captain. “Mario, open the wine and bring some prosciutto and melon. His Eminence may be hungry.”
Barbo sat impatiently while the wine was uncorked and Visconti tasted the vintage. A tray of prosciutto and melon was brought to the table.
“I assume you'll return the census record to the Vatican Library.”
“Ah the Hebrew parchment! You know Professor Baldini carbon dated it for me. There's no doubt it's from the first century.”
“If you wish a small finder's fee for retrieving the manuscript,” Barbo declared, “that can be arranged.”
“Patience, Eminenza. Let me finish. When the conclave opens, the parchment could be a powerful weapon in the hands of your colleague from South Africa, Hans Cardinal Diefenbacher, and his liberal supporters. It would advance their agenda for approving married and women priests.”
“You're posturing, Visconti. The parchment will naturally have some symbolic effect, but nothing more. As for Diefenbacher, for years he's been campaigning to become Pope Benedict's successor. I'm not worried.”
“You should be worried,” exclaimed Visconti. “Diefenbacher will stop at nothing to get what he wants. He has an agenda for restructuring the Church.”
“An agenda that's too radical for most Catholics. Let's not waste each other's time, Visconti. How much do you want for the parchment?'
“It's not a question of money. It's a question of relationships.” Visconti poured more Tignanello into Barbo's glass. “There are many situations where our institutions could support each other with very practical assistance.”
Barbo looked contemptuously at Visconti. “I can hardly imagine one.”
“The Church preaches against my clients in Sicily and throughout the Mezzogiorno. Priests tell the people to vote against candidates we support. My clients are good Catholics. Their children are baptized in the Church, they marry in the Church, and they die in the Church. They do not wish to hear themselves condemned from the pulpit.”
Barbo became impatient. “So you want the Church to become less aggressive in condemning extortion, prostitution, and drug dealing?”
Visconti nodded his head. “The Church's rhetoric could be moderated.”
“I'm sure that this isn't the only price for the manuscript.”
Visconti grinned. “On occasion, there might be ways that my organization could help direct the energies of the Church.”
“Get to the point, Visconti!”
“At the moment there's an opening in Turin for an antiterrorism prosecutor. It's an important post and needs a man or woman of unimpeachable credentials. Signor Rospalli would make an excellent choice. He has demonstrated great courage and ability as the organized crime prosecutor in Palermo.”
“Yes, I know Rospalli.” Barbo could sense what was coming.
“If the Church were to suggest to the interior minister that Rospalli should be given the position in Turin—”
Barbo finished the sentence. “...the Mafia would be rid of a thorn in its side.”
“Perhaps, but Italy would also get an effective antiterrorism prosecutor.”
“So the price of the parchment is silence from the pulpit on your activities and a new post for Rospalli?”
“And one thing more, Eminenza. I understand the Vatican Bank receives contributions from all over the world to the Peter's Pence collection.”
“Yes. The proceeds of the collection support many Vatican charities.”
“In the last year, transferring money from our operations in Latin America to Italy has become problematic. The Americans are carefully monitoring international bank transfers.”
Barbo seethed. “So you want to use Church accounts in Latin America to transfer money to the Peter's Pence fund here in Italy.”
“Yes. When the money reaches the Vatican, it will be transferred to various corporations here in Italy. Financial transfers made by the Church are not closely monitored by the Italian government.”
“In essence, Visconti, you want the Church to help
Barbo sat impatiently while the wine was uncorked and Visconti tasted the vintage. A tray of prosciutto and melon was brought to the table.
“I assume you'll return the census record to the Vatican Library.”
“Ah the Hebrew parchment! You know Professor Baldini carbon dated it for me. There's no doubt it's from the first century.”
“If you wish a small finder's fee for retrieving the manuscript,” Barbo declared, “that can be arranged.”
“Patience, Eminenza. Let me finish. When the conclave opens, the parchment could be a powerful weapon in the hands of your colleague from South Africa, Hans Cardinal Diefenbacher, and his liberal supporters. It would advance their agenda for approving married and women priests.”
“You're posturing, Visconti. The parchment will naturally have some symbolic effect, but nothing more. As for Diefenbacher, for years he's been campaigning to become Pope Benedict's successor. I'm not worried.”
“You should be worried,” exclaimed Visconti. “Diefenbacher will stop at nothing to get what he wants. He has an agenda for restructuring the Church.”
“An agenda that's too radical for most Catholics. Let's not waste each other's time, Visconti. How much do you want for the parchment?'
“It's not a question of money. It's a question of relationships.” Visconti poured more Tignanello into Barbo's glass. “There are many situations where our institutions could support each other with very practical assistance.”
Barbo looked contemptuously at Visconti. “I can hardly imagine one.”
“The Church preaches against my clients in Sicily and throughout the Mezzogiorno. Priests tell the people to vote against candidates we support. My clients are good Catholics. Their children are baptized in the Church, they marry in the Church, and they die in the Church. They do not wish to hear themselves condemned from the pulpit.”
Barbo became impatient. “So you want the Church to become less aggressive in condemning extortion, prostitution, and drug dealing?”
Visconti nodded his head. “The Church's rhetoric could be moderated.”
“I'm sure that this isn't the only price for the manuscript.”
Visconti grinned. “On occasion, there might be ways that my organization could help direct the energies of the Church.”
“Get to the point, Visconti!”
“At the moment there's an opening in Turin for an antiterrorism prosecutor. It's an important post and needs a man or woman of unimpeachable credentials. Signor Rospalli would make an excellent choice. He has demonstrated great courage and ability as the organized crime prosecutor in Palermo.”
“Yes, I know Rospalli.” Barbo could sense what was coming.
“If the Church were to suggest to the interior minister that Rospalli should be given the position in Turin—”
Barbo finished the sentence. “...the Mafia would be rid of a thorn in its side.”
“Perhaps, but Italy would also get an effective antiterrorism prosecutor.”
“So the price of the parchment is silence from the pulpit on your activities and a new post for Rospalli?”
“And one thing more, Eminenza. I understand the Vatican Bank receives contributions from all over the world to the Peter's Pence collection.”
“Yes. The proceeds of the collection support many Vatican charities.”
“In the last year, transferring money from our operations in Latin America to Italy has become problematic. The Americans are carefully monitoring international bank transfers.”
Barbo seethed. “So you want to use Church accounts in Latin America to transfer money to the Peter's Pence fund here in Italy.”
“Yes. When the money reaches the Vatican, it will be transferred to various corporations here in Italy. Financial transfers made by the Church are not closely monitored by the Italian government.”
“In essence, Visconti, you want the Church to help
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