Eminence by Morris West

Author:Morris West
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781760638313
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Published: 2017-07-30T16:00:00+00:00

Eight

To prepare for his interview with Steffi Guillermin, Rossini had arranged a half-hour briefing session with Angel-Novalis at the Sala Stampa. He was an ideal mentor: crisp, lucid, dispassionate. He offered first a portrait.

“She’s a stylish woman, with a clear mind. She will come prepared in her subject and its vocabulary. She has no interest in men as sexual partners; but she demands that they acknowledge both her brains and her style. You may rely on accurate quotations of what you say, some acid descriptions of your attitudes under questioning and some insight that may surprise you. She will not accept anything off the record. Her attitude is that you have accepted the rules of the game. Subjects? Certainly she will refer to the Pontiff’s personal relations with you. Certainly she will want to discuss the drama of your rescue from the soldiery and your eventual exit from Argentina. My guess is that she will have more information than you may be expecting. It is common knowledge now that the husband of Señora Ortega has been proposed as the next Argentine Ambassador to the Vatican …”

“Which leads directly to the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo.”

“Yes.”

“And since you will be present at the interview, that will certainly raise the question of the participation or involvement of members of Opus Dei in the dirty war in Argentina. Do you have any briefing for me in that area?”

“Guillermin is too practised to address any questions to me. This is your interview, Eminence. I shall simply be a fly on the wall. My counsel would be to give your own answers, and not try to guess what her commentary will be or attempt to instruct her in the faith. Some of your eminent colleagues have already fallen into that snare. You’ll inevitably get two general questions: What is the present state of the Church, and what kind of a Pope do we need? Each one of those has its own built-in bear-trap. If the Church is in a bad way, who’s to blame? If the Church needs repairs, who’s the man to fix it? And your answer to that one could have you in trouble with the whole electoral college. Any more questions, Eminence?”

“Let’s get back to the one you haven’t answered,” said Rossini. “What is your personal response to the actions of certain members of Opus Dei in my country during the dirty war?”

The question took him completely by surprise. He blushed crimson. He opened his mouth and closed it again. Then he sat in silence, staring down at the backs of his hands. Finally, he lifted his head to face Rossini. His voice was steady and his answer studiously formal.

“You are not my confessor, Eminence. So, I am not obliged to answer that question.”

“I understand that.”

“So why does your Eminence ask?”

“Because, in my personal life first, and now in my collegial life as a Cardinal, the matter assumes a special importance. A few moments ago, when I raised the question, you

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