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A video of Pope Francis seemingly enjoying a circus performance in the Vatican City is making its rounds on social media, sparking outrage. The video shows a number of performers in bright-colored clothes dancing and executing acts as the supreme pontiff watches.
The video was shared by Twitter user @EndWokeness, on Wednesday, October 4, 2023, with the caption:
"The Vatican has fallen."
The clip went viral with over 7.4 million views and over 11.5k shares.
While the video is real, a closer inspection revealed that it was an old video from 2020 of a performance by the Aqua Circus for Pope Francis in his General audience at Paul VI Hall, a building in the Vatican City.
The troupe's act centered around defending the environment, telling a story of a mermaid and a man under the sea fighting against the contamination of the ocean. At one point during the show, Pope Francis participated in the act by tossing a hoop at an acrobat.
"We are in the end times aren't we?": Vatican circus video leaves netizens fuming
As the old video of the Vatican circus performance went viral, internet users were left shocked and quickly took to expressing their anger online. While many called it perverse and an abomination, others called it disturbing and disrespectful to the order of society.
The Vatican circus video sparked a controversy back in 2020 as well
Back when the video initially surfaced in 2020, many accused Pope Francis of watching and enjoying such a performance, deeming it immoral. However, such criticism was soon slammed for inciting hatred against the Pope for enjoying the circus.
According to Patheos.com, inviting circus entertainers to perform for the general audience is a yearly tradition started decades ago by Pope St. Paul VI, when he established the Pontifical Commission on the Spiritual Care of Migrants and Itinerants. As part of its duties, the office offered ministry to refugees, nomads, sailors and pilots, exiles, and traveling circus people.
However, several popes have invited circus performers for the papal audience, including Pope John XXIII welcomed the Orfei-Venturi Circus in 1959, and Pope Leo XIII invited the Buffalo Bill Wild West Show in the 1890s.
