Spurred on by a New York Submit story about Pope Francis opening “5 sacred portals” this Christmas, the goofier corners of the social media world are breathlessly sharing warnings that the Pope is planning to open the “Tomb of Lucifer,” or the Satan’s Tomb this vacation season.
The TikTok video beneath, from GraceXDigital, has been considered greater than 2 million occasions and explains the entire conspiracy idea. Grace is asking the Pope essential questions, like “Why are you doing this this yr, in this economic system?”
Whereas The Pope is opening 5 portals to shut out 2024, I remorse to tell you that His Holiness just isn’t planning to open the Tomb of Lucifer—nothing that superior ever occurs. There is a tomb of Lucifer underneath the Vatican, nevertheless it’s not as cool as you’d hope. Nothing on this story just isn’t as cool as you’d hope.
What are these portals the Pope is opening?
The Pope is definitely going to be opening 5 sacred portals as a part of a ritual this yr, however “portal” simply means “door,” and 4 of the 5 doorways result in well-known basilicas. Regardless of what some web cranks are saying, it is not the primary time this has occurred both: The ritual occurs each 25 years, and is supposed to usher in a yr “renewed in hope” for Catholics. So mainly, it is the Pope doing Pope junk.
The one never-happened-before a part of the story is Pope Francis placing his personal spin on the ritual by opening a fifth door contained in the Roman jail Rebibbia on Dec. 26. It is meant to supply prisoners an indication to “look to the longer term with hope and a renewed sense of confidence.” The door opening is symbolic, so the prisoners won’t be freed to run rampant in Rome.
The Tomb of Lucifer and the Vatican Necropolis
The one barely cool a part of the story: There’s a metropolis of the lifeless underneath the Vatican that has a tomb of Lucifer, and you’ll be able to go to it. The Vatican Necropolis lies 15 to 24 toes beneath Saint Peter’s Basilica, close to the location of the Circus of Caligula. Initially an open-air cemetery, the necropolis dates again to the Roman Empire and supposedly comprises the stays of the Apostle Peter together with the skeletons of varied Popes and different distinguished early Catholics. Additionally discovered right here: the Tomb of Lucifer.
However it’s not the Lucifer, the Morning Star, the fallen angel who turned the pinnacle of the demons. That Lucifer’s final destiny is murky. Perhaps he is nonetheless alive, subtly convincing folks to cheat at Monopoly, or possibly he is in Heaven as a result of he discovered redemption, or possibly he is in Newark. (In accordance with Dante, Lucifer is within the deepest circle of the abyss, frozen in ice and compelled to beat his wings for eternity to energy Hell, so I will go along with that.) In any case, the angelic Lucifer is not an individual, so he does not have a tomb.
In accordance with the Vatican’s personal Necropolis map, Tomb U is labeled “Lucifer.” The Vatican says: “The doorway to the tomb has been lowered due to a fault within the architrave. It’s doable, nevertheless, to glimpse a number of the niches with their attribute pink background and several other arcosoli.” Crimson backgrounds? It is gotta be Devil. However nah: The development of this tomb pre-dates the affiliation of the identify “Lucifer” with the satan. We do not truly know why it is known as the Lucifer tomb. It may be a reference to some graffiti discovered round there, or a reference to an essential Catholic with that identify. It is not referring to the satan, although.
Why are there so many Catholic conspiracy theories anyway?
Why the Pope opening some doorways in Vatican Metropolis turned a conspiracy idea on TikTok is a posh query. America’s historical past of anti-Catholicism dates again to earlier than america was even a factor. Whereas these deep cultural and historic biases are in all probability a part of it, I feel the primary purpose folks site visitors on this kind of conspiratorial pondering is extra harmless: the Catholic Church is basically previous and actually bizarre, and other people like somewhat spice of their Christmas eggnog.
Folks additionally like placing collectively puzzles, and the Catholic Church offers you a lot of items to play with. The Vatican is an historical metropolis stuffed with tunnels, crumbling Roman ruins, and a Necropolis underneath a basilica. The Pope controls a city-state, can converse with God’s voice, and wears some very spectacular hats. It is the sort of set-up the place something looks like it may very well be occurring at any time, together with the Pope digging up Devil’s grave, possibly to allow them to struggle.
Like many conspiracy theorists, the writer Dan Brown, and the builders of the Murderer’s Creed video video games, I need the superior issues to be actual too. I need a flashy showdown in Vatican Metropolis between angels and demons (and aliens). However good and evil do not work that means in actual life. Even if you happen to costume up the “good guys” in elaborate headgear, they’re nonetheless fallible previous males—51% good on a superb day.
Evil does not reside in a tomb and are available at you with flaming swords. It will be cool if the Pope may name on the facility of his huge buddy God to smite those that want smiting, however regardless of the hats, scepters, and symbolic authority, the most effective the Pope can do is throw open some previous doorways within the papal palace and possibly attempt to get folks to possibly take into consideration the plight of prisoners.
