Omg, The Simpsons eerily predicted key Pope details way back in 1998 and we missed it

There are two separate episodes that have nods to Pope Leo

11 hours ago

It’s become a running joke that The Simpsons manages to predict huge world events decades before they happen, with the animated show accurately foretelling smartwatches, Donald Trump as President of the United States, and now, the new Pope!

The Simpsons has been on air since way back in 1990, and over the course of its thirty-year tenure, they have predicted countless events. People have long theorised about how the show predicts the future, with some arguing it’s a matter of probability, and others suggesting it’s down to the length of time it has been on TV. Do its creators have a crystal ball in hand? Probably not, but still, it’s captivating to dive into.

There’s now another piece of evidence for the crystal ball theory, take a look.

What did The Simpsons get right about the new Pope?

Pennsylvania

Following the tragic death of Pope Francis last month, the Vatican’s College of Cardinals undertook the time-honoured tradition of a Conclave where they elected Pope Leo XIV as the next leader of the Catholic church, just as The Simpsons predicted.

On Reddit, people pointed out how The Simpsons referenced the coming of an American pope in the series 10 episode The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace where Homer attempts to get rich with various gadgets.

In a moment towards the end of the episode, newsreader Kent Brockman tells us: “Authorities say the phoney Pope can be recognised by his high-top sneakers and incredibly foul mouth.”

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According to US experts in the Reddit thread, “high-top sneakers” and an “incredibly foul mouth” are traits that associated with Chicago, where Pope Leo is originally from. The post has since received nearly 3k upvotes and hundreds of comments, many of which are people saying they were just about to post it.

“I tried to post this, too. Since the Pope is from Chicago, the idea of a Pope with high tops and an incredibly foul mouth now counts as an official Simpsons Prediction,” one person said.

Homer

But it doesn’t stop there, as there was also another Pope reference in the season nine episode The City of New York vs Homer Simpson. The group need a designated driver to get to New York City, with bartender Moe suggesting they pick it the same way they did the Pope: By reaching into a jar of pickled eggs. Later in the episode, Barney reveals how he lost Homer’s car in Villanova, Pennsylvania, where Pope Leo attended University.

Keep your eyes peeled because I guarantee there are more predictions out there.

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Featured image credit: The Simpsons/CBS News