The Octopus at the Vatican

# 32 - the third pope of 1978

On September 29, a subordinate reported to Calò. The two hideouts around the Vatican hadn't produced anything. The car of the Saint-Angelo team had been found in the morning, parked beside the blanket factory. But nothing had been found at the usual execution spots. The bathtub near Cinecitta had been used.

The message is clear, he's behind this, fulminated the Palermo boss! It's that Roman son of a bitch, that bastard defending his territory tooth and nail. What a fool! He has another thing coming!

He couldn't have given a dam for the loss of two clumsy soldiers, as long as that shitty pope was dead, and he'd got the car back. He was over the moon and so happy that he generously told his subordinate he was forgiven. 

*

Friday 29 – Washington

Paul Burbon was listening to the seven o'clock news whilst getting dressed. The new pope had just died from a heart attack after only 33 days as a pontiff. Paul felt intense joy. He had nothing against the man. But his death would give his child a chance to live.

"It's not an ordinary kidnapping", he told his wife. "They are aware of my position and my tracing capabilities. They know that if they don't give us Nelly back, they will regret it for the rest of their lives. That's why I'm rather optimistic. If they are reasonable. And I'm under the impression that they are. Immensely cruel but reasonable."

He left home at eight o'clock. Nelly was playing on the garden lawn with her favorite teddy, between two flower beds.

In the afternoon, the President called Paul Burbon. He was sad about the pope's passing away.

"You told me he would be poisoned on the 29th, not the 28th. Your Roman team made a mistake."

Jimmy Carter had great human assets but could really split hairs on details. Burbon had got to know him in the last two years. He was expecting this phone call.

"Yes, Mr. President, it also intrigued me this morning, when I heard the sad news. I've checked since. The Roman team did the right thing. They told me the 28th. I made the mistake. I'm sorry, Mr. President. My resignation will be on your desk before this evening."

"Thank you, Paul. He who does nothing never makes mistakes. I'm refusing it. That will stop you from having to write it. Do congratulate your Roman team on my behalf! Who's at the head?"

"Nancy Jones, Mr. President. And thanks for your indulgence."

"See you soon, Paul."

***

October 4 – Rome

The Requiem mass took place in Rome, on October 4th, with tens of thousands of believers in Saint Peter's Square. For four days, hundreds of thousands had walked past the dummy made to measure by the skillful Aldo Bonassoli.

The pseudo-corpse of Albino Luciani was laid in three coffins inside a fourth one made of marble from Carrara, in the papal crypt, to Vittorio's relief while he watched the ceremony on television. Someone else was also watching it, from somewhere in Greece.

This was only the beginning of the controversy on the odd circumstances of the death of John Paul I. A lot of ink was to flow discussing his earlier good health, the loss of his written orders, the absence of an autopsy, the quick embalming and above all, the disappearance of his glasses. The Vatican always stuck to the official version: natural death.

Corriere della Sera - Ante cum clave

The brief pontificate of John Paul I ended today with his solemn funeral. In ten days, the doors of the Sistine Chapel will close again on the 111 cardinal electors, to elect his successor by a qualified two-thirds majority. Everyone will still have in mind the sudden, unexpected death of the 'smiling pope'. Since his death on the night of September 28-29, rumors have been flying. Why didn't he report feeling ill when he phoned his doctor on the evening of the 28th? Why did the state documents he was working on evaporate? Why was there no autopsy? Why are the appointed embalmers as silent as carp? Why did the Holy Father's glasses disappear? Many unanswered questions. There is one official answer: a heart attack. As attested by the death certificate signed by two eminent practitioners - Alessa Lombardi, Corriere della Sera

*

Another conclave was set up ten days later, on October 14th. On October 16th, after eight rounds of elections, the Polish Cardinal Karol Wojtyla was elected pope, taking the name of John Paul II.