SI SI NO NO THE NEXT CONCLAVE OCTOBER 1995

[Dawn Marie]

October 1995 No. 13

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GREAT PRE-CONCLAVE MANEUVERS?

For several months already, articles have been appearing regularly concerning the next conclave, articles which have served as spring-boards to launch the names of the more likely papabili (an Italian word meaning a cardinal who has a chance of being elected pope). Admittedly, the Pope's health problems, his serious falls and his obvious fatigue have set journalists off speculating on this momentous question. However, journalists are not alone in thinking about the upcoming conclave: high-ranking cardinals have also been showing considerable interest in this important matter. Card. Thiandoum, in an interview with the magazine 30 Days last July, admitted that on the occasion of the last consistory (i.e., a meeting of the cardinals presided over by the pope) - in June 1994 - the question of candidates to the papacy was one of the subjects of conversation amongst the cardinals. This is not the first time that more of less secret maneuvers have been seen preparation for a conclave. Here, for example, is what a Vatican specialist, Giancarlo Zizola, tells us in his book precisely entitled The Conclave, as he describes the preparations for the conclave.

What is really surprising nowadays, is the great magnitude of these maneuvers, launched in secret on the occasion of the October 1992 Synod, and which have become somewhat official with the article published in Limes in March 1993, as well as with - by some strange happenstance - Card. Achille Silvestrini's declaration:

In the future, who knows, it could very well be a Latin American or even an African who emerges.

This could have been taken as a feeler thrown out just to see how the land lies. In fact, it was quite a bit more than that, as proven by the great number of articles regarding the next conclave that have been published for over a year and a half.

THE LAST CONSISTORY: THE ITALIAN CARDINALS

Let us, therefore, proceed in an orderly manner. The last consistory constituted a decisive step in the future conclave. The appointments of the new cardinals confirm that the clan which does, in fact, wield power in the Vatican - (as has previously often been mentioned by the Italian press as well as by others also, and by Sì Sì No No and Courrier de Rome) - is, in reality, more active than ever right now.

Above all, it must be noted that the four new Italian cardinals are all following in the modernist steps of Silvestrini, Casaroli, and Laghi:

1) Luigi Poggi:

Prefect of the Apostolic Library and Archives, born on November 25, 1917, at Piacenza, Bishop in 1965, and named (in 1976) 'itinerant nuncio' by Pope Paul VI to the Eastern countries (i.e., Iron Curtain countries). Together with Card. Casaroli, former Secretary for the Church's Public Affairs, he was one of the artisans who initiated dialogue with the Communist regimes (Östpolitik). Also, acting as chief or head of the "Holy See's Delegation for Permanent Working Contacts with the People's Republic of Poland," he prepared John Paul II's two first visits to Poland in 1979 and 1983 (LeMonde, November 1, 1994).

He was later instrumental, in his capacity of Nuncio to the government of Italy, in the nomination in Italy of bishops following the "line" of Casaroli and Silvestrini; for example, the present Bishop of Avicenza, Pietro Nonis, and the present Bishop of Iglesi, Arrigo Miglio, former Vicar General of Ivrea, who is at least the third "man" of the "red" Archbishop of Ravenna, Msgr. Baldassari (cf. Sì Sì No No, Nov. 15, 1985, p.1).

2) Carlo Furno:

Apostolic Nuncio in Italy, born December 2,1921, in Bairo Canavesa (Ivrea), Bishop in 1973, former fellow-student of Silvestrini at the Apollinarius College (in Rome), and who spent several years in Peru (after Poggi), where he allowed the "liberation theology" to take hold and spread, and then spent seven years in Lebanon, where he was so frightened and therefore, in awaiting his promotion, he did nothing at all. He was later posted to Brazil for a ten-year period, where he in no way at all was of any help to the Brazilian bishops in curbing "liberation theology." Since 1992, he has been Nuncio in Italy, distinguishing himself by his nomination of Bishop of Aversa, Msgr. Chiarinelli, who was responsible for the worst Italian-language "catechisms." This is the same man that Casaroli, Silvestrini and the present Bishop of Chieti, formerly Silvestrini's secretary, rely on.

3) Vincenzo Fagiolo:

President of the Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts, born February 5, 1918, in Segni: he was Archbishop of Chieti-Vasto, Vice-President of the Italian Bishops' Conference, and then Secretary of the Congregation of Religious.

He is known for the new concordat (i.e., an agreement between the pope and a sovereign) of 1984 with the State of Italy. His role in this affair consisted not so much in elaborating the text of the accord (this part was accomplished by the delegation headed by Msgr. Silvestrini), as in defending it (the concordat) against a general resistance and opposition, as well as against the perplexities and confusion arising in the ecclesiastical spheres as well as in the minds of the Catholic faithful in general. Let it never be forgotten that the cardinals of the Italian Bishops' Conference made it known that they were strongly opposed to that concordat, even resulting in a very violent clash between the then Card. Luciani, who later became Pope John Paul I, and Msgr. Silvestrini, artisan of that "masterpiece," by which Italy is now no longer a Catholic country.

Fagiolo defended the new concordat in the columns of Il Tempo and of Avennire, as well as in count- less conferences and seminaries (cf. Sì Sì No No, November 15, 1985). And it is very probably this defense of that concordat, essentially a "work" of Casaroli and Silvestrini, which won him his cardinal's hat. In his "capacity" as Secretary of the Congregation of Religious, he unfailingly practiced a policy of non-intervention in the gravest and most tragic cases, especially in doctrinal questions.

4) Tersilio Tonini:

Former Archbishop of Ravenna, a native of Piacenza, a fellow-student of Casaroli (same year). Tonini and Andreotti gave the official speeches on the occasion of a special reception at the "Columbus" in honor of Casaroli's priest jubilee. When he was Archbishop, Tonini refused to reside at the archiepiscopal palace, and had an apartment fitted out instead for himself with the Sisters of the Institute of St. Theresa of Ravenna. In doing so, he left to his successor the unenviable task and worry of restoring the completely neglected palace. When John Paul II paid a visit to his diocese, Tonini fitted out two more apartments in the same Institute: one for the Pope, and one for his friends Silvestrini and Monduzzi.

Tonini is well-known in Italy for his television appearances which shine forth neither by their clarity nor by their orthodoxy, and which have often provoked negative reactions in the public. (Cf. Sì Sì No No, November 30, 1993, a letter on "The False Charity of Msgr. Tonini"; and Famiglia Cristiana, No.51, 1994, p.14: "It is most unpleasant to see a cardinal going around dressed like a bum.")

THE NON-ITALIAN CARDINALS

Amongst the new non-Italian cardinals many simply follow the "line" of the men currently in "power":

Msgr. William Henry Keeler, Archbishop of Baltimore and president of the US Episcopal Conference. He takes his cue from Card. Bernardin, who represents the most "liberal" wing in the US: he is a product of Card. Laghi's ten-year nunciature in Washington.

Msgr. Pierre Eyt, born June 4, 1934, Archbishop of Bordeaux since 1989, an enthusiastic disciple of the new theology and contributor to the review Communio. "Lately...he said that he felt worried about certain signs of 'stiffening' in the Church, as shown in Card. Ratzinger's letter regarding divorced-and-remarried persons" (Le Monde, October 31, 1994). A few months ago, he really made himself well-known by a public conference titled "Who Killed Jesus?" in which he blamed the Romans for Christ's death. Insistent rumors have it that he could possibly be Card. Decourtray's successor to the Archbishopric of Lyons. It has also been written that the representatives of the Jewish community in France have already met the Minister of the Interior, Charles Pasqua, insisting on Msgr. Eyt being appointed the next Primate of France.

Adolfo Antonio Suarez Rivera, Archbishop of Monterrey, Mexico. Born on January 9, 1927, at San Christabel de Las Casas in Chiapas, Archbishop Rivera was a creation of the Marxist Bishop Samuel Ruiz Garcia, the Bishop of San Christabel de Las Casas. Under Baggio, he was an assistant at the Episcopal Congress (1979-83), a delegate by papal nomination to the 6th General Episcopal Synod (Sep/Oct 1983) and a member of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America (cf. L'Osservatore Romano, Nov. 11, 1994).

Adolfo Suarez Rivera, one-time president of the Mexican Episcopal Conference, is a disciple of the fighting bishop, Samuel Ruiz Garcia, from Chiapas, S.E. Mexico, while he was his vicar-general for many years in San Christabel, and to whom he owes his episcopate. He is well known amongst the Roman Curia, which he frequently visits.

The journal, 30 Days, wrote in November, 1994:

30 Days is in a position to reveal the behind-the-scenes events of his nomination. Last Spring, when everyone still thought that the Consistory might be convoked for the month of June, the Mexican Ambassador to the Holy See, Enrique Olivares Santana, sent a confidential message to the secretary of State. The diplomat desired the "purple" for certain ecclesiastics and wanted Msgr. Sandovad of Guadalajara to be appointed as Archbishop of the town of Mexico and Msgr. Suarez appointed Archbishop of Monterrey. The latter was an appointment that was in the interests of the government, the other being a mere routine request. The desires of the ambassador were fulfilled, thanks to the support of the Papal Nuncio for Mexico, Jerome Prigione, who over the last six years had worked in a perfect accord with Suarez in the Presidency of the Episcopal Conference. However, this acquisition of the "purple" can be taken another way, for the new cardinal would be the successor for the Archdiocese of the city of Mexico, for which position he had already candidated in vain back in 1977.

The facts that we have pointed out are of a very serious nature, because the ambassador in question is a notorious Freemason - as revealed in the Courrier de Rome of December 1992:

Carlos Vasquez Rangel, Grand Commander of the Supreme Council of Mexican Freemasonry, has for the last 30 years been co-lodge member and confidant of the Mexican ambassador to the Holy See, Enrique Olivares Santana, the Grand Master of Mexican Freemasonry, active member of the Vallée Lodge and holder of the distinction of "the most distinguished mason of recent years," and militant of honor in the Scottish Rite and the Mexican Rite.

Commenting upon the nomination of his "fellow mason" to the Holy See, Vasquez Rangel said:

He will, most certainly, find there (at the Vatican) many reactionaries, but also many freemasons. In the four quarters that constitute Vatican territory, there are eight Masonic Lodges. Like ourselves, they belong to the Scottish Rite, but under an independent form. And in the countries where the Church cannot act, they carry on their business secretly, using lodges as intermediaries. (Processo no. 832, Oct 12,1992 as quoted in Courrier de Rome of December 1992) [Processo is a progressive Mexican Catholic journal].

They say that the most radical wing of Mexican Freemasonry, "Los Dinosaurios," was responsible for the assassination of the Cardinal of Guadalajara, Msgr. Posados Ocampo, who had promoted the beatification of the Mexican martyrs - the Cristeros (cf. 30 Days, July 1994). The Grand Master of Freemasonry, Enrique Olivares Santana, left his post as ambassador at the Holy See and returned to Mexico at the end of October 1994.

Mission accomplished! His brother "Dinosuares" can thank him for his services in Rome: for their candidate, Msgr. Suarez Rivera is now a cardinal (Cf. El Universal, December 5, 1994 - "Promovia Olivares Santana el cardenalato por Adolfo Suarez Rivera).

Msgr. Nasrallah Pierre Sfeir, Maronite Patriarch of Antioch since 1986: Silvestrini personally negotiated his appointment as Patriarch, with Syria (cf. Courrier deRome, April 1990 and December 1992).

Msgr. Gilberto Agustoni, Pro-Prefect of the Tribunal of the Apostolic Signature, who is a dedicated participant in the meetings between ecclesiastics, journalists and the "power-group" at the Leonine Library.

NOMINATIONS OF NEW CARDINALS AS MEMBERS OF CONGREGATIONS

Those who doubted the "power-group's" efficacity in promoting its "own," can cast a glance towards the recent nominations of new cardinals as members of Congregations.

At the Dicastery, representative of ecclesiastical power, the "line" remains unchanged. In the Council of Cardinals and Bishops, in the section that deals with relations between States and the Secretary of State, we see the names of Poggi, Furno and Fagiolo. As members of the Congregation for Bishops, another Dicastery key, again Poggi, Furno and Fagiolo, and also Agustoni.

We must also point out that the appointment of Pierre Eyt, to the former Holy Office of St. Peter, was a reward for his fidelity to the New Theology.

POWER GROUP AND THE NOMINATIONS OF BISHOPS

The nomination of bishops has always been regarded as a strategic point. Before the last consistory, the nomination of bishops, at least in Italy, was exclusively in the hands of the "Power-Group": on the one hand, Furno being named as Nuncio and Fontana as Secretary at the Nunciature of Rome; while on the other hand it appointed to the congregation for Bishops such names as Silvestrini, Casaroli, Laghi, Poletti, Martini, Giordano...

Today, after the recent consistory, this circle has been reinforced with the likes of Poggi, Furno, Fagiolo, who have been named as members of the Congregation for Bishops. Thus, the "Power-Group" is assuring its succession.

THE NEXT STAGE: THE CURIA

The numerous posts within the Curia reached their date of expiry this last May. A chance not to be missed! In the Courrier de Rome of December, 1992, we wrote:

After almost 10 years as Nuncio in the United States, Pio Laghi began to visit Rome in order to start his electoral campaign. He went around saying that, henceforth, he would be ready to take on important posts within the Roman Curia. He was supported by the Vaticanists of the "Casarolian" press and those of Belleri. But things did not turn out as expected. Casaroli's post, which he hoped to obtain, went up in smoke and today, he is, against his wishes, Prefect for Seminaries.

Now, not being able to attain anything better, Laghi has the key post of the Congregation for Bishops in his sights, but he is simultaneously seeking to get his papers in order for an eventual nomination as Cardinal Vicar, so as to cultivate relations at a very high level with Berlusconi or Irène Pivetti [President of the Chamber of Deputies]. With regard to his current post at the Congregation for Seminaries, his successor has already been ear-marked: Msgr. Marchisano, former Under Secretary of the same congregation, who has already worked with Card. Garrone in the destruction of seminaries, especially the regional seminaries, so desired by Pope St. Pius X.

THE MEETING PLACE

We have made several references to the Leonine Library and its director Fr. Gina Belleri. One must not forget that this belongs to the Holy See, as do the libraries of Ancora and Coletti, where the books and journals of modernists and neo-modernists are sold, who having lost their faith, will be instrumental in making others lose theirs also. For years the Holy See has let this go on, despite the fact that the Leonine and Ancoran libraries are run by religious or ecclesiastics.

The Leonine Library, 16-18 Via dei Corridori, is under the helm of  (now) Msgr. Gino Belleri, a child of Mary Immaculate, a religious congregation, which he left to be incardinated in the diocese of Cassino and then later Albano. His library functions as a place for parallel Vatican Press Conferences, where one can meet in order to obtain "good inside information" as well as other news (cf. Courrier de Rome, December 1992). Its visitors regularly include Laghi, Silvestrini, Poggi, Oddi, Marchisano, Sonda, Gemiti, Principe, Kasteel, Silvano Tomasi and the "Vaticanists" Zizola, Politi, Santini, Sandro Magister, Accatoli.

Perhaps it's a pure coincidence that from the list of these ecclesiastics, several ecclesiastical sources (Panorama, O.P., etc.) have linked  these personages with Freemasonry, yet not one them has gone to the trouble of denying this.

A CONSPIRACY

It was Vittorio Messori who sounded the alarm:

They are organizing opposition to the Pope. I am speaking of clerical opposition, internal opposition coming from the "catho-progressives." Their goal is unmistakably clear: It is to force John Paul II to resign, or at least to discredit him as a sick old man whose only ambition is to cling to power as long as possible, simply refusing to let go the reins of government and thus proving harmful to the Church (La Voce, November 1, 1994).

For months on end, an endless stream of articles has been published on the next conclave and on the papabili, as well as articles on Pope John Paul II's health, together with all sorts of suppositions.

From various sources, reports and rumors have it that enormous pressures are now being applied on the Pope to resign. To this end, everything seems to be being put to use: doctors' declarations, fatigue, etc. Why so much ado coming from the group currently in power? Two hypotheses may be considered at this time: (1) Those men actually in power know that Pope John Paul II is truly sick and that his days are counted; (2) Or else, the group in power has decided to "take over" the papacy (by replacing Pope John Paul II with one of their own inside men), which would explain the present urgency for a conclave, seeing that those interested in doing so are all practically over 70 years of age (Laghi, 72; Silvestrini, 73; Moreira Neves, 69) and that it is therefore "now or never" for them. If Pope John Paul II manages to "hold on" until the year 2000, it will be finished for them. And in their breathless impatience, these over-eager and overzealous possible successors to St. Peter's Chair have certainly have been worried by the fact that the Pope has recently repeated Card. Wyszynski's words, "You will usher the Church into the third millennium."

It is imperative for them therefore that Pope John Paul II tender his resignation, which may be obtained through enormous psychological pressure, an operation which is already under way.

PREPARATIONS FOR THE CONCLAVE

We are not referring here to the new palace actually under construction at the Vatican - a building able to lodge some 120 cardinals, but rather to the current "election campaign." On the occasion of the 1992 October Synod, people spoke about a secret meeting held at the Via Aurelia in view of the next conclave (cf. Sì Sì No No, November 30, 1993). Zizola also alludes to other mysterious clandestine encounters of central-European cardinals who met in Paris to discuss this very same subject (ll Conclave, p.372).

Several cardinals have, of late, been making themselves conspicuous, if not as personal candidates to the papacy, at least as powerful intriguers likely to play an important role at the next conclave:

Pio Laghi. Already well known to our readers (cf. Courrier de Rome, December 1992). There can be no doubt about it, he continues to nurse his public image and his ecclesiastical career with the utmost skill. In 1992, there appeared a report entitled "Card. Pio Laghi Named Honorary Citizen of Bethlehem." Such was the homage paid to him by the diocese of Faenza-Modigliana on the occasion of the Cardinal's seventieth birthday. When read, however, we are quickly made to understand that it is nothing but a tailor-made propaganda publication in view of his own future career, even though Msgr. Bertozzi, Bishop of Faenza writes:

I hope that the following testimonials of praise...will in no way offend Card. Pio Laghi's well-known simplicity and modesty (p.5).

As though the Bishop had taken the personal initiative of going ahead with this publication, without notifying the Cardinal at all! On the contrary, the entire book shows that the Cardinal's public image was studied, groomed and realized with not only his consent, but also with his active collaboration, as proven by photographs which could have only possibly come from his own personal records. Numerous and important also are those who collaborated in the production of this composite work. The writer, a priest and history professor at the University of Camerino and Urbino, and friend of such wretched personages as La Valle, Turoldo and Franzoni. Card. Silvestrini wrote the chapter entitled "Service, Yes; Career, No," a title which contradicts that very same chapter where, speaking of his entrance into the Academy of Nuncios, Silvestrini writes:

That was the career which Don Pio (Laghi), as well as others like him, and I myself took up.

The first paragraph is, however, even more interesting:

At the Juridical Seminary of St. Apollinarius, we were three from Faenza: Don Dino Monduzzi (Class of 1946), Don Pio Laghi (Class of 1947), and myself (Class of 1948); all three of us attending the Utriusque Juris Faculty (Civil Law and Canon Law) of the Lateran. Only a stone's throw from the Apollinarius College at the Capranica College, Don Franco Gualdrini was just finishing his theological studies at the Gregorian University. All four of us had common interests which have continued to keep us united throughout our active lives (p.9).

At this point, Card. Silvestrini simply confirms what the Courrier de Rome had reported in its December 1985 issue:

The central figure of intrigue in the Roman Curia: Msgr. Achille Silvestrini.

The report on Pio Laghi's period as Nuncio in Argentina was given by Msgr. Jorge Meija, the well-known "doctrinal" apologist for the wretched Assisi affair. Finally, the section devoted to Laghi's nunciature in the USA was penned by Card. Bernardin, of ultra-modernist notoriety.

Another fact that has cast an unfavorable light on Pio Laghi: In its November 1992 issue, 30 Days published the results of its investigation in an article entitled "The Church and the Lodges" (i.e., freemasonry), in which Pio Laghi appears as a member of that secret society. In a matter of only a few hours after that report reached the bookstores, the ANSA Press Agency immediately published what was intended to be the Cardinal's denial of that grave accusation:

That piece of news is absolutely without foundation and totally fanciful.

Words just too trite and thread-bare for such a damning charge: a cardinal, a prince of the Church, under open and public suspicion of belonging to freemasonry, should never have limited himself to a simple denial (which was, in fact, quite unconvincing), but should at least have gone further into the matter, explaining the Church's repeated teachings concerning masonry, and recalling the popes' solemn condemnations of that sect, which has been proven to be totally incompatible with Catholic doctrine. And yet, since that time, both the national and international press have presented Laghi as a candidate where various currents of thought (i.e., Catholic and masonic) could "find some sort of compromise" (New York Times Magazine, December 11, 1994).

Achille Silvestrini. Card. A. Silvestrini has certainly not given up the idea of playing a leading part at the next conclave. With consummate skill and dexterity, he leaves it up to his friends and colleagues to keep him in the public eye. One example: his friend, the writer Giancarlo Zizola, in his book Il Conclave, devotes a whole half page in his exaltation of Card. Silvestrini:

Silvestrini held the important position of Prefect for the Congregation for the Eastern Churches. A native of Emilia, a region in the Po valley, with a solid theological background, he has lived his entire career at the very summit of the Congregation for Extraordinary Affairs, first with Domenico Tardini, then with Antonio Samore and finally with Agostino Casaroli. He had acquired international fame as the head of the Holy See's delegation at the table of the Conference for Security and Cooperation in Europe where he had succeeded, with extraordinary skill, to have all members, including the Soviets, sign commitments concerning religious liberty which were seen to be very important for the Holy See. That performance, however, was not sufficient to keep him from being relegated, for several years, to the function of head of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signature, at a time where everything was leading to consider him as Casaroli's natural successor to the head of the Vatican's "Ministry of External Affairs." But Wojtyla was not too long in finding a remedy to his "distraction" by naming Silvestrini to a position where his adaptability and proverbial intelligence could be used to greater advantage for his pontificate. As a matter of fact, he need not have been sorry for the above-mentioned "distraction," since Silvestrini was later to prove to be a great boon to him in the period (1990-1992) of the thorny and vexing question of the crisis with the Russian Orthodox authorities. He also helped the Pope to obtain a somewhat less precarious situation for the Christian Churches in both the Near and Middle East (p.372).

And then Silvestrini himself, whenever he has the chance to do so, seeks to "re-dimension" certain facts that could have injured his reputation, his public image. One example will be sufficient. In the middle of a press conference given on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Pontifical Oriental Institute, and in the presence of Card. Silvestrini himself, there came, on the part of the Rector and Secretary of the Oriental Institute, the earth-shaking revelation that for over several years past, KGB spies had infiltrated the Vatican on behalf of the Soviet Union. Even until last year, faced with similar disastrous disclosures, the Holy See would simply withdraw into the most absolute silence, whereas now such surprises, such "bombshells," are set off in the very midst of Vatican press conferences....Sì Sì No No, however, in its May 30, 1987 issue, had already revealed the presence of Soviet spies in the Vatican, spies well-known to Silvestrini. And, as a matter of fact, Silvestrini, on the above-mentioned occasion, simply said:

A known infiltrator is also a tolerated infiltrator, the real problem being those about whom we know nothing, or about whom we were unaware (La Republica, May 29, 1993).

Thus did he absolve himself concerning those spies whom he knew very well and yet whom he "tolerated."

Carlo Maria Martini. For quite a long while now, it is said that this Cardinal is acting like the "pope" in Milan or that he is "preparing to become pope." Moreover, he has publicly declared himself to be a candidate at the next conclave. This he did in an interview in the Sunday Times "Illustrated Supplement" issue of April 26, 1993, with his photo spread across the first page carrying the title "The Next Pope?"

It is always interesting to read those interviews given by these prelates - or even those articles that they write far away from their home bases because, in such circumstances, their words and their writings are, in general, more likely to reveal their true thoughts much more candidly than when they are in their own countries due to their opportunism, their career concerns or simply, their slavishness, which all work to veil or to hide their true thoughts. This interview is therefore, quite revealing, quite interesting, in helping us to seize and appreciate Martini's true position concerning contraception, women priests, etc....According to this cardinal, all those foolish issues will have their positive answer not "in this millennium," but in the third millennium (cf. Sì Sì No No, November 11, 1993, and Chiesa Viva, December 1993). Still another interview was given by Martini to the Le Monde newspaper of January 4,1994 (cf. Courrier de Rome, March 1994, as well as Chiesa Viva, September 1994). Many, many other articles concerning this Cardinal of Milan have also appeared in national and international journals, reviews and magazines. Such a vast campaign in view of the next conclave could not be carried on without the consent or willingness of the person involved, for Card. Martini could simply refuse to give all those interviews. Moreover, he is continuously traveling all over the world, visiting every continent to preach spiritual exercises to priests; this gives him an excellent opportunity of making himself known to those cardinals expected to take part in the coming conclave. More yet: Card. Martini is publishing or having published books and brochures at a tremendous rate, and always with his photo on the cover. Ever since his nomination in Milan, there have been over 100 of these publications with more than 10 million copies sold. To be convinced and aware of Card. Martini's doctrinal "orientations," which are not at all orthodox, we need but to read those numerous articles about him which we (or Sì Sì No No) have already published in our periodical (especially "C.M. Martini, an 'Unbeliever' on the Throne of St. Ambrose," Courrier de Rome, March 1994).

Last but not least, an article appearing in the weekly Europeo of June 25, 1993, clearly illustrates this Milanese Cardinal's attitude towards freemasonry:

For the first time ever, Religious have opened wide their convent doors to a meeting of freemasons. And this is not a case of the habitual extravagance of some insubordinate priests, no, not at all: permission came directly from the Cardinal of Milan, Carlo M. Martini. This news was of world-wide interest; this "event" was prepared and held after months of meetings and negotiations between delegates of both institutions (i.e., the Catholic Church in Milan and freemasonry...) who succeeded in keeping all these maneuvers secret until the very end.

This news certainly gives us all some food for thought: If he should ever become pope, Card. Martini could very well extend official Vatican hospitality to that same freemasonry so often condemned by previous popes for over 200 years.

Msgr. Lucas Moreira Neves. Libération (Doc. Presse 1994-1995, no.11, Francis Devinat's Research) writes:

It is already quite clear that the "mechanics" (i.e., methods used) applied during the next conclave will consist of group manipulation, networking, lobbying the great electors rather than nations, a Vatican expert has recently observed. An African? It is still too soon? Someone from the East? That has already been done. A South American? They have Latin roots and represent those great and fruitful lands of Catholicism in the Southern Hemisphere. Why not?

One name keeps cropping up: that of the Primate of the Church in Brazil, the Cardinal Archbishop of Bahia, Msgr. Lucas Moreira Neves, 69 years of age. This Dominican is a former member of the Roman Curia and speaks Italian perfectly. His election to the papacy would serve as a prelude to some future African pope:

He has "black" blood coursing through his veins, since his paternal grandfather was a son of African slaves.

In fact, his name is heard everywhere there is talk of the coming conclave.

Who is this Lucas Moreira Neves? He is a Dominican whom the Nuncio Baggio appointed auxiliary bishop in São Paulo (Brazil), first under Card. Agnelo Rossi, and later under Card. Arns. Moreira Neves then came to Rome as a Secretary of the Council for the Laity, where he made the acquaintance of Karol Wojtyla, who was also a member of the same secretariat. Pope John Paul II later named him Secretary for the Congregation for Bishops, where he never lifted a finger to come to the aid of dioceses in distress, and did even less for Brazil. Maybe the Pope thought that Moreira Neves could control Baggio, but Neves himself being a friend of Baggio's, to whom he owed his episcopacy, he supported him. Nevertheless, Neves would complain that he was a victim of Baggio's, and was hoping to succeed him. Therefore, Neves was indeed quite peeved and upset when Baggio's position, which he had long been coveting, went instead to Card. Gantin. In the end, a group of cardinals appealed to the Pope for his summary dismissal, but Moreira Neves, really annoyed by then, insisted that a vote be taken by the members of that same Congregation in order to decide upon his removal from their midst. That vote confirmed the cardinals' previous appeal to the Pope, and it is for this reason that he is no longer to be found in Rome but in his native Brazil instead.

In short, Moreira Neves is known to have always carefully "nursed" his career as has also been shown in his recent interview in Il Nostro Tempo (a Catholic periodical in Turin, Italy). We need not be astonished, then, if his name appears amongst those of the other papabili.

TREACHEROUS MANEUVERS IN VIEW OF THE NEXT CONCLAVE

We may be absolutely certain that the present modernist "powers that be" will leave no stone unturned in their struggle to secure all the key positions for themselves: the Secretariat of State and the Congregation for the Bishops, as well as, if at all possible, the Chair of Peter. If necessary, they could leave the papacy to a weak soul while retaining the truly effective reins of power in their own hands. As we have already explained (cf. Courrier de Rome, December, 1992), at the future conclave one third of the cardinals will be sufficient to thrust aside any possibly "non-aligned" (i.e., unacceptable to the modernist group actually in power) candidate, and to favor the election of their own man, or at least elect a compromise candidate who would accept to yield the power of the Secretary of State to the group controlling the determining one-third of cardinals. And it is to be feared that Laghi, Silvestrini, Casaroli (or in his place, his friends), Poggi, Furno, Fagiolo, etc., manage to make up this ominous one-third....Up to this point, it has been a question of human stratagems and intrigues. There always remains, however, the possibility of a merciful intervention on the part of Providence which could utterly lay waste all those sordid plans of ecclesiastical political maneuverers, as has already happened in previous conclaves.

E.M.

Courrier de Rome, March 1995