The Iscariot Agenda

CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

Almost three months to the day Pope Pius XIII was diagnosed with cancer, he passed peacefully away in his sleep.

At the moment of the pontiff’s death the Cardinal Camerlengo, the title held by Cardinal Dominico Graziani, stood at the pontiff’s bedside and ritualistically called the pope’s name three times without response. After he completed the aged tradition, the medical staff then determined the pontiff’s death and authorized a death certificate. The Camerlengo then sealed off the pope’s private apartments, and made the event public by notifying the Cardinal Vicar for the Diocese of Rome. Once he alerted the Vicar, Cardinal Graziani then made preparations for the Papal funeral rites and the nine days of mourning, known as the novemdieles.

During the interregnum, the period of interim government, Cardinal Graziani became the leader of the Church and summarily directed the election of a new pope with the support of three cardinals, who were elected by the College of Cardinals, and began the tradition of the Conclave.

On the day of election the cardinals took seats around the wall of the Sistine Chapel, took a paper ballot, then wrote a name on the ballet. One by one, with Cardinal Vessucci at the head of the procession, the cardinals proceeded to the altar where a chalice stood with a paten on it. After holding their election slips high to show the Conclave they had voted, they then placed the ballots on the paten, and then slid them into the chalice.

When the cardinals took their respective seats, Cardinal Marcello and Vessucci gazed upon one other and gave each other a nod of support. The word was that some in Angullo’s camp were vacillating with their decisions and determined that Vessucci was the proper candidate. But going into the Conclave the numbers weren’t yet determined as to whose camp was strongest, the cardinals keeping their votes close to the vest.

Rising to the altar, the Cardinal Camerlengo, along with three aids, counted the votes and read the names out loud so that they could be written on the tally sheet. And Vessucci bowed his head in defeat. As they read off the names it appeared that the tally was not in his favor since all that was needed was the majority vote, which was half the Conclave plus one.

After the last name was tallied, an assistant ran a needle and thread through the center of each ballot and bound them together. He then burned the ballots using chemicals that would give off white smoke.

From the chimney the emerging smoke was as white as the billowy clouds that served as the backdrop against a bright blue sky. And the bells of St. Peter’s Basilica began to toll.

A new pontiff had been chosen.

Cardinal Constantine Marcello had been selected to fill the vacancy of the Apostolic See under the name of Pope Gregory XVII. And Cardinal Vessucci was suddenly rendered impotent. There was no doubt in his mind that the disbanding of the Vatican Knights would be inevitable under the occupancy of Pope Gregory.

And there was nothing he could do about it.