However, Weiss asserts that since the Catholic Church formerly had many leaders claiming to be hope at the same time, some people think Francis is the 112th and last pope.
According to USA Today, “those who believe in Malachy’s prophecy include in the count a few of those antipopes – figures not formally recognized by the Vatican.”
Whether you think there will be another pope or not, qualified cardinals will vote in a formal conclave that will start this week in Rome’s Sistine Chapel.
They will continue to meet until the new pope is chosen, and Pietro Parolin, Peter Erdo, Jean-Marc Aveline, and Pierbattista Pizzaballa are among the leading contenders in an uncertain process.
A tiny chimney on top of the Sistine Chapel will emit smoke as the Catholic Church formally chooses a new pope.
