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Statue of Irish Bishop Malachy
(Photo by Joyce Thiel in Ireland in 2022)

COGwriter

The Conclave of Cardinals to vote for the next pope is scheduled to begin next week on May 7th.

Yet, someone has been declared pope:

April 30, 2025

A powerful figure has emerged in the Muslim world, and his newly founded religion is gaining followers worldwide. Shockingly, on Easter Sunday, his followers declared him to be the new pope, and the next day, the Vatican announced that Pope Francis had passed away.

Abdullah Hashem Aba Al-Sadiq, commonly known as Abdullah Hashem, was born in 1983 in Indiana to an Egyptian father and an American mother. He is an Egyptian-American and the founder of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light (AROPL), not to be confused with the Ahmadiyya community discriminated against in Pakistan. He claims to be the Qa’im Al Muhammad, the reincarnation or second coming of Muhammad and the Mahdi (Messiah). Adherents of the religion believe him to be the second of twelve Mahdis appointed in the will of the Prophet Mohammed.

The AROPL began in Iraq in the late 1990s and is now active across 40 countries. It estimates that 7,000 people have had contact with the movement. …’He claims to be the “living successor of both Prophet Muhammad and Jesus Christ,” and his sermons bring “a divine message to the global Christian community.” He also claims to be  “the successor to Simon Peter, the successor to Jesus Christ, the true and legitimate Pope.” …

He claims to have fufliled ten prophecies mentioned in Islamic narrations. One of the prophecies concerned the death of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia in 2015. AROPL also interprets the Muslim prophecy of the “sun rising in the West” as a prediction that Abdullah Hashem will rule over the Christian world.

Another prophecy is that Abdullah Hashem will establish a “new covenant”.

“Throughout history, God has established six previous covenants with humanity, well-known to those familiar with the Torah and the Bible, but all were ultimately broken by the people,” AROPL states. “The sixth covenant was God’s covenant with Prophet Mohammed. However, the savior of mankind is prophesied to come with a new covenant—the seventh covenant.”

In a manner that contradicts the edicts of mainstream Islam, this “seventh covenant” established by Abdullah Hashem will include members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Another “prophecy fulfilled” took place recently.

“On Easter Sunday, believers in the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light, followers of Abdullah Hashem Aba Al-Sadiq, took to the streets and gathered outside churches in countries around the world—including Colombia, Mexico, Argentina, Ecuador, the United States, Canada, Switzerland, France, Italy, Germany, Vatican City, the United Kingdom, Spain, Croatia, Serbia, the Philippines, Thailand, Australia, Senegal, and Bangladesh—to announce to the world that a man had been chosen by God to lead humanity as the true Pope,” the website claimed, noting that Pope Francis’ death was announced the next day. “Believers declare that God has made His will known to all: a new Pope has indeed been chosen.” https://israel365news.com/408365/the-muslim-messiah-is-here-and-he-is-coming-to-replace-the-pope/

No, Abdullah Hashem Aba Al-Sadiq is not the next pope, God did not chose him “to come with a new covenant—the seventh covenant,” nor is he the successor to Jesus. For more details about him, see my post: Abdullah Hashem claims to be the Imam Mahdi, pope, and successor to Jesus and the Apostle Peter.

I do not expect the Conclave of Cardinals to select a Shia Muslim to be the next pope (one must be a baptized Roman Catholic to be considered).

But, if the next pope is the last pope, he will not truly believe the Roman Catholic religion.

Some have wondered if the next pope could be the last one as predicted in the 12th century.

I noticed that a couple of Roman Catholic sources have been downplaying the predictions in the list of popes from the Roman Catholic saint and bishop, Malachy of Ireland:

CNA explains: What is the St. Malachy prophecy, and why are people talking about it?

April 28, 2025

The recent death of Pope Francis on April 21 has reignited interest in the centuries-old “Prophecy of the Popes,” also known as the St. Malachy prophecy, which some say indicates that Pope Francis was the last pope the Church will ever have.

The over-900-year-old prophecy, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia, purports to describe every single pope from the year 1143 until the end of time — and Pope Francis appears, at least at a glance, to be the last pope described in the prophecy, suggesting the world will end now that his papacy has concluded.

A closer look shows that there is some significant evidence against the authenticity of this alleged prophecy. …

The prophecy consists of a list of 112 short phrases; enigmatic “mottoes” in Latin that are supposed to represent the popes from St. Malachy’s time onward.

The mottoes generally contain references to one of several things, including the pope’s name (his papal name, his birth name, or his family name), his place of origin, or a heraldic crest connected with him (his papal arms, his family crest, or the crest of his order or place of origin). They often involve wordplay regarding these things, though that is more obvious in Latin than in English. …

It has been proposed that the document, rather than being an authentic revelation, is a forgery composed around 1590 and then planted in the archive for political purposes — a claim that would explain the document’s lengthy absence. …

Many news articles and commentators also claim that the prophecy predicts Peter the Roman will show up in 2027, but in reality the document makes no mention of a year.

Catholics need not worry much about St. Malachy’s prophecies. It is not an approved apparition, and the evidence is consistent with it being a forgery composed around 1590. https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2025/04/28/cna-explains-what-is-the-st-malachy-prophecy-and-why-are-people-talking-about-it/

April 24, 2025

You may have heard of St. Malachy, but perhaps not for his holy life. He is a real saint, born in Armagh, Ireland, in 1094, and became the bishop there in 1032. He restored discipline to the Church in Armagh, and he died in 1148 in the arms of his fellow saint, the great Bernard of Clairvaux, a Doctor of the Church.

On the other hand, you probably have heard of the papal prophecies attributed to Malachy—a list of 112 Roman pontiffs (and anti-popes), identified by a brief epithet alluding to his name, family, place of origin or service, coat of arms, or some more nebulous identification. Proponents argue that the list dates to St. Malachy’s time, though the list was discovered—or published—only in the late 1500s, with no mention in the interim, including from sources one would expect to reference it—e.g., biographers of the saint. …

After all, of the 112 popes listed in Malachy’s prophecy, Pope Francis is . . . you guessed it: the 112^th.

And so, if the reported private revelations were true, we would be on the doorstep of the Second Coming, given the recent death of Pope Francis. Although we must always be ready for the Lord’s return—or to face him sooner than that, when we die—the end does not appear to be imminent, at least based on the credibility of the prophecies attributed to St. Malachy.

Dubious Historical Foundations …

The list of predicted popes appears to draw on a work of Italian historian Onofrio Panvinio, which is cited in M.J. O’Brien’s Historical and Critical Account of the So-called Prophecy of St. Malachy Regarding the Succession of Popes. O’Brien opposes the historicity of the reported prophecies. Panvinio was a respected historian in his day, and not an advocate of the prophecies. …

In contrast to Marian apparitions like Fatima, Lourdes, and Guadalupe, the Church has never approved the alleged prophecies attributed to St. Malachy. … given both its dubious historical origins and predictions since 1590, “the consensus among modern scholars is that it is a sixteenth-century forgery created for partisan political reasons.” https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/is-francis-the-last-pope

But despite this distancing, it perhaps should be noted that many Roman Catholics have believed that the list was divinely inspired, and this also seems to have been the position of the late Protestant prophetic writer Hal Lindsey.

There is a lot of evidence that the list is not a forgery.

Now, that does not mean it came from God–I would say it was from demonic influence.

Malachy’s list has been remarkably accurate–though one has to include a few “antipopes” for it to work:

Priest Connor: [W]hen Malachy visited Pope Innocent II in Rome in 1139, he was given a vision of all the Holy Fathers of the future … A study of the entire prophecy shows that fulfillment is made possible only by including anti-popes … (Connor, Edward. Prophecy for Today. Imprimatur + A.J. Willinger, Bishop of Monterey-Fresno; Reprint: Tan Books and Publishers, Rockford (IL), 1984, pp. 7-9)

Priest Gaudentius Rossi (19^th century): According to St. Malachy, then, only ten, or at most eleven, popes remain to be in future more or less legitimately elected. We say more or less legitimately elected, because out of those future popes it is to be feared that one or two will be unlawfully elected as anti-popes. (Rossi, Gaudentius. The Christian Trumpet: Or, Previsions and Predictions about Impending General Calamities, the Universal Triumph of the Church, the Coming of the Anti-Christ, the Last Judgment, and the End of the World; Divided Into Three Parts, 4th edition. Patrick Donahoe, 1875. Original from Oxford University. Digitized Sep 1, 2006, p. 203)

The fact that Malachy’s list is NOT completely accurate should show us that the list was not inspired by God. The fact that its accuracy is at least partially dependent upon the inclusion of antipopes in the 15^th century, however, suggests that the list was not likely to have been originally composed in the 16^th century: including antipopes would seem to not have been particularly helpful for the supporters of a pontiff at the time.

There have not been any officially Vatican recognized “antipopes” since Felix V’s time in 1439-1449.

Most of the Malachy list contains two-three word descriptions in Latin, but the last pope “Petrus Romanus” has a much longer description.

While its original date is hard to absolutely prove (I tend to accept the 12th century date), many of the post 16th century predictions on Malachy’s list have apparently come true. Some Roman Catholics have written the following about it:

…a list…attributed to St. Malachy…has given fitting descriptions of every pope since the 16th century, when it was discovered. (Dupont, Yves. Catholic Prophecy: The Coming Chastisement. TAN Books, Rockford (IL), 1973, p.19)

…the vast majority of Malachy’s predictions about successive Popes is amazingly accurate. (Bander P. The Prophecies of St. Malachy. Originally written in 1969. TAN Books reprint, Rockford (IL), 1973, p. 11)

St. Malachy named all the popes from the year 1130 to the end of time…On St. Malachy’s 1966 schedule, we will only have four more popes to follow Paul. (Culligan, E. The Last World War and the End of Time. The book was blessed by Pope Paul VI, 1966. TAN Books, Rockford (IL), p. 118)

So Roman Catholics used to claim that Malachy’s list was accurate.

Since Pope Paul VI in 1966, there have been four popes: John Paul I, John Paul II, and Benedict XVI, and Francis.

In 1966, Peter Bander produced a book titled The Prophecies of St. Malachy which provides information in English about the list, including those popes/antipopes who he/others felt met the criteria of the Latin statements. The inside cover of it claims:

Peter Bander … Through the good services of Archbishop Cardinale, he has received the cooperation of the Vatican Archives, and the result is the most authoritative and enlightening edition of the prophecies ever to have appeared.

Archbishop H.E. Cardinale was one time “Apostolic Nuncio to Belgium and Luxenbourg” and former “Apostolic Delegate to Great Britain” wrote the Forward in the book. He calls the book a “fascinating study” which includes the identity of popes and “antipopes.”

At the time the book was published, Pope Paul VI was pope and he identified him with the 108^th statement from Malachy FLOS FLORUM and stated:

Malachy’s legend appears to be an obvious allusion to the Pope’s amorial bearings which show three fleurs-de-lis.

The above does not immediately strike one as totally obvious as it could apply to many others. Peter Bander then immediately wrote:

The following four prophecies have yet to be fulfilled.

Recall that the above was published in 1966. The four popes since Paul VI, were John Paul I, John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and possibly Pope Francis.

Here is what was the 109^th prediction in the Malachy list with a translation supplied by Peter Bander:

DE MEDIETATE LUNAE

Of the half moon (Bander, p. 94)

While Peter Bander’s “speculations” (which involved the Muslims) about what this might mean did not come to pass, the reality is the Pope John Paul I became pontiff on August 26, 1978 near a half moon (August 25, 1978) and died a month later on September 28, 1978 slightly after the half moon (September 24, 1978). Some have suggested that this means his pontificate may have somewhat fulfilled this Malachy prediction.

Here is what was the 110^th prediction in the Malachy list:

DE LABORE SOLIS

Here is the translation and a comment from Peter Bander about the above Malachy writing, beginning with two translations:

• From the toil of the sun
• Of the eclipse of the sun

The election of this Pope will probably take place within the next two decades. (Bander, p. 95)

Since Pope John-Paul II was born on the day of a large partial solar eclipse (May 18, 1920) and was buried on the day of a solar eclipse (April 8, 2005), he definitely had something in common with the number 110 predicted pontiff.  He became pontiff on October 16, 1978.

The apparent accuracy of the Malachy predictions for John Paul II and certain others are one of the reasons I do not believe that the list was merely a human forgery as pontiff do not choose the timing of their death or burial.

Here is what was the 111^th prediction in the Malachy list with a translation by Peter Bander:

GLORIA OLIVEA

The glory of the olive (Bander, p. 96)

Notice what was written decades prior to Joseph Ratzinger becoming Pope Benedict XVI by Peter Bander:

The Order of St. Benedict has claimed by tradition that this pope will come from within the Order…The Order of St. Benedict is known as the OLIVETANS… (Bander, p. 96)

Although Joseph Ratzinger did not come from the Benedictine order, the choice of the name “Benedict” could be seen to be consistent with the Malachy prediction about pope number 111.

That said, Francis DID NOT meet the prediction for pontiff #112.

Now, others associated with the Church of God have written about the Malachy list. Here is something from the old Worldwide Church of God:

For your interest (or for whatever else it may be worth), an old Irish Catholic prophecy of the 12th Century predicts that there will be 265 popes before “the end of the world.” Pope John Paul I is number 263. The last, pope, according to this prophecy of “Malachy,” an old Irish bishop, is to take the name “Peter the Roman.” Time will have to judge the prophecy’s accuracy. (Hogberg G. A LOOK AT THE NEW ROMAN PONTIFF. Pastor General’s Report. August 29, 1978)

Gene Hogberg was off slightly. There were to be at least 266 pontiffs, not supposedly 265. And the Malachy list has 112 on it–the other listed pontiffs were prior to that list.

Technically, Pope Francis was 112 on that Malachy list–however, 1) it has long been held that there could be pontiffs between 111 and the final one and 2) because Benedict XVI was alive when Francis was voted in, some say he did not count. So, if that is the case, the next one MAY, if he performs various signs and wonders, by the last pope, who will be an antipope and the final Antichrist.

Here is something from the newsletter of the Church of the Eternal God of April 25, 2025:

If the text is not a forgery, but legit, it would have been written under demonic influence, which can be seen, amongst other things, by the wording “dreadful Judge,” in appliance to Jesus.  We know, of course, that Christ could not possibly come back in 2027; and we also know that demons, even though they may know future events, are lying spirits; so one never knows when they lie or when they tell the truth.

Interestingly, Euronews recently published about the list and its pointing to possible doom in 2027.

But as even one of the Roman Catholic writers at the beginning of this post correctly pointed out:

Many news articles and commentators also claim that the prophecy predicts Peter the Roman will show up in 2027, but in reality the document makes no mention of a year.

Related to those matters, the Continuing Church of God put together the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel discussing various views and scriptures about that:

Here is a link to our video: Malachy Prophecy, Francis, Doom in 2027?

Some items of related interest may include:

The Malachy Prophecies and “Peter the Roman” An Irish bishop allegedly predicted something about 112 popes in the 12th century. Pope Benedict XVI was number 111. Francis would seem to be number 112–if he is that one–and if so, he is to reign until Rome is destroyed. May he be an antipope/final Antichrist?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2025, 2026, or 2027? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000? A short video is available titled: Great Tribulation Trends 2025.
Why Should American Catholics Fear Unity with the Orthodox? Are the current ecumenical meetings a good thing or will they result in disaster? Is doctrinal compromise good? Here is a link to a related video Should you be concerned about the ecumenical movement?
Will the Interfaith Movement Lead to Peace or Sudden Destruction? Is the interfaith movement going to lead to lasting peace or is it warned against? A video of related interest could be Do You Know That Babylon is Forming?
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God This free online pdf booklet has answers many questions people have about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and explains why it is the solution to the issues the world is facing. Here are links to three related sermons: The World’s False Gospel, The Gospel of the Kingdom: From the New and Old Testaments, and The Kingdom of God is the Solution.
Can the Final Antichrist be Islamic? Is Joel Richardson correct that the final Antichrist will be Islamic and not European? Find out. A related sermon is titled: Is the Final Antichrist Islamic or European? Another video is Mystery Babylon USA, Mecca, or Rome?
Christ or Antichrist? 1961 article by David Jon Hill, originally published in the old Good News magazine.
Will You Be Deceived by Antichrist? 1964 article by David Jon Hill, originally published in the old Good News magazine.
Satan’s Plan Does Satan have a plan? What is it? Has it already been successful? Will it be successful in the future? Here are links to a two-part sermon series: What are Some of the Parts of Satan’s Plan? and Satan’s Plan is More Dramatic than Many Realize.
Do Certain Greco-Roman Catholic Prophecies About Antichrist Warn Against Jesus? Will the final “Anti-Christ” be Jewish, insist on Saturday, be opposed to the trinity, and bring in the millennium? Certain Catholic writings indicate this, while others take a different view, but what does the Bible show? A related sermon is Will Jesus Christ be called the Antichrist?
Some Doctrines of Antichrist Are there any doctrines taught outside the Churches of God which can be considered as doctrines of antichrist? This article suggests at least three. It also provides information on 666 and the identity of “the false prophet.” Plus it shows that several Catholic writers seem to warn about an ecumenical antipope that will support heresy. You can also watch a video titled What Does the Bible teach about the Antichrist?
Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church: Could a remnant group have continuing apostolic succession? Did the original “catholic church” have doctrines held by the Continuing Church of God? Did Church of God leaders uses the term “catholic church” to ever describe the church they were part of? Here are links to related sermons: Original Catholic Church of God?, Original Catholic Doctrine: Creed, Liturgy, Baptism, Passover, What Type of Catholic was Polycarp of Smyrna?, Tradition, Holy Days, Salvation, Dress, & Celibacy, Early Heresies and Heretics, Doctrines: 3 Days, Abortion, Ecumenism, Meats, Tithes, Crosses, Destiny, and more, Saturday or Sunday?, The Godhead, Apostolic Laying on of Hands Succession, Church in the Wilderness Apostolic Succession List, Holy Mother Church and Heresies, and Lying Wonders and Original Beliefs. Here is a link to that book in the Spanish language: Creencias de la iglesia Católica original.
The Last Pope Do Biblical and Catholic Prophecies Point to Pope Francis? Why might Pope Francis be the last pope? What happens if he is? Biblical and other prophecies help explain what to expect.
The Last Pope: Do Biblical and Catholic Prophecies Point to Pope Francis? Amazon Book What does the Bible say about a pope near this time? Is the final pope to be an antipope and antichrist? Does Catholic prophecy point to Pope Francis as being the dreaded “Peter the Roman”? This 186 page book provides information and answers.
The Last Pope: Do Biblical and Catholic Prophecies Point to Pope Francis? Kindle This electronic version of the printed book which is available for only US$2.99. And you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon s Free Reader Apps. After you go to for your free Kindle reader and then go to The Last Pope: Do Biblical and Catholic Prophecies Point to Pope Francis? Kindle.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 30th, 2025 at 2:00 pm and is filed under Prophecy.

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