Appendix II 

The Future and the Popes 

About the year A.D. 1139, Saint Malachy O'Morgair, Archbishop of 

Armagh, Ireland, wrote down a list of Popes. He listed 112 future Popes, 

each described by a phrase in Latin. [1] There has been increasing interest in 

this list among Roman Catholics, for two reasons. First, the descriptions of 

Popes #109 and #110 match the pontificates of Popes John Paul I and John 

Paul II to a tee. Second, there are only two more Popes on the list, and the 

last Pope on the list is given a long apocalyptic description, instead of a 

quaint and cryptic phrase. 

Pope #109 on St. Malachy's list is given the phrase:  From the Half of the 

Moon.  [2] Pope John Paul I was elected on August 26 of 1978, when the 

moon was in its last quarter (i.e. half the moon was visible in the sky). He 

died on September 28, when the moon was again in its last quarter. [3] The 

length of his Pontificate was only 33 days, a little more than the length of 

one lunar cycle. St. Malachy's prophecy matches John Paul I's Pontificate 

well. 

Pope #110 on St. Malachy's list is given the phrase:  From the Labor of the 

Sun.  [4] What kind of labor does the sun do? The sun's work, so to speak, 

is to travel around the earth. The sun constantly travels around  the world. 

And so does Pope John Paul II. He is the most traveled Pope in history. His 

Pontificate is marked by his constant travels around the world. St. 

Malachy's phrase fits John Paul II's Pontificate precisely. 

The First Pope After John Paul II 

Pope #111 on St. Malachy's list is given the phrase:  From the Glory of the 

Olive.  This prophetic phrase has several meanings which correctly apply to 

the next Pope after John Paul II. 

a. What is the glory of the olive? The olive branch is a well known symbol of 

peace. The glory of the olive is peace. The next Pope after John Paul II will 

be a man of great peace. Peace will be his banner, peace will be his work, 

peace will be his goal. He will seek peace among individuals, among 

nations, among Catholics, between Catholics and other Christians, and 

between Catholics and adherents of other religions. The next Pope after