The prophecy of St. Malachy – What is it?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

The so-called prophecy of St. Malachy claims to predict a succession of popes, each given a symbolic title, culminating with “Peter the Roman,” who is said to lead the church during the end times. Yet Scripture says nothing about a line of popes—there is no biblical teaching that establishes or even mentions a papal office. The Bible also does not indicate that the end times will be marked by a particular pope’s reign or by any specific leader within the Roman Catholic Church. Attempts to link the vague, so-called prophecy to real popes require forced connections and speculation.

God’s Word is clear that His prophetic truth is complete and trustworthy as revealed in Scripture (2 Peter 1:19–21). That standard must test any message claiming divine authority, and if it contradicts or goes beyond it, it is false (Deuteronomy 18:22; Jeremiah 23:32). Jesus warned that false prophets would arise and mislead many (Matthew 24:11), which is why believers must measure all claims against the Bible itself.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• True prophecy is always measured against God’s revealed Word. The Old Testament taught that whenever someone claimed to speak for the LORD, their message had to agree with what He had already said through His prophets and the Law. God’s revelation was consistent and self-confirming, so any word that contradicts Scripture or introduces new teaching must be viewed with suspicion (Deuteronomy 13:1–4). The standard was always faithfulness to the Word God had already given.
• The penalty for speaking falsely in God’s name was severe. Deuteronomy 18:20–22 commands that if a prophet’s words did not come to pass or were contrary to what God had already revealed, that prophet was to be put to death. Likewise, God warned that no one was to add to or take away from His commands (Deuteronomy 4:2). These warnings show that God’s Word is final and sufficient, and that any attempt to expand or rewrite it is rebellion against Him.
• Because the prophecies of St. Malachy are not part of Scripture and do not conform to the truths revealed in it, they cannot be considered genuine prophecies from God. Thus, they must be rejected.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• All prophecy in the New Testament is judged by its faithfulness to the written Word of God. Believers are told to “test the spirits to see whether they are from God” (1 John 4:1) and to hold fast to what is good (1 Thessalonians 5:20–21). The apostles taught that God’s revelation through Christ and Scripture is complete and sufficient, meaning any new message must fully agree with what He has already revealed. Thus, at the very least, the St. Malachy prophecies must be rejected simply because they offer additional revelation beyond what Scripture teaches.
• However, even their core idea is problematic because there is no office of “pope” in Scripture. The New Testament describes leadership within local congregations through elders and overseers (Acts 14:23; 1 Peter 5:1–3) but never establishes a single earthly head of the universal church. The papal office developed centuries later as a human tradition.
• Because Scripture never presents the papacy as a God-ordained office, it likewise never refers to any pope—let alone a final one who would appear at the end of time. The notion that the end of the age will center on a particular pope thus has no biblical foundation.
• That said, the Bible does speak of a coming Antichrist—a man of lawlessness who opposes God and exalts himself (2 Thessalonians 2:3–4; 1 John 2:18). However, the biblical descriptions do not fit what we typically associate with a pope. It is therefore unlikely that the final Antichrist will be a pope, and Scripture gives no reason to single out the papacy as central to his identity. At most, we are reminded that many antichrists have already appeared (1 John 2:18), and that our focus should remain on faithfulness to Christ rather than speculation about who the final Antichrist may be.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

The Bible teaches that there really will be an Antichrist—a final leader who will openly oppose God and deceive the world just before Jesus returns. But John also reminds us that “many antichrists have come” (1 John 2:18). In every generation, there are false teachers who distort who Jesus is and lead people away from the truth. This has included religious leaders such as popes, which explains why some have been quick to label them as the Antichrist. Yet Scripture teaches that deception comes in many forms and that the spirit of Antichrist can appear wherever Christ’s truth is denied.

However, regardless of who the final Antichrist will be, our focus should remain on knowing and following the true Christ. The more deeply we know His character, His words, and His gospel, the more clearly we can recognize those who are not from Him and who teach something contrary to what He taught. Faithfulness begins not with identifying deceivers, but with abiding in the Savior Himself.

UNDERSTAND

• St. Malachy’s prophecy of popes lacks biblical or historical credibility.
• True prophecy must align with God’s Word; the papacy is not God-ordained.
• Our focus should be faithfulness to Christ, not speculation about end-times leaders.

REFLECT

• How do you measure claims of prophecy against the truth of God’s Word?
• How are you focusing on faithfulness to Christ rather than being distracted by speculation about end-times leaders?
• How can you strengthen your discernment to recognize teachings that contradict God’s Word?

ENGAGE

• How does the example of St. Malachy’s prophecy illustrate the importance of testing all teachings against the Bible?
• What can we learn from the New Testament about leadership in the church versus human traditions like the papacy?
• How can our understanding of the Antichrist in Scripture help us avoid being misled by false claims or predictions?