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In Malachy's words:"In the final persecution of the Holy Roman Church, Peter the Roman, will occupy the See, who will guide his flock through numerous tribulations. These tribulations past, the town of seven hills [Rome] will be destroyed and the terrible Judge shall judge the people."
Doomsayers on the web say Pope Benedict fits the world end prophecy.
Initial interpretations of St. Malachy's prediction for Pope were incorrect, with a surprise election of an unexpected Pope. The new Pope, Benedict XVI, the 267th, who should fit Malachy's Glory of the Olives description, will be the second-to-last Catholic leader according to the predictions of St. Malachy. The end of the world, or at least of Rome, appears nigh if Malachy is believed. Signing off his predictions with the 268th Pope, he wrote: "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."
The entire list of Malachy's predictions for Pope. This site says that "according to the prophecy of Daniel 9:27 and Revelation 13 and 17:10-18, the last pontiff will be the Devil-incarnate, and he will break Rome's covenant with the Jewish bankers." However, it seems Malachy made only 111 predictions so that John Paul II's successor, "Gloria Olivae" should actually be the final pope. It appears the Benedictines devised pope 112 (268) to dissociate their order from the "Beast".
* One of the prevailing views nowadays is that the prophesies of Malachy are elaborate forgeries, probably perpetrated by a school of Jesuits in the 1600s. "This is based on the clear relation of the mottos to the various popes until that period, and the need to find oblique references (such as the motto of the Pope's home diocese) to make the particular motto fit the particular pope."
Depending on how they intepreted St. Malachy, the next pope was predicted to be either France's Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger or Ennio Antonelli, the archbishop of Florence. Malachy did not foresee the names of the future popes, but rather a distinguishing trait, or an allusion to a country, coat of arms, or insignia - given in Latin - of each of the 112 popes that were to succeed Celestine II, who was elected in 1130. Malachy's clue to the next pope's identity is Gloria olivae (the glory of the olive tree). Saint Paul, in his Letter to the Romans, describes the Jews as a cultivated olive tree. So that points to the "Jewish" cardinal, 78-year-old Jean-Marie Lustiger, who converted to Catholicism when he was 14. Archbishop Antonelli also fits, as Antonelli hales from Umbria, "the land of olive trees," and his staff bears the images of the sun - symbol of glory - and an olive tree. According to Malachy, who has a good track record even if many of the traits have been identified in new popes AFTER they are elected, John Paul II was the third-to-the-last pope.
An unusual light reportedly appeared over the Vatican on the morning of Pope John Paul II's funeral and was captured live on many TV news video broadcasts.
St. Malachy of Armagh made a chilling prophecy in 1139 that the world would end with the death of the 112th pope. John Paul II was the 3rd to last remaining pope, according to Malachy. Malachy called him "De Labore Solis" - "from the Sun's labor" and John Paul II was born on a total eclipse. He will also be buried during a solar eclipse which occurs on April 8th. The 2nd to last pope is identified by Malachy as "Gloria Olivae" - "glory of the olive". (Some prophets believe this pope will take Leo XVI for his name and will bring peace between Israelis and Arabs). St. Malachy predicts that Pope John Paul II's successor will be an active peace-making member of the religious hierarchy. But he will die in 2008 with his work unfinished and the next pope - called Peter of Rome ("Peterus Romanus") - will rule until the Apocalypse in 2020.
Saint Malachy
Feast Day: Nov. 3
AKA: Mael Maedoc ua Morgair or Maolrnhaodhog ua Morgair
Date of birth: 1095
Date of death: Nov. 2, 1148
Background: Bishop famous for writing prophecies of the popes. Tradition states that Malachy wrote them while in Rome and that they were buried in papal archives until 1597, when Dom Arnold de Wyon discovered them. Serious doubts remain as to the true authorship of the prophecies. According to these prophecies, there are only two popes remaining after John Paul II. Ordained by St. Cellach or Celsus of Armagh in 1132 and studied under Bishop St. Maichius of Lismore. Reformed ecclesiastical discipline and replaced the Celtic liturgy with the Roman when he served as abbot of Bangor.
Sources: The Catholic Encyclopedia
The Patron Saints Index