The Pope's Puppet

By Richard Joseph Zazzi

What if World War II hadn't been started by Hitler but rather a rogue Roman Catholic cardinal who used Adolph as his puppet in his evil game of money, power, and control?

The Pope's Puppet is a novel based on historical events. The players were established through history and many of the facts are true but the overall storyline is entirely a work of fiction.
The characters in the book tell a tale of how a sinister and power hungry Roman Catholic cardinal discovers a fledgling artist and turns him into the monster all too well known and made infamous by his actions and the events of World War II.

The story follows the cardinal as he rises to the highest level of the church and develops a relationship with his young protégé, Adolf. Adolf, living in one of the poorest sections of Vienna, comes under the spell of his wealthy benefactor, and they become deeply involved with each other, maybe a little too deeply.

Meanwhile, there is the protagonist, a young, beautiful, and extremely intelligent English professor who gets recruited as an agent for the British government. Her clandestine mission is to infiltrate the upper German echelon and use her charm and language skills to collect highly sensitive and top secret information, ultimately providing the Allied Forces with the means to end the war.

All the personal relationships presented in this book are purely fictitious! The story does weave real facts and historical occurrences with human drama and adventure BUT DON'T expect a history lesson! The author takes the liberty to twist the historical events of that time period to match his plot-line.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Richard Joseph Zazzi
• Release date: Jul 5, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476240497

Richard Joseph Zazzi

RICHARD JOSEPH ZAZZI was raised at a winery in northern California owned by his traditional Italian family and was a therapist for nearly twenty years. Now retired, he and his wife have three grown sons and live in a remote part of Hawaii. They share their home with Bobo, a German Shepherd/Border Collie mix, and Tiggy, an alley cat. Writing for several years now, he has published four fiction novels. Currently, he is working on a sequel to the Arctic Rose, a light-hearted mystery with characters from Hawaii. Richard likes to incorporate elements of history or political/societal conflict into his work. An avid reader himself, he enjoys fiction and non-fiction alike. When he is not reading or writing, he loves to pass time playing his guitar or listening to music. His favorite musical performers, among many others, are Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Neil Young, Pink Floyd, and many of the old Blues artists. Finally, his most treasured activity is to spend time with his wife and, whenever possible, the rest of his busy family.

Book preview

THE POPE’S

PUPPET

Richard Joseph Zazzi

The Pope's Puppet

Copyright © 2012 Richard Joseph Zazzi

All rights reserved

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Content

Acknowledgments

Author's Note

1 The Meeting in Vienna

2 The Priests of Poland

3 The Puppet Master's Protégé Comes to Power

4 The Rise of the Nazi Party

5 Genocide and Greed

6 The Days that Turned the Tide

7 No Unwelcome Guests at Vatican City

About the Author

Other Books by Richard Joseph Zazzi

Soon to be Released

Dedication

To my family and friends.

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Acknowledgments

I want to acknowledge with appreciation all of those who again were involved with the development of my manuscript. My special thanks go out to the staff at the Naalehu library, who helped me obtain much of my background research material. My deepest gratitude goes to my wife, who supported me in my creative process and was instrumental in bringing this book to life. Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to my family and all of my readers. I hope that you will enjoy this book and find it interesting and worth reading.

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Author's Note

This novel is a work of fiction. Some of the facts are accurate, but none of the overall outcome should be taken literally. This book is intended for entertainment only. If anyone finds any part of this book disturbing or distasteful, I apologize. The setting of this book is World War II and the events in the story took place long before I was born.

I always found it interesting that the world history about the war showed very little interest in the events that occurred in the Roman Catholic Church and more specifically, in the Vatican City. The activity of the church during those years has remained somewhat of a mystery, which piqued my curiosity and turned me toward writing this book.

The Pope's Puppet is a hypothesis; a possible scenario and story about the two popes during World War II. It is a story of what may have happened out of a million of possibilities regarding the fabric of this war and the stresses of its disease that afflicted the people during that time. Knowing the players is easy; history has been written, and depending upon which language, country, and which opinion, the facts have been laid out. The winners and losers have been determined, but the nightmares never leave, change or relinquish their grip on humanity. Stalin, with his gulags and pogroms killed more Jews than Hitler ever did, but history doesn’t view them in the same light. The Roman Catholic Church helped the Germans before, during and after World War II. The Pope's Puppet is Adolph Hitler.

This story is a tale about a pope who took a fledgling artist with little talent and created a tyrant that left one of the most horrid imprints on mankind's history and the development of the human race. This novel suggests that the pre-wartime pope was not satisfied with the power he had created with Adolph. Beyond that, the people of Japan and Italy were infected with the cancer of greed, genocide, and a despicable hunger for power. Although Hitler died in 1945, he set the wheels in motion. It started with the Jews of Poland and the country's Roman Catholic priests and ended with victory for the United States, European Nations, and Russia. Unfortunately, the worst fact about this bit of history is that it could undoubtedly happen again.

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1 The Meeting in Vienna

The cardinal walked in shallow snow, lumbering alone toward the marketplace where the vendors had their stands filled with fruits, vegetables, and wares from the surrounding villages. Vienna was still cold for this time of year. The sky was gray and all the leaves had turned brown and fallen. Multifarious artists from the many art schools attempted to sell their goods on the sidewalks of this great city. Vienna was in a renaissance of music and arts. In the United States the Roaring Twenties were in full swing, and the world was coming out of its dark time.

Cardinal Benisi was here on assignment to try and get control of the churches. Many had priests that were not Italian. This was an ongoing problem with the rapid expansion of the Roman Catholic Church, and Vienna was not the only modern territory that had this problem. Areas in South America, particularly Mexico had huge congregations of Catholics with non-Italian priests presiding over them. Up until that time no pope in the Vatican City and throughout the world had been of any other race than Italian. The Catholic Church was by far the wealthiest and most powerful religious institution on planet Earth, and it wanted to stay that way.

Many of those priests were pretending to be Italian, even speaking Italian whenever possible but only if necessary. Non Italian priests had gained power, and the Vatican wanted to take back control of the Roman Catholic Church. The cardinal had a peculiar interest in the priests and monks in Poland. He felt deeply that he was being punished for some of his beliefs born out of the old tradition that made the Catholic Church what it was. There were those in the Vatican City that wanted to undermine the heritage and let just anybody belong to the priesthood regardless of their ethnicity as long as the coffers kept getting filled and loyalty was to monetary funds rather than to truth and religion itself. He believed strongly in race and bloodline.

The cardinal was dressed in warm clothes that did not reflect his status with the church. He was purposely dressed as a common man to blend in with the people and their customs. He was new in town and wanted to remain unrecognizable. People were passing him but didn't recognize him for who he was. He was in his early thirties which made him young for the position he held in the Vatican City. Cardinal Benisi spoke several languages fluently including Italian, German, English, and Latin. He was losing his light brown hair and was thin. He had never worked at any physical labor going directly from boarding school to his position in Rome.

His family worked a large olive grove that provided food and shelter for the Benisi family. His father had fought in World War I and was badly injured when he was shot in the lower stomach. On cold mornings his father had trouble walking, and the older boys needed to pick up the slack at the family farm.

The cardinal had two older brothers and a younger sister. They all still lived and worked at the olive grove twenty miles north of Rome. His contact with his brothers had dwindled in recent times, and he had no contact with his sister. He felt superior to all the members of his family and was embarrassed when asked about them. The cardinal, although slight in stature, appeared larger than his actual size. He usually wore layers of clothing to achieve this impression.

His mother was the matriarch of the family keeping everybody together. He was the runt growing up, and his mother spoiled him at every turn. He got out of work many times to study in preparation of his service to the church. His mother had bad eyesight and struggled with reading. She admired her youngest son's ability to read and write. She worked very hard on him to ensure that he moved beyond the boundaries of the family farm.

In Rome the people were gathered outside the main entrance to the church grounds. The nightly ceremony had yet to begin, and they were getting concerned about the delay. The night's chill was beginning to set its teeth into the spectators' bones. Inside, the church members in control sat discussing the perilous departure from church customs taking place in various parts of Europe, South America, and even Africa. The start of the nightly service would have to wait until the discussions had ended.

The departure from tradition revolved around the rapid expansion of the Catholic Church. One of the main concerns was in the Slavic countries and the lack of oversight which should come from those in power in Rome. The misguided Cardinal Benisi was on the minds of those present.

He will very likely become pope, said the chairman. It is rumored his family has the ear of the sitting pope. He was sent to Poland, then Austria to address the situation. The problem is how the priesthood has been taken over by people that do not belong. We need an appropriate way to correct this issue. I'm convinced that Father Benisi has his own agenda he'll follow.

He will follow our wishes, proclaimed one of the concerned participants.

The chairman continued, He will follow his own wishes as he has done for as long as he has been a part of the congregation. He intends to become immortal through his aggressive impression on history. He wants immortality.

Another frustrated member added, He will not and cannot become more powerful than the church itself.

He has a world view that has history and the future at his hand. Once he becomes pope he will do more to suit his arrogance than the prosperity of this church, announced the chairman.

A lower level member, as annoyed as the others, added, As God himself walked the face of this earth, once pope, Benisi will decimate the very people we wish to hold to our bosom. The poor, the lonely, the very people that this church was founded on will be laid to waste. He will cause a second coming, not of Christ, but of the Anti-Christ and will bring a great travesty to our very doorsteps.

The rest of the participants bowed to the floor, not in disrespect but in tacit acknowledgment, for they all felt the words, accepted them, and worried about the future of the church which they so solemnly loved. The church that ruled the world religions and proclaimed its servitude to the needy, underprivileged, and forsaken, was under siege. All in attendance of this meeting were concerned about the direction the church was headed, and they didn’t like the uncertainty the future held.

The cardinal walked toward a fountain in the middle of the square. There sat a young man feeding the pigeons bread crumbs, stale, moldy bread crumbs, and singing a low hymn. When the cardinal approached the young man, he looked up and smiled softly. They made good solid eye contact and they both felt it. There was something there, a connection, between them. The young man was dressed in work clothes that were in dire need of a wash. He put the rest of the bread crumbs on the ground at his feet and gestured for the older man to sit next to him. He extended his hand and said, My name is Adolf.

After a brief pause the older man made a firm hand shake and responded, My name is James.

There was a pause, and both men felt the presence of their connection. They had never met before, but there was a deeper level of understanding and a promise for a future alliance. Their affiliation would change the history of the world to a level unparalleled in all of humanity's past.

Adolf is a fine name. I walk here most mornings, and I have not seen you here my young friend. Are you new to this lovely city? James asked.

No, I live here. I was released from my art school, Adolf responded.

Young man, you were released from your art school? What does that mean?

Looking at the ground and fighting back tears, Adolf said, I was released and turned away from my art college. This is the second time for me. I lost my place.

I see, and I bet a good meal would fix you up nicely right about now, wouldn't it? responded the cardinal enjoying that he was dressed in plain clothes.

I can't. I am lost. I can't pay you, responded Adolf ever so politely to the older man now standing.

And why may I assent that a child of God should not be fed? As far as paying, your company is all the payment required, stated the older, more seasoned man.

I am hungry. This bread is old and all the food I have.

Great, it's settled then. I know of a café not far from here that has good fair and even better coffee, said James and started to walk back toward the way he came.

The two men walked side-by-side not talking or looking at the people around them. They were an odd couple. James, the older, more sophisticated man, well-dressed in new clothes; Adolf stumbling along with worn out boots and baggy pants. His hair looked matted on one side and was in bad need of a thorough washing. Several people stared at the duo, but they never found their gaze. The people of Vienna were accepting of others at that time much more than other large cities in this part of the world. As they approached the outdoor café the smell of fresh bread, fried onions, and fried potatoes filled the air.

Up until that fateful meeting Adolf had been living a bohemian life style. He had traveled to Vienna to study art being supported by his mother who was still living near the border between Austria and Germany. She was sickly and spent most of her time in bed. Adolf had grown tired of taking care of her and dreamed of being a rich and famous artist.

Rumors in the poorest part of town were that Adolf was an orphan. He was living on the streets at a very young age when a single lady felt sorry for him and took him in. His real father died when he was three years old, and he had no family beyond that. Adolf was raised a strict Catholic and had problems in school. He would get upset with the slightest of criticism from his teachers and other people around him. This would turn into ballistic anger at times when he could not control his outbursts. He had no friends and didn't like girls. He felt he was superior to women and smarter than everybody else.

Adolf lived in a very poor part of Vienna that was mostly populated by Jews who were exiled from Russia during the pogroms. In Vienna they found refuge from the organized massacres that had targeted them in Russia. But the Jews didn't conform to the customs of Vienna which led to a deep resentment felt by many of the established residents toward the newcomers. Adolf lived among them and gradually grew to hate them for their lack of support and understanding of his pitiful situation.

During the early nineteenth century Vienna was becoming a hotbed of anti-Semitism and prejudice against all non-Catholic religions. Racism based on religious differences was widespread throughout many parts of Europe and Vienna's relatively large population of two hundred thousand Orthodox Jews out of two million people only fueled the discontent. Anti-Semitism was becoming a popular trend among the middle and upper class.

James was fully aware of this situation before he was sent to this city. He resented the fact that he was sent here to attempt to turn the tide back toward an Italian controlled church. He was further angered by the number of Jews who had followed the path of Catholicism and had entered priesthood and now enjoyed comfortable positions of power in Vienna. The two men had more in common than they first thought.

They sat at the table nearest the sidewalk which had an open vantage point looking down the street toward the market place. The café was all but empty, it was late for breakfast and too early for lunch. They sat directly across from each other as the waiter came out with a tray and two menus. He placed the menus in front of each patron and asked, Can I get you some coffee to start with?

Yes, coffee for both of us, responded the cardinal. He looked around to see if he was being recognized by anyone, but his street clothes disguise was working fine.

I'll be right back with coffee and I'll take your orders then, said the waiter, a thin young man, and turned to walk back into the café. He looked only at the cardinal but not at the downtrodden man seated next to him at the table.

Adolf looked across the table and said, I can't pay for this. Are you sure you want to eat here?

I'm not at all worried about the cost of this meal. Today is the beginning of a wonderful friendship, Adolf. I insist that you order any and all food that sounds good. Please, this is my treat, encouraged James while taking off his outer coat and placing it in the chair next to him.

The waiter returned with the coffee and took their order of food. The restaurant was on the edge of the park area of the inner city. Many beautiful parks existed all around Vienna. The food was traditional fish and bread with vegetables on the side. A rather large assortment of fresh fish was available for those who could afford the outdoor restaurant. They had the place much to themselves which appealed greatly to the suspicious cardinal as he looked around and made a mental note of his surroundings. Adolf stared at his shabby shoes embarrassed in his own skin. The pair didn’t attract any attention to themselves.

Adolf, tell me, are you of true blood? I’m true blood Italian. This is important, don’t you agree? James startled Adolf, who was adding sugar to his coffee.

I’m German, sir, Bavarian and very proud of it, sir, answered Adolf and continued to work on his coffee by adding some milk.

Good. It is important, my new friend, that this mixing of the bloodlines stops, by force if necessary. You do understand? James narrowed his eyes as he stared across the table at Adolf. He sensed Adolf was lying about his ethnic background but for the sake of his usefulness felt it was less important than his rejection of mixed race people. Adolf looked more Austrian than Bavarian to him.

Adolf swallowed hard then answered, I detest these women who have venom in their smile and disloyalty to a true man with fire in his belly.

These women are Gypsies and Jews. Inbreeding filth on society, implored the cardinal. Mankind can no longer tolerate these people who have no heart and no national bond. They should be wiped off the face of the earth.

This last comment seemed to excite Adolf. He gulped down the last of his coffee as the waiter returned to take their order. James ordered the pork chops with fried potatoes and onions. Adolf ordered the fish with string beans and buttered potatoes; he preferred a vegetarian fare.

James asked, Where did you attend school?

The Academy of Fine Arts, mumbled Adolf.

They obviously have no eye for truly gifted talent. I know lots of people, and I feel I’m a very good judge of character, and you, my new friend, are an untapped resource of strength. Talent needs to be developed slowly and refined, proclaimed James.

The waiter approached the two men with a tray half on one shoulder while supporting the rest of the underside with the palm of his hand. He lowered the tray and placed the plates of food in front of each patron. As soon as the waiter turned, Adolf began eating very fast using both hands to stuff fish and potatoes into his mouth. James held up his hand with his palm facing the very young man gesturing him to stop. Adolf recognized the gesture and slowed down his eating considerably.

James looked around and none of the people on the street noticed them. They kept on eating, and James continued his questioning. He judged his new friend as smart and arrogant who could lie skillfully. Adolf was not good looking but didn't look repulsive either. He felt he could manipulate and control this impressionable young man. The best part of this arrangement was that no connection could ever be made between the two.

Much better. How’s your food? Good I hope, asked James.

My best meal. How can I ever repay you? returned Adolf.

You can repay me by meeting me here next week, at this café and at the same time.

Adolf fought back tears and said, "Yes, of course. I’m