John Lyman - House of Acerbi

“He might talk to me. I felt like we had some kind of rapport when we met with him at his house in Foix.”

“We’re under the opinion that’s too risky right now. I’ve been discussing it with some of my advisors, and the more we think about it, the more we’re beginning to think that this whole business with Rene was just a trial run. Someone or something wanted to see how we would react when we thought we were facing the Antichrist, and we acted just as they predicted … with guns and bullets.”

“But at the time …”

“This is spiritual warfare, Cardinal. Bullets and guns will be worthless in this fight. In fact, they serve only to keep us chained … slaves to evil. Warfare between men has always played right into Satan’s hand.”

“Then what are you suggesting we use instead, Your Holiness?”

“We have only prayer, Leopold, nothing else. Our prayers are our shields and our spears, for they hold more power than all the weapons in the world. This is a battle between God and Satan, and mankind is the ultimate prize. Some will seek Satan’s way and some will seek God’s, but let there be no mistake, now is the time to choose sides.”

The pope turned left and walked quickly down a side hall toward the Sistine Chapel, where dozens of cardinals were waiting. Just as they reached the door, Leo held his hand out in front of the pope. “What are you up to, Marcus?”

“You’ll see, old friend … you’ll see. Just stay by my side.”

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.”