Vatican's hidden trove: Unraveling the mystery of pope's box
Pope Francis, who passed away on April 21, 2025, left behind many questions. "The white box is considered the greatest mystery of Francis's pontificate. This box is filled with documents that Benedict XVI took to Castel Gandolfo after his abdication," says Fr. Prof. Andrzej Kobylinski in an interview with an Onet reporter.
What do you need to know?
- The White Box: After his abdication, Benedict XVI entrusted a mysterious white box full of documents to Francis, which he then took to Castel Gandolfo.
- Contents of the Box: The documents pertain to Vatican and church scandals, and their specific content remains unknown.
- The Goal of Francis's Pontificate: His election as pope was intended to calm the situation in the Church and carry out reforms.
One of the most intriguing mysteries is the white box that Benedict XVI gave to Francis.
“He didn’t trust the Vatican officials, so he wanted to personally hand it over to his successor,” emphasizes Fr. Prof. Andrzej Kobylinski in an interview with Onet.
The secret of the popes: what does the mysterious white box contain?
While the existence of the box is known, its precise contents remain a mystery.
“This white box is the greatest mystery of Francis's pontificate. The box is full of documents that Ratzinger took to Castel Gandolfo after his abdication. Some of these documents were surely shocking. Some of the stories were written about a few years later by Frédéric Martel in the book ‘Sodoma,’” explained the expert.
As he pointed out, among other reasons for the box, Francis—already being pope—went to Castel Gandolfo, where Benedict XVI lived after his abdication.
The container holds thousands of pages of documents concerning Vatican and church scandals.
“They concern pedophilia, embezzlement of funds, homosexuality, primarily the gay lobby in the Vatican,” explains Fr. Kobylinski. These documents were examined by a special commission of cardinals just before Benedict XVI's abdication, which shook the Church.
When asked by the Onet journalist whether Francis was chosen as pope “to clean it up and calm things down,” he assessed, “definitely yes.”
“It was about calming the troubled church waters. It was about carrying out a deep reform of the Vatican power structures to steer the Catholic Church on a straight path,” explained Fr. Kobylinski.
What changes did Pope Francis implement?
Francis's pontificate was revolutionary, introducing significant changes in Church doctrine. “The first is the exhortation ‘The Joy of Love’ (Amoris Laetitia) from 2016, one of the consequences of which is allowing divorced and remarried individuals to receive Holy Communion,” says Fr. Kobylinski.
"Another significant change was the “Trusting Supplication” (Fiducia supplicans) declaration from December 2023, which allows for the blessing of same-sex unions in the Catholic Church."
As pope, Francis also restructured the College of Cardinals, appointing supporters of liberal Catholicism.
“He did not seek a balance between conservative and liberal Catholicism. He adopted a straightforward principle of appointing only supporters of liberal Catholicism,” summed up Kobylinski. He indicated that the new pope will likely continue his policy.
