July 2025. Rome
The Church’s princes were in the Vatican by special invitation of the pope. They had left their Sees in their respective countries, and the ones here, attending the business and pleasure meeting, would then report to those who had not been able to come.
After the Mass, the pope invited his guests to the Sala Regia adjacent to the chapel, which today was decorated to accommodate a lunch of twenty-five. A long table covered by an embroidered, linen tablecloth, dominated the space and twenty-five servers, one for each guest, hovered in the background. Once the cardinals were seated, Simon spoke. “My dear brothers in Christ, distinguished Princes of our Holy Church, although we have already seen each other, I want at this moment to officially welcome you to the Vatican.
I want to also thank you for taking time from your important functions to answer my invitation. “Perhaps you are wondering at my request, but I have brought you here to bring you up to date about our activites and, at the same time, to receive your invaluable advice regarding the management of world affairs and the place of Our Holy Mother Church. “Allow me to offer a prayer for our meal: Lord, give us all who are gathered here the light to guide us in finding the peace that we so need.
This world today, more than ever, has been turned into a valley of tears by the grief of mothers, fathers, and children who have been sacrificed in a senseless battle for so-called religious reasons. We humbly ask You to give us the wisdom so that the experience of our faith and that of Our Mother church may provide us a solution.
Bless, oh Lord, our table and the food that we are about to share. Let us carry out the actions and sacrifices necessary so that none of your children, our brothers and sisters, lack their daily bread. May our works under your Divine Inspiration be the ones needed to console the grief of those who lift their eyes up to you, offering their prayers and asking for your help.” He crossed himself as he said, “In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.” “Amen,” all responded, and they all followed the pope’s actions as he broke the bread while the servants served the entrees.
There were all types of conversations at the table in a very cordial environment, though the converasations were unintelligible to those outside the small groups of men brought together by being seated near one another. The sound of glass and cutlery at the table contributed to the confusion. Simon watched the Princes of the Church carefully. They were all intellectuals whose lives had been continuously dedicated to the Holy Mother Church since they were ordained.
Many were strictly conservative, taking as their guide the precepts of the successive councils. He knew that those who sought to protect the purity of the ecclesiastic laws established by the Church’s canons would attack his ideas.
The changes that Simon was preparing would meet opposition by several of them. Saint Michelle, the French cardinal and a thinker and researcher of the laws and the author of several treatises on Canon Law, would probably be the most powerful adversary to establishing any type of change. Roberto Giuliani, the director of the Vatican’s Bank and an ultra-conservative himself, would also be a formidable adversary. Still, several cardinals could be swayed one way or the other.
They were men of deep faith, and his mission in convincing them of the need for change was a delicately difficult process at best. He knew that, as pope, his decisions would be accepted as royal order, but he also knew that antagonizing these men could result in turmoil that could divide the Holy Mother Church. Men of great faith were not often receptive to even small change, and he could not afford to cause any more friction, nor risk dividing the ranks of the Church. Once the meal was over, Simon invited his guests to another part of the sala to have coffee or tea.
The men gathered, seating themselves on leather couches that formed a semicircle around the pope. Once they were all seated, the assistants and the butler discreetly left, and Monsignor Travanti entered the room, taking a seat not far from Simon after he greeted the Princes of Christ. “Brothers in Christ,” the pope began, “less than two weeks ago, you chose me as pope to fill the great void left by the previous Vicar of Christ. There is no doubt in my mind, and I don’t think that there is any in yours either, that this action of the Sacred College of Cardinals is due to the special circumstances facing the world. We seem to be on the verge of a religious war. It seems one leader promises rewards for those who die in the name of the Lord, incites the violence that is creating such division and panic. No one knows the name of this leader who directs these terrorists whose actions have created such a great number of victims.
Those deaths should be too many, but they are only in addition to the ones caused by drought or devastating storms that have turned the lands of the world into arid regions incapable of producing even ten percent of their normal crops. The production of fossil fuel has been reduced by more than fifty percent in just a few years, and the development of new engines or other types of fuels has not been fast enough to solve the crisis, in spite of the fact that the problem was clearly known years ago. “Your Holiness,” Cardinal Giulianni interrupted.
Here he comes. I must be prepared, Simon thought. “Yes Cardinal?” he asked. “While it is true that we are part of this world and our duty as members of the Holy Mother Chruch is to give comfort to those who are suffereing, there is nothing that we can do to alter such events. We cannot get involved in a war, nor can we solve political problems which are not our own. Simon sighed. “This is true, my dear Giulianni.
The role of the Holy Mother Church is not fighting in wars nor inciting the faithful to combat. Christ, Our Lord, did away with an eye for an eye, but the fact that our Church does not have an army and is not prepared for a battle in defence of our brothers in Christ does not mean that were are to remain inactive when our intervention is necessary.” As he spoke, Simon drew upon every instinct he had utilized as a CEO, judging reactions by the slightest movement, and he was encouraged to see that, though the cardinals were not totally convinced, many appeared to be in agreement. He could also see that the reticence in some was due to the fact that Simon was proposing that the modern tradition of the Church as a force that operated behind the scenes be overthrown by openly negotiating a political issue and changing the Church’s role in the world.
“The conflict we are facing is rooted in the radical interpretation of passages of certain holy books, and zealots are attempting to spread religion through the use of force and fear,” Simon continued. “This is the precipice upon which we stand. “We cannot deny, upon analisys of the causes and effects of the current conflicts, that they are the result of unbridled ambition, of modern means of communication, an unmeasured worship of money and power, and the overriding politics of the so-called first world. In many ways, our modern society is reverting to that of a feudal society in which the barons and lords of long ago are now the CEO’s and CFO’s. “Although it is true that a few years ago the world reached great levels of self-sufficiency, today’s crisis was caused by the abuse of that same sufficiency. We used our technology without thinking of the consequences that great industrial development would have on the atmosphere.
Now, we find that not only the populations that had been suffering extreme poverty for centuries are enduring the effects of harsh climates, but so are those that enjoyed resources of water and fertile land. Poverty exists either because of lack of natural resources or because there has been no help to avoid it. Problems which were foreseen years ago fell on deaf ears, ignored by a world that was too concered with obtaining limitless comfort. “What I am proposing, and for which I am taking the necessary measures, is that the Church should meet with the terrorist forces. We should start a dialogue with them. “This conflict has a religious origin.
The leaders of these groups are extremely religious men who, regardless of how wrong they might be, believe they are in the right. Some of these groups blame the Holy Mother Church.,In order for any progress to be made, a truce must be declared, not only by these groups but by religions, so that we might work to create a future of peace and cooperation under the protective umbrella of God.
” Simon paused again, and though many of them men looked as though they approved, albeit hesitantly, Cardinals Giulianni and Saint Michelle were frowning and shaking their heads. “Cardinal Giulianni,” the pope asked, “are you not comfortable with my words and my approach to the facts, or do you find fault with my solution to the problem?” “Your Holiness, if you will allow me to speak freely —”, Giulianni began. “Please,” Simon said, waving his hand. “In principle, the problem, in its minimal expression, is that which you have so eloquently explained,” Giulianni said, nodding his head in deference to the pope before he continued. “But your solution, which entails the Church becoming involved in the temporal world, is not — in my humble opinion — the appropriate solution.
“These crises are the result, as you expressed, of bad politics and the unbridled desire for power. No consideration is given to the consequences of these actions. As such, shouldn’t these powers be the ones to recognize their errors and repair the damages?” The cardinal’s eyes hardened. “Besides, Your Holiness, you seem to think that the Church, which is not to blame for the poverty or the political ailments of the world, should take on their financial burdens. It is my fear that, in negotiating with these violent religious sects and seeking to ameliorate the economic woes of the world, we would simply be paying violent men to cease their attacks, rather than expecting any true change of heart.
Simon sat in silence for several minutes, studying the cardinal’s reactions as he thought. He could tell, as he watched the reactions of the men, that Giulianni’s arguments were not strong enough to make the balance of opinions go in his favor. “Yes, I suppose it might seem that way,” he said carefully, “but let me tell you something: You all knew very well when you elected me that my personal fortune is greater than the treasury of some countries and that it will be used, inasmuch as it is possible, to alleviate the pain and suffering of our bretheren, whether they are Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, or any other faith. If it is sufficient, I think that the wealth of our Holy Mother Church should collaborate with my own, in the measure that its capacity allows, to assist in projects that will assist society, such as funding the construction of dams, levies, transportation systems, factories, and schools.
We have many great minds in the religious community whose vocation of sacrifice will enable them to help communities in need while, at the same time, it will help them to reaffirm their faith. The world is waiting for the skills of its leaders to give help where necessary. You can be sure, Giulianni, that our Mother Church will be stronger for this and will be holier as it brings help to those in need.” He looked calmly around the room. Now, unequivocally, the majority agreed with him. “But, Your Holiness,” Giulianni said, “the Church’s assets cannot be touched.” The pope shook his head, marveling at the persistence of the man. “The Church does not have any assets to keep. All the goods that we have accumulated are thanks to the alms that have been given according to each individual’s financial abilities and as a tribute to God. Since God does not belong to this world, the Church keeps these goods to use them, doing the work of God on Earth.
“But Your Holiness,” Giulianni protested again, this time his voice joined by those of Saint Michelle and Pireo Mussante, the Vatican’s Financial Director, “you cannot give away that money. It belongs to the Church.” “I am the pope,” Simon replied sternly. “You elected a pope that understand loans, mergers, collateral, and making companies. You, and the Divine power acting through you, chose me for a purpose. God will guide me, and and He will guide you, as He has done for the last two-thousand years.
“Today, we have an unprecendented opportunity to begin to reach towards the creation of religious understanding between all religions.,The separations and anger that plagued us all in the past were the result of what could, at best, be termed misguided foolishness. We should use that experience and not close our minds, nor our hearts or our souls. We must find that which unites us. I am not going to try to tell you that destiny, opportunity and God will cover us with a cloak and protect us from all harm, but we need only to listen to the words of Our Lord, as Matthew remembers them, to understand our task: ‘You cannot serve God and the riches of this world.’
