The Elected One (eBook)

2nd Edition

Alexander P. Dyle (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2020 | 1. Auflage
417 Seiten
Books on Demand (Verlag)
978-3-7519-9944-1 (ISBN)

Infos

Alexander P. Dyle The Elected One Historical Novel Johanna, the heroine of the story, experiences the greatest adventure, which takes her from a village in the Franconian Empire via the monastery in Fulda to Venice. To deepen her studies, she travels to the Empire of Byzantium, visits Constantinople and studies in Athens. She returns to Italy and makes an unprecedented career in Rome, but a secret overshadows her life. Yet everything goes almost perfectly - until the day of the people's election. A novel based on historical facts about the greatest scandal of the Middle Ages As paperback: 462 pages

Alexander P. Dyle ist ein Pseudonym, gewählt für die historischen Romane. Er ist als Wissenschaftler in der Geschichtsforschung tätig. Alexander P. Dyle im Netz: alexanderdyle.com

Textauszug

The Procession

The papal mass at Easter of the year 858 had gone well, considering the state of health in which the Vicar of Christ was in. Now, only the procession back to the Lateran Palace was left to survive. The pope retreated to the sacristy to exchange the priestly vestments for the ceremonial ones. Arriving in the sacristy, the Pontifex Maximus thought to himself:

"How good that at the time of my election I had decided that I would always dress myself alone in the sacristy and elsewhere - as a sign of modesty."

The pope took off the chasuble; it was richly embroidered with gold threads on the back, representing Christ on the cross, which the pope had shown to the faithful in the ritual for a long time. But then the Vicar of Christ had turned around and the people of the Church had seen the front of the chasuble as Jesus had risen from the grave. The resurrection of the Lord as was depicted in the embroidery.

 

The chasuble was as heavy as armour and almost as stiff as a Carolingian scale armour. The pope placed it on the table for the deacon, who would clean and store it. The pope then removed the dalmatica, also made of precious fabric, but was much lighter, since it was made of precious woven fabrics that came from Constantinople. The patriarch of the city had sent it to the Holy See as a gift. Now His Holiness replaced the dalmatica and alb. The Pontifex Maximus decided to use thicker clothes in the procession, also preciously worked, because the weather was still quite fresh in March 858, the higher clergy also wore a pluvial over the liturgical vestments.

But first, the Vicar of Christ looks at himself in a mirror. Few people have been given this privilege of being able to look at themselves in a mirror. The reaching for the mirror brought a surprise:

 "Is it all the lead white in the face powder or the facies hippocratica, the sign of approaching death, that makes me appear like dead?"

 

The reflection was not ugly, but the last months had increasingly left their mark. The pre-occupation with mirrors had become an obsession in the past months.

"Why did I not at that time, a little more than two and a half years ago, flatly refuse to ascend the throne as Christ's representative? I was given no choice; the masses of people were so enthusiastic and the vote was so clear that I could not refuse." Images of the memories came to his mind's eye on that fateful day. It has long been said that the day someone was elected pope was the greatest change in a person's life. But who has been elected pope - just about to flee from Rome? Together with Arnoldus and Lucia, who had become a kind of daughter...

The pope grabbed the gilded silver shepherd's crook and called in the deacon, who brought the papal crown.

The deacon, when he placed the crown on his head, said: "Receive the Camelaucum and know that you are the father of princes and kings, the ruler of the world and the vicar of Jesus Christ - our saviour on earth".

"Easter Day in March has gone surprisingly well so far," thought the pope, a miracle, since the pope’s health was severely affected. The repeated attacks of tiredness and slight confusion had fortunately not been noticed and passed by.

For the return journey from St. Peter's to the palace in Lateran, it was customary for the pope and other important dignitaries to ride on horseback. "How fortunate that I changed that custom and showed myself to the people in a sedan chair."

The pope stepped out of the sacristy.

"We will take the procession in the open sedan," said the Vicar of Christ to the assembled church leaders waiting outside the sacristy.

Anastasius, the abbot of Santa Maria in Trastevere and an important collaborator in the papal administration, was there, as well as Nicholas, the cardinal deacon, an important collaborator in the personal staff, and Hadrian, a popular cardinal priest who had previously renounced the election of the pope several times. The reason he had always given his unworthiness for the office. Hadrian had been married to a woman named Stephania in his youth and was still married when he was ordained as a priest. He also had a daughter. Because both the sacrament of marriage and the sacrament of priestly ordination were holy, Hadrian had received a dispensation from Pope Sergius II and was thus able to become a priest because of his pastoral abilities.

Arnoldus was also among the closest collaborators of the current pope. He was the chamberlain to His Holiness.

"How fortunate that only Arnoldus knows of the dark secrets in my past," the pope thought in secret. A brief feeling of remorse arose: "Oh, if I had disclosed everything then, I would have been spared the office and dignity of the papacy." But suddenly, common sense kicked in: "My case could not have been solved by dispensation. I had no choice but to remain silent.” At least the chamberlain, who also acted as confessor to the Holy Father, shared the secret. No wonder, since he had been actively involved in it.

 

The procession set off and crossed the bridge over the Tiber. Like a long centipede, the procession of priests and guardsmen moved through the crowd. In earlier years the pope had been actively involved, blessing the crowd, laughing at everyone. But this time, the Vicar of Christ found it increasingly difficult to engage with the people of the Church.

"Somehow, I have the feeling that this is a final transition to another world," the pope thought.

"I'm in my mid-thirties, and there's so much to do. The war of Emperor Ludwig II against the Emir of Bari - the building of the orphanage..." Thoughts drifted away from the procession.

"I must gather and concentrate on blessing the people!" admonished the supreme Prince of the Church.

But shortly afterwards, his thoughts turned to other matters again: "I wonder what has become of my brother Johannes? Why am I so absent-minded today?”

The procession now moved south along the Tiber, passing in sight the Collegium Angelorum, the English mission residence in the Holy City. "Here I found hospitality on my first arrival in Rome, because of my name, although I was born in the north of the Frankish Empire..."

The thought was interrupted by a stabbing pain in his abdomen. Unconsciously the pontiff put his hand on the spot.

"Hopefully, I can make it to my private quarters to lie down."

The procession had already advanced quite close to the hill, towards the Lateran Palace, the roads were narrow and so many people in the procession made it difficult to move forward. The sedan swayed violently, which increased the pain and the nausea. "Strange, I see before me my old church of the Schola Graeca on the Tiber. Before that day, I had never seen it during the earlier Easter processions. Perhaps it's just my imagination.”

Again, thoughts of remorse rose up: "If only I had escaped with Arnoldus, my trusted chamberlain, as I did in the monastery in Fulda.” This had been a wonderful time, the journey to Greece, the study of Greek. "But did it not lead me to Rome and put me on the Holy See? If I had not mastered Greek, another would have been pope. Perhaps Anastasius, who always wanted to be pope, but was not supported by the people?"

"All my hopes now rests on the physician who awaits me at the Lateran Palace." The operation was already planned and prepared...

Again, dizziness and pain in the abdomen interrupted the thoughts. A twitch went through the whole body. The Vicar of Christ hoped no one would notice. A smile, a renewed gesture of blessing for the rejoicing people.

The procession now crossed the Roman Forum. Once it had been the political centre of a world empire, but now sheep often grazed on the ruins of the crumbling Roman Empire. But today, on the day of the Easter procession, the glory of earlier triumphal processions returned for a short period of time. The cross of the Lord had triumphed over the eagles of the legions, but the price had been high. Despite Christianization, the Roman Empire had fallen apart, and the western part had perished. Much had been lost. "Here in the Senate House, the orator Cicero had delivered speeches I had considered..."

Strange thoughts returned as the procession left the forum and moved through the triumphal arch of Emperor Titus to the Colosseum. "Did I really live the life I wanted? Have I really been chosen by God to be His representative on earth?"

"If I am honest with myself, I have lived my life as I wanted - until the day I was elected pope. I should have fled the city just before the election, as I had done many times before - whenever things became critical."

Now the papal procession passed the ancient Colosseum, which was slowly crumbling. Centuries ago, Christian executions and cruel animal hunts had been banned. Now the site was a sanctuary, since Christian martyrs had died for their faith there.

The abdominal pain was getting stronger. Waves of pain were burning like a storm tide on the coast, "Soon I will join the martyrs" thought the Vicar of Christ.

"Only half an hour more, then I'll be at the Lateran Palace..." The pope looked around in fear... The eyes were looking for something, without knowing exactly what it was.

"Where's Arnoldus?" panic ensued.

In the crowd on the road to the Lateran, the pope thought he saw a familiar face. It was the face of an old, bearded man who radiated great goodness and wisdom. "Isn't Benedict waiting for me there? His benevolent face was unmistakable. But this could not be, since I myself...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 14.9.2020
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Literatur ► Historische Romane
• Themenwelt: Literatur ► Romane / Erzählungen
• Schlagworte: Church Thriller • Crossdressing • Historic novel • middle age • Pope Joan • The Elected One
• ISBN-10: 3-7519-9944-2 / 3751999442
• ISBN-13: 978-3-7519-9944-1 / 9783751999441