by Irvin Baxter
The sea of red was stunning to behold as the Princes of the Church slowly made their way toward the entrance of the Sistine Chapel. Once the Cardinals were all inside the building, the doors would be closed, and no one would be permitted to enter or leave until a new pope was elected.
Cardinal Cassidy from the United States was the last Cardinal to enter. The Vatican guards stood watchfully at the door while the official search party carefully inspected every area of the Sistine Chapel. No unauthorized person was allowed inside the conclave area once the balloting began. Finding nothing amiss, the head of the search party nodded to the guards. Immediately the heavy door of the Sistine Chapel was shut and the key turned in the lock. It would not be opened until the new pope was chosen.
The Cardinals moved into the chapel where the oath of secrecy and loyalty would be administered. Every part of this ritual was designed to impress upon the participants the importance of the drama that they were called upon to enact. After solemnly swearing the oath, each of the prelates moved toward the room that would serve as his living quarters until a new pope was elected.
Over dinner that night, the conversation of the prelates was animated and urgent. Every person there understood that this was no normal conclave. They had been summoned together to choose a pope who would either preside over the collapse of the Church’s power, or guide the Church through the treacherous waters of the emerging New World Order and position her to play her rightful role as Mother and Teacher of the world.
The powerful Vatican Secretary-of-State, Antonio Solano, sat at his privileged table opposite the entrance of the dining hall. His shrewd eyes took in each prelate as he walked through the door. When Zingarni of Nigeria entered, Solano’s thoughts raced. Here was a man of innocence, purity, and goodwill. For a kinder, gentler time, he would have occupied the papacy quite well. But in the 21st Century world of transition, electing him as Pope would be like throwing a babe into a pit of snakes. Zingarni was simply out of the question.
A few minutes later, Cardinal Glouster entered the dining hall. Poised, intelligent, and aware, no one could accuse Glouster of being a lightweight. But the Cardinal was still locked into the 20th Century. Solano was sure that he did not appreciate the power of the forces that were running counter to the Church. For example, Glouster was uncompromising on the birth control issue. Yes, the Church’s official position had been against birth control for many years now. But when one billion people were living on less than one dollar per day, the Church simply had to come to grips with reality! Was Glouster the man of the hour? Solano didn’t think so.
When most of the Cardinals were seated at their tables, Marlos Lustini made his entrance. Cardinal Lustini was about five feet, nine inches tall and weighed 169 pounds. His sharp features and his piercing eyes left no doubt that here was a man of superior intelligence and authority.
Solano willed himself to be objective and analytical about this man, but he found that to be almost impossible. Solano had rubbed shoulders with kings, presidents, and prelates, but he had never met anyone with the raw magnetism of Lustini. What was it about him? Solano noticed that he wasn’t the only one affected by the presence of Cardinal Lustini. As the cardinal passed each table, hands reached out to greet him. Solano thought to himself, This has to be our man.
In spite of the fact that Lustini had “pope” written all over him, something about the prospect disturbed Solano at the deepest level of his being. What was it? He couldn’t quite put his finger on it. Maybe he was being needlessly paranoid. Solano went over Lustini’s qualifications one by one. Intelligent, well-connected, incredible leadership ability, adept at handling power and humble… Ah, that’s what was bothering him! Only the most shrewd student of human character could notice that Lustini’s humility was practiced and contrived. He was so skilled at hiding that fact that Solano himself had never picked up on it until now. But, as Lustini slowly made his way through the dining hall, it suddenly became obvious to Solano that a deep vein of pride and self-importance ran through the core of Lustini’s character. Pride could be a real problem in any person. But in a man holding power over close to one billion human beings, that plague would be deadly!
Next morning the cardinals arose and entered the Sistine Chapel at the appointed time. Thrones for each prelate had been placed around the perimeter of the chapel. This practice was designed to impress upon each Prince of the Church that he might leave the conclave as the new occupant of Peter’s throne.
After each cardinal had taken his place on his assigned throne, instructions were reviewed as to how the balloting would be conducted. Since Paul VII’s papacy had been so long, many of the cardinals were participating in their first conclave.
Before the casting of the first ballot, Secretary-of-State Solano rose to offer the opening prayer. “Father God, look down upon Your Church as we attempt to select the individual whom You would choose to hold the keys of Peter at this most important time in human history. Let Your Holy Spirit guide our decisions so that Your will may be done in earth as it is in Heaven. Blessed Mary, Mother of God, intercede with Your Son, Jesus Christ, that He would reveal that person who should be His representative on earth for this hour. We request these divine favors in the name of the Father, and in the name of the Son, and in the name of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
All of the prelates replied, “Amen.”
Each cardinal wrote his choice for pope on his ballot. They then, one by one, rose to bring their ballots to the front of the Sistine Chapel where they were placed in the papal ballot chalice.
The suspense that hung in the air was palpable. The future of nations and the course of human history would be dramatically altered by the outcome of this papal conclave. Most of the world did not understand the power that was invested in the man who presided over the one billion faithful. But the Princes of the Church understood it fully. They observed the influence of the papacy on a daily basis. “Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven” was not an empty oath to those who had seen kingdoms crumble as a result of a mere decision by the Holy Father who occupied the Chair of Peter. When Winston Churchill had suggested enlisting the support of the Pope during World War II, Soviet Union leader Josef Stalin had derisively replied, “The Pope?! How many divisions does he have?” Now Stalin was dead, the Soviet Union was dissolved, and the Roman Church was as strong as ever. The power of the man who wore the title, Vicar of the Son of God, could be understood only by those who knew the network of churches, schools, hospitals, and political contacts presided over by the pope. Only those who had visited remote outposts of civilization and found the guiding hand of Catholic priests already there exerting the Church’s influence knew what was at stake here. Only a priest who had sat in the confessional booth, hearing the darkest sins of governors, presidents, and kings, could understand just how far the tentacles of the Church really extended. And all of that power would soon be invested in one man, the man chosen in this conclave.
The cardinals chatted with those beside them as they waited for the ballots to be counted. When the Cardinal Chamberlain, whose job it was to conduct the conclave, moved to the podium, the Chapel quickly fell silent. “In the first ballot for the papacy of the Holy Roman Catholic Church, Cardinal Glouster of France—19 votes, Cardinal Lustini—49 votes, Cardinal Solano—17 votes, Cardinal Zingarni—24 votes, and ten prelates had 1 vote each. This totals 119 votes cast, the number of electors participating in this papal election.”
The second ballot was taken immediately. Secretary-of-State Solano knew that this ballot would be about the same, except for the single votes. That would be the interesting thing to watch. Which way would those ten single votes move?
When the Cardinal Chamberlain once again stepped to the rostrum, the conclave quickly came to attention. “Princes of the Church, the results of our second ballot are as follows: Cardinal Glouster of France—21 votes, Cardinal Lustini—55 votes, Cardinal Solano—17 votes, and Cardinal Zingarni—26 votes.”
Each
cardinal scribbled the vote totals down, slipping the paper into his vestment pocket. These figures would become the subject of midday prayer. They also would serve as the basis for lively discussion and intense negotiations at the lunch table.
“Honorable Princes, please return to conclave at 2 o’clock for your next ballot.”
As the cardinals rose to leave, the eyes of Solano locked with those of Cardinal Cassidy of the U.S. The unspoken message passed instantly between them. The United States did not have a viable candidate for the papacy, but the power of the American Church could not be completely ignored, either. The powerful Archbishop of New York did have considerable influence over who would finally be chosen as pope.
Instead of moving toward the dining hall, Cassidy slipped quietly into the private quarters of Solano. Moments later, the Secretary-of-State joined him. Cassidy spoke first. “Your Holiness, if you hold steady, strength for your candidacy may well build.”
Solano shook his head. “No. I think we both know that those voting for me merely did so out of loyalty to Paul VII. Furthermore, my age precludes me from being a serious candidate. It looks to me like the die is cast.”
“You think the election of Lustini is inevitable?” Cassidy queried.
Solano nodded. “Almost certainly. Those who voted for Glouster would never consider switching to Zingarni with his unorthodox views. Those who favor Zingarni would never be willing to support the hard-line stances of Glouster.”
“Yet both of those camps would probably be willing to embrace Lustini,” Cassidy interjected.
“Exactly,” Solano agreed. “Barring some unforeseen development, Cardinal Cassidy, Archbishop Lustini will be the next pope of the Roman Catholic Church.”
Solano and Cassidy entered the dining hall together. Every table was engrossed in intense conversation. The suspense hung heavy in the air. Little did the gathering of cardinals know that this conclave was as good as over.
Before the afternoon session began, Solano sent his aide to those electors whom he knew were holding for him. The message was passed. “Solano wishes you to switch your support to Lustini.”
With a gentle knock, Solano slipped in the back door of Lustini’s living quarters. When Solano entered the sitting room, Lustini greeted him warmly. Solano had hoped that Lustini would be surprised by his visit, but he obviously was not. This man is way ahead of the game, Solano noted thoughtfully. Not many will ever manipulate this pope.
Solano knew that his planned endorsement would not produce the effect for which he had hoped, now that Lustini already perceived what both he and Cassidy had concluded. But it certainly wouldn’t hurt anything, either. “Cardinal Lustini,” Solano began, “I believe it is the will of the Holy Spirit that you become the Father of His Church. I have asked those voting for me to switch their allegiance to you. I just wanted you to know my feelings.”
Lustini feigned surprise. “But, Cardinal Solano, the conclave is young, and who can tell which way the Spirit’s wind may yet blow?” Solano knew full well that Lustini understood the thought processes he had gone through and exactly what his motives were. It was uncanny and considerably unsettling, to say the least, to realize how deep Lustini’s insights penetrated!
“No, no,” Solano rejoined. “I’m sure your papacy is the will of God, and you have my complete support and devotion.”
“Well, thank you, Cardinal. I will never forget this magnificent gesture of kindness. And whatever God’s will may be, let’s pray that it will be completely accomplished in this conclave,” Lustini said warmly.
As the prelates moved toward the Sistine Chapel for the 2 o’clock session, Cardinal Cassidy intercepted Solano in the foyer. “Cardinal Solano, I’ve been having second thoughts. The course of action that we discussed will result in one of the fastest elections of a pope in the history of the Church. Perhaps we should slow this process down somewhat. If Lustini is swept into the papacy this quickly, his mandate may be perceived as being so strong that we would lose all ability to exercise any influence over him.”
Solano’s reply came without hesitation. “I’ve thought that over, Cardinal, but I think there are more important factors that call loudly for a swift conclave with a strong mandate. The global forces presently at work demand that the Church have a strong pope with unquestioned authority. Lustini, whether it be for good or evil, will be a strong pope, and we will present him to the world this afternoon.”
When the third vote was taken, the totals came back: Cardinal Glouster of France—23 votes, Cardinal Lustini—74 votes, and Cardinal Zingarni—22 votes. Solano noted mentally that two of his votes had switched to Glouster. He was not surprised. Italy’s Cardinal Medino just couldn’t bring himself to vote for Lustini, and Poland’s Cardinal Minski was committed to a non-Italian pope. It was interesting that four of Zingarni’s votes had gone to Lustini this time. The defections had already begun. The prelates were beginning to see the handwriting on the wall.
Secretary-of-State Solano could see the wheels turning in each cardinal’s mind. A pope had to be elected by two-thirds. Consequently, 80 votes were needed for an election in this conclave. Lustini stood at 74 votes. It was obvious to every cardinal in the Sistine Chapel which way the wind of the Spirit was blowing.
Not one prelate wished to resist the leading of the Holy Spirit; consequently, each Prince of the Church wrote the name of Cardinal Marlos Lustini on his ballot.
When the Cardinal Chamberlain stepped to the podium for his momentous announcement, the prelates fell silent. “Princes of the Church, the Holy Spirit has expressed His will in a most powerful way. Cardinal Marlos Lustini has been unanimously chosen as the Holy Father of the Holy Roman Catholic Church.” Uncharacteristically, the Sistine Chapel was suddenly filled with applause from the Church’s princes.
The Cardinal Chamberlain stood in front of Lustini’s throne. “Cardinal Marlos Lustini, will you accept the calling to be Father to your Lord’s Church and to serve as Vicar of the Son of God?”
With total poise and in just the right tone, Lustini replied, “I accept.”
The conclave officer quickly moved from cardinal to cardinal, lowering the canopy over each throne—leaving only Lustini’s canopy raised. This action signified the primacy of the position to which Lustini had just been elevated. Now it was time to hear from the new pope.
As Lustini stood to address the conclave, he was a picture of poise and assurance. It seemed obvious to all present that he had been born for this hour.
Lustini began, “My fellow Cardinals, Princes of the Church of Jesus Christ, I am greatly humbled by the action that this conclave has taken today. I am the least of all the servants of Christ; nevertheless, believing in the inerrancy of the working of the Holy Spirit as expressed through you, I do submit myself to that which God’s sovereign will has invested in me this day. I would not be truthful if I told you that I was surprised by this divine call. This destiny that I have known I would someday face has been with me for a number of years now.”
Glances were exchanged around the room as each cardinal tried to assess how Lustini’s unusual disclosure was being received by his fellow prelates. The cardinals leaned forward intently as they sensed that Lustini was about to disclose the name under which he would serve in the papacy. This was always such an important moment because the name that the new pope assumed inevitably provided insight into how he perceived himself and the image that he would portray as the Vicar of the Son of God.
Lustini continued, “Since I was forewarned by the Spirit that this hour would come, I have reflected carefully and prayerfully upon what name I should serve our Lord Jesus and His Church under. Princes of the Church, I believe it is God’s will that I be known from this day forward as Pope Peter the Second.”
The shock felt by every conclave participant was like a strong jolt of electricity. Pope Peter II! No one had ever dared! Since the man that the Church claimed as its first pope, Pope Peter I, no one had been willing to wear that esteemed name
. There had been many to take the name Pope John, Pope Paul, Pope Pius, and even Pope John Paul. But none had ever presumed to assume the name of the original possessor of the keys!
As the cardinals attempted to absorb the implications of the momentous developments that they themselves had helped to unleash, two other pieces of knowledge gnawed at them. The Catholic prophets had foretold that no pope would ever take the name of Peter until the last pope. And it was believed by some that the world would come to an end during the reign of Pope Peter II. Now that reign had begun.
It also was commonly believed in Catholic circles that there was an evil pope coming. Could this Lustini, now Pope Peter II, be that evil pope that many of the faithful had dreaded for so long? What had this conclave unleashed upon the world? Only time would tell…
Chapter 5
Emergency session after emergency session took place at the United Nations. How had this global holocaust happened, and what must be done to ensure that world war could never occur again? It was agreed that two root causes lay at the bottom of the disaster: the existence of nuclear weapons and the inability of the UN to deal forcefully with international disputes.
With all the spiritual soul-searching that had been triggered by the unprecedented global disaster, it was suggested that spiritual answers were needed as urgently as political ones. As a result, the world’s foremost religious leader, Pope Peter II, was invited to address the opening session of this year’s General Assembly of the United Nations. Many of the world’s heads-of-state were in attendance. They came looking for answers for their people and the world.
As Pope Peter II stood resplendent in his white papal robes behind the podium, every delegate from each of the 189 member nations hoped against hope that this spiritual leader could supply an answer that had evaded the world’s best statesmen since the formation of the UN in 1945.
“National leaders, United Nations delegates, and all peace-loving people around the world, I stand before you with a grieving heart. World War I was called the Great War because it claimed eight million victims—a level of slaughter never before witnessed on the face of the earth at that time. United States President Woodrow Wilson championed the creation of the League of Nations in the hope of creating a structure for world governance, which would ensure that the Great War was the last war. As you know, the forces of isolationism that worshiped at the shrine of national sovereignty aborted this noble idea before it could be born.
