1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:01,880 Speaker 1: Guess what will what's that man go? So I was 2 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:03,680 Speaker 1: telling my kids about how my family used to go 3 00:00:03,720 --> 00:00:06,360 Speaker 1: on really long car trips when I was young, Like 4 00:00:06,440 --> 00:00:08,680 Speaker 1: my mom and dad loved piling us up in the 5 00:00:08,680 --> 00:00:12,280 Speaker 1: car and just driving to really cool places. And occasionally 6 00:00:12,320 --> 00:00:14,800 Speaker 1: there was an excuse for it, right, like once they 7 00:00:14,880 --> 00:00:17,480 Speaker 1: drove us from New Jersey all the way to Quebec City, 8 00:00:17,960 --> 00:00:20,200 Speaker 1: just so my dog could drink some holy water, just 9 00:00:20,239 --> 00:00:23,560 Speaker 1: so your dog could drink. Yeah, as I'm saying this 10 00:00:23,600 --> 00:00:25,840 Speaker 1: out loud, I realized it makes less and less sense. 11 00:00:26,200 --> 00:00:28,320 Speaker 1: But our dog was ill at the time, and we'd 12 00:00:28,320 --> 00:00:31,040 Speaker 1: adopted him as a pop from this Catholic family, and 13 00:00:31,160 --> 00:00:33,680 Speaker 1: even though we aren't Catholic, my mom decided she wanted 14 00:00:33,720 --> 00:00:37,239 Speaker 1: to honor his religious traditions. So we drove all the 15 00:00:37,280 --> 00:00:39,479 Speaker 1: way up to sant and de Properate, which is this 16 00:00:39,680 --> 00:00:42,840 Speaker 1: stunning basilica in Quebec City where a lot of healing 17 00:00:42,840 --> 00:00:45,400 Speaker 1: miracles tend to happen, and we let him laugh up 18 00:00:45,440 --> 00:00:47,519 Speaker 1: some holy water there. Your mom is the best. What 19 00:00:47,600 --> 00:00:49,239 Speaker 1: a great idea, But I do have to ask did 20 00:00:49,240 --> 00:00:51,960 Speaker 1: it work? And did your dog live? Yeah? Well, we 21 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:54,120 Speaker 1: all fell in love with Quebec, so that part worked 22 00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:56,800 Speaker 1: and uh and he did live for a few more years. 23 00:00:56,800 --> 00:00:59,080 Speaker 1: So I'm not sure whether that was St Anne's doing 24 00:00:59,240 --> 00:01:01,760 Speaker 1: or whether his dedication was doing the heavy lifting, but 25 00:01:02,480 --> 00:01:04,800 Speaker 1: you know, it did make me curious about the miracles 26 00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:08,000 Speaker 1: that have taken place there, And when I started reading online, 27 00:01:08,120 --> 00:01:10,880 Speaker 1: it sent me down this massive Catholic rabbit hole of 28 00:01:10,959 --> 00:01:14,240 Speaker 1: like saints and pilgrimages. And after a few hours, I 29 00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:16,400 Speaker 1: can't tell you how many tabs I had opened about 30 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:19,720 Speaker 1: like the Vatican's official cricket team and how they've received 31 00:01:19,760 --> 00:01:23,080 Speaker 1: letters from like both Jefferson Davis and Abe Lincoln. Like 32 00:01:23,160 --> 00:01:25,280 Speaker 1: I realized we had to do an episode on like 33 00:01:25,280 --> 00:01:27,920 Speaker 1: the Vatican and all the secrets hiding there. So that's 34 00:01:27,959 --> 00:01:30,440 Speaker 1: what today's episode is all about. Why don't we dig in? 35 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:48,640 Speaker 1: Welcome to Part Time Genius. I'm Will Pearson and as 36 00:01:48,640 --> 00:01:50,880 Speaker 1: always I'm joined by my good friend man Guesh Ticketer, 37 00:01:51,200 --> 00:01:54,640 Speaker 1: and today we're talking about the secrets of the Vatican. Now, 38 00:01:54,640 --> 00:01:56,360 Speaker 1: this is a topic that Mango and one of our 39 00:01:56,360 --> 00:01:59,120 Speaker 1: brilliant researchers, Nolan Brown, have been talking about for a 40 00:01:59,200 --> 00:02:02,680 Speaker 1: few weeks. And so after all that research, Mango, I've 41 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:05,040 Speaker 1: got several questions for you, But why don't we start 42 00:02:05,040 --> 00:02:06,800 Speaker 1: out with this one? Have you ever actually been to 43 00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:10,160 Speaker 1: the Vatican. That's a pretty easy one. I have actually 44 00:02:10,440 --> 00:02:12,680 Speaker 1: way back when I was in seventh grade, and I 45 00:02:12,720 --> 00:02:15,560 Speaker 1: was completely fascinated on my tour there. But you know 46 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:18,440 Speaker 1: what's funny was that when I was researching today's episode, 47 00:02:18,680 --> 00:02:20,760 Speaker 1: I decided to look up trip Advisor just to see 48 00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:23,760 Speaker 1: what other people thought and what their experiences were. And 49 00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:25,760 Speaker 1: one of the things I loved reading was all these 50 00:02:25,840 --> 00:02:28,160 Speaker 1: one star reviews of the place. So I just have 51 00:02:28,240 --> 00:02:30,200 Speaker 1: to read a few tears go for it. So this 52 00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:35,280 Speaker 1: one's titled Vending Machines. The vending machine worked very well. 53 00:02:35,720 --> 00:02:37,680 Speaker 1: It's worrying when this is the first thing you start 54 00:02:37,720 --> 00:02:40,320 Speaker 1: a review with. The Vatican is by far the most 55 00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:45,600 Speaker 1: boring place I have visible. One star. And here's another, 56 00:02:46,120 --> 00:02:49,079 Speaker 1: highly recommend you realize what you're getting into before booking 57 00:02:49,080 --> 00:02:51,720 Speaker 1: a tour. It's a lot of broken English from guides 58 00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:54,080 Speaker 1: and a lot of paintings in art one star. What 59 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:57,400 Speaker 1: is people expect? And how did this become a hobby 60 00:02:57,440 --> 00:02:59,480 Speaker 1: of ours where we like going to different places and 61 00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:02,639 Speaker 1: just eating the one star reviews and trip Advisor. I 62 00:03:02,639 --> 00:03:05,079 Speaker 1: remember we were looking at once, for uh, I think 63 00:03:05,080 --> 00:03:07,760 Speaker 1: it was Yellowstone, and one of them about Yellowstone was 64 00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:11,600 Speaker 1: just a bigger central park but with bears. But we're 65 00:03:11,600 --> 00:03:14,560 Speaker 1: obviously coming from a very controversial angle that there's plenty 66 00:03:14,600 --> 00:03:16,519 Speaker 1: to see at the Vatican. But I do want to 67 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:19,160 Speaker 1: clarify for our listeners up front. I know there's a 68 00:03:19,200 --> 00:03:23,000 Speaker 1: lot of history on vatty leagues and sex scandals and whatnot, 69 00:03:23,320 --> 00:03:26,000 Speaker 1: and of course there's plenty of discussion around all of 70 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:28,520 Speaker 1: those things, but today's show is really just about the 71 00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:31,880 Speaker 1: surprising things we didn't realize about Vatican City and the 72 00:03:31,960 --> 00:03:34,880 Speaker 1: Vatican both and how it functions, but also what's hiding 73 00:03:34,920 --> 00:03:37,560 Speaker 1: behind those walls. Yeah, we're not trying to knock religion 74 00:03:37,680 --> 00:03:39,800 Speaker 1: or delve into controversy. We just want to dig into 75 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:42,320 Speaker 1: the fascinating history. All right, Well let's start with that. Then. 76 00:03:42,320 --> 00:03:44,760 Speaker 1: Why why do you think it's such a fascinating place 77 00:03:44,760 --> 00:03:47,320 Speaker 1: for us? Well, for me, part of it's that the 78 00:03:47,360 --> 00:03:50,160 Speaker 1: Church has played this outsized role in history. I mean 79 00:03:50,200 --> 00:03:52,680 Speaker 1: you think about the Crusades and the early explorers and 80 00:03:53,040 --> 00:03:56,080 Speaker 1: people like Mendel and Copernicus. I mean, the Catholic Church 81 00:03:56,160 --> 00:03:58,960 Speaker 1: is just this constant, recurring character in our history. Books, 82 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:02,120 Speaker 1: but at the same time, there's so much that's cloaked 83 00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:05,880 Speaker 1: in mystery, and as an outsider's just completely unnoble when 84 00:04:05,880 --> 00:04:07,640 Speaker 1: it comes to the rituals of the church. What do 85 00:04:07,640 --> 00:04:09,360 Speaker 1: you mean by that, Well, I feel like you read 86 00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:13,120 Speaker 1: these tiny tidbits and they seem totally impossible but also 87 00:04:13,240 --> 00:04:17,120 Speaker 1: maybe true. Like I read this widely circulated story that 88 00:04:17,120 --> 00:04:19,840 Speaker 1: when the pope passes away, the physician will tap him 89 00:04:19,880 --> 00:04:22,560 Speaker 1: on the forehead three times with a special silver hammer, 90 00:04:23,080 --> 00:04:25,640 Speaker 1: just to make sure he's actually dead. That does sound 91 00:04:25,760 --> 00:04:29,120 Speaker 1: maybe made up, right, And that's what I thought too. 92 00:04:29,160 --> 00:04:31,960 Speaker 1: It's like too good to be true. But also I'm 93 00:04:31,960 --> 00:04:33,680 Speaker 1: not a priest. I don't know, so I looked it 94 00:04:33,720 --> 00:04:36,320 Speaker 1: up on snopes and they can't tell whether it's true either. 95 00:04:36,680 --> 00:04:39,440 Speaker 1: I mean, there actually is a tiny silver death hammer, 96 00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:42,520 Speaker 1: and it sits in waiting at the Vatican, and once 97 00:04:42,520 --> 00:04:45,520 Speaker 1: the Pope passes away, it actually does have the special 98 00:04:45,600 --> 00:04:48,360 Speaker 1: use like first to Chamberlain will call out the deceased 99 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:51,200 Speaker 1: pope's name three times, which sounds a little like the 100 00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:54,520 Speaker 1: forehead thing, right, And if the Pope doesn't respond, the 101 00:04:54,560 --> 00:04:56,600 Speaker 1: hammers used to break the seal on the pope's ring 102 00:04:56,880 --> 00:04:59,160 Speaker 1: and only then is the room cordoned off, and that's 103 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:01,440 Speaker 1: when they actually start ranging for the funeral. Well, with 104 00:05:01,480 --> 00:05:03,400 Speaker 1: all that detail, I mean, I guess it sounds like 105 00:05:03,440 --> 00:05:06,120 Speaker 1: there's some truth there. Yeah, according to Snopes, there probably 106 00:05:06,200 --> 00:05:08,240 Speaker 1: was a time when the hammer was used to you know, 107 00:05:08,320 --> 00:05:10,800 Speaker 1: double check that the pope was dead, back when people 108 00:05:10,839 --> 00:05:13,600 Speaker 1: are accidentally buried alive. But you know, it's a long 109 00:05:13,640 --> 00:05:16,960 Speaker 1: time since then. Still, I think you can see what 110 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:19,360 Speaker 1: I mean, right, Like, there's so much old ceremony and 111 00:05:19,360 --> 00:05:22,239 Speaker 1: tradition that isn't really public knowledge. That makes it easy 112 00:05:22,279 --> 00:05:24,880 Speaker 1: for someone like, you know, a writer like Dan Brown 113 00:05:25,120 --> 00:05:27,240 Speaker 1: right at the edge of these myths and make all 114 00:05:27,240 --> 00:05:29,760 Speaker 1: these things feel plausible. Well, and there's so many things 115 00:05:29,839 --> 00:05:32,600 Speaker 1: like that. I remember before we even talking about this episode, 116 00:05:32,640 --> 00:05:35,400 Speaker 1: reading some story about those pope chairs with the holes 117 00:05:35,400 --> 00:05:38,720 Speaker 1: in them. Did yeah, the Holy chairs? All right, So 118 00:05:38,839 --> 00:05:40,640 Speaker 1: for our listeners that don't know about these, these are 119 00:05:40,680 --> 00:05:43,560 Speaker 1: these strange chairs. Was holes at the center of the seat, 120 00:05:44,080 --> 00:05:46,320 Speaker 1: and there's this, I guess, kind of a dubious origin 121 00:05:46,400 --> 00:05:49,080 Speaker 1: story that accompanies them. So the legend goes back to 122 00:05:49,120 --> 00:05:51,480 Speaker 1: whether or not there was a female pope at one point, 123 00:05:51,920 --> 00:05:54,719 Speaker 1: and supposedly there was this very astute pope named John 124 00:05:54,760 --> 00:05:57,279 Speaker 1: who turned out to be a Jane. And the story 125 00:05:57,360 --> 00:05:59,680 Speaker 1: goes that, you know, she was pregnant and giving birth 126 00:05:59,760 --> 00:06:02,240 Speaker 1: during a parade, and then of course because of this, 127 00:06:02,320 --> 00:06:04,320 Speaker 1: she was stoned to death when everybody realized she was 128 00:06:04,360 --> 00:06:07,520 Speaker 1: a woman. And after that happened, the church made future 129 00:06:07,560 --> 00:06:09,920 Speaker 1: pope sit in a chair with a hole in it, so, 130 00:06:10,360 --> 00:06:12,159 Speaker 1: you know, so that a physician could reach through the 131 00:06:12,200 --> 00:06:15,120 Speaker 1: bottom and verify the pope's manhood. How weird is this 132 00:06:15,440 --> 00:06:18,720 Speaker 1: so outrageous? Like why would you need a chair for that? Wait? Wait, 133 00:06:18,760 --> 00:06:21,200 Speaker 1: how else would you do a physical? But you see 134 00:06:21,200 --> 00:06:24,279 Speaker 1: this story everywhere. I saw one on Scientific American about 135 00:06:24,279 --> 00:06:26,840 Speaker 1: Pope Benedict the third and they were doing a check 136 00:06:26,920 --> 00:06:29,560 Speaker 1: on him and apparently they all said, thanks be to God. 137 00:06:29,600 --> 00:06:32,920 Speaker 1: After the check you to verify that he had testicles. 138 00:06:32,920 --> 00:06:35,960 Speaker 1: And you know, there's some speculation from historians that maybe 139 00:06:35,960 --> 00:06:38,800 Speaker 1: the chair was used to ensure a pope hadn't been castrated. 140 00:06:38,839 --> 00:06:41,720 Speaker 1: But it's it's honestly all very murky. Yeah, and it's 141 00:06:41,800 --> 00:06:43,600 Speaker 1: it's all kind of like that silver hammer, right, like 142 00:06:43,680 --> 00:06:46,520 Speaker 1: these chairs actually do exist. Yeah, well that you know, 143 00:06:46,560 --> 00:06:49,040 Speaker 1: there's plenty of tradition and history that we don't know. 144 00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:50,840 Speaker 1: But why don't we start with some of the things 145 00:06:50,880 --> 00:06:53,040 Speaker 1: that we do. You know, after all your research, I 146 00:06:53,040 --> 00:06:54,359 Speaker 1: think maybe you should give us a little bit of 147 00:06:54,360 --> 00:06:57,400 Speaker 1: background on the Vatican. Yeah, yeah, I can definitely do that. Actually, 148 00:06:57,600 --> 00:07:00,240 Speaker 1: let me just pull up in my notes so on aue. 149 00:07:00,240 --> 00:07:02,960 Speaker 1: The Vatican City is like the spiritual and governing center 150 00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:06,279 Speaker 1: of the Roman Catholic Church. And originally the land was 151 00:07:06,320 --> 00:07:09,600 Speaker 1: actually this Marshy area and then apparently it turned into 152 00:07:09,640 --> 00:07:12,800 Speaker 1: the CD district. But by Colligula's time in thirty seven 153 00:07:12,840 --> 00:07:15,800 Speaker 1: a d. It had totally been gentrified, like there are 154 00:07:15,880 --> 00:07:19,520 Speaker 1: nice houses and gardens and whatnot. And today, like the 155 00:07:19,560 --> 00:07:22,240 Speaker 1: area is pretty much built around St. Peter's tomb because 156 00:07:22,520 --> 00:07:26,080 Speaker 1: that's the area where he was martyred. Vatican spans, if 157 00:07:26,120 --> 00:07:28,280 Speaker 1: you think about it, like about a hundred acres or so, 158 00:07:28,400 --> 00:07:31,000 Speaker 1: and it's considered a monarchy with about a thousand people 159 00:07:31,040 --> 00:07:32,920 Speaker 1: living there. And the pope is at the top of 160 00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:35,240 Speaker 1: that obviously, but something I would not have thought about before. 161 00:07:35,320 --> 00:07:37,960 Speaker 1: But there's no vice pope, right, Yeah, he's he's kind 162 00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:40,160 Speaker 1: of alone at the top. I mean, he delegates duties 163 00:07:40,200 --> 00:07:43,000 Speaker 1: to various people and councils. But all that stuff you 164 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:46,960 Speaker 1: think about with the three branches of government, like legislative, judicial, executive, like, 165 00:07:47,280 --> 00:07:49,760 Speaker 1: all of that sits with him. Plus he's got all 166 00:07:49,800 --> 00:07:53,560 Speaker 1: the spiritual things to deal with. It's a ton of responsibility. 167 00:07:53,720 --> 00:07:55,840 Speaker 1: And the funny thing is there's no turning the job 168 00:07:55,880 --> 00:07:58,200 Speaker 1: down when you're nominated, Like you can't say no to God. 169 00:07:58,400 --> 00:08:00,480 Speaker 1: Well that's true, but I have read seven real times 170 00:08:00,480 --> 00:08:02,760 Speaker 1: about all these cardinals that don't want the job that 171 00:08:02,840 --> 00:08:05,120 Speaker 1: get really stressed out thinking about it just because of 172 00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:08,760 Speaker 1: all of the international responsibility that that goes with the job. Yeah, 173 00:08:08,800 --> 00:08:10,280 Speaker 1: I mean, like you've got to deal with the church's 174 00:08:10,360 --> 00:08:12,920 Speaker 1: legal stuff and the public relations. All that falls on 175 00:08:12,960 --> 00:08:16,200 Speaker 1: your shoulders and it can feel overwhelming. But you know 176 00:08:16,240 --> 00:08:18,520 Speaker 1: what's funny is the room the new pope is scored 177 00:08:18,520 --> 00:08:21,080 Speaker 1: to after he's just been elected. It actually has a nickname. 178 00:08:21,080 --> 00:08:24,360 Speaker 1: It's called the Room of Tears. Yeah, it's a big job, 179 00:08:24,440 --> 00:08:26,880 Speaker 1: and most popes need some time to compose themselves and 180 00:08:26,960 --> 00:08:29,360 Speaker 1: like deal with the motion after they've been nominated. And 181 00:08:29,720 --> 00:08:32,360 Speaker 1: here's something else about that room. Because no one knows 182 00:08:32,400 --> 00:08:34,520 Speaker 1: who the next pope is going to be, The tailors 183 00:08:34,559 --> 00:08:38,360 Speaker 1: actually have three papal ropes waiting. There's a small, medium 184 00:08:38,360 --> 00:08:41,559 Speaker 1: and large. I never really thought about it, but I 185 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:43,199 Speaker 1: guess I just kind of assumed it was a one 186 00:08:43,240 --> 00:08:45,440 Speaker 1: fits all kind of thing. But you know, you're right, 187 00:08:45,600 --> 00:08:48,760 Speaker 1: no one knows who's going to be elected. There's actually 188 00:08:48,760 --> 00:08:51,160 Speaker 1: this great story about Pope Fabian, who wasn't even a 189 00:08:51,240 --> 00:08:53,800 Speaker 1: candidate for the pope, but a dove landed on his 190 00:08:53,840 --> 00:08:56,920 Speaker 1: shoulder during the election, and so he got this unanimous 191 00:08:57,040 --> 00:08:59,240 Speaker 1: vote to be pope. And you know, I'll have some 192 00:08:59,320 --> 00:09:02,680 Speaker 1: questions for you out elections and in just a bit. Yeah, good, 193 00:09:02,679 --> 00:09:04,240 Speaker 1: because I really want to talk about like how they 194 00:09:04,240 --> 00:09:07,040 Speaker 1: send up black smoke and white smoke, and like when 195 00:09:07,040 --> 00:09:09,360 Speaker 1: they make a decision, it's kind of amazing. Yeah all right, Well, well, 196 00:09:09,400 --> 00:09:11,120 Speaker 1: let's back up for just a second and talk about 197 00:09:11,120 --> 00:09:14,880 Speaker 1: how Vatican City became its own sovereign state. Obviously we 198 00:09:14,920 --> 00:09:17,520 Speaker 1: know when an impact the Roman Catholic Church had on history, 199 00:09:17,559 --> 00:09:19,640 Speaker 1: but give me a quick sense of why there are 200 00:09:19,679 --> 00:09:22,280 Speaker 1: these hundred acres carved out for it. Yeah, so those 201 00:09:22,360 --> 00:09:24,439 Speaker 1: hundred acres are a little fuzzy. I mean, there's a 202 00:09:24,480 --> 00:09:28,400 Speaker 1: McDonald's just outside the Vatican border that's actually on Vatican property, 203 00:09:28,559 --> 00:09:31,640 Speaker 1: and it's kind of blurry. Actually here you can order 204 00:09:31,720 --> 00:09:34,880 Speaker 1: a new Tela burger and fries in this Yeah, that's 205 00:09:34,960 --> 00:09:37,760 Speaker 1: kind of an Italy specific thing. And they also don't 206 00:09:37,760 --> 00:09:41,000 Speaker 1: allow mixed spaghetti there. That's only a Filipino thing. Okay, 207 00:09:41,840 --> 00:09:44,360 Speaker 1: But you know you're right about the Vatican size. I mean, 208 00:09:44,480 --> 00:09:46,600 Speaker 1: for a while, and we're talking way back in the 209 00:09:46,640 --> 00:09:49,440 Speaker 1: eighteen hundreds, the Pope ruled over a number of papal 210 00:09:49,480 --> 00:09:51,960 Speaker 1: states in the region. But when Italy unified as a 211 00:09:51,960 --> 00:09:54,680 Speaker 1: country in late eighteen hundreds, it's seized up all the 212 00:09:54,720 --> 00:09:58,280 Speaker 1: Vatican's land. And then this really really strange thing happened, right, 213 00:09:58,640 --> 00:10:01,440 Speaker 1: and it was completely new to me. Apparently Italy and 214 00:10:01,440 --> 00:10:05,199 Speaker 1: the Vatican actually had a cold war. Like I always 215 00:10:05,200 --> 00:10:08,319 Speaker 1: assumed Italy and the Vatican had this super cozy relationship. 216 00:10:08,400 --> 00:10:11,920 Speaker 1: But for about sixty years, the Pope refused to acknowledge 217 00:10:11,960 --> 00:10:14,480 Speaker 1: Italy as a country or even going to the balcony 218 00:10:14,480 --> 00:10:17,520 Speaker 1: to bless people, especially if he thought like Italians were 219 00:10:17,520 --> 00:10:20,559 Speaker 1: in the square. And even more than that, the Pope 220 00:10:20,600 --> 00:10:23,960 Speaker 1: refused to leave the Vatican. Like Pope Pius the Ninth 221 00:10:24,040 --> 00:10:26,880 Speaker 1: referred to himself as a prisoner of the grounds, but 222 00:10:27,320 --> 00:10:30,080 Speaker 1: here's the craziest part of the story. The person who 223 00:10:30,160 --> 00:10:35,040 Speaker 1: actually brokered the peace is Benito Mussolini. Yeah, he delivered 224 00:10:35,040 --> 00:10:38,040 Speaker 1: a pack that recognized the Vatican as sovereign, and in 225 00:10:38,160 --> 00:10:40,719 Speaker 1: the deal, Italy brought back all the land it had 226 00:10:40,720 --> 00:10:44,200 Speaker 1: taken for about ninety million dollars or about a billion 227 00:10:44,200 --> 00:10:46,959 Speaker 1: dollars in today's money. Well, and obviously Italy and the 228 00:10:47,040 --> 00:10:49,520 Speaker 1: Vatican have a great relationship. Now. I think there's an 229 00:10:49,559 --> 00:10:52,920 Speaker 1: arrangement where something like eight percent of Italian income taxes 230 00:10:52,920 --> 00:10:55,840 Speaker 1: can be diverted to the Catholic Church if a citizen 231 00:10:55,920 --> 00:10:58,800 Speaker 1: chooses them, and any criminals who were sentenced by the 232 00:10:58,880 --> 00:11:02,480 Speaker 1: Vatican court, they get moved to an Italian prison. And 233 00:11:02,520 --> 00:11:05,319 Speaker 1: if a person loses their Vatican citizenship, which ends when 234 00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:07,240 Speaker 1: your job ends there, and if they don't have a 235 00:11:07,240 --> 00:11:10,480 Speaker 1: country to go to, they become an Italian citizen by default, 236 00:11:10,800 --> 00:11:13,280 Speaker 1: which has to be the weirdest way to get a citizenship. Well. 237 00:11:13,280 --> 00:11:15,480 Speaker 1: You know what's interesting though, that while that one billion 238 00:11:15,480 --> 00:11:17,960 Speaker 1: dollar amount we were talking about sounds huge, and you 239 00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:20,240 Speaker 1: think about all the artwork and all the other things 240 00:11:20,280 --> 00:11:23,040 Speaker 1: that are in the Vatican, all the treasure the Vatican 241 00:11:23,200 --> 00:11:26,800 Speaker 1: isn't exactly swimming and wealth. The annual operating budget is 242 00:11:26,840 --> 00:11:30,199 Speaker 1: about three hundred million dollars that comes in from ties, 243 00:11:30,320 --> 00:11:33,400 Speaker 1: but also museum tickets and printing services and all the 244 00:11:33,400 --> 00:11:35,960 Speaker 1: souvenirs and those kinds of things. But I think about 245 00:11:35,960 --> 00:11:39,240 Speaker 1: a place like Harvard, the university's annual budget is something 246 00:11:39,280 --> 00:11:42,400 Speaker 1: like ten times that, at about three point seven billion. 247 00:11:42,760 --> 00:11:45,120 Speaker 1: It kind of makes the Vaticans proceeds, you know, feel 248 00:11:45,120 --> 00:11:48,160 Speaker 1: almost shoe string. Yeah. And while the Vatican could easily 249 00:11:48,200 --> 00:11:50,480 Speaker 1: put some of that fancy artwork up on Craigslist to 250 00:11:50,520 --> 00:11:53,760 Speaker 1: get some like quick cash, the Vatican has zero intention 251 00:11:53,800 --> 00:11:57,640 Speaker 1: of selling anything. As Cardinal Caprio, the budget office once said, 252 00:11:57,960 --> 00:12:00,920 Speaker 1: all the artwork belongs to humanity, and the Vatican books 253 00:12:00,960 --> 00:12:03,880 Speaker 1: reflect that. In their accounts. All these billions of dollars 254 00:12:03,880 --> 00:12:07,360 Speaker 1: of artwork were assigned a value of one lira, which 255 00:12:07,400 --> 00:12:09,280 Speaker 1: kind of reminds me of the Academy Awards and how 256 00:12:09,320 --> 00:12:11,400 Speaker 1: actors actually have to sign a contract when they win 257 00:12:11,440 --> 00:12:14,040 Speaker 1: an Oscar, Like if they or their heirs want to 258 00:12:14,080 --> 00:12:15,960 Speaker 1: sell the trophy, the most they can sell it for 259 00:12:16,040 --> 00:12:18,040 Speaker 1: as a dollar, and they have to offer it to 260 00:12:18,040 --> 00:12:21,560 Speaker 1: the Academy first, alright, But in numbers a dollar was 261 00:12:21,679 --> 00:12:25,160 Speaker 1: like two thousand lira, which means if you wanted a 262 00:12:25,200 --> 00:12:27,640 Speaker 1: fair trade, that'd be like trading a finger of an 263 00:12:27,640 --> 00:12:31,720 Speaker 1: Oscar for the Sistine Chapels, the Pietas, all the Pope's tiaras, 264 00:12:31,800 --> 00:12:34,240 Speaker 1: plus all the other treasures of the Vatican. It sounds 265 00:12:34,280 --> 00:12:37,280 Speaker 1: like a good deal. So I'd forgotten about the Pope's tiaras. 266 00:12:37,320 --> 00:12:38,839 Speaker 1: By the way, So why don't we talk about the 267 00:12:38,880 --> 00:12:56,200 Speaker 1: Pope's fashion after a little brick? Welcome back to part 268 00:12:56,240 --> 00:12:58,400 Speaker 1: time genius, now, Mango. I know we both wanted to 269 00:12:58,400 --> 00:13:00,599 Speaker 1: talk the Pope's fashion, and we've all so promised to 270 00:13:00,640 --> 00:13:03,560 Speaker 1: talk elections. I know, we promised so much stuff. Plus 271 00:13:03,760 --> 00:13:05,640 Speaker 1: I don't think we've given enough details. You have to 272 00:13:05,640 --> 00:13:08,960 Speaker 1: make those one star reviewers happy. Probably not well. I 273 00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:11,480 Speaker 1: was going to suggest the super quick rundown of the 274 00:13:11,559 --> 00:13:14,240 Speaker 1: government again. You you guys have done all this research 275 00:13:14,240 --> 00:13:15,640 Speaker 1: on this. So here's what I want to do. I'll 276 00:13:15,679 --> 00:13:18,200 Speaker 1: give you a department and you tell me a fact 277 00:13:18,320 --> 00:13:20,200 Speaker 1: that you guys have pulled up. That sound good? Yeah, 278 00:13:20,200 --> 00:13:22,120 Speaker 1: and I can use my notes, right all right, Yes, yeah, 279 00:13:22,160 --> 00:13:24,000 Speaker 1: you're allowed to, but you have to close your eyes, 280 00:13:24,040 --> 00:13:28,240 Speaker 1: all right, Okay, the fire department so this is easy. Like, 281 00:13:28,320 --> 00:13:30,040 Speaker 1: I love that their fire trucks kind of look like 282 00:13:30,080 --> 00:13:34,840 Speaker 1: short busses. All right, what about the justice system. There's 283 00:13:34,880 --> 00:13:39,000 Speaker 1: only one judge, got no like an actual judge, but 284 00:13:39,120 --> 00:13:40,480 Speaker 1: he has a lot of works. Well have I never 285 00:13:40,520 --> 00:13:42,920 Speaker 1: heard about a judge? That's that's so interesting? Okay, how 286 00:13:42,920 --> 00:13:46,480 Speaker 1: about how about treasury? Well there's a coin and stamp department, 287 00:13:46,720 --> 00:13:50,720 Speaker 1: but unlike the pope, they're not infallible. In two thou thirteen, 288 00:13:50,720 --> 00:13:54,559 Speaker 1: they issued a coin that mistakenly spelled Jesus as Less, 289 00:13:54,760 --> 00:13:58,760 Speaker 1: which instantly boosted the coin's value, and luckily they only 290 00:13:58,800 --> 00:14:01,320 Speaker 1: sold four before they discus that those things are worth 291 00:14:01,400 --> 00:14:03,920 Speaker 1: so much if they've only sold four of them. Okay, 292 00:14:04,080 --> 00:14:05,800 Speaker 1: you must have read about this because I just thought 293 00:14:05,800 --> 00:14:08,439 Speaker 1: it was interesting to think about the space program. Yeah, 294 00:14:08,480 --> 00:14:11,000 Speaker 1: so you think with their history with early astronomers that 295 00:14:11,000 --> 00:14:14,280 Speaker 1: the Church wasn't interested in telescopes, but they've actually invested 296 00:14:14,280 --> 00:14:17,080 Speaker 1: in them since the fifteen hundreds and even today. They 297 00:14:17,080 --> 00:14:20,560 Speaker 1: have this advanced Vatican telescope at Mount Graham in Arizona, 298 00:14:20,760 --> 00:14:23,160 Speaker 1: which was built in the nineteen nineties. Like it's really 299 00:14:23,200 --> 00:14:26,320 Speaker 1: an area of interest. So the Vatican has a telescope 300 00:14:26,360 --> 00:14:29,160 Speaker 1: in Arizona. Yeah, because they're interested in the heavens. Oh 301 00:14:29,200 --> 00:14:33,760 Speaker 1: that's interesting. All right. What about the military, Yeah, so, uh, 302 00:14:33,920 --> 00:14:35,760 Speaker 1: this is easy too. Well, they've they've been using a 303 00:14:35,800 --> 00:14:39,720 Speaker 1: small core of the Swiss Guard since the fourteen hundreds, 304 00:14:39,760 --> 00:14:42,120 Speaker 1: when the Swiss were considered the best mercenaries in the world. 305 00:14:42,680 --> 00:14:45,360 Speaker 1: And uh, and they don't actually do a lot of fighting, 306 00:14:45,600 --> 00:14:48,760 Speaker 1: like obviously they're they're just there for ceremonial purposes. They 307 00:14:48,760 --> 00:14:52,320 Speaker 1: were this like really flamboyant guard, and they do wear 308 00:14:52,360 --> 00:14:54,880 Speaker 1: plain clothes when they've got duty to protect the pontiff. 309 00:14:55,400 --> 00:14:58,440 Speaker 1: But it's highly selective, like they're only a hundred fifty 310 00:14:58,480 --> 00:15:00,440 Speaker 1: and you've got to be over five eight and Catholic 311 00:15:00,520 --> 00:15:04,280 Speaker 1: and mail and unmarried. There are lots of requirements. Yeah, alright, 312 00:15:04,280 --> 00:15:08,400 Speaker 1: how about athletics. The Vatican actually has a soccer team 313 00:15:08,440 --> 00:15:10,840 Speaker 1: and a cricket team. And the cricket team is really 314 00:15:10,840 --> 00:15:13,440 Speaker 1: funny because they've they've only played a few matches, but 315 00:15:13,520 --> 00:15:17,000 Speaker 1: they did beat a traveling Dutch team called the Fellowship 316 00:15:17,040 --> 00:15:21,040 Speaker 1: of Fairly Odd Places. Fellowship Fairly Odd Places. That doesn't 317 00:15:21,040 --> 00:15:22,840 Speaker 1: sound like it would be a good cricket team. Is 318 00:15:22,880 --> 00:15:24,440 Speaker 1: this is this really a thing? I know I want 319 00:15:24,440 --> 00:15:26,520 Speaker 1: the jersey, but that's actually the name. They play like 320 00:15:26,600 --> 00:15:30,120 Speaker 1: old school cricket in places where cricket isn't like traditionally played, 321 00:15:30,360 --> 00:15:33,960 Speaker 1: so like Iceland or the Vatican and Dora. But the 322 00:15:34,040 --> 00:15:37,240 Speaker 1: Vatican actually trounced them. Oh wow, that's pretty cool. Alright. 323 00:15:37,280 --> 00:15:40,600 Speaker 1: How about transportation? Okay, so I love this one. There's 324 00:15:40,640 --> 00:15:43,400 Speaker 1: a train that comes through and there's only one station, 325 00:15:43,520 --> 00:15:45,800 Speaker 1: like it just comes in and then it backs out, 326 00:15:46,080 --> 00:15:49,000 Speaker 1: and it's mostly for freight. I mean, sometimes a dignitary 327 00:15:49,040 --> 00:15:51,400 Speaker 1: will get on it. But you know, if you're talking 328 00:15:51,440 --> 00:15:55,400 Speaker 1: about like the Pope's transportation, he's got this fleet of cars, 329 00:15:55,480 --> 00:15:58,920 Speaker 1: like amazing old fancy cars. But because Francis doesn't love 330 00:15:58,960 --> 00:16:02,760 Speaker 1: fancy things, like he mostly uses his forward focus and 331 00:16:02,840 --> 00:16:06,000 Speaker 1: that's his popemobile, and sometimes he pleased with guards to 332 00:16:06,080 --> 00:16:08,200 Speaker 1: let him take the city bus. He actually kind of 333 00:16:08,240 --> 00:16:10,640 Speaker 1: sounds like the teenager who's been embarrassed about being driven 334 00:16:10,640 --> 00:16:13,240 Speaker 1: around by his parents. But all right, so what about 335 00:16:13,240 --> 00:16:17,440 Speaker 1: the Department of Exorcisms? Was something I saw? Oh actually, 336 00:16:17,480 --> 00:16:19,240 Speaker 1: I've got one more fact about transport that I want 337 00:16:19,280 --> 00:16:22,440 Speaker 1: to say. So this is top secret and off limits, 338 00:16:22,480 --> 00:16:25,360 Speaker 1: but there's one hollow wall that can be used to 339 00:16:25,360 --> 00:16:27,840 Speaker 1: help the pope fleet in case the city has ever sacked, 340 00:16:28,080 --> 00:16:30,640 Speaker 1: and it's been used historically and it runs from the 341 00:16:30,640 --> 00:16:34,000 Speaker 1: papal apartments to a castle and possibly to other places. Oh. 342 00:16:34,080 --> 00:16:35,640 Speaker 1: I thought maybe you were just trying to get around 343 00:16:35,640 --> 00:16:38,080 Speaker 1: to get the department of exorcisms here while looking for 344 00:16:38,120 --> 00:16:40,440 Speaker 1: a fact. But that's actually really interesting. Okay, but you 345 00:16:40,480 --> 00:16:42,920 Speaker 1: still have to do exorcism. Yeah, so you actually hear 346 00:16:43,040 --> 00:16:47,160 Speaker 1: less about exorcisms now, but Benedict was obsessed with them, 347 00:16:47,200 --> 00:16:50,600 Speaker 1: and the Vatican's chief exorcist, this guy, Father Gabriel m R. 348 00:16:51,120 --> 00:16:54,680 Speaker 1: He claimed to have performed twenty thousand exorcisms between two 349 00:16:54,680 --> 00:16:57,600 Speaker 1: thousand and two thousand ten. Also, you'll never guess his 350 00:16:57,640 --> 00:17:01,200 Speaker 1: favorite movie, The Exorcist. Actually, I think I could have 351 00:17:01,240 --> 00:17:02,960 Speaker 1: guessed that once you said that. All right, I think 352 00:17:02,960 --> 00:17:05,159 Speaker 1: I've got one more. How about banking? And so this 353 00:17:05,200 --> 00:17:06,600 Speaker 1: one we've known for a long time, and it's like 354 00:17:06,640 --> 00:17:09,280 Speaker 1: my favorite fact. The Vatican has the world's only a 355 00:17:09,400 --> 00:17:12,000 Speaker 1: t M that operates in Latin. That is pretty awesome. 356 00:17:12,520 --> 00:17:14,520 Speaker 1: All right. So there's certainly a lot for the pope 357 00:17:14,560 --> 00:17:16,359 Speaker 1: to think about. But there's one more thing on the 358 00:17:16,359 --> 00:17:19,560 Speaker 1: Pope's mind. And that's fashion. So before Frances tried to 359 00:17:19,600 --> 00:17:22,600 Speaker 1: get out of wearing fancy duds and going casual, pope 360 00:17:22,600 --> 00:17:25,240 Speaker 1: fashion was actually kind of a thing. Yeah, it really was. 361 00:17:25,320 --> 00:17:28,520 Speaker 1: And Benedict was kind of a clothes horse. I mean 362 00:17:28,920 --> 00:17:31,400 Speaker 1: John Paul the second was known for wearing Doc Martin's 363 00:17:31,440 --> 00:17:33,560 Speaker 1: and brown ones. Oh yeah, I remember seeing that he 364 00:17:33,640 --> 00:17:36,320 Speaker 1: and the Doali Lama actually traded tips on footwear and 365 00:17:36,480 --> 00:17:39,240 Speaker 1: both wore Doc Martin's for their comfort. Yeah, it's funny, 366 00:17:39,280 --> 00:17:41,600 Speaker 1: like I think of Doc Martin's is such a punk 367 00:17:41,640 --> 00:17:45,000 Speaker 1: brand and nothing to do with religion. But Benedict, he 368 00:17:45,000 --> 00:17:48,040 Speaker 1: wouldn't be caught deaden those popes in the olden days 369 00:17:48,080 --> 00:17:50,320 Speaker 1: they used to wear red, but he brought the style 370 00:17:50,359 --> 00:17:53,400 Speaker 1: back of wearing a red slippers and also the cave 371 00:17:53,480 --> 00:17:56,560 Speaker 1: with an ermane for In fact, he was so fashionable 372 00:17:56,600 --> 00:17:59,399 Speaker 1: that Donna Tella Versacci actually designed a line using him 373 00:17:59,440 --> 00:18:01,800 Speaker 1: his inspiration. Well, and I know the Church was sensitive 374 00:18:01,800 --> 00:18:05,240 Speaker 1: about Benedict being seen as as two fans. Yeah, when 375 00:18:05,280 --> 00:18:08,480 Speaker 1: a reporter commented on his red Gucci slippers, the Vatican 376 00:18:08,560 --> 00:18:11,679 Speaker 1: responded by saying that Benedict isn't concerned with labels. And 377 00:18:11,760 --> 00:18:14,480 Speaker 1: here's the statement he said he couldn't spot a Gucci 378 00:18:14,560 --> 00:18:17,800 Speaker 1: from a smoochy. I'm not sure I could either. Yeah, 379 00:18:17,840 --> 00:18:21,440 Speaker 1: I'm not that fashionable. Any other innovations I know, Pope 380 00:18:21,520 --> 00:18:24,360 Speaker 1: John Paul the Second War rainbow vestments once, Yeah, which 381 00:18:24,400 --> 00:18:27,440 Speaker 1: was a little disastrous because this artist convinced him that 382 00:18:27,480 --> 00:18:30,879 Speaker 1: the rainbow represented God's promise to Noah that there'd be 383 00:18:30,960 --> 00:18:34,520 Speaker 1: all this peace after the rainstorm. But when the artist 384 00:18:34,600 --> 00:18:36,960 Speaker 1: later suggested that maybe it was a gesture of goodwill 385 00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:40,239 Speaker 1: to the LGBT community, the Vatican responded that no one 386 00:18:40,280 --> 00:18:43,800 Speaker 1: has a copyright on rainbows. And what about those ceremonial tiaras, 387 00:18:43,800 --> 00:18:46,760 Speaker 1: they're they're so ornate. Yeah, Well, the only person I 388 00:18:46,760 --> 00:18:50,959 Speaker 1: could find who was truly envious of the trs was Napoleon. Like, 389 00:18:51,119 --> 00:18:54,760 Speaker 1: apparently the crown wears about seven pounds, but when he 390 00:18:54,840 --> 00:18:57,359 Speaker 1: designed one and gifted it to a pope, and he 391 00:18:57,400 --> 00:18:58,720 Speaker 1: had the thought in the back of his mind that 392 00:18:58,760 --> 00:19:01,600 Speaker 1: one day he might like take power, he constructed a 393 00:19:01,680 --> 00:19:04,800 Speaker 1: ten pound t r I know, which is so Napoleon. 394 00:19:04,840 --> 00:19:07,959 Speaker 1: That's like a bowling ball on your head. Crazy. But 395 00:19:08,040 --> 00:19:10,440 Speaker 1: background is actually also in the rotation, and they are 396 00:19:10,480 --> 00:19:13,240 Speaker 1: often warned during important events like you know during the 397 00:19:13,280 --> 00:19:15,879 Speaker 1: papal coronation. All right, well that brings us back to 398 00:19:15,920 --> 00:19:17,920 Speaker 1: the election of the pope, as we promised we would 399 00:19:17,960 --> 00:19:19,879 Speaker 1: get to. I do know there's a council and they 400 00:19:19,920 --> 00:19:23,360 Speaker 1: deliberate forever and they decide I think under the Sistine Chapel. 401 00:19:23,920 --> 00:19:26,320 Speaker 1: But tell us a little bit about the process. Yeah, 402 00:19:26,359 --> 00:19:29,080 Speaker 1: so it's kind of amazing. First off, even if you 403 00:19:29,200 --> 00:19:31,280 Speaker 1: bought tickets to the Sistine Chapel, like to go on 404 00:19:31,280 --> 00:19:34,400 Speaker 1: a tour, everything closes down for the election, so you're 405 00:19:34,440 --> 00:19:37,440 Speaker 1: out of luck. But that's where the Council of Cardinals meets. 406 00:19:37,680 --> 00:19:39,720 Speaker 1: They do a morning mass, and they take an oath 407 00:19:39,760 --> 00:19:42,359 Speaker 1: of secrecy, and then they vote with paper ballots and 408 00:19:42,400 --> 00:19:45,880 Speaker 1: they deliberate and it's all super quiet. Well, and that's 409 00:19:45,880 --> 00:19:48,480 Speaker 1: for good reason, because I do remember reading that King's 410 00:19:48,560 --> 00:19:50,639 Speaker 1: used to have the right to veto the decision of 411 00:19:50,680 --> 00:19:54,119 Speaker 1: who became pope, and so they try to influence these elections, 412 00:19:54,119 --> 00:19:56,560 Speaker 1: and so the secrecy is really to protect you know, 413 00:19:56,600 --> 00:19:59,439 Speaker 1: the institution. Yeah, that's right. And in fact, you can 414 00:19:59,480 --> 00:20:02,439 Speaker 1: actually be excommunicated if you leave any details. It's a 415 00:20:02,440 --> 00:20:04,920 Speaker 1: little like being on jury duty, Like you can't tweet 416 00:20:05,040 --> 00:20:07,200 Speaker 1: or read the paper or make any phone calls. And 417 00:20:07,520 --> 00:20:10,800 Speaker 1: to prevent leaks, the Vatican actually brings in porta potties. 418 00:20:11,200 --> 00:20:15,240 Speaker 1: I mean there's no I mean they're easy to access, 419 00:20:15,280 --> 00:20:18,960 Speaker 1: like bathrooms one floor down, but no one's allowed to leave. Wow. 420 00:20:18,960 --> 00:20:21,120 Speaker 1: When it can take days to do this, right, Yeah, 421 00:20:21,200 --> 00:20:23,960 Speaker 1: which is why they send up those smoke signals. That's 422 00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:26,440 Speaker 1: to communicate to the public. When the signal is white, 423 00:20:26,480 --> 00:20:29,040 Speaker 1: they're just burning ballots, and when it's black, they used 424 00:20:29,080 --> 00:20:32,040 Speaker 1: to add straw, but now they add chemicals. I also 425 00:20:32,040 --> 00:20:34,080 Speaker 1: read that there's a second furnace now too, and I 426 00:20:34,080 --> 00:20:36,880 Speaker 1: didn't really understand that, but I guess sometimes the smoke 427 00:20:36,920 --> 00:20:39,280 Speaker 1: would come out gray and people would be all confused 428 00:20:39,280 --> 00:20:42,439 Speaker 1: start asking questions, so they added a second furnace to 429 00:20:42,440 --> 00:20:45,080 Speaker 1: make sure the smoke comes out the right color. Now. Yeah, 430 00:20:45,119 --> 00:20:47,160 Speaker 1: So this is the weirdest thing to me, and that's 431 00:20:47,200 --> 00:20:50,000 Speaker 1: that at the end of this massive process, the pope 432 00:20:50,040 --> 00:20:53,399 Speaker 1: isn't even really declared pope like his official title is. 433 00:20:53,680 --> 00:20:57,119 Speaker 1: I'm going to read this Bishop of Rome, Vicar of 434 00:20:57,240 --> 00:21:00,160 Speaker 1: Jesus Christ, successor of the Prince of the Apostle, el 435 00:21:00,359 --> 00:21:04,280 Speaker 1: Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, Primate of Italy, Archbishop 436 00:21:04,560 --> 00:21:08,119 Speaker 1: and Metropolitan of the Roman Province, Sovereign of the State 437 00:21:08,160 --> 00:21:12,520 Speaker 1: of the Vatican City, Servant, sorry, servant of the Servants 438 00:21:12,560 --> 00:21:16,680 Speaker 1: of God. You've done. He's got eight titles and none 439 00:21:16,720 --> 00:21:19,080 Speaker 1: of them are the Pope, and apparently that comes from 440 00:21:19,080 --> 00:21:23,359 Speaker 1: people calling him like the Holy Father or sank to Papa. Also, 441 00:21:23,480 --> 00:21:25,439 Speaker 1: I don't know if you remember this, but I remember 442 00:21:25,480 --> 00:21:28,240 Speaker 1: being really tickled when I saw this March Madness style 443 00:21:28,280 --> 00:21:30,960 Speaker 1: bracket for popes. Like this was back when Benedict was 444 00:21:30,960 --> 00:21:34,480 Speaker 1: being elected, and I had no idea that betting on 445 00:21:34,520 --> 00:21:37,199 Speaker 1: the pope was a thing, Like it's been a thing 446 00:21:37,320 --> 00:21:40,440 Speaker 1: since the sixteen hundreds. Apparently the Italian market just goes 447 00:21:40,520 --> 00:21:42,840 Speaker 1: crazy for it. Yeah, the Irish sights are all over 448 00:21:42,880 --> 00:21:45,080 Speaker 1: it too, I guess not not surprisingly, if you put 449 00:21:45,119 --> 00:21:47,480 Speaker 1: your money on Francis, you would have made twenty five 450 00:21:47,560 --> 00:21:49,840 Speaker 1: to one, Yeah, which is a lot of money. But 451 00:21:50,320 --> 00:21:52,199 Speaker 1: you know, all this talk of the pope and we 452 00:21:52,240 --> 00:21:54,359 Speaker 1: still haven't gotten into some of the crazy things hiding 453 00:21:54,359 --> 00:21:56,159 Speaker 1: in the Vatican archives. All right, Well, why don't we 454 00:21:56,160 --> 00:21:57,760 Speaker 1: break for a quiz and then we'll dive right into 455 00:21:57,800 --> 00:22:08,639 Speaker 1: those juicy stories. Our guest today is a best selling 456 00:22:08,680 --> 00:22:10,959 Speaker 1: author and journalist. We got to know her pretty well 457 00:22:10,960 --> 00:22:13,480 Speaker 1: in our years at Mental Floss, and because we're talking 458 00:22:13,480 --> 00:22:15,960 Speaker 1: about secrets of the Vatican today, we wanted to have 459 00:22:16,000 --> 00:22:18,399 Speaker 1: her on just because one of her many brilliant books 460 00:22:18,440 --> 00:22:21,760 Speaker 1: is titled If Nune's Ruled the World. Ten Sisters on 461 00:22:21,760 --> 00:22:25,359 Speaker 1: a Mission. Joe Piazza, Welcome to Part Time Genius. Thanks 462 00:22:25,400 --> 00:22:28,919 Speaker 1: for having me. Yeah, of course. So, Joe, Uh, I 463 00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:31,320 Speaker 1: know you started out as a gossap columnist, and I 464 00:22:31,359 --> 00:22:33,880 Speaker 1: remember you telling me some incredible stories of like baking 465 00:22:33,920 --> 00:22:36,639 Speaker 1: injuries to get into hospitals to chase down stories. And 466 00:22:37,160 --> 00:22:38,639 Speaker 1: I want to know if you could share like a 467 00:22:38,640 --> 00:22:40,520 Speaker 1: funny story or the lens you've gone to to get 468 00:22:40,520 --> 00:22:43,520 Speaker 1: a story. I did, indeed. So I was a goss 469 00:22:43,560 --> 00:22:45,919 Speaker 1: of commist for the New York Daily News back in 470 00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:48,840 Speaker 1: the days when people still read newspapers. It was a 471 00:22:48,880 --> 00:22:53,240 Speaker 1: really long time ago, and I was down in Florida 472 00:22:53,440 --> 00:22:57,040 Speaker 1: covering the MTV Video Music Awards, and it was that 473 00:22:57,320 --> 00:23:00,439 Speaker 1: the year that Should Night, the music Producer, got at 474 00:23:00,480 --> 00:23:03,800 Speaker 1: one of these parties and I decided that I was 475 00:23:03,800 --> 00:23:06,639 Speaker 1: going to crack this story wide open, that I was 476 00:23:06,800 --> 00:23:10,000 Speaker 1: I was going to discover who shot Signite so I 477 00:23:10,119 --> 00:23:16,080 Speaker 1: busted into the emergency room by faking appendicitis. I made 478 00:23:16,080 --> 00:23:17,440 Speaker 1: it all the way. I made it all the way, 479 00:23:17,600 --> 00:23:21,240 Speaker 1: and I was just young, early twentysomething reporter um trying 480 00:23:21,240 --> 00:23:24,639 Speaker 1: to make a name for myself and busted into the 481 00:23:24,680 --> 00:23:29,480 Speaker 1: emergency room, doubled over in in fill Paine and got 482 00:23:29,480 --> 00:23:32,560 Speaker 1: so far as that they inserted an I V. And 483 00:23:32,840 --> 00:23:36,280 Speaker 1: it turns out my big scoop was that Signite shot 484 00:23:36,560 --> 00:23:40,560 Speaker 1: himself that the safety wasn't gun. Um, there wasn't some 485 00:23:40,640 --> 00:23:44,080 Speaker 1: big East coast West coast rap war thing going on. 486 00:23:44,320 --> 00:23:47,480 Speaker 1: It was. It was just some some idiot guy and 487 00:23:47,680 --> 00:23:49,840 Speaker 1: some idiot girl who's been stuck in the e er 488 00:23:49,920 --> 00:23:52,160 Speaker 1: with an I V in her arm and a bunch 489 00:23:52,200 --> 00:23:55,720 Speaker 1: of doctors asking her about her stomach king. Um. But 490 00:23:56,080 --> 00:24:00,160 Speaker 1: it was great. We did get that story and my 491 00:24:00,160 --> 00:24:02,080 Speaker 1: my editors and my editors never sent me to a 492 00:24:02,200 --> 00:24:06,040 Speaker 1: Video Music Awards over again, which I think was a 493 00:24:06,119 --> 00:24:10,160 Speaker 1: blessing in the sguise. So how did you get out 494 00:24:10,200 --> 00:24:12,560 Speaker 1: of this situation? You're you're there with the ivy in 495 00:24:12,680 --> 00:24:16,639 Speaker 1: your arm, Like, what what happens next? I ripped, I 496 00:24:16,960 --> 00:24:19,400 Speaker 1: ripped to help myself, and I snuck out of the hospital. 497 00:24:21,040 --> 00:24:23,639 Speaker 1: I mean I think that. I think at that point 498 00:24:23,760 --> 00:24:26,720 Speaker 1: I told myself that I was in a romantic comedy, 499 00:24:27,400 --> 00:24:31,200 Speaker 1: um like, and I was like in a movie and 500 00:24:31,520 --> 00:24:34,399 Speaker 1: had had this scripted, and so I was I was 501 00:24:34,400 --> 00:24:37,080 Speaker 1: a calling I've got this, ripped the ivy out and 502 00:24:37,160 --> 00:24:39,720 Speaker 1: just and just snuck out with a hospital bracelet on, 503 00:24:39,840 --> 00:24:41,679 Speaker 1: you know, and those things are hard to get off. 504 00:24:41,720 --> 00:24:43,119 Speaker 1: I think I had that thing on for like the 505 00:24:43,160 --> 00:24:45,480 Speaker 1: next two days. It was kind of this badge of honor. 506 00:24:45,520 --> 00:24:49,639 Speaker 1: But it was also pre smartphones and pre social media, 507 00:24:50,119 --> 00:24:53,680 Speaker 1: so there was really like otherwise, if this happened now, 508 00:24:53,720 --> 00:24:56,040 Speaker 1: people would be treating from that emergency. That's what they 509 00:24:56,080 --> 00:24:58,479 Speaker 1: do when they see a celebrity in there. Um. But 510 00:24:58,560 --> 00:25:00,560 Speaker 1: no one I still get to tell this story like 511 00:25:00,600 --> 00:25:03,040 Speaker 1: word of mouth. I have no pictures. I would have 512 00:25:03,160 --> 00:25:06,879 Speaker 1: video if this happened now. So I kind of cherished 513 00:25:06,880 --> 00:25:09,359 Speaker 1: the story because it's something that only I can tell. 514 00:25:09,720 --> 00:25:11,320 Speaker 1: I have no evidence. I have no proof I could 515 00:25:11,400 --> 00:25:14,440 Speaker 1: be making it up. Well, we are going to get 516 00:25:14,440 --> 00:25:17,119 Speaker 1: to the romantic comedy that is your life, bid, But 517 00:25:17,200 --> 00:25:19,080 Speaker 1: I wanted to ask what made you go from being 518 00:25:19,119 --> 00:25:23,679 Speaker 1: this incredible journalist to like studying and writing about nuns well, 519 00:25:23,720 --> 00:25:27,040 Speaker 1: I was burnt out. I was. I blame Britney Spears 520 00:25:27,080 --> 00:25:30,439 Speaker 1: actually um, and I tell I tried to explain this 521 00:25:30,560 --> 00:25:34,200 Speaker 1: to the nuns several times and they're like, Brittney, what Brittney, 522 00:25:34,359 --> 00:25:36,719 Speaker 1: And let me show you this video of her as 523 00:25:36,760 --> 00:25:41,200 Speaker 1: a Catholic school girl. So it was it was during 524 00:25:41,320 --> 00:25:44,720 Speaker 1: Britney spears big breakdown, and I was covering that, the 525 00:25:44,720 --> 00:25:47,080 Speaker 1: one where she shaved her head and started attacking with 526 00:25:47,240 --> 00:25:49,960 Speaker 1: orders with an umbrella, and I was covering that, and 527 00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:52,800 Speaker 1: I was covering the two thousand and eight election and 528 00:25:52,840 --> 00:25:55,520 Speaker 1: the Elliott Spitzer scandal all at the same time, and 529 00:25:55,560 --> 00:25:58,960 Speaker 1: I was burning out on these terrible people. I was 530 00:25:59,080 --> 00:26:02,639 Speaker 1: just exhaust spend by them. And so the Daily Is 531 00:26:02,880 --> 00:26:04,520 Speaker 1: would pay for me to go back to school, and 532 00:26:04,560 --> 00:26:07,560 Speaker 1: I'm like, well, what's what's the answer, doe to Britney Spears, 533 00:26:07,840 --> 00:26:10,960 Speaker 1: I'm like, oh, it's religious studies. So I had the 534 00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:13,760 Speaker 1: newspaper pay for me to get this masters and religious studies, 535 00:26:14,119 --> 00:26:17,880 Speaker 1: and through that I started interviewing nuns from my final thesis. 536 00:26:18,000 --> 00:26:20,040 Speaker 1: And I like to say that one nun leads to 537 00:26:20,080 --> 00:26:26,080 Speaker 1: another nun like a gateway drug. And I just I 538 00:26:26,320 --> 00:26:29,959 Speaker 1: fell into this rabbit hole of the world of nuns 539 00:26:30,000 --> 00:26:34,679 Speaker 1: and was hooked right away because their stories just hadn't 540 00:26:34,720 --> 00:26:37,960 Speaker 1: been told. I mean, the Vatican really kind of covers 541 00:26:38,160 --> 00:26:41,560 Speaker 1: up everything that the nuns do, all of their good 542 00:26:41,560 --> 00:26:44,159 Speaker 1: work there. It's it's funny. They're almost ashamed of all 543 00:26:44,200 --> 00:26:46,160 Speaker 1: of the good things that the nuns are doing. And 544 00:26:46,200 --> 00:26:49,800 Speaker 1: I spent about two years with with these Catholic nuns. 545 00:26:50,000 --> 00:26:53,199 Speaker 1: I interviewed hundreds of them. But the stories, uh, that 546 00:26:53,240 --> 00:26:55,560 Speaker 1: are in the book If Nun's Ruled the World, there's 547 00:26:55,600 --> 00:26:58,359 Speaker 1: about ten of them, and they're just they're all these 548 00:26:58,480 --> 00:27:02,919 Speaker 1: bad ass, cool minus women who changed their little corner 549 00:27:02,920 --> 00:27:05,200 Speaker 1: of the world or the big corner of the world 550 00:27:05,200 --> 00:27:09,080 Speaker 1: in some cases for for good, just because they wanted 551 00:27:09,119 --> 00:27:11,440 Speaker 1: to do to make the world a better place. Well, 552 00:27:11,440 --> 00:27:17,320 Speaker 1: what's what's one one of your favorite stories from the book? Um? 553 00:27:17,359 --> 00:27:20,960 Speaker 1: I think my favorite story is about the Iron Nun. 554 00:27:21,240 --> 00:27:23,280 Speaker 1: This one blows people away when I when I talked 555 00:27:23,320 --> 00:27:28,480 Speaker 1: him about it. Um, Sister Madonna Boodher started running when 556 00:27:28,520 --> 00:27:31,560 Speaker 1: she was in her forties and she's now in her 557 00:27:31,680 --> 00:27:34,639 Speaker 1: late eighties and she's done more than forty seven iron 558 00:27:34,680 --> 00:27:39,120 Speaker 1: Man races and they call her the Iron Nun. She's 559 00:27:39,160 --> 00:27:41,560 Speaker 1: been since the book came out. She's actually been in 560 00:27:41,560 --> 00:27:45,280 Speaker 1: a Nike commercial, and she's written, she's written her own 561 00:27:45,359 --> 00:27:49,120 Speaker 1: her own book, and she's she's just this feisty little 562 00:27:49,400 --> 00:27:56,440 Speaker 1: octogenarian who happens to run iron men, and she's absolutely incredible. 563 00:27:56,520 --> 00:27:58,439 Speaker 1: People people fall madly in love with her on the 564 00:27:58,480 --> 00:28:01,520 Speaker 1: race course because when people start to lag behind, she 565 00:28:01,600 --> 00:28:04,000 Speaker 1: actually slows down. She cares less about her time that 566 00:28:04,040 --> 00:28:06,720 Speaker 1: about helping everyone else on the race course. She slows 567 00:28:06,760 --> 00:28:11,000 Speaker 1: down and sings with them and praise with them sometimes 568 00:28:11,080 --> 00:28:13,640 Speaker 1: to try to help them get through the race, which 569 00:28:13,680 --> 00:28:15,840 Speaker 1: is the opposite of everyone else who's doing an iron 570 00:28:15,840 --> 00:28:20,120 Speaker 1: Man's probably like a subset of the most self obsessed 571 00:28:20,160 --> 00:28:23,520 Speaker 1: people in the world, in the athletic world. And yeah, 572 00:28:23,560 --> 00:28:25,320 Speaker 1: she's great. She's the one that got me running. I 573 00:28:25,440 --> 00:28:27,880 Speaker 1: was I used to you know, smoke like a pack 574 00:28:27,920 --> 00:28:31,520 Speaker 1: of cigarette today and she got me into running half marathon's. 575 00:28:32,000 --> 00:28:35,000 Speaker 1: So yeah, she she's one of the one of the 576 00:28:35,000 --> 00:28:38,320 Speaker 1: most inspiring sisters that's in the book. Now, you've you've 577 00:28:38,360 --> 00:28:40,440 Speaker 1: just had a baby, but you've also recently written a 578 00:28:40,480 --> 00:28:42,760 Speaker 1: book with your husband called How to Be Married? So 579 00:28:42,840 --> 00:28:46,200 Speaker 1: what what made you take on this project? I did 580 00:28:46,360 --> 00:28:49,120 Speaker 1: I did um, mostly because I had no idea how 581 00:28:49,160 --> 00:28:52,760 Speaker 1: to be married. Uh. And my way of figuring, my 582 00:28:52,840 --> 00:28:54,800 Speaker 1: way of figuring out the world is pretty much just 583 00:28:54,880 --> 00:28:57,720 Speaker 1: a report on it and you know, then report back. 584 00:28:57,800 --> 00:29:00,120 Speaker 1: So my poor husband is like he really, you're no 585 00:29:00,160 --> 00:29:02,360 Speaker 1: idea what you're doing. And I'm like, no, no clue. 586 00:29:03,080 --> 00:29:07,720 Speaker 1: So I was a travel editor at the time for Yahoo. Uh, 587 00:29:07,760 --> 00:29:11,200 Speaker 1: God God blessed them, and they were sending me all 588 00:29:11,200 --> 00:29:14,800 Speaker 1: over the world, and I figured, all right, what if 589 00:29:14,800 --> 00:29:19,160 Speaker 1: I could crowdsource marriage advice from hundreds of people as 590 00:29:19,360 --> 00:29:21,760 Speaker 1: as I'm going to these different countries and I was 591 00:29:21,800 --> 00:29:27,520 Speaker 1: going to France and Kenya, Tanzania, India, Israel, and I 592 00:29:27,640 --> 00:29:30,160 Speaker 1: did Like, I got Yahoo pretty much to foot the 593 00:29:30,200 --> 00:29:34,480 Speaker 1: bill for me traveling all over and asking for marriage advice, 594 00:29:34,640 --> 00:29:37,480 Speaker 1: and it ended up being really interesting. It came out 595 00:29:37,640 --> 00:29:40,880 Speaker 1: in April, and since then I get emails from from 596 00:29:40,880 --> 00:29:43,360 Speaker 1: women all of the time who were like, thank you, 597 00:29:43,760 --> 00:29:46,920 Speaker 1: because everyone gives you advice about the wedding, about this 598 00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:50,600 Speaker 1: one day where you have these tiny past appetizers and 599 00:29:50,640 --> 00:29:52,600 Speaker 1: a band who looks like Mumford and sons and people 600 00:29:52,600 --> 00:29:54,800 Speaker 1: are sitting on hay mails and you spend a lot 601 00:29:54,800 --> 00:29:56,920 Speaker 1: of money, but no one talks about the next fifty 602 00:29:57,000 --> 00:29:59,880 Speaker 1: years about the actual marriage, and this book talks about 603 00:30:00,200 --> 00:30:02,600 Speaker 1: what happens with the actual marriage. So this was us 604 00:30:02,600 --> 00:30:04,800 Speaker 1: figuring out how to be married on the fly, and 605 00:30:04,880 --> 00:30:07,280 Speaker 1: it's going pretty well because we made a baby about 606 00:30:07,320 --> 00:30:12,240 Speaker 1: four weeks ago. Congratulations. I love that we pulled you 607 00:30:12,320 --> 00:30:14,520 Speaker 1: out of that to take a quiz with us. That's right, 608 00:30:14,600 --> 00:30:17,040 Speaker 1: that's right. So speaking of quizzes, what what quiz do 609 00:30:17,040 --> 00:30:19,000 Speaker 1: we have for Joe today? Mango? We're gonna play a 610 00:30:19,000 --> 00:30:22,520 Speaker 1: game called where they celibate? All right, So here we go. 611 00:30:23,240 --> 00:30:27,680 Speaker 1: I will reach is involved. We'll reach you a name, 612 00:30:28,200 --> 00:30:30,520 Speaker 1: and you have to tell us whether the person was, 613 00:30:30,560 --> 00:30:35,120 Speaker 1: in fact celibate. Here we go, alright. Number one Isaac Newton, 614 00:30:35,200 --> 00:30:38,600 Speaker 1: the physicist and inventor of the cat flap. Isaac Newton 615 00:30:38,840 --> 00:30:41,800 Speaker 1: celibate or not? I kind of want to say celibate. 616 00:30:42,480 --> 00:30:44,920 Speaker 1: You're right. Well, while he was interested in the laws 617 00:30:44,920 --> 00:30:46,400 Speaker 1: of motion, none of them had to do with the 618 00:30:46,400 --> 00:30:52,880 Speaker 1: ocean's right, alright, One for one for Isaac excellent. Number 619 00:30:52,920 --> 00:30:57,640 Speaker 1: two Florence Nightingale. Let's see, I feel like Clarence Nightingale 620 00:30:57,680 --> 00:30:59,560 Speaker 1: really could have could have gotten a lot of tale 621 00:30:59,600 --> 00:31:05,960 Speaker 1: out there. But I'm gonna say, but she you're not cellibrate. 622 00:31:06,000 --> 00:31:07,760 Speaker 1: I'm going to not celibate. That would have been what 623 00:31:07,840 --> 00:31:09,640 Speaker 1: I would have guessed as well. What's the answer, mango, 624 00:31:09,960 --> 00:31:13,959 Speaker 1: she's cellibate? Um? Yeah, I mean all these patients fell 625 00:31:14,000 --> 00:31:16,520 Speaker 1: in love with her, and she had countless marriage proposals. 626 00:31:16,560 --> 00:31:19,800 Speaker 1: But but she decided to stay true, I guess, and 627 00:31:19,840 --> 00:31:22,880 Speaker 1: she lived into pretty old age right at nine. Wow. Okay, 628 00:31:23,000 --> 00:31:25,480 Speaker 1: all right, here we go one out of two. Number 629 00:31:25,600 --> 00:31:31,040 Speaker 1: three Tesla Nicola, Tesla Inventor and the Thomas Edison rival. 630 00:31:32,400 --> 00:31:37,880 Speaker 1: I'm gonna stay celibate, that's right, correct, all right? Maybe 631 00:31:37,880 --> 00:31:40,160 Speaker 1: because of the heartbreak over the pigeon. We have all 632 00:31:40,200 --> 00:31:42,320 Speaker 1: heard the pigeon story right where I fell in love 633 00:31:42,320 --> 00:31:45,840 Speaker 1: with a pigeon. Alright, Well, you know that's that's the 634 00:31:45,880 --> 00:31:49,760 Speaker 1: kind of thing you don't get over. That's very very true. Okay. 635 00:31:49,920 --> 00:31:58,680 Speaker 1: Number four Laura Ingalls Wilder lad was not celibate, absolutely right. Okay. 636 00:31:58,800 --> 00:32:04,040 Speaker 1: The last one a till of the hun it. You 637 00:32:04,160 --> 00:32:07,120 Speaker 1: kind of want that to be the answer, but unfortunately 638 00:32:07,160 --> 00:32:10,600 Speaker 1: it's not. I know, I wish for thinking, but he 639 00:32:10,720 --> 00:32:18,320 Speaker 1: was not all it yet. Twelve Wives, twelve wives. Wow. Alright, 640 00:32:18,320 --> 00:32:21,080 Speaker 1: so how is Joe done today? Mango? So Joe wh 641 00:32:21,640 --> 00:32:24,800 Speaker 1: an excellent three for five and which entitles her to 642 00:32:24,840 --> 00:32:29,640 Speaker 1: the big prize, which is our total admiration. Al right, congratulations, 643 00:32:30,280 --> 00:32:35,560 Speaker 1: which is not a box of condom. But but thank 644 00:32:35,600 --> 00:32:37,440 Speaker 1: you so much for being here, Joe. If if you're listening, 645 00:32:37,480 --> 00:32:39,239 Speaker 1: go out and get How to Be Married or her 646 00:32:39,280 --> 00:32:42,120 Speaker 1: other book, Fitness Junkie, which is on shelves now. Thanks 647 00:32:42,120 --> 00:32:56,000 Speaker 1: for having me, guys. So maybe at the top of 648 00:32:56,000 --> 00:32:58,720 Speaker 1: the show, we talked about the Vaticans one star reviews 649 00:32:58,760 --> 00:33:01,440 Speaker 1: on Trip Advisory, and you were telling me how much 650 00:33:01,480 --> 00:33:04,080 Speaker 1: awesomeness is at the Vatican. So why don't we prove 651 00:33:04,160 --> 00:33:06,520 Speaker 1: it with some of our favorite things hiding behind the 652 00:33:06,600 --> 00:33:10,320 Speaker 1: Vatican doors. Well, they're the obvious things, right, like the 653 00:33:10,440 --> 00:33:12,560 Speaker 1: letter of Henry the Eighth sent with his request for 654 00:33:12,600 --> 00:33:16,320 Speaker 1: an annulment, which obviously got rejected, and the Pope's letter 655 00:33:16,400 --> 00:33:20,080 Speaker 1: to excommunicate Martin Luther. There's awesome historical stuff like that 656 00:33:20,160 --> 00:33:22,880 Speaker 1: all stored there. But like I mentioned at the top, 657 00:33:23,320 --> 00:33:25,320 Speaker 1: I had no idea what other sort of records were 658 00:33:25,320 --> 00:33:28,600 Speaker 1: on file, Like there's a note Michael Angelo sent the 659 00:33:28,640 --> 00:33:31,400 Speaker 1: Pope letting him know that the Vatican was three months 660 00:33:31,400 --> 00:33:33,960 Speaker 1: behind on paying their guards and if they didn't puny 661 00:33:34,040 --> 00:33:36,160 Speaker 1: up fast enough, there was all this talk of like 662 00:33:36,240 --> 00:33:38,840 Speaker 1: the guards walking out on their job. Or this is 663 00:33:38,920 --> 00:33:42,200 Speaker 1: letter from the Ojibway tribe in Ontario and it's written 664 00:33:42,200 --> 00:33:45,840 Speaker 1: on bark and it comes from and just thanking the 665 00:33:45,840 --> 00:33:48,440 Speaker 1: Pope for his help. But the details are really sweet, 666 00:33:48,520 --> 00:33:51,240 Speaker 1: Like they addressed the Pope as the great master of prayer. 667 00:33:51,360 --> 00:33:54,200 Speaker 1: He holds the place of Jesus. And while he was 668 00:33:54,280 --> 00:33:57,520 Speaker 1: set in May, the date actually says where there is 669 00:33:57,640 --> 00:33:59,760 Speaker 1: much grass in the month of the Flowers. Like I 670 00:34:00,240 --> 00:34:02,680 Speaker 1: love that. That is pretty great. And there are also 671 00:34:02,720 --> 00:34:05,600 Speaker 1: things like the letters from Lincoln and Jefferson Davis that 672 00:34:05,640 --> 00:34:07,760 Speaker 1: you mentioned before during the Civil War, and they were 673 00:34:07,840 --> 00:34:10,520 Speaker 1: each trying to get the pope support. But what's so 674 00:34:10,560 --> 00:34:13,279 Speaker 1: strange about that is that neither of them was Catholic. Yeah, 675 00:34:13,320 --> 00:34:17,040 Speaker 1: the Pope's note back acknowledging Jefferson Davis and the Confederacy. 676 00:34:17,160 --> 00:34:19,560 Speaker 1: It was touted as this big win, like the South 677 00:34:19,600 --> 00:34:23,279 Speaker 1: treated as like this official documentation that it was its 678 00:34:23,320 --> 00:34:26,120 Speaker 1: own nation. And I guess it was kind of obvious, 679 00:34:26,160 --> 00:34:28,239 Speaker 1: but I didn't even think about the paper trail, Like 680 00:34:28,360 --> 00:34:31,160 Speaker 1: there are all sorts of documents about the personal affairs 681 00:34:31,160 --> 00:34:34,160 Speaker 1: of cardinals, both good and bad, from the twenties on, 682 00:34:34,719 --> 00:34:37,440 Speaker 1: and hundreds of years of annulment papers. I mean, that's 683 00:34:37,480 --> 00:34:39,680 Speaker 1: a ton of records to keep if you think about this, 684 00:34:39,719 --> 00:34:42,560 Speaker 1: And there's something like fifty two miles of shelves there. 685 00:34:42,880 --> 00:34:46,360 Speaker 1: So browsing is definitely prohibited. But the so called Secret 686 00:34:46,480 --> 00:34:49,000 Speaker 1: Archives where all this stuff is housed, it it actually 687 00:34:49,040 --> 00:34:51,600 Speaker 1: is open to scholars. Yeah. One funny thing about the 688 00:34:51,600 --> 00:34:55,399 Speaker 1: Secret Archives is that it's actually this mistranslation and there's 689 00:34:55,400 --> 00:34:57,960 Speaker 1: probably some fun stuff bari there. It actually translates more 690 00:34:58,040 --> 00:35:01,000 Speaker 1: is the pope's personal archives. Okay, but I don't think 691 00:35:01,040 --> 00:35:03,080 Speaker 1: just a bunch of historical records are going to impress 692 00:35:03,120 --> 00:35:05,520 Speaker 1: our trip Advisor friends, So we might need some more 693 00:35:05,600 --> 00:35:08,480 Speaker 1: off limits type things of what else you have for us. 694 00:35:08,840 --> 00:35:10,560 Speaker 1: It's funny because I had all these like cute things 695 00:35:10,640 --> 00:35:13,239 Speaker 1: lined up, Like Renaissance painters used to get bored with 696 00:35:13,280 --> 00:35:16,080 Speaker 1: their motifs that they had to paint, so like, I know, 697 00:35:16,120 --> 00:35:18,160 Speaker 1: there's one who had to paint all these lions, and 698 00:35:18,200 --> 00:35:21,160 Speaker 1: he did this one line facing the other ways, sort 699 00:35:21,160 --> 00:35:24,120 Speaker 1: of like playful and so there's this whole where's Waldo 700 00:35:24,200 --> 00:35:27,520 Speaker 1: motif going on. So there's an erotic fresco that you 701 00:35:27,520 --> 00:35:29,080 Speaker 1: need to hear about. All right, I think this might 702 00:35:29,120 --> 00:35:31,239 Speaker 1: be the one. This might be what we're looking for. So, 703 00:35:31,320 --> 00:35:33,319 Speaker 1: you know, there's all this talk about the Vatican having 704 00:35:33,320 --> 00:35:36,440 Speaker 1: these giant stacks and like perverse art and and uh, 705 00:35:36,719 --> 00:35:40,400 Speaker 1: most of that's completely bunk, it's all hogwash, but this 706 00:35:40,440 --> 00:35:44,200 Speaker 1: one's actually true. So in fifteen sixteen, the painter Raphael 707 00:35:44,320 --> 00:35:47,680 Speaker 1: was commissioned to decorate a cardinal's bathroom, and the cardinal 708 00:35:47,800 --> 00:35:50,360 Speaker 1: one of this really like lusty sex scene filled with 709 00:35:50,400 --> 00:35:54,279 Speaker 1: pagan creatures, and Raphael got really into it. It's like 710 00:35:54,360 --> 00:35:57,520 Speaker 1: totally in a classical style, but he goes crazy. It's 711 00:35:57,520 --> 00:36:01,000 Speaker 1: supposedly done like a graphic novel, and they're like naked 712 00:36:01,160 --> 00:36:05,800 Speaker 1: nymphs and sadder's and like outrageous sex scenes. There's a 713 00:36:05,840 --> 00:36:07,880 Speaker 1: goddess looking in a mirror while she's wrapped in a 714 00:36:07,920 --> 00:36:11,279 Speaker 1: guy's legs. It's it's really nuts. But over the years 715 00:36:11,320 --> 00:36:13,319 Speaker 1: there's been so much outrage about it that it's been 716 00:36:13,320 --> 00:36:15,680 Speaker 1: whitewashed and the space has been turned into a kitchen, 717 00:36:15,800 --> 00:36:18,279 Speaker 1: and then I think a meeting room but there's still 718 00:36:18,320 --> 00:36:20,759 Speaker 1: portions the peak out, and according to one visitor who 719 00:36:20,760 --> 00:36:24,359 Speaker 1: saw it, there's a drawing of Pan who apparently was well, 720 00:36:24,960 --> 00:36:29,239 Speaker 1: he has this enormous member and he's also excited. But 721 00:36:29,280 --> 00:36:31,600 Speaker 1: then someone whited out his member. So now it looks 722 00:36:31,640 --> 00:36:33,719 Speaker 1: even more like comically big because you can't see how 723 00:36:33,840 --> 00:36:37,080 Speaker 1: large it was. All right, that made do the trigger. 724 00:36:37,120 --> 00:36:39,040 Speaker 1: I think that probably takes it from a one star 725 00:36:39,160 --> 00:36:40,719 Speaker 1: to maybe a one and a half star for some 726 00:36:40,760 --> 00:36:43,120 Speaker 1: of these people. But before we sign off, what do 727 00:36:43,120 --> 00:36:51,399 Speaker 1: you say we have a little fact up. All right, 728 00:36:51,400 --> 00:36:54,680 Speaker 1: here's one about the Sistine Chapel. So Michael Angelo never 729 00:36:54,719 --> 00:36:57,239 Speaker 1: wanted to paint it. Apparently it was just painted as 730 00:36:57,239 --> 00:37:00,040 Speaker 1: a giant sky with stars before and and then it 731 00:37:00,280 --> 00:37:03,360 Speaker 1: didn't appeal to him. He only saw himself as a sculptor. 732 00:37:03,640 --> 00:37:05,840 Speaker 1: In fact, in his letter to friends, he complained that 733 00:37:05,880 --> 00:37:09,000 Speaker 1: he never should have taken on the assignment, saying I'm 734 00:37:09,040 --> 00:37:11,800 Speaker 1: not in the right place. I'm not a painter. Video 735 00:37:11,840 --> 00:37:15,960 Speaker 1: is a painter. So the reporter who broke the news 736 00:37:16,000 --> 00:37:19,160 Speaker 1: about Bendicks stepping down from being Pope actually got the 737 00:37:19,200 --> 00:37:21,359 Speaker 1: scoop because she is the only person in the room 738 00:37:21,360 --> 00:37:24,000 Speaker 1: who understood his announcement. And that's because he made it 739 00:37:24,040 --> 00:37:27,600 Speaker 1: in Latin. All right, Well, the Vatican has a strong 740 00:37:27,760 --> 00:37:31,680 Speaker 1: stance against gluten free Eucharus. They'll allow it, I mean, 741 00:37:31,719 --> 00:37:34,080 Speaker 1: for people with serious gluten problems, but they do not 742 00:37:34,280 --> 00:37:37,080 Speaker 1: like it. Also, adding honey or flavoring to the bread 743 00:37:37,200 --> 00:37:41,399 Speaker 1: is severely frowned upon. So according to the Definitive Book 744 00:37:41,400 --> 00:37:45,719 Speaker 1: of Body Language, five University of Texas College students were 745 00:37:45,800 --> 00:37:48,560 Speaker 1: arrested at the Vatican for flashing the hookham horn side. 746 00:37:49,040 --> 00:37:51,399 Speaker 1: Apparently it's a sign for cuck holding someone in Italy. 747 00:37:51,680 --> 00:37:54,239 Speaker 1: That's a bad idea. All right, Well, the Vatican has 748 00:37:54,239 --> 00:37:57,520 Speaker 1: announced his position on baptizing aliens. Did you know this. 749 00:37:57,760 --> 00:37:59,480 Speaker 1: It's good to have a stance on this. Just to 750 00:37:59,520 --> 00:38:03,040 Speaker 1: be clear, they'll happily convert extraterrestrials if they're interested in 751 00:38:03,120 --> 00:38:06,279 Speaker 1: becoming Catholics. I love that and I want to sit 752 00:38:06,320 --> 00:38:09,759 Speaker 1: in on those confessions. But before we go, I wanted 753 00:38:09,760 --> 00:38:11,560 Speaker 1: to give a special shout out to Dolan Brown for 754 00:38:11,600 --> 00:38:14,319 Speaker 1: pulling together a ton of research for this episode, and 755 00:38:14,560 --> 00:38:16,560 Speaker 1: for all of you out there on Part Time Genius Land. 756 00:38:16,680 --> 00:38:32,400 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for listening. Y, thanks again for listening. 757 00:38:32,520 --> 00:38:34,720 Speaker 1: Part Time Genius is a production of how stuff works 758 00:38:34,719 --> 00:38:37,319 Speaker 1: and wouldn't be possible without several brilliant people who do 759 00:38:37,360 --> 00:38:40,360 Speaker 1: the important things we couldn't even begin to understand. Tristan 760 00:38:40,440 --> 00:38:43,040 Speaker 1: McNeil does the editing thing. Noel Brown made the theme 761 00:38:43,080 --> 00:38:45,920 Speaker 1: song and does the MIXI mixy sound thing. Jerry Rowland 762 00:38:46,000 --> 00:38:49,280 Speaker 1: does the exact producer thing. Gay Bluesier is our lead researcher, 763 00:38:49,320 --> 00:38:52,280 Speaker 1: with support from the Research Army including Austin Thompson, Nolan 764 00:38:52,360 --> 00:38:54,520 Speaker 1: Brown and Lucas Adams and Eve. Jeff Cook gets the 765 00:38:54,520 --> 00:38:56,799 Speaker 1: show to your ears. Good job, Eves. If you like 766 00:38:56,880 --> 00:38:58,719 Speaker 1: what you heard, we hope you'll subscribe, And if you 767 00:38:58,760 --> 00:39:00,520 Speaker 1: really really like what you've heard, and maybe you could 768 00:39:00,600 --> 00:39:02,440 Speaker 1: leave a good review for us? Did we? Did we 769 00:39:02,480 --> 00:39:04,120 Speaker 1: forget Jason? Jason who