From St. Peter to Today: Every Pope in History Matched to the Prophecy of the Popes

268 popes. Over 2,000 years. One chilling prophecy.

For centuries, the Catholic Church has been led by a single spiritual figure: the Pope. But hidden within its long lineage lies a cryptic list attributed to St. Malachy, a 12th-century Irish archbishop who supposedly had a vision of all future popes — ending in the apocalypse.

This guide walks you through every pope in history, organized chronologically and aligned (where applicable) with the “Prophecy of the Popes” — 112 Latin phrases, each eerily describing a pontiff yet to reign.

The First Popes (1–50): Foundations and Martyrs

1. St. Peter (32–64 AD)

The Church’s first leader, believed to be handpicked by Jesus himself.

Prophecy Tag: None — Malachy's list begins centuries later.

2–50.

From St. Linus to Symmachus, these early popes navigated a brutal world of persecution, secrecy, and martyrdom. Most served short reigns. Many died violently.

Notable Names:

St. Clement I — possibly mentioned in Paul’s letters

St. Fabian — martyred under Decius

Leo I (Leo the Great) — famously stopped Attila the Hun

Prophetic Context: None — but many see early martyrdoms as fulfilling “suffering servant” archetypes later echoed in Malachy's phrases.

🛡️ Medieval Papacy (51–150): Power, Politics & Papal Wars

From Hormisdas to Gregory VII, the papacy became deeply entangled in European power struggles.

Notable:

Leo III (795–816) — crowned Charlemagne as Emperor

Urban II (1088–1099) — launched the First Crusade

Prophecy: The Malachy list allegedly begins in this period, retroactively applied to 111 popes. Critics claim the first 70 phrases fit too perfectly, suggesting forgery in the 16th century.

🔮 Beginning of the Prophecy (Popes 151–180)

The first confirmed public release of the Malachy prophecy was in 1595, during Pope Clement VIII’s reign.

Scholars note that early matches are shockingly accurate, possibly because they were written after the fact.

Examples:

In persecutione extrema S.R.E. sedebit (In extreme persecution, the seat of the Holy Roman Church will be occupied)

→ Applied later to Pope Benedict XVI, but some say it fits Sixtus V, who faced major anti-papal sentiment.

De rure albo (From the white countryside)

→ Matches Pius V, born in Bosco (Italian for “woods”).

🧱 Renaissance to Revolution (Popes 181–210)

From Pope Innocent VIII to Pius VII, these popes oversaw:

• The Protestant Reformation
• The Inquisition
• The rise and fall of Napoleon

Malachy's tags start to lose precision here, but some matches still raise eyebrows.

Example:

Lilium et rosa (Lily and Rose)

→ Matches Urban VII (briefest papacy ever — 13 days), possibly referencing his noble lineage and purity.

⚔️ Modern Papacy (211–260): From Global War to World Church

This era includes:

Pius XII (1939–1958) — Pope during WWII

John XXIII (1958–1963) — called Vatican II

John Paul II (1978–2005) — longest modern reign, shot in 1981

Malachy Match for John Paul II:

• De labore solis (Of the eclipse of the sun)
• → He was born during a solar eclipse (May 18, 1920), and buried during another. Too precise to ignore?

⚠️ The Final Three? (Popes 261–Current)

261. Benedict XVI (2005–2013)

Prophecy Tag: Gloria olivae (The Glory of the Olive)

Interpreted as a reference to peace or the Benedictine order (olive branch = peace).

262. Francis (2013–2025?)

Prophecy Tag: In persecutione extrema…

This final entry isn’t a cryptic phrase like the others — it’s a full sentence implying the final days of the Church.

“In the final persecution of the Holy Roman Church, there will sit Peter the Roman…”

Francis took his name in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, but his birth name — Jorge Mario Bergoglio — links to Italian roots. Is he Peter the Roman? Or was he just a warm-up?

🕊️ 263. New Pope (2025–?)

The recently elected pope now faces incredible scrutiny.

Is he the real “Peter the Roman”?

Or is he breaking the prophecy entirely?

Analysts, theologians, and prophecy-watchers are split:

• Some say Malachy's list ended with Benedict
• Others insist the final line fits this new pope perfectly
• Until his reign plays out, the debate will rage on.

🔚 Final Thoughts: How Does It All End?

Whether you view the Prophecy of the Popes as divine foresight, historical fiction, or Vatican theater, one thing is certain:

The closer we get to the “end” of the list… the more it feels like something big is coming.

Even as the Church evolves, scandals unfold, and the world spins into new crises, millions still look to the balcony above St. Peter’s Square, waiting not just for a leader—but for a sign.