E arlier in the day Santissimo Padre, Pope Benedict XVI, had emerged from his high-ceilinged corner bedroom on the fourth floor of the Apostolic Palace on the northern side of the Piazza San Pietro. His two private secretaries were waiting for him in the corridor, and, together, the three men walked briskly towards the bronze door of the Pope’s private chapel. Unlike his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, who frequently invited guests to the early morning mass, Benedict XVI preferred a private ceremony with his aides. Discarding the newer form of the mass that came into use following Vatican II, Benedict started his day with the 1962 Roman Missal in Latin.
‘ In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti… In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit…’
The chapel was cold. The marble floor and walls offered little in the way of warmth, but the Holy Father didn’t seem to notice as he concentrated on his communion. A soft light diffused through the Luigi Filocamo leadlight ceiling depicting Christ resurrected, mingling with the light from three candles flickering beneath the large bronze crucifix.
‘ Gloria in excelsis Deo. Et in terra pax hominibus bonae volunta-tis… Glory in the highest to God. And on earth, peace to men of good will…’
Not far away, Sister Ingrid and the other nuns of the papal household were ensuring that everything was in readiness for the Pontiff’s breakfast of coffee and fruit, laid out on the serving table in the dining room next to the Pope’s bedroom. The carved walnut dining table could seat ten, but this morning just three places were set for Benedict and his two private secretaries, and Sister Ingrid had already checked to see that the major national papers were laid out on one of the two sideboards.
Salvatore Felici ignored the salute of the Swiss Guard as he passed through the bronze doors to the Apostolic Palace, his mind focused on the meeting ahead. He powered towards the lift that would take him to the Pope’s private library on the fourth floor.
The library was dominated by Perugino’s oil, The Resurrection of Christ, hanging in the centre of the wall opposite the door. The electronic projector for the CIA presentation seemed out of place alongside the two walls of heavy sixteenth-century bookcases containing an impressive set of all the Papal Encyclicals, as well as the complete collections of the Church Fathers. An old bible was open on a small sixteenth-century table, and Romano’s Madonna panel highlighted the wall behind the Pope’s desk. Three windows looked over the Piazza San Pietro. The Cardinal Secretary of State, and the Cardinal Prefects for the Congregations for Bishops, the Clergy and Catholic Education were already present, soutanes edged in red, gold pectoral crosses on solid gold chains over red watered-silk sashes, and each wearing a red zucchetto. Felici nodded politely to the assembled group before turning to Howard Wiley.
‘Howard, how good to see you again,’ he said. ‘I trust the flight was not too arduous?’
‘Even with a CIA jet, we all have to put up with airports, Salvatore,’ Wiley replied. His smile was mechanical, and his grey eyes restless. ‘You know my chief of station, Richard Snider?’
‘Of course. Richard.’ Felici offered a fine, bony hand as one of the Pope’s private secretaries slipped into the library, quietly announcing that His Holiness was approaching. Moments later, he arrived, with a second secretary in tow.
‘Santissimo Padre, may I present Signor Howard Wiley, Deputy Director of Operations for the CIA. And of course you know his chief of station, Signor Richard Snider.’
‘Welcome to the Vatican,’ the Pope replied with a charming smile, extending his ring for Howard Wiley to kiss. He spoke English with a thick Bavarian accent. ‘I’m grateful for this briefing, Signor Wiley. Central America is perhaps not as stable as we would wish?’ His Holiness observed, taking a chair.
‘Indeed it is not, which is a cause for some concern,’ Wiley replied, taking charge of the briefing and flashing up a map of Central and South America on the screen. ‘Recent elections in Nicaragua, Brazil, Ecuador and Venezuela have seen Central and South America moving well to the left, Holiness, and the United States is keeping a careful watch on these developments. As you’re aware, a former Catholic bishop, Bishop Fernando Lugo has been elected President of Paraguay. The first bishop ever to be elected to the presidency of a country, Lugo has been much impressed by liberation theology. He’s the first president of Paraguay since 1946 who has not come from the conservative Colorado Party, which up until this election had been the longest continuously serving party government in the world.’
Felici scrutinised the Pope for his reaction. Since Lugo’s election, speculation had been rife that, having refused his resignation, the Pope would now defrock the man who was known throughout Paraguay as ‘the priest of the poor’. The pontiff remained inscrutable.
‘Lugo does not intend to move to the Presidential Palace,’ Wiley continued, ‘and he recently stated that Paraguay will no longer accept intervention from any country, no matter how big. That sort of rhetoric causes us some concern as it puts in doubt the viability of our Paraguayan military base, which we established in 2005 at Mariscal Estigarribia, 200 kilometres from the Bolivian border.’
‘Do you have a presence there?’ the Pontiff asked.
Wiley nodded. ‘After Paraguay granted us immunity from prosecution by any Paraguayan court or the International Criminal Court, we deployed equipment and some 500 troops. That base is capable of housing up to 16 000 troops. It will be important, Holiness, with the enormous gas reserves in countries like Bolivia, for the US to maintain influence in the Andes. We do have a forward base in Manta on the coast of Ecuador, but since the election of the left’s Rafael Correa in that country, the viability of that base is also in doubt.’
‘Perhaps, Holiness, it’s time to take a harder line with Bishop Lugo, and consider excommunication?’ Felici suggested.
‘Excommunication would be a very grave step, Holiness,’ the Cardinal Secretary of State interjected. ‘A bishop’s sacrament is for life, and it is many centuries since the Church has taken such drastic action. Even if he has been influenced by liberation theology, if we take on Bishop Lugo, with his reputation as a priest for the peasants and the poor, it may weaken our position.’
‘Appeasement didn’t work with Hitler, Holiness, and it won’t work with Lugo and Central America,’ Felici retaliated, glaring at the Secretary of State.
The Cardinal Secretary of State raised a quizzical eyebrow. Given the Vatican’s sordid involvement with the Nazis during World War Two, the irony of Felici’s argument was heavy, but the veteran diplomat remained silent.
‘They are arguments we will have to take into account,’ the Pontiff replied, the use of the authoritative ‘we’ an indication that he wasn’t going to be rushed. ‘Do you have the same concerns over other Latin American countries, Mr Wiley?’
‘Unfortunately yes, and if I may, Holiness, there are dangers for the Church there as well,’ Wiley added, coming to Felici’s aid. ‘Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, for example, is not only a vehement opponent of the United States and our efforts to bring democracy to this region, but he’s also fiercely critical of the Catholic Church.’
‘Whilst proclaiming himself to be a Christian and calling Christ the greatest socialist in history!’ Felici added.
Wiley nodded. ‘In recent years Chavez’s supporters, known collectively as the Chavistas, invaded the chancery of the Archdiocese of Caracas, expelling Bishop Jesus Gonzalez de Zarate into the street. It was perhaps fortunate that Cardinal Velasco was not there at the time.’
The pontiff nodded. ‘Yes. They were claiming, quite erroneously, that we supported the 2002 coup attempt against President Chavez.’ Felici and Wiley exchanged glances.
‘Added to that, Holiness,’ Wiley continued, ‘almost every government in the region is leaning towards the left. Evo Morales in Bolivia, Michelle Bachelet in Chile, Tabare Vazquez in Uruguay, Lula da Silva in Brazil, and the Sandinista, Daniel Ortega, in Nicaragua. Legislators in many of these countries are now preparing to liberalise abortion, as well as the morning-after pill, and they may well follow the lead of the Spanish president and legalise gay marriage. In the first year of that legislation 4500 gay and lesbian couples married in Spain and are now free to bring up children in the same way as their heterosexual counterparts. This may well spread, as we’ve seen in California,’ Wiley added.
‘A sad day for the Church in Spain and in the United States,’ the Pontiff observed.
Felici looked on with approval as Howard Wiley’s laser pointer roamed over the map, and Wiley expanded on the threat each country posed to oil supplies and to the influence of the United States and the Catholic Church. But with the Cardinal Secretary of State in the room, Felici reserved any further comment for his private dinner with Wiley.