{"id":2428475,"date":"2025-04-28T18:52:02","date_gmt":"2025-04-28T22:52:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/strange-weapons-spotted-at-popes-funeral-what-were-soldiers-doing-with-these\/"},"modified":"2025-04-28T18:57:41","modified_gmt":"2025-04-28T22:57:41","slug":"strange-weapons-spotted-at-popes-funeral-what-were-soldiers-doing-with-these","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/strange-weapons-spotted-at-popes-funeral-what-were-soldiers-doing-with-these\/","title":{"rendered":"Strange Weapons Spotted at Pope&#8217;s Funeral &#8211; What Were Soldiers Doing with These?"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fstrange-weapons-spotted-at-popes-funeral-what-were-soldiers-doing-with-these%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2428475&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The funeral of Pope Francis took place in Vatican City and was characterized by unprecedented security measures due to the attendance of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/u-s-suspends-diplomatic-presence-in-ukraine-as-russian-invasion-moves-forward\/\" title=\"U.S. Suspends Diplomatic Presence In Ukraine As Russian Invasion Moves Forward\">numerous world leaders<\/a>, including Presidents Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Italian military and Vatican security forces were deployed in large numbers throughout St. Peter&#8217;s Square and along the procession route, with a range of advanced weaponry, including counter-drone devices to manage aerial threats. Notably, Eurofighter Typhoon jets were used to patrol the skies above Rome, and <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">ground security included armored vehicles<\/a> and snipers positioned on rooftops. <\/p>\n<p>Specialized units, including Italy\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/israel-thwarts-major-terrorist-attack-planned-for-passover-eve\/\" title=\"Israel Thwarts Major Terrori... Attack Planned for Passover Eve\">police special forces<\/a>, were on high alert to respond to any potential terrorist threats. The extensive security apparatus was designed to ensure the safety of over 200,000 attendees while facilitating a secure environment for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/american-tech-ceos-converge-in-senate-event-calling-for-ai-regulation\/\" title=\"US Tech CEOs Gather in Senate, Urge AI Regulation\">high-profile gathering<\/a>, which included representatives from 160 delegations worldwide. Despite the challenges associated with such a large crowd,the event concluded without any incidents,underscoring the effectiveness of the security measures in place.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_0)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>The funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday in the Vatican City was marked by an unprecedented security operation, reflecting the high stakes of protecting a global gathering of dignitaries.<\/p>\n<p>The event drew scores of world leaders, including Presidents Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy (who had their first meeting since <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/trump-erupts-zelenskyy-makes-worst-statement-made-days-oval-office-disaster\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a White House spat<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/world\/europe\/pope-francis-funeral-vatican-city-3143917f\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">per<\/a> The Wall Street Journal), necessitating robust measures.<\/p>\n<p>Security forces deployed a wide &mdash; and sometimes strange-looking for the sharp-eyed viewers &mdash; array of firepower to safeguard the crowd.<\/p>\n<p>Italian military personnel, alongside Vatican security, were stationed throughout St. Peter&rsquo;s Square and along the funeral procession route.<\/p>\n<p>One of the most striking elements of the operation was the presence of advanced weaponry, some of which appeared unusual to onlookers. Among these were devices specifically designed to counter drones, already <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/trump-white-house-announces-findings-regarding-mysterious-drone-sightings\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a growing concern<\/a> across the globe, let alone at high-profile events.<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"stnvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadScript(src) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst script=document.createElement(\"script\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.src=src; \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.async=true; \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.body.appendChild(script); \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\tfunction findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst targetElement=document.querySelector(selector); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!targetElement) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Target element not found.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Get all <\/p>\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document \t\t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphs=Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element \t\t\t\t\t\tlet targetIndex=paragraphs.findIndex(p=> p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING);  \t\t\t\t\t\tif (targetIndex===-1 || targetIndex <x) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Not enough paragraphs before the target element.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\treturn paragraphs[targetIndex - x]; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Set up IntersectionObserver \t\t\t\t\tfunction observeElement(element) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!element) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst observer=new IntersectionObserver( \t\t\t\t\t\t\t(entries)=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tentries.forEach(entry=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tif (entry.isIntersecting) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log(\"Paragraph is now visible:\", entry.target.textContent.trim()); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloadScript(\"https:\/\/embed.sendtonews.com\/player3\/embedcode.js?fk=s28Az7AY\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.disconnect(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t}, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t{ threshold: 0.5 } \/\/ Adjust threshold as needed \t\t\t\t\t\t);  \t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.observe(element); \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the 1st paragraph before #stnvideo and observe it \t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphToObserve=findPreviousParagraph(\"#stnvideo\", 2); \t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>A viral video d by journalist Elisabetta Piqu&eacute; on X captured Italian soldiers wielding what looked like futuristic rifles from a &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/activision-removes-popular-call-duty-player-skin-real-world-inspiration-admits-real-problem-lgbt-agenda\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Call of Duty<\/a>&rdquo; video game. The post showed a soldier holding a device later identified as a counter-drone weapon by various reports.<\/p>\n<p>Take a look below:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Vatican now <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Cxl1vs765w\">pic.twitter.com\/Cxl1vs765w<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Elisabetta Piqu&eacute; (@bettapique) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/bettapique\/status\/1915803457698599105?\">April 25, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/theaviationist.com\/2025\/04\/26\/popes-funeral-security-plan\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">According<\/a> to The Aviationist, these weapons emit electromagnetic pulses to disrupt a drone&rsquo;s communication and navigation systems, forcing it to land or crash.<\/p>\n<p>The outlet also reported that the Italian Air Force deployed Eurofighter Typhoon jets to patrol the skies over Rome. These jets conducted continuous sweeps to monitor for aerial threats, including rogue drones or other aircraft.<\/p>\n<p>Ground forces were equally formidable. Armored vehicles lined the procession route, while snipers were positioned on rooftops surrounding St. Peter&rsquo;s Square, ensuring a 360-degree security perimeter.<\/p>\n<p>Special forces units, including Italy&rsquo;s NOCS (Nucleo Operativo Centrale di Sicurezza, their police <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/special-forces-vet-explains-happen-trump-cut-delta-force-loose-cartels\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">special forces<\/a>), were on standby. These elite teams are trained for rapid response to terrorist threats, a precaution given the global attention on the funeral and its attendees.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It is unprecedented,&rdquo; one Italian police officer <a href=\"https:\/\/news.sky.com\/story\/guns-and-grins-the-unprecedented-security-operation-for-pope-franciss-funeral-13355677\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">told<\/a> Sky News. &ldquo;The level of security is at the maximum.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;So we have employed some special units that belong to Carabinieri &ndash; the bomb squad, a dogs unit, snipers and helicopters,&rdquo; police chief Ciriaco Sarnelli said. &ldquo;We want to assure the people who are arriving here that they can take part in this event in the best way, in a secure way.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Sky News also noted that security personnel used <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/china-elon-musk-moving-into-xinjiang-proves-american-anti-slavery-push-failed\/\" title=\"China: Elon Musk Moving into Xinjiang Proves American Anti-Slavery Push Failed\">advanced surveillance technology<\/a>. High-resolution cameras gave operators on the fifth floor of the police headquarters the ability to &ldquo;see everything.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>According to The Aviationist, the event was attended by 160 delegations from across the world, including 50 heads of state and 10 monarchs.<\/p>\n<p>The event&rsquo;s security also had to consider the other 200,000 attendees.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Chaos as tens of thousands of people now allowed to enter the streets through security check points to attend Pope Francis&rsquo;s funeral. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/dwHI9OP3ZX\">pic.twitter.com\/dwHI9OP3ZX<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Sophie Elsworth (@sophieelsworth) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/sophieelsworth\/status\/1915982158377726159?\">April 26, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Despite the general chaos that comes with that many people, the funeral concluded without incident, a testament to the effectiveness of the security measures.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday in Vatican City featured an extraordinary security operation, highlighting the importance of safeguarding a global assembly of dignitaries. The event attracted numerous world leaders, including Presidents Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, necessitating extensive security measures. A diverse range of firepower was deployed to ensure the safety of attendees. Italian military personnel and Vatican security were present throughout St. Peter\u2019s Square and along the procession route. Notably, advanced weaponry was utilized, including devices designed to counter drones\u2014a growing concern at high-profile events.<\/p>\n<p>A viral video shared by journalist Elisabetta Piqu\u00e9 on X showcased Italian soldiers with what appeared to be futuristic rifles reminiscent of those in &#8220;Call of Duty.&#8221; Reports later identified one device as a counter-drone weapon that emits electromagnetic pulses to disrupt drone operations. Additionally, Eurofighter Typhoon jets from the Italian Air Force patrolled Rome&#8217;s skies for potential aerial threats.<\/p>\n<p>Ground forces included armored vehicles along the procession route and snipers positioned on rooftops around St. Peter\u2019s Square for comprehensive security coverage. Special forces units were also prepared for rapid responses to any terrorist threats due to the global attention surrounding the funeral.<\/p>\n<p>According to The Aviationist, 160 delegations attended the event, comprising 50 heads of state and 10 monarchs, alongside an estimated 200,000 attendees overall. Despite some chaos as large crowds entered through security checkpoints for Pope Francis&#8217;s funeral, it concluded without incident\u2014demonstrating the effectiveness of these extensive security measures<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2428476,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Vatican.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[54239,54238,4187,54237,54240],"class_list":["post-2428475","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-military-tactics","tag-popes-funeral","tag-soldiers","tag-strange-weapons","tag-unusual-sightings"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Vatican.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2428475","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2428475"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2428475\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2428483,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2428475\/revisions\/2428483"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2428476"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2428475"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2428475"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2428475"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}