- [Narrator] Pop quiz! What's the name of the
smallest country in the world? I'll give you a hint, it's also the heart of one of the biggest
religions on the planet. You know, the home of a guy who mostly wears flowing white robes and gets driven around in this
incredibly swag custom Jeep. Have you already guessed? That's right, I'm talking
about Vatican City, often simply called the Vatican. The holy city only covers 121 acres, that's just 14% of New York's Central Park and contains a tiny population
of around 800 people. But it's here religious legacies such as the beautiful St.
Peter's Basilica can be found, making it a spiritual center
for Roman Catholicism. But for all the prayers and blessings, the walls of this city also hold a hoard of sinister secrets. From forbidden archives to sacred scams, it's time to grab your flashlights as we explore some dark
secrets of the Vatican that the pope would rather stay hidden. (gentle suspenseful music) - Whoa. (bell dings) - [Narrator] Unidentified holy objects. The Catholic Church is one of the oldest institutions in the Western world, with origins dating back over 2,000 years. And in that time, it's collected several
centuries' worth of documents. However, these documents
are not open to the public, instead, they are kept
in a mysterious vault known as the Vatican's Secret Archives. It's a huge storage space
adjacent to the Vatican Library containing 35,000 volumes of catalogs and 53 miles of shelving. I bet Tom Hanks is glad he
didn't have to sprint down that endless hallway whilst
shooting "The Da Vinci Code." But even Tom Hanks is forbidden to enter, as these archives are only
accessible to scholars once they are 75 years old. Given the average life expectancy ranges between 81 to 83 years of age here, that only offers an
exceptionally narrow window for academic study, given that PhDs can
take years to complete. Though some hardworking scholars have managed to successfully unearth some incredible documents
from the archives, such as a letter from Mary Queen of Scots, who, after being forced
to abdicate her throne, was sentenced to death. Mary wrote to Pope Sixtus
V, not confusing at all, begging for aid, but the
pope left her on read and ignored her letter entirely. Mary was then famously
beheaded on February 8th, 1587. The Secret Archives
also contain a document that literally changed the
course of European history. It's the official
ex-communication of Martin Luther, the German priest who divided
Europe with his "95 Theses" and created the Protestant
division of Christianity. The Vatican keeps more
receipts of its exes than Taylor Swift. And it's the Vatican's receipt keeping that calls for the strict security and privacy of the archives. They're designed to house the
Holy See's official paperwork, along with any of the
pope's correspondence with other official figures. And there remains literal miles of the archives yet to be explored. With all this mystery,
naturally, conspiracy theories about what's really lurking
in them have bred like rats. Some people claim that the Vatican may be concealing
evidence of UFOs down here and that they even have a
secret stash of alien skulls. These conspiracy flames
were fueled in October 2007, when a series of images were captured that appeared to depict
a strange orange disc flying over St. Peter's Basilica. Had the Vatican been concealing Valentino's mothership all along? Unfortunately, that's not the case, and this bright orange flying saucer is most likely sunlight
reflecting off a plane, or good old-fashioned Photoshop. Failing that, maybe
it's the new popemobile? It would certainly make the
pope look fly, literally. So, while there's no concrete evidence that aliens ever touched
down in the Vatican, the many miles of unexplored archives means we can't completely rule out any extra-terrestrial
contact of the holy kind. Grave Grudges. You've probably heard stories of people taking grudges
to the grave, right? Well, bottling up all that
anger and being buried with it seems like a waste of
energy in my opinion. But that's where the Vatican differs. It turns out, the papacy has held grudges that can extend into the afterlife. No, seriously. In a battle between popes, Pope Stephen VI put the dead
body of his predecessor, Pope Formosus, on trial. Now, this is a morbid tale of history that the Catholic Church would
prefer you didn't know about, as it reveals the Vatican's
very violent past. This papal prosecution was
known as the Cadaver Synod, which literally translates
to the "Corpse Trial," and took place over 1,000
years ago, back in 897. Pope Formosus had only been
in the ground for seven months when he was unceremoniously dug up. His body was then dressed
in ecclesiastical robes and propped up on the papal
throne to be put on trial. Man, that courtroom must have stunk. I'm sure glad I wasn't
there for jury duty. Aware that dead people
aren't exactly talkative, a priest was appointed to speak
on Pope Formosus's behalf. But you're probably wondering why on Earth Pope Stephen
VI was doing this. The official reason is that Pope Formosus was charged with the crime
of violating Church law, as he had served as bishop of Rome while still the bishop
of a different diocese, which is an area controlled by a bishop. But the real reason for
this wacky power play was even crazier; it
was a political stunt. You see, back in those days, the papacy possessed
heavyweight political power. Only the pope could appoint
the Holy Roman emperor, one of the most powerful
positions in Europe at the time. The Holy Roman emperor ruled over Germany, Austria, Switzerland, as well as regions of
present-day France and Italy. And the person appointed to be emperor was something bitterly fought
over by rival factions. Pope Formosus personally
supported Arnuf of Carinthia. However, the candidate he was reluctantly forced to crown as emperor was Lambert, son of the duke of Spoleto. The Spoleto family was
incredibly influential and held strong ties to
the then Cardinal Stephen. But then Pope Formosus turned the tables, by inviting Arnuf of
Carinthia to invade Italy. Arnuf successfully deposed Lambert and Pope Formosus wasted
no time in appointing him as the new Holy Roman emperor. This bitter betrayal
stung Cardinal Stephen and the Spoleto family. And once Pope Stephen VI rose to power, they wasted no time in
getting their revenge by putting Pope Formosus's
corpse on trial. He was declared guilty of
crimes against the Church, and all his acts as pope
were declared null and void. Following that, the
corpse was then stripped of all its rich garments
and dressed in rags, even the three fingers he had used for blessings were cut off. Finally, the body was
cast into the Tiber River, the place where you threw anything you wanted to permanently
exile from society. But Stephen's petty revenge
didn't last long either. As only a year and a half later, he was imprisoned and executed. Wow, who knew the papacy could be more dramatic
than "Game of Thrones?" George R.R. Martin better
start taking notes. Between a zombie pope trial
and Vatican alien sightings, I'm not sure which sounds crazier. How about you? For the zombie trial,
hit that like button, for alien-pope-relations, hit subscribe. All right, what have we got next? A hell of a guy. Detox treatments are
all the rage these days, purging those nasty toxins from your body. Some people go on juice cleanses or take shots of apple cider vinegar, while kookier celebrities,
like Gwyneth Paltrow, went on an eight-day goat milk cleanse. I feel sorry for the goat. But perhaps the ultimate detox is one recommended by the Vatican Church, as they offer to cleanse
literal demons from your body. 1/2 a million people
reportedly seek exorcisms every year in Italy alone. Though this is a practice that remains deeply controversial amongst
medical professionals. Despite expert warnings, the Catholic Church
fully endorses exorcisms, that is, evicting demons
from a person's body through the power of prayer. The Vatican even runs
its own exorcism school. Every year, 250 priests from
50 countries arrive in Rome to learn how to identify
demonic possession and how to perform the exorcism ritual. The late world champion of demon wrestling was one priest known as Gabriele Amorth, who acted as the chief
exorcist of the Vatican. And during his tenure at the ministry, performed over 160,000 exorcisms by 2013. Hang on, let's do some math here. He was ordained in 1954, so, 59 years till 2013... That means he would have had to perform more than seven exorcisms every single day of his 59-year career. That can't be right, can it? Well, to account for that
insanely high number, Amorth believed that a
person may be possessed by multiple demons at once, sometimes numbering in the thousands. Dude sure does look like he's
stared into the face of hell. However, there is a
dark side to exorcisms, one the Vatican Church tries to hide. Some of the described
symptoms of demonic possession are depression, anxiety,
compulsive behavior, hearing voices, or seizures. All of which can also be the cause of undiagnosed mental illnesses,
such as schizophrenia, or a brain disorder like epilepsy. What's more, people are like sponges. We're receptive to the cultural
influences we're raised in. So, someone suffering from schizophrenia raised in a Catholic household may suffer from hallucinations
that revolve around religion. During a psychotic episode, they may think they
hear the voice of Satan or believe they are the devil. And in such a case, those around them might make the mistake of
calling for an exorcist rather than a doctor. Not only does this prevent the person from getting medical treatment, but it can also make their symptoms worse because sometimes, exorcisms
involve the use of drugs or fasting, which can
induce sickness and stress, scientifically proven
to harm brain function. And over the past decade,
several people have even perished after having exorcisms performed. In 2009, a woman in Fort Wayne, Indiana, attempted to exorcise five children by making them drink
vinegar and olive oil, before restraining them for an exorcism. But tragically, one did
not survive the process, and the mother was rightfully sentenced to 61 years in prison. Aware of this issue, in 1999, the Catholic Church
released its first major update to the rules surrounding
exorcism since 1614. Here, they distinguished
between demonic possession and physical or psychological illness. And many practicing priests today are aware of the importance of having someone
psychologically assessed, before performing an exorcism. In addition, some exorcist advocates argue that for deeply religious
people, performing an exorcism can be a cathartic process,
making them more receptive to receiving medical treatment afterwards. Personally, I'd say people
should always seek help from medical professionals first. But if I ever find someone
crawling on the ceiling, I'll be speed-dialing the local priest. Angels or demons. One of my favorite
things to do at Christmas is to put the angel on
top of the Christmas tree. A glittery figurine, clad in a flowing white
dress with golden wings. This is the image that
most of us probably picture when we think of an angel. At least that's what the Vatican
would like you to believe. As it happens, biblically accurate angels are a whole lot stranger and scarier. Take cherubs, for example, those chubby baby angels
with little wings. Super cute. Except, this version of a cherub is nothing like how they
are described in the bible. Rather it's based off the
Roman and Greeks' idea of the god of love, Cupid. Are you intrigued to see a
theologically accurate cherub? Then get ready for a beastly surprise. According to the prophet Ezekiel's vision, a cherub has four faces: a
lion, ox, an eagle, and a human. They have four wings and hoofed
feet like polished brass. Wow, imagine putting that
on a Hallmark holiday card. Ezekiel's other descriptions
of angels include, "A wheel within a wheel, "each of their four rims were
filled with eyes all around." Now it makes a whole lot more sense why when the first angel
appeared to Joseph, it said, "Do not be afraid," before encouraging him
to take Mary as his wife. Joseph must have been a super chill dude, as I'm not sure I'd want
to take relationship advice from a creature straight out
of a Lovecraftian nightmare. It's only in the later
scriptures of Daniel and Genesis, where the angels are
described as something that appeared to be altogether more human. Unsurprisingly, the Catholic
Church has chosen to advertise the human-like appearance of angels rather than these hellish lookalikes. If you're wondering where
the prophet Ezekiel's crazy ideas came from, some modern scholars believe
that early Christians may have been under the
influence of psychoactive herbs and mushrooms. Which, considering the psychedelic
beings they were seeing, makes a whole lot more sense. However, any links between Christianity and psychoactive influences is another secret the Vatican
prefers to keep under wraps, as they have maintained a strict anti-drug policy for centuries. The only green herb the pope approves of is mistletoe at Christmas. 4D glasses. If you had the choice, would you rather time travel
to the future or the past? I'd choose the past. After all, they say
that hindsight is 20/20, and it certainly is when you have the Vatican's
time-traveling glasses. No. No, I did not stutter. These time-traveling glasses, also known as the chronovisor, is a device that may just be
the Vatican's best-kept secret. It was said to have been
invented in the 1950s by a team of Italian scientists, one of which was Physics Nobel
Prize Winner, Enrico Fermi. Another of the scientists,
known as Pellegrino Ernetti, inform the public of
the device's existence. The description of the device
itself is rather vague, though Ernetti has stated it's constructed of three precious alloys,
along with several cathodes, dials, and levers, with a
screen and a recording device. The chronovisor was ingeniously engineered to act as a sort of
time-traveling television, as it has the ability to
tune into historical events and broadcast them in present day. Ernetti has described
watching speeches by Napoleon and plays performed in ancient Rome. He claims it's even proven
the existence of Jesus Christ by broadcasting his crucifixion. To back up his claims, he released photographs
captured by the device, such as Jesus's agonized
face on the cross. This is pretty unbelievable. So, unbelievable it's probably untrue. Let's dive into the reasons
why many are skeptical of Ernetti's claims of
a chronovisor device. Firstly, Nobel Prize-winning
physicist, Enrico Fermi, was only linked to the project in 1992, decades after his death in 1954. And even though Pellegrino
Ernetti was also a scientist, he later became a Benedictine monk. Even more suspiciously, this
time-traveling mechanism bears a striking resemblance to a device in T.L. Sherred's science
fiction book "E for Effort," a novel published in 1947,
right before the chronovisor was reportedly invented in the 1950s. In his story, Sherred describes in detail a time-viewing device that
projects images of the past. Sound familiar? Well, the novel "E for Effort" has been reprinted many times, but the chronovisor machine
has never been found. Instead, Ernetti has claimed
that he dismantled the device to keep it out of the hands of evil. A pretty convenient excuse. But what of the photographic
evidence of Jesus on the cross? Well, some journalists did some digging and discovered that this snapshot of Jesus is actually a reversed image from a postcard of a Jesus statute in the Santuario dell'Amore
Misericordioso church in Italy. Side by side, they look
undeniably similar, don't they? Furthermore, if such definitive proof of Jesus's crucifixion actually existed, then releasing the
entirety of this footage would be a definitive win
for the Catholic Church. What with the rise of more and more people now identifying as atheist, agnostic, or otherwise non-religious, the Catholic Church may
be falling out of favor. Undisputable proof of Jesus
Christ would be a surefire way for the Vatican to amass
even more devout followers. However, Ernetti failed to
ever release this footage, undoubtedly because it never
existed in the first place. Overall, it seems the
chronovisor is a total hoax. But if it was real, what historical events of the
past would you like to watch? Let me know down in the comments. Sweet cheeks. In the modern era, with Cardi
B dropping hits like "WAP" and Gwyneth Paltrow selling a candle that smells like her lady garden, the topic of let's say intimate relations is becoming less and less taboo. Not enough for the YouTube algorithm yet, but we're working on it. However, there is one institution that remains staunchly prudish. The Catholic Church is
fiercely conservative, they do not permit such
relations before marriage or any means of artificial contraception. In addition, all Roman Catholic priests are required to remain
celibate and never marry. This is to follow the
example of Jesus Christ in being married to the Church instead. But, it turns out behind
this strait-laced frontier, the Vatican has its own salacious secrets. The pope may prefer to wear white, but hidden away in his offices is a room that will have
the rest of us blushing red. It began in 1516 when
Renaissance artist Raphael was commissioned to decorate a bathroom in the Papal Apartments
for Cardinal Bibbiena. And unlike other holy men,
Cardinal Bibbiena played fast and loose with the idea of purity, fascinated by raunchy pagan imagery unearthed in ancient Roman ruins. So, he hit up Raphael to
transform his bathroom from a squeaky-clean
space to a dirty showcase. The panels were painted with
portraits of a nude Venus, the goddess of love, and
Cupid, the god of desire. Accompanied by naked
nymphs being spied upon by lusting satyrs, creatures
that were half-man, half-goat. And unlike Barbie and Ken dolls, all the paintings had
their anatomy fully intact. It became known as the
Stufetta della Bibbiena, or the "small, heated room
of Cardinal Bibbiena." And even God doesn't want to know what he got up to in there. Unsurprisingly, the rest of
the Vatican loathed the artwork and have made numerous
attempts to censor or erase it. At one weird point, the room
was even made into a kitchen. But no doubt the sight of the satyr's junk put people off their food, and so the room was abandoned once again. Until, finally, a Catholic art expert rediscovered the paintings
in the mid-19th century and preserved them as
part of Raphael's legacy. But to this day, access
remains restricted, with the Vatican
concealing its pervy past. And after 1870, this section of the palace was turned into the pope's own residence. Cardinal Bibbiena's old bedroom is now used for official
diplomatic meetings with visiting heads of state. Little do those politicians
know what nude images are concealed inside the next room. So, while the Catholic Church
likes to preach purity, who knows what the pope gets up to in this restroom in between meetings? Gospel gangsters. For those of us who have
attended Sunday mass, you've seen the collection
plate going around. Maybe you even chipped in a dollar or two, after all, it's going to a good cause, or at least, that's what you think until you see your local pastor speeding down the highway in a Ferrari. Incredibly, that's exactly what happened to the poor people of
Philadelphia, back in 1979. This money scamming scheme
was run by an order of monks operating a shrine of
the Polish patron saint the Lady of Czestochowa, also
known as the Black Madonna, or Mary the Protector of Poland. They raised a total of
$250,000 in donations from mass requests. However, instead of spending
the money on good causes, the monks went on insane shopping sprees. In addition, they procured
more than $400,000 in donations meant to erect bronze memorial
plaques for the shrine. But the funds were embezzled and spent on sports cars instead. The monks' greed didn't stop there though; they even dipped into the
order's cemetery fund, which is a legal requirement
for perpetual care of burial plots and memorials, but the monks illegally
spent a $64,000 chunk of it. In less than a decade, the
monks spent over $20 million on luxury goods and
funding what was described as "chaotic" lifestyles. Eventually, the corrupt
monks were discovered, and the Vatican ordered them
to turn over their televisions, stereos, cars, and credit cards. In response, half the
monks left the order. A crisis of faith conveniently occurring as soon as the fun money was cut off. To hide the scandal, Pope John Paul II used the power of the Vatican to pay more than $5 million in hush money to prevent the monks from
being sued or charged. But this money laundering scheme is only the tip of the iceberg, as the Vatican's very own bank
has previously been caught red-handed in money-laundering schemes. Back in 2018, prosecutors charged former Vatican Bank
President Angelo Caloia, and his attorney, Gabriele Liuzzo, for embezzling $62 million through a real estate scam
run between 2001 and 2008. Both were jailed for eight
and five years respectively. For an institution based
on faith and morality, there sure is a whole lot of corruption. So how did the Vatican's
finances fall so far from grace? Well, the Church's money-making schemes go back to the Middle Ages. You could say they were the
original crypto traders, as they sold indulgences, aka free passes for sins
in exchange for money. This money-making scheme
became so commercialized that it ultimately ended
in the Protestant revolt led by Martin Luther in 1517. Nevertheless, the Vatican
continued funding itself through indulgences and donations
from wealthy benefactors. However, priests don't
make the best accountants, and the Vatican has found itself teetering on the edge of
bankruptcy several times. And so, in 1929, Pope Pius XI
appointed Bernardino Nogara as chief financial advisor to the Vatican. Later during World War II,
he created the Vatican Bank. During the war, the Allies imposed strict restrictions on bank accounts, to cripple any secret supporters
of fascist-led Germany. Meanwhile, the Vatican,
led by Pope Pius XII, had declared an official
policy of neutrality. So, the bank, known as the
Institute for Religious Works, escaped wartime restrictions and became the perfect
vessel to shift money around. And here is where the corruption started. Because of its state sovereignty, the Vatican Bank retains the ability to withhold account
information from regulators and authorities. And all this secrecy has
provided excellent cover, as in 2012, four priests were investigated for operating bank accounts
for the mafia to launder money. And priests haven't just
been having shady meetings with men in black suits, they've also exploited loopholes
in the Italian tax system. Under Italian law, any
commercial buildings can waiver their property taxes if the building also contains a chapel. And so, the Vatican exploited
this loophole mercilessly, running a chain of hotels
and health clinics, and inserting a chapel
in every single building. All this tax evasion totaled
a whopping four billion euros, about $4.2 billion, owed
to the Italian government. Though this tax scheme came to an end when the European Court of
Justice issued a judgment that the Vatican will have to
pay back its hefty tax bill. But not to worry, as the
Vatican can certainly afford it. The bank's assets were
valued at about $5.6 billion at the end of 2018. And the bank reportedly made a profit from its various investments
and business ventures of $19.8 million in 2018. However, one of the ways
the Vatican makes its dollar is riddled with unbelievable hypocrisy. As you're probably aware, the rainbow flag
representing LGBTQ+ culture is flying high and proud these days, with 34 countries having
legalized gay marriage. But the Catholic Church still regards same-sex marriage as a sin. They state that marriage,
as intended by God's plan, can only be between a man and a woman, and to defy the will of God is a sin, and so they do not condone
same-sex relationships. Yet, it turns out that
this official policy is only a surface ruling because the Vatican has actually profited off of LGBTQ+ media,
by investing $1 million in Elton John's glittery
biopic, "Rocketman." It was the first major
Hollywood blockbuster to contain a full love
scene between two gay men. The Vatican then profited
heavily off the movie's $195 million box office success. This proves once again
that the Vatican's greed came before its religious doctrine. Though the Vatican's financial corruption may finally be cleared up by Pope Francis, who has vowed to root out the problem. However, even he admits he has his doubts whether the centuries-long
issues of corruption can be overhauled. Pretty clear the Vatican Bank is full of more sinners than saints. What was the most shocking secret you learned about the Vatican? And what else do you think
the pope might be hiding? Let me know down in the comments below, and thanks for watching. (gentle thoughtful music)
