Rows of Catholic Cardinals lined the sides of the Sistine Chapel in a sea of red as Pope Michael and Cardinal Leo entered and walked under Michelangelo’s magnificent ceiling. Without looking around, the pontiff headed straight for the center of the chapel and stopped. The room grew deathly quiet as his long flowing robes spun outward as he turned and scanned the faces staring back at him, for it was well known that this Jesuit warrior usually had little to say when he called them together, which was rare, but when he did his speech to them was always worth hearing.
Leo felt uncomfortable standing in the center of the chapel at the pope’s side instead of at his usual position, which was usually at the back of the room with no one standing behind him. He looked to his side and saw the pope’s blue eyes, unblinking, totally focused on what he was about to say.
“Good afternoon, Cardinals.”
One-hundred-and thirty-seven voices answered in unison. “Good afternoon, Your Holiness.”
“I hope you are all well, because over the course of the next several years, none of us will get much rest.”
A hushed murmur rose over the room.
“As many of you are already aware, the dark star heralding the arrival of the Antichrist is upon us. The Evil One is alive and in the world of men, and now the battle begins. We are entering dangerous waters, and we must stand united as one in the spiritual war that is about to descend upon us. Tomorrow, as we begin to make preparations here in Vatican City, I will be sending you back to your respective dioceses. Your parishes will become your platoons, and you will be their generals. You must energize your flocks, for idleness in the face of evil will only breed greater evil. All around the world, people of every faith must begin preparing themselves for what is to come, and we will strive to be their guiding light.”
Pope Michael paused to let his words sink in. “Does anyone have any questions?”
A frail and elderly cardinal raised a trembling hand. “How are we supposed to fight against that which has already been prophesized in Revelation, Your Holiness? Are you asking that we attempt to change a history that has already been laid before us in the New Testament?”
“History is what we make of it, Gentlemen. The Book of Revelation is a giant enigma full of ancient riddles written by man, and despite the many interpretations we have all been exposed to, we must remember that we are first and foremost all soldiers of the cross. Until that day when we draw our last breaths, we will fight in His name against any real evil that makes an appearance in the world, but we will not waste time swinging at ghosts.”
No one else raised their hand.
“Today we enter a new era. I am bringing the Church into the twenty-first century, and to do that I will need your help. We must not allow our faith to wither on the vine from past sins. We must look forward with divine guidance to lead us in a resurgence born of a renewed devotion to our true mission. In the coming days, you will find that many changes have been made within the Church … changes that some of you may not approve of. That is your choice. For those of you who believe that these changes violate some of the basic religious tenets of our faith, I can tell you now that we considered only antiquated edicts that came from man and not from God. These decisions were not taken lightly, and I can assure you that none of our religious principals were altered in a decision-making process that included several of the men sitting in this room today. If, for some reason, any of you feel that you cannot make the adjustment as the Church evolves in the new millennium, please feel free to retire from your present positions with our blessing and know that you have our sincere gratitude for the years you have served us.”
The cardinals all looked to their right and their left, each wondering who would be returning the next time the pope called them all together.
The pope waited for another question, but none came.
“Before I leave, I have one final piece of business I would like to pass on to you in person. Today, I am appointing my second-in-command … our new Secretary of State, Cardinal Leopold Amodeo.”
Applause broke out as a shocked Leo turned toward the pope with his mouth hanging open.
“Those of you who know our good friend the cardinal know that he has never sought this position, nor did he ever wish to hold it, but hold it he must, for it is God’s decision to make, not his.”
Glancing over at the pope, Leo could tell by his solemn intensity that this was not a matter to be argued. It was done. His worst fear, the fear of promotion to a higher office, had just come true.
Turning on his heels, the pope nodded to Leo and the two men strode from the chapel against the background noise of hushed voices all talking at once. Making their way back to the papal apartments, Leo followed slightly behind, afraid to speak, as if he had just been chastised instead of being promoted to the second highest office in the Catholic Church.
Casting a glance back over his shoulder, the pope smiled. “What’s the matter, Leopold? Is something bothering you?”
“I knew you were up to something, I just didn’t realize it involved me.”
“You’ve been tapped as our battlefield commander, Cardinal, and as a student of history, I’m sure you know what that position entails.”
“Let’s just say that I believe the Church would be better served by someone other than myself, Your Holiness. It seems that lately I’ve grown weary. In fact, I was thinking just this morning of a quotation I remembered from a class I taught on the French and Indian War in America, when the French commander described his British counterpart as a man where age has lessened in him the fire necessary for the execution of great undertakings, and after all these years, I’m beginning to think that observation applies to me as well.”
“So, you’re not up to the task?”
“I will do whatever Your Holiness wishes.”
“You remind me of myself the day I was elected Pope. I too had the same self-doubt. For weeks a cloud of depression hung over me as I struggled to accept the fact that God and others had seen something in me that I had not seen for myself. The same applies to you, Leopold, and in time you will come to see that this was the right decision for the Church. I have faith in you, but more importantly, God has faith in you.”
The two walked on in silence until they reached the pope’s library, where the pope refilled Leo’s glass from a new bottle of wine. “A toast to my new Secretary of State.”
Leo managed a weak smile as he lifted his glass in return.
The pope’s eyes narrowed at Leo as he reclined on a couch and crossed his long legs. “I have some news that might cheer you up a little, Cardinal.”
“You’re resigning?”
Both men began to laugh as the comfortable familiarity of two old college friends returned.
“No, actually it involves one of the changes coming to the Church.”
Leo was immediately curious. “I was wondering about those. Please tell me we’re going to resume saying mass in Latin.”
“That’s one of the changes we’re making. Another involves the marriage of priests.”
The pope maintained a neutral expression as he swirled the wine in his glass. This man would make an excellent poker player, Leo thought, his heart beginning to beat faster in anticipation.
“After the First Lateran Council in 1123, priests have been forbidden to marry and have children, something that’s always struck me as being hopelessly out of touch with reality. Since the Middle Ages, we’ve clung to an antiquated custom that has done nothing but bring great harm to our religion, but after tomorrow I plan on changing all of that. Catholic priests will be free to marry and have families. We will be striking back at evil where evil has struck at us. Had this practice been banned years ago, we might not have suffered the sins of those who infiltrated our ranks and preyed on those who trusted them. I want our priests to be proud to walk down the street wearing their Roman collars again. Men need balance in their lives, and the love of a good woman and the ability to father children is a God-given right that should never have been taken away in the first place, especially when you consider the fact that those who made that decision also believed in things like self-flagellation and burning innocents at the stake for joining a different church.”
“The Cathars?”
“Yes, the Cathars were viciously persecuted, among others. Which brings me to another point, Cardinal. Before you start your new job I need you well rested. You are my senior general now, and we must find out what Eduardo is up to in Iraq. That will be your first order of business when you return.”
“Return from where, Your Holiness?”
“From the sabbatical I’m sending you on, only this time you’re not allowed back for a month.”
Leo stood by the window and looked down upon Saint Peter’s Square. “Now is hardly the time for me to be going on vacation, Marcus. You’ll need me here for Midnight Mass at Christmas.”
“I’m afraid I must insist. The Church has purchased some property in France … in the mountains along the Spanish border. I believe that’s an area you are very familiar with. Your plane leaves tonight.”