Chapter 3: Misty Rose (Part 3)
◎The Sick Archbishop◎
The Basilica of the Holy Thorn is opposite the Piazza della Signoria. This civic square left over from the ancient Roman period covers a vast area and was large enough to accommodate 10,000 people in its peak period. After the Vatican inherited this legacy, it spent a lot of effort to renovate it. In the center of the square, the thorn wings and the Pool of Grace symbolizing the gods were erected for pilgrims to admire and visit. Surrounding the square are the palaces of the bishops of the Vatican and some hotels. Directly opposite it is the Basilica of the Holy Thorn, which is used exclusively for the Pope's coronation and high mass, as well as the Papal Palace.
There is a large terrace on the second floor of the cathedral facing the Piazza della Signoria, which is specially used by the Pope to receive people and preach. The architects of the Vatican are extremely talented in this regard. The design of the terrace is exquisite. It not only allows as many people as possible to see the Pope, but also allows people even at the end of the square to hear the Pope's holy voice with the help of the ubiquitous brass sound amplification devices.
A waterfall of bouquets of flowers hangs from the terrace's snow-white carved railings, mainly white lilies symbolizing the Vatican and irises symbolizing the Pope himself, supplemented by bishops' tassels, Virgin Mary irises, champagne roses, laurel leaves, etc. The pastoral emblems of the eighteen Florentine cardinals surround it, clustered around the papal emblem in the center, to show obedience to the Pope.
The vast square was already crowded with people, ragged paupers and jeweled nobles, all looking forward to it. The windows facing the street in the square were wide open, with many heads of different colors sticking out. They greeted each other excitedly, waving spikenard flowers and papal flags in their hands.
When the young Pope, wearing a scarlet chasuble and a snow-white robe, appeared on the terrace surrounded by flowers, thunderous cheers broke out, the crowd surged like waves, and people involuntarily waved what they had in their hands, bouquets, hats or something else, to pay high respect to the new Pope of Florence.
The gentlemen dismounted, took off their hats and bent over. The ladies sitting in the carriages also came out, lifted their skirts and bowed deeply to the new Holy Father on the terrace.
Colorful silks, flowers, and cheers merged into a vast ocean, and everyone looked at the monarch on the terrace with excitement and anticipation.
"Oh my god, he's as beautiful as the Son of God in a painting!"
The woman who got up early and fought for a good seat was dressed in tattered clothes. She clapped her palms red and spoke to her husband in a hoarse voice amid the cheers.
"He is the Holy Father!" Her husband made a not-so-funny joke, apparently agreeing with his wife's words in disguise. ⊙
"He is more handsome than any previous Holy Father - ah, he does look a bit like Saint Vitalian III." A woman nearby heard their conversation and couldn't wait to join in.
"Yes, yes, but if he's willing to add a major feast day every month and give us wine, I'll fight you to the death over who's better looking, him or St. Vitalian III." The man made another not-so-funny joke.
This time his wife rolled her eyes and made a vague sound through her nose.
The noble women in the carriage were much more reserved. They exchanged glances with their companions calmly, conveying their emotions with blushing cheeks and tacit glances to each other - these birds roaming in the social scene were masters of controlling emotions. They were good at using subtle and tactful language to ridicule or praise, looking for prey of love and pleasure - the first criterion was naturally a beautiful appearance.
Apparently, the new Pope has a perfect appearance that even the most demanding ladies cannot find fault with.
People of this era had not yet had their souls bound by strict church rules. They pursued carnal desires and pleasures freely and primitively. The Vatican advocated loyalty to marriage, but even bishops had a dozen illegitimate children - this was not something to be ashamed of. The high infant mortality rate made every child extremely precious. They could obtain titles and inherit estates, and seemed to be no different from legitimate children.
During the reign of Pope Line VI, a papal bull was issued to openly recognize the identity of an illegitimate child.
With the example of this rebellious pope, the noble ladies did not mind having an affair with the clergy and giving birth to one or two children for them, especially when the new pope had such a brilliant appearance.
Putting their thoughts aside, Raphael, who was already accustomed to such stunning looks, adjusted the parchment speech placed in the bouquet, raised his hands lightly - and pressed them down, an elegant and powerful gesture.
The tsunami-like cheers slowly died down, and people held their breath, listening attentively to the young Pope's speech.
“Brothers and sisters, by God’s grace, we are able to gather here together…”
The Pope's voice was neither hurried nor slow, and was carried far away by the resonance of the copper pipes buried around the terrace and under the square.
"…When the Lord took on the thorns, tore off his wings, sat down on the rock, and showed the world the miracle of resurrection, the great city of Florence took shape. The land under our feet was stained with the blood of saints and was watched by God. The steps to heaven were built here. The monarchs of the world placed their crowns at the feet of Florence to prove the unparalleled status of the holy city in the world…"
"... as Seer and Head of the City of Cities, blessed by the Father, the crown of faith is given to me this day, Shepherd among Masters, Father of all kings and princes of the world, Father of all the children of the earth, Saviour of the poor, Saviour of the adventurous, Saviour of the desperate and the wretched ..."
"I have heard your prayers and will grant you the blessings of God. Under the glory of the Holy See, believers will obtain eternal peace and tranquility in the secular world. Sin and filth will no longer disturb you, in the name of the Lord."
The Pope lowered his head slightly and drew a symbol of thorn wings in front of him. The people in the square, with tears in their eyes, recited the Pope's title and the name of Saint Leah at the same time, and then drew a symbol of thorn wings on their chests with their heads lowered. The pious whispers gathered together, like the wind blowing through the wheat fields and treetops, peaceful but containing unparalleled power.
At the same time, sixteen cannons displayed on the hills outside Florence fired continuously. The steam rising from them could be clearly seen even on the terrace of the Cathedral of the Holy Thorn. The sound of cannons resounded throughout the sky. Children released the second batch of white doves, and the roofs of the houses around the Piazza della Signoria began to throw down flowers and ribbons, decorating the entire square with a gorgeous look.
There were endless long wooden tables lined up in the square, filled with steaming food. The bishops and priests distributed the holy communion given by the Pope - toasted bread, butter and wine - box by box.
To celebrate the Pope's coronation, the Papal Palace purchased thousands of kilograms of flour, thousands of barrels of wine, and hundreds of kilograms of preserved meat to prepare for today's Holy Communion. There will be non-stop celebrations in the following days, with
In order to distribute an equal amount of food to the people of Florence - and to entertain envoys from various countries, the huge expenses were all paid through the account of the Papal Palace, which was Raphael's private account book, so on the first day of his coronation, he was already in debt of at least five thousand gold florins.
This is not a small amount of money. You have to know that the annual income of a well-fed middle-class family is only about 120 gold florins, and the total annual tax revenue of a small country called Gonza near Florence is only 9,000 gold florins.
Raphael had not thought about this yet. He was looking at the people of Florence who were happily receiving the Holy Communion with a smile on his face. The deacon came up to report that the envoys from various countries had also started to eat and were waiting for him to come down. Raphael responded, raised his right hand, and waved to the black-robed monk who was following him not far behind.
The Pope was the only one on the terrace, and the cardinals could only stand at the foot of the terrace steps, where there were many chairs for the elderly and the infirm to rest. The monk saw the Pope's gesture, hesitated for a moment, and subconsciously looked at his master, but the handsome bishop was talking to someone else at the moment and did not notice him.
After hesitating for a moment, he still did not have the courage to refuse the Pope's call in public.
"Holy Father."
The monk came behind the Pope, stopped at a distance, and bowed his head deeply to show respect.
"Brother Alfonso," Raphael's great strength was his strong memory. He remembered almost everyone in the Vatican who had ever met him, even if it was just a cook or a sculler. So of course he also remembered the monk who was in charge of cleaning the confessional in the Cathedral of the Holy Thorn. "Didn't you follow the procession to the lower city?"
It seemed like just a greeting, as if the Pope was simply curious about his itinerary.
Alfonso hesitated for a moment and answered softly, "I was ordered by Bishop Portia to visit Archbishop Tandoler and was unable to catch up with the procession."
"Oh, Archbishop Dondol, is he in good health?" Raphael's tone was very light. In his memory, Dondol was now terminally ill, and the news of his death would be delivered to the Papal Palace in a few days.
He was thinking about these things casually, when suddenly his brows furrowed slightly. If they were just visiting a patient, why did they rush back in such a hurry?
As his mind raced, Alfonso's words and his thoughts were almost synchronized: "The Archbishop is not well... Palazzo Riccardi has begun preparations for the Last Mass..."
Raphael's right hand, which was resting on the railing, suddenly clenched.
This is different from last time!
Why is this happening?
Is all this his fantasy? Or was there something wrong with his memory?
The young Pope's heart was in turmoil, or rather, his heart had been floating in the air since he opened his eyes in the carriage, neither up nor down. The miracle of resurrection was truly horrifying, and the miracle of reversing time was too shocking. Such a story had only happened to one person from ancient times to the present, and this person was later proved to be one of the incarnations of God. He asked himself that even with God's mercy, he was not worthy of such mercy.
Rafael Garcia was just a layman who died because of ignorance, but he received the same grace as that bestowed upon the Holy Lord.
...How can I be so worthy of such a reward?
Raphael laughed at himself in his heart, so even if something was different from the past, it seemed understandable.
The new life he gained was a gift from God, and the additional changes were perhaps just embellishments of God's interest.
Alfonso quietly withdrew. Raphael stood on the terrace for a long time until the deacon came up again to urge him. He then slowly walked down the steps and took off the overly heavy scarlet velvet chasuble. The deacon beside him quickly reached out to take it. When he was about to step back, he heard the young pope's calm words: "Arrange a carriage and go to the Riccardi Palace to visit Archbishop Dondol after the Eucharist."
The deacon did not expect such a strange order from the Pope, but he did not ask any more questions and bowed his head respectfully to show that he understood.
The communion lasted for three hours. Princess Sancha and Duke François, as the most distinguished guests present after the Pope, were arranged on Raphael's left and right sides. François behaved very gentlemanly and politely throughout the whole process, with no trace of the arrogance he had shown when he met Raphael before.
As the host, Raphael needed to start the topic in an appropriate manner and evenly distribute the time talking with the guests on both sides to avoid favoring one over the other. This was a technical job. Fortunately, he was well versed in it and handled the entire banquet with ease.
As night fell, huge steam spotlights lit up on the Miracle Square. The air in the copper tubes hummed, and the hot light burned the square. The performance organized by the Vatican continued. More and more people gathered to enjoy this rare joy. The guests were taken to the Pope's Palace in carriages and the evening dance began.
The host of the ball left the scene in a low-key manner, leaving the Papal Palace without anyone noticing, and took a carriage to the Riccardi Palace.
Several carriages were parked in the spacious square of the Riccardi Palace. Raphael was helped down from the carriages by the deacon. He ignored the pain in his right leg from walking and standing for a long time, and looked around at the carriages carefully.
The family emblems on the carriages are mostly engraved from precious metals, and they still shine even in the night.
He saw in it an emblem with a wave at the base, crossed swords and scepters, and a small crown on top, surrounded by ribbons, lilies, and stars.
This means that the holder of this badge comes from a noble family, perhaps this family is from an island, has a long history, has a close blood relationship with the royal family, has produced royal members, queens, clergy and popes, and has military power.
There are many families with such profound heritage in Florence, and this badge happens to be the most well-known one.
Julius Portia.
Raphael bit the name and rubbed it between his lips and teeth twice.
His most trusted secretary general of the papal office, the patriarch of the Portia family, the "benefactor" who single-handedly supported him to the throne of Saint Leah...
Portia was here, but she hadn't told him.
The author has something to say:
New characters appear!
Regarding the update time, I’m not sure. Generally, if there is an update, it will be sent out before 10 o’clock on the same day. If it is not sent out by 10 o’clock, don’t wait... Also, tomorrow is a full day, so don’t wait any longer. See you the day after tomorrow!
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