End of the world? Death of Pope Francis brings Irish saint's 900-year-old prophecy into focus

Vatican secretary of state cardinal Pietro Parolin prays during the Rite of Certification of Death of Pope Francis in the chapel of Casa Santa Marta on Monday in Vatican City, Vatican. Photo: Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images

The death of Pope Francis has brought into focus an Irish saint’s 900-year-old prophecy claiming to herald judgement day and the end of the world.

St Malachy is believed to have dreamt a vision of the papal line of succession up to the present day. At this time, the prophecy predicts when ‘Peter the Roman’ is pope, then Rome will be destroyed. The people will face a dreadful judgement, according to the lore.

It may sound like a chapter from Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code except for one curious detail. This week, among the favourites to be pope next are Cardinal Peter Erdo, Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson.

It all started with a document titled the Prophecy of the Popes, which was only unearthed in the Vatican Archives in 1590. This details a vision credited to St Malachy and was recorded in a series of 112 cryptic or metaphoric verses.

Each verse is understood to refer to different popes starting with Pope Celestine II. One verse – linked to Pope Sixtus V – describes this pope as “axle in the midst of a sign’.

This has been interpreted to mean he is in the middle of the papal line. He was pope some 442 years after Celestine II. It is claimed this means the papal line will end 442 years after Sixtus V which brings the prophecy to the present time.

The verses conclude rather ominously: 

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.

Rome is widely known as the city of seven hills. There are certainly “many tribulations” facing the Catholic Church in the modern day.

The reference to ‘Peter the Roman’ is not so clear. Some say it means the 112th and last Pope will be called Peter while others say it refers to Francis himself. 

That is likely because many believe Pope Benedict was the 111th pope described in the vision. The reference is “the glory of the olive” and the Order of St Benedict is also known as the Olivetans.

The prediction linked to Pope John Paul II refers to “from the toil of the sun” with supporters highlighting his birth during a solar eclipse as a link.

However, there are sceptics. In 2013, Joseph McHugh, writing in the magazine US Catholic, said: “The prophecies were quite accurate up to about 1590 (conveniently the point at which they were found), but then became rather vague, lending credence to the theory that they are a 16th-century forgery.” 

Others question why St Malachy’s biographer Bernard of Clairvaux — who knew him — does not mention the visions.

Pope John Paul II was born during a solar eclipse which may have been referenced by St Malachy's prediction. File photo: AFP/Vincenzo Pinto via Getty Images)

Whatever people's thoughts on the prophecy, St Malachy was very much a real-life figure (1094-1148). He was a bishop and archbishop who later became the papal legate to Ireland.

The Archdiocese of Armagh describes him as a strong reformer on its website, saying he faced “great opposition from the traditionalists” during his career. He travelled from Ireland to Rome in late 1139 or early 1140 and it said “Pope Innocent II received him graciously in Rome”.

Those who credit him with this vision say it happened on the road to Rome. 

The document is also known as Prophetia Sancti Malachiae Archiepiscopi, de Summis Pontificibus or " Prophecy of Saint-Archbishop Malachy, concerning the Supreme Pontiffs".

He was papal legate for six years. He is described as “holding synods, making new church laws and generally renewing the life of the Church in Ireland".