Ever get that weird feeling when you see a headline about the Vatican? It's usually something about a reform or a diplomatic trip, but lately, the internet has been spiraling into a darker corner of Catholic lore. People are freaking out about predictions about the last pope. It sounds like the plot of a Dan Brown novel, but for a lot of folks, this is real-deal anxiety.
The center of this storm is something called the "Prophecy of the Popes."
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The mysterious Saint Malachy
Supposedly, back in 1139, an Irish archbishop named Saint Malachy had a vision while walking into Rome. He saw a list of 112 future popes. He didn't use names, though. That would be too easy. Instead, he wrote down cryptic Latin phrases that were meant to describe each one.
The list starts with Pope Celestine II and ends with a figure known as Petrus Romanus—Peter the Roman.
According to the text, this Peter will "feed his sheep in many tribulations," and once that's over, the "city of seven hills" (Rome) will be destroyed. Then comes the Last Judgment. Heavy stuff, right?
Is it actually a 400-year-old prank?
Honestly, the history here is super messy. Most historians will tell you this "prophecy" didn't actually pop up until 1595. That is a massive gap.
Malachy died in 1148. Why did no one mention this list for nearly 450 years?
If you look at the entries before 1590, they are incredibly accurate. Like, suspiciously accurate. For example, one pope is described as "from a castle on the Tiber," and—surprise—he was actually born in a place called Citta di Castello on the Tiber river.
But then, everything after 1590 gets... blurry.
Vague.
It’s like the author was a pro at history but a total amateur at guessing the future. Scholars like Thomas J. Reese haven't minced words, basically calling the whole thing "nonsense." The prevailing theory is that it was forged in the 16th century to help a specific cardinal win an election.
Why the panic about Pope Francis?
Here is where it gets spicy. If you count the popes on the list, Pope Benedict XVI was number 111.
That makes Pope Francis number 112.
Social media has been on fire with this. People look at Francis and say, "Wait, is he Peter the Roman?" Technically, his name is Jorge Mario Bergoglio. Not Peter. But theorists are quick to point out that he chose the name Francis after Saint Francis of Assisi, whose father's name was—you guessed it—Peter.
It’s a stretch. A big one.
Kinda like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole while the hole is moving.
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Plus, the prophecy mentions a "final persecution" and the destruction of Rome. While the world is definitely chaotic right now, the Vatican is still standing. Even the Catholic Church doesn't officially recognize these predictions. They consider them "private revelations," which means you don't have to believe them to be a good Catholic.
What the Church actually says
The official stance is pretty much "stay awake, but don't obsess."
The Bible is fairly clear in Matthew 24:36 that nobody knows the "day or the hour." So, whenever someone starts pointing at a specific calendar year like 2026 or 2027 based on a medieval list, the red flags should go up.
Interestingly, some experts argue that the list doesn't say Peter the Roman has to come immediately after the 111th pope. There could be a gap. There could be fifty more popes. The text is just vague enough to keep the mystery alive forever.
Reality check on the "End Times"
Predictions about the last pope usually spike whenever a pope gets sick or the world feels like it's falling apart.
It’s human nature.
We want a roadmap for the end. We want to know that someone saw this coming. But when you dig into the actual scholarship—the "E-E-A-T" of the theological world—you find that the Malachy prophecy has more in common with a 16th-century political pamphlet than a divine vision.
If you're worried, take a breath.
People have been predicting the "last pope" for centuries. During the Great Western Schism, people thought the world was ending because there were three popes at once. They were wrong then, and there is a very high chance the internet theorists are wrong now.
How to handle the hype
If you want to stay grounded while reading about predictions about the last pope, keep these points in mind:
- Check the source: If the info is coming from a TikTok with scary music, it's probably not deep theological research.
- Look for the "back-dating" pattern: Notice how the prophecy is only "perfect" for the years before it was published in 1595.
- Understand Church doctrine: The Vatican prioritizes Scripture over 12th-century lists found in a basement.
- Watch the names: Unless the next pope literally takes the name "Peter II"—which most popes avoid out of respect for the first Apostle—the prophecy's final line remains unfulfilled.
The best way to engage with this topic is as a fascinating piece of historical "what-if" rather than a survival guide for the apocalypse. History is full of these weird, cryptic documents. They tell us more about the anxieties of the people who wrote them than they do about the actual future of the papacy.
Actionable steps for the curious
To get a real handle on this, stop scrolling through doomsday forums and look at the primary sources. Read the "Lignum Vitae" (the 1595 book where the prophecy first appeared) if you can find a translation. Compare the "mottoes" to the actual lives of the popes. You’ll quickly see where the connections are strong and where they become laughably weak. Understanding the historical context of the 1590 conclave will give you more insight than any viral thread ever could.