The Parchment (38 page)

Barbo's eyes widened. “You mean Visconti doesn't know the manuscript is a forgery.”

“That's right.”

“Thank you, Martin. You have been a great help.”

As the Swiss Guard led Fellows out of the basilica, Barbo saw the procession start up again. Putting one's trust in God may not bring instantaneous results, but they do come at the right time.

When the last cardinal elector had entered the conclave area, the Prefect of the Papal Household stood at the door to the Apostolic Palace and formally intoned the words
Extra Omnes
—“Outside, Everyone.” With Cardinal Marini at his side, the prefect closed the
heavy bronze door to the palace and locked it from the inside with a large key. No one could now enter or leave the conclave area until a new pope was elected.

The next day at ten o'clock in the morning, the cardinals entered the Sistine Chapel for their first ballot. Each elector was provided with a chair and a small table covered in green velvet. The Apostolic Constitution governing the election of a new pope required that, on each day of the conclave, the cardinals take a total of four votes, two in the morning session and two in the afternoon session, until a new pope is chosen. After each session, the ballots from the two votes are burned in a metal stove standing next to the door of the Sistine Chapel. When the balloting finally elects a pope, the camerlengo pours a vial of chemicals over the paper ballots before burning them. The chemicals send white smoke up through the flue in the ceiling. When the voting fails to elect a pope, however, the ballots are burned without additives, producing black smoke. When white smoke appears, the waiting crowd in St. Peter's Square begins to cheer and chant
“Viva il Papa!”

In the Sistine Chapel, Barbo sat between Cardinal McDermott from New York and Cardinal Vaggio from Florence. Like the others, when Barbo took his seat, he placed his scarlet biretta on the right-hand corner of his desk. The cardinal's red hat was a symbol of his authority in the Church and of his right to be present in the conclave.

The first order of business was to select by lot three cardinals as
scrutatores
—those who would oversee the voting. The ritual to choose the scrutatores took only five minutes. When they had been chosen, Cardinal Chavez unexpectedly rose from his seat.

“My brothers in Christ, as I'm sure you know, my name has been mentioned as a possible successor to Pope Benedict, Some have questioned whether my membership in Opus Dei disqualifies me from assuming that office. There have been innuendos and whispers. I wish to discuss my membership in Opus Dei openly and candidly. Some critics say that Opus Dei is too secretive an organization, as if secrecy were something evil in and of itself. Opus Dei is no less transparent than the Curia here in the Vatican. Others say lay members of our order take the vow of celibacy and practice acts
of strict piety such as fasting and self-flagellation. Since when does piety exclude a person from becoming the head of the Catholic Church! If anything, the future of Catholicism lies in reigniting the spiritual practices of the faithful. Catholics from Europe and the United States criticize us for being out of step on important Church issues such as priestly celibacy and women in ministry. How can we be out of step for believing what the Magisterium of the Church teaches?

“Before I sit down, let me ask each of my brothers a question. Would you exclude a member of the Jesuits or the Dominican Order from becoming pope?” Chavez glanced at Cardinal Diefenbacher who was sitting impassively at his table. “I suspect not. If you would not exclude them, then you should not exclude a member of Opus Dei. Our Church has canonized the founders of the Jesuit and the Dominican Orders and has canonized the founder of Opus Dei, Father Escriva, as well. In God's house there are many mansions — many ways to follow the word of the Lord.”

There was silence in the chapel after Chavez resumed his seat.

The Archbishop of Recife, Cardinal Ramera, raised his hand to speak. “Chavez speaks of Opus Dei. In my country, its members are rich and powerful. I do not speak on their behalf but on behalf of the anonymous ones—the poor who beg in the streets, the children who sell their bodies for food, the sick who line up for days, hoping to see a doctor. They have been robbed of hope. All they have left is Jesus. But we who lead his Church turn away from them and support their oppressors. We offer them joy in heaven in return for pain in this life. I ask only two things from our next pope—compassion for the poor and the courage to condemn their oppressors.

When no other member of the Sacred College rose to speak, the camerlengo motioned the scrutatores to begin the first ballot. Each member of the Sacred College wrote the name of his choice on a white card, which he then folded in half. The cardinals, in order of ecclesiastical precedence, walked in a line to a large gold chalice that stood on a table in front of the altar of the Sistine Chapel. One by one, the cardinals placed their ballot in the bowl and returned to their seats. Barbo wrote on his ballot in bold letters the name Jean
Cardinal Calvaux. Printing Calvaux's name in oversized letters was therapeutic for Barbo. He remembered Cardinal Galliardin's words in Gemelli Hospital: If you want the support of the Mafia, submit a blank ballot on the first vote. This was Barbo's way of telling the five cardinals beholden to the Mafia that he would not accept their support. The oversized lettering was also a sign of how strongly he supported Calvaux.

Before tallying the names on the ballots, the scrutatores compared the number of votes submitted with the number of electors present in the Chapel. When the scrutatores announced that there was no discrepancy, Barbo glanced around the room to see if he could determine who the five cardinals were. No expressions or gestures revealed their identities.

The scrutatores proceeded to count the votes according to the rules set down in the Apostolic Constitution. The first of the scrutatores removed each ballot from the bowl and read the name written on it. He passed the ballot to the second scrutator who also read the name aloud. The third and last of the three followed the same procedure, calling out the name inscribed on the ballot. The first four votes were for Chavez, and then in rapid succession came five votes for Diefenbacher. The remaining votes seesawed back and forth between Chavez and Diefenbacher, with sporadic votes for Barbo, Calvaux, and Cardinal McDermott of New York.

The final tally was fifty-four votes for Diefenbacher, forty-five for Chavez, thirteen for McDermott, eight for Barbo, and three for Calvaux.

Since no candidate received the necessary two-thirds-plus-one majority, the scrutatores called for another ballot. Just before the second round of balloting was to begin, however, Diefenbacher rose from his seat.

“I commend Cardinal Chavez for his forthright defense of Opus Dei. His willingness to stand before you in this conclave and unburden his heart has given me the courage to do the same. Cardinal Ramera's eloquence put it best: The Vatican often supports the oppressors, not the oppressed. The Curia forbids priests to help the poor and the disadvantaged in their struggles to create a better life
for themselves. And, despite the widespread disavowal of its position, Rome continues to remain intransigent on birth control.

“There is one problem that faces the Church, however, and it surpasses all of the others. In the business world, it would be called an employment crisis. Our churches are full, but our seminaries are empty. If we are to survive as a religion, we must increase vocations to the priesthood. When the existence of the Church was threatened during the Reformation, new orders of religious were formed to challenge those who were bent on destroying us. Today we must take equally bold measures to survive. What stands in our way is the Church's attitude toward sex. Somehow it is deemed unworthy of a priest. But the Church is wrong. God's most precious gift should not be denied those who have chosen to serve Him.”

Several cardinals twisted in their seats.

Diefenbacher continued. “In my view, priestly celibacy must become voluntary, except for members of the episcopacy. The Church should also take immediate steps to reinstate those who have left the priesthood to marry and raise a family. If a former priest wishes to return to the Church, we should receive him back with open arms. Finally there is the issue of the status of women. God calls all to the priesthood regardless of sex. We are all members of His one Mystical Body.”

Cardinal Muñoz pounded his hand on his desk. “Cardinal Diefenbacher, Jesus himself was celibate and those who carry out his ministry must remain celibate as well.”

Barbo stared at Diefenbacher. The secretary of state sensed what was coming.

“Suppose Jesus was not celibate, Cardinal Muñoz? Would that make you rethink your position on celibacy?”

Muñoz smiled. “What do you think, Diefenbacher? Rome is the center of the Church because Peter and Paul were martyred here. If we learned that they were martyred somewhere else, I would vote to move the papacy there.”

“And the Curia too, Muñoz?” A ripple of laughter greeted Cardinal Marini's moment of humor.

Diefenbacher paused for a moment. He opened the drawer of his desk and took out a parchment scroll. “Three days ago I came into possession of this document. It is an old Jewish census record. There is little doubt about its authenticity. Carbon dating confirms that it is from the first century
A.D
. Cardinal Muñoz, let me read a passage from the manuscript. ‘In the year 3791, Yeshua from the town of Nazareth married Mary from the town of Magdala according to Jewish law. A child named David was born to them in the year 3792 and a second child, Tamar, in 3793.”’

As Diefenbacher lifted the piece of parchment for everyone to see, the conclave dissolved into uproar and name-calling. A redfaced Cardinal Muñoz struggled to his feet, all the while pointing his finger at Diefenbacher. “Have you no shame! Take this manuscript out of the Sistine Chapel. You have polluted this holy place.”

An enraged Cardinal Muramba of Uganda, at a loss for what to do or say, knocked Diefenbacher's cardinal's biretta off his table. “If you believe what this document says, Diefenbacher, you do not deserve to vote in this conclave.” Many applauded Muramba's action.

Despite the uproar, Diefenbacher calmly picked up his biretta and waited until the camerlengo restored order. He then walked slowly to where Cardinal Barbo was seated. “My Lord Cardinal Barbo, you can read Hebrew. Tell Cardinal Muñoz and the rest of this conclave whether my translation is accurate.”

Barbo looked at the manuscript. “Cardinal Muñoz, I see nothing that would contradict Diefenbacher's translation.” Barbo chose his words carefully.

Diefenbacher had the satisfied look of someone who has trapped his opponent. “Well then, Cardinal Muñoz, you must reconsider your position on priestly celibacy. In fact, all those who support celibacy should rethink their positions. Jesus was both God and man. To be fully human, Jesus could not remain celibate. Here is the proof.”

The tension in the chapel was electric. Diefenbacher walked to the steps of the altar and stood beneath Michelangelo's
Last Judgment
. “Jesus has given us authority over his Church. But we have failed in our responsibility to him. Unless we elect a leader who is capable of adapting to new structures and new ideas, his Church
will wither and die. Look above me at Michelangelo's fresco! Where will Jesus put us on Judgment Day—with the elect or with the damned?”

When Diefenbacher walked back to his seat, an angry Cardinal Chavez demanded to speak. “Perhaps Cardinal Diefenbacher has forgotten—we are in conclave. There are no experts here. We cannot authenticate this manuscript. I, for one, will not take Diefenbacher's word on a question of such importance. Like all Jesuits, he's a master of legerdemain.”

Diefenbacher glared at the Mexican cardinal. “I will let that slur on my order pass without comment, Chavez. As for the manuscript, it has been carbon dated. An expert at the University of Rome has authenticated it. Here is his certificate.”

Chavez exploded in anger. “I will not accept this certificate. My brothers, this is the work of the devil — not the Holy Spirit. Without further testing, we must not consider this. I will call the Swiss Guard to have this document removed from the Sistine Chapel.” Chavez pulled out a cell phone from under his robes. When he realized what he had done, Chavez quickly put the phone back in his pocket.

Cardinal Barbo rose from his desk. “Chavez, there have been more tests. Cardinal Diefenbacher is right—the manuscript is from first-century Palestine.” The Mexican cardinal spun around to see who had spoken. “In addition to carbon dating, the parchment has been subjected to a pollen test. It shows definitively that the parchment was from first-century Palestine.”

“How do you know about this manuscript, Barbo?” Chavez trained his eyes directly on the secretary of state.

Barbo stood calmly as he answered Chavez's question. “An agent of the Mafia offered to sell it to me for ten million euros. If I refused to buy it, the individual threatened to make the document public and harm the Church. I would be a liar if I denied that I was tempted to pay the blackmail. Just today, I discovered it was a forgery.”

Diefenbacher turned pale. His hands began to shake uncontrollably. “It is not a forgery, Barbo. You yourself said it was authentic.”

Barbo shook his head. “You didn't listen carefully, Diefenbacher. What I said was that I saw nothing to contradict your translation and that the manuscript was from first-century Palestine. All of this is true.”

For a moment the South African prelate seemed relieved. “So then the parchment is authentic.”

Barbo walked to Diefenbacher's desk and picked up the document. “It's an authentic first-century parchment from Palestine alright. But what it originally said has been altered.”

Diefenbacher's face twisted with anger. “This is preposterous, Barbo! Are you saying that someone today found this first-century parchment and forged the name ‘Jesus’ on it?”

“Not precisely, Diefenbacher. The alteration was done in first-century Palestine. If you examine the manuscript under ultraviolet light, you will see that the word Jesus has been superimposed over the original name, John.”