Some nutty guy posing as a Bishop tried to crash the Cardinals pre-conclave meeting. The man is some nutter, but he actually made it past the first checkpoint before getting caught.
Here is the best part. You know what gave “Bishop Ralph Napierski” away?
Well, his cassock was several inches too short. His crucifix looked odd. His purple sash was obviously a scarf.
And instead of wearing a zucchetto — the familiar ecclesiastical skullcap of bishops — he had a black, brimmed fedora.
Before he was hustled out of the area near St. Peter’s Square by Swiss Guards, Napierski told reporters that he was “Basilius” of the Italian Orthodox Church — which doesn’t exist.
He added that he was a founder of the Corpus Dei order — another imaginary group — and he complained that Catholic bishops had “made a mistake by moving priests” who were accused of sexual abuse from parish to parish.
Sorry Ralph, we can’t let you in. We already have too many cardinals inside that do not belong there. We are all full up.
