According to some scholars and theorists, Irish Roman Catholic Saint Malachy created a prophetic list of 112 Popes.
This list is known as the Prophecy of the Popes or St. Malachy’s Prophecy. Apparently the prophecy is written in short Latin phrases attributing special characteristics to certain Popes, beginning with Pope Celestine II (1143), and ending with a certain “Petrus Romanus” who will be the last Catholic Pope, whose reign will end with the destruction of Rome.
Throughout the centuries scholars and theologians have highly criticized the authenticity of the prophecies. Nevertheless, some of the prophecies – created by St. Malachy or forgers – are interesting and do bear some vague coincidences. For example, for Pope John Paul II it was written “De labore solis,” which in Latin translates as “of the labor of the sun.”
Several explanations are often given for this – the future Pope used to work in a quarry in Poland, and he was born during a partial solar eclipse and was buried during a rare hybrid eclipse. The proceeding Pope, Benedict XVI, was given the “Gloria olivae,” which in Latin translates into “glory of the olive.” Some have claimed that Ratzinger’s choice to take the name of Benedict as a fulfillment of the prophecy, since the olive branch is one of the symbol’s for St. Benedict, and the Olivetans are a monastic order within the Benedictine Confederation. According to this prophecy the next Pope will be the last.
See: The Prophecies of St Malachy & St Columbkille. 6 ed. Buckingham: Colin Smythe, 2006.