E140 The Vatican: Secrets, Scandals & Sacred Shadows

Popes in palaces. Time machines in the basement. A filing cabinet so secret you need a prayer to open it. This week, we’re deep-diving into the world’s holiest city-state and asking: what the actual hell is going on behind those gold doors? From haunted crypts and cursed relics to real-life exorcists and a prophecy that says this might be the last Pope ever—we’re cracking open centuries of mystery, scandal, and sacred shade. Get in, loser. We’re going to Vatican City.General Historical and Structural InfoVatican.va – Official Vatican website (basic info about the state, pope, Swiss Guard, archives, etc.)History.com – Background on the Lateran Treaty, Vatican City’s creation, and papal historyBritannica.com – Overviews of Vatican institutions, exorcisms, relics, and the papacySpecific Topics and ClaimsThe Secret Archives & Forbidden BooksNational Geographic’s “Secrets of the Vatican” (documentary + article)Vatican Apostolic Archive (archive.vatican.va)“The Vatican’s Secret Archives Aren’t Secret” – The AtlanticThe Vatican Necropolis / St. Peter’s TombVatican’s Scavi Office (scavi.va)Smithsonian Magazine: “The Secret History Beneath the Vatican”RH-Negative Blood TheoryAncient Origins: “The Mystery of Rh-Negative Blood”Gaia.com articles (used with caution due to fringe angle)Chronovisor“Father Ernetti’s Chronovisor: The Vatican’s Secret Time Machine” – Mysterious UniverseFortean Times and Ancient Aliens references (credible in the way spooky entertainment needs to be)Prophecy of the Popes / St. Malachy“Prophecy of the Popes” – Catholic EncyclopediaHistory Today: “Is Pope Francis the Last Pope?”Emanuela Orlandi CaseNetflix: Vatican Girl (documentary series)BBC News, Reuters, and NPR reports on tomb openings and Vatican responsesMiracle of San GennaroLiveScience: “Blood of Saint Januarius Turns to Liquid in Alleged Miracle”Smithsonian Channel coverage of the phenomenonVatiLeaksThe Guardian, New York Times, and BBC News articles on both VatiLeaks scandals“Merchants in the Temple” – Gianluigi Nuzzi (journalist involved in VatiLeaks)Cadaver SynodHistory Extra: “The Cadaver Synod: The Pope Who Put a Corpse on Trial”Catholic Herald historical features