Francis was the first pope from the Americas and the Southern Hemisphere, and was known for his focus on humility, social justice, and environmental issues.

The following information was compiled from The Catholic Encyclopaedia, 1913 edition.

The most famous and best-known prophecies about the popes are those attributed to St. Malachy.

In 1139, St. Malachi went to Rome to give an account of the affairs of his diocese to Innocent II, the 166th Pope, who promised him two palliums [See Pic Below—A circular band about two inches wide, worn about the neck, and having two hanging pendants] for the metropolitan Sees of Armagh and Cashel.

While at Rome, St. Malachy received, according to the Abbé Cucherat, a vision of the future in which a long list of pontiffs who were to rule the Church was revealed. Cucherat says that St. Malachy gave his manuscript to Pope Innocent II, the 167th Pope, to console him amid his tribulations. The document remained unknown in the Vatican Archives until its discovery in 1590 (Cucherat, "Proph. de la succession des papes", ch. xv).

Arnold de Wyon first published the prophecies, and ever since, there has been much discussion as to whether they are genuine predictions of St. Malachy or forgeries.

Scholars who had written about the Popes and St. Bernard, who wrote the "Life of St. Malachy," have remained silent for 400 years, which is a strong argument against their authenticity. However, it is inconclusive to adopt Cucherat's theory that the prophecies were hidden in the Vatican Archives during those 400 years.

The 112 short prophetic announcements (mottos) indicate some noticeable traits of the future Popes from Celestine II, elected in 1130, until the End of Days. The Mottos are enunciated under mystical titles, and those who have interpreted and explained these symbolical prophecies have discovered some trait, allusion, point, or similitude in their application to the individual Pope, either as to their country, their name, their coat of arms or insignia, their birthplace, their talent or learning, the title of their cardinalate, or the dignities which they held etc.

For example, the prophecy concerning Urban VIII is Lilium et Rosa (the lily and the rose). He was a native of Florence, and on his arms was a fleur-de-lis. He had three bees emblazoned on his escutcheon, and the bees gathered honey from the lilies and roses.

Again, the name accords often with some remarkable and rare circumstance in the pope's career; thus, 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.

Those who have lived and intelligently followed the course of events during the pontificates of Pius IX, Leo XIII, and Pius X cannot fail to be impressed with the titles given to each by the prophecies of St. Malachy and their remarkable appropriateness: Crux de Cruce (Cross from a Cross) Pius IX; Lumen in cælo (Light in the Sky) Leo XIII; Ignis ardens (Burning Fire) Pius X.

There is something more than coincidence in the designations given to these three popes so many hundreds of years before their time.

We need not resort to family names, armorial bearings, or cardinalate titles to see the fitness of their designations as given in the prophecies. Pius IX's afflictions and crosses were more than fell to his predecessors' lot; the more aggravating of these crosses were brought on by the House of Savoy, whose emblem was a cross. Leo XIII was a veritable luminary of the papacy.

According to St. Malachi's prophecy, 112 Popes will culminate in the final pope, often called "Peter the Roman."

The downcount of popes begins with Pope Celestine II, who reigned from 1143 to 1144. The final pope is often interpreted as the last pontiff before the Last Judgment.

In summary, the count of popes in St. Malachy's prophecy starts with Pope Celestine II, Pope Number 167, marking the beginning of a sequence of 112 persons culminating in Pope Number 268—Pope Francis (2013 - 2025).

The last of the prophecies concerns the end of the world and says:

(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.)

According to St. Malachi's prophecy, 112 popes are listed, culminating in a final pope often called "Peter the Roman."

1. Current Context: Pope Francis is the 266th Pope (Vatican Number) and holds the papacy. According to St. Malachy's prophecy, Francis is "Peter the Roman."

2. Interpretation of the Last Pope:

3. Significance of the Prophecy: The prophecy has garnered attention for its apocalyptic implications, suggesting that the reign of the last pope will coincide with significant upheaval and the eventual end of the world.

It has been noticed concerning Petrus Romanus, who, according to St. Malachy's list, is to be the "last pope", that the prophecy does not say that no popes will intervene between the last and his predecessor, designated Gloria olivæ (Glory of the olive). It merely says that he is to be the last, so that it can be supposed that as many popes as we please or need can precede "Peter the Roman". However, this explanation is seen as a good copout if Pope Francis doesn't turn out to be Peter the Roman.

Malachi's Pope Numbers, as equated to the prophecy, are used in the following list.

The Malachi Pope Numbers start from 167, Pope Celestine II (1143-1144), and the 10 Anti-Popes must be included in the calculation. This means that the Final Pope number will be 112 persons later, which, in this list, equates to 268 - Pope Francis (2013 - 2025).

166 - Innocent II (1130-1143) - n/a

168 - Lucius II (1144 - 1145) - Enemy expelled

169 - Eugene III (1145 - 1153) - Out of the greatness of the mountain

170 - Anastasius IV (1153 - 1154) - Suburran abbot

171 - Adrian IV (1154 - 1159) - From the white countryside

Antipope 1 - Victor IV (1159 - 1164) - Out of a loathsome prison

Antipope 2 - Paschal III (1164 - 1168) - Road across the Tiber

Antipope 3 - Calistus III (1168 - 1178) - From Tusculan Hungary

172 - Alexander III (1159 - 1181) - Out of the guardian goose

173 - Lucius III (1181 - 1185) - A light in the entrance

174 - Urban III (1185 - 1187) - Pig in a sieve

175 - Gregory VIII (1187) - The sword of St. Lawrence

176 - Clement III (1187 - 1191) - He will come from school

177 - Celestine III (1191 - 1198) - From cattle country

178 - Innocent III (1198 - 1216) - Designated count

179 - Honorius III (1216 - 1227) - Canon from the side

180 - Gregory IX (1227 - 1241) - Bird of Ostia

181 - Celestine IV (1241 - 1241) - Sabine Lion

182 - Innocent IV (1243-1254) - Count Lawrence

183 - Alexander IV (1254 - 1261) - Sign of Ostia

184 - Urban IV (1261 - 1264) - Jerusalem of Champagne

185 - Clement IV (1265 - 1268) - Dragon pressed down

186 - Gregory X (1271 - 1276) - Snaky man

187 - Innocent V (1276 - 1276) - French Preacher

188 - Adrian V (1276 - 1276) - Good Count/companion

189 - John XXI (1276 - 1277) - Tuscan Fisherman

190 - Nicholas III (1277 - 1280) - Composite Rose

191 - Martin IV (1281 - 1285) - From the tollhouse of lilied Martin

192 - Honorius IV (1285 - 1287) - Out of the leonine rose

194 - St. Celestine V (1294) - Raised out of the desert

195 - Boniface VIII (1294 - 1303) - From the blessing of the waves

196 - Benedict XI (1303 - 1304) - Preacher From Patara

197 - Clement V (1305 - 1314) - From the misfortunes/fesses of Aquitaine

198 - John XXII (1316 - 1334) - From a bony cobbler

Antipope 4 - Nicholas V (1328 - 1330) - Schismatic crow

199 - Benedict XII (1334 - 1342) - Cold abbot

200 - Clement VI (1342 - 1352) - From the rose of Arras

201 - Innocent VI (1352 - 1362) - From the mountains of Pammachius

202 - Urban V (1362 - 1370) - French viscount

203 - Gregory XI (1370 - 1378) - New man from the strong virgin

Antipope 5 - Clement VII (1378 - 1394) - From the apostolic cross

Antipope 6 - Benedict XIII (1394 - 1423) - Cosmedine moon

Antipope 7 - Clement VIII (1423 - 1429) - Schism of the Barcelonas

204 - Urban VI (1378 - 1389) - From a pregnant hell

205 - Boniface IX (1389 - 1404) - Cube from a mixture

206 - Innocent VII (1404 - 1406) - From a better star

207 - Gregory XII (1406 - 1415) - Sailor from a black bridge

Antipope 8 - Alexander V (1409 - 1410) - Whip of the sun

Antipope 9 - John XXIII (1410 - 1415) - Stag of the siren

208 - Martin V (1417 - 1431) - Crown of the golden curtain

209 - Eugene IV (1431 - 1447) - Heavenly she-wolf

Antipope 10 - Felix V (1439 - 1449) - Lover of the cross

210 - Nicholas V (1447 - 1455) - From the meanness of Luna

211 - Callistus III (1455 - 1458) - Pasturing ox

212 - Pius II (1458 - 1464) - From a nanny-goat and an inn

213 - Paul II (1464 - 1471) - From a stag and lion

214 - Sixtus IV (1471 - 1484) - Minorite fisherman

215 - Innocent VIII (1484 - 1492) - Forerunner of Sicily

216 - Alexander VI (1492 - 1503) - Bull of Alba in the harbour

217 - Pius III (1503 - 1503) - From a small man

218 - Julius II (1503 - 1513) - The fruit of Jupiter will help

219 - Leo X (1513 - 1521) - From a Politian gridiron

220 - Adrian VI (1522 - 1523) - Florentian lion

221 - Clement VII (1523 - 1534) - Flower of the sick man’s pill

222 - Paul III (1534 - 1549) - Hyacinth of the physicians

223 - Julius III (1550 - 1555) - From the mountainous crown

224 - Marcellus II (1555) - Trifling grain

225 - Paul IV (1555 - 1559) - From Peter’s faith

226 - Pius IV (1559 - 1565) - Aesculapius’ medicine

227 - St. Pius V (1566 - 1572) - Angel of the grove

228 - Gregory XIII (1572 - 1585) - Half body of the balls

229 - Sixtus V (1585 - 1590) - Axle in the midst of a sign

230 - Urban VII (1590 - 1590) - From the dew of the sky

231 - Gregory XIV (1590 - 1591) - Of the antiquity of the city

232 - Innocent IX (1591 - 1591) - Pious city in war

233 - Clement VIII (1592 - 1605) - Cross of Romulus

234 - Leo XI (1605 - 1605) - Wavy man

235 - Paul V (1605 - 1621) - Corrupted nation

236 - Gregory XV (1621 - 1623) - In the trouble of peace

237 - Urban VIII (1623 - 1644) - Lily and rose

238 - Innocent X (1644 - 1655) - Delight of the cross

239 - Alexander VII (1655 - 1667) - Guard of the mountains

240 - Clement IX (1667 - 1669) - Star of the swans

241 - Clement X (1670 - 1676) - From a great river

242 - Innocent XI (1676 - 1689) - Insatiable beast

243 - Alexander VIII (1689 - 1691) - Glorious penitence

244 - Innocent XII (1691 - 1700) - Rake in the door

245 - Clement XI (1700 - 1721) - Surrounded flowers

246 - Innocent XIII (1721 - 1724) - From good religion

247 - Benedict XIII (1724 - 1730) - Soldier in War

248 - Clement XII (1730 - 1740) - Lofty column

249 - Benedict XIV (1740 - 1758) - Country animal

250 - Clement XIII (1758 - 1769) - Rose of Umbria

251 - Clement XIV (1769 - 1774) - Swift bear (later misprinted as "Cursus velox" Swift Course or "Visus velox" Swift Glance)

252 - Pius VI (1775 - 1799) - Apostolic pilgrim

253 - Pius VII (1800 - 1823) - Rapacious eagle

254 - Leo XII (1823 - 1829) - Dog and adder

255 - Pius VIII (1829 - 1830) - Religious man

256 - Gregory XVI (1831 - 1846) - From the baths of Tuscany

257 - Pius IX (1846 - 1878) - Cross from cross

258 - Leo XIII (1878 - 1903) - Light in the sky

259 - St. Pius X (1903 - 1914) - Burning fire

260 - Benedict XV (1914 - 1922) - Religion destroyed

261 - Pius XI (1922 - 1939) - Intrepid faith

262 - Pius XII (1939 - 1958) - Angelic shepherd

263 - John XXIII (1958 - 1963) - Shepherd and sailor

264 - Paul VI (1963 - 1978) - Flower of flowers

265 - John Paul I (1978 - 1978) - From the midst of the moon

266 - John Paul II (1978 - 2005) - From a solar eclipse

267 - Benedict XVI (2005 - 2013) - Glory of the olive

Pope Francis (2013 - 2025), according to Malachi's Prophecy, is Peter the Roman, who will nourish the sheep through many tribulations; and when they are finished, the city of seven hills will be destroyed, and the formidable Judge will judge his people. The End.