Is Pope Francis the Last Pope? Inside the Prophecy of St. Malachy

In the 12th century, an Irish bishop named St. Malachy wrote a mysterious list. It contained 112 short Latin phrases, each describing a pope — starting from his time, all the way to what appears to be the end of the papal line. For centuries, the prophecy was largely ignored… until historians started matching popes to the phrases, and the accuracy became unsettling.

Now, as the world reflects on the life and death of Pope Francis, many are asking: was he the final pope?

St. Malachy’s final entry ends with a chilling line. It speaks of a leader called “Peter the Roman” who would shepherd the Church through tribulations, and after him, the seven-hilled city — widely believed to be Rome — would be destroyed. The prophecy ends with a single sentence: “The dreadful judge will judge the people. The End.”

No pope is listed after that.

Pope Francis was the 112th pope. Though his papal name was Francis, his birth name was Jorge Mario Bergoglio — the son of Italian immigrants. His roots are Roman. And many scholars have noted that the Jesuit order, to which he belongs, has long been viewed as playing a mysterious role in Church history.

But is this prophecy literal? Or symbolic?

Some believe “Peter the Roman” may not be a pope at all, but rather a future spiritual figure who rises in the Church’s darkest hour. Others believe the prophecy is metaphorical, and Pope Francis was the final chapter of a traditional era — a quiet ending before something dramatically new begins.

What’s certain is this: the prophecy ends here. And if it has held true this long, it raises questions the Church has not fully answered.

Is the age of popes coming to a close? Or is the next chapter one we simply don’t see yet?