Prophecy of the Popes

The "Prophecy of the Popes" is a fraudulent religious work falsely attributed to Saint Malachy, an Irish archbishop and papal legate of the 12th century. This prophecy, which emerged in the 16th century, is a list of mottoes purportedly describing successive popes from the mid-12th century until the end of time.1

The work has been used to fuel conspiracy theories about the Catholic Church and papal succession. While St. Malachy was a significant figure in church reform in Ireland, introducing the Roman liturgy and the Cistercians, there is no evidence he authored this prophecy. The actual historical papacy faced various challenges, including the period of the Avignon papacy and the influence of nation-states.123