The entire Catholic world is buzzing after the election of Pope Leo XIV.
The 69-year-old former Cardinal Robert Prevost was confirmed as the new head of the Catholic Church on May 8 – marking a historic moment as Pope Leo XIV becomes the first American to hold the position.
Irish mystic
While most Catholics are celebrating the election of the new pope, some conspiracy theorists are feeling uneasy about the future of the Church.
Why? Because an ancient prophecy is making the rounds again, suggesting that Pope Leo XIV could be the final pope.
This doomsday prophecy, known as the Prophecy of the Popes, is attributed to Saint Malachy, an Irish mystic who lived in the 12th century, according to USA Today.
According to the prophecy, there would be 112 popes after Malachy’s time, with the last one being referred to as ”Peter the Roman.” Some conspiracy theorists are attempting to link this figure to Pope Leo XIV, but experts point out several issues with this theory, highlighting numerous flaws in the prediction.
Who is ”Peter the Roman”?
For one, ”Peter the Roman” doesn’t exactly line up with Pope Leo XIV’s name or background. Pope Leo XIV, formerly Robert Francis Prevost, holds both American and Peruvian citizenship, not Italian. So, the theory already seems off-base.
Some have also attempted to link the mysterious figure ”Peter the Roman” from St. Malachy’s prophecy to the late Pope Francis, but that theory hasn’t held up.
As far back as 2013, Josh Canning, director of Toronto’s Chaplaincy at the Newman Centre, dismissed the idea, saying, “I don’t know how you can connect Peter the Roman with Pope Francis.”
Other experts have also been quick to dismiss the prophecy. Fr. James Weiss, an Episcopal priest and professor at Boston College, called the Prophecy of the Popes a ”forgery.” He explained, “The prophecies are a forgery. I don’t believe there’s any credibility to them.”
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Fr. Weiss also takes issue with the phrase ”city of seven hills” (which most people assume refers to Rome) and the mention of a ”dreadful judge.” He believes this could refer to something much less apocalyptic — possibly a judgment by a national leader rather than a global catastrophe.
According to Fr. James Weiss, the list attributed to St. Malachy contains 112 cryptic phrases, each supposedly linked to a future pope, starting with Celestine II, who took office in 1143. “The popes are not specifically named,” Weiss explained, noting that the mottos include cryptic descriptors like “swift bear” and “rose of Umbria.”
Weiss added that from Malachy’s era up until the late 1500s — when many scholars believe the list was actually composed — the phrases align closely with the actual popes. But after that period, accuracy becomes inconsistent. “It’s hit or miss,” he said, with some phrases loosely matching real pontiffs and others being much harder to connect.
Thrown back into the spotlight
St. Malachy’s ancient prophecy was thrown back into the spotlight following the death of Pope Francis on April 21 at age 88. Many believed Francis may have been the 112th pope on Malachy’s list — meaning, for the first time in nearly a millennium, no future pope has been predicted.
For many historians, one of the biggest red flags is the timing of the prophecy.
Joëlle Rollo-Koster, a medieval history professor at the University of Rhode Island, notes that there’s no solid evidence linking Malachy to any prophetic writings. ”As a historian, I am hardcore on the evidence, and that, for me, is the ultimate proof that Malachy did not utter prophecies or write prophecies,” she said.
So, while the Prophecy of the Popes may have caught the imagination of some, it seems pretty clear that there’s little to no connection between it and Pope Leo XIV.
Despite the conspiracy theories, this new pope is certainly one to watch, but don’t expect the Prophecy of the Popes to have much weight in determining his future.
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