The Popes in his vision were all characterised by an epithet or short description.

Pope John XIII was referred to as “Pastor et Nauta”. It is a perfect soubriquet for a Pope who was a former archbishop of Venice. But it is astounding that it predicted in the eleventh century.

Albino Luciani was born in Belluno and was elected Pope John Paul I on August 26th 1978. There was a half-moon that day. He lasted only 33 days. He was portrayed, as “De Mediatate Lunae” – of the half-moon.

The recently deceased John Paul II, who was born during a solar eclipse, was given the apellation “De labore Solis” – labour of the Sun.

The next Pope is “Gloria olivae” – The Glory of the Olive. What does this mean? The Benedictine Order are associated with olives so maybe the next Pope will come from that order. Or maybe he will choose to be the sixteenth Pope Benedict.

Among the leading contenders for the Papacy next week are Cardinal Francis Arinze, former archbishop of Onitsha, Nigeria, Cardinal Oscar Andrés Rodriguez Maradiaga, archbishop of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi, archbishop of Milan and Cardinal Christoph Schönborn,archbishop of Vienna.

Personally I would like a non- European Pope who will address the problems of AIDS and poverty in the third world.

But, I suspect, as has often happened before, we will all be surprised. __