The Second Messiah

“That wasn’t what I meant.” Kelly’s face flushed again. “The Vatican press office has managed to keep it a secret so far, but surely when the media gets hold of this story it might appear to some that you’re either choosing to live like a hermit or losing your mind. Or both. And then there’s the suggestion of reaching out in friendship to other Christian churches. What next? Even other religions, perhaps?”

“Christians share many core beliefs and values, Liam. And may I remind you of a favorite saying of yours in the seminary—that the face of God can be seen from a thousand different angles?”

“Fair enough, but your mission may be too much for some of my fellow cardinals. The fact that you want to embrace everyone might be seen as being overzealous.”

“I thought that’s what Jesus wanted us to do—to embrace everyone.”

“Well, yes, but the point is, there may be those among the Curia who will see your mission as threatening.”

The pope stared back. “Who put you up to this, Liam? Was it your fellow senior Irish-American clerics? The ones we often jokingly called the ‘Murphia’? Have they sent one of my fellow countrymen to change my mind?”

“I came here simply as a trusted friend, Holy Father. And out of concern for both you and the church.” Kelly leaned closer, his voice a fierce whisper. “For the love of heaven, John, can you not see that all this will set the church back centuries?”

The pope met Kelly’s stare. “No, Liam. This is what the flock has been waiting for. A fresh start. A renewal. A return to the simple values that Jesus professed.”

Kelly’s voice took on a bitter edge. “You mean there’ll really be a chance of that after the Italian tax authorities have torn us asunder by suing the Vatican for billions because of past financial misdeeds? And after half the flock have disowned us for some of the revelations made public from the archives?”

“Liam, I must tell you that some of the archives my inspectors hoped to find have gone missing. Deliberately, it may seem.”

Kelly blushed. “Are you suggesting that I, one of your most trusted cardinals, had something to do with that?”

“No, Liam, of course not. I will put the matter in Monsignor Ryan’s hands. I am hopeful he’ll get to the bottom of it.”

“Then what are you saying, Holy Father?”

The pope put a hand on Kelly’s arm. “Simply that the church must bear the responsibility for its sins, Liam. Just as we ask our flock to bear responsibility for theirs. My plans will go ahead.”

“I see.” Kelly ran a palm across his face again, as if in despair. Then he slowly reached under his gown and removed a newspaper clipping. He placed it on the bench space between them. “I wanted to show you this.”

A headline announced in Italian:

BRUTAL MURDER—MYSTERIOUS TWO-THOUSAND-YEAR-OLD SCROLL FOUND IN ISRAEL VANISHES

Kelly tapped the cutting. “Another scroll has been found at Qumran. A renowned expert, Professor Green, was murdered there. It seems the Israeli police have so far not yet apprehended anyone for the crime.”

The pope scanned the page, his face bleak. “Yes. I’ve read this.”

“The Holy Father is better informed than I thought.”

Becket met Kelly’s stare. “It seems there’s no end to the misfortune that follows the scrolls, is there, Liam? It’s like a curse.”

Kelly folded the clipping and put it away. “I know of another curse. Your intention to open the archives. It could mean ruin for all of us who know what really happened at Qumran twenty years ago. What if some smart researcher reading the files pieces together the truth? It could be the nail in all our coffins.”

“Yes, I know.”

“You, me, Cassini, Father Kubel. We know what Robert Cane found and why it had to be kept secret. Just like the other scrolls were kept secret.”

The pope bowed his head in shame, his hands clasped together, as if he were silently offering a prayer. “What happened to Robert Cane was a terrible tragedy.”

Kelly said anxiously, “May the Lord have mercy on our souls for what was done back then in the name of the church, but had Robert Cane had his way and exposed his document to the world, the tragedy would have been worse.”

“Your point, Liam?”

“The threat is no less great now than it was twenty years ago. Can’t you see what will happen if we divulge the truth about the scrolls? We both played a part in the crime that was committed back then. It could ultimately destroy your papacy, the church, all of us.”

The pope ran a hand over his grim face in a gesture of anguish. “You don’t think I have considered that? My conscience has been wrestling with that dilemma.”

“And?”

“It still wrestles with it. Part of me believes that telling the truth will be our finest hour. But sometimes, just sometimes I confess I have my doubts about revealing this one dark secret we share, Liam. Pray for my guidance. Will you do that for me?”