Episode Two continued
A righteous rage echoed in Clement's voice, his gestures animated, as he carried on. "Do you realize dear Brethren of the Electorate that the Savior's prophecy in chapter 24 of Matthew's Gospel, verse 15 has occurred and We were none the wiser? Or were We? That is a question We ask each of you to ponder and resolve. Realize that God has allowed this exile from the roots of the Faith, allowed Us to wander far from Him in the same manner He reminded His chosen people of the Old Covenant of the consequences - dire consequences of sin - when they strayed. We have strayed greatly. We seek to be reconciled with the Father, Son and Holy Ghost - One God in Three Persons. However, we can only try the patience of the Almighty so far; there are consequences, severe and infernal consequences for presuming on His mercy. While He is all merciful, He is all just as well. We advise all to strongly remember that truth."
The Pontiff's words were penetrating hearts and consciences. People the world over were searching their own souls. Perhaps, from this day forward more would strive to be a little more considerate, a little more Christ-like. One could always pray.
"We also advise and encourage all who can to avail yourselves of the Holy Sacrifice and to do penance in reparation for the sins against God. Pray for the holy souls in the Church Suffering. We also ask and strongly urge all ordained to make themselves available at any time during the day or night to hear Confession, and to institute with utmost prudence and reverence Perpetual Adoration of the Holy Eucharist, confected during the Latin Canon, and providing afterwards accessible time and space for the faithful to spend with Christ truly present in the Blessed Sacrament on the altar. We must all figuratively clothe ourselves in sackcloth and ashes and ask mercy, falling upon our knees as we say with the centurion, 'Domine, non sum dignus, ut intres sub tectum meum: sed tantum dic verbo, et sanabitur anima mea.'
"Like the centurion of Christ's time, all mankind is unworthy in the presence of the Infinite; none more unworthy than We. None do We chastise more than Ourselves," Clement confessed. "We exclaim with David from Psalter 67: 'Me expectaverunt peccatores, ut perderent me; testimonia tua, Domine, intellexi'.' We shudder in fright the acknowledgment that We failed to take or keep the holy Oath prescribed for Us and all our Predecessors. Therefore We decree henceforth forevermore, the holy Oath shall and must be taken; pronounced and kept by every Successor to the Apostolic See at the Coronation ceremony. He shall do so after receiving both the Triregno tiara and symbolic pallium. This tradition We order be revived immediately for We, and Our recent and immediate Predecessors, have failed to fulfill this holy Oath. Woe be to us for indeed, We cry, be merciful to Us, Lord, for We have failed You in not protecting faithfully all that You revealed; We have failed You in allowing contradiction to the canonical order and the divine ordinances of Heaven, We have failed You in not adhering to what the first councils and Our predecessors from Peter on have proclaimed. Because We have permitted vagaries to filter in and blur the absolutes as passed down, We realize Thou mayest not be merciful to Us on the dreadful day of divine justice. We cast Ourselves on Our knees for Our blasphemous ventures. We are not worthy of Christ's mercy, yet We plead for it and vow to do all in Our power to right the wrongs."
His Holiness took a deep breath. "It is no secret that the state of the world continues to deteriorate. Yet, We, and Our recent and immediate Predecessors, sought earthly means to stem the tide, to compromise with mammon. It cannot be. The peace of man cannot be without the Peace of God. Therefore, to implore the Almighty to have mercy and reverse the trend to totalitarianism, We hereby command and order all Patriarchs, Primates, Archbishops, and Bishops in communion with the Apostolic See to Rome so that We --." A sharp pain seared through the Holy Father's chest, preventing him momentarily from completing the sentence as Dr. Ghislieri rushed to his side, greatly alarmed.
All in the room and those the world over whose attention was now totally fixed on this frail, dying man held their collective breath. They knew in their hearts he was dying. How much longer? Ghislieri whispered something to an assistant, but Clement weakly gestured no. "I must finish, Giuseppe."
It seemed like a moment - a pregnant moment no less - before Clement continued with more visible difficulty, but picking up right where he left off as though bid directly by Heaven. "Or the next Sovereign Pontiff to succeed Us, upon His coronation can also, in union with all the Patriarchs, Primates, Archbishops, and Bishops of the world, consecrate Russia to the Most Holy Mother of God's Immaculate Heart as the private revelations of Fatima have urged for nearly a century. Indeed, these were prophetic signs to the Church and the world from none other than Theotokos, and We, and Our recent and immediate Predecessors, chose to suppress, even alter the warnings from Heaven. This is another of the areas of tradition We, and Our recent and immediate Predecessors, have been greatly and stubbornly deficient. No more! If the world desires peace, true peace, and we all do, then it can only be ushered in by doing as the Blessed Virgin has instructed and Heaven ordains - specifically consecrating Russia to the Immaculate Heart so that her errors spread no further and in the end, true to Our Holy Lady's promise: in the end her Immaculate Heart will triumph.
"It could very well have triumphed prior to now and preserved us from this terrible chastisement we must face had we heeded Heaven's plea. Because of these grave transgressions committed by Us, and Our recent and immediate Predecessors, We feel unworthy to hold such an august office, to direct the flocks for indeed We have become the very one Jesus addressed in Matthew 16: 23 when He rebuked Our first Sovereign Successor - the holy Peter, 'Go behind Me, Satan, thou art a scandal unto Me; because thou dost not relish the things that are of God, but the things that are of men.' In deference to such weakness and dereliction, We join Peter in our wretchedness. Like Peter, we despair not but fall upon Our knees in penitence before Our Lord and Savior and ask Him to save Us, to guide us in guiding others. Therefore, We still enforce our final decree of all that has been said here. Therefore, We, in the tradition of Our Predecessors of Tridentine times, direct that printed copies of this same edict signed by a notary public and made official by an ecclesiastical dignitary possess the same indubitable validity everywhere and in every nation, as if Our manuscript were shown there. Therefore, no one whosoever is permitted to alter this notice of Our permission, statute, ordinance, command, precept, grant, indult, declaration, will, decree, and prohibition, and should know that he will incur the wrath of Almighty God and of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul."
The Holy Father took a deep breath. The Cardinal Electors all assumed the Pope had finished as they moved uneasily in their sedilia. One could hear a pin drop. The silence was broken as Clement XV unexpectedly continued, clarifying further all he had uttered.
"We realize these measures are drastic and it will take much sacrifice on the part of the clergy and all the faithful in the Church Militant to adapt back to the ways of the Holy Roman Church. So, too, might the threat of schism once again raise its despicable head. So be it, even though, as Our Predecessor Pius XII stated in Mystici Corporis Christi in 1943, 'For not every sin, however grave it may be, is such as of its own nature to sever a man from the Body of the Church, as does schism or heresy or apostasy.' As severe as this is, it is better to cut off a member of the body than to destroy the entire body, no matter how diminutive the remnant whole may dwindle to; Christ will build it back up in His time, but now it must be cleansed, purified and the weeds cast into the thresher.
"It will take time and toil to rebuild, to rekindle the spark that fostered and inspired the origins of so many religious orders, the charisms of which have been lost in this new age of accommodating sin. Many have never known the Latin tongue. We urge an emphasis on the basic education of this Romance language in all curriculums. We realize for many it will take several generations to recover the culture of Catholicism. While to many indoctrinated in the ways of the reforms of the Second Vatican Oecumenical Council, this action may be exorbitant, We assure you it is very, very necessary for the life of the Church and Her flocks."
His Holiness cleared his throat, coughing to such a degree that Cardinal Bondi brought another glass of water and Dr. Ghislieri tended to the Pope's needs, as nervous Cardinals throughout the room did the same, many sipping from the water glasses at each station, quite possibly by swallowing they could better hide the lump in their throats.
"Wherefore, We repeat the dire necessity for Us and all of Christendom to heed the Apostle Paul's admonition given to the Galatians, 'But though we, or an Angel from Heaven, preach a gospel to you beside that which we have preached to you, let him be anathema.' So crucial was this warning, that Paul repeated himself, 'As we said before, so I say now again: If any one preach to you a gospel, besides that which you have received, let him be anathema.' The crux of this is in the following passage in which he states quite clearly, 'For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? If I did yet please men, I should not be the servant of Christ.' Alas, We, and Our recent and immediate Predecessors, have not been the servants of Christ for We have sought, by Our most lamentable fault, to persuade men. Because of this grave, grave error, We are not worthy of the honors afforded Us.
"Because of Our lamentable fault, and because We know in our heart that Our time is at hand to stand before the Lord at Our Particular Judgment, We deem it wise for the Cardinal Electors gathered here to remain in Rome for nine more days, praying and petitioning Our dear Lord and asking His Blessed Mother Mary to intercede so that you may choose a worthy, holy successor to this Office. As one of Our final acts We also wish to reveal to you two of your own whom We had, for the good of souls everywhere, kept secret - in pectore - and who now, though quite possibly posthumously, we can reveal that His Eminence Donte Cardinal Baptista and His Eminence Fasif Cardinal Khadid are to be recognized as noble extraordinary Cardinal Bishops of the Church. Finally, for those venerable Brethren present, who have surpassed their 80th year, you are encouraged to stay the course. There is no longer an age restriction. Indeed, We profess that the wisdom of age should be utilized for they often can better hear the whispers of the Holy Ghost. That will be necessary for the Spirit wills for you to reconvene in this holy place on November 15, to elect the next Sovereign Pontiff."
Gasps escaped from every lung in the room, from millions watching around the world, from the thousands crowded in and around the reconfigured St. Peter's Square. Were they hearing right? Was the Pope announcing his own impending death? The answer came soon enough.
"We shall also leave it to Our successor to announce the Consecration of Russia and the next Consistory. After We depart these chambers, We humbly ask your prayers for Our soul that God will be merciful to Us, great sinners that We have been. His Grace Cardinal Mendoza will make a few other announcements. More that We have approved shall be forthcoming in the succeeding days in order for all to digest them wisely, and in segments of time. Therefore, nothing else is necessary to say at this juncture by Us, for, indeed it is time for Us to retreat into prayer, to make Our peace with God."
Pope Clement XV, who would, from this day forward, be known both as the 'last of the Vatican II Popes,' and the one who restored Christianity to the Church, was visibly weaker as he tried to hold his head up. The paralysis, that had plagued his body for many years and intensified during the 7-day exile, was now taking its total toll. Yet, he would finish what he began. "We care not how We will be remembered in history, only that We did not fail you in the last hour, that We will be able to retrieve the lost souls from the precipice, including Our own. We pray for the poor souls annihilated not only on the Field of Abraham in Iraq, but all lost souls over the last century, one in which Satan has claimed more than his share. Enough! Our soul will not rest until it rests in God."
Clement had just a few minutes of life left, if that, as the beads of a death sweat beaded upon on his forehead. Dr. Ghislieri dabbed it, knowing all too well the signs as the Holy Father, with all the energy he could muster, was determined to finish this decree.
"In all perpetuity we command that no one whosoever is permitted to alter this notice of Our permission, statute, ordinance, command, precept, grant, indult, declaration, will, decree, and prohibition, and should know that he will incur the wrath of Almighty God and of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul."
The stamina had left him, as his voice grew weaker. "We hereby declare again, as Our final act, the abrogation of all Constitutions and Orders, Decrees, Councils, Bulls and Motu Proprios issued since 1958, and We declare completely null and void anything done or promulgated by any person, whatever his authority, knowingly or unknowingly, since the death of Pope Pius XII. in any way contrary to this Our Apostolic Decree. We utter with Christ: 'Feed My Sheep.'"
Noticeably weaker, Clement nodded to Mendoza who nodded to Gregory, who stepped forward. "I ask the messengers in the Communications Office to produce the official text that His Holiness might affix his Papal Seal to the official document of Lamentabili Culpa."
Within seconds, Pat had transferred the completed document from his Mirror Reflector card to Stephen's lazer printer and it shot out 7 pages on parchment paper. Handing it to Ogidi, Colin already had the door open. "We must make tracks, doctor. Let's fly."
Ogidi didn't say a word as both sped down the marble hall toward the Sistine Chapel.
Meanwhile, in the Sistine, Clement XV had been wheeled back around behind the table and rolled to the center for his one final act as Supreme Pontiff before God would call him home.
Shortly, panting heavily, Ogidi and Rembert arrived at the entrance to the Chapel. Captain Schuster took the document and proceeded quickly to the front, placing it on the table before the Holy Father.
This man who had tempted death's door more than once this past week, weaker from the rigors of this Papal decision, now stood in place at the threshold of expiration. Both doctors helped him stand erect as best they could while the dying Pontiff leaned on the sturdy arms of each. His Holiness was handed a pen, signing his name below the last paragraph on page 7. Then coming forward was Prince Elisio Borundici with a small container of melted red wax. Gently, Clement removed the Fisherman's Ring and dipped the embossed seal into the melted wax, then pressed firmly on the last page of the document.
Still standing, he looked out on the Assembly for the last time. "We hereby declare again, as Our final act, the abrogation of all Constitutions and Orders, Decrees, Councils, Bulls and Motu Proprios issued since 1962, and We declare completely null and void anything done or promulgated save for this document, by Us, and Our recent and immediate Predecessors, and any person, whatever his authority, knowingly or unknowingly, since the death of Pope Pius XII. Let nothing be done contrary to this Apostolic Constitution and the divine institution of the Holy Roman Church. Again, with Christ we proclaim: 'Feed My Sheep.'"
He slumped back into the wheelchair, almost totally expended, but still with enough energy to weakly say, "Finally, We ask you to also keep this wretched, sorrowful, and sinful Servant of the Servants of God in your prayers. I first entered this Assembly as a Cardinal a few years ago, I now leave for the final time a humbled soul at peace and ready to face my God. I proclaim and urge you with Christ: 'Feed My lambs.' Cor Jesu Sacratissimum, miserere nobis."
Clement XV had completed his mission on earth, nobly and with great heroic virtue at the final hour. No sooner than he had pronounced 'Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us,' life left him and he expired there in the hallowed halls of the Sistine Chapel. Ghislieri knew instantly the signal of death, the rattle alerted him. Suppressing a tear, he announced solemnly to Cardinal Julies Mendoza. "Il Papa morte."
The Dean of the College acknowledged the inevitable. With a sigh Mendoza moved forward and removed the Fisherman's Ring. He then placed the ring in the very cast-iron tray the Prince had been holding. The custom was to smash the Fisherman's Ring at the death of a Pope. This was to be done by the Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church. Since now there was no official Camerlengo, Mendoza could appoint the one to smash the ring. Julies chose Cardinal Zachmunn.
First however, as was the Roman custom, the Dean of the College took the small ceremonial hammer that had been at the ready on a velvet pillow. Gently, but firmly he tapped on the Holy Father's forehead three times to assure life had left him.
This accomplished, he handed the gold hammer to Gregory, who reluctantly brought it down upon the jeweled gold signet with great regret. The perfection of the ring's embossed seal shattered in countless pieces, scattered all around the cast-iron tray. Minuscule specks of the gold ring's face flying into the air, forming a fine mist. That would be the closest any one would come to seeing white smoke this day. But as the shredded fragments settled back to earth in a dust-like substance from the pounding, they seemed to resemble what had happened over the past 50 to 100 years. All that had been built up, had to be destroyed in order to rebuild. A new day would dawn.
Next: Part VI - The Unveiling SIXTEENTH CHAPTER - Episode Three
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