The Inca Prophecy (28 page)

‘So where does this leave the inquiry?’

‘A few moments ago, the majority leader Senator Mary Wheeler made a statement, and here’s a little of what she had to say.’ The vision switched to the elegant Democrat senator fronting a hastily called media conference in the panelled Senate committee room.

‘Our thoughts and prayers are with Ms Ellen Rodriguez that she might yet recover from these horrific injuries. As to the inquiry itself, it will not be suspended, as some in the media have suggested. There are a number of key witnesses who will be called before the Senate.’

‘Susan Murkowski, thank you. And now to the day’s main stories …’

Aleta, numbed by the news, rose and double-checked the room was locked.

Chapter 34

Cardinal Felici’s irritation was fuelled on a number of fronts. Ferdinando Sabatani, the Cardinal Secretary of State, had called a meeting of the Curia, which meant the urbane, articulate and well-respected Sabatani would be in the chair. What’s more, the meeting was being held in his suite of offices in the Apostolic Palace. Felici glanced around the huge polished oak table, scrutinising those who might be a threat. The prefects for the congregation of bishops, for Catholic education, for the clergy, for the causes of saints, for the oriental churches – all the key Vatican power-brokers were there. Felici was even more incensed by the agenda. There were only three items, but each of them was explosive: celibacy, contraception and sexual abuse.

‘I know how busy you all are,’ Sabatani began, ‘but this morning’s agenda is important. Put simply, my office is being bombarded with daily reports that the Holy Church is facing a
crisis on several levels around the world.’

‘That sounds unduly pessimistic, Ferdinando,’ Felici interrupted, determined to stamp his own authority on the meeting. ‘The latest statistics on my desk show that out of a population of seven billion, 1.2 billion are now Catholic, a healthy increase of around 10 per cent.’

‘I’ve seen those figures too, Salvatore,’ Sabatani replied evenly, ‘but that increase is over ten years, so in fact, it represents a paltry one per cent a year. But the most alarming statistic is the loss of priests. Hundreds of seminaries around the world are empty, and if we take the United States as an example, 90 per cent of its seminaries have closed. By 2020 the number of priests worldwide will have halved, and of those that remain, half will be seventy or older. And it’s even worse for the sisters. In a generation there will be very few nuns left and thousands of parishes will be without a priest.’

‘So what does that have to do with the agenda?’ Felici grumbled.

‘Two of the agenda items directly affect our ability to recruit new priests,’ Sabatani continued, unruffled. ‘And the issue of contraception is impacting on our congregations. Some time ago, the Holy Father asked me to prepare some discussion papers, and the purpose of this meeting is to give you prior warning. The papers in front of you will be circulated more widely over the coming months, and you will be given the opportunity to comment. All I ask is that you keep an open mind,’ Sabatani concluded, looking directly at Felici.

‘And in what direction do these papers point?’ Felici persisted, his anger rising.

‘They all refer to sensitive issues, Salvatore, and I would anticipate that, ultimately, the Holy Father will want a debate at a formal
consistory. I won’t go into detail, but the paper on celibacy examines whether or not allowing priests the option of marriage might address the problems of recruitment.’

‘That’s outrageous,’ Felici shot back. ‘Revoking our vows of celibacy would be nothing less than a fundamental betrayal of Christ!’

‘I think we should look at it,’ Cardinal Schäfer opined.

Felici glared at the prefect for the congregation of Catholic education. Felici had already allocated three stars out of a potential five to the young German cardinal and marked him on his list of contenders: Too young to be
papabile
– just turned fifty-four. Dangerous liberal views. Watch carefully.

‘Particularly since celibacy wasn’t even introduced until the Middle Ages. If priests are permitted to marry, that may have some very positive effects,’ Schäfer concluded, avoiding a direct reference to the sexual scandals enveloping the Church.

Sabatani nodded in agreement. ‘The other two issues are no less sensitive,’ he warned. ‘Some cardinals’ statements on contraception – alleging that condoms provide no protection against AIDS, for example – have been less than helpful,’ he emphasised. Some years earlier Cardinal Alfonso Trujillo, the president of the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for the Family, had infuriated scientists and the World Health Organization when he claimed the HIV virus would easily pass through a condom. Labelling condoms immoral, Trujillo proposed they should be branded as dangerous, along the same lines as smoking.

‘The AIDS pandemic has already killed more than twenty million people,’ Sabatani warned, ‘and it affects more than forty million worldwide. If we want to avoid ridicule, we should at least
acknowledge the scientific evidence that proves condoms reduce the risk of STDs by more than 90 per cent.’ Cardinal Sabatani paused to allow his fellow cardinals to challenge him, but he was greeted with silence.

‘The paper on contraception will also examine the plight of the desperately poor, who struggle to afford large families,’ he said. ‘As to the sexual abuse of children by some in the clergy, I think we need look no further than the cover-up in Ireland to realise how badly we’ve handled this. As of last week, the Irish government is now formally distancing itself from the Church, and there is no shortage of public support for the move. The paper on child abuse will advocate zero tolerance and excommunication for any priest guilty of sexual misdemeanours, no matter how minor. There will be a line in the sand.’

‘Meet Father Darragh McLoughlin,’ O’Connor said, coming out of the bedroom at the hotel in a full-length black cassock with a black sash and thirty-three buttons, symbolising the age of Christ at his death. O’Connor had assumed the same identity he’d successfully used in Iran, with an ecclesiastical twist. ‘How do I look?’

‘Frighteningly realistic,’ Aleta said, muting the television.

The Via dei Cestari and the nearby laneways were to religious shoppers in Rome as Fifth Avenue was to regular shoppers in New York. High-end boutiques like De Ritis, Barbiconi and the most famous tailor to the papal household of all, Gammarelli in Via di Santa Chiara, all provided a wide range of priestly garments.

‘Does this mean you’re celibate now?’ Aleta asked with a wicked smile.

‘I’m not planning to be that realistic … but as long as it gets me past the Swiss Guards and into the secret archives, this get-up will have served its purpose.’

The Swiss Guard on St Anne’s Gate snapped to attention as Felici’s black Mercedes, bearing the distinctive registration SCV 2, exited the Vatican. The traffic was heavy and a cacophony of scooter horns pierced the night as the Piaggios and Vespas weaved in and out, oblivious to the larger vehicles. Felici’s driver took the tunnel under the Tiber and moved on to the Lungotevere Tor di Nona on the east bank, before finally turning into Via dei Banchi Nuovi, where Felici’s apartment was. The location suited the cardinal admirably. Originally the Via dei Banchi Nuovi had been part of the papal road leading from the Vatican to the Lateran, and its elegance was only enhanced by the many palazzi owned by the powerful curial cardinals. Felici’s apartment was one of the Eternal City’s more luxurious, with priceless works of art hung in hallways, and reception rooms dominated by glittering crystal chandeliers. The Vatican museums contained many more works of art than there was space to display, and Felici’s apartment had become a private annex. The aura of power was only emphasised by a plethora of equally priceless sculptures and ancient pottery.

Felici found Sister Bridget waiting for him at the door.

‘You look tired, Eminence,’ she said, taking his cape. ‘Would
you care for a champagne before dinner?’

‘An excellent idea,’ Felici said, the trace of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

‘Jacquesson, 1988,’ Bridget declared, handing the cardinal a crystal flute. The House of Jacquesson had been in existence since 1798 and had provided champagne for Napoleon’s wedding. ‘You not only look tired, Eminence, you look worried,’ the sister observed perceptively as the chef announced a Breton terrine of lobster with a spicy tomato sauce. The pair moved into the smaller of the apartment’s two dining rooms, where a silver service for two had been laid out on an immaculate white-linen tablecloth.

Felici didn’t answer immediately. He held his delicate crystal flute up to the soft light of the dining room chandelier, appreciating the fine and persistent mousse of the Jacquesson.

‘The cancer has returned,’ he said finally.

‘Oh no.’ Sister Bridget put her hand to her mouth. ‘Dare I ask for the prognosis, Eminence?’

‘Very poor. Dr Rossi didn’t put it in as many words, but reading between the lines, I think the pontiff’s riddled with it,’ Felici said bluntly. ‘We shall know a little more in a few days after the biopsy reports, but I suspect that the time has come to consider his successor.’

‘I know it’s too early to be talking about a conclave, Eminence, but do you think they will elect an Italian this time around?’

‘We have to be practical about these things, and I’ve already given it some thought,’ Felici said, reflecting on the files he kept on his possible challengers. ‘This time, only 121 cardinals will be eligible to vote.’

There were 203 cardinal bishops, priests and deacons in the College of Cardinals, but in 1971, Pope Paul VI had issued an apostolic letter,
Ingravescentem Aetetem
, declaring that once a cardinal turned eighty he was ineligible to vote, which ruled out eighty-two very disgruntled octogenarians.

‘And at the outset, it’s possible to eliminate some, no matter how they might perceive their own standing,’ Felici opined. ‘Given the problems the Americans have experienced with sexual abuse, it’s very unlikely that a conclave would entertain a cardinal from the US.’

‘And that would make it difficult for the Irish too?’

Felici waited until the terrine of lobster was served. ‘They don’t have a candidate under eighty, and in any case, the Murphy and Cloyne reports will ensure that an Irishman is out of the question for many years to come.’ The investigations into sexual abuse of children by Catholic priests in Ireland went back decades, and the judicial inquiries had castigated the Irish bishops and priests for lying to authorities over allegations of sexual relations with children.

‘Are there any favoured candidates, Eminence?’ Bridget asked coyly.

‘Popes are said to be chosen by the Holy Spirit,’ Felici replied, a wry smile on his face, ‘but in reality, there will be the usual voting blocs jockeying for position, especially when the real state of the Pope’s health becomes public knowledge. Some are arguing that it is time we selected a Pope from one of the third-world countries. Their turn will come, but not yet.’

‘Arinze is one of those?’ Bridget had maintained her own black
book, watching both her own interests and those of her cardinal, and she rated the Nigerian cardinal highly.

‘Yes. He’s charming, witty … He’s probably the leading African contender, but he’s not getting any younger.’ Felici was rarely able to relax, but he was alone with Bridget, and this was one such evening. The sister had chosen a Château Mouton Rothschild to follow the champagne, and Felici savoured the luscious black currant and truffle flavours.

‘There are others, of course: Ouellet from Canada, Llovera from Spain, Schönborn from Austria, Bergoglio from Argentina, Hummes from Brazil …’ Felici reeled off a dozen names that he’d marked with either four or five stars. ‘But we need to protect the traditions and the reputation of the Church.’

‘I have a confession to make, Eminence,’ said Bridget demurely. ‘There is an online betting site …’

‘Ah, yes. Paddy Power. It’s good to see we’re up there with the horses and the golfers.’

‘They have odds of seven to four for an Italian as the next pope.’ Bridget’s smile was full of warmth. ‘Africa is at fifteen to eight, and the Americas are at nine to four. But the rest are out in double figures.’