The Prophecy of the Popes

St. Malachy was born in Ireland sometime between the end of the eleventh century and the start of the twelfth, and rose to become Primate of Ireland. Around the year 1138, on a journey to Rome to visit Pope Innocent II, Malachy received a vision of the whole line of popes who would follow, one hundred and twelve in all, down to the final judgment of the world. He wrote the vision down and handed it to the Pope. He died in 1148 and was canonized in 1190 by Pope Clement III.

The prophecy takes the form of a list. Each entry is a short motto in Latin that identifies a pope by some characteristic. It was first published in 1595, in a work called Lignum Vitae, and was later expanded with further prophetic comments in the same style of Latin mottoes by another Benedictine known as the Monk of Padua.

What gives the prophecy its fame is how closely it has been borne out, both the text written by St. Malachy and the comments of the Monk of Padua, and that the Vatican itself has recognized it as authentic.

By this reckoning, John Paul II would be the third pope from the end, leaving only two more before the list runs out. For that last pope, St. Malachy does not give a simple motto but a full sentence in Latin:

“In the final persecution of the Holy Roman Church there will reign Peter the Roman, who will feed his sheep through many tribulations, after which the city of seven hills will be destroyed, and the dread Judge will judge the people.”

To which the Monk of Padua adds:

“In the supreme desolation of the world, there will reign Peter the Roman, the last Pontiff of the true God. Sinful Rome will be destroyed, and the dread Judge, triumphant, will judge all peoples.”