VATICAN
CITY – February 13 - After an extensive attempt at a cover-up of a recent unprecedented reversal of church opinion by an erratic Benedict XVI, Vatican Secretary of State Tarcisio Cardinal Pietro Evasio Bertone today revealed that the recent “resignation” announced by Benedict XVI on Monday was actually a “coup” carried out by a cadre of the leading
conservative cardinals heading the various dicasteries of the Vatican.
This unprecedented move by these Vatican officials was occasioned by a recent incident involving the Pontiff. Archbishop Georg Ganswein, the pope's secretary, reported that a few weeks ago Benedict,
having just finished his morning meditation, shuffled to his office and taking out a scroll of paper was seen scrawling letters on it with a jumbo
permanent marker. Finishing his message, the papal secretary reports, the pope walked, more resolutely than usual, down the corridor of the
papal residence to the elevator. Puzzled by the Pope’s unusual behavior, his
secretary followed him, but he reached the elevator just as the doors closed.
“I’d never seen his
Holiness quite so intense,” Archbishop Ganswein was quoted as saying,
“he was like a man on fire!”
Ganswein, 58, and in
very good physical condition, was able to get down the stairs to the ground
floor quickly enough, frantically calling the Swiss Guard. But Benedict had
already exited the residence and was walking down the steps to St. Peter’s
Square holding up the scroll before a small group of pilgrims gathered there. Witnesses
said the pope began greeting people with his typical grandfatherly grin, seemingly
unconcerned about security as he began to shake hands with the the gathered pilgrims.
One of the group taking pictures of the Basilica turned to see the Pope
coming toward her and quickly snapped a shot of the Pontiff as he held up the
scroll on which he’d written in English “Ordain Women!”
Witnesses reported the Pontiff appeared at peace with himself and relieved, before the Swiss Guard, with the help of Archbishop Ganswein, intervened and quickly began ushering him back into the papal residence.
Witnesses reported the Pontiff appeared at peace with himself and relieved, before the Swiss Guard, with the help of Archbishop Ganswein, intervened and quickly began ushering him back into the papal residence.
One of the other Swiss Guards
on the scene approached the woman who took the picture and demanded the camera from her. Witnesses said she appeared intimidated and readily surrendered her camera on the
promise it would be returned to her. It was later determined that the camera’s
memory card had been removed. And, once this was discovered, they could not locate
the woman. Her whereabouts is still unknown.
But the picture was just released
today to world-wide media.
For obvious reasons, this unprecedented
demonstration by the Pontiff had not been made public at the time it occurred. But the release of the picture forced the Vatican’s hand, and Osservatore Romano reported today it had received information on Tuesday from an anonymous source that
the woman, a progressive Catholic, had removed the memory card immediately after taking the picture knowing she's be asked to surrender the camera. She had immediately entered into negotiations with leading international media about how the picture would be used.
Only now has Archbishop
Ganswein revealed when his first suspicions had been aroused, saying, "Through the door, I could
hear the Holy Father during his meditation speaking with someone he was addressing as “Holy Spirit.” Ganswein reported that it was a woman’s voice
saying, “C'mon, Josef, do the right thing!”
Meanwhile, preparations
are going forward to prepare the Sistine Chapel for the conclave.
Today, one Vatican official
refusing to give a name for fear of reprisals reported seeing a distinctive white
dove perched on the roof of the Sistine Chapel, apparently resting after
several failed attempts to gain entrance to the building.
