Pope Francis's Final Days and the Mysterious Prophecies of the "Last Pope"

The Final Days of a Revolutionary Pope

Jorge Mario Bergoglio, known as Pope Francis, was the first South American pope and the first Jesuit to hold the position. From the beginning, his papacy differed from those before him, as he advocated for "a poor church for the poor." Francis was known for his simplicity, even refusing to live in the papal private apartments in the Vatican, preferring instead to reside in a room at Casa Santa Marta.

In his final days, he went against medical recommendations for rest, choosing instead to live active days connecting with the faithful:

• On April 13, he opened Holy Week celebrations and conversed with the faithful

• On April 17, he visited a Rome prison, meeting with about 70 inmates and being welcomed with applause

• On April 19, he made a surprise appearance at St. Peter's Basilica, surprising worshippers

• On April 20, Easter Sunday, he appeared on the balcony to bless the faithful

• On April 21, he passed away

Breaking Traditions Even in Death

Even after his death, Francis maintained his simple approach to life, giving instructions that this should continue. Unlike the traditional papal burial, he opted for something much simpler.

In a document he approved, various rituals were adapted to demonstrate that the funeral would be similar to that of a pastor and disciple of Christ, not a powerful figure. Traditionally, popes are buried in three interconnected coffins: one of cypress, one of lead, and one of oak. In Francis's case, he chose to be buried in a single, simple wooden coffin.

Additionally, he also changed his burial location. Unlike his predecessors, he chose the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore as his final resting place, a very special location for him.

In an interview, he once said: "As I always promised the Virgin, and the place is already prepared, I want to be buried in Santa Maria Maggiore, because it is my great devotion. Before, when I came to Rome, I always went there on Sunday mornings. The tomb should be buried, simple, without any specific decoration and with a single inscription: Franciscus."

The Prophecies of the Next Pope

Currently, preparations are being made for Francis's burial, after which the conclave process will begin to choose his successor. However, according to some prophecies, Francis's successor could be the last pope.

Nostradamus and the "Black Pope"

One of the main prophecies resurfacing at this moment is that made by the prophet Nostradamus, which could symbolize the end of the Catholic Church.

Nostradamus was a famous French astrologer and prophet, well-recognized for his predictions that theoretically foresaw events such as the French Revolution and the attack on the Twin Towers, and now the arrival of a "black pope." His visions are considered generic, but there are still many who believe in them.

A passage from one of his prophecies that many are attributing to the current situation states: "With the death of a very old pontiff, a Roman of good age will be elected. They will say of him that he weakens his seat, but for a long time he will reign with mordacious activity."

The passage refers to the death of a very old pope, and Francis, at 88 years old, was the fourth-oldest pope to die in office.

In another excerpt, he supposedly predicted the Pope's successor, saying that "a young man of dark skin, with the help of the great king, will deliver the purse to another of red color." These alleged visions of Nostradamus say that after a very old pontiff dies, a black pope will be the next elected. These words, however, are open to numerous interpretations.

Some believe the Black Pope could indicate a pontiff of African origin, something that has never occurred in the entire history of the Catholic Church. There are even African cardinals who stand out as favourites to become the new pope, such as Peter Turkson from Ghana and Robert Sarah from Guinea. Peter Turkson, at 76, is active on environmental and social justice issues. Robert Sarah, at 79, has a conservative profile and frequently opposed Francis's actions.

Another possible interpretation is that a "black pope" doesn't necessarily refer to skin color, but rather to religious attire. Jesuits are historically known as "black priests" precisely because of their religious garments. Francis was the first Jesuit in history to become pope. So, for some, he himself would already be the black pope predicted by Nostradamus.

The most alarmist consider such prophecy as the harbinger of a religious apocalypse, with the black pope symbolizing radical changes in the church, possibly even the end of times.

St. Malachy's Prophecy of the Last Pope

Another prediction resurfacing is St. Malachy's prophecy of the last pope. The prophecy predicts that there would be only 112 popes, beginning with Celestine II, elected in 1130. Each of them would already be predetermined with an associated prophetic phrase.

For example, in this prophecy, the description "Sutor osseus" (which translates to "shoemaker of bones") referred to Pope John XXII, son of a shoemaker with the surname Ossa. Dozens of other descriptions predicted the popes who were to come, some with an extremely high level of accuracy.

According to this prophecy, the last pope, the 112th, would be called "Petrus Romanus" or Peter II, destined to govern in a period of great tribulations. For the last pope, the prophecy doesn't bring a motto, but rather a prophetic phrase, saying: "In the final persecution of the Holy Roman Church, there will reign Petrus Romanus (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."

Passages such as "final persecution of the Holy Church" and "the seven-hilled city will be destroyed" are references to the city of Rome, bringing with them the harbinger of the end of times.

Currently, many debate whether Francis was the 112th Pope or if the next one will be the one who comes. This is because Francis actually assumed the papacy after Benedict XVI, who resigned from his position. Normally, the Pope, the highest position in the Catholic Church, is a title that remains until death, with very rare exceptions of those who abdicated such a position while still alive. Thus, Francis would only be continuing the papacy of the 111th Pope, and the next one to come would then finally be the last pope of St. Malachy's prophecy.

Should We Believe the Prophecies?

Does this all mean that both Nostradamus's prophecy and St. Malachy's symbolize that the next pope will be the last and the imminent end is about to come? Well, not necessarily.

In the case of Nostradamus, the Catholic Church does not consider his prophecies legitimate or inspired by God. Moreover, his own predictions have always been considered interpretative and highly subjective by most scholars. They are always loaded with ambiguous and poetic language, and never bring dates or locations, which means that his predictions can be fitted into various possible historical events and scenarios, according to the person interpreting them.

As for St. Malachy's prophecy, the Catholic Church not only dismisses it, but by all indications, it is a forged document. St. Malachy lived from 1094 to 1148, and his supposed prophecy was found only in 1590, right when a conclave was about to be held. Scholars point out that the discovery of this prophecy precisely during a conclave was no coincidence, but rather something forged to influence the elections, to favor the choice of Girolamo Simoncelli, as the prophecy pointed out.

There are several indications that reinforce the idea that this prophecy is forged. For starters, each of the prophetic themes it brought, making predictions about the popes, were only accurate in the periods before 1590. That is, the prophecies only got the popes of the past right - in other words, the result was already known - while among the popes who were elected after 1590, only 8% of them corresponded to the prophetic mottos.

The very fact that Simoncelli was not elected already demonstrates that the prophecy was not so accurate, right?

A Time of Transition and Reflection

The death of a pope is an event that always attracts the attention of the entire world. Everyone wants to know what will happen next. At times like this, there is always a new prophecy, a new prediction that usually emerges in an alarmist tone, leaving everyone with doubts about the future.

As much as some try, it is impossible to make predictions about who will be the next pope. However, regardless of who it is, we can only hope that he continues to do good work in leading the world's Catholics.

What do you think about these prophecies? Do you believe Francis was the "Black Pope" of Nostradamus's prediction? Was he the 111th or 112th pope according to St. Malachy? Share your thoughts in the comments below!