Lightning struck the Vatican not once but TWICE - hours after Pope Benedict XVI's shock resignation.
The spooky moment, believed by some, to be a sign from God, was caught on camera by AFP photographer Filippo Monteforte.
Today he described how he took the incredible image which has been beamed all over the world.
He said: "I took the picture from St. Peter’s Square while sheltered by the columns. It was icy cold and raining sheets. When the storm started, I thought that lightning might strike the rod, so I decided it was worth seeing whether – if it DID strike – I could get the shot at exactly the right moment.”
Filippo, armed with a 50mm lens, waited for more than two hours and was rewarded for his patience with not one but two bolts.
He added: “The first bolt was huge and lit up the sky, but unfortunately I missed it. I had better luck the second time, and was able to snap a couple of images of the dome illuminated by the bolt.”
The lightning touched the dome of St. Peter's Basilica, one of the holiest Catholic churches, after the Pope's shock admission he lacks strength to do the job.
