Doomsday fanatics have claimed that a 12th century prophecy states the successor to Benedict XVI will be the last pope before the end of the world.   After the Mayan 2012 prophecies failed to materialise, apocalypse aficionados have turned their attention to the purported writings of St Malachy, an Irish saint and Archbishop of Armagh, who lived between 1094 and 1148, the Daily Mail reported.  

St Malachy is said to have travelled to Rome in 1139, where he experienced a vision of future popes, writing down a series of 112 cryptic phrases that described each one in turn.   

The saint's final prediction 'Petrus Romanus' is now being linked to leading contender Ghanaian Cardinal Peter Turkson.  

According to Malachy's visions, 'Petrus Romanus' will be the 112th and final pope after whom it is stated that the "the seven-hilled city will be destroyed and the dreadful Judge will judge the people.'  

Although not part of official Catholic teaching, the Prophecy of the Popes is well known by Vatican officials and Catholic scholars.