A "Loud Boom" was Heard Near the Vatican and the Air is Filled With Black Smoke
First pictures of huge black smoke clouds towering over Vatican https://t.co/doMYw037MJ pic.twitter.com/0nm2wHcQ39
— Daily Mirror (@DailyMirror) June 1, 2017
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The Vatican – Thick, black clouds of smoke have been seen towering over the Vatican.
Photos and videos of plumes of smoke filling the air have been shared on social media this afternoon but it’s not yet clear what the cause is.
An eyewitness living nearby – who tweeted images of the scene- said it looked to be coming from a neighbourhood just behind Vatican City.
Mountain Butorac said he saw the smoke from his roof, “then a few minutes later there was a loud boom and more smoke”.
With news of this just coming out, reports unconfirmed and details still basically non-existent, the last thing you want to do is break out the Jump to Conclusions Mat. But at the same time, how do you not just assume a terror attack? There was a time when I’d hear reports of an explosion and assume there was some benign explanation like a transformer blowing or a spark hitting a gas leak. But that ended when I got a text that there were two loud explosions near the finish of the Boston Marathon. Now the default setting for all of us is terror attack. Carried out by the usual suspects. And when was the last time we were wrong?
I’m a Catholic who’s self-aware enough to know that the Vatican doesn’t engender a lot of sympathy for everyone. And Lord knows they’ve got a lot of explaining to do, both historically and of recent vintage. But this is also the center of one of the world’s great faiths. The seat of power that hundreds of millions look to at a time where Christians are being persecuted and massacred around the globe. Not to mention, a sovereign nation. If I’m right – and I’ve never wanted to be more wrong – and this is a direct attack on this ancient seat of power, then it’s going to be another example of the fact that we are in a holy war right now. One that only one side seems willing to acknowledge.
UPDATE: Sky News is reporting it’s a fire at a gas station. Crisis averted. Our best hopes are realized.Armageddon is pushed back to another day. And here’s why you don’t jump to conclusions. As you were, everyone.