Cardinal Paolo Romeo, the archbishop of Palermo in Sicily, reportedly made the startling prediction of the Pope's death during a trip to China in November 2011. Thus, according to Cardinal Romeo, Pope Benedict XVI will be with us only about another 9 months.

It could be that the good Cardinal was predicting the Pope's rapidly failing health. Recall that late last year, the aging Pope had begun having difficulties. The most visible example of the Pope's declining health came in October of that year -- mere weeks before the Cardinal's comments in China -- when photos showed the Pope using a moving platform to carry him to the alter at St. Peter's. The last time such a platform had been used was when Pope John Paul II's health began to decline.

However, he seemed so sure of the fact that the Pope would die within a year that the people he spoke with, including Italian businessmen and Chinese representatives of the Catholic Church, were convinced that Cardinal Romeo was talking about an assassination attempt.

According to The Guardian, these people became alarmed at the cardinal's words and reported the "news" of an assassination attempt back to the Vatican.

From there, the comments were written up in a top-secret report, dated Dec 30, 2011, and delivered to the Pope by a senior cardinal, Dario Castrillon Hoyos, a Colombian, in January of 2012.

The report to the Pope was written in German, apparently to limit the number of people within the Vatican who would understand it if it was inadvertently leaked. It warns of a "Mordkomplott" – death plot – against Benedict.

Along with creating a report to the Pope, the Vatican has also opened an investigation into the claims.

From there, the report ended up being leaked to a paper. The story was broken on Friday by the Italian daily, 'Il Fatto Quotidiano,' with the alarming headline "Plot against the Pope – he will die within 12 months." The write-up included publication of a page from the (formerly) confidential report.

"During his talks in China, Cardinal Romeo predicted the death of Benedict XVI within 12 months. His remarks were expressed with such certainty and resolution that the people he was speaking to thought, with a sense of alarm, that an attack on the Pope's life was being planned," the paper reported.

"Cardinal Romeo could never have imagined that the indiscreet remarks he made on the trip to China would be communicated back to the Vatican by third parties."

Finally, after the newspaper's sensational report, someone thought to actually ask Cardinal Romeo about his original comments made on his trip to China. According to The Telegraph, Romeo said that the words attributed to him were "absolutely without basis."

"It is so outside of reality that it should not be given any consideration," Romeo said.

The Vatican's spokesman, Father Federico Lombardi, said the report was "so incredible that we cannot comment on it."

"It seems to me something that is so far from reality that I don't even want to address it," Father Lombardi said. "It seems an incredible story and I don't want to comment."

He did not deny the existence of the document to AFP, but added that it was "devoid of reality."

"These are clearly ramblings, which are not at all taken seriously. This is madness," Federico Lombardi was quoted as saying by Sky Italia. A Father Lombardi's statement was "hurriedly-released" in an effort to stop rumors, and widespread fear for the Pontiff's safety, according to an article posted at FOX News.

John L Allen Jr of the National Catholic Reporter says the editors of Il Fatto Quotidiano are standing by their story, insisting that the letter attributed to Castrillón is authentic, and that it “raises legitimate questions, not only about the health and security of the pope, but the disconcerting situation in which the church finds itself.”

Obviously, conspiracy theorists are going to be making a note of this, in case the Pope actually does die this year.

Here's something interesting. During the trip to China, Cardinal Romeo didn't only predict that the Pope would die within 12 months, but he also predicted the Pope's replacement: Cardinal Scola. If this were a conspiracy, is Cardinal Romeo in on it?

Nick Squires, writing at The Telegraph, reported: "Experts said the release of the document could be part of a power struggle within the Vatican administration to try and force Bertone to leave."

"Cardinal Romeo said Benedict viewed Cardinal Scola as his ideal successor," Mr. Squires continues, "because they had similar personalities and theological outlooks. Cardinal Scola was previously the Patriarch of Venice, but was promoted to the archbishopric of Milan by Benedict in June last year."