Greg Jenner

It's all very PG friendly so far, but then Benedetta's visions got quite heavy metal, Sophie. We've got quite a quick mini quiz for you, actually. Which of these visions did Benedetta not claim to have experienced? So five options. Here we go. One, she was pursued by handsome young men in iron chains with weapons. Two, Jesus ripped out her heart and she lived without a heart for three days.

Three, an angel in a white robe, gold chain, long curly hair named Splenditello brought her a double-edged wand made of flowers and thorns. Four, she married Jesus. Five, an angel told her to go vegan. Which of those is not true?

Three, an angel in a white robe, gold chain, long curly hair named Splenditello brought her a double-edged wand made of flowers and thorns. Four, she married Jesus. Five, an angel told her to go vegan. Which of those is not true?

OK, you're rejecting Splenditello and his lovely curly hair. I think he's modelled on you, Greg. I would love to be Splenditello. I don't have the looks to pull it off. I've got the curly hair and nothing else. It's actually a trick question, Sophie. All five are true.

OK, you're rejecting Splenditello and his lovely curly hair. I think he's modelled on you, Greg. I would love to be Splenditello. I don't have the looks to pull it off. I've got the curly hair and nothing else. It's actually a trick question, Sophie. All five are true.

Sorry. That's that's us being very mean there. But we thought maybe it would be fun to see if you could tell them apart. But no. Yeah, she claims all five. So she claims her heart's ripped out for three days. She claims to be going vegan, marrying Jesus. Splenditello comes to her, offers her a double wand of flowers and thorns and pursued by young men who attack her with weapons and chains.

Sorry. That's that's us being very mean there. But we thought maybe it would be fun to see if you could tell them apart. But no. Yeah, she claims all five. So she claims her heart's ripped out for three days. She claims to be going vegan, marrying Jesus. Splenditello comes to her, offers her a double wand of flowers and thorns and pursued by young men who attack her with weapons and chains.

So quite a quite an array of visions here. Yeah. Michelle, Benedetta also started to have the physical signs of holy interactions, what we might call stigmata.

So quite a quite an array of visions here. Yeah. Michelle, Benedetta also started to have the physical signs of holy interactions, what we might call stigmata.

These are huge claims to be making. I suppose the obvious question is, were there others in the convent reporting similar things, Michelle? Is she alone in this?

These are huge claims to be making. I suppose the obvious question is, were there others in the convent reporting similar things, Michelle? Is she alone in this?

So Benedetta's having these pretty powerful physical and visual visitations and visions. How do you think her fellow nuns were handling that at the dinner table?

So Benedetta's having these pretty powerful physical and visual visitations and visions. How do you think her fellow nuns were handling that at the dinner table?

The thing that's intriguing to me, Michelle, is the community sort of give Benedetta a kind of friend to play with almost. It's a bit like, all right, look, you need someone to keep you company. And they give you a young woman called Bartolomea Crivelli. Is that right?

The thing that's intriguing to me, Michelle, is the community sort of give Benedetta a kind of friend to play with almost. It's a bit like, all right, look, you need someone to keep you company. And they give you a young woman called Bartolomea Crivelli. Is that right?

Her buddy Bartolomea. And Benedetta now sort of steps it up. She starts preaching from the pulpit, which is a big no-no, isn't it? That's a man's job, right? Huge no-no. Okay. And then in 1619, the other nuns elect her the abbess of the nunnery, Michelle. So then she's not unpopular. She's not unpopular at all.

Her buddy Bartolomea. And Benedetta now sort of steps it up. She starts preaching from the pulpit, which is a big no-no, isn't it? That's a man's job, right? Huge no-no. Okay. And then in 1619, the other nuns elect her the abbess of the nunnery, Michelle. So then she's not unpopular. She's not unpopular at all.

The following year, the community received its official papal permission to become a closed community, Sophie. Benedetta starts living her best life with her BFF, Spot Lamea, and of course, Splenditello the angel. Splenditello.

The following year, the community received its official papal permission to become a closed community, Sophie. Benedetta starts living her best life with her BFF, Spot Lamea, and of course, Splenditello the angel. Splenditello.

But that official stamp of authority then means presumably the church is then looking more closely at what's happening because suddenly the church authorities show up and go, hang on a second. What? There's a woman preaching, claiming mystic visions. We'd better check this out because we now get an official process of interrogation, Michelle.