Habebimus Papam

[Gunnland]

"Of course we must continue to proclaim Christ the king," Cardinal Stewart looked pointedly at the Beiran cardinal who presumed to call the Church a 'social institution,' "but it is true we will need to bring new energies, and new ways of organizing laymen to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century. You are right, Cardinal Passos."

Then Henry Stewart raised his eyebrows somewhat ominously. He sympathized with these politically savvy cardinals -- other politically savvy cardinals -- after all, but a good politician might looking for a true believer rather than a rival as Cardinal Secretary of State.

"It is a grave problem that so many, including, I wonder, some of our venerable brethren...?" (Cardinal Stewart did not have to name names.) "...view the Holy Church merely as a solution to the political evils of the world. A sad testament to... toda la confusión y el sufrimiento que causan los comunistas." He slightly bowed his head towards Cardinal Castelar. "But our war is ultimately against Satan, and not only those whom St. Paul calls the dark cosmocrats of this aeon. It is not politicking cardinals, but the Holy Ghost that will choose the pope best fit to carry this battle into our rapidly changing times." He crossed himself and left their company; if he was like a sphinx, or a fox, still his near-wink and nod betrayed his sympathy for their plans.

 

[Pelasgia]

Herzogenrode, Eiffelland

Patriarch Eleutherius III was a grey-haired, elderly man, of above average height for Pelasgians, placing him at a not too impressive height in the northern land he was visiting. A careful and considerate man by nature, he was far from stupid, though his reserved nature often made him old back. Having spent his whole life as part of a small, historically unpopular minority, at the heart of another religious culture which saw his faith as an insult, he had always known how to hold back.

It was the concerns of that community that had guided his life's work, this current duty being no exception. The Pelasgian Rite Catholics he represented had a complicated history in their land and it was his duty to make sure their existence was made somewhat more comfortable. For this reason, he feared radical change that might disturb the fragile balance of his flock, and feared even more the recent wave of Tiburan fanaticism and the reaction from those outside the Faith, the minorities of Catholics like his own being the first victims of any potential retaliation.

Thus, his goals in the current conclave were simple: to find a Pope who would not compromise tradition, a Pope who would not endorse fanaticism, and a Pope who could appeal for the rights and ease the concerns of the minority population of the faithful across Europe. Whenever he had traveled abroad, to the Catholic majority countries, he had always had a sort of admiration for the men and women there, one which might even approach envy, if he were a lesser man. To walk and live freely among one's brothers in faith and know your country shared your belief in God was a fortunate thing. Even more impressive were the hierarchs of these lands, the likes of which he never forgot once he met.

Among them was a man he had met almost thirty years before, during his first visit to Eiffelland as Archbishop of Chandax, Cardinal Meyer. As he approached his old friend to greet him, he could not help but detect a distinct uneasiness in his manner of moving. Perhaps it is his sadness at the death of our Holy Father, he thought.

 

[Holy Frankish Empire]

Herzogenrode, Eiffelland

Bourgogne's 3 Cardinals were as different as could be. The three in fact, rarely got along. They had learned to work together on ecclesiastical subjects in the last years. Cardinal Simon Donnet was the senior Cardinal among his counterparts. Donnet was an aged cleric, verging on 85 years old. He had been well respected for decades and was trusted in many circles. Neither conservative or progressive, Donnet believed in reforms only when necessary. However, this did not mean he was resistant to change. Donnet believed in the slow transformation of the church. He was one of the few who saw that the church must be modernized in a very slow and careful manner. Donnet also knew the church as it was, was under attack. Extremists lurked in corners and his information often revealed in what dark corners the extremists lurked. He had rallied, unsuccessfully, to have some excommunicated. Donnet believed that defense of the church had to take steps which silenced the extremists. He knew that there was only one agenda which had to be adopted- destruction of extremists, minor reforms, and defense of the faith.

Phillipe Lagier had only been a Cardinal for a few years. He was easily the most corrupt and ethically vile man in the entire college. His personal wealth was massive and he maintained a healthy influence among bishops across the region. He was also one of the great extremists, aiming to turn back the clock of Tiburan Catholic countries by centuries to his benefit and what he viewed to be the benefit of the church. His ultimate goal was to position himself for Papal candidacy for the next election. He was relatively young and saw that he would have chances in the future. His influence was growing exponentially and he knew that it was not time to push for the position. His goal was simply to forward the Church while lining his pockets....by any means necessary.

Finally, there was poor Hugh de Laitre. One of the most pious and kind-hearted men in the college. Yet, he was utterly inept. His accession to Cardinal had simply been a series of follies and luck for de Laitre. It was without question that he was well respected for his pious behavior but also some had pity for the man due to his ineptness.

It was these three men who were huddled in a corner, discussing what voting would look like. They knew who the favorites might be- Donnet among them. Yet there were dark horses and wildcards abound. It would be a terribly difficult election.

 

[Gunnland]

Herzegenrode, Eiffelland

Fourteen men in scarlet, plus Eleutherius III in the distinctive vestments of the Pelasgian patriarch, sang Veni Creator Spiritus, took the oath ("me Deus adiuvet..."), and then it was time. The team of Marpesian Guards swept the chapel for bugs and turned on the wireless signal jammers. "Extra omnes!" François Navarre intoned from the great doors of Herzegenrode Chapel, "All others, out!" (Except for the nurses, confessors, doctors, and a handpicked group of servants and cooks.)

Then the cardinals were locked in, to be let out only when they elected the 261st pope.

If none abstained, ten votes would be necessary to elect the next Holy Father. After each round of ballots, the results would be read out by the Dean of the College of Cardinals, and another ballot would be taken. Before they cast their votes, however, the cardinals would have the opportunity to speak about the issues facing the Church -- especially those cardinals who wished to make themselves visible as potential candidates for the papacy. Cardinal Stewart clutched a briefcase containing a speech he had written over the past ten years, waiting for this moment.

It was customary for the dean to make the first speech. This caused some confusion, however. Néstor Cardinal Espinoza, the oldest of the cardinals, had been made dean at one point, by virtue of his seniority as the oldest member of the college. But most of the cardinals assumed that he had been relieved of his duties because of his poor health. These things were not made so clear in the last years of Pius XII's papacy. Had the deanship passed to the next oldest, Simon Cardinal Donnet? Or to the senior-most Eiffellandian cardinal, Archbishop Strelecki? Fifteen cardinals, eight facing seven in two choir benches underneath great stained glass windows, waited patiently for someone to speak, confident whomever it was would be the dean.

 

[Holy Frankish Empire]

Donnet stood and took to the center of the room, crossing himself in a slow deliberate manner. "In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti" he began. Donnet recited the standard "Our Father" which was joined by the most of the conclave. He looked down his hawkish nose around the room as a pious silence reigned among those in attendance. He had been at conclaves before but never seemingly at such a crossroads. From his vestments, the old Jesuit produced a a sheet of paper which he held at his side. "As brothers, we must remember Job 22:21-22 - 'receive instruction from his mouth and lay his words in your heart" he said softly. He produced the paper in front of him while his other hand searched for his reading glasses. So old and used, they were held together in a quizzical fashion. One arm of them half snapped off and replaced with a popsicle stick and tape.
"Brother Cardinals. Holy Mother Church is at a time of need. The faith itself is under assault. There is corruption, greed, and political agendas all clogging the gears which turn to allow the Church to operate. In some ways, this is a leap of faith. But it is not to have faith in our brother Cardinals. We must have faith that God is laying upon our hearts and guiding our decisions" he began as he lost his position on the page but again found it to resume. "There will be many questions, speeches, and discussions. We must only let God guide us in these endeavors. We must lay aside personal, national, and other interests and only consider those of the Holy Church. I could make a great speech. I could call for action on this issue or that. Instead I have elected only to remind us of our mission and to lead us into a Hail Mary". The chamber rung with the subdued voices as the Cardinals entered into simultaneous prayer. "Now, I wish to note that this Conclave is open. We will begin with speeches. We would encourage speakers to stand where they currently sit. As we all know one another, we might skip pleasantries and focus on our Godly task. May the Lord bless this College" he said. He slowly returned to his seat next to his Burgundian colleagues and the Gunnish delegation.

 

[Rheinbund]

Herzogenrode, Eiffelland

Strelecki’s ideas were not about making the Church popular. He was as devout as all the other cardinals, including the most conservative ones. He believed in God; no, he was certain that there is a God. And he was also certain that it was a somewhat different type of God than most of the people in this room believed. He didn’t believe in a “God as borderliner”, like his brother-in-law, who was a psychiatrist, phrased it. He didn’t believe in a God who continuously tested out the people on earth on their steadfastness, a God who sent plague after plague to test whether the people even continued to believe in him when they were completely ruined and crippled. He did believe in a judging God, but was His definition of good and bad really so strict? How did He judge people who committed a sin to prevent a bigger evil from happening? And finally, why didn’t people like Stewart or Taft think about these questions?

Strelecki rised, and started to talk. He knew that he hardly had a chance to become Pope, but when he did not rise as a representant of the “liberal faction”, who else would do?

“Brother Donnet, thank you for your wise words. I agree with you. The Church is in need. On the one hand, we see more and more people turning their faces away from us. Not only in Engellex and the Socialist World Republic with their government‑imposed Godlessness. Also in countries where people voluntarily decide to turn their backs on the Church. We can blame the people who turned their backs on us, but maybe we should also look at ourselves. Do we bring our message in the right way? I think that we as the Church are doing something wrong. We fail to show how beautiful life is if we follow God. We fail to show how God supports His believers. We even fail to help people who are in spiritual need. We try to help those people but we fail to do so. And maybe that is the reason why the Kashtanese react so hostile against our missionaries, and why people are voluntarily leaving the Church. But not only do we loose people, there are also people who interpret the Church’s Teachings in such a way that they kill tens of people, sometimes even hundreds of people, in the Name of God. This is something nobody in this room wants, this is something nobody in the Church wants, but it happens. We have to find and eliminate the reason why it happens. The questions we are facing are so big, that we need to have a council in the coming years to answer them.”

After those words, Strelecki seated himself again.

 

[Pelasgia]

Herzogenrode, Eiffelland

Patriarch Eleutherius III stood up slowly, his octogenarian knees aching as he did so. His dark brown eyes scanned the room, gazing upon the faces of every single on of his red-clad brothers before he spoke.

"Brother Cardinals, I have no illusion of the need for change. All things change, as Heraclitus once said, and the body which does not adapt dies long before the body that does. And yet, if one dilutes wine too much, it becomes indistinguishable from water. Therefore, we ought to be careful about radical change in our Holy Mother Church, if we wish to see her survive in a form that does not contradict its history and which is recognisable. One change on which we can all, I believe, reasonably agree is that of openly condemning and combating heresy, by using the measures already available to us: excommunication of the extremists and all those who follow or support them. The great body of the Tiburan Church must purge the disease of blind extremism, for what heresy is greater than to transform Christ's message of love into one of hate? Christ conquered Europe by refusing to hate, and hatred will only bring doom on our Church, the likes of which will be first of all felt where we are in the minority: in the Implarian Republic, in the Southern Empire, in the tyrannies of Kashtan and Kadikistan, and in the godless state of Ostrovakia. And as for those who prosecute the men and women of God, we need a Pope who shall stand strong and support our flock, both openly and covertly. This is all I have to say: nobody wants to drink water instead of Blood of Christ, but nobody wants to drink poison in its stead either."

Having said his piece, the Patriarch, clad in gold and white clothes and a spherical mitre, sat back down.

 

[Gunnland]

Herzegenrode, Eiffelland

When Cardinal Donnet sat down, Cardinal Stewart met his gaze and widened his eyes. God is guiding us indeed. The Gunnish archbishop rose rose and spoke in Latin, marking those who could understand without translators and those who could not. Valuable information. He had memorized his Seven Lampstands Speech and rehearsed it in his head many times.

“Venerable brethren, You know best the different problems affecting each of Your flocks. I have spent many years of prayer and reflection thinking about our Church as a whole. It is important that We recognize the world is changing, mark a steady middle course…”

He paused and his bright blue reptilian eyes met Strelecki’s. Yes, a middle course. The cardinal you might recognize from photographs at book burnings dares to call himself a moderate among these reactionary zealots burning with hatred for communism. From the corner of his eyes, he saw the cardinals passing around folders bearing his episcopal seal: a golden lion rampant on an azure field with a white cross underneath a red hat and tassels and the motto, “Quidquid dixit Dei Filius.” The middle course.

“…I agree with the Patriarch. We must recognize our enemies but not overreact. And I agree with my venerable brother, Cardinal Strelecki. We need a council. And the next pope should light the way for the church with these seven lampstands."

1. The next pope ought to call an episcopal council of bishops to rebuild ties of friendship and trust among the apostolic Church, and take the following actions along with his brother bishops:
2. A conciliar plan of action to oppose the Autarchist-Communist-Masonic plot to annihilate the Church in the Far West and the Far East
3. An ecumenical protocol to discuss reunification with the so-called Orthodox Christians of Pelasgia, our separated Greek Brethren
4. An apostolic constitution on religious toleration of both Tiburan Catholics and our separated brethren—Jews, Muslims, and Christian sects—but one that condemns Masonic indifferentism and religious freedom
5. A social encyclical on human rights and the rights of workers, on the 130th anniversary of Rerum Novarum, that condemns the godless imitations of communism and market liberalism
6. A social encyclical on the 100th anniversary of Quas Primas to reaffirm the social kingship of Christ and insist on new concordats with Catholic nations that respect the rights of the Church as the one true religion.
7. An urgent special encyclical condemning religious terrorism, and reaffirming that in the law of peoples, it is the sole right of the pope to depose governments and call Christians to arms in crusade.

 

[Rheinbund]

Herzogenrode, Eiffelland

Strelecki didn’t give a blink when Stewart looked at him. His black eyes stared back into Stewart’s blue eyes. You call yourself a moderate. When the fox preaches Passion, watch your geese.

What Stewart presented, looked good according to Strelecki, except two things. 1. Not even the Gunnish Government would accept a ruling from the Pope to step down, and 2. Stewart should not be the Pope to carry out these seven lampstands.

But it was not Strelecki who spoke. It was Meyer. Not unexpected by Strelecki. He knew where the wind blew, and he also knew that the Staatsschutz had Meyer in his pocket, even if Meyer would become Pope. Outside Eiffelland, Meyer could do whatever he wanted when he became Pope; inside Eiffelland, however, he would do what Strelecki, Von Aschenbach and Bächler would tell him to do.

Meyer rose, and started to talk.

“Patriarch, you made a very good comparison. Indeed, we should not dilute the wine to such an extent that it is hardly distinguishable from water. Change may be needed, but the Tiburan Catholic Church must remain the Tiburan Catholic Church. That is how Jesus Christ meant it to be. That is how God meant it to be. I also see the problems The Church is facing. We will need all the ideas that we can get, so indeed we need to organise a council. But first of all we need to act against extremism. I agree with Patriarch Eleutherius that excommunication of the terrorists and all people supporting them is the only right thing to do. The seven lampstands of Brother Cardinal Stewart is a good basis to work from. However, how well meant it is, stating that it is the Pope’s exclusive right to depose Governments and call Christians on arms in Crusade may … how will I say it … lead to controversies.”

 

[Socialist Commonwealth]

Without hurry, Taft began walking towards the podium to hold his speech. As he passed Cardinal Espinoza, he stopped to shake the old mans hand. "Glad to have you here, brother," he said. "A shame you couldn't lead us in prayer." A bone for the old dog. By now, chances were Espinoza was demented enough to vote for whoever showed him some kindness last. That might as well be him, Taft thought.

Then he took the podium. He was surprisingly nervous, looking for cues amongst his peers as to their affiliations and alliances. Taft had been afraid that the Eiffelländer Strelecki might sway them. A reformist, a chesspiece of the Eiffelländer Monarch on the Holy Chair, that would have been a desaster. When Strelecki spoke, all Taft could think was: "underwhelming". Yet, the lack of a rousing speech, the lack of a grand vision that might unite even more conservative Cardinals behind him did not ease Tafts mind. Was there something he missed? He wondered if Strelecki was missing all that because he had another ace, because he already had his supporters in position.

Taft cleared his throat with a cough. It was a habit before speeches he had ever since he began his career as priest. A little ritual that cleared his mind as well, leaving him to focus on the task at hand. As if he had flicked a lightswitch, his nervosity was gone and the old man with the hard and cleanly shaven face was once again the infamous firebrand, the Cardinal against Communism.

"Brothers," he mustered all of them intently, assuring himself of the attention of those in particular whose votes he intended to sway in the first round already, like Meyer, Lagier or Lishke.

"If a sheep strays from its flock, do we blame the sheep? Or is not the shepherd at fault who keeps no watch over his herd? We have heard a great deal already about those who profane the name of the church with their deeds, but few have had the courage to shoulder the responsibility.

Where believers strayed to find heretical beliefs in the power of the terrorist act instead, we must have the courage and honesty to say that our church has neglected its duties in showing the true path of the faith. It has neglected to guide the faithful, to tell them how the evils of this age can be fought - and in doing so, it has left the faithful to their own, insufficient wits, that has let them to fight this fight with just wrath, but sinful means.

Hard truths cut deep, I am afraid. And the hard truth is that our church has been in decline. That perhaps it is at the worst it has been in over a thousand years. Fractured, weak, without guidance. Its reliance on the protection of worldly kings has grown to the point that it is merely a tool of their interests anymore. There are those amongst us who wish to continue this path, shape even the teachings of the holy mother church in the image of those worldly interests.

Yet darker roots even have dug their way into the body of our church over the past decades. Masonic cabals, communist infiltrators that covet not the power of the church, but its destruction. I am relieved to hear that I am not the only one to speak of these dangers today. It gives me hope for the future of our church and strengthens me in the belief that the guiding hand of our lord has not abandoned us. That we have not abandoned him.

However, we will have to choose and choose wisely. What future do we want for our church? I believe that a church tied to the whims of worldly powers can not survive. I believe that we will need a pope that realizes the dangers our faith is facing and is willing to challenge its enemies.

Our next pope ought to affirm the independence of the church from worldly powers. He ought to reorganize the administrative aspects of our church and give her guidance. It is a sad state indeed when the conclave meets and there seems to be no knowledge, who even amongst the faithful had the honor of being summoned.

As the future pope will face the challenge of weaving back together the parts of our church that have drifted apart, he will also have to face the challenge of protecting it from those who tore them apart. I have heard a great deal tonight about those overzealous extremists who have forgotten the prerogative of the pope to call for the disposal of worldly rulers, as brother Stewart so wisely reminded us. I have heard little about protecting our own from the violence against our church that has motivated these christians to resort to terror. Have we forgotten that even in countries still devoted to the protection of our church, like Beira, our priests are lynched on the open streets? We face enemies within and without and against both the future pope will need to organize our protection, lead us with wisdom and courage.

I have spoken a great deal now about the more worldly challenges we are facing. Let me end my speech by emphasizing that we are fighting for the eternal souls of our faithful still and that the future pope will need to adress not only organizational and political challenges, not only physical threats, but also the burning theological questions of our time. As you may be aware, I have written extensively on the subjects I deem to pose these questions and many amongst you may have read my treatise on usury, which I believe echoes the sentiments put forward by brother Passos in the past. As in this matter, so in the matters of family, I believe that our faith must not bow to the corrupting influences of our times, to the interests of moneylenders and whores, of sodomites and communists, but it must instead present its eternal truths as bulwark, as point to which the modern man can anchor itself to survive the storms of modernity.

I thank you for giving me the honor of your attention and I trust in the wisdom of your decision and the holy spirit that guides us."

 

[Bezonvaux]

Cardinal Castelar took his chance to speak, he was not much of a public speaking making up in passion what he lacked in eloquence.
" Brothers, for too the long the church has remained silent and watched passively as the forces of Marxism and Freemasonry conspired against us,the old policies are failing us and we must act now if the church and indeed Christianity itself is to be saved we stand at a crossroads yet the path is clear . If the church is to survive in these trying times we must restore the Papacy to its full glory its temporal powers must be increased and the church centralized, the church must be made strong if it wishes to carry out gods work.

Furthermore the pope is Gods representative on earth and is beholden to no king but the King of Heaven. The papacy must serve all the faithful not the interests of the royal courts. We must restore the temporal powers of the church, no longer can we allow ourselves to be manipulated, to be used as pawns by the nations of the world. We swore to serve God not men,and as to Cardinal Strelecki I would say that a man afraid of controversy is a man afraid of action.

And as to his statement regarding the popes right to call Christians on arms in Crusade I would remind the good cardinal that the pope speaks with Gods voice who else but Gods representative on earth could claim the right to call the faithful to Crusade?
I fear that many of our colleagues have become fair too enamored with the concerns of the material and forgotten the simple joy of the spiritual life, like Cardinal Taft said it is no wonder our flock has gone astray if the church itself acts it defiance of Gods law.

The next pope must be a man who walks with the cross in one hand and the sword in the other, a man who enlightens the faithful and defends them against evils both physical and spiritual".
I thank you all for your time and may you all be blessed by the Lord God".

 

[Holy Frankish Empire]

Donnet listened to each speech carefully. He nodded approval here and there but otherwise simply listened. Though, he had to issue a stern frown to Lagier who repeatedly sighed and fidgeted during the speeches. Donnet thought Lagier a misguided soul whose position as Cardinal was a test from God. Other Cardinals were less enthused about Lagier, despite the influence he had among the Frankish and Germanic Dominicans. de Laitre simply sat with a divine smile on his face, utterly aloof to certain connotations. Donnet had no real sway over the two but the widespread respect and experience was enough to curtail the sighing from Lagier. Donnet rose to his feet slowly.

"Brothers, I will now speak as a Cardinal rather than Dean. There must be change. That we can agree. Some wish to regress us into archaic and drab corners. Others only see the next Holy Father as a means of stamping out those whom speak ill or act unlovingly against the Church. We must strengthen ourselves before we embolden ourselves. Holy Church must have a leader who sees this. Cardinal Taft speaks true when he says that we must bridge these gaps within the Church which have appeared and grown wide. We must indeed affirm that the Church is independent. We live and attend to a world in which faith is lost on many national leaders. Indeed, only one is sanctioned a Fidei Defensor. These are modern times my brothers. While some of our home countries have religious men at their heads, some do not. With the modern times, we must accept reform. Yet, these reforms must be incremental. They must bridge without offending. They must bring our Church closer together.

I am too old to be standing before you to pander for votes. I only wish to comment on what I see as our duty to the future of Holy Church. Some of you Brothers have known me for decades. You know my only hope is to see a morally strong man as the next Holy Father. We must account for both internal and external weaknesses. That I agree. But only be ensuring the health of the Church may we defend the Church my those who oppose it. We must make the small reforms where necessary and in their own time. We will deal with opposition as it comes. Ambition itself is no threat. But do not be blinded by ambition to return this Holy Church to glory. The next Holy Father must, in his own time, nurture the good and cull the bad. Sweeping reforms and striking out blindly in a short space of time will do nothing to bridge our gaps and heal our Church" he said. He stopped to cough and look round the room.

"I am not urging restraint or shying from responsibility. Those who know me well in this chamber, know I rarely advocate against the latter" he said with a smirk. There were often jokes about his length of service and some well known jokes about the previous pope jokingly asking him to retire to a sunny beach. "I only encourage prudence" he said, the smirk disappearing as he lowered himself into his seat gingerly.

 

[Touzen]

Cardinal Car Juun rose from his seat, slowly and deliberately. The prospect of speaking in front of so many highly decorated theologians frightened him.

"Brothers, we have heard a lot about crossroads. We have heard about terrorism, about the balance between devotion to tradition and the True Faith and making sure that the Church stays an institution of relevance in the 21st Century."

He paused, and took his time to look at all the old men calling themselves Cardinals before continuing.

"But as you wonder whether the Church should reform, where it should go to stay relevant, I ask you to look where it is under assault. Most, if not all of you, will not have known my name before we assembled here. Yet it is with great grace that I have accepted the burden that the Lord through his late servant has placed upon my shoulders to speak to you here today as a beggar. A beggar that is asking that you do forget those of your brothers and sisters who suffer martyrdom of unimaginable dimensions as has not been suffered by Christendom since the days before Tibur saw the light and when the Himyari caliphs mocked God."

"In the Frontier, my home, those who profess that Jesus Christ is Lord have to hide their trust in Christ's sacrifice. Like our holiest martyrs..", Juun took a moment to cross himself, "...they are given no choice but to surrender their faith in Christ or their lives. Most of them surrender their lives."

"Princes of the Church, your brothers in the East are not crying out for reforms of trivialities, they are crying out for the assistance of Christendom. Give them a message. Let that message not be that the Church tries to pander to whatever might be the current fancy of the day just to get one or two more souls into Holy Mass in parishes in Eiffelland or Bourgogne, places that have already been won for Christendom. A moral revolution and recommitment to Christ in the West will be necessary, but we need to pick our battles.

Let that message be that they are not alone. Reaffirm their knowledge in the unshakeable foundations of truths that the Holy Church provides, a truth for which they are willing to die and too many have died already. Let it be a message of support, not only in prayer for salvation and release from the Devil's servants, but of Christendom taking concrete steps to alleviate their suffering. As we are told, Christ has not come to bring peace, but the sword."

"Let your message be to those suffering under Communism, under Tyranny, in Implaria, the Frontier, wherever they might be prosecuted for proclaiming the name of Jesus Christ: Those that bring the sword to the servants of the Lord will be answered with the spiritual sword of Tibur. The Church Militant must rise again in glory."

 

[Rheinbund]

Herzogenrode, Eiffelland

“First, I would like to point Cardinal Castelar at the fact that it was not me who said that underlining the Pope’s right to depose Governments and call for Crusade may lead to controversies. It was Cardinal Meyer who said this,” Strelecki said, out of his typically Eiffellandian urge to have the facts correct. “Second, what Cardinal Meyer pointed at, is not that the Church should avoid controversies, but that in each and every step we intend to take we have to think about the results of that step. We always have to ask ourselves: To which extent will this decision that I am about to take help our believers, and will bring more people back to the True Faith? That is what I have always done: Answering this question, and then decide. And that is what we all together always have to do. Indeed, the Pope gets his directions from God, but if God only tells what to do and not how to do it, it is the Pope’s responsibility to choose the best way to do in order to achieve what God wants. What Cardinal Meyer wanted to make clear, is that underlining the Pope’s right to depose Governments and call for crusades will not serve the purpose it needs to serve. Furthermore, please note that the Crusades of the Middle Ages were all fought by Kings. It was the Pope who called for the Crusades, but it were the Kings who fought them. The Church has never had an army, and at this moment the Church does not have the resources to field an army. If we call for a Crusade, we will have to rely on Christian countries like Eiffelland, Bourgogne, Geotri, Nichtstein and Pelasgia to fight it. Furthermore, please also note that the Crusades of the Middle Ages were not successful on the long term.”

Strelecki seated himself, took his water bottle out of the pocket of his cassock, and opened it. He had made sure that his servants guarded his water bottles precisely. He knew that some of the Cardinals here did not mind about violating the 5th Commandment [1] when they saw fit. He poored some water into his glass and drank it. Then he closed his water bottle again and put it back into the pocket of his cassock.

Then Meyer rose, and started to talk.

“Cardinal Juun, I heard your words of desperation. I totally agree with you that the Church needs to defend the Christians who are under threat of their Governments or other people in their home countries. What we are doing here, is to find the right answer to the threats against Christianity in the Frontier States, in the West and in the South. This is by far not an easy task to do. The quickest answer is indeed a crusade, but that will only make more enemies on the long run. Apart from what we think about the terrorist attacks by Tiburan Catholics, sending out terrorists as part of a crusade will do nothing but turn the public opinion against us. I may have an idea that could work, however. Not immediately, but on the long run it could work. We have to collect all the information we can get about repression of Christians, make sure that the Press gets that informtion without knowing that it comes from the Church (it will definitely come from Christians, and also from Priests, but not from the Church), and then as Church react on this information. We could even call for a boycott by Christians against products from Engellex, the Socialist World Republic, Kashtan and Ostrovakia, until those countries grant the Christians the freedom to believe. I think that this could work. While a Tiburan Catholic Church presenting itself as a strong enemy will generate hostility, Christians being seen as oppressed underdogs will generate sympathy.”

Also Meyer had a small bottle of water in the pocket of his cassock. He brought it out, opened it, poored some water into his glass, drank the water, closed the bottle and put it back into his cassock pocket. After that, he continued talking.

“This is what we have to do immediately, Brothers. Indeed, fast action is needed for the oppressed sheep of the flock. Furthermore, we need to take fast action against terrorism committed in the name of the Church. I agree with the idea to excommunicate terrorists. These are things that can be initiated by the new Pope immediately after having been elected. But then a council is still needed. The last eight years of Papal inactivity has led to confusion about what the Christian Faith really stands for. Like many of our colleagues here, I have the impression that in some Dioceses even the Priests themselves don’t know that any more. Therefore, a Council is needed to make clear once again what we stand for: A spiritual life to serve God. And indeed, in that spiritual life there is no place for sinful behaviour, like usury, sodomy and adultery.“


Staatsschutz headquarters
Trier, Eiffelland

Karl Ziesche had been strapped to a chair. He was naked. The clips on his nipples were attached to a thick electricity cable, and also his private parts were attached to an electricity cable. Officially torture was forbidden in Eiffelland, but the Staatsschutz did not always stick to this rule. Using electricity to torture prisoners was exceptional, however. Actually, this was the first time in decades. Normally the Staatsschutz would use sleep deprivation as way to torture, but that would take too long in this case. Therefore, Karsten Heinemann and Arthur Schmidt decided to use electricity.
This was principally Schmidt’s case, but because of the possible political impact this case could have, Heinemann in his role of head of the department of ReliEx and Farnbach as head of the Staatsschutz were informed about everything. So after the interrogation had ended, Schmidt phoned Heinemann.

“Are you sure that he has told everything?,” Heinemann asked.
“Yes, I am,” Schmidt said.
“How was Ziesche arrested?” Heinemann asked.
“The way we did it, looked like a kidnapping,” Schmidt said. “No indication whatsoever that it was an arrestment.”
“What about the weapons on board of the Karaboudjan?” Heinemann asked.
“All seized. The ship was turned upside down. No other weapons than the ones in Ziesche’s room. The Karaboudjan is on its way to Elephant and Castle now,” Schmidt said.
“What are we going to feed the press?” Heinemann asked.
“Ziesche was involved in weapons smuggle, and he was kidnapped. All traces came to nothing. The case is under investigation,” Schmidt said.
“Good. Thank you. You know what to do,” Heinemann said.
“You’re welcome,” Schmidt said. He hung up the phone. Then he took his Beck & Böhm pistol and gave Ziesche a neck shot. After that, he ordered the other men in the room to let the body disappear.

And now a very delicate task started. Ziesche had mentioned quite a lot of names. Meyer had done the same before the conclave. The Staatsschutz had to arrest all the people mentioned by Ziesche and Meyer, and let them disappear before anyone else would find them. Indeed, Meyer’s hands were dirty, but that only had to become known when the Eiffellandian Government wanted it to become known. IF it would ever become known.


OOC 1: In order to make it clearer who says what, I will make Strelecki’s words blue and Meyer’s words dark red from now on. Please note that thoughts by any of my Cardinals will always remain black; only the spoken words will be blue or red.

OOC 2: Notes:
[1] According to the Roman Catholic Church, the Lutheran Church and Islam, “you shall not kill” is the 5th Commandment, while that is the 6th Commandment for the Jewish Faith as well as the Orthodox, Anglican and other Protestant Churches.

 

[Gunnland]

Herzegenrode, Eiffelland

"Perhaps it was unwise of me to introduce the 'crusade.' It is the right of the pope to call a crusade. These terrorists defy the Church and Her authority. Truth is controversial, but truth we serve."

Stewart had chosen his words carefully. Meyer has proposed a wise solution. And he is gaining confidence. Originally, Cardinal Stewart thought that Cardinal Meyer looked unwell. It surprised him that the Eiffellandian cardinal, usually noted for his conservative stances, had chastised the 'crusaders' (as Stewart was beginning to think of Taft and Juun) for courting "controversies." But the man had returned to form. Likely the next pope. A man to make a deal with after the next ballot. Or to poison. But first Stewart would try to position himself as the most acceptable crusader to the Gallians, or the most acceptable Gallian to the crusaders.

"I agree with many of you, brothers. It would take the wisdom of a council to countenance such fearful things. To hear more testimonies of holy priests like Cardinal Juun. And, as Cardinal Meyer has suggested, to let the world know the horrors of communism, of human bondage and commercial slavery, of the hyper-nationalism of the Frontier."

He spread his hands placably, like a velociraptor trying to be friendly.

"We are in a two-front spiritual war. Open persecution on the frontier, and the soul-sickness in the historic lands of Christendom, where our churches are whited sepulchres. We have no choice but to fight, but to fight on both fronts."

 

[Socialist Commonwealth]

"Oh what desperate times it truly must be that the Cardinals of the church bet on the sympathy of pagans and heretics."

His speech had been a provocative one, his replies might be just as well, Cardinal Taft figured. He wasn't going to serve his brethren honey and sweet wine until they were drunk with kind words and flatteries. He was here to serve them truth, cold and hard as steel.

"Martyrdom is a just and noble thing. I envy my brethren in Kashtan, because they can be sure that their churches are true to christ. It takes true faithful to acknowledge the lord in the frontier." Taft had been to Kashtan himself before. He had seen the Kasthanese mass, where christians wear masks to not be recognized by the godless servants of the regime. "Yet I feel that some, who spent their life coddled in the safety of a western nation and showered with gifts by their worldly rulers, are too readily taking the martyrdom of others as means to advance their own cause. "

Taft cleared his throat. "You are fools," he spoke with pronounced edge in his words. "Fools if you think that the godless Kashtanese or the satanic cabals of the Implarian Republic can be swayed by the public opinion in Eiffelland or Nichtstein. They will laugh at any condemnation and their disregard for godgiven rights mean they will steal and cheat to defeat any boycott christendom could muster against their wares. We, as a church, have grown too dependant on the protection of worldly rulers. Wherever these worldly rulers deny us their protection, we shrug our shoulder and with feeble voices we muster a threat I would only expect from the merchant-soul of a jew: then we won't buy from you.

No, brothers, we need to be strong. Commend the christians of the frontier, of Implaria and Engellex on their martyrdom, but work to end it. A church that dismisses its own strength, that publically professes 'there will never be a crusade', 'we will never fight for our faith', that bows to worldly power, that will be exterminated by the godless.

I asked you all, have we forgotten about the persecution of our own? Have we forgotten about the lynchings of priests even in steadfast catholic countries like Beira? Across the world, worldly rulers are either unwilling or unable to protect the faith. It falls upon us to forge a shield to guard the faithful. In times past, when the kings of Europe proved unwilling or unable to uphold their vows and guard our flock, the pope would dedicate military orders to protect persecuted christians.

I wish to ask the future pope to do the same. To found orders that guard our churches, protect our priests and defend christendom across the globe. The most sinful cesspools of sodomy in Eiffelland have so called bouncers at their doors to protect themselves, ursurers across Europe hire guardsmen, so I ask you, why does the church rely on the goodwill of others?"

 

[Rheinbund]

Herzogenrode, Eiffelland

“I forget nothing, Cardinal Taft,” Strelecki said. “And I see everything. Indeed, martyrdom is a just and noble thing. And most Christian martyrs became martyrs while remaining peaceful. Christianity became the state religion of the Tiburan Empire without any trace of violence from the side of the Christians. I also know about the military orders established by previous Popes. The members had to bring their own weapons. And finally, I roughly know what it costs to field a standing army that can concquer the Frontier, Implaria and Engellex while keeping Kadikistan off its throat. That is more than the Church has as financial resources. Our crusaders will have to fight either unarmed or with weapons they obtained themselves. Indeed, martyrdom is a just and noble thing, but the Church itself will commit a sin if it sends people to their deaths on a mission without chance. Also if those people are worshipped as martyrs afterwards. We must apply a solution that works, not a heroic solution without any chance to work.”

Strelecki seated himself. Meyer stood up.

“Please let it be clear that I do not condemn the idea of starting a crusade. Cardinal Taft, I fully understand your call for violence. I fully understand that you want the situation in the Frontier states, Implaria and Engellex to change immediately. Therefore, I fully understand your call for a crusade. And of course, Cardinal Stewart, I fully understand your call for it as well. I only doubt whether a crusade will bring the desired solution. We can’t field an army that is large enough to free the oppressed in the Frontier, Implaria and Engellex. The only military thing we could do, is facilitate terrorism, but the public opinion will consider Pope-sanctioned terrorism equally bad as any other form of terrorism.”

Meyer remained silent for a while. Then he continued.

“Maybe we could try Cardinal Taft’s idea of founding military orders which will patrol our churches and guard our people, however. The only problem would be to smuggle them into the countries where they are needed.”

 

[Socialist Commonwealth]

Taft frowned. "My Eiffelländer brothers, please do not put words in my mouth," and please do not try to twist my ideas to appear as your own, he added in thought.

I do not call for a crusade. Neither has brother Cardinal Stewart, who has introduced the issue of the popes right to call to crusade to condemn those who wage their own crusades without mandatum.

Nor do I ask the future pope to field a standing army. What I propose the future pope to do is to call faithful christians to serve the church as, well, you may call it security guards, in more secular terms.

And I ask the future pope and you as well, my brothers, not to dismiss the ius ad bellum of christendom in a futile attempt to appeal to the lords and kings of this world, who respect no law but their own. Only a strong church, one that has regained its temporal powers, can negotiate with the godless to achieve that they respect the faith of our flock. They have to fear god, even if through his servants. Where there is such fear, there is no need to shed blood. Si vis pacem para bellum, as cicero said."

 

[Gunnland]

Meyer was acting strangely again, trying to paint me as one of the crusaders. I thought we would be natural allies. As Taft was speaking, Cardinal Stewart leaned over to Cardinal Donnet, whispering, "Is Meyer Strelecki's attack dog?" He leaned back and nodded as Cardinal Taft clarified his position. Perhaps he is a more reasonable man than I thought.

When the Implarian cardinal finished, he applauded a little louder than usual, and briefly stood to correct the record.

"There are ways to fight our enemies short of open war. I call for no crusade. Thank you, Cardinal Taft. But this ought to remind you, Cardinal Strelecki, that a council would raise such dangerous questions, questions far more dangerous than what to do about the church's unpopularity among some Eiffellandians. The next pope will need the wisdom to take the prudent middle courses that Cardinal Meyer and Cardinal Taft propose, and which Cardinal Passos has tried to implement in Beira. I say we should take such a risk, pray for the wisdom of the successor of Pius XII, and hold such a council anyway, though the questions facing the church be grave."

 

[Rheinbund]

“Ah, OK, now it is clear to me what you wanted to say, Cardinal Stewart,” Meyer said. “My apologies. But then I think it would be wise if we phrase this thought in a different way. I think that Cardinal Strelecki and I will not be the last ones to be confused about how it is currently phrased. What about the following text for lampstand number 7: ‘An urgent special encyclical condemning religious terrorism, as well as reaffirming that in the law of peoples, only the pope has the right to depose governments and call Christians to arms in crusade in the name of the Tiburan Catholic Church, when needed.’”