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Langdon determines that the ambigram is authentic, which shows that the secret society of legend has apparently resurfaced. Kohler calls Vetra's adopted daughter Vittoria to the scene, and it is revealed that the Illuminati have stolen a canister containing antimatter—a substance with destructive potential comparable to a small [[nuclear weapon]]. When at CERN the canister is stored in a unique electrical charger which ensures the anti-matters stability but when removed its back up battery provides power for 24 hours after which the anti-matter will self-destruct. The canister is somewhere in Vatican City, with a security camera in front of it, as its digital clock counts down to the explosion.
Langdon and Vittoria make their way to Vatican City, where the [[Pope]] has recently died. Cardinal Mortati, host of the [[papal conclave]] to elect the new pope, discovers that the four [[Papabile|Preferiti]], cardinals who are the most likely candidates, are missing. Langdon and Vittoria search for the Preferiti in hopes that they will also find the antimatter canister. Their search is assisted by [[Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church|Camerlengo]] Carlo Ventresca (the late pope's closest aide) and the Vatican's [[Swiss Guard]]
{{anchor|Path of Illumination}}Langdon attempts to retrace the steps of the "Path of Illumination", a process once used by the Illuminati as a means of inducting new members; candidates for the order were required to follow a series of subtle clues left in various landmarks in and around Rome. The clues indicate the secret meeting place of the Illuminati. Langdon sets off on the Path of Illumination in hopes of delivering the Preferiti and recovering the antimatter canister.
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[[Image:Vierstroemebrunnen Piazza Navona Rom.jpg|thumb|150px|right|The ''[[Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi|Fountain of Four Rivers]]''.]]
With time running out, the Swiss Guard evacuates the Basilica. As he is exiting the church, the camerlengo rushes back in, claiming that he has received a vision revealing the location of the antimatter canister. With Langdon in pursuit, the camerlengo ventures into the catacombs and finds the canister sitting atop the tomb of [[Saint Peter]]. Langdon and the camerlengo retrieve the antimatter and get in a helicopter with only minutes to spare. The camerlengo manages to parachute safely onto the roof of St. Peter's just as the canister explodes harmlessly in the sky. The crowd in [[St. Peter's Square]] look in awe as the camerlengo stands triumphantly before them. Because of this "miracle", the papal conclave debate whether to elect the camerlengo as the new Pope. Langdon managed to survive the explosion by using a window cover from the chopper as a parachute, and landed in the [[Tiber River]] near [[Tiber Island]]
After viewing Kohler's tape Langdon, Vittoria, and the cardinals confront the camerlengo; Shortly before the beginning of the novel, the Pope meet with Leonardo Vetra concerning his research at CERN. Vetra, believed that science was capable of establishing a link between Man and God, a belief that was manifested by his research on antimatter. Vetra's beliefs caused great discomfort to the camerlengo, who firmly believed that the Church alone should dictate the moral creed of the Christian faithful. While discussing Vetra, the pope reveals that his support is due to science having given him a son. Without waiting to hear the explanation (that the child was the result of [[artificial insemination]]), and horrified that the Pope appeared to have broken his vow of [[chastity]], the camerlengo plots to "rectify" the situation. He poisoned the pope and, under the guise of an Illuminati master (Janus), he recruited the assassin, to kill Vetra, steal the antimatter, and kidnap and murder the Preferiti. The camerlengo planted the antimatter in St. Peter's, and feigned his last-minute vision, in order to be seen as the savior of Christendom. The Illuminati "involvement" was merely a plot engineered by the camerlengo to cover his own plans.
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