The Vatican is a special place that many people find fascinating.
It holds a lot of secrets and interesting things hidden inside.
This article will explore 13 secrets about Vatican City that have puzzled and interested experts and fans.
Get ready for an exciting journey through this ancient place, where truth and mystery come together.
We will uncover hidden truths, discuss important events, and reveal interesting knowledge.
Secrets about the Vatican
1. Rumored Assistance in the Escape of Nazi War Criminals from Allied Forces
After World War II ended, many Nazis tried to escape Europe and find safety in South American countries like Argentina, Chile, and Brazil.
A researcher named Gerald Steinacher from Harvard University wrote a book that presents evidence suggesting the Vatican assisted Nazis in traveling to other countries.
According to Steinacher, the Vatican may have done this to strengthen Christianity in Europe.
The Vatican was concerned about the Soviet Union gaining more influence.
However, the Vatican has not said anything in response to these claims.
2. The Vatican might have profited economically from the Holocaust
During World War II, people believed the Vatican helped Nazis escape with stolen things from Jewish families.
A journalist named Gerald Posner said that a Vatican financial advisor, Bernardino Nogara, was connected to the Nazis.
Gerald said that Nogara made a plan where the Vatican invested in Italian insurance companies.
He also kept the money from the life insurance policies of Jewish families that did not survive.
Because the Vatican allegedly was an investor, they didn’t have to give back the money they made from this plan.
3. Trial of a Deceased Individual
In 897 AD, the Catholic Church conducted a trial involving a deceased individual.
Referred to as the ‘Cadaver Synod,’ this posthumous trial centered around Pope Formosus and was overseen by Pope Stephen VI, his successor.
Seven months after his death, Formosus was accused of unlawfully assuming the Papacy.
Remarkably, his body was exhumed, attired in clerical vestments, and presented before the papal court for judgment.
A deacon was even assigned to advocate on behalf of the deceased Pope.
Formosus was ultimately found guilty, and all his papal actions were deemed invalid.
His body was stripped of its garments and clad in rags, while his three benediction fingers were severed.
Subsequently, his body was disposed of in the River Tiber.
4. Controversies Surrounding the Vatican Bank
The Vatican Bank, known as the Institute for the Works of Religion (IOR), has been embroiled in various scandals.
Gerald Posner said the Vatican received annual Church Tax payments from Hitler.
Significant sums of money were funneled to the IOR to evade detection by Western banks.
The Vatican Bank served as a repository for billions of dollars, with the specifics remaining undisclosed to the public.
5. The Vatican’s Top Exorcist Conducts Over 100,000 Exorcisms
Even though we often see exorcisms in scary movies and associate them with the past, they may still happen in the Catholic Church today.
Father Gabriele Amorth, a priest, served as the Vatican’s top exorcist for 60 years.
During his long career, he performed around 160,000 exorcisms.
It’s interesting to know that many Popes have also performed exorcisms throughout history, showing that it’s a tradition that has continued.
In 2018, the Vatican organized a workshop where 250 priests from different countries came together to learn about exorcism, as reported by the BBC.
6. The Alleged Office of the Apostolic Penitentiary
The Apostolic Penitentiary is speculated to be a secret court that deals with serious offenses committed by individuals.
It was established a long time ago, around 1179, but its existence was only revealed in 2009.
Only the Pope can forgive or absolve those who come before this court.
The court handles sins like planning to harm the Pope or if a priest reveals secrets shared during confession.
The Pope is the highest authority in this court, known as the Major Penitentiary, and can either grant forgiveness or let the punishment of ex-communication stand.
7. Vatileaks’ Scandal
In 2012, the publication of a book titled ‘His Holiness’ unveiled a collection of confidential papers attributed to Pope Benedict.
It is said that these secret documents had been leaked to the author, Gianluigi Nuzzi, by Benedict XVI’s butler.
Upon examining the leaked materials, an internal inquiry was conducted.
It exposed how non-Vatican individuals were blackmailing homosexual bishops who had violated their vows of celibacy.
As a result of this scandal, Pope Benedict XVI made the unprecedented decision to resign from the Papacy in 2013.
Conspiracy theories surrounding the Vatican
1. The alleged Non-Existence of Jesus
Some reports claim the existence of letters exchanged between Emperor Nero and Saint Paul in the Vatican archives.
These letters illuminate the question of Jesus’s existence as we know Him.
Some people who believe in conspiracy theories think that the Vatican hides evidence against the idea of Jesus Christ’s existence.
2. It speculatively Houses a Device Capable of Time Travel
Some people believe in a device called the Chronovisor, which is said to let you see the past and the future.
They think an Italian scientist and priest named Father Pellegrino Maria Ernetti made it.
But there’s no official proof that this device exists, so some people wonder if it might be hidden in the Vatican Archives.
3. It speculatively Houses a Device Capable of Time Travel
Some people who believe in conspiracy theories say that the Vatican Archives have a lot of explicit materials, like pornography, and that it’s the biggest collection in the world.
They claim that the Copenhagen Museum of Erotica and writings by William Buckley Jr. and scholar Camilla Paglia support this idea.
4. The Revelations of Fatima’s Three Secrets
There is a secret called the Third Secret of Fatima that is believed to be kept hidden in the Vatican Archives.
In 1917, three kids from Portugal received prophecies, and many people saw one of the prophecies come true.
People wonder what the Third Secret is because it hasn’t been fully revealed.
Some think it might talk about a big disaster like a nuclear event or a natural disaster.
Even though part of the secret was shared in 2000, it didn’t stop people from speculating and wondering about the rest.
5. Rumors indicating Alien Life
Some rumors that suggest the Vatican has evidence that aliens exist.
Some people claim that the Vatican Archives have documents showing that the Pope works with aliens.
They believe the aliens helped the Pope put computer chips in everyone on Earth.
6. They are rumored to be manipulated by the Illuminati
Some people think that even though the Illuminati disappeared a long time ago, it has returned and put its members in important positions worldwide.
One of these important positions is believed to be in the Vatican.
People say that there are Illuminati members among the important people in the Vatican, and the New World Order is being carried out. Key governments or the masses do not know of it. However, a lot of world events are a result of this Order.
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