The Prophecy of the Popes (St. Malachy)

The Prophecy of St. Malachy (adapted from www.catholic-pages.com/grabbag/malachy.asp).
This is a famous prophecy about the popes which lists all the popes in order, attributing a descriptive motto to each one. Over 100 popes are listed leading up to the time of final judgement. We are now down to the last two! According to the prophecy, this present Pope is the second to last one, with the description ‘Gloria Olivae’ (‘Glory of the Olives’).

In 1139 St.Malachy went to Rome to give an account of the affairs of his diocese to the Pope, Innocent II. While at Rome, he received the strange vision of the future wherein was unfolded before his mind the long list of pontiffs who were to rule the Catholic Church until the end of time. He gave his manuscript to Innocent II to console him in the midst of his tribulations, and that the document remained unknown in the Roman Archives until its discovery in 1590. They were published by Arnold de Wyon, and ever since there has been much discussion as to whether they are genuine predictions of St. Malachy or forgeries.

These short prophetical announcements, which number 112, indicate some noticeable trait of all future popes from Celestine II, who was elected in the year 1130, until the end of the world. They are enunciated under mystical titles. Those who have undertaken to interpret and explain these symbolic prophecies have succeeded in discovering some trait, allusion, point, or similitude in their application to the individual popes, either as to their country, their name, their coat of arms or insignia, their birth-place, their talent or learning, the title of their cardinalate, the dignities which they held, their character or some unusual circumstance of their career. For example, the prophecy concerning Urban VIII is Lilium et Rosa (the lily and the rose); he was a native of Florence and on the arms of Florence figured a fleur-de-lis; he had three bees emblazoned on his escutcheon, and the bees gather honey from the lilies and roses. Peregrinus apostolicus (pilgrim pope), which designates Pius VI, appears to be verified by his journey when pope into Germany, by his long career as pope, and by his expatriation from Rome at the end of his pontificate. Crux de Cruce (Cross from a Cross) designates Pius IX whose afflictions or crosses were more than those which fell to the lot of his predecessors; and the more aggravating of these crosses were brought on by the House of Savoy whose emblem was a cross.

The pope who has just died, John Paul II, is the third from last in the list. He is described as De labore Solis (of the eclipse or labour of the sun) and was born during a solar eclipse. He was one of the most dominant and strongest of the popes with one of the longest reigns.

The next pope is called Gloria Olivae (Glory of the Olives) and is second from last.

The last of these prophecies concerns the last pope and the end of the world:
"In the final persecution of the Holy Roman Church there will reign Peter the Roman (Petrus Romanus), who will feed his flock amid many tribulations, after which the seven-hilled city (ROME) will be destroyed and the dreadful Judge will judge the people. The End."

This agrees with what the Bible says about events at Mid-Tribulation. After the rapture there will remain an apostate world-church centred in Rome, which is destroyed by the antichrist at Mid-Tribulation in order to set up his own world-wide religion centred on himself (Revelation 17). If this prophecy is true then this is another sign of being in the end-times. One possible scenario is that the rapture may come in the next pope’s reign (and end it) and he will then be replaced by the last pope.
The Prophecies
Pope No Name (reign) Motto No Motto in Latin (and explanation)
167 Celestine II (1143-1144) 1 Ex castro Tyberis (from a castle on the Tiber)
History: Celestine II was born in Citta di Castello, Toscany, on the shores of the Tiber
168 Lucius II (1144-1145) 2 Inimicus expulsus
169 Eugene III (1145-1153) 3 Ex magnitudine montis (of the greatness of the mount)
History: Born in the castle of Grammont (latin: mons magnus), his family name was Montemagno
170 Anastasius IV (1153-1154) 4 Abbas Suburranus
171 Adrian IV (1154-1159) 5 De rure albo (field of Albe) Hist.: Born in the town of Saint-Alban
Antipope Victor IV (1159-11 64) 6 Ex tetro carcere
Antipope Paschal III (1164-1168) 7 Via trans-Tyberina.
Antipope Calistus III (1168-1178) 8 De Pannonia Tusciae
172 Alexander III (1159-1181) 9 Ex ansere custode
173 Lucius III (1181-1185) 10 Lux in ostio
174 Urban III (1185-1187) 11 Sus in cribo
175 Gregory VIII (118 7) 12 Ensis Laurentii
176 Clement III (1187-1191) 13 De schola exiet
177 Celestine III (1191-1198) 14 De rure bovensi
178 Innocent III (1198-1216) 15 Comes signatus (signed Count) - descendant of the noble Segni family.
179 Honorius III (1216-1227) 16 Canonicus de latere
180 Gregory IX (1227-1241) 17 Avis Ostiensis (Bird of Ostia). History: before his election he was Cardinal of Ostia.
181 Celestine IV (1241) 18 Leo Sabinus
182 Innocent IV (1243-1254) 19 Comes Laurentius
183 Alexander IV (1254-1261) 20 Signum Ostiense
184 Urban IV (1261-1264) 21 Hierusalem Campaniae (Jerusalem of Champagne) - History: native of Troyes, Champagne, later patriarch of Jerusalem.
185 Clement IV (1265-1268) 22 Draca depressus
186 Gregory X (1271-1276) 23 Anguinus vir
187 Innocent V (1276) 24 Concionatur Gallus
188 Adrian V (1276) 25 Bonus Comes
189 John XXI (1276-1277) 26 Piscator Tuscus
190 Nicholas III (1277-1280) 27 Rosa composita
191 Martin IV (1281-1285) 28 Ex teloneo liliacei Martini
192 Honorius IV (1285-1287) 29 Ex rosa leonina
193 Nicholas IV (1288-1292) 30 Picus inter escas
194 Nicholas IV (1288-1292) 31 Ex eremo celsus (elevated from a hermit). History: prior to his election he was a hermit in the monastery of Pouilles.
195 Boniface VIII (1294-1303) 32 Ex undarum benedictione
196 Benedict XI (1303-1304) 33 Concionator patereus
197 Clement V (1305-1314) 34 De fessis Aquitanicis (ribbon of Aquitaine)- was Archbishop of Bordeaux in Aquitaine.
198 John XXII (1316-1334) 35 De sutore osseo (of the cobbler of Osseo). Family name Ossa, son of a shoe-maker.
Antipope Nicholas V (1328-1330) 36 Corvus schismaticus (the schismatic crow).
Note the reference to the schism, the only antipope at this period
199 Benedict XII (1334-1342) 37 Frigidus Abbas (cold friar) - a priest in the monastery of Frontfroid (cold-front)
200 Clement VI (1342-1352) 38 De rosa Attrebatensi
201 Innocent VI (1352-1362) 39 De montibus Pammachii
202 Urban V (1362-1370) 40 Gallus Vice-comes
203 Gregory XI (1370-1378) 41 Novus de Virgine forti
(novel of the virgin fort). History: count of Beaufort, later Cardinal of Ste-Marie La Neuve
Antipope Clement VII (1378-1394) 42 De cruce Apostilica
Antipope Benedict XIII (1394-1423) 43 Luna Cosmedina
Antipope Clement VIII (1423-1429) 44 Schisma Barcinonicum
204 Urban VI (1378-1389) 45 De Inferno praegnanti
205 Boniface IX (1389-1404) 46 Cubus de mixtione
206 Innocent VII (1404-1406) 47 De meliore sydere
207 Gregory XII (1406-1415) 48 Nauta de ponte nigro
Antipope Alexander V (1409-1410) 49 Flagellum Solis
Antipope John XXIII (1410-1415) 50 Cervus Sirenae
208 Martin V (1417-1431) 51 Corona veli aurei
209 Eugene IV (1431-1447) 52 Lupa caelestina
Antipope Felix V (1439-1449) 53 Amator crucis
210 Nicholas V (1447-1455) 54 De modicitate lunae
211 Callistus III (1455-1458) 55 Bos pascens (grazing ox)-History: Alphonse Borgia's arms sported a golden grazing ox
212 Pius II (1458-1464) 56 De capra et Albergo
213 Paul II (1464-1471) 57 De cervo et Leone
214 Sixtus IV (1471-1484) 58 Piscator Minorita
215 Innocent VIII (1484-1492) 59 Praecursor Siciliae
216 Alexander VI (1492-1503) 60 Bos Albanus in portu
217 Pius III (1503) 61 De parvo homine
218 Julius II (1503-1513) 62 Fructus jovis juvabit
219 Leo X (1513-1521) 63 De craticula Politiana
220 Adrian VI (1522-1523) 64 Leo Florentius
221 Clement VII (1523-15 34) 65 Flos pilaei aegri
222 Paul III (1534-1549) 66 Hiacynthus medicorum
223 Julius III (1550-1555) 67 De corona Montana
224 Marcellus II (1555) 68 Frumentum floccidum
225 Paul IV (1555-1559) 69 De fide Petri
226 Pius IV (1559-1565) 70 Aesculapii pharmacum
227 St. Pius V (1566-1572) 71 Angelus nemorosus
228 Gregory XIII (1572-1585) 72 Medium corpus pilarum
229 Sixtus V (1585-1590) 73 Axis in medietate signi
230 Urban VII (1590) 74 De rore caeli
231 Gregory XIV (1590-1591) 75 De antiquitate Urbis
232 Innocent IX (1591) 76 Pia civitas in bello
233 Clement VIII (1592-1605) 77 Crux Romulea
234 Leo XI (1605) 78 Undosus Vir
235 Paul V (1605-1621) 79 Gens perversa
236 Gregory XV (1621-1623) 80 In tribulatione pacis
237 Urban VIII (1623-1644) 81 Lilium et rosa
238 Innocent X (1644-1655) 82 Jucunditas crucis
239 Alexander VII (1655-1667) 83 Montium custos
240 Clement IX (1667-69) 84 Sydus Olorum (constellation of swans-occupied the Chamber of Swans in the Vatican
241 Clement X (1670-16 76) 85 De flumine magno
242 Innocent XI (1676-1689) 86 Bellua insatiabilis
243 Alexander VIII (1689-1691) 87 Poenitentia gloriosa
244 Innocent XII (1691-1700) 88 Rastrum in porta
245 Clement XI (1700-1721) 89 Flores circumdati
246 Innocent XIII (1721-1724) 90 De bona Religione
247 Benedict XIII (1724-1730) 91 Miles in bello
248 Clement XII (1730-1740) 92 Columna excelsa
249 Benedict XIV (1740-1758) 93 Animal rurale
250 Clement XIII (1758-1769) 94 Rosa Umbriae
251 Clement XIV (1769-1774) 95 Ursus velox
252 Pius VI (1775-1799) 96 Peregrinus Apostolicus
253 Pius VII (1800-1823) 97 Aquila rapax
254 Leo XII (1823-1829) 98 Canis et coluber
255 Pius VIII (1829-1830) 99 Vir religiosus
256 Gregory XVI (1831-1846) 100 De balneis hetruriae (bath of Etruria). History: prior to his election
he was member of an order founded by Saint Romuald, at Balneo, in Etruria, present day Toscany.
257 Pius IX (1846-1878) 101 Crux de cruce
258 Leo XIII (1878-1903) 102 Lumen in caelo
259 St. Pius X (1903-1914) 103 Ignis ardent (ardent fire)
260 Benedict XV (1914-1922) 104 Religio depopulata
261 Pius XI (1922-1939) 105 Fides intrepida
262 Pius XII (1939-1958) 106 Pastor angelicus
263 John XXIII (1958-1963) 107 Pastor et Nauta (pastor and marine)
History: Prior to his election he was patriarch of Venice, a marine city, home of the gondolas.
264 Paul VI (1963-1978) 108 Flos florum (flower of flowers). History: his arms displayed three lilies.
265 John Paul I (1978) 109 De medietate Lunae (of the half of the moon). Albino Luciani, born in Canale d'Ogardo, diocese of Belluno (beautiful moon). Elected on Aug 26, his reign lasted about a month, from a half-moon to the next.

266 John Paul II (1978-2005) 110 De labore Solis (of the eclipse of the sun, or from the labour of the sun).
History: Karol Wojtyla was born on May 18, 1920 during a solar eclipse. He died this past week.

267 (2005-20??) 111 Gloria Olivae ('glory of the olives') The present Pope

268 112 . THE FINAL POPE: Petrus Romanus (Peter the Roman).
“In extreme persecution, the seat of the Holy Roman Church will be occupied by Peter the Roman, who will feed the sheep through many tribulations, at the term of which the city of seven hills will be destroyed, and the formidable Judge will judge his people. The End.”