Prophecy of the Popes

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The Prophecy of the Popes (Latin: Prophetia Sancte Malachiae Archiepiscopi, de Summis Pontificibus) is a series of 112 short, cryptic phrases in Latin which purport to predict the Roman Catholic popes (along with a few antipopes), beginning with Pope Celestine II. The alleged prophecies were first published by Benedictine monk Arnold de Wyon in 1595. Wyon attributes the prophecies to Saint Malachy, a 12th‑century Archbishop of Armagh, Ireland.

Given the very accurate description of popes up to 1590 and lack of accuracy after that year, Catholic historians generally conclude that the alleged prophecies are a fabrication written shortly before they were published. The Roman Catholic Church also dismisses them as forgery.[1][2] The prophecies may have been created in an attempt to suggest that Cardinal Girolamo Simoncelli's bid for the papacy in the second conclave of 1590 was divinely ordained.

Proponents of the prophecies claim that the current pontiff, Pope Benedict XVI, whose abdication is pending, corresponds to the pope described in the penultimate prophecy. The list ends with a pope identified as "Peter the Roman", whose pontificate will allegedly bring the destruction of the city of Rome and usher in the beginning of the Apocalypse.

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Statue of Saint Malachy (1094–1148), to whom Wyon attributes the authorship of the prophecies. Malachy died over four centuries before the prophecies first appeared.

The alleged prophecies were first published in 1595 by a Benedictine named Arnold de Wyon in his Lignum Vitæ, a history of the Benedictine order. Wyon attributed the prophecies to Saint Malachy, the 12th‑century Archbishop of Armagh. He explained that the prophecies had not, to his knowledge, ever been printed before, but that many were eager to see them. Wyon includes both the alleged original prophecies, consisting of short, cryptic Latin phrases, as well as an interpretation applying the statements to historical popes up to Urban VII (pope for thirteen days in 1590), which Wyon attributes to Alphonsus Ciacconius.[3]

According to an account put forward in 1871 by Abbé Cucherat, Malachy was summoned to Rome in 1139 by Pope Innocent II to receive two wool palliums for the metropolitan sees of Armagh and Cashel. While in Rome, Malachy purportedly experienced a vision of future popes, which he recorded as a sequence of cryptic phrases. This manuscript was then deposited in the Vatican Secret Archives, and forgotten about until its rediscovery in 1590, supposedly just in time for a papal conclave ongoing at the time.[4]

Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, a contemporary biographer of Malachy who recorded the saint's alleged miracles, makes no mention of the prophecies, nor are they mentioned in any record prior to their 1595 publication.[4]

Several historians have concluded that the prophecies are a late 16th‑century forgery.[5][4] Spanish monk and scholar Benito Jerónimo Feijóo y Montenegro wrote in his Teatro Crítico Universal (1724–1739), in an entry called Purported prophecies, that the high level of accuracy of the alleged prophecies up until the date they were published, compared with their high level of inaccuracy after that date, is evidence that they were created around the time of publication.[6] The prophecies and explanations given in Wyon correspond very closely to a 1557 history of the popes by Onofrio Panvinio (including replication of errors made by Panvinio), which may indicate that the prophecies were written based on that source.[7]

One theory to explain the creation of the prophecies, put forward by 17th century French priest and encyclopaedist Louis Moréri, among others, is that they were spread by supporters of Cardinal Girolamo Simoncelli in support of his bid to become pope during the 1590 conclave to replace Urban VII. In the prophecies, the pope following Urban VII is given the description "Ex antiquitate Urbis" ("from the old city"), and Simoncelli was from Orvieto, which in Latin is Urbevetanum, old city. The prophecies may, therefore, have been created in an attempt to demonstrate that Simoncelli was destined to be pope.[8] Simoncelli was not elected pope; Urban VII was succeeded by Pope Gregory XIV, born Niccolò Sfondrati.

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Celestine II (d. 1144), the first pope mentioned in the prophecies.

The interpretation of the prophecies for pre-publication popes provided by Wyon involves close correspondences between the mottos and the popes' birthplaces, family names, personal arms, and pre-papal titles. For example, the first motto, Ex castro Tiberis (from a castle on the Tiber), fits Pope Celestine II's birthplace in Città di Castello, on the Tiber.

Efforts to connect the prophecies to historical popes who were elected after its publication have been more strained.[5][4][9] For example, Pope Clement XIII is referred to in a prophecy as Rosa Umbriae (the rose of Umbria), but was not from Umbria nor had any but the most marginal connection with the region, having been briefly pontifical governor of Rieti, at the time part of Umbria.

One writer notes that among the post-publication (post-1595) predictions there remain "some surprisingly appropriate phrases," while adding that "it is of course easy to exaggerate the list's accuracy by simply citing its successes," and that "other tags do not fit so neatly."[10] Among the reported 'successes' are 'Religion depopulated' for Benedict XV (1914-22) whose papacy included World War One and the atheistic communist Russian Revolution; 'Light in the sky' for Leo XIII (1878-1903), with a comet in his coat of arms; and 'Flower of flowers' for Paul VI (1963-78), with fleur-de-lys in his coat of arms.[10]

Peter Bander, then Head of Religious Education at a Cambridge college, wrote in 1969:

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Peter Bander, then Head of Religious Education at a Cambridge college, wrote in 1969:

If we were to place the works of those who have repudiated the Prophecies of Malachy on scales and balance them against those who have accepted them, we would probably reach a fair equilibrium; however, the most important factor, namely the popularity of the prophecies, particularly among the ordinary people (as distinct from scholars), makes them as relevant to the second half of the twentieth century as they have ever been.

— Bander 1969, p. 10.

M.J. O'Brien, a Catholic priest who authored an 1880 monograph on the prophecies, provided a more critical assessment:

These prophecies have served no purpose. They are absolutely meaningless. The Latin is bad. It is impossible to attribute such absurd triflings... to any holy source. Those who have written in defence of the prophecy... have brought forward scarcely an argument in their favour. Their attempts at explaining the prophecies after 1590 are, I say with all respect, the sorriest trifling.

— O'Brien 1880, p. 110.

[edit] Petrus RomanusIn recent times, some interpreters of prophetic literature have drawn attention to the prophecies due to their imminent conclusion; if the list of descriptions is matched on a one-to-one basis to the list of historic popes since the prophecies' publication, the currently retiring pope, Benedict XVI (2005-2013), would correspond to the second last of the papal descriptions, Gloria olivae (the glory of the olive).[10] The last prophecy predicts the Apocalypse. The longest and final motto reads:

In persecutione extrema S.R.E. sedebit.

Petrus Romanus, qui pascet oves in multis tribulationibus, quibus transactis civitas septicollis diruetur, & judex tremedus judicabit populum suum. Finis.

This may be translated into English as:

In the final persecution of the Holy Roman Church, there will sit [i.e., as bishop].

Peter the Roman, who will pasture his sheep in many tribulations, and when these things are finished, the city of seven hills [i.e. Rome] will be destroyed, and the dreadful judge will judge his people. The End.[11]

Several historians and interpreters of the prophecies note that they leave open the possibility of unlisted popes between "the glory of the olive" and the final pope, "Peter the Roman."[12][4] In the Lignum Vitae, the line In persecutione extrema S.R.E. sedebit. forms a separate sentence and paragraph of its own. While often read as part of the "Peter the Roman" prophecy, other interpreters view it as a separate, incomplete sentence explicitly referring to additional popes between "the glory of the olive" and "Peter the Roman".[1]

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The list can be divided into two groups; one of the 74 popes and antipopes who reigned prior to the appearance of the prophecies c. 1590, for whom the connection between the motto and the pope is consistently clear. The other is of the 38 popes who have reigned since 1590, for whom the connection between the motto and the pope is often strained or totally absent and could be viewed as shoehorning or postdiction.

[edit] Popes and antipopes 1143–1590 (pre-publication)The text on the silver lines below reproduces the original text (including punctuation and orthography) of the 1595 Lignum Vitae, which consisted of three parallel columns for the popes before 1590. The first column contained the motto, the second the name of the pope or antipope to whom it was attached (with occasional errors), and the third an explanation of the motto. There are some indications that both the mottos and explanations were the work of a single 16th century individual.[13] The original list was unnumbered.

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Ex caſtro Tiberis.		Cœleſtinus. ij.		Typhernas.
165	1. From a castle of the Tiber	Celestine II (1143–1144)	Guido de Castello	An inhabitant of Tifernum. Celestine II was born in Città di Castello (formerly called Tifernum-Tiberinum), on the banks of the Tiber.[14]
Inimicus expulſus.		Lucius. ij.		De familia Caccianemica.
166	2. Enemy expelled	Lucius II (1144–1145)	Gherardo Caccianemici del Orso	Of the Caccianemici family. According to Wyon, this motto refers to Lucius II's family name, Caccianemici; in Italian, “Cacciare” means “to drive out” and “nemici” means “enemies”.[15] While he has been traditionally viewed as being part of this family, it is doubtful whether he actually was; moreover, even if he actually belonged to that family, the atribution of the surname Caccianemici is certainly anachronistic.[16]
Ex magnitudine mõtis.		Eugenius. iij.		Patria Ethruſcus oppido Montis magni.
167	3. From the great mountain	Eugene III (1145–1153)	Bernardo dei Pagnelli di Montemagno	Tuscan by nation, from the town of Montemagno. According to Wyon, the motto refers to Eugene III’s birthplace, “Montemagno.”[17] But actually he was born in Pisa in modest family.[18][19]
Abbas Suburranus.		Anaſtaſius. iiij.		De familia Suburra.
168	4. Abbot from Subbura	Anastasius IV (1153–1154)	Corrado di Suburra	From the Suburra family.[17] He was traditionally referred to as abbot of the canon regulars of St. Ruf in Avignon, but modern scholars have established that he actually belonged to the secular clergy.[20]
De rure albo.		Adrianus. iiij.		Vilis natus in oppido Sancti Albani.
169	5. From the white countryside	Adrian IV (1154–1159)	Nicholas Breakspear	Humbly born in the town of St. Albans. Most likely a reference to Adrian IV's birthplace near St Albans, Hertfordshire.[21]
Ex tetro carcere.		Victor. iiij.		Fuit Cardinalis S. Nicolai in carcere Tulliano.
	6. Out of a loathsome prison.	Victor IV, Antipope (1159–1164)	Ottaviano Monticello	He was a cardinal of St. Nicholas in the Tullian prison. Victor IV may have held the title San Nicola in Carcere.[22]
Via Tranſtiberina.		Calliſtus. iij. [sic]		Guido Cremenſis Cardinalis S. Mariæ Tranſtiberim.
	7. Road across the Tiber.	Callixtus III, Antipope (1168–1178)	Giovanni di Strumi	Guido of Crema, Cardinal of St. Mary across the Tiber. Wyon reverses the names and order of Antipopes Callixtus III (John of Struma) and Paschal III (Guido of Crema). Paschal, not Callixtus, was born Guido of Crema and held the title of Santa Maria in Trastevere, to which the motto applies.[23]
De Pannonia Thuſciæ.		Paſchalis. iij. [sic]		Antipapa. Hungarus natione, Epiſcopus Card. Tuſculanus.
	8. From Tusculan Hungary.	Paschal III, Antipope (1164–1168)	Guido di Crema	Antipope. A Hungarian by birth, Cardinal Bishop of Tusculum. As noted above, this motto applies not to Paschal III, but to Callixtus III, who allegedly was Hungarian.[23]. However, Callixtus was Cardinal Bishop of Albano, not of Tusculum.[24]
Ex anſere cuſtode.		Alexander. iij.		De familia Paparona.
170	9. From the guardian goose	Alexander III (1159–1181)	Rolando (or Orlando) of Siena	Of the Paparoni family. Alexander III may have been from the Bandinella family, which was afterwards known as the Paparona family, which featured a goose on its coat of arms. There is debate whether Alexander III was in fact of that family.[25]
Lux in oſtio.		Lucius. iij.		Lucenſis Card. Oſtienſis.
171	10. A light in the door	Lucius III (1181–1185)	Ubaldo Allucingoli	A Luccan Cardinal of Ostia. The motto is a wordplay on "Lucius" or "Lucca" and "Ostia".[26]
Sus in cribro.		Vrbanus. iij.		Mediolanenſis, familia cribella, quæ Suem pro armis gerit.
172	11. Pig in a sieve	Urban III (1185–1187)	Umberto Crivelli	A Milanese, of the Cribella (Crivelli) family, which bears a pig for arms. Urban III's family name Crivelli means "a sieve" in Italian; his arms included a sieve and two pigs.[27]
Enſis Laurentii.		Gregorius. viij.		Card. S. Laurentii in Lucina, cuius inſignia enſes falcati.
173	12. The sword of Lawrence	Gregory VIII (1187)	Alberto De Morra	Cardinal of St. Lawrence in Lucina, of whom the arms were curved swords. Gregory VIII was Cardinal of St. Lawrence and his arms featured crossed swords.[28]
De Schola exiet.[29]		Clemens. iij.		Romanus, domo Scholari.
174	13 He will come from school	Clement III (1187–1191)	Paolo Scolari	A Roman, of the house of Scolari. The motto is a play on words on Clement III's surname.[30]
De rure bouenſi.		Cœleſtinus. iij.		Familia Bouenſi.
175	14. From cattle country	Celestine III (1191–1198)	Giacinto Bobone	Bovensis family. The reference to cattle is a wordplay on Celestine III's surname, Bobone.[31]
Comes Signatus.		Innocentius. iij.		Familia Comitum Signiæ.
176	15. Designated count	Innocent III (1198–1216)	Lotario dei Conti di Segni	Family of the Counts of Signia (Segni) The motto is a direct reference to Innocent III's family name.[32]
Canonicus de latere.		Honorius. iij.		Familia Sabella, Canonicus S. Ioannis Lateranensis.
177	16. Canon from the side	Honorius III (1216–1227)	Cencio Savelli	Savelli family, canon of St. John Lateran The claim in Wyon that Honorius III was a canon of St. John Lateran is contested by some historians.[30]
Auis Oſtienſis.		Gregorius. ix.		Familia Comitum Signiæ Epiſcopus Card. Oſtienſis.
178	17. Bird of Ostia	Gregory IX (1227–1241)	Ugolino dei Conti di Segni	Family of the Counts of Segni, Cardinal Bishop of Ostia. Before his election to the papacy, Ugolino dei Conti was the Cardinal Bishop of Ostia, and his coat of arms depict an eagle.[33]
Leo Sabinus.		Cœleſtinus iiij.		Mediolanenſis, cuius inſignia Leo, Epiſcopus Card. Sabinus.
179	18. Sabine Lion	Celestine IV (1241)	Goffredo Castiglioni	A Milanese, whose arms were a lion, Cardinal Bishop of Sabina. Celestine IV was Cardinal Bishop of Sabina and his armorial bearing had a lion in it.[34]
Comes Laurentius.		Innocentius iiij.		domo flisca, Comes Lauaniæ, Cardinalis S. Laurentii in Lucina.
180	19. Count Lawrence	Innocent IV (1243–1254)	Sinibaldo Fieschi	Of the house of Flisca (Fieschi), Count of Lavagna, Cardinal of St. Lawrence in Lucina. The motto, as explained in Wyon, is a reference to Innocent IV's father, the Count of Lavagna, and his title Cardinal of St. Lawrence in Lucina.[34]
Signum Oſtienſe.		Alexander iiij.		De comitibus Signiæ, Epiſcopus Card. Oſtienſis.
181	20. Sign of Ostia	Alexander IV (1254–1261)	Renaldo dei Signori di Ienne	Of the counts of Segni, Cardinal Bishop of Ostia. The motto refers to Alexander IV's being Cardinal Bishop of Ostia and member of the Conti-Segni family.[34]
Hieruſalem Campanię.		Vrbanus iiii.		Gallus, Trecenſis in Campania, Patriarcha Hieruſalem.
182	21. Jerusalem of Champagne	Urban IV (1261–1264)	Jacques Pantaleon	A Frenchman, of Trecae (Troyes) in Champagne, Patriarch of Jerusalem. The motto refers to Urban IV's birthplace of Troyes, Champagne, and title Patriarch of Jerusalem.[35]
Draco depreſſus.		Clemens iiii.		cuius inſignia Aquila vnguibus Draconem tenens.
183	22. Dragon pressed down	Clement IV (1265–1268)	Guido Fulcodi	Whose badge is an eagle holding a dragon in his talons. According some sources, Clement IV's coat of arms depicted an eagle clawing a dragon. Other sources indicate that it was instead six fleurs-de-lis.[36]
Anguinus uir.		Gregorius. x.		Mediolanenſis, Familia vicecomitum, quæ anguẽ pro inſigni gerit.
184	23. Snaky man	Gregory X (1271–1276)	Teobaldo Visconti	A Milanese, of the family of Viscounts (Visconti), which bears a snake for arms. The Visconti coat of arms had a large serpent devouring a male child feet first; sources conflict as to whether Gregory X used this for his papal arms.[37]
Concionator Gallus.		Innocentius. v.		Gallus, ordinis Prædicatorum.
185	24. French Preacher	Innocent V (1276)	Pierre de Tarentaise	A Frenchman, of the Order of Preachers. Innocent V was born in what is now south-eastern France and was a member of the order of Preachers.[38]
Bonus Comes.		Adrianus. v.		Ottobonus familia Fliſca ex comitibus Lauaniæ.
186	25. Good Count	Adrian V (1276)	Ottobono Fieschi	Ottobono, of the Fieschi family, from the counts of Lavagna. The Fieschi family were counts of Lavagna and a wordplay on "good" can be made with Adrian V's first name, Ottobono.[39]
Piſcator Thuſcus.		Ioannes. xxi.		antea Ioannes Petrus Epiſcopus Card. Tuſculanus.
187	26. Tuscan Fisherman	John XXI (1276–1277)	Pedro Julião	Formerly John Peter, Cardinal Bishop of Tusculum. John XXI had been the Cardinal Bishop of Tusculum, and shared his first name with Saint Peter, a fisherman.[40]
Roſa compoſita.		Nicolaus. iii.		Familia Vrſina, quæ roſam in inſigni gerit, dictus compoſitus.
188	27. Composite Rose	Nicholas III (1277–1280)	Giovanni Gaetano Orsini	Of the Ursina (Orsini) family, which bears a rose on its arms, called 'composite'. Nicholas III bore a rose in his coat of arms.[40]
Ex teloneo liliacei Martini.		Martinus. iiii.		cuius inſignia lilia, canonicus, & theſaurarius S. Martini Turonen[sis].
189	28. From the tollhouse of Martin of the lilies	Martin IV (1281–1285)	Simone de Brion	Whose arms were lilies, canon and treasurer of St. Martin of Tours. Martin IV was Canon and Treasurer at the Church of St. Martin in Tours, France.[41] Wyon's assertion that his arms featured lilies is incorrect.[42]
Ex roſa leonina.		Honorius. iiii.		Familia Sabella inſignia roſa à leonibus geſtata.
190	29. Out of the leonine rose	Honorius IV (1285–1287)	Giacomo Savelli	Of the Sabella (Savelli) family, arms were a rose carried by lions. Honorius IV's coat of arms was emblazoned with two lions supporting a rose.[43]
Picus inter eſcas.		Nicolaus. iiii.		Picenus patria Eſculanus.[44]
191	30. Woodpecker between food	Nicholas IV (1288–1292)	Girolamo Masci	A Picene by nation, of Asculum (Ascoli). The motto is likely an obscure wordplay on Nicholas IV's birthplace in Ascoli, in Picenum.[43]
Ex eremo celſus.		Cœleſtinus. v.		Vocatus Petrus de morrone Eremita.
192	31. Raised out of the desert	St. Celestine V (1294)	Pietro Di Murrone	Called Peter de Morrone, a hermit. Prior to his election, Celestine V was a hermit (eremita, literally a dweller in the eremus, or desert).[45]
Ex undarũ bn̑dictione.		Bonifacius. viii.		Vocatus prius Benedictus, Caetanus, cuius inſignia undæ.
193	32. From the blessing of the waves	Boniface VIII (1294–1303)	Benedetto Caetani	Previously called Benedict, of Gaeta, whose arms were waves. Boniface VIII's coat of arms had a wave through it. Also a play on words, referring to the pope's Christian name, "Benedetto."[46]
Concionator patereus. [sic]		Benedictus. xi.		qui uocabatur Frater Nicolaus, ordinis Prædicatorum.
194	33. Preacher From Patara	Benedict XI (1303–1304)	Nicholas Boccasini	Who was called Brother Nicholas, of the order of Preachers. Benedict XI belonged to the Order of Preachers, and his namesake Saint Nicholas was from Patara. O'Brien notes, "Everything leads us to suspect that the author and interpreter of the prophecy is one and the same person. The pretended interpreter who knew that Patare was the birthplace of St. Nicholas forgot that others may not be aware of the fact, and that therefore the explanation would be thrown away on them."[13]
De feſſis aquitanicis.		Clemens V.		natione aquitanus, cuius inſignia feſſæ erant.
195	34. From the fesses of Aquitaine	Clement V (1305–1314)	Bertrand de Got	An Aquitanian by birth, whose arms were fesses. Clement V was Bishop of St-Bertrand-de-Comminges in Aquitaine, and eventually became Archbishop of Bordeaux, also in Aquitaine. His coat of arms displays three horizontal bars, known in heraldry as fesses.[47]
De ſutore oſſeo.		Ioannes XXII.		Gallus, familia Oſſa, Sutoris filius.
196	35. From a bony cobbler	John XXII (1316–1334)	Jacques Duese	A Frenchman, of the Ossa family, son of a cobbler. John XXII's family name was Duèze or D'Euse, the last of which might be back-translated into Latin as Ossa ("bones"), the name Wyon gives. The popular legend that his father was a cobbler is dubious.[48]
Coruus ſchiſmaticus.		Nicolaus V.		qui uocabatur F. Petrus de corbario, contra Ioannem XXII. Antipapa Minorita.
	36. Schismatic crow	Nicholas V, Antipope (1328–1330)	Pietro Rainalducci di Corvaro	Who was called Brother Peter of Corbarium (Corvaro), the Minorite antipope opposing John XXII. The motto is a play on words, referring to Pietro di Corvaro's last name.[49]
Frigidus Abbas.		Benedictus XII.		Abbas Monaſterii fontis frigidi.
197	37. Cold abbot	Benedict XII (1334–1342)	Jacques Fournier	Abbot of the monastery of the cold spring. Benedict XII was an abbot in the monastery of Fontfroide ("cold spring").[50]
De roſa Attrebatenſi.		Clemens VI.		Epiſcopus Attrebatenſis, cuius inſignia Roſæ.
198	38. From the rose of Arras	Clement VI (1342–1352)	Pierre Roger	Bishop of Arras, whose arms were roses. Clement VI was Bishop of Arras (in Latin, Episcopus Attrebatensis) and his armorial bearings were emblazoned with six roses.[51]
De mõtibus Pãmachii.		Innocentius VI.		Cardinalis SS. Ioannis & Pauli. T. Panmachii, cuius inſignia ſex montes erant.
199	39. From the mountains of Pammachius	Innocent VI (1352–1362)	Etienne Aubert	Cardinal of Saints John and Paul, Titulus of Pammachius, whose arms were six mountains. Innocent VI was Cardinal Priest of Pammachius. Wyon and Panvinio describe his arms as depicting six mountains, though other sources do not.[52]
Gallus Vicecomes.		Vrbanus V.		nuncius Apoſtolicus ad Vicecomites Mediolanenſes.
200	40. French viscount	Urban V (1362–1370)	Guglielmo De Grimoard	Apostolic nuncio to the Viscounts of Milan. Urban V was French.[53] Wyon indicates he was Apostolic Nuncio to the Viscounts of Milan.[54]
Nouus de uirgine forti.		Gregorius XI.		qui uocabatur Petrus Belfortis, Cardinalis S. Mariæ nouæ.
201	41. New man from the strong virgin	Gregory XI (1370–1378)	Pierre Roger de Beaufort	Who was called Peter Belfortis (Beaufort), Cardinal of New St. Mary's. The motto refers to Gregory XI's surname and his title Cardinal of Santa Maria Nuova.[55]
Decruce Apoſtolica. [sic]		Clemens VII.		qui fuit Preſbyter Cardinalis SS. XII. Apoſtolorũ cuius inſignia Crux.
	42. From the apostolic cross	Clement VII, Antipope (1378–1394)	Robert, Count of Geneva	Who was Cardinal Priest of the Twelve Holy Apostles, whose arms were a cross. Clement VII's coat of arms showed a cross and he held the title Cardinal Priest of the Twelve Holy Apostles.[56]
Luna Coſmedina.		Benedictus XIII.		antea Petrus de Luna, Diaconus Cardinalis S. Mariæ in Coſmedin.
	43. Cosmedine moon.	Benedict XIII, Antipope (1394–1423)	Peter de Luna	Formerly Peter de Luna, Cardinal Deacon of St. Mary in Cosmedin. The motto refers to Benedict XIII's surname and title.[57]
Schiſma Barchinoniũ.		Clemens VIII.		Antipapa, qui fuit Canonicus Barchinonenſis.
	44. Schism of the Barcelonas	Clement VIII, Antipope (1423–1429)	Gil Sanchez Muñoz	Antipope, who was a canon of Barcelona.[57]
De inferno prægnãti.		Vrbanus VI.		Neapolitanus Pregnanus, natus in loco quæ dicitur Infernus.
202	45. From a pregnant hell.	Urban VI (1378–1389)	Bartolomeo Prignano	The Neapolitan Prignano, born in a place which is called Inferno. Urban VI's family name was Prignano or Prignani, and he was native to a place called Inferno near Naples.[58]
Cubus de mixtione.		Bonifacius. IX.		familia tomacella à Genua Liguriæ orta, cuius inſignia Cubi.
203	46. Square of mixture	Boniface IX (1389–1404)	Pietro Tomacelli	Of the Tomacelli family, born in Genoa in Liguria, whose arms were cubes. Boniface IX's coat of arms includes a bend checky — a wide stripe with a checkerboard pattern.[59]
De meliore ſydere.		Innocentius. VII.		uocatus Coſmatus de melioratis Sulmonenſis, cuius inſignia ſydus.
204	47. From a better star	Innocent VII (1404–1406)	Cosmo Migliorati	Called Cosmato dei Migliorati of Sulmo, whose arms were a star. The motto is a play on words, "better" (melior) referring to Innocent VII's last name, Migliorati (Meliorati). There is a shooting star on his coat of arms.[59]
Nauta de Ponte nigro.		Gregorius XII.		Venetus, commendatarius eccleſiæ Nigropontis.
205	48. Sailor from a black bridge	Gregory XII (1406–1415)	Angelo Correr	A Venetian, commendatary of the church of Negroponte. Gregory XII was born in Venice (hence mariner) and was commendatary of Chalkis, then called Negropont.[60]
Flagellum ſolis.		Alexander. V.		Græcus Archiepiſcopus Mediolanenſis, inſignia Sol.
	49. Whip of the sun	Alexander V, Antipope (1409–1410)	Petros Philarges	A Greek, Archbishop of Milan, whose arms were a sun. Alexander V's coat of arms featured a sun, the wavy rays may explain the reference to a whip.[61]
Ceruus Sirenæ.		Ioannes XXIII.		Diaconus Cardinalis S. Euſtachii, qui cum ceruo depingitur, Bononiæ legatus, Neapolitanus.
	50. Stag of the siren	John XXIII, Antipope (1410–1415)	Baldassarre Cossa	Cardinal Deacon of St. Eustace, who is depicted with a stag; legate of Bologna, a Neapolitan. John XXIII was a cardinal with the title of St. Eustachius, whose emblem is a stag, and was originally from Naples, which has the emblem of the siren.[61]
Corona ueli aurei.		Martinus V.		familia colonna, Diaconus Cardinalis S. Georgii ad uelum aureum.
206	51. Crown of the golden curtain	Martin V (1417–1431)	Oddone Colonna	Of the Colonna family, Cardinal Deacon of St. George at the golden curtain. The motto is a reference to Martin V's family name and cardinal title of San Giorgio in Velabro.[62].
Lupa Cœleſtina,		Eugenius. IIII.		Venetus, canonicus antea regularis Cœleſtinus, & Epiſcopus Senẽſis.
207	52. Heavenly she-wolf	Eugene IV (1431–1447)	Gabriele Condulmaro	A Venetian, formerly a regular Celestine canon, and Bishop of Siena. Eugene IV belonged to the order of the Celestines and was the Bishop of Siena which bears a she-wolf on its arms.[63]
Amator Crucis.		Felix. V.		qui uocabatur Amadæus Dux Sabaudiæ, inſignia Crux.
	53. Lover of the cross	Felix V, Antipope (1439–1449)	Amadeus, Duke of Savoy	Who was called Amadeus, Duke of Savoy, arms were a cross. The motto is a reference to Felix V's given name, Amadeus, and arms, which featured the cross of Savoy.[63]
De modicitate Lunæ.		Nicolaus V.		Lunenſis de Sarzana, humilibus parentibus natus.
208	54. From the meanness of Luna	Nicholas V (1447–1455)	Tommaso Parentucelli	A Lunese of Sarzana, born to humble parents. Nicholas V was born in the diocese of Luni, the ancient name of which was Luna.[64]
Bos paſcens.		Calliſtus. III.		Hiſpanus, cuius inſignia Bos paſcens.
209	55. Pasturing ox	Callixtus III (1455–1458)	Alfonso Borja	A Spaniard, whose arms were a pasturing ox. Callixtus III's coat of arms featured an ox.[64]
De Capra & Albergo.		Pius. II.		Senenſis, qui fuit à Secretis Cardinalibus Capranico & Albergato.
210	56. From a nanny-goat and an inn	Pius II (1458–1464)	Enea Silvio de Piccolomini	A Sienese, who was secretary to Cardinals Capranicus and Albergatus. Pius II was secretary to Cardinal Domenico Capranica and Cardinal Albergatti before he was elected Pope.[65]
De Ceruo & Leone.		Paulus. II.		Venetus, qui fuit Commendatarius eccleſiæ Ceruienſis, & Cardinalis tituli S. Marci.
211	57. From a stag and lion	Paul II (1464–1471)	Pietro Barbo	A Venetian, who was commendatary of the church of Cervia, and Cardinal of the title of St. Mark. The motto refers to his Bishopric of Cervia (punning on cervus, "a stag") and his Cardinal title of St. Mark (symbolized by a winged lion).[65]
Piſcator minorita.		Sixtus. IIII.		Piſcatoris filius, Franciſcanus.
212	58. Minorite fisherman	Sixtus IV (1471–1484)	Francesco Della Rovere	Son of a fisherman, Franciscan. Sixtus IV was born the son of a fisherman and a member of the Franciscans, also known as "Minorites" (which was founded in 1209, after Malachy's death.)[66]
Præcurſor Siciliæ.		Innocentius VIII.		qui uocabatur Ioãnes Baptiſta, & uixit in curia Alfonſi regis Siciliæ.
213	59. Precursor of Sicily	Innocent VIII (1484–1492)	Giovanni Battista Cibò	Who was called John Baptist, and lived in the court of Alfonso, king of Sicily. Innocent VIII was from Sicily. "Precursor" may be explained as an allusion to his birth name, after John the Baptist, the precursor of Christ.[67]
Bos Albanus in portu.		Alexander VI.		Epiſcopus Cardinalis Albanus & Portuenſis, cuius inſignia Bos.
214	60. Bull of Alba in the harbor	Alexander VI (1492–1503)	Rodrigo de Borgia	Cardinal Bishop of Albano and Porto, whose arms were a bull. In 1456, he was made a Cardinal and he held the titles of Cardinal Bishop of Albano and Porto, and his arms featured an ox.[67]
De paruo homine.		Pius. III.		Senenſis, familia piccolominea.
215	61. From a small man	Pius III (1503)	Francesco Todeschini Piccolomini	A Sienese, of the Piccolomini family. Pius III's family name was Piccolomini, from piccolo "small" and uomo "man".[68]
Fructus Iouis iuuabit.		Iulius. II.		Ligur, eius inſignia Quercus, Iouis arbor.
216	62. The fruit of Jupiter will help	Julius II (1503–1513)	Giuliano Della Rovere	A Genoese, his arms were an oak, Jupiter's tree. On Julius II's arms was an oak tree, which was sacred to Jupiter.[68]
De craticula Politiana.		Leo. X.		filius Laurentii medicei, & ſcholaris Angeli Politiani.
217	63. From a Politian gridiron	Leo X (1513–1521)	Giovanni de Medici	Son of Lorenzo de' Medici, and student of Angelo Poliziano. Leo X's educator and mentor was Angelo Poliziano. The “Gridiron” in the motto evidently refers to St. Lawrence, who was martyred on a gridiron. This is a rather elliptical allusion to Lorenzo the Magnificent, who was Giovanni’s father.[69]
Leo Florentius.		Adrian. VI.		Florẽtii filius, eius inſignia Leo.
218	64. Florentian lion	Adrian VI (1522–1523)	Adriaen Florenszoon Boeyens	Son of Florentius, his arms were a lion. Adrian VI's coat of arms had two lions on it, and his name is sometimes given as Adrian Florens, or other variants, from his father's first name Florens (Florentius).[70]
Flos pilei ægri.		Clemens. VII.		Florentinus de domo medicea, eius inſignia pila, & lilia.
219	65. Flower of the sick man's pill[71]	Clement VII (1523–1534)	Giulio de Medici	A Florentine of the Medicean house, his arms were pill-balls and lilies. The Medici coat of arms was emblazoned with six medical balls. One of these balls, the largest of the six, was emblazoned with the Florentine lily.[72]
Hiacinthus medicorũ.		Paulus. III.		Farneſius, qui lilia pro inſignibus geſtat, & Card. fuit SS. Coſme, & Damiani.
220	66. Hyacinth of the physicians	Paul III (1534–1549)	Alessandro Farnese	Farnese, who bore lilies for arms, and was Cardinal of Saints Cosmas and Damian. According to some sources, Paul III's coat of arms were charged with hyacinths, and he was cardinal of Saints Cosmas and Damian, both doctors.[73]
De corona montana.		Iulius. III.		antea uocatus Ioannes Maria de monte.
221	67. From the mountainous crown	Julius III (1550–1555)	Giovanni Maria Ciocchi del Monte	Formerly called Giovanni Maria of the Mountain (de Monte) His coat of arms showed mountains and laurel crowns (chaplets).[74]
Frumentum flocidum. [sic]		Marcellus. II.		cuius inſignia ceruus & frumẽtum, ideo floccidum, quod pauco tempore uixit in papatu.
222	68. Trifling grain	Marcellus II (1555)	Marcello Cervini	Whose arms were a stag and grain; 'trifling', because he lived only a short time as pope. His coat of arms showed a stag and ears of wheat.[74]
De fide Petri.		Paulus. IIII.		antea uocatus Ioannes Petrus Caraffa.
223	69. From Peter's faith	Paul IV (1555–1559)	Giovanni Pietro Caraffa	Formerly called John Peter Caraffa. Paul IV is said to have used his second Christian name Pietro.[75]
Eſculapii pharmacum.		Pius. IIII.		antea dictus Io. Angelus Medices.
224	70. Aesculapius' medicine	Pius IV (1559–1565)	Giovanni Angelo de Medici	Formerly called Giovanni Angelo Medici. The motto is likely a simple allusion to Pius IV's family name.[76]
Angelus nemoroſus.		Pius. V.		Michael uocatus, natus in oppido Boſchi.
225	71. Angel of the grove	St. Pius V (1566–1572)	Antonio Michele Ghisleri	Called Michael, born in the town of Bosco. Pius V was born in Bosco, Lombardy; the placename means grove. His name was 'Antonio Michele Ghisleri', and Michele relates to the archangel.[77] O'Brien notes here that many of the prophecies contain plays on Italian words, which are not made explicit in the explanations provided in the Lignum Vitae.[77]
Medium corpus pilarũ.		Gregorius. XIII.		cuius inſignia medius Draco, Cardinalis creatus à Pio. IIII. qui pila in armis geſtabat.
226	72. Half body of the balls	Gregory XIII (1572–1585)	Ugo Boncompagni	Whose arms were a half-dragon; a Cardinal created by Pius IV who bore balls in his arms. The "balls" in the motto refer to Pope Pius IV, who had made Gregory a cardinal. Pope Gregory had a dragon on his coat of arms with half a body.[78]
Axis in medietate ſigni.		Sixtus. V.		qui axem in medio Leonis in armis geſtat.
227	73. Axle in the midst of a sign.	Sixtus V (1585–1590)	Felice Peretti	Who bears in his arms an axle in the middle of a lion. This is a rather straightforward description of the Sixtus V's coat of arms.[79]
De rore cœli.		Vrbanus. VII.		qui fuit Archiepiſcopus Roſſanenſis in Calabria, ubi mãna colligitur.
228	74. From the dew of the sky	Urban VII (1590)	Giovanni Battista Castagna	Who was Archbishop of Rossano in Calabria, where manna is collected. He had been Archbishop of Rossano in Calabria where sap called "the dew of heaven" is gathered from trees.[80]