(LifeSiteNews) — With the papal conclave coming up, anti-Catholic theories are being spread on the internet left and right. One such theory proposes that the “satanic” upside-down crosses in St. Peter’s Basilica are a clear sign that the Catholic Church is actually a diabolic institution.

To be fair to people who believe these anti-Catholic narratives: the lies and psyops that we have all been subjected to in the past years and decades, especially since COVID, make us question and reassess everything we thought we knew. Moreover, Pope Francis did support many of the globalist and technocratic policies (including COVID shot mandates) that many have called satanic.

However, Francis, even though he was the pope, is not representative of 2,000 years of Catholic teaching, tradition, and architecture. Moreover, no matter how much we distrust an organization or a person, we should always do our own research and check whether or not a claim or a theory is credible, or if there is a better explanation.

👹🔺Upside Down Crosses at The Pope’s Funeral

Of course it’s all satanic. Whoever thought it wasn’t is crazy. pic.twitter.com/cMl3lCJAyW

— Whiplash347 (@Whiplash437) April 26, 2025

The explanation for the upside-down crosses in the video above from Pope Francis’ funeral is very simple. The inverted cross is known as the Cross of Saint Peter. Catholic Tradition holds that Peter, the first pope, requested to be crucified upside down because he did not feel worthy to die in the same manner as Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

St. Jerome (342-420), Church Father and Doctor of the Church, writes of St. Peter:

At his [Emperor Nero’s]  hands he received the crown of martyrdom being nailed to the cross with his head towards the ground and his feet raised on high, asserting that he was unworthy to be crucified in the same manner as his Lord.

Even in his martyrdom, St. Peter displayed incredible humility and love for our Lord, which all Catholics should seek to emulate.