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Sources
Vatican City

Fake Bishop Tries To Sneak Into Cardinals' Meeting - PHOTOS

SourcesWORLDCRUNCHVatican CityThe Next PopeCountries

LA STAMPA, GAZZETTA DEL SUD (Italy)

Worldcrunch

VATICAN CITY- The countdown to the conclave is on, and everyone seem to wants in on the action. Indeed one man dressed up as a bishop and headed to the Paul VI auditorium on Monday where the cardinals were meeting to discuss the date for the upcoming conclave, says La Stampa.

Andrés Beltramo Alvarez / Andrea Tornielli via La Stampa

Named as Ralph Napierski, the “bishop” donned a cassock that was too short, a bejewelled necklace that was fake, and black sneakers. As well as that, his purple sash turned out to be a scarf. Gazzetta del Sud reports that the man is Australian.

Andrés Beltramo Alvarez / Andrea Tornielli via La Stampa

He successfully managed to sneak into the Vatican this morning and mingle with the 100+ cardinals before being hauled out. The man told reporters his name was "Basilius" and he was a member of “Corpus Dei” and the "Italian Orthodox Church", which does not exist.

Andrés Beltramo Alvarez / Andrea Tornielli via La Stampa

Before he was discovered, the "bishop" told reporters that Catholic bishops had "made a mistake by moving priests" who were accused of pedophilia around different parishes.

Andrés Beltramo Alvarez / Andrea Tornielli via La Stampa


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FOCUS: Russia-Ukraine War
Vladimir Putin

That Man In Mariupol: Is Putin Using A Body Double To Avoid Public Appearances?

Putin really is meeting with Xi in Moscow — we know that. But there are credible experts saying that the person who showed up in Mariupol the day before was someone else — the latest report that the Russian president uses a doppelganger for meetings and appearances.

screen grab of Putin in a dark down jacket

During the visit to Mariupol, the Presidential office only released screen grabs of a video

Russian President Press Office/TASS via ZUMA
FOCUS: Russia-Ukraine WarRussiaUkraineSourcesWORLDCRUNCHfeatured-postCountries
Anna Akage

Have no doubt, the Vladimir Putin we’re seeing alongside Xi Jinping this week is the real Vladimir Putin. But it’s a question that is being asked after a range of credible experts have accused the Russian president of sending a body double for a high-profile visit this past weekend in the occupied Ukrainian city of Mariupol.

Stay up-to-date with the latest on the Russia-Ukraine war, with our exclusive international coverage.

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Reports and conspiracy theories have circulated in the past about the Russian leader using a stand-in because of health or security issues. But the reaction to the Kremlin leader's trip to Mariupol is the first time that multiple credible sources — including those who’ve spent time with him in the past — have cast doubt on the identity of the man who showed up in the southeastern Ukrainian city that Russia took over last spring after a months-long siege.

Russian opposition politician Gennady Gudkov is among those who confidently claim that a Putin look-alike, or rather one of his look-alikes, was in the Ukrainian city.

"Now that there is a war going on, I don't rule out the possibility that someone strongly resembling or disguised as Putin is playing his role," Gudkov said.

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