Photo!! Lightning Strikes St. Peters Basilica Hours After The Pope Announced Resignation

 A lightning bolt centered on the dome of  St. Peter’s Basilica would make for an interesting photo any day of the year – but when taken just hours after the Pope announced his resignation as leader of the Catholic church, it is even more likely to spark conversation.

The above image was captured during a storm in the Vatican city yesterday at 6 p.m. local time, just hours after Pope Benedict XVI announced that he would be stepping down for health reasons.

Global news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) tweeted the photo, taken by agency photographer Filippo Monteforte, Tuesday morning to much skepticism and intrigue.
As is increasingly the case now, in an age of hyper-social news and speedy image doctoring, many cried foul upon seeing the image.