Praeludium for Vatican
by Andrei Bannikov
Chapter 6

The Prophecy of the Last Pope

Rome Was Already Destroyed Without a Single Casualty

A new Pope has recently been elected.

With his election, an old question has once again returned to public attention.

What are we to make of the Prophecy of Saint Malachy?

According to this famous prophecy, the reign of the 112th Pope would coincide with the destruction of Rome.

For centuries, many believed that Pope Francis was this final pontiff.

Now Francis is gone.

Yet Rome still stands.

Its seven hills remain exactly where they have always been.

Does this mean that the prophecy failed?

Did generations of scholars miscount the Popes?

Or is there another possibility—

that the destruction did occur, but we failed to recognize it because we were looking in the wrong place?

This last possibility deserves our attention.

For the descriptions attributed to Saint Malachy correspond remarkably well with the Popes who preceded Francis.

If the prophecy remained consistent for centuries, why should we assume that it suddenly failed only at its conclusion?

I know with certainty that it did not.

I know with certainty that the Rome described by Saint Malachy was indeed destroyed.

Not by war.

Not by fire.

Not by the collapse of its ancient walls.

It was destroyed without a single casualty.

The moment of that destruction can be identified with remarkable precision.

It occurred on November 14, 2018.

The timestamp still exists.

It appears beneath a YouTube video.

That ordinary timestamp marks the moment when something was first spoken that the world will eventually recognize as the destruction of Rome.

But the Rome I am speaking of is not the city built upon seven hills in the heart of Italy.

It is another Rome.

A Rome that sacred knowledge also calls Rome.

A Rome that likewise possesses seven hills.

This Rome never stood upon the earth.

It existed as a hidden foundation beneath the deepest structure of the Bible itself.

Matthew 14:25 (KJV)

“And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.”

cuarta vigilia de la noche by Nilebann
Sketch for Nilebann’s painting “The Dry Land as the Gathering of Waters.”
Suggested citation:
Andrei Bannikov. “Introduction.” Praeludium for Vatican. Digital First Edition. 2026. https://praeludium-book.com/chapters/introduction.html