Siri Thesis - Reasons For Belief

Reasons For Belief

The followers of the Siri Thesis claim that during the papal conclave of 1958, Cardinal Siri, who was considered the leading conservative candidate, was elected Pope on the first day of the conclave, October 26, and took the pontifical name of Gregory XVII.

Newspapers the world over carried the Associated Press picture of the white smoke emanating from the Sistine Chapel chimney from 5:55 PM until 6:00 PM on October 26, 1958. White smoke indicates that a Pope has been elected, has accepted, and has chosen a name. Vatican Radio also concluded that a Pope had been elected on the third ballot and announced it as such, telling listeners, "The smoke is white...There is absolutely no doubt. A Pope has been elected." However, no Pope appeared, and at 6 PM the smoke changed to black, signaling that a Pope had not been elected.

Two days later, the white smoke again rose from the Sistine Chapel, and this time John XXIII (Angelo Roncalli) emerged. Supporters of the Siri Thesis believe that evidence indicates that Giuseppe Cardinal Siri was elected on October 26, 1958 when the white smoke was seen but no Pope emerged on the balcony, and that dire threats against the Cardinals and the Vatican were made during this time, emanating in part from the Kremlin. Some believe that the pressures included a nuclear threat against the Vatican itself if Siri were not set aside and a more acceptable candidate chosen.

The possibility of a nuclear threat gained steam when the late author, Malachi Martin, wrote of threats which involved "the very existence of the Vatican state" during a conclave on pages 600 to 610 in his book, The Keys of this Blood.

Under this line of thought, after such threats entered the conclave, progressive fractions amongst the cardinals in the conclave (particularly the French cardinals) supposedly pressured Siri to step aside in light of the alleged threats, claiming that his strong anti-Communist policies would lead, among other things, to widespread persecution of Catholics in the Eastern Europe. Siri then allegedly accepted this suggestion, and eventually stepped aside. This led to the election of Angelo Cardinal Roncalli two days later, who took the name John XXIII. Again, this is all supposition and no credible evidence has ever been presented to indicate this claim is true.

The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation allegedly also claimed that Siri had indeed been elected on the third ballot on October 26, 1958. This is found, complete with FBI document reference, in the book The Vatican Exposed: Money, Murder, and the Mafia by Paul L. Williams on pages 90–92. The document Williams referred to, allegedly declassified, can no longer be found. Williams, since questioned by interested readers, has adamantly refused to comment on why he included the alleged document and reference number in his book, or why the document can no longer be viewed.

According to some Sirianists, Cardinal Siri's supposed resignation was invalid according to Canon 185 of the 1917 Code of Canon Law, which states as Canon 188 in the 1983 Code of Canon Law: "Resignation made out of grave fear that is inflicted unjustly or out of malice, substantial error, or simony is invalid by the law itself." However, there is no knowledge of the motives for the alleged resignation, which could also have been made due to prudential considerations.

Malachi Martin later stated that Siri was elected a new Pope during the Papal conclave, October 1978. Martin publicly stated in March 1997 on Paranet Continuum radio programme Steel on Steel, hosted by John Loefller, that Siri received a written note after his initial election threatening him and his family with death should he accept.