The omen in the Vatican?

A few hours after Pope Benedict XVI's abdication statement, two lightning strikes have struck the church tower, which is considered one of the most sacred places of Catholicism.

The unexpected abdication from the spiritual leader of the Vatican came with a bad sign. That was the conclusion of many people after the internet and the press spread the picture showing a long lightning strike across the sky and hit the tower directly on St. Peter's Basilica. This place - in many cases - is considered a representation of the Roman Catholic Church and Vatican City, according to NBC News. A few hours later, lightning struck this place again. Is the lightning above a certain premonition, or just a coincidence?

Lightning images are stirring up the online community - (Photo: AFP)

Experts are not very sure about the spiritual aspect, and of course they are more scientific. This may be just a coincidence, because a storm also formed in the Italian city sky on that particular day. Perhaps many people will be relieved to learn that, in fact, religious symbols are always a frequent target of lightning, they are simply the highest architecture in the region. Plus another important element is very attractive with lightning: columns, towers usually made of metal. So lightning strikes are not too unusual in areas where religious symbols are placed.

For example, the case of the Redemptorist statue in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) as high as 30 meters, not including the 6m pedestal and placed on top of the Corcovado mountain 700m high. Since its completion in 1931, the giant statue has been hit by lightning several times. Secular objects cannot escape the rage from heaven. From the plane to the Statue of Liberty or the Empire State building in New York, it is always quite a 'victim' of lightning. Most notably, the statue of the Lord in northern Cincinnati (Ohio state), about 15.5 meters high, was scorched by lightning, only retaining the burnt metal frame in 2010, according to AP.

Back in the case of St. Peter's Basilica, it is the world's tallest dome architecture with a height of 137m from the ground to the cross, ordered by Pope Clement VIII to be installed in the century. 16. With the height of the church like that, on a stormy day, lightning strikes are no stranger.