For two millennia, a Christian shrine has stood in the Eternal City - the Basilica of St. Paul outside the city walls. One of the mysteries of the Catholic Church is associated with it. They say that from some of the interior details you can learn about the approaching end of the world.
Basilica of St. Paul outside the city walls, Rome
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The Basilica of St. Paul outside the city walls (Basilica di San Paolo fuori le Mura) in Rome is one of the main churches of Catholicism. She has seen a lot in her history. The basilica suffered from earthquakes, completely burned out, struck by lightning and was robbed by the Saracens. It seems a miracle that this Christian shrine is still preserved almost in its original form.
Papal portraits
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For two millennia, the interior of the basilica has been adorned with a collection of papal portraits associated with an unusual legend. Along the perimeter of the church, in one line below the windows, there are niches for large round mosaics, on which mosaic images of all the Popes are made. This tradition dates back to the 5th century, when portraits were painted in frescoes. Unfortunately, they burned down during a fire in 1823. They were restored and henceforth the faces of the Popes began to be made of mosaics. If no data on the appearance of any Pope has survived, the Italian artist Filippo Agricola himself "invented" his portrait.
Mid-10th century popes: Leo VII and Stephen IX
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The only problem with this tradition is the finite number of niches for portraits. Meanwhile, the legend says that when the niches run out and the last Pope dies, the world will end.
Mosaic portraits of Pope Francis and Pope Benedict XVI
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At the moment, there are only six empty cells left next to the portrait of Pope Francis. It will be good if future popes will rule long enough - like Pius IX, who was the head of the Roman church for 31 years. Worse, if the portrait cells fill up as in the 7th century, when six popes ruled for just over four years. Only time will tell how true the prediction of the Catholic Basilica is.
Legendary Pope John as a Babylonian harlot riding on the beast of the Apocalypse
Photo: cont.ws
Death on a pale horse is a harbinger of the Apocalypse. Illustration from a 1919 book
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