The Last Day (52 page)

Inside the ancient basilica, Feldman and a fascinated Erin Cross were escorted to the staging area, which, as promised, was ideal. Positioned directly in front of the High Altar, Feldman noted that the massive altar stone had been repaired or replaced. WNN's set was comprised of a huge Persian rug, four comfortable overstuffed chairs and a coffee table.

About six-thirty
P.M
., Feldman was informed that Rabbi Hirschberg had arrived. For the duration of the pope's speech, Hirschberg would be secreted in a separate, reserved media section. He wouldn't be brought onto WNN's set until the interview with di Concerci was actually underway. Not knowing how the cardinal would react to WNN's ploy was yet another worry for the newsman's nervous stomach.

Feldman passed on a catered dinner, choosing to move to his chair on the set with his notes for a little quiet time. Instead, he found himself the object of a growing assembly of Vatican personnel, nuns and clerics who approached him with a passel of questions about the Messiah.

An annoyed WNN director was about to clear the set when, quite abruptly, Feldman's little audience went strangely quiet, came to wary attention, and collectively stared over the back of Feldman's chair toward some imposing presence behind. Turning around, Feldman was startled to find himself peering up into the implacable face of the tall, august Antonio Cardinal Prefect di Concerci himself. The cardinal had made an imperious, lone entrance in brilliant white cassock with crimson cape and matching skullcap.

Di Concerci said nothing, standing serenely, his hands folded behind him, his head erect, his unblinking eyes first scanning the gathering, then directed down at Feldman. Dumbfounded for a moment, Feldman remembered himself and quickly rose to his feet, extending his hand.

Without changing his demeanor, the cardinal slowly clasped Feldman's palm as the bystanders dissipated meekly into the background. Feldman was surprised at the strength of the grip and at the degree of control and power projected by the unnerving, analytical eyes. Eyes as expressionless, passionless as those of the marble statuary residing in the dark alcoves and musty labyrinths of the Vatican Palace.

“It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person,” Feldman managed.

“Yes,” the cardinal said simply. “I am early, I realize. However, I thought if I were to join you now, rather than in the middle of the announcement as was planned, it would prove less disruptive and I might be able to witness the pontiff's address in its entirety.” He hastily added, “If that's not an imposition, of course,” spoken with the presumption that it would not be.

“Not at all,” the reporter agreed, although uncomfortable with the idea of having to bear the prefect's critical scrutiny through the earlier parts of the program. Feldman doubted the cardinal would appreciate certain aspects of WNN's background report.

“There are seating accommodations for you.” Feldman gestured toward several arm chairs in a wing to the side of the set. “And I'll have one of our staff explain procedures to you and assist you with your microphone. After the pope has concluded his address, we'll break for station identification and commercials, during which we'll seat you next to me here for the interview, if that's acceptable.”

The prefect nodded. “I trust you've found our arrangements for you comfortable?”

Overly so,
Feldman was thinking, but responded, “Yes, Your Eminence, everyone has been most considerate.”

The cardinal's eyes hardened. “Good. Then perhaps your network will choose to be a little more compassionate in its treatment of the Church tonight?” Holding his gaze long enough to impress his point, the cardinal bowed slightly and excused himself to take a seat in the shadows.

As airtime approached, Erin Cross returned in the company of several solicitous Italian WNN brass who had been only too happy to serve as her Vatican tour guides. Charmingly, she disengaged herself and took her chair next to Feldman with a bright and cheery “Hello!” It failed to raise his spirits.

A few minutes later, the couple were given their cue as an “on air” light flashed red and the familiar WNN logo swirled onto countless TV screens all across the globe, immediately followed by the images of Feldman and Erin. An off-camera voice announced, “Live from St. Peter's Cathedral in Vatican City, here are World News Network correspondents Jon Feldman and Erin Cross.”

The camera cut to a close-up of a pensive-looking Feldman. “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen,” he opened, without his customary shy half smile. “We welcome you to WNN's special coverage of the first-ever live broadcast of a papal edict.

“Before tonight's address, WNN has prepared for you an informative documentary on this rare pronouncement of the Catholic Church, known as a ‘decree
ex cathedra.’
Following the pope's message, we ask you to stay tuned to WNN for an exclusive interview with the Vatican Curia's prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, His Eminence Antonio Cardinal di Concerci.

“Now with some historical background on tonight's papal address, here's WNN's expert on religious affairs, news correspondent Erin Cross.”

The camera widened to include Erin's arresting, smiling face.

“Thank you, Jon,” she said, tossing back her stylish hair.

“Erin, can you begin by telling us a bit about the principle of infallibility behind this
ex cathedra
decree? I presume this is a power originally bestowed by Christ upon Saint Peter, the first pope, and handed down to successive popes through the millennia?”

“No, Jon,” Erin answered. “Actually the doctrine of infallibility only goes back a little over a century, to the year 1870, during the time when the Italian government was threatening to take the papal states away from Pope Pius IX.”

“The pope owned states?” Feldman feigned ignorance, following their strategy of eventually leading into further Secret Archive information WNN had yet to reveal.

“Yes. For more than one thousand years, the popes ruled huge kingdoms,” she explained. Slowly, the camera zoomed in on Erin to the exclusion of Feldman, turning the program over to her. “Until the late 1800s, the Catholic Church owned more than five thousand square miles of valuable landholdings in central Italy, protected by large papal armies and navies.” The camera cut away periodically to punctuate Erin's story with beautiful old cartographies of the papal states, interesting photographs, lithographs and illustrations of the papal armed forces. “Land that the Catholic Church had long claimed was given to it by the Emperor Constantine back in the fourth century A.D.

“The Church had at one time even produced an ancient contract, allegedly signed by Constantine himself, to prove this claim.” And a photograph of an ancient, yellowed scroll was displayed on camera. “Only, as you can see from this 1998 memo recently recovered from the Vatican Secret Archives, the contract was a forgery.” The camera next revealed an internal Vatican memo, typed in Italian on official Curia stationery, with a section translated in English on the screen. Erin read: “ ‘… recent advancements in scientific dating techniques make it advisable to exclude the scroll (Constantine contract) from outside study. Modern analysis of the document could readily expose the parchment as having been generated five centuries after the royal seal it bears….’ ”

An oil painting of an imperious, bearded man appeared on the screen. “In the spring of 1869, King Victor Emmanuel of Italy acted on long-standing suspicions about the legitimacy of the contract In an attempt to finally unite his divided nation, he made a claim on the Vatican states.

“The reigning pope at the time, Pius IX, denied the claim and pronounced the Constantine contract ‘genuine by divine revelation.’ ” Next to the painting of Emmanuel appeared the portrait of a severe-looking man in white and crimson, wearing the papal mitre. “Pius declared that all popes possessed a God-given power of infallibility when rendering important Church decisions.

“In a desperate attempt to solidify his position, the pope summoned the entire world College of Cardinals to Rome for an official synod to endorse his controversial new powers. In open balloting, in the midst of a raging lightning storm and under the equally intimidating glare of the pope's scrutinizing eye, all but two of five hundred thirty-five cardinals voted to grant Pius his wish.” The camera zoomed in on the piercing eyes of the pope, then dissolved away to the contrastingly fresh face of Erin Cross.

“So,” Feldman inquired, as the camera zoomed wide to reinclude him, “did all this effort help save the pope his states?”

“Unfortunately, no,” Erin finished. “Italy invaded anyway and the pope's army was no match for Emmanuel's superior forces. After three weeks of bloody fighting, the stubborn Pius finally surrendered. Italy reclaimed the states and annexed them permanently, leaving the pope the Vatican and a considerable number of other valuable landholdings within Rome, which the Church still owns to this day.”

“And a magnificent kingdom it is,” Feldman acknowledged, gesturing to the glorious artistry of the grand cathedral. In demonstration, the camera dissolved to shots of selected points of interest within St. Peter's, and from many of the museums and halls of the Vatican. This was filler time to consume the brief interval before the pope, who had now entered the basilica, could be installed on his throne.

The camera then dissolved back to Feldman, who announced, “And I believe we're now ready to go to the throne of Saint Peter for the first-ever live
ex cathedra
address to the world. Ladies and gentlemen, His Holiness, the Supreme Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Nicholas VI.”

Off the air now, Feldman could feel di Concerci's eyes boring into the back of his head. He consciously avoided looking in the cardinal's direction, quite certain of the prefect's reaction to the exposure of yet another unpleasant archival secret.

94

The Basilica of St. Peter, Vatican City, Rome, Italy 9:00
P.M
., Monday, April 3, 2000

T
he camera began a slow zoom into the face of Nicholas VI. The pontiff sat relaxed on his throne, clad entirely in a white, caped cassock and white skullcap, a golden pectoral cross around his neck, a bright red fascia sash across his chest. On his nose were perched his gold-rimmed spectacles. Upon his lap he held a Bible and a series of typed papers that he was organizing.

This was not the same pope Feldman recalled from his previous visit. This pope was in control, deliberate and decisive. He exuded confidence and authority.

Speaking in English to reach the largest global audience possible, the pope's words rang out powerfully across the cathedral, each syllable underscored by resonant echoes. “Brothers and sisters of Christ,” he called forth in a strong voice, “may the blessings of the Almighty be upon you and yours in these times of trepidation. For tonight, I come before you with a sacred proclamation which the entire world community of Christians has awaited for nearly two thousand years. A divine message that carries with it the gravest importance and consequences for all mankind.

“One week ago, God revealed to me the ultimate reason behind the disturbing events which we now face. I was alone in my chambers, after a dark night of anguished meditation and prayer, and the new light of dawn broke fresh upon me, and the Lord's purpose filled my soul. And what God disclosed to me that morning, I now divulge to you.”

The pope's voice dropped to a hushed, awed tone. His eyes appeared to see off beyond the camera, as if staring back to his miraculous vision. “The menacing challenge that confronts us now, these times of wrenching spiritual conflict, these are the days of the supreme ordeal. The great trial of the Final Judgment. Armageddon!”

Instantly, the cathedral was rocked with delirium, but the Vicar of Rome was not to be deterred. One by one, Nicholas laid out all the compelling, scriptural premises leading toward the terrifying conclusions of his decree. Like overwinding a clock, the relentless logic of di Concerci's scriptural indictments ratcheted the nervous congregation to the breaking point. And as the devastating arguments unfolded, Feldman, who'd been standing to better see above the forest of microphones fronting the pope, felt all the blood drain from his face. He sat down slowly in his chair.

Further removed from the altar, in a special section reserved for media personnel, a trembling, perspiring Rabbi Hirschberg sat confounded, clutching at the deepening pangs in his chest. He staggered to his feet and made his laborious way to a public rest room where he joined several other pale and perspiring clerics near the washbasins. Fumbling with his bottle of medication, Hirschberg was elbowed accidentally by a nauseous priest bolting past. The bottle pitched from his hands to the marble floor where it rolled elusively beneath a toilet stall.

Out in the basilica, the pope was arriving at the climax of his address.

“I should think it unnecessary for me to belabor these points any further,” he stated. “By now, I would hope the truth is becoming abundantly clear to you. By now, you can see that the champion which opposes the Evil One, and which the Evil One is attempting to destroy, is certainly Holy Mother Church. And, surely you also know the identity of the Evil One.

“You recognize the false prophetess who has risen up amongst us, working strange wonders and commanding you to abandon your faith, desert your churches, ignore the sacred traditions of religious community that mankind has so reverently cultivated since the beginning of recorded history.

“I do not need to tell you that the name of the Evil One is Jeza, or
Jezebel,
as the Book of the Apocalypse identifies her. But I do need to place yet another label upon her. A terrible title which must now also be apparent to you.

“I come before you tonight to pronounce a solemn decree
ex cathedra,
the first such declaration of the Catholic Church in decades. I come to you as the Supreme Successor of Saint Peter, invoking the infallibility of Christ in making a judgment of faith and morals binding upon all the faithful.