What Is the Vatican Hiding? | The Vatican Files

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Wolves & Wisemen Reignited — Episode 36

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About This Episode

What's underneath the Vatican?

Ancient manuscripts?

Biblical relics?

Books that never made it into the Bible?

Evidence of fallen angels?

Lost technology?

Episode 36 finally opens The Vatican Files.

We dive into claims surrounding the Vatican Apostolic Archive, restricted documents, ancient relics, the mysterious Grand Grimoire, stories of secret chambers beneath Vatican City, fallen angels, demons, giants, the Nephilim, lost technology, the Smithsonian, and one question that keeps coming back:

Why isn't this information available to everyone?

But the conversation becomes bigger than the Vatican.

Who gets to interpret Scripture?

Who decided which books belonged in the Bible?

Should another person tell you exactly what a passage means?

Or is faith ultimately about your own relationship with God?

Then we hit Rebel Report, Folks on Fire, Boners, Sacked, intelligent burns, Today in History and the usual Wolves & Wisemen chaos.

Welcome to Episode 36.

FRINGE FILES: THE VATICAN FILES

We promised it.

We're doing it.

Tonight we're going inside one of the most mysterious institutions on Earth:

The Vatican.

For centuries, the Vatican has collected manuscripts, books, correspondence, artifacts and religious documents from throughout history.

Some material is available to qualified researchers.

Other material is considerably harder to access.

And then there are the stories about what might be there.

That's where Fringe Files begins.

MILES OF HISTORY

One of the claims discussed in the episode is that the Vatican possesses roughly 52 miles of shelving containing books and manuscripts.

Think about that.

Not 52 miles of roads.

Not 52 miles of buildings.

Shelves.

Ancient texts.

Letters.

Church documents.

Historical records.

Religious manuscripts.

And potentially material that hasn't even been completely cataloged.

The guys immediately ask:

If humanity has the technology to digitize ancient documents...

Why shouldn't more of it be available for people to study themselves?

What Are They Protecting?

There's an understandable argument for protecting ancient documents.

Some of these materials could be hundreds or thousands of years old.

You don't let somebody walk in and start flipping through them with Cheeto fingers.

Preserve them.

Protect them.

Keep the originals secure.

Fine.

But today we can digitally scan manuscripts.

We can image fragile scrolls.

We can preserve an original document while allowing researchers and the public to study copies.

So the question becomes:

Are we protecting the documents—or protecting the information?

That's where Episode 36 starts getting interesting.

The Grand Grimoire

Then we get into one of the stranger stories connected with the Vatican.

The Grand Grimoire.

The video played during the episode describes a legendary occult book supposedly connected with Satan, demons and forbidden rituals.

According to the story presented on the show, the book supposedly contains instructions for summoning Satan and other demons along with information about biblical relics.

There are even legends claiming the book cannot be destroyed.

Is the story true?

That's exactly what makes it Fringe Files.

The episode doesn't have access to the Vatican archives to prove it.

But it's one hell of a rabbit hole.

What's Under the Vatican?

Then the conversation goes underground.

Literally.

Stories have circulated about secret rooms, tunnels, locked chambers and areas underneath Vatican City that most people will never enter.

One video presented during the show tells an especially wild story about a supposed hidden chamber beneath St. Peter's Basilica associated with Lucifer—the so-called Chamber of Light.

Seven doors.

Seven seals.

Forbidden knowledge.

A disappearing priest.

A hidden tomb.

It's presented as a legend/claim rather than something the guys can independently prove.

But it raises the perfect Fringe Files question:

If secret chambers actually exist beneath the Vatican, what's inside them?

Fallen Angels

That leads directly into something we've talked about before:

The Fallen.

Why did the fallen angels rebel?

What exactly happened?

What did they believe they would gain?

And why do stories involving angels, demons and supernatural encounters seem so much more common in ancient history than they do today?

Maybe they disappeared.

Maybe we're less spiritually aware.

Maybe we explain strange events differently today.

Or maybe modern society has become so distracted that we don't notice things people once noticed.

Phones.

Social media.

TV.

Constant entertainment.

Constant noise.

Which unexpectedly connects Episode 36 back to Episode 35.

Are We Losing Our Connection to God?

Last episode was about The Majesty of the Outdoors.

Getting away.

Sitting quietly.

Looking at the mountains.

Getting closer to creation.

And Episode 36 circles back to that idea.

Ancient people didn't have smartphones.

They didn't have Netflix.

They didn't have notifications going off every 15 seconds.

They lived considerably closer to nature.

They watched animals.

They watched weather.

They watched the sky.

They learned the land.

Maybe they noticed things we've forgotten how to notice.

And maybe our constant distractions don't just disconnect us from nature.

Maybe they disconnect us spiritually too.

Faith vs. Religion

This becomes the most important conversation of Episode 36.

The guys make a distinction between:

Faith in God and Christ

and

trust in religious institutions run by human beings.

Questioning what men inside the Vatican have done throughout history isn't automatically the same thing as questioning God.

Institutions can become political.

Institutions can become powerful.

Institutions can become corrupt.

God isn't the institution.

And your relationship with God doesn't have to depend entirely on somebody else's interpretation.

Your Relationship With God Is YOURS

One of the strongest discussions in the episode is about reading Scripture for yourself.

Church can provide guidance.

Pastors can provide historical context.

Bible study can help you understand difficult passages.

Other Christians can offer perspectives you haven't considered.

But ultimately...

Your relationship with God belongs to you.

You can pray anywhere.

You can talk to God anywhere.

You don't need perfect knowledge of Scripture before you can begin seeking Him.

And sometimes you'll read something in the Bible that hits completely differently because of what you're experiencing at that moment.

Maybe that's the passage you needed.

Maybe that's the lesson you weren't ready to understand five years earlier.

That's part of growing in faith.

Question Everything—Including Us

The guys also make another important point.

You should be able to ask questions.

Questions don't automatically mean you're abandoning your faith.

Sometimes asking questions is exactly how you strengthen it.

Why does this verse say this?

What was happening historically?

Where was this taking place?

What happened before this passage?

What does another translation say?

Instead of:

“Here's what it means. Don't question it.”

The better approach may be:

“Here's what I think it means. Let's study it together.”

Context Changes Everything

The guys talk about something they've discovered during their own Bible study:

Sometimes Scripture doesn't completely make sense until you understand what was happening historically.

Geography matters.

Politics matter.

Culture matters.

What happened before the passage matters.

Who was speaking matters.

Who they were speaking to matters.

That's why studying Scripture can also become a history lesson.

You begin asking:

Where were these people?

What was happening around them?

Why did they react this way?

And suddenly a passage you've read before makes considerably more sense.

What Books Didn't Make the Bible?

Then comes another major rabbit hole.

The episode discusses books and writings that aren't included in the standard 66-book Protestant Bible, including the Book of Enoch.

Who determined the canon?

What writings were debated?

What material survived outside it?

And what documents may still exist somewhere that the public doesn't know about?

The guys' position during the discussion is simple:

People should be able to examine historical material and decide what they think for themselves rather than having access controlled entirely by an institution.

Old Bibles vs. New Bibles

That leads into a great idea for a future segment.

One of the guys talks about a 1952 Bible study guide containing historical information and context.

Then another mentions a Bible from the mid-1800s found at an estate sale.

Which creates an interesting experiment:

Put the old Bible beside a modern Bible.

Verse by verse.

Page by page.

Translation by translation.

What's different?

What's missing?

What's been reworded?

And why?

That's a future Wolves & Wisemen segment waiting to happen.

Giants, Nephilim & Ancient Technology

And because this is Fringe Files...

Eventually we arrive at giants.

The Nephilim.

Goliath.

Stories of giant skeletons.

The Giant of Kandahar.

And questions about whether ancient civilizations possessed technologies more advanced than we normally give them credit for.

The Baghdad Battery gets brought up as an example.

If ancient people could produce electricity...

What were they using it for?

And if there were other technologies that disappeared...

What else have we lost?

The Vatican & The Smithsonian

Then two Wolves & Wisemen rabbit holes collide.

The Vatican Archives.

And...

The Smithsonian.

Both have been accused in conspiracy circles of possessing artifacts or evidence that never becomes part of the accepted historical narrative.

So naturally the guys ask:

Could there be a connection?

Could discoveries from North America have disappeared into collections?

Could religious institutions possess artifacts that would change our understanding of history?

There isn't evidence established in the episode proving a Vatican-Smithsonian operation.

But as a Fringe Files question?

That's exactly the kind of rabbit hole we're here for.

The Big Question

After all the Vatican conspiracies, manuscripts, tunnels, fallen angels and ancient technology...

Episode 36 comes back to one simple principle:

History belongs to humanity.

Protect the originals.

Preserve them.

Study them.

But whenever possible...

Let people see the evidence.

Let people read it.

Let people ask questions.

And let people decide what they believe.

REBEL REPORT

Then we leave the Vatican and enter the modern world.

Which somehow isn't much less strange.

The guys cover several stories, including another teacher/student sex-crime story, a confrontation involving a Christian attempting to enter an Arab festival in Fort Wayne, debates surrounding religious freedom and Christianity in America, daylight saving time, international aid and another update in the ongoing James Franco saga.

The discussion gets particularly heated around religious freedom and how Christians should respond when they believe their rights or communities are being threatened.

The episode's recurring faith question becomes:

When does “turn the other cheek” mean forgiveness—and when should Christians actively stand up for what they believe?

Turning the Other Cheek vs. Flipping Tables

That's one of the more interesting discussions in Rebel Report.

Christians are taught forgiveness.

They're taught restraint.

They're taught to turn the other cheek.

But Jesus also flipped tables.

So Christianity doesn't necessarily mean doing absolutely nothing whenever something is wrong.

The guys discuss the difference between faith, passivity and standing up for your beliefs.

The recurring message:

Don't just sit around waiting for God to do everything for you.

Take action in your own life.

Then trust God with the path that unfolds.

Daylight Saving Time

And finally...

An issue capable of uniting almost everyone:

Why are we still changing the clocks?

The episode discusses a reported effort in Congress to end daylight saving time changes.

Which produces one of the best analogies of the episode:

Changing the clock is like cutting the top off a blanket, sewing it onto the bottom...

And claiming you've made the blanket longer.

You still have the same amount of daylight.

We just enjoy making ourselves tired twice a year.

The James Franco Saga Continues

Yes.

He's back.

After the previous episode discussed James Franco's strange online videos and claims about something following him...

Episode 36 gets the promised reveal.

Franco had teased that he would expose what was happening on 7/13.

Then the footage arrives.

And...

Alien costume.

At least that's what the guys conclude after watching it.

The conversation immediately shifts toward whether the entire series of bizarre videos has been trolling, promotion for an upcoming project, or something else.

After weeks of speculation...

Wolves & Wisemen may have been professionally trolled.

FOLKS ON FIRE: ANGEL

The first Folks on Fire highlights Angel and the faith/family-oriented entertainment being produced on the platform.

The guys talk about movies and shows they've watched or want to watch, including The Last Rodeo and Homestead.

The larger reason for the shoutout:

Entertainment doesn't always have to be built around the same Hollywood formula.

There's an audience for stories centered on faith, family, values and people trying to make genuinely good entertainment.

FOLKS ON FIRE: THE PEOPLE WHO KEEP SHOWING UP

Another Folks on Fire recognizes someone close to the show who has continued showing up, supporting the guys and serving as a mentor.

Sometimes Folks on Fire isn't about somebody trending online.

It's about the people who consistently show up when nobody is watching.

FOLKS ON FIRE: 70s VANS

And then...

The episode recognizes the true visionaries of American history.

The people who created...

The 1970s shaggin' wagon.

Shag carpet.

Beanbags.

Vans.

Questionable upholstery.

Probably cigarette smoke.

Possibly several poor decisions.

Absolutely magnificent.

Episode 36 officially recognizes 70s van culture.

FOLKS ON FIRE: MICHAEL SUMMERS

Michael Summers also gets a shoutout.

He's supported Wolves & Wisemen for a long time, his music has been part of the show, and he's beginning to play live again.

The guys talk about wanting to get him back on the podcast—for music and, naturally, Fringe Files.

BONERS

Then we enter the part of the show where poor decisions receive the recognition they deserve.

One begins with a very important life rule:

Never split the pole.

Walking with somebody?

Light pole between you?

Same side.

Always.

Is it superstition?

Absolutely.

Does that matter?

Apparently not.

Split the pole and you're asking the universe for trouble.

And if you don't believe that...

Just look at how everyone's relationships turned out.

Case closed.

FLUFFY COW: 1

HUMAN: 0

Another entry involves America's favorite giant fuzzy murder machine:

The bison.

A man gets launched after a bison charges him.

Fortunately, he manages to move his grandson out of the way and reportedly escapes with a broken femur.

The guys point out that this particular situation appears different from the countless Yellowstone videos of tourists deliberately approaching bison.

But it still produces the annual reminder:

They're not cows.

They're not pets.

They're not giant puppies.

And they can throw a grown human being through the air.

Fluffy Cow: 1

Human: 0

SACKED

Then we return to the finest athletic analysis available anywhere on the internet.

Sacked.

We've got toddlers.

Baseball bats.

Stray pitches.

Family betrayal.

Unexpected shots.

And one child apparently beginning his journey toward becoming a Sith Lord.

Being the father of a toddler requires situational awareness.

You have to see the attack coming.

Use the Force.

Protect the equipment.

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

Then we get one of the better Sacked entries.

A stunt involving multiple people looks like it's about to become some kind of impressive gymnastics move.

Technically...

It does.

The woman gets launched.

Perfect trajectory.

Perfect landing.

Unfortunately...

Her landing zone is another man's balls.

Then she appears to push off them during the dismount.

Execution?

Outstanding.

Consequences?

Severe.

The guys award the performance a completely unofficial 10/10.

INTELLIGENT BURNS

Episode 36 also introduces something that deserves to become recurring:

Intelligent Burns.

These aren't normal insults.

They're insults that take several seconds to process.

The kind where somebody says it...

You smile...

Walk away...

And then realize:

Wait a minute.

The featured burn:

“I admire your courage to speak in the absence of knowledge.”

That's beautiful.

Professional.

Polite.

And absolutely disrespectful.

More Intelligent Burns, please.

TODAY IN HISTORY

Episode 36 wraps with July 14 history.

Among the topics:

The Storming of the Bastille

Billy the Kid's reported death

Germany banning non-Nazi political parties in 1933

The first public demonstration of mechanically produced ice

Hank Aaron hitting his 500th home run in 1968

And naturally...

The guys immediately question whether Billy the Kid actually died when history says he did.

Because this is Wolves & Wisemen.

Even Today in History can become Fringe Files.

EPISODE 36

The Vatican.

Secret archives.

Ancient manuscripts.

The Grand Grimoire.

Lucifer.

Hidden chambers.

Fallen angels.

Demons.

Giants.

The Nephilim.

Lost technology.

Old Bibles.

Personal faith.

Religious institutions.

The Smithsonian.

Religious freedom.

Daylight saving time.

James Franco's alien.

Angel.

70s shaggin' wagons.

Michael Summers.

Bison attacks.

Sacked.

Intelligent Burns.

And Billy the Kid.

Episode 36 starts by asking:

What is the Vatican hiding?

But it ends up asking a much bigger question:

Who should be allowed to decide what you know and what you believe?

Read.

Study.

Ask questions.

Listen to people you trust.

Learn the history.

Seek God.

And then build your relationship with Him yourself.

Because faith shouldn't be something somebody else simply hands you.

It should be something you're willing to seek.

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