What to Watch to Learn More About the Vatican

Ironically, one of the most famous and most-visited places in the world is also, perhaps, the most mysterious: the Vatican. A city-state within a country, it has often separated itself from the rest of Italy, let alone the rest of the world. However, it also welcomes the entire world—the Roman Catholic world, that is—into its famous square. Still, there's so many to be uncovered and discovered about this historic place. Even its day-to-day operations remain a mystery to the outside world! Luckily, there are a few documentaries out there that take an in-depth look into one of the centres of the Christian faith.

 

Pope Francis: A Man of His Word

Let's start with the current sovereign of the Vatican, Pope Francis. Ever since taking on the Papal role back in 2013, this humble man from Argentina has swept the world of its feet, even non-believers of the Christian faith. His open, lenient, and gentle approach to the papacy has garnered him a lot of fans, with a good number of them finally turning to the Catholic church. His mission in reforming the church was detailed in the 2018 documentary, "Pope Francis: A Man of His Word." From his surprising take on social issues to his focus on the environment and wealth disparity, the fil proves that Pope Francis is genuinely fulfilling his tasks. 

 

Defender of the Faith

But before Pope Francis, there was Pope Benedict XVI. He shocked the world back in 2012 when he resigned his post of the papacy, eventually giving the seat to Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina, who later became Pope Francis. But why did Pope Benedict XVI resign? Well, the 2019 German documentary, "Defender of the Faith," might give some clues. It tells the story of Joseph Ratzinger, a key figure in the Vatican long before he became a Pope, who was instrumental in many of the destructive policies and messaging that slowly crumbled the church. And when he did take on the seat of power, he realized that those around him weren't as holy as he had thought. 

 

St. Peter's and the Papal Basilicas of Rome

If you've been to Rome, surely you've been to St. Peter's Basilica. And if you haven't, you must have seen it on TV. It's one of the most visited churches in the world, as well as one of the most beautiful. But what really is the story of this iconic place of worship. What history does it hold beyond its four marble walls? Well, the 2016 documentary, "St. Peter's and the Papal Basilicas of Rome" might answer such queries. This Italian-made film gives viewers a closer look at not only St. Peter's basilica, but the other papal churches within the Vatican as well, namely St John Lateran, St Paul Outside the Walls and St Mary Major.

 

The Vatican Museums 3D

Even if you're not a Roman Catholic or a believer of the Christian faith, you probably still went to the Vatican just to see the amazing art. What's so fascinating about the monuments that make up this city-state is that they're not only places of worships, but they're museums as well. In fact, a good number of them are works of arts themselves. And if you want to know more about them, watch the 2014 documentary, "The Vatican Museums 3D." It's an in-depth and introspective look into the many pieces, both famous and not, within the four walls of this enigmatic place. 

 

The Vatican Deception

Finally, no list of documentaries about the Vatican won't be complete without some conspiracy theories. Historic places such as these will always have them. And as far as documentaries go, 2018's "The Vatican Deception" is one riveting watch! The film shed some light of pieces of evidence that show of a crisis within the city-state. One that may cause some catastrophe both within this sovereignty and the Roman Catholic world at large. And even more spine-chilling is that this crisis may have been foretold in an ancient prophecy laid out in the Bible itself. 

 

As beautiful and seemingly open as the Vatican is, there's still so much learn about this mystical yet historic place. And some of the most entertaining resources to do so are documentaries. Watch them now if you're interested in discovering more about this special city-state!