After the death of Pope Francis, the question arises about the succession within the Catholic Church, and with it, one of the most catastrophic theories resurfaces… the ‘Black Pope’ prophecy attributed to Nostradamus.

Michel de Nôtre-Dame, better known as Nostradamus, was a French physician and astrologer born in 1503, known for his work ‘The Prophecies,’ a series of poetic quatrains that, according to his followers, predict important future events.

And what does this prophecy say?

Nostradamus wrote in one of his paragraphs: “The Roman clergy, in the year sixteen hundred and nine, at the height of the year, will hold an election: of a gray and black man from the Society, who has never been so malignant.”

This quatrain has been interpreted by some literally, as a Pope of African origin.

Among the candidates to precede Pope Francis are Peter Turkson of Ghana, who is known for his advocacy of social justice and the environment. And Robert Sarah of Guinea, who is part of the conservative wing and is known for his traditionalist stance on liturgical and doctrinal issues.

Others point to the election of a Jesuit pope, due to the reference to “the gray and black of the Society of Jesus,” with “the Society” being a possible allusion to the Society of Jesus.

Another interpretation suggests that the prophecy may have already been fulfilled with the election of Pope Francis in 2013, as he was the first Jesuit pontiff.​

But don’t worry, these interpretations are subject to debate, and there is no consensus on their meaning.

On the other hand, the Bible contains no specific references to a “Black Pope” or prophecies about papal succession in terms of skin color or religious affiliation.

And while the bells of the Vatican are ringing in every church for the death of Pope Francis II, everyone is waiting for the next conclave where the new pontiff will be elected.

We’ll see what happens when white smoke rises from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican and we meet the new pope… Will one of these popes be Black? Will the prophecy be fulfilled and will the end of the world come? Or is it just another failed Nostradamus writing?