Is the next pope the last pope? This 12th-century guy says yep

If life has been feeling empty since the world failed to end in December, don't worry: We have a (sort of) brand-new doomsday prophecy. The historic resignation of Pope Benedict XVI has renewed interest in St. Malachy's "Prophecy of the Popes," a set of papal forecasts supposedly written in the 12th century but circulated in 1595. In them, Malachy supposedly lays down his vision of 112 popes. Believers have named John Paul II as 110 and Benedict as 111. The only problem is, Malachy says there are just 112 popes — the end of the world comes next. Doubters, though, say that Malachy's text was fabricated in a 16th-century effort to promote one cardinal's election to the papal seat. [Source]

Click msnNOW.com, updated 24 hours a day.