The internet is once again abuzz with conspiracy theorists (and when isn't it), this time over the resigning of a pope and the installation of another.

This week, the college of cardinals will elect, according to Saint Malachy's Pope Prophecies, the last pope on earth before the end times. St. Malachy, the archbishop of Ireland in the 1100's,  reportedly had a vision regarding all future popes.

In Malachy’s vision, the last pope – who will soon be elected – is described this way: “in extreme persecution, the seat of the Holy Roman Church will be occupied by Peter the Roman…”

While none of the Italian Cardinals are called Peter, one favorite to become Pope is Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana.

Of course, a newly elected pope can then choose a new name for himself. Popes have been picking their own names since the year 533.

UPDATE: VATICAN CITY — With a puff of white smoke from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel and to the cheers of thousands of rain-soaked faithful, a gathering of Catholic cardinals picked a new pope from among their midst on Wednesday — choosing the cardinal from Argentina, the first South American to ever lead the church.

The new pope, Jorge Mario Bergoglio (pronounced Ber-GOAL-io), will be called Francis, the 266th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church. He is also the first non-European leader of the church in more than 1,200 years. - NY Times

But why are people talking about it this week? As Pope Benedict XVI steps down from the papacy, we are at the last name in the prophecy of the popes, which many have taken to indicate the final pope at the end of the world.

But, where does the most arguably the most recognized name in prophecy fit into this dire prediction? According to Nostradamus, the Pope will flee Rome in the month of December, when the Great Comet is seen in the daytime.  'The sun will appear double' or the 'sky will display two suns' according to his writings.

This mysterious prophecy appears in Quatrain VI.6 of the famous Nostradamus Prophecies:

 There will appear towards the North
Not far from Cancer the bearded star:
Susa, Siena, Boeotia, Eretria,
The great one of Rome will die, the night over.

The "bearded star", or, what scholar's believe to be, a comet, or comets, will appear in the same year as the last pope's election.

Enter the comets for 2013:

Comet Pan-STARRS C/2011 L4 is on a path from the very outer reaches of the solar system and, according to Hawaiian astronomers, March 13 may be the best time to take an interesting picture of the comet because at that time it will appear just below the crescent Moon.

But isn't the comet suppose to "light up the daytime sky" according to ancient prophecy? Oddly enough, Comet ISON could do just that. As this comet approaches in November, the sun’s atmosphere will light it up, and by later that month it could appear in our night sky as bright as the Moon.

NASA said that it may be so bright as to be visible during daylight hours.

As it turns out, Nostradamus wasn’t so far off. The Comet ISON, with its 40,000 mile-long tail, has been visible the past couple months as Benedict prepared to abdicate and leave Rome.

Adding fuel to the fire, do you remember this photo taken the same day Pope Benedict XVI announced his resignation?

vatican-lightning bolt
Alessandro Di Meo / EPA file
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Was the lightning bolt prophetic? Are these comets part of a prophecy? Is the new pope the world's last? Furthermore, should we be worried?

The answer is simply, no. Probably not.

After all, the world's scholars, prophets, oracles, and seers have an incredibly dismal record on prophesying the end of the world, don't they?

Credits: wikipedia, NBC News, NY Times

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