‘Prophecy of the Popes’: 900-year-old manuscript predicts next Pope after Francis dies | Key points

Pope Francis

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The death of Pope Francis has put the spotlight on 900-year-old prophecy that some believe foretells not only the identity of his successor but the very end of the world.

Known as the Prophecy of the Popes, this enigmatic manuscript, allegedly unearthed from the Vatican’s secret archives, was penned in the 12th century and attributed to Saint Malachy. It contains a cryptic series of Latin phrases believed to describe every pope from Celestine II in 1143 to a mysterious final pontiff dubbed Peter the Roman, whose reign, according to the text, will culminate in the destruction of Rome and the return of Christ.

Pope Francis, who had been battling chronic respiratory ailments, died on Monday at the age of 88, reportedly due to a cerebral hemorrhage. His death has cast a spotlight on the centuries-old manuscript—particularly its final ominous prediction, which claims Judgment Day is imminent.

Many believers interpret the prophecy as signaling that 2027—now less than two years away—will mark the Second Coming of Christ: a day when, according to Christian belief, Jesus will return to judge the living and the dead.

Fueling the prophecy’s mystique is the uncanny alignment between its predictions and current events. Among the nine frontrunners poised to succeed Francis, three prominent cardinals bear the name Peter: Hungary’s Peter Erdő, Ghana’s Peter Turkson, and Italy’s Pietro Parolin. All are viewed as viable contenders for the papal throne.

As the Church prepares for its traditional nine-day mourning period, preparations for the papal conclave are already underway. Cardinals under the age of 80 will convene in Rome within 15 to 20 days of Francis’ passing to elect a new pope—a process requiring a two-thirds majority vote.

The prophecy’s final passage delivers a dire warning: "In the final persecution of the Holy Roman Church there will reign Peter the Roman, who will feed his flock amid many tribulations, after which the seven-hilled city will be destroyed and the dreadful Judge will judge the people. The End."

Though some previously speculated that Peter the Roman might emerge during Francis’ hospitalizations, others feared that Francis himself could be the final pope prophesied by Malachy.

What does the manuscript say

The manuscript consists of 112 terse, cryptic statements. Critics argue the document is likely a 16th-century forgery, citing the uncanny accuracy of papal descriptions up to 1590, after which the phrasing becomes vague and open to interpretation. Still, many believers highlight eerie accuracies in recent popes’ descriptions.

One entry—“the glory of the Olive”—has been linked to Pope Benedict XVI, who belonged to the Olivetan religious order. Another line—“of the eclipse of the sun”—is believed to refer to Pope John Paul II, who was born during a solar eclipse.

The document’s timeline has also intrigued biblical scholars. Some assert that the prophecy reached its midpoint in 1585 with the election of Pope Sixtus V, 442 years after the first pope listed. If true, the final pope would be expected 442 years later—pointing ominously to the year 2027.

A 2024 documentary revisited this theory, highlighting a cryptic line attributed to Sixtus V: “Axle in the midst of a sign,” believed to denote the midway marker of the prophecy.

Even before Francis’ passing, signs of renewed interest in the text were evident. In February, following two respiratory emergencies, concern surged over the accuracy of the prediction.

In one bizarre incident from 1958, Cardinal Spellman of New York reportedly rented a boat, filled it with sheep, and sailed it along the Tiber River, attempting to match the prophecy's motto for the next pope—“pastor et nautor”—or “shepherd and sailor.”