Giuseppe Siri conspiracy theory

Common card · No. 325974

A conspiracy theory asserts that Cardinal Giuseppe Siri (then Archbishop of Genoa) was elected pope in the 1958 papal conclave, taking the papal name Pope Gregory XVII, but that his election was suppressed. Siri did not associate himself with this idea. Followers of the theory recognize Siri as "Gregory XVII", and also refer to him as "the Red Pope". Exponents of this theory claim a prolonged emission of white smoke on the first day of balloting at the conclave indicated the election of Siri, but that threats applied from outside the conclave caused his election to be reversed, allowing Pope John XXIII to be elected two days later. The source of the threats has been variously identified as Jews and Freemasons, or the Soviet Union. Adherents of the theory say the election of John XXIII was invalid and regard him and his successors as imposters and antipopes.

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