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Picture: The ghostly Angel of the Vatican
Last updated at 01:07am on 31.03.07When retired policeman Andy Key went on a trip to Rome, he was struck by the beauty of sunlight streaming through a window in the Vatican.
As the Pope made an address nearby, he decided to capture the stunning image on his camera.
But it was only when Mr Key, 48, and his wife Susan, 44, returned home and and downloaded their photographs that they noticed a strange apparition in the picture.
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An apparition? Andy Key's image of a 'guardian angel' above the heads of other visitors to St Peter's Basilica
They were amazed to see what looked like the image of a guardian angel above the heads of other visitors to St Peter's Basilica.
Mr Key, from March, Cambridgeshire, said: "It looks like an angel hovering on the people's heads.
"No-one can explain it - there's nothing on their heads for the light to bounce off."
Mr Key went on the holiday to mark his retirement from his job as a police constable for Cambridgeshire Police.
He and his wife, a medical secretary, were looking around the famous church when they noticed a large group of people and realised the Pope was making an address nearby.
"I was taking pictures of all the things around us and saw this huge window with the light streaming through and thought it looked beautiful," he explained.
"I snapped the picture and didn't noticed anything until I got home.
"It looks almost like a hologram. I thought it was really spooky."
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Professional photographers have studied Mr Key's photo and are at a loss to explain what may have caused the image.
It was only revealed when he got home, plugged his digital Kodak camera into his computer and downloaded the images.
Mr Key, who now works as a student mentor at the Neale-Wade Community College in March, said: "It wasn't as if we had visited Rome for any particularly religious reason. We were simply sight-seeing as you do.
"I had not really thought about angels and stuff before. I don't know if I believe in it all but it does look like an angel.
"Several people have looked at it including a professional photographer and they can't work out what it might be - maybe it is a guardian angel."
It is by no means the first time holy images have unexpectedly appeared.
Two years ago, church organist Rita Clayson found a picture of Jesus Christ in an ancient tree in a small Northamptonshire village.
Twisted ivy roots helped to form his face on a tree trunk in a small spinney on the edge of Little Houghton.
Earlier this month, pregnant Amanda Skelding, 23, from Glasgow, saw what appeared to be a traditional image of Jesus in the grainy black and white picture she was handed after her ultraound scan.
Reader views (8)
Angels are among us 
- Em, perth, w.a, 17/04/2009 08:59
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I think it must be light caught in some flaw or scratch on the lens. Personally I would have deleted a photo like that if I had one on my camera instead of saying it's an angel. If you look closely at the enlarged version, you can see there is a very straight vertical line, which is obviously where the light is shining around a pillar. The 'wings' are spots on the lens - I've had some on my own photos. The body is, in my opinion, a very bright beam of light - nothing more. It's a pretty photo, but nothing more than that. There again it is more convincing than the one of Jesus in a burnt tortilla!
- Catherine Jeanes, London, 26/04/2007 23:13
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I recall reading on the story of the three seers at Fatima. They had explained about seeing the Angel of peace. They were stunned with its beauty and could not talk for a long while. My belief is that an Angel will cause that, type of emotion if any one, were to see an Angel. My opinion is that, the picture taken at the vatican was only a light reflection fron the window. But I could be wrong. Time will tell if it was something to see again in the future as a possible sign from Heaven.
- Agustin V., Pasadena California, 03/04/2007 13:24
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On closer inspection it appears to be light shining through a crucifix shaped window, one of the arms is hidden behind the pillar and the 'head' shape created by the curve of the pillar.
So much for the experts.
- Tony, Hull, East Yorks, 31/03/2007 16:21
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Oh please! That's light reflecting off the wall. I expect the people at the Vatican see that regularly as it's probably intentional or an unexpected feature of the building.
It is a good picture though!
- Tony, Hull, East Yorks, 31/03/2007 16:10
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Sorry to rain on your parade but I don't think this is anything more than light bouncing around inside the lens on the camera caused by a fingerprint on the lens surface. The inside of the Basilica is quite dark and when the light streams in through the upper windows it is like a torch beam. The camera, which was most likely on auto exposure, has overexposed the for the dark areas and hence "burnt out" window. The reason it wasn't noticed until displayed on the PC is probably due to its size and would not have been significant when shown on the camera's display.
- Marc, London, UK, 31/03/2007 16:10
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Looks like a bonafide angel all right... but isn't tomorrow the first of April?
- Rook, India, 31/03/2007 14:35
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I do not have a single doubt that this is an image of a guardian angel guarding the church of it's people. It is another way of God showing he is with the Church. Another way to get people's faith deepen in search of God.
I am touched by this picture and it will go a long way to strengthen my faith in God and the Church.
- Desmond Ofu, Istanbul Turkey, 31/03/2007 11:48
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