The Secret Cardinal

65

‘My Most Eminent Brothers in Christ,’ Donoher called out from in front of the altar. The Sistine Chapel grew quiet as all attention focused on him. ‘I apologize for being unavailable to you yesterday, but I am certain you all made productive use of the pause in our deliberations. May the Holy Spirit continue to guide us in our work.

‘I have two items of news to share with you. First, Cardinal Gagliardi passed away yesterday after a long battle with heart disease. I was with him at the end, and his thoughts and prayers remained with us in this difficult time. I would like to offer at this time a moment of quiet reflection in his memory.’

Donoher struggled to offer a prayer for a man he knew had betrayed the Church, but he left Gagliardi’s final judgment in the hands of the Almighty. After a respectful pause, he looked up at the assembled cardinals.

‘Regarding the matter of Bishop Yin, I am pleased to announce that on this day, the Feast of All Saints, our brother is free. I received word early today that Bishop Yin crossed the border into India. He is, at this moment, en route to Rome.’

Several of the cardinals smiled broadly, nodding happily to each other like fans of a sports team that had just won an important victory. Others bowed their heads in thankful prayer. Near the center of the chapel, Velu rose from his seat and waited for the Camerlengo to recognize him.

‘My Esteemed Lord Velu,’ Donoher announced.

‘My Lord Cardinal Camerlengo, I believe I speak for all my brothers in expressing my joy at the good news regarding Bishop Yin. Sadly, I now feel compelled to report to you that a cloud has fallen over our conclave, a matter that only you can address.’ Velu’s words reverberated in the otherwise silent chapel. ‘During our informal sessions yesterday, a rumor began to circulate among us. It started at first with a question, one cardinal to another, asking if anything in their rooms seemed out of place. Most noticed no disturbance to their belongings, but the question forced others to reexamine what they initially considered a lapse of memory. Among those asking the question, it became clear that an entire section of Domus Marthae Sanctae had been systematically searched.’

Velu slowly paced as he spoke, his deep brown eyes meeting those of the other cardinals, his voice peaceful and certain. At the chancel screen, he turned and began walking back toward the altar.

‘My Lord Brothers, within the sealed confines of this room, I must now break my silence. Mine was one of the rooms searched, and in it something was found. Lord Donoher questioned me about a device that I brought with me into the conclave. I did so for personal reasons and with full knowledge that the Apostolic Constitution explicitly forbade my action, and for breaking my oath I am answerable to our next pontiff. But my transgression, though grave, was not what Lord Donoher sought. Now, with Bishop Yin at long last free, it is time for truth.’ Velu now stood directly in front of the Camerlengo. ‘I ask you, my Eminent Lord, to share with us the reason for your search.’

Donoher stepped close to Velu, their faces mere inches apart.

‘Why?’ Donoher asked in a whisper that barely concealed his anger.

‘I am sorry to force your hand,’ Velu replied softly, ‘but to protect Yin, you must name his betrayer.’

Velu bowed and walked slowly back to his seat, providing a brief time for Donoher to collect his thoughts.

‘My Most Eminent Lords,’ Donoher began, ‘the searches that disturbed a number of your rooms were conducted under my authority as Camerlengo and with the approval of the particular congregation. The first rooms searched belonged to the four of us who currently serve on that congregation as we are entrusted with the secrecy of the conclave. The justification for this action comes from evidence that the secrecy of our conclave had been violated with regard to Bishop Yin, and that this violation threatened not only his life but the lives of those who were sent to rescue him.’

Donoher’s words hung in the air like a pall of smoke — the sanctity of the conclave had been betrayed, and the Camerlengo believed a prince of the Church was responsible.

‘The search was part of a broad effort to unmask the person or persons responsible for this despicable act against the Church,’ Donoher continued, ‘an effort that I am pleased to report has succeeded. The unfortunate breach is now closed, and we may continue with our work.’

‘Who?’ Magni shouted, not waiting to be recognized, his face flushed with anger. ‘Who is the traitor?’

‘The answer to that question,’ Donoher thundered back, ‘I will give only to the next Pope.’

Magni’s gaze remained locked on the Camerlengo for a moment before he resigned with a curt nod and returned to his seat. Donoher wondered if Magni backed down so quickly because he believed the answer would be his in time.

As Pope, Donoher mused, how will you react when I answer that question with the name of your closest ally?

Donoher surveyed the room and again found Velu standing, waiting to be recognized.

‘My Most Eminent Lord Velu.’

Velu stepped into the center of the chapel and with hands clasped bowed in a brief prayer toward the altar. Drawing on whatever strength he could summon, he stood tall and began to speak.

‘My most beloved and esteemed colleagues, when we first entered this magnificent chapel, we called out as one to the Holy Spirit for guidance, and for the wisdom to discern who among us would be the next shepherd of the universal Church. I truly believe that the Holy Spirit answered our prayers immediately. In his final message to us, His Holiness Pope Leo made known what was in his heart. And he, who made all but a handful of us cardinals, reminded us with his suffering why we wear scarlet. This color symbolizes our willingness to die for the Church. His Holiness understood this commitment fully, having shed his own blood to a would-be assassin’s bullets in Saint Peter’s Square and having suffered for the faith in ways few of us can comprehend.

‘We live in a very different world from the one that greeted the dawn of Pope Leo’s long and holy reign. The Evil One besets us on all sides, in ways both monstrous and cunningly subtle. The immense challenges facing the Church today compel us to select a man of great faith to illuminate the way of Christ, for it is only on that most difficult path that we can lead the faithful to salvation. To select a politician, a bureaucrat, a caretaker Pope’, Velu locked his gaze on the other papabili as he emphasized the last appellation, ‘would doom the Church in a time of its most desperate need. Great leaders inspire by their example — that was the key to Leo’s success.

‘I am humbled that some of you believe I could be Pope, but when I look in my heart,’ Velu crossed his arms over his chest, ‘I know that it is not my path. At best, I would be a good Pope, but the Church needs more. And when the need is great, God provides. He has done so now, but it is up to us to recognize His divine hand, to feel the presence of Jesus Christ in this room with us, and to act in a way of faith.’

With a polite bow to the Camerlengo, Velu returned to his seat. Donoher waited until all eyes turned to him.

‘My Lords, does anyone else wish to address the conclave?’

No one stood.

‘Then it is time,’ Donoher declared.

In silence, each of the cardinals placed a ballot paper on the tables before them and carefully wrote out the name of the man they believed should be the next Pope. Donoher folded his ballot and, looking up, discovered that most of the other electors were also done. Apparently, the pause for prayer and reflection did little to sway minds already made up. His spirits sank at the thought of another deadlocked vote, and the possibility that the election could drift inconclusively for a week until they reached a point where the rules could change. Then, instead of eighty votes, a candidate need only garner an absolute majority, just half the votes plus one. Failing that, they would have to have a runoff between the top two candidates. With an odd number of electors now present, the result of that ballot would be a new Pope.

Following the now-familiar ritual, Cardinal Mizzi approached the altar and, in full view of all present, deposited his ballot in the urn. One by one, the infirmarii cast their ballots next, followed by the rest of the conclave in order of seniority.

Donoher exchanged a subtle nod with Velu as the Indian prelate passed by after casting his ballot. He had to admire the man’s selflessness in admitting his failings in service of a greater good. Would any of the remaining papabili have scuttled their ambitions so thoroughly?

The infirmarii returned just as the most junior cardinals approached the altar. They presented the locked box containing the ballots of the ailing cardinals to the three scrutineers, who opened the box and counted the ballots to verify their number. The ballots of the sick were placed one by one into the urn.

Donoher laid a clean sheet of paper on his desk and across the top wrote the date. Down the left side, he wrote: Magni, Escalante, Oromo, and Yin. He suspected Oromo would benefit most from Velu’s withdrawal, perhaps allowing the Sudanese cardinal to jump ahead of his two main rivals. The election was now just a game of numbers.

Seated at the long table in front of the altar, the scrutineers chosen for today’s vote began opening the ballots. The first passed from Porter to Gensa and finally to Drolet.

‘Yin,’ Drolet announced in a gravelly voice that rumbled with the seriousness of the proceeding.

Donoher drew a short vertical line beside Yin’s name and wondered if any more would join it.