The Future and the Popes   243 

short, like the reign of the holy Pope who reigns after him. I am not certain 

when Pope Benedict's reign will begin. He must have some number of years 

in his brief reign, to accomplish his tasks of peace making. He must 

therefore be elected soon. 

The Second Pope After John Paul II 

Pope #112 on St. Malachy's list is given this description:  In the final 

persecution of the Holy Roman Church there shall reign Peter the Roman 

who will feed his flock amid many tribulations, after which the seven hilled 

city will be destroyed and the terrible judge will judge the people.  [6] 

Why is he called Peter the Roman? The descriptions given for John Paul I 

and II were about their Pontificates, not about their lives before they were 

elected Pope. Will Peter the Roman be someone born in Rome or who grew 

up in Rome or who has spent most of his vocation in Rome? Perhaps. But I 

think it is more likely that the expression  Peter the Roman  refers to his 

Pontificate.  

    As a description of his Pontificate, the phrase  Peter the Roman  

indicates that this Pope reaffirms the authority of the Pope over the Church, 

authority based on his place as a Successor of Peter. The expression also 

indicates that this Pope will reaffirm Rome as the proper seat of authority in 

the Church and require the faithful to acknowledge  the holy, Catholic, and 

apostolic Roman Church as the mother and teacher of all churches.  [7] His 

predecessor, the Pope of Peace (Pope Benedict XVI), will emphasize the 

good in other faiths and the unity among all peoples. But Peter the Roman 

will emphasize the supremacy of the Roman Catholic Faith and the Roman 

Catholic Church above all other religions and denominations, and its 

authority over all Christians and all peoples of the world. 

Perhaps this Pope will take the name Pope Peter II. No Pope has chosen the 

name Peter since Christ gave that name to Simon bar Jonah, who became 

Saint Peter, leader of the Apostles and  the first Pope of the Church. The 

choice of the name Peter by this modern Pope would reaffirm that the Pope 

is the Successor of Peter. On the other hand, he might not actually take the 

name  Peter.  It could be that  Peter the Roman  is merely an expression 

describing his Pontificate. 

Some people think that Peter the Roman will be the last Pope ever and that 

the world will end during his Pontificate. No, not so! Peter the Roman is 

merely the last Pope on this list, not the last Pope ever. The time of Peter the 

Roman's Pontificate is described in Apocalyptic terms because His