Certain sensationalists have been blowing up social media over the past hour with breathtaking reports of a “Vatican City Bombing” and descriptions of a huge explosion and fire at the Vatican itself.
Admittedly, pictures and video coming from Rome depicting billowing black smoke are dramatic:
@Emergenza24 @rep_roma @romatoday @ilmessaggeroit @reuters_italia @YouReporter #incendio #Battistini #Roma #Live adesso.Ancora piccoli botti pic.twitter.com/w0vh5N61Dt
— Mercurio Viaggiatore (@MercurioPsi) June 1, 2017
Fortunately, I have friends and colleagues in Rome, and I can report to you with confidence that the fire was not at the Vatican. Just moments before I began writing this, one of my Roman contacts walked up to the roof of her building and took this picture in the direction of St. Peter’s Basilica:
Not even a hint of smoke left in the air.
Another contact who works at the Vatican says:
“There was billowing black smoke earlier, but it was thinning already an hour ago when I got on the train.” He is at the Vatican now, and nothing unusual is going on.
Reports are beginning to come in that the fire originated in a junk yard of some sort west several kilometers from the Vatican. The twitter account of the Direzione Centrale Emergenza e Soccorso Tecnico Vigili — a Roman emergency fire and rescue department — posted a video of the incident nearly an hour ago as of this writing:
(1gju-18.30) #Roma, incendio autodemolitore via Battistini: evacuata a scopo precauzionale una palazzina nelle vicinanze. 4squadre impegnate pic.twitter.com/wI2Qski9Ay
— Vigili del Fuoco (@emergenzavvf) June 1, 2017
Everyone’s concern is understandable, but this is a false alarm.
Steve Skojec is the Founding Publisher of OnePeterFive.com. He received his BA in Communications and Theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville in 2001. His commentary has appeared in The New York Times, USA Today, The Washington Post, The Washington Times, Crisis Magazine, EWTN, Huffington Post Live, The Fox News Channel, Foreign Policy, and the BBC. Steve and his wife Jamie have eight children. You can find more of his writing at his Substack, The Skojec File.
June 1, 2017: The Day Steve Skojec sold out to Newchurch to hide the TRUTH.
You forgot to sign it, “EditorCT”.
I’m not from Connecticut.
Hey, aside from a nutty liberal for a Governor who overnight after his last election went from “we are in the black” to a gaping “OOPS, we made a calculation error!” financial chasm and who wants to put a milage tracker on our cars to both get more blood from stones, and see where we go; several BIG companies (GE and now Aetna) pulling out for LOWER TAXES in NEW YORK!!! (That is how bad taxes are in CT!), crime in the three major cities very high, with New Haven #3 in the country last year, sanctuary cities, rumors of illegal immigrants being allowed to vote in local elections in Bridgeport……and a zillion other things, what pray tell is wrong with CT?? (Written by a CT transplant/native NYC girl 🙂
Steve,
Tom is NOT “EditorCT”. “EditorCT” is the (lady) Editor of Catholic Truth Scotland http://www.catholictruthblog.com.
Btw, they have a new post on the Sacred Heart.
I know you’re not happy with the exchange between you and Madame Editor. Re that exchange, both of you had valid points.
If you check out Catholic Truth, I think you’ll be surprised. As I said before, think of CT as the Scottish version of The Remnant (with a passionate Scotswoman as editor!).
I love The Remnant, 1P5, The Fatima Network http://www.fatima.org and Catholic Truth.
In Christ the King,
Margaret
Steve, I hope everything is ok. Or at least will be soon.
Recent shot of the situation in Rome:
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/70917049bb3d0f0d21cdbbc5d38137709ce3cf680c673dea165dea789f862700.jpg
I’m waiting for the Trump Tweet:
“Pope Francis: Glad you have thick high walls to protect you from neighbor’s kitchen fire! MAGA!”
Relax everyone, it’s just a precursor event.
Violence is not the answer. Never was, never will be.
What was the question?
We all know that this is coming from the Mohammedans at some point in the future. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but eventually.
Unless, of course, the Church and the formerly Christian nations of Europe awaken and begin to defend themselves.
A “junkyard of scraped cars” lies behind the Vatican walls.
Wouldn’t you say that is quite telling?
Unless the Vatican changes its ways and continues to make junk out of souls, which shall be scraped and reside in hell, the black smoke within those walls will be fumigated. Our Lord will not allow much more of this nonsense to continue.
Your last sentence is spot on!
Oh I don’t know! It could be divine intervention. What does Black smoke mean? (Joking)
when I first saw the black smoke I thought the Saint Gallen’s group had secretly gotten together to elect another Pope and hadn’t agreed on one. Glad its only a junkyard fire.
They have just set off the smoke signalling the election of PF.