Suicide and the Catholic Church
Subject in Religion
Suicide and the Catholic Church has come up in 1 episode across 1 podcast in TMT, including The Rest Is History. 2 people have made recorded remarks about it.
What people said
Dominic SandbrookBritish historian, author and co-host of The Rest Is History
Sandbrook explains that the autopsy's finding of mental confusion allowed Rudolf a Catholic burial, a common Viennese practice of fudging suicide reports.
“Vienna, you know, coroners or whatever were well known for fudging reports on suicides to allow people”
The Rest Is History: 690. A Murderous Affair: Death at Mayerling (Part 2) (Jul 22, 2026) · Listen from 58:49
Tom HollandEnglish actor cast as Telemachus
Holland argues the scandal was worse than a modern equivalent because suicide was then considered a sin and Catholicism was central to Habsburg legitimacy.
“But back then, it was a sin. I mean, it endangers your mortal soul. And the Habsburgs, it's important to their legitimacy that they are Catholic”
The Rest Is History: 690. A Murderous Affair: Death at Mayerling (Part 2) (Jul 22, 2026) · Listen from 49:35
Podcasts
- The Rest Is History · 1 episode
Episodes
690. A Murderous Affair: Death at Mayerling (Part 2)The Rest Is History · Jul 22, 2026 · 1 h 19 min
Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Holland recount the affair of Crown Prince Rudolf and Mary Vetsera, the Mayerling murder-suicide of 1889, its cover-up and aftermath.