The Reversed Hierophant

The Cathedral of the Holy Thorn faces directly onto Miracle Square, a vast public square dating back to the Roman era. At its peak, it could accommodate up to 10,000 people for gatherings. After inheriting this legacy, the Church spent considerable effort renovating the square, erecting the Thorned Wings and the Fountain of Grace, symbols of divinity, at its centre. These were meant to be admired and visited by devout pilgrims. Surrounding the square are the palaces of the Church’s bishops and several inns. Directly opposite is the Cathedral of the Holy Thorn, specifically used for papal coronations and high masses, as well as the Papal Palace.

On the second floor of the cathedral, facing Miracle Square, a large terrace was specifically built for the Pope to address the public and deliver sermons. The Church’s architects, demonstrating exceptional talent, crafted a terrace of exquisite design. Not only could it ensure that the Pope could be seen by as many people as possible, but with the help of ubiquitous brass sound amplification devices, even those at the far end of the square could hear his holy words.

Cascading bouquets adorned the snow-white, ornate balustrade of the terrace, predominantly featuring the white lily symbolizing the Church and the iris representing the Pope himself. These were complemented by bishop’s tassels, Madonna lilies, champagne roses, and laurel leaves. Surrounding the central papal coat of arms were the coats of arms of the eighteen cardinals of Florence, symbolizing their allegiance and obedience to the Pope.

The vast square was packed with people, from the ragged paupers to the bejeweled nobility, all eagerly awaiting. Windows overlooking the square were wide open, and colorful heads leaned out as people excitedly greeted each other, waving flowers and papal flags.

When the young Pope, clad in a scarlet cape and a white robe, appeared on the flower-adorned terrace, a thunderous roar of applause erupted. The crowd surged like waves, and people involuntarily waved their flowers, hats, or whatever they had in their hands, paying their respects to the new Pope of Florence.

The gentlemen dismounted, took off their hats and bowed. The ladies sitting in their carriages also came out, lifted their skirts and performed a deep curtsey to the newly enthroned 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, he’s as beautiful as the Holy Son 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’s more handsome than all the previous Holy Fathers—why, he looks a bit like Pope Vitalian III,’” a woman standing nearby overheard their conversation and eagerly joined in.”

“Yes, yes, but if he’s willing to add a major holy day every month and send us wine, I’ll fight you to the death over who’s better looking, him or Pope Vitalian III,” the man joked again.

This time his wife rolled her eyes and gave a noncommittal humph.

The noble women in their carriages were much more reserved. They exchanged glances with their companions calmly, conveying their emotions through flushed cheeks and tacit glances to each other – these social butterflies were masters of controlling their emotions. They were skilled at using veiled language to mock or praise, seeking prey for love and pleasure—and the primary criterion, of course, was a beautiful appearance.

Clearly, the new Pope possessed a perfect appearance that even the most critical of ladies couldn’t fault.

People of this era were not yet bound by strict religious doctrines. They pursued carnal desires and pleasures with raw, unbridled freedom. While the Church preached marital fidelity, 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, seemingly no different from legitimate offspring.

Previously, Pope Leo VI had even issued a papal bull¹ officially acknowledging an illegitimate child.

With such a rebellious Pope setting the precedent, 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.

Setting aside their thoughts for the moment, Rafael, accustomed to such admiring gazes, adjusted the parchment scroll tucked into his bouquet, raised his hands slightly – and lowered them, an elegant and powerful gesture.

The tsunami of cheers slowly died down, and the people held their breath, listening attentively to the young Pope’s speech.

“Brothers and sisters, by the grace of God, we are gathered here…”

The Pope’s voice, unhurried and resonant, was carried far and wide by the bronze pipes buried around the terrace and beneath the square.

“…When the Lord bore the thorns, tore his wings, and sat upon the rock, revealing to the world the miracle of resurrection, the foundations of this great city of Florence were laid. The land beneath our feet is stained with the blood of saints and watched over by God. The steps to Heaven were forged here, and the worldly monarchs placed their crowns at the feet of Florence, proving the unparalleled status of the holy city in the world…”

“… as Pope and Leader of the City of Cities, blessed by the Heavenly Father, the crown of faith is bestowed upon me this day. I shall be the shepherd appointed by the Lord to guide mankind, father of all earthly kings and princes, father of all the children on Earth, saviour of the poor, saviour of the adventurous, saviour of the desperate and the wretched …”

“I have heard your prayers and will bestow upon you the blessings of God. Under the glory of the Holy See, the faithful shall find eternal peace and tranquillity in the secular world. Sin and corruption shall no longer plague you, in the name of the Lord.”

The Pope lowered his head slightly and drew a symbol of wings of thorns in front of him. The people in the square, with tears in their eyes, simultaneously recited the Pope’s title and the name of Saint Leah, drawing the symbol of the thorned wings on their chests. The pious whispers gathered together, like the wind rustling through the wheat fields and trees, peaceful yet imbued with unparalleled power.

At the same time, sixteen ceremonial cannons on the hills outside Florence fired in succession. The steam rising from the smoke was clearly visible even from the terrace of the Cathedral of the Holy Thorn. The thunderous sound of the cannons echoed throughout the sky. Children released the second batch of white doves, and houses surrounding the Miracle Square began to shower the square with flowers and ribbons, adorning the entire place in a riot of color.

Endless wooden tables were lined up in the square, laden with steaming hot food. Bishops and priests distributed the Pope’s blessed sacrament—roasted bread, butter, and wine—box by box.

To celebrate the Pope’s coronation, the Papal Palace had purchased thousands of pounds of flour, thousands of barrels of wine, and hundreds of pounds of cured meat for today’s Holy Communion. There would be continuous celebrations for the next few days, with daily distributions of the same amount of food to the people of Florence—as well as to entertain envoys from various countries. The enormous expenditure was all charged to the Papal Palace, which is to say, Rafael’s personal account. Thus, on his very first day of coronation, he had already incurred a debt of at least five thousand gold florins.

This wasn’t a small sum. You should know that the annual income of a comfortable middle-class family was only about 120 florins, while the total annual tax revenue of the small nation of Gonza, bordering Florence, was only 9,000 florins.

Rafael hadn’t thought about this yet. He was smiling as he watched the people of Florence joyfully receiving the sacrament. A deacon came up to report that the envoys from various countries had also begun their meal and were waiting for him. Rafael nodded and raised his right hand, beckoning to a black-robed priest who was following not too far behind him.

The Pope was alone on the terrace, with the cardinals only able to stand on the terrace steps, where many seats had been placed for the elderly and infirm. The priest saw the Pope’s gesture and hesitated, glancing subconsciously at his master. But the handsome bishop was engaged in conversation with someone else and did not notice him.

After a moment of hesitation, he still didn’t have the courage to refuse the Pope’s summons in public.

“Holy Father.”

The priest came to stand behind the Pope, stopping at a distance, and bowed his head deeply as a sign of respect.

“Father Alfonso,” Rafael’s great strength was his sharp memory. He could recall almost everyone he had ever encountered in the Holy See, even if it were just a cook or a sculler. Naturally, he remembered this priest who was responsible for cleaning the confessionals in the Cathedral of the Holy Thorn. “You didn’t join the procession to the lower city?”

It seemed like a casual opening, as if the Pope was simply curious about his whereabouts.

Alfonso hesitated for a moment before replying softly, “I was ordered by Bishop Portia to visit Cardinal² Tondolo. I didn’t make it back in time for the procession. “

“Oh, Cardinal Tondolo, is he in good health?” Rafael’s tone was indifferent. In his memory, Tondolo was already on his deathbed, and news of his demise would reach the Papal Palace within 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 Cardinal isn’t doing so well… Palazzo Riccardi has already begun preparations for the Funeral Mass…”

Rafael’s right hand, which had been resting on the railing, suddenly clenched.

This was different from last time!

Why was this happening?

Was this all a dream? Or was there something wrong with his memory?

The young Pope’s heart was in turmoil. Or rather, ever since he opened his eyes in the carriage, his heart had been suspended in mid-air, as if floating between heaven and earth. The miracle of resurrection was terrifying enough, but the miracle of reversing time was even more shocking. Such a story had only happened to one person in history, a person who was later proven to be one of the incarnations of God. He asked himself, even with God’s mercy, he was completely unworthy of such favor.

Rafael Garcia, a mere mortal who died due to ignorance, had actually received a divine grace equivalent to that bestowed upon the Lord.

…How could I be worthy of such grace?

Rafael mocked himself inwardly, so even if something was different from the past, it seemed understandable.

The new life he had gained was a gift from God, and the accompanying changes were perhaps merely God’s playful embellishments.

Alfonso quietly withdrew. Rafael 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 casually removed the overly heavy crimson 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: ” Prepare the carriage. After the Eucharist, go to Palazzo Riccardi to visit Cardinal Tondolo.”

The deacon didn’t expect such a strange order from the Pope. However, he didn’t ask any more questions and bowed his head respectfully to show that he understood.

The Eucharist lasted for three hours. Princess Sancha and Duke Francois, as the most distinguished guests present after the Pope, were seated on either side of Rafael. Francois behaved very gentlemanly throughout the entire event, showing no trace of the arrogance he had displayed during his previous audience with Rafael.

As the host, Rafael needed to initiate conversations in appropriate ways and distribute his time evenly between the two guests, to avoid favouring one over the other. It was a skill, but fortunately, he was well-versed in it and handled the entire banquet with ease.

As night fell, huge steam lamps illuminated Miracle Square. The humming of air in the copper pipes cast a warm glow over the square. The performance organized by the Church continued, and more and more people gathered, enjoying this rare moment of joy. Guests were taken to the Papal Palace in carriages, and the evening ball began.

The host of the ball quietly slipped away. Without anyone noticing, he left the Papal Palace and took a carriage to Palazzo Riccardi.

Several carriages were already parked in the spacious square of the Palazzo Riccardi. Rafael was helped down from his carriage by the deacon, and he suppressed the urge to pay attention to the dull ache in his right leg from walking and standing for so long. He looked around at the other carriages carefully.

The family emblems on the carriages are mostly engraved from precious metals, and they still shine even in the night.

Among them, he saw a crest with a wave as its base, crossed swords and scepter, a small crown at the top, and surrounded by a ribbon, lilies, and stars.

This meant that the holder of this crest came from a noble family. This family originated from an island, with a longstanding history, and a close blood relationship with the royal family. They had produced members of the royal family, queens, clergy, and even a pope, and possessed military power.

There were many families with such deep roots in Florence, but this particular crest was the most well-known.

Julius Portia.

Rafael murmured the name, rolling it around his tongue.

His most trusted Secretary General in the Papal Court, the patriarch of the Portia family, and the ‘benefactor’ who single-handedly supported him to ascend to the Papal throne… Portia was here, but he hadn’t been informed.

Translator’s Note:

¹ Papal Bull – A papal bull is a type of public decree, letters patent, or charter issued by a pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the leaden seal (bulla) traditionally appended to authenticate it.

² Cardinal – A cardinal is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. Cardinals are created by the pope and typically hold the title for life. The most solemn responsibility of the cardinals is to elect a new pope in a conclave, almost always from among themselves when the Holy See is vacant. During the period between a pope’s death or resignation and the election of his successor, the day-to-day governance of the Holy See is in the hands of the College of Cardinals.

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