Pope Francis' successor ‘revealed' in ancient prophecy plucked from secret Vatican archives
Is it the end of the world as we know it?
The 'Prophecy of the Popes,' a 900-year-old prescient manuscript, is believed by some to predict the next pontiff — and the end of the world.
Pope Francis died following a stroke on Monday morning, which led to a coma and ultimately 'irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse,'' the Vatican announced.
5 Pope Francis, shown at the main balcony of St. Peter's Basilica for the Urbi et Orbi message and blessing on Easter Sunday, died following a stroke on Monday. It would be his final public appearance.
AFP via Getty Images
A selection of Catholic Church leaders will now vote to choose the next in command — but some claim to already know who will be picked.
The 'Prophecy of the Popes' is a series of cryptic Latin phrases in the document that have been interpreted as describing the lineup of church leaders starting with Celestine II in 1143 and ending with 'Peter the Roman' in 2027.
Michel de Nostredame — a French astrologist and soothsayer from the 16th century known as Nostradamus — is also said to have predicted that 'Peter the Roman' will take over.
That sent believers into a fervor, noting that of the nine frontrunners set to succeed Pope Francis, three are named Peter, according to Reuters.
However, some had previously tried to connect Pope Francis to the prophecy of Peter the Roman due to his Italian heritage and his birth name — Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone.
5 The 'Prophecy of the Popes' is a series of cryptic Latin phrases that have been interpreted as revealing a long series of popes.
The next pope will be chosen by a conclave consisting of 120 cardinals out of the 138 'princes of the church' who are under age 80 and will gather at the Vatican to pick his replacement.
Four daily ballots will be held until a successor is picked. After 30 ballots, the top two candidates will be the only ones allowed; whoever gets a two-thirds majority will become the next pontiff.
Voting must begin within 20 days of the pope's death and can take as long as needed, but typically takes about a week.
But beyond the pope pick, the eeriest prediction pulled from the prophecy document claims that judgment day — the second coming of Christ, when all people, living and dead, will learn their eternal fate — is quite near.
While several religions believe their own theory about the fateful ending, some Christians think their day is coming soon — and since the 'Prophecy of the Pope' ends with 'Peter the Roman' in 2027, many faithful have interpreted it to be a sign of the end of times.
Saint Malachy is credited with creating the 'Prophecy of the Popes,' writing 112 short, mysterious phrases about the papal progression after he received a vision, although many experts suggest he wrote it in hopes of getting himself into the top position.
According to the final entry surrounding 'Peter the Roman,' the 'last pope' will preside over the church during a time of great turmoil, culminating in the destruction of Rome and the end of the papacy.
5 The next pope will be chosen by a conclave consisting of 120 cardinals out of the 138 'princes of the church' who are under age 80 and can vote will gather at the Vatican to pick his replacement.
Getty Images
5 The eeriest prediction pulled from the 'Prophecy of the Popes' claims that judgment day is near.
5 Since the 'Prophecy of the Pope' ends with 'Peter the Roman' in 2027, many believers have interpreted it as culminating in the end of days.
AP
'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 last passage reads.
The descriptions of the popes are very specific until the year 1590 — conveniently, the year when it was discovered and just several decades after Nostradamus made his claims.
From then on, the phrasing becomes much vaguer and open to interpretation, which has led to speculation about the true author and validity of the predictions.
Some claim that the text was forged at some point and that the later predictions are too ambiguous.
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