As the ritual usually goes for the masked swedish rockers when they reach the end of an album cycle, Ghost seems to have retired Papa Emeritus III and replaced him with a Papa resembling a pope by the name of “Papa Emeritus Zero.” As the group finished up playing “Monstrance Clock” from their 2013 album Infestissumam, two men dressed in suits dragged Papa Emeritus off the stage. Shortly after, a pope-like figure dressed in a yellow gown sporting a cane and oxygen mask was escorted onto the stage.

In Italian, the new Papa announced “I am Papa Emeritus Zero. The party is over. The Middle Ages are starting now.” Has a new Papa emerged? Fans have speculated that based on their track record and the fact the Meliora/Popestar album cycle has come to a close, it’s more than likely the case. Especially since the group will supposedly be releasing a new album in the spring of 2018.

Last month, Ghost found itself in some legal trouble when previous members of the band refuted Tobias Forge’s claim that the band was a solo project.

Photo Credit: Boston Lynn Schultz