Meltzer: WHAT IF I TOLD YOU
THAT THE VATICAN, SEAT OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, COVERED UP THE MURDER
OF ONE OF ITS POPES? IN SEPTEMBER 1978, JOHN PAUL I WAS POPE
FOR ONLY 33 DAYS BEFORE HE WAS FOUND DEAD
IN HIS CHAMBERS BY A NUN
BRINGING HIM MORNING COFFEE. WITHIN HOURS, THE POPE'S BODY
WAS WHISKED AWAY, WITH NO AUTOPSY
AND NO INVESTIGATION. HE WAS VIRTUALLY ERASED
FROM HISTORY. BUT MANY BELIEVE JOHN PAUL I
KNEW SECRETS ABOUT CORRUPT FACTIONS
WITHIN THE VATICAN THAT MAY STILL EXIST TODAY. IS THE VATICAN HARBORING SECRETS
SO DANGEROUS THAT IT WAS WILLING TO KILL ONE
OF ITS OWN POPES TO HIDE THEM? THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY
TO FIND OUT. IT'S TIME TO DECODE THE VATICAN. I'M BRAD MELTZER. I'VE SPENT MY LIFE
COLLECTING STORIES -- SIGNS, SYMBOLS, AND CODES
HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT. SOME HAVE BECOME THE BASIS
FOR MY NOVELS, BUT I'VE ONLY SCRATCHED
THE SURFACE. AND NOW HISTORY
HAS GIVEN ME THE RESOURCES TO INVESTIGATE THE REST. THIS IS "DECODED." [ INDISTINCT SINGING ] Willey:
LET'S FACE IT. THERE ARE CERTAIN PEOPLE
IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH WHO RATHER DELIGHT
IN MYSTERY. THERE IS A CULT OF SECRECY
INSIDE THE VATICAN. DON'T FORGET THE POPE HAS
HIS OWN PRIVATE DIPLOMATIC CORPS IN COUNTRIES ALL OVER THE WORLD
WHO REPORT TO HIM PERSONALLY. NOW, ALL THESE REPORTS
ARE FILED AWAY FOR POSTERITY
IN THE VATICAN ARCHIVE, WHICH, SIGNIFICANTLY,
IS CALLED THE SECRET ARCHIVE. THE VATICAN DOESN'T REALLY LIKE
TO DIVULGE VERY MUCH ABOUT ITS STRATEGIES, ITS
TACTICS, ITS FEARS, ITS HOPES. SO, THEY ANSWER TO NO ONE
BUT THEMSELVES. THEY ARE
AN INDEPENDENT ENTITY. THEY'RE A SOVEREIGN STATE,
AND THE POPE IS THE BOSS. VATICAN CITY
WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1929 UNDER PRIME MINISTER
BENITO MUSSOLINI, WHICH IS IRONIC
BECAUSE THE FASCIST LEADER, WHILE RAISED
BY A CATHOLIC MOTHER, DENOUNCED THE CHURCH
MOST OF HIS LIFE. BUT HE KNEW THAT THE CHURCH
WAS POWERFUL AND THAT HE NEEDED THE SUPPORT
OF ITS FOLLOWERS, SO MUSSOLINI ATTEMPTED
TO SHOW SUPPORT PUBLICLY, AND THAT'S WHY HE GAVE
THE CHURCH ABSOLUTE FREEDOM. YOU SEE,
THE VATICAN ISN'T JUST A CITY. IT'S NOT EVEN A STATE. THE VATICAN IS ACTUALLY
ITS OWN COUNTRY. IT'S SMALLER THAN DISNEY WORLD,
BUT AS ITS OWN SOVEREIGN STATE, THE VATICAN GETS TO MAKE
ITS OWN RULES. VATICAN CITY CONTAINS
THE CHURCH OF SAINT PETER, THE SISTINE CHAPEL, AND IT
SERVES AS THE HOME OF THE POPE, THE DIVINELY CHOSEN ARCHBISHOP WHO RULES OVER
ONE BILLION CATHOLICS. NEXT IN THE HIERARCHY
BENEATH THE POPE IS THE COLLEGE OF CARDINALS, A COUNCIL OF 178
WHO ADVISE THE POPE AND, ON HIS DEATH,
ELECT SOMEONE NEW TO THE PAPACY. BENEATH THEM, YOU HAVE
ARCHBISHOPS, BISHOPS, PRIESTS, AND DEACONS SPREAD OUT
ACROSS THE GLOBE. BUT ONLY ABOUT 800 MEMBERS
OF THE CHURCH LIVE IN THE .2 SQUARE MILES
THAT MAKE UP THE VATICAN. AND OUT OF THIS SMALL COUNTRY
AND ITS RULER, THE POPE, COME LAWS AND DOCTRINES THAT
SHAPE BEHAVIOR ACROSS THE GLOBE. DO YOU THINK IT'S OKAY
FOR THE VATICAN TO KEEP THESE SECRETS
FROM US? WELL, IT DEPENDS WHAT YOU MEAN
BY "SECRETS." YOU KNOW, THERE ARE
A FEW SKELETONS IN THE
VATICAN'S CUPBOARD, NAMELY THAT
OF JOHN PAUL I. POPE JOHN PAUL I
HAD A REPUTATION AS A KIND AND GENTLE MAN. HE EVEN TRIED
TO BEG OUT OF THE PAPACY, CLAIMING THAT HE WASN'T FIT
FOR THE TASK. AT THE TIME, A SCANDAL
IN THE VATICAN BANKING SYSTEM WAS JUST BEGINNING TO TAKE ROOT, AND IT'S POSSIBLE THAT HE FELT
HE WOULD BE INHERITING WHAT HE KNEW
WAS A CORRUPT SYSTEM. HIS DEATH
WAS QUITE EXTRAORDINARY, BECAUSE IT WAS ONLY 33 DAYS
AFTER HIS ELECTION, AND THERE'S BEEN SPECULATION
THAT IF HE HAD SURVIVED, HE WOULD HAVE CHANGED A LOT OF
THINGS IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. OF COURSE, WHEN YOU CONSIDER
THE NUMBER OF SECRETS THAT THE VATICAN
HAS BEEN PRIVY TO IN THE COURSE
OF ITS LONG HISTORY, WE SIMPLY
DON'T KNOW THAT. IF WE HAD HAD A LONGER PAPACY
UNDER JOHN PAUL I, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A GENTLE,
KINDLY CHURCH. BUT THERE HAVE BEEN
VARIOUS ATTEMPTS TO SUGGEST THAT THERE WAS
A CONSPIRACY TO KILL HIM. JOHN PAUL I HAD A CLEAR GOAL --
TO HUMANIZE THE PAPACY AND ELIMINATE CORRUPTION
WITHIN THE VATICAN. HE MADE HIS PLANS TO CLEAN HOUSE
VERY PUBLIC, AND IT MAY HAVE COST HIM
HIS LIFE. PERHAPS THE ONE PERSON
WHO REALLY KNOWS WHAT HAPPENED IS SISTER VINCENZA, THE FIRST PERSON TO FIND THE
POPE THE MORNING OF HIS DEATH. SO, BEFORE WE START JUMPING
TO CONCLUSIONS OF MURDER, WE NEED TO FIND OUT
WHAT SHE SAW, WHERE SHE WENT, AND WE NEED TO HEAR HER STORY. SO, JOHN PAUL I WAS ALL READY
TO BE A REFORM POPE, AND THEN HE DIES 33 DAYS
INTO HIS PAPACY. YEAH, THAT'S THE IDEA, AND THAT'S WHERE, OF COURSE,
ALL THE CONTROVERSY COMES FROM. WE HAVE THE REFORMER POPE WHO
WAS PLANNING ON OPENING UP AN INTERNAL INVESTIGATION
IN THE LATE 1970s. AND THAT'S HOW YOU GET KILLED
IN ITALY. AND THAT POSES PROBLEMS. SO, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE NOT
SURPRISED BY THE IDEA OF JOHN PAUL I
BEING MURDERED. HOW WOULD THAT
HAVE HAPPENED? I MEAN, HOW COULD THAT
HAVE HAPPENED WITH SO MANY PEOPLE
AROUND HIM? THE STANDARD HYPOTHESIS
IS THAT MOST LIKELY PERHAPS EITHER POISON
WOULD HAVE BEEN USED, IF NOT MAYBE PLAYING
WITH THE MEDICATION, BECAUSE IT'S ALSO A FACT
THAT JOHN PAUL I SUFFERED
FROM HEART PROBLEMS. SO, SOMEONE COULD HAVE MESSED
WITH HIS MEDICINE, JUST TAKEN
HIS MEDICINE AWAY OR TRANSPLANTED IT
WITH SOMETHING ELSE. YEAH, THAT'S POSSIBLE. THAT'S PERFECT, 'CAUSE THEN HE DIES OF NATURAL
CAUSES THAT ALREADY EXISTED. BY CANON LAW, AND BY THE LAW THAT GOVERNS
THIS SOVEREIGN CITY, NO AUTOPSY CAN BE PERFORMED
ON THE PONTIFF, AND ONE COULD LOOK AT IT
PERHAPS AS LAWS, THEN, THAT ARE CREATED PRECISELY
FOR CONVENIENCE. THEY'RE SORT OF
NOT EVEN LOOPHOLES. THEY FORESEE LOOPHOLES. SO, THEY'RE SET UP. YOU'RE SUGGESTING
THAT THEY SET UP THE LAW THAT YOU CAN'T DO AN AUTOPSY
ON A POPE TO PROTECT ANYONE FROM
CONTROVERSY WHEN A POPE DIES. YEAH. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE FIRST
PERSON THAT FOUND HIM? THAT WAS A SISTER. WELL, SHE WAS PLACED
UNDER OBEDIENCE. THIS IS ANOTHER VERY CONVENIENT
LOOPHOLE IN CANON LAW. YOU CAN FORCE SOMEONE
TO SAY OR DO -- OR NOT SAY OR DO --
SOMETHING BECAUSE THEY HAVE
TAKEN A VOW. SO, IF THE NUN THAT FOUND
JOHN PAUL I SAW SOMETHING THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN INTERESTING
IN A MURDER INVESTIGATION AND THEN SHE WAS FORCED
UNDER OBEDIENCE TO DO OR SAY
SOMETHING ELSE... YEAH, THERE'S NOTHING SURPRISING
IN THAT AT ALL. BECAUSE THAT'S HER -- THAT'S HER MODUS VIVENDI. THAT'S HER WAY OF LIVING. OKAY. THIS IS
THE CROOKED LAWYER'S DREAM. NORMALLY, IF YOU WANT TO SILENCE
A WITNESS, EITHER BRIBE THEM, THREATEN
THEM, OR ELIMINATE THEM. BUT IF THE WITNESS YOU WANT
TO SILENCE HAPPENS TO BE A NUN, ALL YOU GOT TO DO IS CALL
FOR THE VOW OF SILENCE. IT'S ONE THING
TO OBEY A HUMAN BEING. IT'S ANOTHER THING
TO OBEY GOD, WHO SPEAKS THROUGH
A HUMAN BEING. AND WHEN GOD SPEAKS THROUGH
A HUMAN BEING AND HE HAPPENS TO BE YOUR BOSS
IN THE VATICAN... THAT'S EVEN BETTER. ...AND HE GOES DIRECTLY AGAINST
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, YOU STILL LISTEN
TO THE GUY. OUT OF RESPECT FOR
THE DECEASED PONTIFF, ET CETERA, NO COMMENT
WOULD BE MADE. SO,
THIS WHOLE OBEDIENCE THING, BEING A LAW AND A COUNTRY
UNTO ITSELF, BEING ABLE
TO KEEP CONFESSIONS SECRET, THEY REALLY HAVE
AN INCREDIBLE SYSTEM. YES, PROBABLY THE WORLD'S
MOST DEVELOPED, COMPLEX, AND AIRTIGHT SYSTEM THAT COULD
POSSIBLY -- POSSIBLY FUNCTION. I MEAN, HAS ANYONE
DECIDED RECENTLY, YOU KNOW, IT'S TIME
FOR THIS THING TO STOP BEING? WELL, AGAIN, GOING BACK
TO JOHN PAUL I, IT WOULD SEEM THAT
HE MADE AN ATTEMPT. RIGHT. AND, UNFORTUNATELY,
HE DIED A MONTH LATER. WOW. SOMETHING STRANGE HAPPENED. IT DOESN'T REALLY SEEM
TO MAKE SENSE. WE CAN LET THE OBSERVER DRAW
HIS OR HER OWN CONCLUSIONS. WHAT DO YOU THINK? THE FACTS ARE
WHAT THEY ARE. I THINK THE CASE
IS NOT SETTLED. WHO WAS GONNA SETTLE IT, THOUGH,
IF THE VATICAN IS ON THEIR OWN? THEY DON'T HAVE
TO SETTLE IT. ROME IS ETERNAL. YOU THINK EVENTUALLY
IT'LL ALL COME OUT IN THE WASH. THE SAD THING, PERHAPS, IS THAT<i> IF</i> THE TRUTH
IS EVENTUALLY REVEALED AND IF IT'S DISTURBING, THAT THAT PROBABLY WON'T HAPPEN
UNTIL WE'RE LONG GONE. SO, DO YOU THINK THE VATICAN
IS CORRUPT? YEAH, MOST DEFINITELY, BUT THAT SHOULDN'T BE SURPRISING
OR SHOCKING AT ALL, BECAUSE THAT HAS BEEN
ALL OF ITS HISTORY. CORRUPTION IS SOMETHING WHICH HAS EXISTED
SINCE THE BEGINNINGS, SINCE THE ROMAN EMPIRE
ITSELF, AND IT WAS MAINTAINED THROUGH
THE HISTORY OF THE VATICAN, THROUGH THE HISTORY
OF THE CHURCH. SO, WHETHER OR NOT SOMEONE
TOOK OUT JOHN PAUL I IN 1978, IT WOULD BE PRETTY MUCH
THE STATUS QUO OF THE REST OF HISTORY
WHICH HAS PRECEDED US. ACCORDING TO ERIC, CORRUPTION ISN'T ANYTHING RARE
IN THE VATICAN. IT'S THE DEFAULT SETTING. BUT AS SERIOUS
AS THESE ALLEGATIONS ARE, IT IS TOO EARLY
TO COME TO CONCLUSIONS. WE'VE GOT TO HEAR
ALL SIDES OF THE STORY. THE POPES ARE NOT ONLY BURIED
UNDERNEATH ST. PETER'S BASILICA. THERE'S MORE THAN ONE WHOSE BODY IS SOMEWHERE
ON THE BED OF THE TIBER. SO, EVEN IF THIS WERE
TO HAVE HAPPENED, IF THEY WEREN'T
NATURAL CAUSES THAT PROVOKED THE DEMISE
OF JOHN PAUL I, IT WOULDN'T BE THE FIRST TIME
IN HISTORY. IT'S STRANGE TO ME THAT YOU'RE
NOT SURPRISED BY THE FACT THAT A POPE
MAY HAVE BEEN MURDERED. NO, UNFORTUNATELY -- UNFORTUNATELY,
I'M NOT SURPRISED. IN A CASE LIKE THAT IN AMERICA,
SAY, IT SEEMS LIKE EVENTUALLY
WITNESSES WOULD START TO TALK. SOMEONE WOULD FEEL GUILTY.
SOMEONE WOULD BRAG ABOUT IT. SOMEONE WOULD CONFESS,
BUT YOU'RE SAYING... WE'RE IN ROME. IN ROME -- WE'RE NOT IN AMERICA. WHEN PEOPLE THINK
OF THE VATICAN, THEY THINK OF THE SISTINE CHAPEL
AND ST. PETER'S BASILICA, SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT
PLACES IN ALL OF CATHOLICISM, AND THEY SHOULD. BUT WE'VE DISCOVERED THAT BEHIND
THE HISTORY AND THE MAJESTY MAY LIE DARK AND SINISTER FORCES
WHO MAY EVEN BE RESPONSIBLE FOR KILLING
ONE OF THEIR OWN POPES. SO, HOW COULD ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST HIGHLY VISIBLE
ORGANIZATIONS KEEP SUCH AN EXPLOSIVE CRIME
COVERED UP? IT IS NOT AS HARD AS YOU THINK. SOME OF THE PEOPLE WE'VE SPOKEN
WITH ABOUT THE VATICAN SUGGEST THAT IT'S
A VERY MYSTERIOUS ORGANIZATION THAT KEEPS
A LOT OF SECRETS. THEY ARE NOT ANSWERABLE
TO THE WORLD. THE FIRST THING THEY HAVE
TO ANSWER IS TO GOD. THE WORLD CAN JUDGE THEM,
THE WORLD CAN CONDEMN THEM, BUT THEY HAVE TO STILL FACE A
GREATER JUDGMENT, WHICH IS GOD. PEOPLE WANT THE TRUTH, AND PEOPLE EVENTUALLY
WILL SEARCH THE TRUTH, AND WHEN THEY
SEARCH THE TRUTH WITH PURITY OF HEART AND PURITY
OF INTENTION, THEY WILL FIND IT. WELL, AND YOU SAY THAT AS WE'RE
STANDING NEXT TO A LARGE WALL KEEPING US, IN SOME WAYS,
FROM THE TRUTH -- POTENTIALLY,
SOME WOULD ARGUE. IT'S AN ANCIENT WALL.
IT'S A PROTECTION. THE VATICAN IS A SEPARATE STATE,
SO IT DOES HAVE BOUNDARIES. THEY ARE JUST LIKE
ANY GOVERNMENT THAT HAS SOME
CLASSIFIED INFORMATION. GOVERNMENTS DO THAT
ALL THE TIME. PEOPLE OF AUTHORITY
IN COMPANIES, HEADS OF FAMILIES,
DO THAT. THIS SOUNDS A LITTLE BIT
LIKE YOU'RE SUGGESTING THAT THIS IS
A PATERNAL SITUATION. YOU KNOW,
THE CARDINALS ARE OUR FATHERS AND THEY KNOW
WHAT'S BEST FOR US. YES. IT'S NOT UNCOMMON FOR THE
VATICAN TO WITHHOLD INFORMATION, AND PERHAPS
THE BEST EXAMPLE OF THIS ARE THE PROPHECIES OF FáTIMA. AS THE STORY GOES,
ON MAY 13, 1917, THREE ILLITERATE PORTUGUESE
SHEPHERD CHILDREN WERE VISITED AND GIVEN THREE
PROPHECIES BY THE VIRGIN MARY. SHE RETURNED ON THE 13th OF
THE MONTH FOR 6 STRAIGHT MONTHS, BY WHICH TIME WORD
OF THE MIRACLE HAD SPREAD AND A CROWD OF 70,000 GATHERED. THOUSANDS IN THE CROWD CLAIMED
TO SEE THE SUN CHANGE COLOR, SPIN LIKE A WHEEL,
AND DANCE ACROSS THE SKY. DO YOU PERSONALLY BELIEVE
IN THE PROPHECIES OF FáTIMA? YES, I BELIEVE THAT A LADY,
THE MOTHER OF JESUS, SPOKE TO THE THREE CHILDREN
IN FáTIMA, A TOWN IN PORTUGAL. THE MIRACLE CAPTIVATED CATHOLICS
AROUND THE ENTIRE WORLD. THE TWO YOUNGEST
OF THE THREE CHILDREN DIED OF INFLUENZA
WITHIN A FEW YEARS OF THE EVENT, BUT THE ELDEST, LUCIA,
WENT ON TO BECOME A NUN, AND SHE SHARED THE PROPHECIES
WITH THE VATICAN. THE FIRST PROPHECY
PREDICTED WORLD WAR I. THE SECOND PROPHECY PREDICTED THE RETURN OF CATHOLICISM
IN RUSSIA. THOSE WERE IMMEDIATELY RELEASED. BUT ALTHOUGH SISTER LUCIA
INFORMED THEM THAT THE VIRGIN MARY ASKED HER
THAT THE THIRD PROPHECY BE RELEASED BEFORE 1960, THE VATICAN WITHHELD IT FOR
4 DECADES, UNTIL THE YEAR 2000. I BELIEVE THEY HAVE CONVEYED
THE PROPHECIES CORRECTLY AND HONESTLY
TO THE CHURCH, AND I DO BELIEVE THE CHURCH HAS REVEALED EVERYTHING
TO THE PUBLIC. CASE CLOSED? YES. THE VATICAN, THEY HAVE HAD
A FEW LITTLE SPOTS OF, YOU KNOW, BAD PRESS
AND SOME CORRUPTION. THE CHURCH HAS ALWAYS KNOWN IT'S
MADE UP OF SAINTS AND SINNERS. THEY'RE HUMAN BEINGS.
THEY MAKE MISTAKES. BUT THEY HAVE THE FAITH THAT
THE HOLY SPIRIT IS GUIDING THEM, AND SO IT'LL GUIDE THEM
TO THE TRUTH, AND THEY WILL ALSO CORRECT
THEIR ERRORS. WE HAVE THE WORDS OF CHRIST,
WHO SAID THAT THE GATES OF HELL WILL NOT PREVAIL
AGAINST THE CHURCH. THE CHURCH WILL SURVIVE
THROUGHOUT HISTORY,
THROUGHOUT TIME. DO YOU FIND IT ODD
OR CURIOUS THAT JOHN PAUL I DIED
AFTER ONLY 33 DAYS ON THE JOB? YES, I THINK ANYBODY'S SURPRISED
WHEN THEY DIE A FEW DAYS AFTER THEY'RE ELECTED
TO A HIGH POSITION. I THINK THE WORLD
WAS SURPRISED THAT HE HAD DIED
AFTER JUST OVER A MONTH, BUT I DO NOT THINK
THAT ANYBODY WOULD HAVE KILLED THE POPE
OR POISONED HIM. IF THERE WAS SUCH A THING, BY
NOW IT WOULD HAVE BEEN REVEALED AND THE PEOPLE
WOULD HAVE BEEN PUNISHED. AND IF HE REALLY
WAS MURDERED, SOMEBODY WOULD HAVE BEEN
TAKEN TO COURT, BUT NOBODY HAS BEEN TAKEN
TO COURT. NOBODY HAS BEEN TRIED. NOTHING HAS HAPPENED,
BECAUSE IT NEVER TOOK PLACE. SO,
YOU WERE NEVER CONCERNED ABOUT ANY SORT OF INTERNAL
SCANDAL, ASSASSINATION, OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT --
MURDER? NO. OKAY. IT WAS A NATURAL DEATH. THERE WAS NO MURDER.
THERE WAS NO CRIME. FROM WHAT WE'VE LEARNED, "NATURAL" ISN'T THE WORD
WE SHOULD USE TO DESCRIBE POPE JOHN PAUL I's
DEATH. AND PERHAPS JUST AS IMPORTANT, WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE THIRD
PROPHECY OF FáTIMA IS, THE ONE THE VATICAN WITHHELD
FOR ALMOST 40 YEARS? THERE ARE MULTIPLE THEORIES, BUT ONE THAT MANY PEOPLE
SUBSCRIBE TO IS THAT IT PREDICTED THE MURDER
OF POPE JOHN PAUL I. WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT
THE THIRD PROPHECY OF FáTIMA? IT'S A DRAMATIC PROPHECY. IT HAS TO DO WITH
A VERY DRAMATIC WAR SCENE, IN WHICH THERE'S A CITY
WHICH HAS BEEN BOMBED BEYOND RECOGNITION
ON A HILL. THERE'S A BISHOP IN WHITE
WHO'S GOING THROUGH THE CITY, SEEING CADAVERS
ALL OVER THE PLACE. HE'S PRAYING FOR THEM. HE GOES UP THE HILL, AND BENEATH
A CROSS, HE'S ASSASSINATED. HE'S KILLED BY ARROWS
AND BY BULLETS. WE'VE HEARD THAT PEOPLE ARE
SUGGESTING THAT THE PROPHECY HAS, IN FACT,
BEEN TINKERED WITH. WELL, PEOPLE HAVE SCANNED
VERY CLOSELY WHAT HAS BEEN SAID IN THE PAST
REGARDING THE PROPHECIES, AND THEY'VE BEEN WRITING DOWN
THE DATES OF WHEN A DOCUMENT
WAS CONSIGNED, WHEN IT WAS CARRIED TO THE POPE,
WHEN IT WAS RETURNED, WHEN IT WAS IN
A PARTICULAR PLACE. AND WHEN THEY PUT ALL
THESE LITTLE PIECES OF
INFORMATION TOGETHER -- WHICH AREN'T VERY MANY -- BUT NONETHELESS, IT SEEMED
TO COME UP WITH A QUESTION MARK. AND SO THEY'RE WONDERING,
WHAT HAS BEEN KEPT BACK? WHY WOULD THE VATICAN
DO THAT? WELL, THERE IS A SCHOOL
OF THOUGHT THAT LOOKS AT THE MISSING THIRD PART
OF THE PROPHECY AS HAVING TO DO WITH DISSENSION
WITHIN THE CHURCH AND SPECIFICALLY
WITHIN THE HIERARCHY. SORT OF THERE'S CORRUPTION
IN THE RANKS OF THE CHURCH, THAT FREEMASONS
ARE INVOLVED. AND SO THEIR IDEA IS THEY DON'T
WANT TO DIVULGE IT AND, AS IT WERE, PUT
THE VIRGIN MARY ON THE STAND AGAINST THE HIERARCHY
OF THE CHURCH. OH! THIS IS AN INTERESTING PROBLEM
FOR THE CHURCH. IF A PERSON STEPS UP AND ACCUSES
THE VATICAN OF CORRUPTION, THEN IT'S ONE GUY'S WORD AGAINST THE CARDINALS, BISHOPS,
AND POPE. BUT IF IT'S WRITTEN
IN THE FáTIMA PROPHECIES, SUDDENLY IT'S THE POPE'S WORD
AGAINST THE VIRGIN MARY'S, AND NOBODY WANTS THAT FIGHT. WHETHER OR NOT YOU BELIEVE
THAT THE VIRGIN MARY APPEARED TO THREE SHEPHERD
CHILDREN ISN'T THE ISSUE HERE. THE MINUTE THE VATICAN
DEEMS VISIONS WORTHY OF BELIEF, IT'S THE CONTENT
OF THE PROPHECIES THAT MATTERS. THE FIRST PROPHECY
WAS READ BY SOME AS A FORETELLING
OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR, AND IT APPEARED TO BE ACCURATE. THE SECOND PROPHECY
WAS INTERPRETED TO MEAN THE RETURN OF CHRISTIANITY
TO RUSSIA, AND THAT, TOO, CAME TO PASS. WITH THAT SORT
OF BATTING AVERAGE, IT'S NO WONDER THERE WAS
SO MUCH ANTICIPATION SURROUNDING THE RELEASE OF THE
THIRD PROPHECY IN THE YEAR 2000. IT WAS BELIEVED
FOR A LONG TIME THAT THE FáTIMA PROPHECY WAS
WRITTEN ON ONE SHEET OF PAPER THAT CONSISTED
OF ABOUT 25 LINES OF PRINT. WHAT WAS PUBLISHED IN THE YEAR
2000 IS ONE SHEET OF PAPER, BUT IT'S BEEN FOLDED OVER, SO THERE'S ACTUALLY FOUR SIDES
OF PRINT, AND YOU HAVE ABOUT OVER 60 LINES
OF SCRIPT BY SISTER LUCIA. NOW, ANOTHER THING
THAT COMES TO LIGHT IS THAT LUCIA WANTS THE SECRET
TO BE REVEALED IN 1960. SHE'S VERY ADAMANT. SHE SAYS THE VIRGIN MARY WANTS
THE SECRET REVEALED IN 1960, AND JOHN XXIII
DOESN'T DO IT. HE PASSES, AND IT'S NOT REALLY
KNOWN WHY HE PASSES. HE NEVER REALLY
ARTICULATES WHY. WOW. SISTER LUCIA, THE NUN
WHO RECEIVED THE PROPHECIES, WROTE DOWN THE THIRD PROPHECY IN
A ONE-PAGE LETTER TO HER BISHOP, WHICH WAS SEEN
BY SEVERAL WITNESSES. HOWEVER, WHEN THE VATICAN
RELEASED THE THIRD PROPHECY, IT WAS NOT IN THE FORM
OF A LETTER AND IT WAS FOUR PAGES, NOT ONE. SKEPTICS CLAIM THE VATICAN WAS PRESENTING SOMETHING
OF THEIR OWN CREATION IN PLACE OF THE REAL PROPHECY. PEOPLE HAVE SPECULATED WIDELY
ABOUT IT, AND SO WE HAVE
DIFFERENT THEORIES. WHAT IS THE THIRD PROPHECY
ABOUT? SO, THE FIRST ONE
REALLY HAD TO DO WITH UNBELIEF IN THE HIERARCHY
OF THE CHURCH, THAT YOU HAVE THEM USING
THE CONSIDERABLE RESOURCES OF THE CHURCH
FOR THEIR OWN ENDS, NOT FOR THE GOOD
OF THE PEOPLE OF GOD. SOME PEOPLE READ
THE THIRD PROPHECY AS PERTAINING
TO JOHN PAUL I. THE TEXT OF THE THIRD PROPHECY, RELEASED IN THE YEAR 2000,
READS AS FOLLOWS... "THE HOLY FATHER PASSED THROUGH
A BIG CITY HALF IN RUINS, "AND HALF TREMBLING
WITH HALTING STEP, "AFFLICTED WITH PAIN AND SORROW, "HE PRAYED FOR THE SOULS OF
THE CORPSES HE MET ON HIS WAY. "HAVING REACHED THE TOP
OF THE MOUNTAIN, "ON HIS KNEES
AT THE FOOT OF THE BIG CROSS, "HE WAS KILLED
BY A GROUP OF SOLDIERS, WHO FIRED BULLETS
AND ARROWS AT HIM." PEOPLE READ "THE CITY HALF IN
RUINS" AS THE VATICAN DIVIDED. JOHN PAUL I ASCENDED
TO THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN WHEN HE REACHED
THE HIGHEST OFFICE OF POPE, AND HE WAS SOON KILLED, LEAVING
A TRAIL OF CORPSES IN HIS WAKE. THE YEAR BEFORE
HE BECAME POPE, POPE JOHN PAUL I MADE
A PILGRIMAGE TO FáTIMA, AND HE HAD AN AUDIENCE
WITH SISTER LUCIA WHICH LASTED
FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS. NOW, AFTER THAT,
HE WENT ON VACATION EVENTUALLY WITH HIS BROTHER,
WITH OTHER PEOPLE, AND THEY SAY THAT HE WAS
VERY TROUBLED. THEY DON'T KNOW EXACTLY
WHAT SHE SAID TO HIM, BUT HIS BROTHER, EDUARDO,
SAID THAT HE WAS TROUBLED BY WHAT SISTER LUCIA
HAD SAID. POPE JOHN PAUL I
WAS ELECTED IN 1978. HE WAS POPE
ONLY FOR 33 DAYS. AND THEN,
IN MYSTERIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES, HIS DEATH CAME TO PASS. SISTER LUCIA LIVED TO BE
98 YEARS OLD, BUT WE'LL NEVER KNOW
HER FULL SIDE OF THE STORY BECAUSE, LIKE THE NUN
WHO FOUND THE DEAD POPE, THE CHURCH GAVE HER
A VOW OF SILENCE. BUT THE CHURCH
WASN'T THE FIRST GROUP WHO TRIED TO REPRESS
LUCIA'S MESSAGE. WAY BACK IN 1917,
A MEMBER OF ANOTHER GROUP FOUND THE 10-YEAR-OLD GIRL
AND HER PROPHECY POLITICALLY DANGEROUS
AND DISRUPTIVE, EVEN THROWING HER IN JAIL TO KEEP HER
FROM SPREADING THE WORD. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT
THE FREEMASONS, AND YET IT IS ALWAYS
THE FREEMASONS, RIGHT? BUT LET'S FOCUS HERE. THIS IS A SUBGROUP
WITHIN THE MASONS. THE FREEMASONS, IT TURNS OUT,
STILL HAVE A SECRET BUT POWERFUL PRESENCE
IN THE VATICAN TODAY, AND SOME SAY THIS SUBGROUP
COULD EVEN BE THE FORCE BEHIND THE MURDER
OF POPE JOHN PAUL I. [ BELL TOLLING ] WE'VE BEEN LOOKING INTO
THE DEATH OF JOHN PAUL I, THE POPE WHO SERVED
ONLY 33 DAYS. CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT THE CIRCUMSTANCES? HE WAS IN HIS APARTMENT,
JUST UP THERE, ON THE TOP FLOOR,
SECOND WINDOW IN. HIS ASSISTANT,
SISTER VINCENZA, TAKES HIM HIS USUAL
MORNING CUP OF COFFEE AROUND ABOUT 4:30, 5:00,
LEAVES THE COFFEE THERE. AND SHE THEN SAYS
THAT SHE RETURNED A QUARTER OF AN HOUR LATER
TO SEE THE COFFEE WAS UNTOUCHED. SHE GOES IN,
AND SHE NOTICES THE POPE -- SHE SAYS -- PROPPED UP IN BED,
LOOKING ASLEEP, LOOKING VERY SERENE,
TO USE HER WORDS. BUT SHE NOTICED
THAT HE WASN'T MOVING, WENT THERE
AND TOOK HIS PULSE AND DISCOVERED THAT HE WAS,
IN FACT, DEAD, AND THAT'S WHEN THE ALARM
WAS RAISED. WE'VE HEARD
THAT THERE WAS A HISTORY, THAT HE HAD A HISTORY OF HEART
DISEASE OR THAT HE WAS -- HE WAS ACTUALLY
QUITE A FIT MAN. HE WAS VERY HEALTHY. HE WAS IN THE PEAK --
PEAK PHYSICAL CONDITION. EVEN HIS BROTHER SAID THE SAME
THING SHORTLY AFTER HIS DEATH -- THAT THEY WERE, IN FACT,
RATHER SURPRISED THAT IT WAS PUT DOWN
AS A HEART ATTACK, BECAUSE THERE WAS NO HISTORY
OF HEART ATTACK IN THE FAMILY. AT THAT TIME, THERE WAS A LOT OF
INVESTIGATION INTO THE VATICAN. THERE WAS RUMORS THAT SENIOR
MEMBERS WERE FREEMASONS. AND HE WAS GONNA NAME
AND SHAME THESE PEOPLE, AND IT WOULD CREATE
A FLURRY IN THE VATICAN. EVERYBODY LOVES THE FREEMASONS,
RIGHT? THE FREEMASONS
ARE ONE OF THE WORLD'S OLDEST AND LARGEST FRATERNITIES -- AN ANCIENT BROTHERHOOD
STEEPED IN SECRECY. FORMED DURING THE MIDDLE AGES, THEIR DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS
HAVE INCLUDED EVERYONE FROM WINSTON CHURCHILL
TO J. EDGAR HOOVER TO HARRY HOUDINI
TO 14 DIFFERENT U.S. PRESIDENTS. BUT BEFORE YOU START THINKING THAT THE FREEMASONS
ARE OUT TO EAT YOUR BABIES, LET'S REALIZE THAT NOT EVERY
FREEMASON IS AN EVIL MASTERMIND. YES, THERE ARE SMALLER,
DARKER FACTIONS OF THE GROUP, ONE REPORTEDLY RESPONSIBLE
FOR USURPING POLITICAL POWERS AND DABBLING IN THE OCCULT. CONSPIRACY THEORIES ABOUND, LEAKING THE BROTHERHOOD'S
MANY RITUALS TO DASTARDLY MURDERS
AND EVEN SATANIC ORGIES. AND A NUMBER OF ITS MEMBERS
HAVE MYSTERIOUSLY DIED AFTER REVEALING THEIR SECRETS. BUT I NEED TO BE CLEAR HERE. IT IS RECKLESS TO TAKE BROAD
SWIPES AT ANY ORGANIZATION, WHETHER IT'S THE FREEMASONS
OR THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. BUT, YES, IF YOU HAVE
A SMALL CABAL WITH ACCESS TO THE MOST POWERFUL
PEOPLE IN THE WORLD, IT IS EASY TO SEE
WHY THE THOUGHT OF FREEMASONS OPERATING WITHIN THE VATICAN
IS A SCARY IDEA. HE WAS GONNA NAME
FREEMASONS? SEVERAL SENIOR MEMBERS
WERE MASONS. OBVIOUSLY, THAT'S AGAINST
THE CHURCH'S CANON LAW. YOU CAN'T BE A FREEMASON
AND A MEMBER OF THE VATICAN. SO THAT THE FREEMASONS
DON'T TAKE OVER THE VATICAN? THE VATICAN. THE CHURCH HAS LONG BEEN AT ODDS
WITH THE FREEMASONS. POPE LEO XII
DECLARED FREEMASONRY THE KINGDOM OF SATAN. YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY? THE KEY REQUIREMENT
TO BE A FREEMASON IS THAT YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE
IN GOD -- ANY GOD -- BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE
A CHRISTIAN GOD, AND THAT'S BAD
FOR CHURCH BUSINESS. ALSO, AS A MASON, YOU NEED TO
HAVE LOYALTY TO THE FREEMASONS, BUT THE POPE NEEDS LOYALTY FIRST
AND FOREMOST TO THE CHURCH. SO, WHERE DOES YOUR LOYALTY LIE? AS EARLY AS THE 1700s,
POPE CLEMENT XII DECLARED THAT ANY CATHOLIC
WHO JOINED THE FREEMASONS WOULD BE SENTENCED TO DEATH. BUT APPARENTLY
EVEN THE DEATH PENALTY WASN'T A STRONG-ENOUGH
DETERRENT, BECAUSE IT WAS RECENTLY REPORTED THAT THE FREEMASONS
HAVE AN EXPANSIVE PRESENCE, SPLITTING THE VATICAN INTO
EIGHT DIFFERENT TERRITORIES, EACH RUN BY
A DIFFERENT MASONIC LODGE. THIS MEANS THERE ARE POWERFUL
MASONIC LEADERS WITH AGENDAS POTENTIALLY
SEPARATE FROM THE CHURCH WITH THE ABILITY TO INFLUENCE
MAJOR VATICAN DECISIONS. SO, SUDDENLY THE POPE COMES BY AND WANTS TO GET RID
OF ALL THE MASONS? YOU CAN SEE
WHY SOMEONE WOULD HAVE WANTED TO TAKE A SHOT
AT THE POPE FIRST. I CAN IMAGINE THESE PEOPLE
YOU'VE DESCRIBED WANTING JOHN PAUL I DEAD,
BUT WOULD THEY MURDER A POPE? I MEAN,
WOULDN'T THEY BE FRIGHTENED OF WHAT WOULD HAPPEN
TO THEM? BECAUSE IT'S THE VATICAN,
NO EXTERNAL INVESTIGATION WAS EVER REALLY
CARRIED OUT. YOU DON'T DO AN AUTOPSY
ON A POPE, YOU SEE? YOU DON'T DO AN AUTOPSY
ON A POPE. AND ANYONE WANTING
TO GET RID OF THE POPE WOULD KNOW THAT THEY DON'T
NORMALLY DO AN AUTOPSY, SO, IN A WAY,
THEY GET AWAY SCOT-FREE. YEAH. AND, ALSO, THE WHOLE APARTMENT
WAS CLEARED UP VERY QUICKLY. EMBALMERS WERE CALLED
WITHIN FIVE HOURS OF HIS DEATH. THE DOMESTIC STAFF CAME IN
AND WIPED AWAY EVERY TRACE. I MEAN,
I'VE SPOKEN TO PEOPLE WHO'VE SAID
IT WAS AS IF JOHN PAUL I WAS ERASED VERY QUICKLY
FROM VATICAN HISTORY. YOU'VE GOT ONE OF THE MOST
POWERFUL MEN IN THE WORLD HAS BEEN FOUND DEAD. NO INVESTIGATION. WITHIN FIVE HOURS,
HE'S GETTING EMBALMED? CERTAINLY A LOT OF QUESTIONS
STILL UNANSWERED. BUT IT'S INTRIGUING, BECAUSE WITHIN A FEW MONTHS
OF POPE JOHN PAUL I DYING, PROSECUTORS,
INVESTIGATING MAGISTRATES, ARE ALSO FOUND MURDERED. WAIT. WHAT? THE PEOPLE WHO WERE LOOKING INTO
THIS WERE MURDERED, AS WELL? THE ITALIAN PROSECUTORS
WHO WERE LOOKING INTO IT WERE ALSO FOUND MURDERED. AN INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST WAS
ALSO FOUND MURDERED, AS WELL. IT'S ALL VERY, VERY MURKY. AND THE KEY ISSUE IS THE DEATH
OF POPE JOHN PAUL I. IT SOUNDS LIKE HE'S JUST
THE FIRST DOMINO TO FALL IN A HUGE STRING
OF DOMINOES. YES. SO, WHEN YOU PUT
ALL THESE THINGS TOGETHER, IT DOES SOUND LIKE
A POSSIBLE RECIPE FOR MURDER. I THINK VERY DEFINITELY. I'M GONNA SAY
IT'S A HUGE SCANDAL. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN LIKE AN
ATOMIC BOMB FOR THE VATICAN. THE FREEMASONS
INSIDE THE VATICAN DEFINITELY HAD THE ACCESS
AND THE RESOURCES TO COVER UP THE MURDER
OF A POPE, BUT WE STILL NEED TO ANSWER
ONE VITAL QUESTION -- WHAT EXACTLY WAS THEIR MOTIVE? AND TO FIND MOTIVE,
THE FIRST THING YOU HAVE TO DO IS FOLLOW THE MONEY. Meltzer: WE'RE INVESTIGATING
THE MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF POPE JOHN PAUL I, WHO DIED JUST 33 DAYS
AFTER TAKING THE POST. IN FACT, MANY PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT THE POPE DIDN'T DIE
OF NATURAL CAUSES, BUT MAY HAVE BEEN THE VICTIM
OF A MURDER PERPETRATED BY THE VATICAN
ITSELF. BUT COULD THE VATICAN
REALLY BE INVOLVED IN SOMETHING AS NEFARIOUS AS MURDER? WE'RE LEARNING MURDER MAY
JUST BE THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG. WE'VE BEEN LOOKING INTO
THE DEATH OF POPE JOHN PAUL I. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT KEEPS
COMING UP IS THE FREEMASONS. DO YOU BELIEVE THAT ANYONE
WOULD HAVE WANTED THE POPE DEAD? PERHAPS. THE MOTIVATION
WOULD BE THAT JOHN PAUL I WANTED TO REFORM
THE VATICAN BANK, CHANGE THE WAY THINGS WERE DONE,
AND FIRE SOME PEOPLE. SO, THERE MAY HAVE BEEN
ANIMOSITY BETWEEN MARCINKUS, WHO WAS HEAD OF THE
VATICAN BANK, AND THE POPE. PAUL MARCINKUS WAS A ROUGH-AND-TUMBLE
AMERICAN ARCHBISHOP WHO WAS IN CHARGE
OF THE VATICAN BANK. THE VATICAN BANK WAS NEVER MEANT
TO TURN A PROFIT. ANY SURPLUS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE
USED FOR RELIGION OR CHARITY. BUT MARCINKUS HAD
SOME SUSPICIOUS ASSOCIATIONS. FOR ONE, HE WAS A KNOWN MEMBER
OF THE FREEMASONS. AND SECOND, HE'S THOUGHT
TO HAVE TIES TO THE MAFIA. AND, YES, I JUST SAID "VATICAN,"
"FREEMASONS," AND "MAFIA" IN ONE SENTENCE. ONE PIECE OF NEWS THAT I HAVE FOUND
NOT VERY COMMONLY KNOWN IS THAT IN 1972,
ARCHBISHOP PAUL MARCINKUS MADE THE DIOCESE OF VENICE
SELL THEIR BANK. AND AS YOU KNOW, THE ARCHBISHOP
OF VENICE AT THE TIME WAS JOHN PAUL I. BEFORE JOHN PAUL I BECAME POPE, HE WAS IN CHARGE
OF THE VENICE BANK. MARCINKUS FORCED THE SALE
OF THE VENICE BANK WITHOUT CONSULTING
THE POPE-TO-BE, TURNING
A CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION INTO A FOR-PROFIT BUSINESS. THAT'S NOT JUST
A HOSTILE TAKEOVER. THAT'S ORIGINAL GANGSTER. THE POPE WAS UPSET
THAT MARCINKUS SOLD HIS BANK, WHEN THE PURPOSE OF THE BANK
IN VENICE WAS TO HELP, SHALL WE SAY,
UNDERPRIVILEGED PEOPLE, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN IT'S GOING
TO BE COMPLETELY RUN OVER BY THE VATICAN BANK. AND MARCINKUS HAD MADE
SOME ILL-ADVISED TRANSACTIONS. MONEY LAUNDERING. I DON'T KNOW THAT. HE MENTIONS
THAT THE VATICAN BANK PURCHASED A SERIES OF PROPERTIES
THAT WENT BUST. NOT TO BE NAIVE, THERE HAVE BEEN
ACCUSATIONS OF LAUNDERING BY THE VATICAN BANK UP
UNTIL VERY RECENTLY, IN FACT. WE NOW KNOW THAT JOHN PAUL I HAD SEEN CORRUPTION
IN THE VATICAN BANK FIRSTHAND. SO IS IT POSSIBLE
THAT THE POPE'S PLAN TO CLEAN UP THE STREETS
AND GO AFTER CROOKED BANKERS MOTIVATED VATICAN ASSASSINS
TO END THE PAPACY OF JOHN PAUL I ALMOST BEFORE IT BEGAN? YOU CAN'T WRITE THIS STUFF. WELL, OKAY, YOU CAN, BUT WE ALL KNOW THE SCARIEST
STORY OF ALL IS THE TRUE ONE. [ INDISTINCT SINGING ] Rolle: THAT WOULD BE INCREDIBLE
TO ME IF POPE JOHN PAUL I
WAS ACTUALLY MURDERED. I THOUGHT
HE HAD A HEART ATTACK, AND I STILL WOULD LIKE
TO BELIEVE THAT. OH, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT
ANYMORE, THOUGH. I REALLY DON'T. DOES THIS NOT LOOK LIKE
A HAUNTED HOUSE TO YOU NOW RATHER THAN THE VATICAN? THAT'S AMAZING. SEE, THE MORE INFORMATION
YOU HAVE, THE WAY IT CHANGES
YOUR PERSPECTIVE OF A PLACE. I WOULDN'T WANT TO BE HERE AFTER
DARK. THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING. HEY, BRAD, HOW ARE YOU? MELTER: I'm good.
How goes the search? HE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE
THAT HE WAS ABOUT TO OUT AND LET EVERYBODY KNOW THAT THEY WERE FREEMASONS
INVOLVED IN A BANK SCANDAL. I'm sure money laundering
and murder are not what the church
had in mind when the Vatican was created,
so let's follow the money and try to get more details
on this bank scandal. OKAY. Rolle:
OKAY. THAT SOUNDS GREAT. HEY, BRAD, GUESS WHOSE APARTMENT
LIGHT IS ON RIGHT NOW. YEAH,
THERE'S AN OLD EXPRESSION -- "SOMEONE UPSTAIRS
IS WATCHING YOU." THE POPE IS UP
IN HIS APARTMENT. The man who lives
in that apartment is the leader of more than
a billion people. They deserve that
our investigation is as thorough and objective as possible. OKAY. POPE JOHN PAUL I TOOK THE PAPACY
IN 1978 AND BASICALLY SAID HE WAS GONNA
GET TOUGH ON CRIME. HE WAS FOUND DEAD IN HIS BED
33 DAYS INTO HIS REIGN. SOME BELIEVE THAT HIS INTENTION
WAS TO PUBLICLY OUT FREEMASONS WORKING WITHIN THE VATICAN
HIERARCHY AND TAKE DOWN CROOKED BANKERS WHO WERE BELIEVED
TO BE CONNECTED TO THE MAFIA. AND MAYBE NOT SO SURPRISINGLY, LITTLE WAS DONE
TO INVESTIGATE HIS DEATH. SO, NOW WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT
WHO EXACTLY WAS BEHIND THIS, AND WHAT WOULD THEY GAIN? OR WAS THIS ALL
JUST A NATURAL DEATH? AT THE TIME,
THE VATICAN BANK WAS A SORT OF OFFSHORE BANK
BASED IN THE VATICAN. SO, YOU GET A BANK ACCOUNT
AND YOU CAN TRANSFER MONEY WHEREVER YOU WANT
WITHOUT BEING KNOWN. SO, YOUR IDENTITY
REMAINED SECRET. SO, IT'S IDEAL
FOR MONEY LAUNDERING. IT'S OBVIOUSLY A BANK, SO ITS PURPOSE IS THAT
OF MAKING PROFITS. AND ROBERTO CALVI HELPED
THE VATICAN BANK AT DOING SO. WHO EXACTLY
WAS ROBERT CALVI? HE WAS
A VERY SUCCESSFUL BANKER, AN EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL
BANKER. HE CAME UP
AS AN ORDINARY MAN, BUT HE RAPIDLY ASCENDED TO THE TOP OF THE MANAGEMENT
OF THIS BANK, AND HE GOT THE NICKNAME
GOD'S BANKER. ROBERTO CALVI WAS KNOWN
AS GOD'S BANKER BECAUSE OF HIS CLOSE ASSOCIATION
WITH THE VATICAN. CALVI HAD TREMENDOUS INFLUENCE AND POWER
WITHIN THE FINANCIAL WORLD, BUT IT APPEARS THAT FROM HIS
HIGH POSITION IN THE VATICAN, MARCINKUS, THE GUY WHO CHANGED
THE VATICAN BANK FROM A FOR-CHARITY
INTO A FOR-PROFIT BANK, COULD MAKE CALVI DO
WHATEVER HE WANTED. AND HIS BANK WAS INVOLVED IN FINANCING OPPOSITION
TO COMMUNISM BOTH IN LATIN AMERICA AND
IN EASTERN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES. HOLD UP. THE VATICAN IS WAGING
SECRET WARS INTERNATIONALLY? EXACTLY. CONSIDER THAT IN THE CONTEXT
OF THE COLD WAR, UNTRACEABLE FUNDS
BECAME IMPORTANT, AND SUCH BANKS
THAT COULD OPERATE AND COULD MOVE CAPITALS
IN A RAPID WAY BECAME EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, AND ONE OF THESE BANKS
WAS THE VATICAN BANK. SO, THIS INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM
REQUIRED MORE AND MORE MONEY. SO, YOU'RE SAYING
THAT ROBERTO CALVI HELPED THE VATICAN BANK
LAUNDER MONEY? EXACTLY. THAT'S A PRETTY SERIOUS
ACCUSATION. THIS GOES HAND IN HAND
WITH PAUL MARCINKUS SAYING, "YOU CAN'T RUN THE CHURCH
BY HAIL MARY." [ LAUGHS ] YOU NEED MONEY. THE WAY THE VATICAN BANK
IS SET UP, IT'S ALMOST LIKE IT WAS MADE
FOR MONEY LAUNDERING. BECAUSE THE VATICAN
IS ITS OWN COUNTRY, IT OPERATES
LIKE AN OFFSHORE BANK WITH VIRTUALLY NO TAXATION,
REGULATIONS, OR OVERSIGHT. ALSO, MARCINKUS HAD BEEN TURNING
CHARITABLE BANKS, LIKE JOHN PAUL I's VENICE BANK,
INTO FOR-PROFIT BANKS, SO HE COULD EASILY MOVE MONEY
BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE TWO. IT'S BELIEVED THAT ROBERTO CALVI USED THESE TOOLS TO ENGINEER
SHADY DEALS, BAD LOANS, AND ILLEGAL TRANSACTIONS
FOR THE VATICAN. AND IT APPEARED TO BE WORKING...
FOR A WHILE, UNTIL CALVI ENDED UP DEAD --
MURDERED. THE CENTER OF THE STORY
IS THE RELATION BETWEEN CALVI
AND ARCHBISHOP PAUL MARCINKUS. SINCE THE BANK OF ITALY
STARTED TO LOOK INTO THAT, THE STAR OF ROBERTO CALVI
BEGAN TO DECLINE. SO, THE VATICAN USED CALVI
UNTIL HE WAS CAUGHT, AND AT THAT POINT, HE WAS
NO LONGER USEFUL TO THEM. EXACTLY. NOW YOU'RE GETTING
THE REAL STORY. CALVI WAS BEING USED AS A PUPPET TO DISTRIBUTE VATICAN FUNDS
TO TERRORIST GROUPS, LIKE THE SANDINISTAS
IN NICARAGUA, WHILE KEEPING THE TRANSACTIONS
OFF THE VATICAN BOOKS. FINALLY, THEY CREATED
THE ULTIMATE PONZI SCHEME. THE VATICAN BANK
SET UP DUMMY COMPANIES IN THE BAHAMAS
AND LATIN AMERICA. THESE COMPANIES
APPLIED FOR LOANS, WHICH COLLECTED FUNDS
FROM OTHER INTERNATIONAL BANKS. THE MONEY, SO IT'S SAID,
WENT STRAIGHT TO ONE PLACE -- THE VATICAN. BUT WOULD THEY RESORT TO MURDER
TO KEEP IT QUIET? THEY BENEFITED
FROM THE DEATH OF ROBERTO CALVI, AND THEY WERE NOT
THE ONLY ONES INTERESTED
IN KILLING ROBERTO CALVI. CALVI WAS BASICALLY KILLED 'CAUSE HE KNEW TOO MUCH
ABOUT THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THREE
DIFFERENT WORLDS -- FREEMASONS, THE MAFIA,
AND THE VATICAN. NOW WE'RE GETTING SOMEWHERE. GIOVANNI JUST SAW OUR FREEMASONS
AND RAISED US A MAFIA. THEY'RE ALL CONNECTED
TO A BANKING SCANDAL, AND THE NAME ABOVE
THE BANK'S DOOR -- VATICAN. HERE'S HOW IT WENT DOWN. WHEN IT BECAME CLEAR TO CALVI THAT A GIANT HOLE IN THE BOOKS
WOULD BE EXPOSED, HE NEEDED MONEY -- FAST --
AND LOTS OF IT. SO WHAT DOES HE DO? IT'S NOW COMMONLY HELD THAT HE
BROKERED A DEAL WITH THE MAFIA TO LAUNDER HEROIN MONEY
THROUGH THE VATICAN BANK. SO, HOW DID CALVI AND MARCINKUS
WIND UP WORKING TOGETHER AND IN THE MIDDLE OF ONE OF
THE NASTIEST BANKING SCANDALS IN MODERN HISTORY? WELL, ONE CONNECTION
IS THAT THEY WERE BOTH MEMBERS OF THE SAME MASONIC LODGE. I THINK THAT SOMEBODY FROM
ONE OF THESE THREE WORLDS -- OR THE THREE WORLDS
TOGETHER -- WERE AFRAID THAT CALVI
COULD BLACKMAIL SOME POLITICAL
INSTITUTIONAL FIGURE OR SOMEBODY FROM THE VATICAN
OR THE MAFIA, EXPLAINING HOW THE WHOLE SYSTEM
WORKED. GIOVANNI, OF THOSE THREE
ORGANIZATIONS, THOUGH, WHICH OF THEM HAD THE MOST TO GAIN
FROM MURDERING ROBERT CALVI? PROBABLY THE VATICAN. WOW. AS MICHAEL SAYS
IN "THE GODFATHER," "FREDO, DON'T EVER TAKE SIDES WITH ANYONE
AGAINST THE FAMILY -- EVER." SO, WHICH SIDE DID ROBERTO CALVI
TAKE -- THE MOB, THE CHURCH,
OR THE FREEMASONS? CALVI WAS INDICTED, BUT BEFORE
HE COULD BE BROUGHT TO JUSTICE, HE ACTUALLY FLED THE COUNTRY. HIS SECRETARY WROTE A NOTE
CONDEMNING HIM, AND THEN SHE THREW HERSELF
OUT OF A WINDOW. CALVI WAS LATER FOUND HANGING
FROM A BRIDGE IN LONDON. HIS POCKETS
WERE LOADED WITH BRICKS AND $15,000 WORTH OF CASH
IN 3 DIFFERENT CURRENCIES. THE DEATH ITSELF WAS DRIPPING
WITH FREEMASON IMAGERY. IT WAS REPORTED
THAT THE MASONIC LODGE AT THE CENTER OF THIS SCANDAL, THEY CALLED THEMSELVES
THE FRATI NERI, OR THE BLACK FRIARS. AND WHERE DID THEY FIND
CALVI'S BODY? HANGING FROM BLACKFRIARS BRIDGE. NOW, DOES THAT MEAN THE MASONS
DID THIS? NOT NECESSARILY. HOW DO YOU THINK IT HAPPENED?
HOW DID THEY DO IT? PROBABLY THE VATICAN
OR THE MASONIC LODGE USED THE MAFIA OR SOMEBODY
FROM THE UNDERWORLD TO EXECUTE ROBERTO CALVI. OH, SO THE VATICAN
MAY HAVE BEEN INVOLVED, BUT THEY WOULD MAKE IT LOOK LIKE
THE FREEMASONS DID IT OR THE MAFIA DID IT. EXACTLY. HOW DOES THIS CONNECT
TO THE DEATH OF JOHN PAUL I? JOHN PAUL I
WANTED TO REFORM THE VATICAN, PROBABLY ATTRIBUTING
A DIFFERENT ROLE BOTH TO THE VATICAN BANK AND
ITS CHAIRMAN -- PAUL MARCINKUS. THIS CASE ALSO REVEALED
THAT THE ENEMIES OF THE CHURCH MIGHT BE
WITHIN THE CHURCH ITSELF, AS THE FáTIMA PROPHECY
STATED. THIS STORY
JUST KEEPS GETTING BETTER. WHO WOULD HAVE PREDICTED
THAT THE VATICAN WOULD END UP LAUNDERING
HEROIN MONEY FOR THE MAFIA TO COVER UP
A FREEMASON BANKING SCANDAL THAT ENDS WITH THE MURDER
OF A POPE? OUR LADY OF FáTIMA,
THE VIRGIN MARY. THAT'S WHO. THIS WOULD EXPLAIN
WHY THE THIRD PROPHECY WAS WITHHELD FOR OVER 40 YEARS. IT PREDICTED THE FALL OF THE
VATICAN BY FORCES FROM WITHIN AND WHY JOHN PAUL I
WAS SO TROUBLED AFTER HIS MEETING
WITH SISTER LUCIA. HE SAW HIMSELF
AT THE CENTER OF IT, AND HE SAW THE BULL'S-EYE
THAT WAS ON HIS OWN BACK. WE STARTED WITH THE POSSIBLE
MURDER OF A POPE, AND IN THE COURSE
OF THE INVESTIGATION, WE'VE COVERED THE FREEMASONS,
THE MAFIA, AND A SECRET HOLY PROPHECY. BUT HERE'S THE QUESTION. DID THE VATICAN MURDER
THEIR OWN POPE TO COVER UP DARK FORCES
FROM WITHIN ITS OWN WALLS? BUDDY, McKINLEY, AND SCOTT
HAVE THEIR OWN CONCLUSIONS. HELL OF A JOURNEY. DOES THE VATICAN LOOK DIFFERENT
TO YOU GUYS NOW? YES, IT DOES. IT ACTUALLY DOES, YEAH. SO, LET'S JUST WEIGH IN. THIS PLACE HAS SECRETS.
IT HAS SKELETONS. AND IN ORDER TO HAVE SKELETONS,
YOU GOT TO HAVE DEAD BODIES. SO, DO YOU BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE POWERFUL PEOPLE
IN THE VATICAN WHO HAD SOMETHING TO DO
WITH JOHN PAUL I's DEATH? UNFORTUNATELY, YES, I DO THINK
THAT THERE'S AMPLE EVIDENCE. I MEAN, HE'S ABOUT TO MAKE
SOME MAJOR REFORMS THAT ARE NOT MAKING
SOME PEOPLE HAPPY. MOTIVE ALL OVER THE PLACE. NO AUTOPSY IS DONE.
SHODDY INVESTIGATION. THERE'S A PHRASE
FROM THE UNDERGROUND -- "IT AIN'T ON THE SQUARE."
[ CHUCKLES ] YOU KNOW? AND SOMETHING
IN THOSE 33 DAYS SEEMED REALLY,
REALLY SUSPICIOUS TO ME. I WOULD HATE TO BELIEVE
THAT THE VATICAN WAS INVOLVED, AND I KNOW THAT,
ON THE OTHER HAND, THEY'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN THINGS
IN PREVIOUS PAPAL ERAS THAT WERE, YOU KNOW, CONFIRMED
TO BE REALLY, REALLY DARK. AND WHEN YOU START LOOKING AT
THINGS LIKE THE MASONS, WHO OFTEN GET MIXED UP IN DISCUSSIONS
ABOUT THESE SCANDALS, AND THE MAFIA,
THEN IT'S POSSIBLE. THEY WERE INVOLVED
IN THIS BANK SCANDAL. THE SCANDAL, YOU KNOW,
INCLUDED FINANCING FOREIGN WARS AND MAYBE THE COVER-UP
OF A MURDER. AND, YOU KNOW, TO ME,
THERE'S A PRECEDENT FOR IT. IF THEY WERE INVOLVED
IN THIS ROBERTO CALVI PROBLEM, THEN IT
DOESN'T SURPRISE ME. FOR ME, JUST THE DISCUSSIONS
AROUND IT GOT REALLY UNCOMFORTABLE
WHEN I WAS ASKING ERIC WALTERS, AND HE WAS LIKE,
"WELL, IT'S BEEN DONE BEFORE. THAT'S JUST HOW IT'S DONE
IN ROME." THERE WAS THIS SORT OF
RELAXED IDEA, LIKE, "YEAH, POPES GET MURDERED
ALL THE TIME." I MEAN, THAT ALONE
IS A LITTLE DISTURBING TO ME. DO YOU BELIEVE THAT THEY KEPT
AND ARE STILL KEEPING SOME OF THE FáTIMA PROPHECIES
A SECRET? I DON'T THINK
THERE'S ANY QUESTION AT ALL THAT THE VATICAN
IS KEEPING SECRETS. I MEAN, EVERYTHING
AND EVERYONE WE TALK TO POINTS IN THAT DIRECTION. I'M WITH SCOTT. I WORRY THAT PROPHECIES
ARE OFTEN APOCRYPHAL OR CONVENIENTLY WRITTEN
AFTER THE FACT. RIGHT. IN THIS CASE, THERE ARE
SOME OF THAT, YOU KNOW? IT LOOKS LIKE IT MAY HAVE BEEN
INCONVENIENT FOR THE CHURCH AND THAT THEY MAY, IN FACT,
HAVE MANIPULATED IT. YEAH. YEAH. THIS IS THE THING
THAT REALLY WORRIES ME. WE'VE GOT AN ENTITY
THAT ANSWERS TO NO ONE
BUT THE BIG FELLA UPSTAIRS, AND IT IS A MASSIVE
MONEYMAKING MACHINE, AND YOU THINK THEY DON'T WANT
TO PROTECT THAT AT ALL COSTS? ANY ORGANIZATION
THAT IS THIS REVERED, THAT IS IN CHARGE OF SO MANY
PEOPLE, IT HAS TO KEEP SECRETS. BUT LET'S NOT FORGET THE VATICAN
IS MADE UP OF MEN OF THE CLOTH. THAT MEANS
THEY ARE HUMAN BEINGS. HUMAN BEINGS MAKE MISTAKES.
HUMAN BEINGS SIN. AND THE KEY IS WHETHER
THEY CAN GET BACK UP AND ASK FOR FORGIVENESS
AND MOVE ON. SO, AS LONG AS IT IS RUN
BY PEOPLE, THERE ARE GONNA BE THINGS LIKE
THAT THAT ARE GONNA HAPPEN. IT'S A TRUE REFLECTION
OF HUMANITY. THAT'S A VERY,
VERY GOOD POINT. I THINK WHAT'S INTERESTING ABOUT
THIS JOURNEY WE'VE BEEN ON IS THAT THERE'S THIS INCREDIBLE
CONFLUENCE OF DARK FORCES, YOU KNOW, MURDER, INTRIGUE,
AND IT ALL COMES TO A CONFLUENCE RIGHT HERE AT THE VATICAN. YOU KNOW,
I TOTALLY AGREE WITH THAT. I NEVER WOULD HAVE GUESSED WHEN WE STARTED ON THIS
PARTICULAR JOURNEY THAT WE WOULD BE TALKING ABOUT
THE MAFIA, THE FREEMASONS, AND THE VATICAN
IN THE SAME BREATH. AND LET'S NOT FORGET --
IT DID LEAD TO A MURDER. YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU SAID
AT THE BEGINNING, I'M NEVER REALLY GONNA LOOK
AT THIS PLACE IN EXACTLY THE SAME WAY. SO, ON TO THE NEXT ONE?
UNBELIEVABLE. IT IS UNQUESTIONABLE THAT THE VATICAN HAS DONE
INCREDIBLY POSITIVE THINGS FOR PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD, AND THEY CONTINUE TO DO SO
EVERY DAY. AND, OF COURSE,
THE VATICAN'S BILLION FOLLOWERS DESERVE TRANSPARENCY. BUT WHEN YOU HAVE AN INSTITUTION PERFECTLY SET UP
TO KEEP SECRETS, YOU'RE TESTING
THE INDIVIDUAL MEN AND WOMEN WITHIN THAT ORGANIZATION. YOU SEE, GOVERNMENTS DON'T LIE. THE VATICAN DOESN'T LIE.
PEOPLE LIE. AND IT DOESN'T MATTER
IF YOU'RE A MAN OF GOD OR A MAN OF SCIENCE,
BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE'RE ALL JUST MEN, ALL HUMAN. WE'RE FLAWED,
AND WE SCREW THINGS UP, AND WE GET GREEDY,
AND WE CAN BE CORRUPT. BUT WE ALSO CAN BE BRAVE
AND INSPIRING, ACHIEVING WHAT NO ONE
HAS EVER DREAMED OF. IT IS NO SMALL TASK TO REFORM
ONE OF THE OLDEST AND MOST POWERFUL INSTITUTIONS
IN THE WORLD, BUT I CAN'T HELP BUT WONDER
WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF POPE JOHN PAUL I HAD LIVED AND CARRIED OUT SOME OF
THE REFORMS HE FORESAW. HOW MUCH MORE POWERFUL
WOULD THE VATICAN BE IF THEY OPERATED
WITH TRANSPARENCY AND LET THEIR FOLLOWERS SEE
WHAT WAS REALLY GOING ON INSIDE? AND THAT'S PERHAPS
THE VATICAN'S BEST-KEPT SECRET.
