Chapter Text
I arrive at the Apostolic Palace bright and early, flanked by laypeople and clergy on their way to work. It's a beautiful, sunny day in Rome, and I find myself wondering idly if maybe we'll be allowed to relocate to the gardens for this interview. That, of course, is not possible; there are strict rules about conducting interviews with a pontiff. Once I've been cleared by security I am promptly intercepted by a tall, elderly Monsignor with a strong Irish accent and a charming smile.
“You will have to excuse the boxes,” he tells me, trying his hardest to look and sound genuinely apologetic, despite the obvious amusement tugging at the corners of his mouth. “The decision to have His Holiness and the Secretary of State move into the Papal Apartments was a rather… impromptu one, and the Holy Father wasn't overly thrilled. He understands that it is for the best though, what with them being newlyweds.”
When I bring up that the wedding was six months ago the Monsignor only laughs.
We find His Holiness in what I assume is his living room. He's in plainclothes, which seems to have an effect on him that's similar to Clark Kent's glasses, and he's surrounded by cardboard boxes, some still taped shut, others sliced open and partially emptied.
“We were told that the Papal Apartments would be more comfortable for the two of us,” he informs me. “I do see the logic behind that. At the Casa Santa Marta even the suites are meant only for single occupants and the walls are rather thin.”
He has a pleasant, melodious voice. He rolls his Rs, he hasn't lost his Mexican accent despite not having lived in Mexico for decades now. When I ask about the Secretary of State he informs me that “my husband is taking a stray turtle back to the garden, he will be with us shortly.”
Indeed, less than ten minutes of smalltalk later the Secretary of State makes his entrance. I barely recognise him. When he was Dean of the College of Cardinals he would carry himself with a certain stiffness. Every time I interviewed him, I got the impression that he was uptight and exhausted. Today Thomas Cardinal Lawrence-Benítez appears borderline relaxed. He's dressed, like Pope Innocent, in plainclothes, his sleeves are rolled up, exposing slender, toned forearms, and the topmost button of his shirt is undone. He's not wearing his collar. When he looks at Pope Innocent it's with unabashed adoration. The Holy Father himself seems equally enamoured as he rises on his toes to kiss his spouse.
Throughout the interview and the subsequent three days I spend shadowing them for the photo feature (see: A Day in the Life of a Married Pope, page 33) they act like any other married couple. They fetch each other drinks and snacks, they dine together, they answer each other’s phones, they bicker about whose turn it is to relocate the next stray turtle. They are affectionate, both verbally and physically. Whenever Pope Innocent (Vincent, as he is referred to and addressed by his husband) slips involuntarily into Spanish, Arabic or Dari, Cardinal Lawrence-Benítez redirects him with grace and fondness.
“Vincent and I have three common languages. Sometimes we will switch multiple times within a single sentence, which our friends find very amusing.”
“Four common languages, quérido. Latin as well.”
“Yes, of course, you're right. Though we don't usually converse in Latin unless it's to make a particularly bad joke.”
“Have you always been so attuned to one another?”
“No. I think I frustrated Thomas a little at first. I voted for him consistently in every single ballot, eight times in total, and he wanted none of that. He likes to joke that one day he will make me pay for my eight votes.”
“Vincent!”
“I'm not saying how you're going to make me pay. That's our own private… thing.”
“Of course. Would you mind telling our readers how you actually met? Did you know each other before the conclave?”
“We determined that we had been in the same places at the same time on a number of occasions but somehow never actually ran into each other. Vincent showed up at the Casa Santa Marta with nothing but his paperwork from the Holy See, and the clothes on his back. I don't think he even had a collar.”
“And I was asleep when you first saw me. After forty-eight hours of travel, once the adrenaline had worn off and the jetlag had set in I simply crashed. Not exactly a meet-cute.”
“No. But in hindsight it was what God intended for us.”
“Do you believe that God intended for you to meet, fall in love, overhaul hundreds of years of teachings, and then get married?”
“Oh, wholeheartedly! God is Love, he created us with the capability to show love in many ways to many people, and he does not make mistakes. He made us the way we are, he intended for us to meet under those circumstances and not other ones, he intended for us to fall in love, he intended for all of this.”
“Thomas is such a passionate advocate for this new reform. One might even say he is my champion, bearing my colours as he rides into battle.”
“Excellent reference to medieval jousting, my darling.”
“Gracias, quérido.”
“I have learned so much from Vincent, about life and faith. He genuinely brings me closer to God with everything he does.”
“Some would argue the opposite though. Joshua Cardinal Adeyemi and Joseph Tremblay have outright called for Your Holiness to be essentially impeached. Tremblay has in fact resigned all his offices and set up his own church in British Columbia. Are you not concerned about a schism?”
“The schism has already happened and you have just described it. Since Joseph's departure there have been no other separations. In fact as a Church we are now experiencing a… ah, cómo se dice…?”
“Influx?”
“Sí! Thank you. We are experiencing an influx of people who were formerly ostracised and finally feel that it is safe for them to come back to the flock, to join in worship, and to still be themselves. Of course that makes me very happy, however, I am also deeply saddened by the way Joseph Tremblay decided to leave. It pains me to see brilliant people who are unable to open up their hearts and minds to the other.”
“Vincent is right. We are not facing a schism of Lutheran proportions. I would go as far as to say that many of my brothers cardinals were in fact relieved that the reform had been presented and that it had come from the Holy Father himself. It meant less infighting. Less of those debates that rapidly devolve into name-calling. It meant, from their point of view, that work was actually getting done.”
“Before I was elected I worked in the Congo, in Baghdad, in Kabul. When you are in a war zone there is no time for debate. You do or you do not, and I much prefer to do.”
“So, what will your next great reform be? Female ordination maybe?”
“That is a question for tomorrow, I think. I'll speak to Cardinal Bellini about it and tomorrow you, I and Thomas can discuss this while you're shadowing us.”