Vicarius Filii Dei (Latin: Vicar or Representative of the Son of God) is a phrase used in the forged mediaeval Donation of Constantine to refer to Saint Peter. Some Protestant groups claim that it is a title of the Roman Catholic pope, and that the letters add up to 666, the "number of the beast" in the Book of Revelation. The Catholic Church dismisses the claim as an "anti-Catholic myth" and states that popes have never possessed such a title. The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... The Donation of Constantine (Latin, Constitutum Donatio Constantini or Constitutum domini Constantini imperatoris) is a forged Roman imperial edict devised probably between 750 and 850. ... Saint Peter, also known as Simon ben Jonah/BarJonah, Simon Peter, Cephas and Kepha — original name Simon or Simeon (Acts 15:14) — was one of the Twelve Apostles whom Jesus chose from among his original disciples. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... The current Pope is Benedict XVI (born Joseph Alois Ratzinger), who was elected at the age of 78 on 19 April 2005. ... 666 is the natural number following 665 and preceding 667. ... An ambigram of 666. ... Visions of John of Patmos, as depicted in the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry. ...

Pope John XXIII after being crowned with the 1877 papal tiara.
None of the photographs of the 1958 coronation show Vicarius Filii Dei or any other writing on the tiara. (For a close-up of this tiara, see this website )

This work is presumed to be copyrighted, but its source has not been determined. ... This work is presumed to be copyrighted, but its source has not been determined. ... The Palatine Tiara It was given to Pope Pius IX in 1877 by the Palatine Guard. ...

Origins of the controversy

The earliest extant record of a Protestant writer on this subject is that of Professor Andreas Helwig in 1612. In his work Antichristus Romanus he took fifteen titles in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin and computed their numerical equivalents in those languages, arriving at the number 666 mentioned in the Book of Revelation. Out of all these titles, he preferred to single out Vicarius Filii Dei, for the reason that it met "all the conditions which [Cardinal] Bellarmine had thus far demanded." Besides being in Latin, the title was "not offensive or vile," but rather was "honorable to this very one." Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... 666 is the natural number following 665 and preceding 667. ... Visions of John of Patmos, as depicted in the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry. ... Roberto Francesco Romolo Bellarmino (Saint Robert Bellarmine), a Saint of the Roman Catholic Church and a controversialist, was born at Montepulciano (35 km s. ...

The papal tiara given to Pope Pius IX by Queen Isabella II of Spain in the 1850s.
The tiara contains no writing.

Helwig suggested that the supposed title was an expansion of the historical title Vicarius Christi, rather than an official title used by the popes themselves. Additionally, he said nothing about the title appearing on tiaras or mitres. Helwig's interpretation did not become a common one until about the time of the French Revolution.^[1] Some later Protestant figures directly claimed that Vicarius Filii Dei was an official title of the Roman Catholic pope, some claimed that this title appeared on the papal tiara and/or a mitre. Image File history File links Isabellatiara. ... Image File history File links Isabellatiara. ... The Papal Tiara, also known as the Triple Tiara, or in Latin as the Triregnum, and in Italian as the Triregno, is the three-tiered jewelled papal crown, supposedly of Byzantine and Persian origin, that is a symbol of the Roman Catholic papacy. ... A mitre. ...

Chief among these was Uriah Smith of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, who wrote Uriah Smith (1832-1903) was a Seventh-day Adventist author and editor who worked for the Adventist Review for 50 years. ... The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Christian denomination which, as its name suggests, is best known for its teaching that Saturday, the seventh day of the week, is the Sabbath and that the second advent of Jesus Christ is imminent. ...

The pope wears upon his pontifical crown in jeweled letters, this title, VICARIOUS FILII DEI, viceregent of the Son of God. The most plausible supposition we have seen on this point is that here we find the number in question. It is the number of the beast, the papacy; it is the number of a man, for he adopts it as his distinctive title; it is the number of a man, for he who bears it is the 'man of sin. ^[2]

To promote the claim in the mid 20th century, some Seventh-day Adventists doctored pictures of papal tiaras to make it look as though the words did exist on them. According to LeRoy Froom, a Seventh-day Adventist Church historian, (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999...

. . . in attempting to re-illustrate one of the standard books on the prophecies, took this genuine photograph of a plain tiara and lettered upon it the three words Vicarius, Filii, and Dei-one on each of the three crowns-on the premise that such was the name the pope bore, and if were not actually on the tiara, it might well be by way of illustration. One of our leading publishing houses, and the General Conference, to whom the altered photograph was submitted, emphatically rejected it as misleading and deceptive, and refused to allow its use. Regrettably, some of our evangelists who do not have all the facts, and to whom the appeal of the moment has sometimes outweighed the ethics of the case, and who perhaps have not thought through the fraudulent character of such plausible but specious evidence, have occasionally continued to use this or similar fabrication.^[3]

A small number of Catholic figures referred to the supposed existence of the title in books. In The Temporal Power of the Vicar of Jesus Christ, a book by British Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, Henry Edward Cardinal Manning three references were made in English to the pope as the "Vicar of the Son of God."^[4]. Writing on behalf of James Cardinal Gibbons in 1904, William F. Russell said that the title was "used by the Cardinal who imposes the tiara at the coronation of a Pope," though he couldn't say with certainty whether it appeared on the pope's tiara.^[5] In a signed statement from the early 1940's, Dr. J. Quasten of Catholic University wrote, "The title Vicarius Filii Dei as well as the title Vicarius Christi is very common as the title for the pope."^[6] 1882 caricature from Punch Henry Edward Cardinal Manning (July 15, 1808 - January 14, 1892) was an English Catholic Archbishop and Cardinal. ... James Cardinal Gibbons (23 July 1834 - 24 March 1921) was the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Baltimore from 1877 until his death, and in 1886 became the second man from the United States to be made a cardinal. ... Catholic University may mean: Australian Catholic University The Catholic University of America Catholic University of Angola Catholic University of Brussels Catholic University of Daegu Catholic University of Ireland Catholic University of Korea Catholic University of Leuven Catholic University of Lublin Catholic University of Portugal Catholic University of Puerto Rico Catholic...

The statements are however rare and regarded by scholars as based on factual errors. Russell's claim, for example, that the term was used in the papal coronation is demonstrably false. The actual wording at the moment never contained the words Vicarius Filii Dei. The Cardinal deacon who crowned the Pope actually said:

Accipe thiaram tribus coronis ornatam, et scias te esse Patrem Principum et Regum, Rectorem Orbis, in terra Vicarium Salvatoris Nostri Jesu Christi, cui est honor et gloria in sæcula sæculorum. ^[7]

(Receive the tiara adorned with three crowns and know that thou art Father of Princes and Kings, Ruler of the World, Vicar of Our Savior Jesus Christ on earth, to whom is honor and glory forever and ever.)

Other than the forged Donation of Constantine no primary source evidence exists to suggest the existence of such a title for the pope. When no such evidence could be proved in primary documentation as opposed to isolated references in rare secondary sources, the Catholic Church was accused by promoters of the claim that such evidence exists of suppressing or destroying the evidence, specifically tiaras or mitres that supposedly contained the words on them. Critics accuse promoters of the claim of resorting to conspiracy theories without evidence to explain their own failure after centuries of searching to stand up their claims to independent verification of its existence. Though there are thousands of images dating back a millennium of papal tiaras (busts, paintings, drawings, photographs, design plans, etc) none shows any tiara with any writing spelling out words in diamonds, much less Vicarius Filii Dei. Only handful possessed any writing at all, and in those cases it was different words spelt out on the individual tiaras, not on the body of the Papal Tiara, which is the claim regularly made by proposers of the claim. ^[8] For other uses, see Conspiracy theory (disambiguation). ...

The Papal Tiara claim

Promoters of the claim that popes hold the title Vicarius Filii Dei in past alleged that the proof could be found on the Papal Tiara, the papal crown, on which they claimed the words could clearly be seen spelt out in jewels. Some Protestant groups in the past claimed that it is a title possessed by the Roman Catholic Church Pope. The claim was particularly strongly made by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Central to the claim that Vicarius Filii Dei is a papal title is the statement that when numerised in a certain way (see below), the words produce the total of 666, a number described as the 'number of the beast' (i.e., the Antichrist or False Prophet in the Book of Revelation), proof according to some groups that the Roman Catholic pope is the Antichrist. The conviction that the Pope is the Antichrist was once a core belief of Protestantism. Most mainstream Protestant faiths have disassociated themselves from modern belief in the claim, but it is still central to the beliefs of some Protestant groups, such as the Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod). The Vicarius Filii Dei claims are just one of a series of items cited by some as "evidence". ^[9] The Papal Tiara, also known as the Triple Tiara, or in Latin as the Triregnum, and in Italian as the Triregno, is the three-tiered jewelled papal crown, supposedly of Byzantine and Persian origin, that is a symbol of the Roman Catholic papacy. ... A selection of gemstone pebbles made by tumbling rough rock with abrasive grit, in a rotating drum. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... The Roman Catholic Church or Catholic Church (see terminology below) is the Christian Church in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, currently Pope Benedict XVI. It traces its origins to the original Christian community founded by Jesus of Nazareth, with its traditions first established by the Twelve Apostles and... The current Pope is Benedict XVI (born Joseph Alois Ratzinger), who was elected at the age of 78 on 19 April 2005. ... The Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDA), colloquially referred to as the Adventists, is an evangelical Protestant Christian denomination that grew out of the prophetic Millerite movement in the United States during the middle part of the 19th century. ... // The English word Antichrist is translated from the Greek αντίχριστος antíkhristos, which literally means opposite of Christ. A broader meaning is in place of Christ. Therefore, antichrist means opposed to Christ by being in the place of Christ. ... False prophet is a label given to a person who is viewed as illegitimately claiming charismatic authority within a religious group. ... Visions of John of Patmos, as depicted in the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry. ... // The English word Antichrist is translated from the Greek αντίχριστος antíkhristos, which literally means opposite of Christ. A broader meaning is in place of Christ. Therefore, antichrist means opposed to Christ by being in the place of Christ. ...

The Roman Catholic Church has consistently denied the existence of such a title for popes and labelled it an "anti-Catholic myth". Critics of the claim argue that whether or not the numerised total of the letters in Vicarius Filii Dei produce the total '666' is irrelevant because the existence of such a title has never been independently verified. Protestant and Catholic academics have failed to find evidence of the existence of the title other than its mention for Saint Peter in the Donation of Constantine, a forged mediaeval document. The only remotely similar titles independently verified as existing are Vicarius Christi — representative (vicar) of Christ and until mediaeval times Vicarius Petrii — representative (vicar) of Peter. (Vicarius Christi numerates to 214.) The Roman Catholic Church or Catholic Church (see terminology below) is the Christian Church in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, currently Pope Benedict XVI. It traces its origins to the original Christian community founded by Jesus of Nazareth, with its traditions first established by the Twelve Apostles and... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... Vicar of Christ (Latin Vicarius Christi) has been used since Pope Gelasius I, alongside a few rarer vicarial titles, as one of the titles of the Bishop of Rome, best known as Pope, as head of the universal apostolic Catholic church . ... This page is about the title or the Divine Person. For the Messiah and Son of God, see Jesus. ...

The evidence

Sources for the claims

Proponents of the claim usually base themselves on the following sources:

1. In an 1832 book, a Miss Emmons reported that a gentleman had seen the pope wearing a miter with "VICARIUS FILII DEI" upon it in "full, blazing letters". Though this book refers to a mitre, the reference is often given as evidence for such a writing on a tiara.
2. Pope Gregory XVI had supposedly worn a papal tiara with these words clearly visible on it at a Pontifical High Mass during the Easter rite in 1845, according to Presbyterian minister and former Catholic.
3. The rumoured existence of a photograph of a papal funeral at the start of the twentieth century (which probably means the funeral of Pope Leo XIII in 1903 but could possibly be Pope Pius X's in 1914) showing the words on a papal tiara.
4. A belief that the tiara (with the words mentioned) is always used to crown popes, but specifically was used in 1939 to crown Eugenio Pacelli as Pope Pius XII.

None of these claims have been substantiated. 1832 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... A mitre. ... A Tridentine Mass being celebrated in Bohermeen, Ireland in the 1950s. ... Easter, also known as Pascha (Greek Πάσχα: Passover), the Feast of the Resurrection, the Sunday of the Resurrection, or Resurrection Day, is the most important religious feast of the Christian liturgical year, observed between late March and late April (early April to early May in Eastern Christianity). ... 1845 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Presbyterianism is part of the Reformed churches family of denominations of Christian Protestantism based on the teachings of John Calvin which traces its institutional roots to the Scottish Reformation, especially as led by John Knox. ... Pope Leo XIII (March 2, 1810 – July 20, 1903), born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci, was Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, having succeeded Pope Pius IX (1846–78) on February 20, 1878 and reigning until his death in 1903. ... Pope Saint Pius X ( Latin: ) (June 2, 1835 — August 20, 1914), born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto, was Pope from 1903 to 1914, succeeding Pope Leo XIII (1878–1903). ... Pope Pius XII (Latin: ), born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli (March 2, 1876 – October 9, 1958), reigned as the 260th pope, the head of the Roman Catholic Church, and sovereign of Vatican City State from March 2, 1939 until his death. ...

Multiple tiaras, not one

Main article: List of papal tiaras in existence

While the claims speak of the papal tiara, in reality there is not one tiara but many. All but one of the ancient papal tiaras were destroyed by invading French troops in 1798. The sole surviving pre-19th century tiara (image 1) has no writing. Starting in 1800, new tiaras were periodically created. A number of 19th century popes, notably popes Gregory XVI, Pius IX and Leo XIII received a number of tiaras during their reign, from among other sources their previous cardinalate sees, religious orders, the Palatine Guard, the women of the Belgian Court and heads of state such as the Catholic Queen Isabella of Spain and the Protestant Kaiser Wilhelm I of Germany. Gregory XVI received three tiaras, Pius IX six and Leo XIII four. Many were either never worn or worn rarely. In the twentieth century a number of tiaras were given to various popes up to and including Pope Paul VI in 1963. Though the number of tiaras grew, only a small number were normally worn, principally the Palatine Tiara given to Pius IX in 1877, which was used by among others Popes Pius XII and John XXIII for their coronations. Pope Pius XI's tiara was also worn by Pope John, while his own tiara, given by the people of Venice in 1959, was worn also. The decision on which tiara to wear was usually decided by issues such as papal headsize, age of the tiara (older ones tended to be treated as museum pieces), sturdiness of construction (wear and tear can lead to damage and constant repair), comfort of individual popes and papal age (older popes due to their age and infirmity wore lighter tiaras towards the end of their reigns). The claim by proponents of the Vicarius Filii Dei story frequently stated that there was just one tiara and that it was always used in coronations. That is demonstrably false. Pope John XXIII moments after his coronation in 1958. ... Pope Gregory XVI (September 18, 1765 – June 1, 1846), born Bartolomeo Alberto Cappellari, named Mauro as a member of the religious order of the Camaldolese, was Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from 1831 to 1846. ... Blessed Pope Pius IX (May 13, 1792 – February 7, 1878), born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, reigned as Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from his election in June 16, 1846, until his death more than 31 years later in 1878, making him the longest-reigning Pope since the Apostle St. ... Pope Leo XIII (March 2, 1810 – July 20, 1903), born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci, was Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, having succeeded Pope Pius IX (1846–78) on February 20, 1878 and reigning until his death in 1903. ... The Palatine Guard (Guardia Palatina dOnore) was a unit of the military of the Vatican City. ... The royal palace in Brussels Successive Belgian kings are Leopold I (1831-1865) Leopold II (1865-1909) Albert I (1909-1934) Leopold III (1934-1951) abdicated Prince Charles of Belgium (1944-1950) Prince Regent Baudouin I (1951-1993) Albert II (1993- ) None of these were King of Belgium: their title... Isabella (18 July 1501–19 January 1526), Archduchess of Austria by birth and Queen of Denmark by marriage, was the daughter of Philip I and Joanna of Castile and the sister of Emperor Charles V. She was born at Brussels. ... Wilhelm I of Germany (March 22, 1797 – March 9, 1888), German Emperor (Kaiser), ruled January 18, 1871 – 9 March 1888 and King of Prussia, ruled 2 January 1861 – 9 March 1888. ... Pope Paul VI (Latin: ), (Italian: Paolo VI), born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini (September 26, 1897 – August 6, 1978), reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and as sovereign of Vatican City from 1963 to 1978. ... Pope Pius XII (Latin: ), born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli (March 2, 1876 – October 9, 1958), reigned as the 260th pope, the head of the Roman Catholic Church, and sovereign of Vatican City State from March 2, 1939 until his death. ... Blessed Pope John XXIII (Latin: ), (Italian: Giovanni XXIII), born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli (November 25, 1881 – June 3, 1963), was elected as the 261st Pope of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City on October 28, 1958. ... Pope Pius XI (Latin: ) (May 31, 1857 – February 10, 1939), born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, reigned as Pope from February 6, 1922 and sovereign of Vatican City from 1929 until his death on February 10, 1939. ... Venice, (Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venexia) is the capital of the Italian regions and has a population of 271,663 (census estimate January 1, 2004). ...

Image 2: The 1804 Napoleon Tiara
As the image shows, it does not contain writing.

Image File history File links Pius_VII_tiara. ... Image File history File links Pius_VII_tiara. ... The Napoleon Tiara A gift from Napoleon. ...

No evidence of writing on tiaras existing in 1832

In 1832 when it was claimed Gregory XVI was seen wearing a tiara with Vicarius Filii Dei on it, only four tiaras existed; one from the eighteenth century (image 1), an 1800 papier-mâché tiara manufactured during the papal exile that resulted from the occupation of Rome by French troops (image 2) the one given by Emperor Napoleon I to Pope Pius VII in 1804 and the 1820 tiara of Pope Pius VIII. No pope has ever worn the 1804 tiara. It was deliberately designed on Napoleon's orders to be too small to fit on a head and far too heavy to wear. Popes also refused to wear it on principle because it was made up from parts of older tiaras broken up and stolen from the Vatican in 1798. So Gregory XVI could only have been wearing one of three tiaras; the 18th century tiara or the tiaras from 1800 or 1820. All three exist, are on public display and none contain writing. Nor do the records of their manufacture and maintenance contain any evidence that it might at any stage have contained writing. Papier-mâché around a form such as a balloon to create a pig. ... For other uses, see Napoleon (disambiguation). ... Pius VII, O.S.B., born Barnaba Nicolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti (August 14, 1740 – August 20, 1823), was Pope from March 14, 1800 to August 20, 1823. ... 1804 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1820 was a leap year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Pope Pius VIII (November 20, 1761 – December 1, 1830), born Francesco Saverio Castiglioni, was Pope from 1829 to 1830. ...

Tiaras never worn during Mass

Popes never wore papal tiaras while celebrating Mass, as tiaras were never seen as ecclesiastical vestments. They were worn only for specific ceremonies: state ceremonies where the pope was acting as head of the Patrimony of St. Peter (Papal States), when being carried in state on the sedia gestatoria (portable throne) (see image below) or when giving the urbi et orbi . None of these ceremonies took place at the altar and so could not potentially be confused with a celebration of Mass at the High Altar in St. Peter's. The only time tiaras had any association with an altar was when, prior to the start of a Pontifical High Mass, the Pope might place the tiara to one side on the special platform on the altar to symbolise Christ's reign over the Church. (To wear a secular symbol such as a crown while celebrating Mass was seen as disrespectful to Christ and the Eucharist being celebrated.) Vestments are liturgical garments and articles associated primarily with the Christian religions, especially the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Lutheran and Anglican Churches. ... Map of the Papal States. ... Error creating thumbnail: convert: unable to open image `/mnt/upload3/wikipedia/en/2/26/A022ht_5_SedeGest. ... Urbi et Orbi, literally to the City [of Rome] and to the World, was a standard opening of Roman proclamations. ... Look up Altar in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For the death metal band from Sweden, see Eucharist (band) The Eucharist or Communion or The Lords Supper, is the rite that Christians perform in fulfilment of Jesus instruction, recorded in the New Testament,[1] to do in memory of him what he did at his Last Supper. ...

Hoffman's claims about 1845

By 1845 the pope had received up to three new tiaras (image 3).^[10] That one tiara which it is definitely known had been given to him by Easter 1845, had been donated in 1834. It does not contain any writing. Nor, given the large size of the three crowns on it, is there space between them to place letters in jewels in a way could be seen. Only two tiara have any major writing at all. The Belgian tiara of 1871 (Image 4) does not feature Vicarius Filii Dei or words even remotely similar. It reads CHRISTI VICARIO – IN TERRA – REGUM, with the words spread out in the three crowns. Only one word of the alleged writing appears in the actual words on the 1871 tiara, and even there the word is in a different grammatical case. (For pictures of popes wearing these tiaras, see Papal Tiara.) Writing also appears on the 1903 Gold Tiara given to Pope Leo XIII but which due to its considerable weight has rarely been worn. Leo, who was in his nineties when he received it, was too ill to wear a heavy tiara (he opted for lightweight tiaras given to Gregory XVI and Pius IX) while later popes, having considered wearing it also declined to do so due to its weight. (Pius X's tiara and that of John XXIII were both made lightweight at the request of both popes because they found the main tiaras too uncomfortable and heavy.) The Papal Tiara, also known as the Triple Tiara, or in Latin as the Triregnum, and in Italian as the Triregno, is the three-tiered jewelled papal crown, supposedly of Byzantine and Persian origin, that is a symbol of the Roman Catholic papacy. ... Pope Leo XIII (March 2, 1810 – July 20, 1903), born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci, was Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, having succeeded Pope Pius IX (1846–78) on February 20, 1878 and reigning until his death in 1903. ...

The source of the claim about 1845 was B. Hoffman, a retired Presbyterian pastor, who claimed to be a former student Catholic priest who had witnessed Pope Gregory XVI celebrating the "Easter service" wearing a tiara contained the words Vicarius Filii Dei written in three rows. Critics have noted inconsistencies in his claims: Presbyterianism is part of the Reformed churches family of denominations of Christian Protestantism based on the teachings of John Calvin which traces its institutional roots to the Scottish Reformation, especially as led by John Knox. ...

• Though supposedly a former student Catholic priest he used the wrong terminology to describe the Catholic Easter rite, using the Protestant term "Service" rather than the Catholic "Mass". (Using the correct terminology would have had the additional benefit for some Protestants of linking the tiara with the "blasphemous" words to a rite they also regarded as blasphemous. No explanation was given as to how a supposed ex-Catholic who supposedly once studied for the priesthood could fail to know the correct Catholic terminology for the ceremony he claimed to have witnessed.

• If he was a student priest in the 1840s, Hoffman would have fallen foul of the rigid court and ecclesiastical rituals of St. Peter's Basilica and found himself placed far from the Pope behind rows of ordained priests, bishops, archbishops, cardinals, ambassadors, courtiers, papal nobility and royalty. From such a vantage point he would have been hard-pressed to have been able to see a papal tiara closely enough to have read writing on it.

• Popes entered St. Peters "in state" carried aloft on the sede gestatoria. As a result the Pope would have been nearly ten feet in the air, with his tiara a further couple of feet higher. In the circumstances, to have been able to see, much less read, any words on a tiara, would have been extremely difficult, particularly for someone seated far away behind dignatories.

• Hoffman described the words as having been spelt out clearly in jewels. Given that the delicate papier-mâché tiara was no longer worn (it had only been created as a temporary crown in 1800 because no tiara was available in exile), of the other potential tiaras available only the 1820 tiara had sufficient space between the three crowns to place lettering big enough to be read. No evidence exists that that tiara ever contained jewels outside the three crowns. Gregory's own 1834 tiara (image 3) had no room between the lower two crowns for any large lettering, nor was there any room at the top between the top crown and the monde to place readable lettering.

• Hoffman claimed that the word Dei was spelt in diamonds. Papal tiaras traditionally were made from silver (either solid silver or a tight mesh), laid on top of a felt inlay. No explanation was given as to how colourless diamonds could have been seen against a silver backdrop.

• Hoffman maintained that the lettering was on the silver, not attached to the crowns. Neither method of making tiaras would have made this possible. Meshed tiaras consisted of such a tight mesh that it was not possible to thread diamonds into the mesh without risking serious damage either to the tiara or the diamonds. (see an example of the meshing on the 1877 Palatine tiara). It would not be possible to attach diamonds, freestanding, to solid silver other than by a form of glue that would damage both the silver and the diamonds. Yet Hoffman's description claims that the three layers of jewels were somehow freestanding and not part of any of the three crowns.

Pope Pius VIIs sede gestatoria. ... Crown of Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother) A monde is a ball-like object located near the top of a crown. ... // A scattering of round-brilliant cut diamonds shows off the many reflecting facets. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Baize. ...

No images from any sources of supposed Vicarius Filii Dei tiara

All of the tiaras in existence at the time of the creation of photography and hence in the timeframe for the mysterious 'photographic evidence' still exist and seem to have been accounted for, through receipts, repair records, valuations, etc. Given the bureaucracy associated with the use of state items such as crowns in all states and the value of each tiara (some have a modern value of millions of euro), each occasion where such items are worn are formally recorded in files (listing what crown was worn where and for how long, with its removal and return to the location where it was stored formally recorded), and their wearing witnessed by staff, diplomats, the media and the public if the ceremony if occurring in public in St. Peter's Basilica, St. Peter's Square, the Basilica of St. John Lateran or elsewhere. No records exist either in newspapers, media coverage, paintings, photographs, state records or in the Vatican suggesting the existence of any tiaras since 1800 other than those existing at present. Berninis piazza was extended by the Via della Conciliazione, Mussolinis grand avenue of approach. ... The late Baroque façade of the Basilica of St. ...

Though the evidence supposedly 'exists' in the form of a photograph, in nearly one hundred years no-one has been able to produce the photograph, or even give definitive evidence of its existence, such as stating where exactly it was published.

Technical limitations to photography in 1903 and 1914

Even if, contrary to all the known evidence a triple tiara with those words on it did exist and had been photographed (presumably placed on the coffin of the late pope), in the absence of modern photographic technology or even telephoto lenses, with constant movement during the funeral ceremony and slow shutter speeds, the chances a camera being able from a distance (and given the restrictions imposed on photographers during a papal funeral, it would have to have been at a distance) to capture lettering on a tiara are remote in the extreme. (One of the websites 'claiming' such a photograph exists shows a photograph of a papal tiara placed on top of the glass-sided coffin of Pius X at his canonisation. Even in the 1950s when that picture was taken, the photographic technology was such that neither the pope's remains nor the tiara could be clearly seen.)

Tiaras on public display

While 'promoters' of the story constantly demand that the tiaras be 'released so that they can be inspected', the tiaras are all on open display. Many of the most prominent papal tiaras are displayed as part of the Saint Peter and the Vatican: The Legacy of the Popes exhibition which travels the world; it visited the United States in 2005. Among the tiaras in this exhibition is the 1877 Palatine Tiara which some claim possesses Vicarius Filii Dei on it. The eighteenth century tiara is on public display in St. Peter's basilica itself on 29 June every year, where it is placed on the head of a statue of St. Peter. All the tiaras owned by the Vatican displayed either separately or in groups, not just within the Vatican but even in the United States, where the 'story' first originated. They have also been displayed around Europe. A minority of tiaras are no longer owned by the Vatican, but were given to churches or cathedrals, where they are on display. One of Pius IX's tiaras is on display in a church in Rome while Paul VI's tiara is on permanent display in Washington DC. Having been seen by large numbers, no-one, whether member of the public, critic or journalist has reported seeing the words Vicarius Filii Dei on the side of a papal tiara, as is the claim. June 29 is the 180th day of the year (181st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 185 days remaining. ... Flag Seal Nickname: DC, The District Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All) Location Location of Washington, D.C., with regard to the surrounding states of Maryland and Virginia. ...

Tiara used in 1939 coronation only manufactured in 1877

The papal tiara used in the coronation of Pope Pius XII, which was explicitly stated in one website as being the tiara with the Vicarius Filii Dei words spelt out in jewellery and diamonds was in fact manufactured in 1877 and so could not have been the tiara with those words supposedly seen in 1832 or 1845. As Pope Pius XII's coronation was filmed and shown in cinemas around the world, had his papal tiara contained such words, they would have been captured by the camera and seen by millions worldwide in cinemas. Even if the actual placing of the crown on Pius's head was not seen clearly from a distance by film cameras, photographers were allowed access, being able to photograph the coronation from within a few feet of the Supreme Pontiff. Pius as a result was pictured from different angles up close. If lettering existed on Pius's exterior crown, it could not but have been seen and pictured. Pius also posed for a series of photographs wearing the tiara. None show lettering on it. During his reign, Pius was photographed wearing the tiara from all angles. No writing was seen either on the front, back or sides of the tiara.

No evidence on mitres

In the absence of any hard evidence of Vicarius Filii Dei on any papal crown, it has been suggested that it exists on a papal mitre. The Vatican has an extensive collection of papal mitres covering three categories: the Golden Mitre (mitra auriphrygiata), the Precious Mitre (mitra pretiosa) and the Simplex Mitre (mitra simplex). Only one, the mitra pretiosa was jewelled and so had the potential for lettering. The other two were plain in colour: one gold, one plain white silk. Images of popes wearing mitres have existed for centuries, whether as paintings, drawings or in more modern times photographs. A mitre. ...

Pope John Paul I wearing a mitra pretiosa in 1978.
John Paul wore Pope Paul VI's heavily jewelled "precious mitre" during his own month-long reign. It had no writing on it.

No independent source unconnected with the religions promoting the Vicarius Filii Dei claims have reported seeing those words on a mitre. Whereas tiaras as secular symbols of papal power may occasionally have been worn where only small groups were present (e.g., meetings with members of the Diplomatic Corp) as well as large gatherings, mitres were unambiguously liturgical in nature and so were worn at religious ceremonies with groups or large congregations in attendance. No independently verified reports exist, however, of a pope wearing a mitre with the words Vicarius Filii Dei on them. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...

Many of the Vatican's mitres, but most especially the mitra pretiosa, given their jewelled decoration, are displayed as part of the Saint Peter and the Vatican: The Legacy of the Popes exhibition, in particular the mitra pretiosa of popes Leo XIII and Paul VI. Other papal mitres, like papal tiaras, are permanently displayed in the Vatican.

Modern origins of the claims

The story seems to owe its modern origins to a written answer to a question published in an American Roman Catholic magazine, Our Sunday Visitor of 15 November 1914, in which a contributor, a priest, referred to the supposed title. The author who repeated the claim later in April 1915 then withdrew it. Among the errors he said he made was to mix up tiaras (about which the question was concerned) and mitres (the word he used in the answer). Though the magazine itself discussed the topic again in September 1917 and August 1941, it never denied the claim of the 1915 article that the title had appeared on the miter. Critics of the Seventh-day Adventist interpretation of the comment have argued that, firstly, if there was some secret Catholic title that the Church was denying, it would have been unlikely then to publish the "secret" in a widely available magazine read by people from all faiths. Secondly, they argue that if it was such a secret, and the questioner was asking about papal tiaras, why then would the priest-author have proceeded to answer a question he wasn't asked, about supposedly secret mitres. When questioned, the magazine wrote to the Seventh-day Adventist Church to inform them that the contributing priest had gotten his facts wrong. The Seventh-day Adventist Church no longer regards the magazine article as anything other than an error and no longer promotes belief in the claim that Vicarius Filii Dei is a papal title. November 15 is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 46 days remaining. ... Year 1914 (MCMXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...

Photographic technology half a century after the purported image of the tiara with writing at a papal funeral still could not barely see the tiara on Pope Pius X's coffin at his canonisation in 1954.

Image File history File linksMetadata Stpiusx. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Stpiusx. ...

Seventh-day Adventist Church abandons claim

The Seventh-day Adventist Church abandoned the search for the 'evidence' after years of searching. However, some minority groups within the church still hold on to the belief that such a tiara with such a title existed. The search was resurrected by a minority of individual members when a member of the Church reproduced the original Our Sunday Visitor article, the article itself being treated as evidence that efforts of the Roman Catholic Church to 'suppress' the truth had failed. (Because the magazine's claim was being used by anti-Catholic campaigners in the United States as proof that the pope was the antichrist, the magazine removed that particular issue from its archives, leading to further accusations of a Catholic conspiracy to suppress the 'truth'.)

Though no other evidence apart from one article in one magazine in 1914, repeated in 1915, which subsequently stated twice that it had got its facts wrong, has ever been produced, and photographic evidence disproves claims about the 1939 papal coronation using a tiara with the words emblazoned on it, some groups, both within and outside of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, continue trying to prove both existence of such a papal title and of a tiara bearing the title.

Claim about Pope John Paul's book and the title debunked

Additional claims have been made that the words Vicarius Filii Dei exist in Church documents, including supposedly in a book by Pope John Paul II. However every "quote" produced from the book has been shown to be a mistranslation of the original text. The phrase "who represents the Son of God" from John Paul's book Crossing the Threshold of Hope was described by some promoters of the claim as translating into Latin as "Vicarius filii Dei". Its actual translation is " Filium Dei Repraesentat" (the error was caused when the verb represents was mistranslated as the noun representative.) Coat of Arms of Pope John Paul II. The Letter M is for Mary, the mother of Jesus, to whom he held strong devotion Servant of God Pope John Paul II (Latin: ), (Italian: Giovanni Paolo II), born   (May 18, 1920, Wadowice, Poland – April 2, 2005, Vatican City) reigned as Pope...

Internet revival of the claim

Few mainstream religious faiths subscribe to the Vicarius Filii Dei claims, with many disowning them completely. The claim did however undergo a revival with the appearance of the Internet, with a number of fundamentalist websites promoting the claim, albeit while asking visitors to the site to supply them with physical evidence that proves the website's claim.

Catholic dismissal

Due to the failure to provide any evidence for the existence of the title over the two-thousand year history of the Roman Catholic Church, other than a forged mediaeval document and a mention in a minor magazine, subsequently disowned, and the failure of any of those promoting the claim to provide photographic evidence (while claiming a photograph exists) historians, academics and religious leaders view the story as a classic anti-Catholic urban legend, for which not the slightest shred of evidence has been found. An urban legend is a kind of modern folklore consisting of stories often thought to be factual by those circulating them. ...

See also

• Papal Tiara

The Papal Tiara, also known as the Triple Tiara, or in Latin as the Triregnum, and in Italian as the Triregno, is the three-tiered jewelled papal crown, supposedly of Byzantine and Persian origin, that is a symbol of the Roman Catholic papacy. ...

Footnotes

1. ^ See Leroy Edwin Froom, Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 2, pp. 605-608. Compare Ibid., p. 649; vol. 3, pp. 228, 242.
2. ^ Uriah Smith, The United States in the Light of Prophecy 4th edition, 1884 p. 224.
3. ^ "The Ministry", November 1948, p. 35
4. ^ See pp. 141, 231, 232 of the second edition published in 1862 in London by Burns & Lambert.
5. ^ This letter is catalogued as document FRS #35, and is on file at the James White Library of Andrews University.
6. ^ Dr. Quasten's signed statement is catalogued as document FRS #12, and is also on file at the James White Library.
7. ^ That this was the form of words used in papal coronations, and so did not include the words "Vicarius Filii Dei" is conceded by Protestant academics who support the claim that the Pope is the antichrist, is evidenced in various publications. For example, Innocent III and the Papal Hierarchy by Professor Hanko, Professor Emeritus of Church History and New Testament in the Protestant Reformed Seminary and pastor.
8. ^ "Pope Fiction" by Patrick Madrid, Envoy magazine, March/April 1998.
9. ^ Many famous names, film titles and even political offices when numerised total 666. Even the name of the wife of the founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Ellen Gould White, when numerised amounts to 666, though it has been pointed out that it may be artificial to use Roman numerals on a non-Roman name. Such coincidences are seen as numerical quirks and are seen as carrying no theological, much less demonic, meaning. Among other items accused of being demonic because of their numerical value are some offices of the United Nations (when translated into other languages) and some Liberal politicians.
10. ^ Gregory XVI received three tiaras during his reign. One was given in 1834. Another was given in 1845, while a third lightweight one was given at a date about which there is confusion. It is not known for certain whether this last tiara was given before of after 1845 and whether the 1845 was given before or after Easter 1845. None of the three tiaras contain the words Vicarius Filii Dei.

James and Ellen White. ...

Additional reading

• Bruinsma, Reinder. (1994). Seventh-day Adventist Attitudes Toward Roman Catholicism 1844 - 1965, Berrien Springs, Michigan. ISBN 1-883925-04-5.
• Heim, Bruno (1978). Heraldry in the Catholic Church: Its Origins, Customs and Laws, Gerrards Cross, Eng.: Van Duren. ISBN 0-905715-05-5.
• Noonan, James-Charles. (1996). The Church Visible: The Ceremonial Life and Protocol of the Roman Catholic Church, New York: Viking. ISBN 0-670-86745-4.
• Smith, Uriah (1881). Thoughts, Critical and Practical on the Book of Revelation, Battle Creek, Mich.: Seventh-day Adventist.
• Smithe, Jefferson (1902). Roman Catholic Ritual, London.

External links

• A question and answer session on claims about the Papal Tiara
• Roman Catholic rebuttal of claims regarding the inscription "vicarius filii dei" on the Papal Tiara
• An account of the search to authenticate the Vicarius Filii Dei claim
• How Seventh-day Adventists view Roman Catholicism (official document)

Papal Tiaras

Papal Tiaras in existence Tiara of Pope Gregory XIII (1500s) | Papier-mâché Tiara (1800) | Napoleon Tiara (1804) | Tiara of Pope Pius VII (1820) | Tiara of Pope Gregory XVI (1834) | Tiara of Pope Gregory XVI (1845) | Tiara of Pope Gregory XVI (lightweight) | Tiara of Pope Pius IX (1846) | Tiara of Pope Pius IX (lightweight) | Notre Dame Tiara (1850s) | Spanish Tiara (1855) | Belgian Tiara (1871) | Palatine Tiara (1877) | German Tiara (1887) | Paris Tiara (1888) | Austrian Tiara (1894) | Golden Tiara (1903) | Tiara of Pope Pius X (1908) | Milan Tiara (1922) | Tiara of Pope Pius XI (1922) | Tiara of Pope John XXIII (1959) | Tiara of Pope Paul VI (1963) The Papal Tiara, also known as the Triple Tiara, or in Latin as the Triregnum, and in Italian as the Triregno, is the three-tiered jewelled papal crown, supposedly of Byzantine and Persian origin, that is a symbol of the Roman Catholic papacy. ... Download high resolution version (281x626, 36 KB) This work is copyrighted. ... The sixteenth century tiara of Pope Gregory XIII The Tiara of Pope Gregory XIII is the oldest surviving papal tiara in existence. ... Pope Pius VII, who was crowned with the papier-mâché tiara in 1800 in Venice. ... The Napoleon Tiara A gift from Napoleon. ... The Tiara of Pope Pius VII was the first metallic tiara manufactured to replace the papal tiaras stolen and smashed on Napoleons orders. ... The 1834 Tiara of Pope Gregory XVI The 1834 Tiara of Pope Gregory XVI was a papal tiara given to Pope Gregory XVI. It was the first of three tiaras received or commissioned by Pope Gregory during his reign. ... The Tiara given by Queen Isabella to Pope Pius IX The Spanish tiara was a papal tiara given to Pope Pius IX by Queen Isabella II of Spain in 1854. ... The Belgian Tiara donated to Pope Pius IX by the ladies of the Belgian Royal Court in 1871. ... The Palatine Tiara It was given to Pope Pius IX in 1877 by the Palatine Guard. ... The German Tiara was donated to Pope Leo XIII by Kaiser Wilhelm I of Germany in 1887, in an attempt to rebuild bridges with the Holy See following the kulturkampf campaign against Roman Catholicism that had been mounted by Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. ... The 1888 tiara. ... The Austrian Tiara was a papal tiara given to Pope Leo XIII by the Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary, Franz Josef I in 1894. ... The Golden Tiara given to Pope Leo XIII. It was given to commemorate his silver jubilee as pope. ... Pope Pius found the Tiara of Pope Gregory XVI (pictured) too heavy and had a lightweight tiara made. ... Official portrait of Pope John XXIII wearing his coronation cope and personal tiara. ... Pope Paul VI, wearing his tiara, at the 1963 papal coronation. ...