Does an inverted cross in a viral video from St. Peter's Basilica offer evidence of satanism in the Vatican? No, that's not true: The upside-down cross, also known as the Petrine cross, has a distinctive theological meaning in the religious context. It is associated with St. Peter whose wish was, as the Vatican website describes it, to be crucified head-down as an act of humility.
The claim appeared in a post (archived here) published on X on April 23, 2025. It opened:
Of course it's all satanic. Whoever thought it wasn't is crazy.
This is what the post looked like on X at the time of writing:
(Source: X screenshot by Lead Stories)
The entry reviewed in this article was published on X two days after the death of Pope Francis. The 37-second video in the post appeared to show St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, where the pontiff's body was brought (archived here) before the funeral mass scheduled on April 26, 2025 (archived here). At the 00:10 mark, we see an upside-down cross on items in the church's interior.
The symbolism of the inverted cross
The Vatican website covering the artifacts of St. Peter's Basilica (archived here) reads:
Saint Peter was crucified with his head facing downwards, according to a tradition passed down by Origen, Eusebius of Caesarea, and Saint Jerome, but already attested in the apocryphal Acts of Peter, dating to around the end of the 2nd century, where the apostle himself, not considering himself worthy to undergo the same martyrdom as the Savior, asks to be sacrificed with his feet up and his head facing the ground.
Origins of the video
Lead Stories confirmed the footage's details match those of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, as they appeared in the Vatican live broadcast on YouTube on the day of this writing. The composite image below demonstrates that both the authentic live stream and the post on X show the same red carpet, the same floor ornaments as well as the same locations of golden elements, the palm tree and the semi-circular white marble podium.
(Sources: YouTube and X screenshots by Lead Stories)
The source of the footage shared on X appears to be another video published by Vatican News on YouTube on April 23, 2025. It documented the transition of the Pope's coffin to St. Peter's Basilica:
(Source: YouTube screenshot by Lead Stories)
Read more
Other Lead Stories articles concerning stories mentioning the Vatican are here.
