Is the number 666 associate with Papacy?
Written by: Emmanuel Neno
Translated by: Suzanna Joseph
People often ask if Pope’s mitre or Papal Tiara has the digits 666 engraved on it. I had the chance of looking closely at Pope John Paul II and the opportunity to celebrate mass with him. I never saw the digits 666 engraved on either Pope’s mitre or on the Papal Tiara.
Only such people claim to have seen the digits 666 who either have never met him or those who closely follow the writings of anti-Catholics. Such people relate the beast in the book of Revelation with the Pope. (Revelation 13:18) “This calls for wisdom. Whoever is intelligent can work out the meaning of the number of the beast, because the number stands for a human name. Its number is 666.
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In 1866 Uriah Smith, a Seventh Day Adventist, was the first man who started the propaganda of the inscription on Papal Tiara. It is a Latin title “ Vicarius Filii Dei” meaning “Vicar of the Son of God”.
He said if this title is translated into roman numerals then it does give the total 666.
Vicarius Filii Dei = 5 + 1 + 100 + 1 + 5 + 1 + 50 + 1 + 1 + 500 + 1 = 666
However, one should keep in mind that this is no longer Pope’s direct title.
Secondly, if we analyze Seventh Day Adventist’s claim of converting Ellen Day White’s name into roman numerals then that too adds up to 666.
L + L + V + L + D + V + V + I = 50 + 50 + 5 + 50 + 500 + 5 + 5 + 1 = 666
The biblical reference points out the beast to a person’s name as in the case of Ellen and not a person’s title such as the Pope. “Vicarius Filii Dei” is written on the Papal Tiara can be proven by inspecting the 20 papal tiaras still in existence. Which were used in 1866, during the reign of Pope Pius IX, when Uriah Smith made his claim. When Vatican publishes an official document signed by the Pope, it is followed by “Vicar of the Son of God”. We hope that this would help clarify the common misconception in some circles that 666 is written on the papal tiara.
