The Italian novelist Roberto Pazzi’s narrative joins the present day conclave of the College of Cardinals in progress shortly after the death of the pope. His novel documents what will be the longest, most cursed, and funniest conclave in church history. First creatures plague the conclave devouring religious art (but just the saints, not Christ and the Holy Mother). Rats, scorpions, and bats plague the Vatican to be met by opposing forces of alley cats, free range chickens, and owls perched on the beams of the Sistine Chapel. Controversy plagues the conclave as well as cardinals construct a Turkish bath, young prelates lust after the hens, the American cardinals try to escape and the African contingent work magic that cause the entire conclave to dance all night and laugh uncontrollably. Of course, the politics of the matter is a major theme as cardinals from Italy, Africa, Latin America and Palestine all jockey for one of their own to bear the papal scepter. And finally there is a great critique of the church as the practices weighed down by dogma and dated tradition must be freed by an angelic vision. And yet this is not a harsh or insulting critique, but a gentle nudge to the Bride of Christ who has lost her way.

“One of the greatest tragedies for humankind – and something that produces more victims than war itself – is the slow pace of history. How many men have been killed or condemned or rejected in the name of religion, in deference to laws that were considered absolute, yet were recognized as obsolete with the passing of time? And we, the ministers of the Roman Catholic Church, how wise we have been in making history move as slowly as it can. “ – p. 190
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Plutôt délirant, un peu trop invraisemblable, mais certainement bien documenté sur les us et coutumes du Vatican et de ses cardinaux ( )