idea that Nostradamus was a psychic. They argue he was actually a "recycler" of past histories, taking events from the Roman Empire and projecting them into the future.
Basically, he was saying "history repeats itself."
If you look at the "very old Pontiff" quatrain, it could have applied to dozens of popes throughout history. Pope Leo XIII died at 93. Pope Pius XII died at 82. The Vatican is a place where "very old" is the standard operating procedure.
The Problem with "Peter the Roman"
The Saint Malachy prophecy also has some serious holes. Most historians believe the list was actually a forgery created in 1590 to influence a papal election.
The descriptions of the popes before 1590 are incredibly accurate. The ones after 1590? They get much, much vaguer.
It’s easy to be a prophet when you’re "predicting" things that already happened. Yet, the myth persists because humans are hardwired to look for patterns, especially during times of global chaos.
Navigating the Noise
If you're following the Nostradamus on the last pope saga, you've got to filter out the sensationalism. The world isn't going to end just because a quatrain rhymes.
However, these prophecies do reflect a very real anxiety about the future of traditional institutions. The Catholic Church is facing massive shifts in demographics, internal politics, and global influence.
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Whether or not a "dreadful judge" is coming to destroy Rome, the Vatican is certainly in a state of "mordant activity," as Nostradamus put it.
What to Look for Next
Keep an eye on the Vatican's diplomatic moves over the next year. Prophecy enthusiasts are currently obsessed with:
- The "Great King" figure: Nostradamus mentions a secular leader who aids the new Pope. People are looking at Western political leaders to see who fits the bill.
- Geopolitical unrest: Most end-times prophecies require a backdrop of war or plague.
- The Pope’s health: Any sign of illness in the current pontiff will immediately trigger the "Peter the Roman" alarm bells again.
The most grounded way to view these predictions is as a cultural mirror. They tell us more about our own fears of instability than they do about the actual future.
Instead of waiting for the sky to fall, the best move is to understand the history behind the hype. Read the original texts, not just the memes. The nuances in the old French and Latin versions are often very different from the scary headlines you see on social media.
Stay skeptical, but stay curious. History is being written in real-time, and while Nostradamus might have had a few lucky guesses, the future is usually much weirder than anything a 16th-century astrologer could dream up.
Next Step for You:
Compare the original 1555 text of Quatrain 2.97 with modern translations to see how "interpreters" often change words to fit current events. Look specifically for the French word mordante—its meaning has shifted significantly over the centuries and is key to understanding the "biting activity" of the last pope.