Looks like the end for Papa Emeritus IV is coming soon. According to Emeritus IV during Ghost's October 5 show at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre in Brisbane, Australia, that time on stage was his last.
"It's a big night in so many ways," said Emeritus IV between songs. "I'm going to let you accompany me, you can stay where you are and I'm going to go have a little bit of a drink over here. I know a lot of people are expecting some sort of explosion, implosion, a miracle where I just dissapear in favor of a successor.
"I'm going to take this ice cube and I'm going to put it down my pants. I usually don't do that, but that is to make me feel a little bit better because now I'm focusing on that and not on you. Just in case you thought I was pissing myself, which I'm sure would have been the great finale. But you know what? This finale, it's just going to be my last show, and I'm going to do my best to deliver that show to you and that would just have to be enough, okay?"
Ghost seems to have been hinting at the end of Emeritus IV for a little while now, but never came out and said it in such plain terms. Back in October 2022, Mr. Salterian said to Papa Emeritus IV midway through the band's then-recent chapter of their story that the "shows are scheduled, I KNOW when your time is up." There was also a video back in February of this year where Saltarian is noticeably wheeling around a new casket while Emeritus and Sister Imperator are talking.
So yeah, it seems safe to assume that the next phase of Ghost is coming.
