Pytagua (The Stranger)

By Nelson Ancalmo

José Angel Vera, a young Cardinal native of Paraguay, South America, is elected the new Pope. He begins to implement changes that are not fully accepted by the old Cardinals in Vatican City.
During his first trip abroad, a trip he decides to combine with a visit to his town of birth, a major catastrophe occurs and the Pope disappears.
The College of Cardinals doesn’t know how to resolve this conundrum. The Catholic Church needs to fill the sede vacante, but they can’t be sure the Pope is dead.
And so begins a fascinating story about the missing Pope and the place where he spends more than one year of his life. A story that will take the reader to remote places in the jungles of South America.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nelson Ancalmo
• Release date: Mar 16, 2016
• ISBN: 9781310454226

Nelson Ancalmo

Nelson Ancalmo M.D. was born in San Salvador, El Salvador, Central America. After finishing his Medical School, he traveled to the United States to complete his training in Cardio-Vascular Surgery. Presently he is retired and lives in Austin, Texas where he devotes his free time to writing, graphic design, astronomy and music. e-mail: [e-mail]

Book preview

Chapter 1

The dense column of white smoke came rushing out of the unpretentious chimney perched on top of the Sistine Chapel, and was quickly dissipated by the strong winds blowing over Vatican City on that rainy November afternoon. But to the more than three-hundred-thousand faithful individuals patiently awaiting in St.Peter’s Square, it lasted long enough for them to understand the message.

No rain or cold weather were enough to keep them away from the Square, and in spite of having waited for days because of the unexpected delays of the Conclave of Cardinals to come to a successful election, the moment they saw the plume of white smoke, all of them in unison screamed elevating their hands up to the Heavens.

"HABEMUS PAPAM!" We have a Pope!

Moments later, the official announcement was made from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica by Cardinal Fabrizio Albani, the Cardinale Protodeacon, (the senior Cardinal Deacon). With clear signs of exhaustion, the old priest managed to tell the world in a clear voice:

Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum:

HABEMUS PAPAM!

Eminentissimum ac reverendissimum Dominum,

Dominum Iosephum Angelum Sanctæ Romanæ Ecclesiæ Cardinalem Vera,

Qui sibi nomen imposuit Ignatius

I announce to you a great joy:

WE HAVE A POPE!

The Most Eminent and Reverend Lord,

Lord José Angel, Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church Vera,

Who takes to himself the name Ignatius

The news of the election was an event anxiously anticipated by the 1.2 billion Catholics around the world, and for those watching the ceremony on live television, or listening to a live broadcast on the radio, the announcement was enough reason for an immediate and joyful celebration. The man who was going to occupy the chair of St. Peter and guide them in their faith for the years to come had been elected.

After the announcement, the new Pope was presented to the world, and standing in the same central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, unperturbed by the cold rain which was coming down continuously, mixed with lashing gusts, Cardinal José Angel Vera, now Pope Ignatius, delivered in perfect Italian, his first Urbi et Orbi (for the City and for the World) blessing.

But the man elected to the highest position in the Catholic Church hierarchy was not a favorite of everyone in Vatican City. On the following day of his election, the daily newspaper of the Vatican City State, L'Osservatore Romano, published an editorial questioning the wisdom and the reasons for the selection of the young Cardinal from Paraguay, José Angel Vera, and besides arguing his lack of experience due to his relative young age— he was only fifty-six years old— the main argument was stated bluntly in the headlines of the newspaper: Ègiunto il momento abbiamo di nouvo un Papa Italiano, (It is time we have again an Italian Pope).

Unfortunately for those opposing the election of another South American Pope, the decision of the Conclave of Cardinals was final, and couldn’t be challenged or changed, so a few days later, another editorial retracted the previous opinion and offered some kind of apology for their precipitate publication.

Cardinal José Angel Vera knew from the moment his name was added to the ballot inside of the Sistine Chapel that this wasn’t going to be an easy task. He was without a doubt the younger of the Cardinals sequestered for the Conclave, and now the youngest Pope ever elected in modern times (John Paul II, now Saint John Paul II, was fifty-eight years old when he became Pope in 1978).

But this new and young Pope, a Franciscan priest who selected to be called by a Jesuit name, Ignatius, was a very intelligent man, and one of those people born to serve the Catholic Faith, and when he accepted his nomination, he made himself the promise to follow in the steps of the Man who created the Christian Church. The words of Jesus Christ to Peter spoken over two-thousand years ago were clear in his mind:

And I say also unto thee,

That thou art Peter,

and upon this rock I will build my church,

and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

(Matthew 16:18)

Chapter 2

The town of Fuerte Olimpo is the capital of the department of Alto Paraguay in northeastern Paraguay in South America. It is a small city with less than ten-thousand inhabitants and was founded in 1792 by the Spanish Conquistadores. Situated on the banks of the Paraguay River, it was originally created as a strategic military fort to defend the area from potential invaders from nearby Brazil.

The main economy is based on fishing, but agriculture and cattle raising are also important sources of income, and the fact that it sits right on the banks of the river, has made it a convenient fluvial port. But in general, the city of Fuerte Olimpo has failed to grow at the same rate as other Paraguayan cities, and has remained as an outpost in the northeastern border of the country facing the jungles of the state of Mato Grosso do Sul in Brazil, right on the other side of the river.

José Angel Vera was born in a humble house just a couple of blocks away from the river. The youngest of three siblings— one girl and two boys— he learned from a very young age the importance of hard work. As soon as he was old enough to learn how to swim, his father brought the little boy with him to assist with the fishing in the Paraguay River.

His older brother, Juan Miguel, was an expert swimmer, and had been working with his father for a few years, but nothing could’ve prevented that horrible accident on the day when he fell off the canoe and never came out to the surface again. His father jumped in the water and tried to find him, but the murky waters of the river prevented him from seeing where he was. His body wasn’t recovered and they never learned what happened to him.

The loss of the child was a devastating tragedy for the family, and the young surviving boy became the main support for his mother. He remained at her side and tried in his best way as a little kid, to bring consolation and acceptance for those incomprehensible acts of God.

José Angel, or Angelito, as he was called by his family, grew to become a strong and healthy boy, always willing to help those in need and never refusing to obey an order given by his parents.

But Sunday was for him a very special day. Before sunrise he was always at the local church, La Catedral de Maria Auxiliadora, waiting for Padre Rodrigo to ask him if he could help with the daily mass. The old priest sensed from the first day he met him, he had in front of him one of those special souls who were thirsting to hear the Word of God. So Angelito began at an early age his Catholic education by listening to the frequent private lectures given to him by Padre Rodrigo.

His destiny was sealed at that early stage of his life, in a way provoked by the tragic death of his older brother, and because when he was confronted with something so perplexing, he found comfort in the Word of God written in the Holy Bible, and the more he learned about our Lord Jesus Christ, the more he wanted to hear about His remarkable life, and deep in his heart, Angelito knew he wanted to be a priest.

When he grew older, and because of the repeated pleas of Padre Rodrigo to José Angel’s parents, he was sent to study in the nearby city of Concepcion, a larger metropolis where he graduated from High School with all kinds of honors. Later with a scholarship he won because of his interest in religious subjects, he managed to enter La Universidad Católica Nuestra Señora de La Asunción (a private Catholic university) in the capital city of Asunción.

Eventually he entered El Seminario Mayor Nacional del Paraguay in the same city, at the time under the direction of the Franciscan fathers, and to the joy and pride of his family, several years later he became Padre José Angel Vera.

In spite of the difficulties he encountered communicating with his parents due to the remote location where they lived, he always maintained them informed of his progress, and on several occasions they came to visit him at the school, at the University, and later on at the Seminary.

He also traveled to Fuerte Olimpo whenever he had a holiday, and the family together would spend time talking, laughing and reminiscing about the days when Juan Miguel, the other son, was still alive. Maria del Carmen, the only girl in the family, and the oldest of the three, treasured the brief moments she had to spend with her wonderful younger brother, this beautiful person who had come to enrich their lives.

José Angel Vera’s brilliant mind and tireless attitude towards his work and education attracted the attention of the Church dignitaries and he began to ascend rapidly in the ranks of the Catholic Church. He remained working in the Archdiocese of Asunción until one day he was transferred to the heart of the Catholic Faith, the ancient city of Rome. For the next several years, he continued with his education at Vatican City and rapidly became a favorite among other Church officials. It wasn’t long before he was awarded the title of Bishop.

This was a very difficult time for Bishop José Angel Vera. The distance which separated him from his family made it impossible to visit with them as he used to do, and now the only contacts he had with them were the occasional phone calls or telegrams he was able to send and receive.

The day he was elected to the College of Cardinals was the happiest and also the saddest day of his life. When he called home to inform his family and to share with them the great news, he found that both of his parents had died a few weeks before— as he was told, they both were very old and very sick.

José Angel mourned the death of his father and his mother. He loved them more than anything else in this world, and blamed himself for not making the time to be with them during their final days. Now it was too late, and the only thing he thought of doing was to travel to Fuerte Olimpo to pay his respects at their graves.

With permission from his superiors he undertook the trip to his hometown, but reaching such a remote location turned out to be a very demanding adventure, because the fastest and easiest way to get there was by boat, traveling on the river, a trip that took him longer than he had anticipated. An old airstrip located near the city was in such poor condition, he couldn’t find a pilot willing to risk his life to bring him there.

He visited the cemetery and prayed in front of the graves of his parents, asking for their forgiveness. He was feeling deeply ashamed for his selfish conduct, and for not making enough efforts to stay in touch with them, maybe when they were needing him the most. When he inquired about his sister, nobody in town could give him any information on her whereabouts, and only after multiple attempts, an old friend of the family told him that after the death of his parents, she left town to an unknown destination.

Cardinal José Angel Vera was devastated. He had lost his entire family, and felt that all his accomplishments in his religious career were of little importance. He had sacrificed the love of the persons he loved the most in the quest of becoming a Cardinal of the Catholic Church. He felt empty inside and wished he could turn the time back to rectify his mistakes.

But he didn’t have enough time to mourn or to dwell on these issues. An urgent message came asking him to return to Rome to join the Cardinals at Vatican City as soon as possible. According to the telegram, urgent matters required his presence at the Holy See.

He said goodbye to his parents at the cemetery, and promised, kneeling in front of their graves, he was going to find his sister, no matter how long it would take him.

A few days later, upon his return to Vatican City, the news awaiting him were shattering, the Pope was dead! His sudden death had taken everybody by surprise. To those around him, the old man looked healthy and active, and a recent medical check-up had declared him in good health for his age. Nevertheless there are events that doctors can’t predict or prevent, they just happen, and because of that they are called accidents, one of these ended the life of the old Pope.

Late one night, as he was pacing in his private apartment, maybe trying to resolve in his mind some problem which kept him awake, he stumbled on a loose carpet and fell, hitting his head on the edge of a marble table. The people taking care of him found the body on the floor the next morning when they brought his breakfast.

The entire world mourned his death. The Pope was a man beloved by all the faithful catholics in every continent. The rituals for his funeral started and were carried out as prescribed by the Catholic Canons.

By the time Cardinal Vera returned to Vatican City, the Cardinals Conclave for the election of the new Pope was beginning to be assembled.

Cardinal José Angel Vera had no idea that in the coming days his life was going to change in such a dramatic way, and never in his wildest dreams could he had considered the possibility of becoming the new Pope.

But that was not his choice, someone in the highest position had made it for him.

Chapter 3

Pope Ignatius was a people’s Pope, a humble and quiet man with a handsome face and a beautiful smile, and because he loved everybody, regardless of their race, age, sex, or religion, it was easy for him to communicate with everyone. He rejoiced when children came to hug him, and when he saw somebody with some kind of disability, he would stop whatever he was doing, and made an effort to hug them and kiss them. This interaction between the faithful and their leader, was simplified by another gift the Pope had: he was fluent in several languages.

Every Sunday at noon, he presented himself on the balcony at St. Peter’s Square, where below, a sea of human beings were waiting in a state of ecstasy to hear his message and to receive his blessings, and kneeling down they followed the Pope in prayer as he recited the Angelus in the most clear and warm voice you could possibly hear.

He always recited the acclamation first in Latin, and then in Italian, and when it was over, those hundreds of thousands of souls stood up, and cheering as loud as they could, they raised their hands up to Heaven, and in unison they exclaimed:

Dio vi benedica, Ignatius, ti vogliamo bene! (God bless you, Ignatius, we love you!)

It was a moving sight to see such a multitude of people united in one voice acclaiming their spiritual leader, and the Pontiff felt he was serving his Lord in the best possible way, and that made him very happy.

He loved the people, and the people loved him, it was as simple as that!

But behind that humble appearance was a will of iron and the firm conviction to change some of the practices he considered offensive and not in accordance with the principles of the Catholic Church. And one of those practices, the one he saw as an insult to the billions of Catholics around the world, was the opulent way of life of the residents of Vatican City, as well as some of those who represented the Catholic Faith in so many different places around the planet.

The first indication of the changes to come happened on the day after his election. He was taken to the Papal Apartments, a collection of apartments that wrap around a courtyard, the Courtyard of Sixtus V, on two sides of the top floor of the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City. This was the place where he was supposed to reside.

These apartments consisted of ten large rooms including a vestibule, a small office for the Pope’s secretary, the Pope's private study, the Pope's bedroom in the corner of the building, a dining room, a small living room, and the kitchen. There was also a medical suite with dental and medical equipment, enough to perform some types of emergency surgery. The Pope’s private library was a vast room with two windows overlooking Saint Peter's Square. Also the Pope's private chapel was located in this compound.

In addition, there was a roof garden and staff quarters for the Memores Domini people, who were the ones in charge of the Prefecture of the Pontifical Household (the Papal Household).

The Pope's initial reaction was one of surprise, followed by one of disapproval.

In the name of God, do you really expect me to live surrounded by this luxury?

But your Holiness, this has been the residency of Popes for centuries, it’s what someone in your position deserves, it’s where the people would like to see you…

Pope Ignatius looked at the man who was to be his private secretary in disbelief.

Padre Mario Olivetti, I may be young, but I’m not naive. I’m aware that previous Popes have also elected not to live in these luxurious apartments, please tell me if I’m wrong.

No, your Holiness, you’re correct. But then, where would you like to live? You must be close to St. Peter’s Square. You’re expected to deliver your blessings from the balcony overlooking the square.

"Padre Olivetti, do I have to explain what you already know? Don’t tell me you’re not aware that Domus Sanctae Marthae, (Casa Santa Marta), the Vatican’s Guesthouse has plenty of smaller but very comfortable apartments, places where I would feel more at home. I’m used to living in a very spartan way, and if I could, I would live in the same humble and simple way Our Lord Jesus Christ lived. These ostentatious mores may have suited some individuals in the past, but not in the present status of our society. We are the ones who should be showing the world the meaning of austerity, of sacrifice, instead we indulge ourselves in luxury, extravagance, and waste. It is shameful to say the least."

There were no arguments that would change the Pope’s mind, and as one of his predecessors had done before, he moved into one these smaller quarters, a one bedroom apartment in Casa Santa Marta, the Vatican’s Guesthouse the same which is used to house the Cardinals during the Conclave for the Pope’s election.

After only a couple of weeks of his papacy, it became obvious to the Cardinals, the Bishops, and all other clergymen living in Vatican City, they had in Pope Ignatius a new breed of Catholic leader, one who was determined to break with all the traditions which had been followed for centuries. Some new kind of Pope who wanted to teach by example, demanding from everybody living there and everywhere in the world to follow the teachings of the humble Man from Galilee, the Man they were supposed to be representing.

Of course this kind of attitude wasn’t approved of by a great number of people, specially the older generation of Cardinals who were accustomed to live like the Princes of the Church, a title which satisfied most of them, and it wasn’t long before a sentiment of rebellion began to take root among these powerful men. Some of them had already forgotten who they were and what they were doing in Vatican City, and in secrecy, they started seeing in Pope Ignatius a potential enemy, someone who was coming to disrupt a comfortable way of living, a kind of Royal treatment to which all of them were already accustomed to.

Chapter 4

"Che cosa ha fatto questa volta? (What has he done this time?) That’s impossible, he can’t be giving orders as if this was his private home. I’ve been living in Vatican City longer than he has been a priest. I have my own rights, rights which I have earned with my work and dedication to the Church, and I’m determined to continue this way until the end of my life."

Cardinal Domenico Bianchi was visibly upset. He couldn’t believe his new pair of red shoes were not going to be delivered as requested. His old ones had been used already in a few public ceremonies, and he wanted to have a new pair.

Your Holiness, you must understand he is the Pope, and he can give these kinds of orders, but I’m afraid this may be just the first one, God only knows what’s coming to us…

You listen to me, Marco, and listen good, I’m a Prince of the Catholic Church and I deserve to be treated as such. Please get me a private appointment with this new Pope, the sooner the better.

The young priest wasn’t sure how he was going to fulfill this request. He realized he was walking a thin line. The last thing he wanted was to offend the old Cardinal and make him more upset than he already was, his own position as his personal secretary was at stake. He thought of showing him the memo he had received from the Pope’s office, but if he was upset about his red shoes, reading the entire list of changes was going to cause him to have a stroke or a heart attack.

Your Holiness, actually you don’t need an appointment to see the Pope, you can walk to his office any time you want, he will be happy to receive you, at least those were the instructions we received in the last memo circulated by his secretary, Padre Mario Olivetti.

Marco, you’re worse than what I thought. I think I will request a new secretary, someone with at least a minimum of intelligence! I know I can walk into his office, you idiot, but I’m not about to sit there for hours waiting for him to see me. I demand to have a day and a time, in private, can you understand that?

Yes, Your Holiness, I’ll do my best, now if you would excuse me, I’ll go and take care of this at once.

Padre Marco Bellini knew it was useless, the new directives coming from the Pope’s office were very clear: no special appointments were to be given, unless approved by the Pope himself, and only for very important reasons. Besides that, the shoes were not the only item to be removed from the Vatican budget. Also the robes and other personal attires were to be purchased independently from now on, by every Cardinal, Bishop, or Priest residing in Vatican City.

Without any question, Pope Ignatius had in his mind to implement radical changes in the Catholic Church. No more wastefulness, no more extravagances. He was resolved to make every one of the clergymen under his Pontificate think and conduct themselves in a humble way, understanding they were here to serve and not to be served.

Not knowing what else to do, and in an attempt to save his job, Padre Bellini called the Pope’s secretary and asked him for an appointment.

Padre Olivetti, I know what the memo said, but the old Cardinal refuses to understand. Please help me or I will end up losing my job.

Tell you what, Padre Bellini, have him come in about two hours. His Holiness is taking a short nap and I will make sure he is up when Cardinal Bianchi comes in.

I owe you one, Padre Olivetti, by the way be ready, the old man is very upset about the business of his red shoes.

That’s going to be between the two of them, I’m just the secretary, but I must warn you, this young Pope is made of pure steel. I have seen him dealing with other complainers, the old Cardinal is in for a surprise.

Hours later, Cardinal Bianchi returned to his quarters. The seventy-four year-old man stormed into his office looking as if he was about to pass out. His thin face was a pale mask, and his lean body was tense. He was sweating profusely and his clenched jaw revealed the state of fury he was going through.

Padre Bellini understood immediately what must’ve happened during the interview with the Pope, and he thought the wisest thing to do was to leave him alone. The old Italian Cardinal was going to be looking for someone on whom to vent all his anger, and he, Marco Bellini, didn’t feel like volunteering his body to bring relief to the old man. Almost in tiptoes, he left the office and headed to see his friend Padre Olivetti, at the Pope’s office. He was dying to hear every detail of what happened during their stormy meeting.

Chapter 5

For someone watching from a distance, it looked like an accidental encounter, but in reality it was a well planned meeting. After Cardinal Bianchi read the entire content of the Pope’s memorandum, he realized the business about the shoes was not a casual directive, it was the beginning of a series of radical changes implemented by Pope Ignatius with the idea of stripping from the high members of the Catholic Church living at Vatican City, and from all clergymen around the globe, the privileges and the luxuries they were so accustomed to enjoy.

He contacted two of his closest friends, Cardinal William McKenzie, an elderly priest from Ireland and Cardinal Lorenzo Rossi, an old friend from his days at the Seminary. The message was simple, handwritten on a piece of white paper, but it had the urgency with which it had been written:

è urgente parliamo, mi incontriamo

al solito posto domani a mezzogiorno,

Domenico.

it’s urgent we talk, meet me at the usual

place tomorrow at noon,

Domenico

They met at the Assunta Madre, an upscale seafood restaurant situated across the Fiume Tevere, (the Tiber River) and not