Those who have lived in Rome usually love Rome passionately. The initial love is like that of a young man for his first love. Then, it changes to a love-hate relationship when the underside of the great city is discovered. Finally, like a married man getting over his "itchy" time, love settles into a day to day acceptance of both the virtues and vices of the center of Catholicism. The love becomes part of the person like daily breathing or eating. One cannot imagine not living or not visiting Rome without love.
Father Andrew felt the same way as most young priests who had spent their university lives in Rome. Those precious years of growth and change, immaturity and maturity, sensuality and spirituality, marked him in his heart as a Roman Catholic. Rome changed every one who ever lived there. Rome is a city of miracle and magic couched in the long messy history of humanity. One understands the Incarnation much better after one lives in the Church in Rome.
Today was not a miracle or a magical day for Father Andrew. It was a working day. He had to re-write his copious ideas to meet the needs of the suffering Church in America and hand this copy over for the Pope's perusal. Then, Father would wait for the Papal feedback before returning to the States. Rome in the Spring is absolutely a magical time, but the magic was lost on this energetic, but focused priest. He was all business.
He finished his paper and it was taken away to be given to Pope Francis II, a man who was born in Wisconsin, had gone to the Catholic University in America, the Pontifical Gregorian University, ordained in 1975, and the author of an encyclical in his first month as a pope. That encyclical , Consilium Dei coniugium, somewhat like Pope Pius V's Regnans in Excelsis, which excommunicated Queen Elizabeth I, separated the sheep from the goats. It reiterated the long Catholic position on both marriage and homosexual sins. All those priests, laity in any position, who supported same-sex-marriage incurred excommunication. Those bishops and priests who disagreed with this infallible document were planning the schism of the century. This Pope was already prepared for this event.
Many American and European Catholics faced one great decision. Many Catholics were relieved with the clarity, but disturbed by the reactions. Such concerns had been shared by the English Catholics in 1570. Father Andrew was dealing with the Church in crisis after the Pope's work, which was a direct answer to the Supreme Court's decision.
If the clergy was allowed freedom to work with emergency relief of the usual rules concerning Mass, for example, and were allowed to live in families or under pseudonyms, American Catholics would be served as needed.
Father Andrew, in calm, cool Rome, felt a strange disjoint with the horror of life for the Church in America. He had a hard time concentrating with the warm air wafting through his window in the Vatican. But, now the paper was finished and handed over. He just had to wait. Msgr. Miller brought him coffee.
"I read the paper. You are very thorough in your explanation of the needs."
Father Andrew nodded his gratitude. "I became a bit emotional on page four. Some of my friends are in jail. Our best bishops are in jail."
Msgr. Miller stirred his coffee. He liked sugar. "It will happen here, eventually. In fact, I was surprised this happened first in the States, as the EU usually moves away from morality first."
"Yes, we thought Europe would go the way of all flesh first. I thought is would be over a different issue, however, and that is Marxism. But, I know my history and all of this is part of the kulturkampf."
Msgr. Miller smiled. He and Andrew had studied under one of the most anti-Marxist professors in Rome. They both were well-versed in the the evils of the cultural revolution. Now, they were seeing the success of that very revolution they had been warned against years ago. Those days faded away in memory, as history seemed be racing to some unknown goal.
The two priests sat in silence, perhaps thinking of the calm past, or praying to be spared the tumultuous present. A bell rang and Msgr. Miller left quickly down the long hallway. Father Andrew decided to go for a walk in the Vatican Gardens.
The Spring Day belied the decay of the West. Father Andrew walked down the pathway into the center of the quiet greenery. Suddenly, he saw a figure in the distance, small, white, wrapped in an almost palpable silence. Then, he saw a larger figure, tall and smiling. Father Andrew gasped. Was this a vision? These persons, from a short distance looked exactly like the late Pope Emeritus, who had outlived his predessor for a few weeks, and Pope Francis I, who had reformed the Jesuit Order before he died suddenly. He had also reconciled the Greek Orthodox Church. The Catholic world had reeled for the death of two popes, so sudden, so unexpected. Pope Francis II, formerly the most conservative cardinal in the curia, had been elected on the first ballot. His first encyclical, published within the first month of his papacy, was the shout of a warrior. His second act was to canonize both his predecessors. His third act had been to reconcile the SSPX, under his own protection as a personal prelature.
The persons turned to Father Andrew and smiled. They then blessed Father Andrew and disappeared. Benedict XVI and France I! Father Andrew stood wondering and shocked, but also comforted. He had been blessed by two saints.
Msgr. Miller walked hurriedly up to the pensive priest. He had papers in his hands. "Come, quickly. We have to talk".
Both priests went into Father Andrew's apartment. Msgr. Miller began. "This is the approval of all your recommendations. There is also a list of diocesan mergers, plus a note that the Pope will be writing on the possible schism in America. He desires to wait and see what happens. There is one more thing."
Father Andrew waited, his hands on the papers. "Any of the clergy, bishop or priest, who die either in prison or from some other cause regarding this issue, will automatically be elevated to the altar as saint-martyrs. Each lay person who may likewise incur death will be the subject of immediate examination by the Pope personally. He has written, 'This is the Age of the Martyrs.'"
Both young priests were silent. They both remembered late night discussions in the seminary, usually with wine and cheese, when the youth talked of the Age of Martyrdom. Did they honestly believe in their own words, until now?
"And am I to return?," asked Father Andrew. Msgr. Miller said yes, immediately, to serve the old bishop until he passed on. That was a personal request of the Pope.
"I am relieved. And I am to give this document to the USCCB, which is breaking up as we speak?," he asked. Msgr. Miller answered quickly, "Yes, but you are also to publish this document independently through all the Catholic underground media sources. The Pope does not entirely trust the USCCB."
Father Andrew knew what to do. He sighed at the knowledge that the United States was now the center of conflict in the Catholic Church. He wished he could turn back the clock to some heady day of Catholic unity. But, he knew his history, and the American Church has not been united since before the great Civil War.
The heresy of Americanism had again struck at the heart of the American Catholic Church. Like the horrors in the Middle Sea, these monsters, the new, draconian laws of the land, and the coming schism in the Church, could be named Scylla and Charybdis, and the small boat of the remnant sailors, the true bishops, like Ulysses' crew, were caught in between these death-giving threats.
Andrew left the next day and was with his old bishop by the end of the week, after fulfilling all his duties and completing all his instructions. The first storm was to be followed by the second, and possibly a third.
To be continued....