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Description
St Peter's Basilica, Vatican City.

The fellow on his knees is Pope Pius the VIII. Behind him Jesus, Peter, and Paul are having a think.

Pius VIII was in very poor health from his election until his death. Prince Don Agostino Chigi, a contemporary of the Pope's and one of the papal nobility associated with the papal court, recorded in his diary (2 December 1830):

"Nella sezione del cadavere del Pontefice che seguì ieri sera per quanto si dice, furono trovate le viscere sanissime e solo si è rinvenuta qualche debolezza nel polmone, altri dicono qualche sfiancamento nel cuore; resterebbe perciò a sapersi di qual male sia morto."

(Translation: "During the dissection of the Pope's body, which occurred yesterday evening, as far as they say, only very healthy internal organs (viscera) were found, except some weakness of the lungs, or, according to others, a tired heart; it is therefore impossible to know the cause of death.")

These few words have been interpreted by some partisans of a conspiracy theory as evidence that the Pope had indeed been poisoned. Cardinal Camillo di Pietro gave the funeral ovation for the late Pope, before the cardinals entered the conclave.

Read more about this online somewhere. Maybe here:[link]

Description
St Peter's Basilica, Vatican City.

The fellow on his knees is Pope Pius the VIII. Behind him Jesus, Peter, and Paul are having a think.

Pius VIII was in very poor health from his election until his death. Prince Don Agostino Chigi, a contemporary of the Pope's and one of the papal nobility associated with the papal court, recorded in his diary (2 December 1830):

"Nella sezione del cadavere del Pontefice che seguì ieri sera per quanto si dice, furono trovate le viscere sanissime e solo si è rinvenuta qualche debolezza nel polmone, altri dicono qualche sfiancamento nel cuore; resterebbe perciò a sapersi di qual male sia morto."

(Translation: "During the dissection of the Pope's body, which occurred yesterday evening, as far as they say, only very healthy internal organs (viscera) were found, except some weakness of the lungs, or, according to others, a tired heart; it is therefore impossible to know the cause of death.")

These few words have been interpreted by some partisans of a conspiracy theory as evidence that the Pope had indeed been poisoned. Cardinal Camillo di Pietro gave the funeral ovation for the late Pope, before the cardinals entered the conclave.

Read more about this online somewhere. Maybe here:[link]