This unnamed Archbishop briefly acted as a vessel for Lucifer.
Background[]
The Archbishop is first shown disrupting a priest from his work. He orders the priest to turn off the radio, which had begun reporting the death of billionaire philanthropist Wallace Parker. The Archbishop, who is wearing a red robe, urges the priest to stay focused on the Lord's work.
The priest agrees and then laments Mr. Parker's death, who was both a friend and their biggest donor. The Archbishop appears annoyed but agrees with him. The Archbishop proceeds to leave the room and walk down the hall, the crosses turning upside down as he passes them by. The Archbishop's eyes also glow red, revealing that he is under possession.
Sam, Dean, Castiel and Crowley visit the morgue to check on Wallace Parker's corpse, noting that he was Lucifer's latest vessel. Sam discovers Parker's connection to St. Louis, as well as a photograph of Parker with the Archbishop. Sam notices that within a span of three days, the Archbishop stopped wearing his large cross. Furthermore, the Archbishop's office had canceled all further public appearances without comment.
Sam's findings lead the four to believe that the Archbishop is Lucifer's current vessel. Sam and Dean travel to St. Louis but are forced to pick lock their way in. The inside of the building is dark and using their flashlights the brothers notice signs of a struggle. The priest from earlier is now bloodied and injured on the floor.
The priest reveals that he discovered something wrong with the Archbishop, and watched him as he caused the crosses on the wall to flip upside down. He called senior staff who decided to perform an exorcism. Sam and Dean soon discover a trail of corpses, leading up to the corpse of the Archbishop himself, whose eyes have been burnt out.
Appearances[]
Trivia[]
- The Archbishop is the fourth vessel occupied by Lucifer in Season 12, following an unnamed young man, Vince Vincente and Wallace Parker.
- He was succeeded by President Jefferson Rooney, who is the only one of the five to survive possession.
- Traditionally, cardinals wear red while bishops (including archbishops) wear purple. Additionally, daily wear is more often a black cassock with a colored sash, with colored cassocks reserved for certain occasions. As such, the character’s costume was most likely chosen for visual contrast and the symbolic association between Lucifer and the color red, rather than for realism.