Pope Francis I Crusader and Knight of Christ

By Joachim Kempin

Curious how Pope Francis I might be compelled to modernize the Catholic Church?

Then this work of fiction is for you!

Faced with a widening river of disappearing souls and mountains of unsettled legal challenges, Francis is facing his life's ultimate challenge: enticing the modern man anew to follow God's word. Surrounded by reform-defiant cardinals and hopelessly stuck in century-old dogmatic muck, he desperately turns to his Jesuit brotherhood for help.

Grittily determined, he commands them t

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Feb 12, 2015
• ISBN: 9781634175197

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Copyright © 2015 Joachim Kempin

All rights reserved

First Edition

PAGE PUBLISHING, INC.

New York, NY

First originally published by Page Publishing, Inc. 2015

ISBN 978-1-63417-516-6 (pbk)

ISBN 978-1-63417-517-3 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

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Disclaimer: This is a work of pure fiction. All names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a completely fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or events or locals is entirely coincidental.

—The Author

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To my wonderful wife Molly, who inspired me to write this book, and my friends Karl S., Peter M. and Tom K., who kept me going and helped me on and off, shaping its content.

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Prelude

It took him nearly until dawn to fall asleep. Now the frail and white-haired man stirs. Awaking a few moments later just after the sun has fully come up, he feels exhausted. Every bone in his body hurts. At his age less than two hours of sleep, during a whole night, just does not cut it any longer. Lying on his back he stares for a while at the white ceiling. He feels empty, nearly haunted. Hoping to escape his worrisome reflections, he gets up.

When picking up his glasses from his antique night stand he spots the small silver crucifix adorning it. Staring at Christ’s shining image makes him immediately fall onto his knees. Covered by his wrinkled white nightgown, the old fellow makes the sign of the cross and starts praying quietly to his God. Please answer me!

Over fifteen minutes go by. Not receiving the desired response, despite his endless devotion and reaching out to the Almighty, the wretched man slowly gets up. He has called upon him, with utter desperation nights on end, for months and months. He will need to try again. Another frustrating night, he deplorably deduces.

After using the bathroom he wanders, deep in thought, through his over six-thousand-square-feet large apartment. A very plush and comfortable place located right in the heart of the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace.

Faithful Catholics call this vexed eighty-five-year-old His Holiness or their Holy Father. The College of Cardinals elected him nearly eight years ago to lead them. Now he is struggling with making a grave decision concerning his future and that of the Roman Catholic Church as a whole.

For several months Pope Benedict XVI has been contemplating, and pushing off what personal fate, to choose for himself what direction to adopt. Concerned about his own legacy, he fears deeply that he might have to disappoint his flock.

Never doubting his allegiance, he has turned to his God for help. After continuously and humbly trying to connect, he has become deeply disturbed and distressed. The one he is faithfully serving and counting on is not tending to him.

No longer experiencing the close communion he has been accustomed to all his life has worn him out. A void has opened. Didn’t his devout service deserve a divine signal rather sooner than later? His eighty-sixth birthday is coming up next month. Is time running out for me? he is asking himself.

Wholeheartedly this proud and steadfast man, in the matters of faith, agreed shouldering, in April of 2005, the burden of being il Papa.¹ The highest and most glorious position the Roman Catholic Church has to offer. With it came the ultimate power over a community of over one billion faithful. Considered the largest homogeneous group of Christians in the world.

Did he underestimate the responsibility and accountability accompanying that powerful office? Or had he just been unlucky when accepting the position at a most daring time in its history?

His pontificate has been a very difficult one from the start. He found himself having to repair a broken church left behind by his popular but illness-weakened predecessor, John Paul II.

An organization shaken by numerous scandals. It needed to be governed and cleansed from bad apples and the foul stench of corruption.

Not acting decisively enough, people soon started questioning his leadership. As a result he experienced a multitude of defiance. The liberal press even dared to call for his resignation.

The bishop of Rome, elected for life, to quit? Inconceivable!

The cardinals who elected him assumed that he would fit the bill and the shoes of a charismatic crusader. Reenacting trust and inspirations in the name of God was indeed his declared mission. A task this well-meaning dreamer of a pope had an arduous time to master.

In 1981 his predecessor had appointed him prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, regarded as the third most coveted and powerful position in the Roman Curia² right after the secretary of state’s rank.

The institution he from thereon led was founded nearly five hundred years ago with the sole purpose of guarding and defending Catholic doctrine. Originally nicknamed the Holy Inquisition, its office holder is considered the official enforcer of Catholic teachings. As such he yields broad influence over church policies and canon law.

Chosen to be that type of a person was quite a fit for this German-born obedience freak, as his enemies characterized him. As they expected he soon clamped down on dissidents and punished them mercilessly. Gaining him a quite questionable reputation that will follow him into his grave.

A man in the right place at the right time as he looked at as himself and his actions then. In 2002 the top cardinals of the Catholic Church agreed and rewarded him by naming him dean of the College of Cardinals. Pope John Paul II confirmed their selection emphatically. A more or less ceremonial title. Nevertheless it made him officially primus inter pares of all cardinals.

This unprecedented amalgamation of leadership ranks worked like a charm for then-cardinal Ratzinger. Yielding vast influence and so much power inside the curia dialed up his chances of being il Papa one day. Regarded as a close, if not the closest, confidant of the pontiff fostered his destiny further.

When the nearly inescapable happened he promised the world to continue his predecessor’s good work. Right along the same conservative lines. A happy man, he was back then! Now reality has caught up with him.

After getting dressed, he rings a small bronze bell resting on his night table, summoning his butler. He asks him to make some strong German-style coffee and commands him to invite Cardinal Tarticio Bertone, the Vatican’s secretary of state, for an afternoon consultation. The rest of the morning he spends preparing for a public audience with the faithful, which is traditionally held every Wednesday, around 10:30 a.m. local time, in St. Peter’s Square.

The visitor he is expecting afterwards is considered the second most powerful man in the Roman Curia. Benedict appointed him to this post in 2006 and one year later named him camerlengo, the cardinal responsible for all properties and revenues of the Holy See. Hardly can you concentrate more power in any one member of the papal administration.

Bertone came through the ranks from the Salesian Youth Movement, an ultraconservative group engaged in youth education. He is an old friend and confidant of the pope. Together they once coauthored The Message of Fatima, a document the Vatican published in 2000. It contains a scanned image of a holy message, the so-called third secret of Fatima, for which both drew heavy criticism, as experts began to seriously question its authenticity.

Ever since Benedict trusts Bertone. Being a reliable administrator, the cardinal never disappointed him. Quite the opposite. Over time he gave him lots of reasons, appreciating his unquestionable loyalty and professionalism. The rivalry between them, as some journalists speculated, de facto never existed.

In Benedict’s opinion, his secretary of state dealt with the delicate affairs of the Holy See not only effectively, but also quietly and tactfully. In particular with the worldwide child abuse scandals and several Vatican Bank–related corruption and money laundering cases. Mastering to keep a lid on all these shameful discoveries was, in Benedict’s opinion, one of the secretary’s greatest accomplishments.

The liberal press disagreed, and so did many of the faithful. For the outside world, Bertone’s secretive style reflected more upon the pontiff than on his own character.

Benedict wasn’t bothered by what the press opined. He was content having such a strong front man working for him. Shielding some of the truth to help the church’s reputation was exactly what he expected. Despicable or not, the Vatican had done so for centuries. Why change now?

Walking over to the papal quarters that afternoon, Bertone tries to anticipate what the Holy Father might want to discus with him, besides yet another scandal. Even in his position, a tête-à-tête with the pontiff is a rare event. After passing all security screens, the pope’s butler lets him into the inner sanctum.

Benedict embraces him and says, Eminence, I feel that you are the only human who I can truly trust!

Recognizing that he is now alone with the pontiff, Bertone answers, Holy Father, your praise honors me way beyond my utmost expectations. Please allow me joining you in a prayer.

At the end of their devout moment, the pope blesses him and gets to the business at hand. I called on you today to help me make a most, if not the most, important decision I have ever faced in my life. I am asking myself if I should resign. You are the first, and only one, knowing about this for now.

This comes at a total shock to me, Holy Father. We have weathered many storms, implemented important reforms, and are on the verge of rebuilding trust. With God’s help we are in the middle of reorganizing the church and the Vatican Bank. Please have the strength to see this through!

I have consulted God for some time in this matter. Sadly I cannot decipher his responses. You and I have made undeniable progress, transforming the church and the curia. A lot of outsiders nevertheless continue disagreeing with us.

Holiness, you need to carry your cross to the bitter end like your admirable predecessor did. You are our leader, who was elected to right our ship. The two of us stemmed the tide and defrocked already more than four hundred despicable, child-molesting priests. Their abuses left deep scars in our community. They have begun to heal. Therefore I plead with you to trust in God. He will help you to recover your inner might!

I thank him daily in my prayers, Eminence. But dare to say to you that somebody else might be more qualified and venerable to carry on. That is how deeply unsettled I am, my friend.

Holy Father, are you concerned about a court case relating to certain Vatican Bank transactions, which could potentially implicate both of us?

Cardinal, this could stain our legacy.

Rest assured, it will never come that! answers Bertone emphatically.

Now that you understand what I am contemplating, let me ask you, am I serving God and the faithful well enough?

Holy Father, you are a very brave man, who paved the way forward. You are my hero. After pausing a bit, Bertone continues, I hope that you have not made a final decision.

Eminence, I have not. I wanted to get some advice from you. At the end this will be between me and the Almighty.

There is one other issue I would like to touch upon, answers Bertone. I have heard a rumor about you owing the Jesuits. Will that in any way or form influence your decision?

Who told you so, Cardinal?

Holy Father, we both know that the walls in this part of the city have many ears and eyes.

Smirking Benedict responds, I know you are a protégé and close friend of Cardinal Maradiaga.

"Holy Father, be assured he never told me anything specific. I encourage you to stay on. You are the faithful’s beloved il Papa. No need to look back. How can anybody really harm the mighty bishop of Rome?"

Thank you for consoling and reasoning with me, Eminence. Tonight I will visit the Sistine Chapel and pray. I hope that God will hear and strengthen me and show me the best way forward. Whatever happens next, please promise to stay in touch.

Holiness, I will pray for you tonight. May God bless and enlighten you!

Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel, covered with all the frescoes he once painted, is truly the holiest Catholic place in the world. No better abode for any pope when reaching out to the Lord!

When hearing of his nightly plan, the pope’s secretary informs the top Vatican museum official, who proposes to build an impromptu altar for the night. Right in the middle of this famous and most beautifully adorned place!

Soon thereafter a team of experts remove St. Peter’s statue from his cathedral. They put it on a wooden altar stand and surround it with freshly cut flowers and several holy relics, intending to please and inspire the Holy Father’s spirit for that faithful encounter.

After entering the chapel and admiring the adornments for a while, the pontiff soon falls on his knees. Before he starts praying with all his heart, he looks up facing one of Michelangelo’s masterpieces, The Last Judgment. Whoever positioned the makeshift dais this way must have had some foresight. Will he appear in all his glory and bring his angels with him when I reach out to him? goes through his perceptive mind.

After praying in a crunched down position for nearly half an hour, tears start running down his cheeks. His body is sweating profoundly as he is eagerly trying to connect with his Lord. Not getting a response right away, he eventually winds up lying on the chapel’s cold tiles, flat on his belly. His left and right arms are stretched out forming a perfect cross, signaling submissive surrender and piety to the divine.

Praying quietly and intensively in that awkwardly tight position for nearly another hour, he feels drained and expended. Stiff and unable to move, he calls out for the nearby Swiss Guard. Positioned just outside the doors two of the guardsmen immediately rush to his side aiding him to slowly get up. After giving St. Peter’s statue and the powerful image of the Almighty in Michelangelo’s fresco a last, long look, he lowers his head, crucifies himself, and quietly leaves the holy place, at last at peace with himself.

Only he knows what really happened in this candlelit chamber. Did he after all connect, and did his struggle culminate in finding the desired answer?

A long time thereafter Benedict tells Bertone in confidence that God made his presence known. He did not speak directly to him. Instead the angel Seraphiel suddenly appeared and whispered into his ear, You have served God well. He suffers with you! Let the welfare of his holy church guide your decision.

The cardinal wants to believe his story. But the old tactician questions if the disillusioned and worn-out old man might have just wanted to cover his back by reporting such a mystical appearance. Only he knows.

The following Monday, out of the blue, the Roman Catholic Church announces Benedict’s resignation.

Cardinal Bertone is in shock and feels that a rug is being pulled away from underneath him. He has lost his benefactor.

Understanding what has been left unfinished, he thinks, His sudden departure was either cowardly or gutsy. The urgent and overdue reform initiatives are left for his successor to complete. History will tell if Benedict’s resignation might become his sole legacy.

His second thought focuses on electing a new pope and the conclave he will have to be part of organizing. Having been elected dean of the College of Cardinals a year earlier, he is now considered primus inter pares. Doesn’t that make him a prime candidate?

It worked for Benedict.

Change means opportunity, he muses. Be cheerful. This might turn out very much to my own advantage!

Chapter 1

Today Friar Bartolommeo’s eyes are glued to a TV monitor residing in his office at the Church of Gesù. It serves as headquarter of the Jesuit order and is located in Rome just outside the thick walls of Vatican City.

This normally hardworking sixty-year-old man is quite aware that he is not attending to his duties with his normal zeal. It makes him feel a bit guilty. He is the admonitor for the father general of the Jesuit order and advises him in all matters of the faith.

His justification for staring at the small inset within the regular newscast display is quite simple. One day earlier, on March 12, 2013, a conclave consisting of 115 Roman Catholic cardinals assembled in the Sistine Chapel to elect the next pontiff.

Like the rest of the world, he wonders how many secret ballots it might take to reach the two-third majority needed to vote the next pontiff into office and, most notably, who will it be.

All TV cameras broadcasting what he is currently watching have remained focused at length on to a boring-looking, grayish-yellow chimney on top of Michelangelo’s glorious building. Herein the cardinals are still sequestered. Over the last thirty-six hours, four times small puffs of black smoke appeared from there. Not the signal the world was yearning for.

The sudden appearance of white smoke in the late-afternoon hour ends the agonizing waiting game. The signal from God, as Bartolommeo calls this white hue, has at last arrived.

Joy replaces tension. A reason for all faithful to celebrate—in particular for the numerous pilgrims who have camped out in the square for endless hours. Despite the pouring rain, thousands begin folding their umbrellas and sink on their knees.

Bartolommeo can hear them praying with all their hearts. Like them he aches to see the newly elected bishop of Rome, who will soon occupy the chair of St. Peter. And this time hopefully for life crosses the friar’s mind.

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam! he spontaneously cries out as he rushes, spreading what he just witnessed. "Father General, white smoke!"

The man he is so eager to inform is his boss, Adolfo Nicolás Pachón, the seventy-nine-year-old superior general of the Society of Jesus. He thinks of this trim and athletic-appearing man as a cool customer.

His enemies call him the black pope because of the mind-blowing authorities the Catholic Church bestows on the person holding that particular office.

Did he win? instantly flashes through Adolfo’s calculating mind!

It has been a long and painful eight years to watch the once-glorious Roman Catholic Church continuing its downfall under Benedict’s regime. A most agonizing journey for this devoted servant of God to live through!

Stopping that trend sooner, rather than later, for him solely depends on the person elect. As a Jesuit, he has somebody specific in mind. Suppressing any excitement, Adolfo turns his head toward the messenger.

"Who is the new il Papa?"

Hearing his businesslike tone, the friar shrugs his shoulder and says humbly, Let’s irrespectively join in prayers!

Adolfo stares in disbelief. He immediately grabs his iPhone, dials a secret number, and sends a one letter text message: ?

He has his spies everywhere even and in particular at this very moment in the Sistine Chapel, where no phones are allowed.

He has to wait for several minutes before receiving an answer. It feels like eternity. Finally, Francis.

His secret hopes have been fulfilled! God has answered his endless prayers. He can’t help it. His face explodes into a big, joyful grin. Sudden tears run down his cheeks. Parallel an inner feeling of enervation overcomes him.

Nearly unconscious and induced by what he experiences as divine will, eyes closed Adolfo slowly sinks to his knees, joining his admonitor. No words or looks are exchanged. Both men grasp with an overwhelming awe that only a direct signal from God can trigger.

Adolfo’s thoughts wander back to the circumstances surrounding his own election to father general in 2008. Health was only one reason why his predecessor quit. Like his forerunner, Friar Arrupe, he resigned because he was fed up with the Roman Curia, and then Cardinal Ratzinger³ in particular.

These lesions, all Jesuits then deeply felt, will now be able to heal. Lastly, after nearly five hundred years, an inconceivable miracle has just occurred.

A favorite brother out of their own ranks has finally, as the first Jesuit, ever reached the top of the church’s ladder, breaking the European stranglehold on the papacy. Long live and God bless Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio from Argentina, his deep-rooted and intimate soul mate who has, as only Adolfo knew in advance, chosen Francis I as his new papal name.

For him and Bartolommeo, this ultimate election outcome is no coincidence. It was won with hard exertions by an elite cadre of the Jesuit brotherhood. The two gentlemen, now wholly lost in intense and joyful prayers, were deeply involved in making this seemingly impossible dream come through.

Meticulously executing every single aspect of a well-engineered election campaign fortunately paid off! Now they feel at ease and spend.

A novel instance in history which cries for uniting the enormous powers of the black and the white pope, Adolfo contemplates. A blissful opportunity to mold the church along Jesuitical ideals and principles! Let’s rejuvenate the church by strengthening its weakened underpinning and stop the lapsing of souls.

Finally we can attempt this! For the glory of God, and shame on anybody who looks at this concurrence as a conspiracy-driven coup d’état! Instead people need to see the sanctioning of this amalgamation of might as God’s gift!

It is no twist of fate that these two men are praying together. Bartolommeo, like Adolfo, was elected by a Jesuit congregation for life. A trusted advisor whom Adolfo is obliged to consult with by law on all legal and moral issues concerning the Jesuit order.

Like most Jesuits, both are well-educated scholars, proficient in canon law, and well accustomed with Catholic teachings. Both are gray haired and of medium build, wearing their typical black Jesuit suits and shirts. Only their extended white collars on top signal that both men are indeed ordained Catholic priests by profession.

Jesuits to be precise, the best the Roman Catholic Church has to offer! Its elite. Or God’s marines—as some less friendly or fearful people call them.

After the pair gets back on their feet, the two men muse about the implications this election might have for the church and their society. They soon conclude that a long and difficult reformative road is ahead of them, a journey full of obstacles demanding utmost fervor and vigor from each of them and, not to forget, the newly elected pontiff.

Right after his admonitor leaves, Adolfo uses his secure private line to call Friar Federico Lombardi, a Jesuit brother-in-arms and since several years, head of the Vatican Press Office.

Father Federico, Adolfo speaking. He has won!

After a small pause, Lombardi answers him, I am not surprised that you know this already. Father General, I am delighted. I am sure you are as well!

"Let me repeat what Bartolommeo just said to me. It describes exactly how I feel. ‘Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam.’ Seriously we need you to execute plan Assisi.⁴ This is why we put you into your current position."

I agree, and I am thankful that I am at the right time in the right place to serve the order.

Execute meticulously! Feed the press hounds and the public the positive info we prepared for this situation.

With a twinkle in his eyes, Federico Lombardi responds, Trust me, Father General, I will. You can rely on my well-oiled holy propaganda machine.

Chuckling, Adolfo responds, Thank you, Father, I should have known better. Bless you in the name of God!

Before Bartolommeo leaves Adolfo’s office, he switches on the TV monitor so Adolfo can follow the ongoing proceedings. He now sees that all cameras in St. Peter’s Square are trained onto and all eyes are fixed upon the papal balcony.

The over two hundred thousand assembled are waiting impatiently for the traditional papal blessing. More umbrellas are being folded. Who cares about a downpour? Long live the pope!

The guessing game has started. Who will it be?

The anticipation and tension of the crowd is approaching a boiling point. Adolfo smiles and uses the time, while the crowd awaits the new pontiff’s arrival, to reflect.

His thoughts drift back to his own career advancement. He got elected to lead the Jesuit order after his predecessor, Father Peter-Hans Kolbenbach, in 2008 suddenly resigned. Kolbenbach was only the second superior general to ever do so.

A person holding that position is elected for life. Health reasons were cited for Kolbenbach’s sudden departure. Frail and old as he indeed was and having just experienced a severe heart attack, the public believed the official story, and journalists moved on. The Jesuits knew better.

When Benedict XVI resigned to make room for Francis I, the journalistic world immediately speculated! Most faithful, feeling somewhat spiritually volatile after being temporary deprived of papal care, were simply shocked! The ones not particularly liking the old fellow felt relief and hoped for a better man.

Sure the Germanic-born pontiff, like Kolbenbach, looked stressed. For most people, he nevertheless seemed fit enough to continue.

In a health wise worse situation, his predecessor, John Paul II, had given a splendid example of how to carry the cross while suffering for the Catholic cause. God eventually had mercy with the Parkinson’s-stricken old man and allowed him to proceed to heaven. Most believers therefore consider him a hero, and some are already calling him a saint!

Benedict’s sudden abduction had just a less believable foundation. The faithful considered it as a broken promise—a betrayal. Even some cardinals like George Pell from Australia chimed in criticizing his abrupt departure.

They all remained curious of how he had arrived at that fatal decision, a secret Adolfo hopes he will take with him into his grave.

His remembrance gets interrupted when Pope Francis I suddenly appears on the papal balcony overlooking the square. As he greets the crowd, volcanic cheers erupt. He has to wait several minutes before he is able to address the all-outgoing pilgrims and spectators.

Adolfo is surprised how fast the new pontiff showed up at the loggia decked with scarlet red cloth. Normally, after the final election result is pronounced, the anointed one mingles in the Sistine Chapel with his electorate for quite some time, thanking the cardinals personally and making sure that all of them see him as their divine leader—even the ones who did not vote for him.

Did he set a new standard by rushing out early and putting his flock first? Now clad in a white chasuble, he makes an imposing figure. This relatively tall-looking and medium-built man wearing spectacles appears to be all joy and smiles. This humble padre from Argentina blesses the outgoing pope emeritus first before asking the assembly in the square to bless him.

Then he returns the favor: Benedictio Dei Omnipotentis: Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti, descendat super vos et maneat semper.⁵

The crowd goes wild and does so with vigor. A novel beginning indeed.

This man is just not following protocol, Adolfo thinks. For several minutes he listens to Francis’s homily. One of his phrases resonates with him: Cuius cor est plena misericordia nos Pater diligit.⁶

Will this set the tone for his papacy?

He soon concludes that his friend is off to a very good start. Will he make real history and get the church back on track? That is what counts most for him. As a high-ranking and mighty, influential church leader, he has to be concerned. The man preceding him set a bad example.

The longer his tenure lasted, the more it got riddled with conflicts and controversies. Always concerned with pastoral care, the Jesuits felt that he was personally responsible for eroding the church’s base. They blamed him for his secret dealings. It made retaining—forget attracting—church members a mission impossible. Even the loyal National Catholic Register concluded that he therefore caused the largest institutional crisis in Catholic history.

The ongoing discoveries of hundreds more sex abuse scandals accelerated the lapsing of souls. Protecting pedophiles and rapists by burying allegations against them deep inside the well-guarded iron storage vaults of the Vatican and, on the face of it, letting them rot there enraged the public at large.

Benedict’s refusal to accept criticism personally or on behalf of the church even led to accusations of criminal complicity. Dealing with the charges of corruptions within the Vatican Bank internally and behind the curtains angered the finance world. A threat loomed that the courts might act upon that. A horrible record for his legacy!

Suddenly the phone rings in Adolfo’s residence. Deep in thought, he shrugs it off.

The person eventually picking it up is his doorman, who hears a nonchalant and serene voice saying:

Buon Giorno, sono il Papa Francesco, vorrei parlare con il Padre Generale.⁷

The doorman’s short answer: Which would mean that I am the emperor of China!

Even more softly, nearly singing, the voice on the other end returns, "Seriously, this is the pope. What is your name?"

Suddenly alert and realizing that he might have made a grave mistake, potentially threatening his job, the doorman hesitantly and nervously responds, Holy Father, my name is Mauricio.

Can I speak with Father Adolfo?

More than a bit shell-shocked, Mauricio immediately connects him with Bartolommeo, who is as astonished that the pontiff is calling personally. Recognizing his voice immediately and commending him