Stalin’s Priests

Copyright © 2012 Rita and Erik Brandin.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Certain characters in this work are historical figures, and certain events portrayed did take place. However, this is a work of fiction. All of the other characters, names, and events as well as all places, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.If there are only a few historical figures or actual events in the novel, the disclaimer could name them: For example: Edwin Stanton and Salmon Chase are historical figures… or The King and Queen of Burma were actually exiled by the British in 1885. The rest of the disclaimer would follow:However, this is a work of fiction. All of the other characters, names, and events as well as all places, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

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ISBN: 978-1-5320-3746-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5320-3747-4 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5320-3748-1 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017919272

iUniverse rev. date: 04/03/2018

Contents

Book 1

The Children of Fátima

Chapter 1     The Inquiry

Chapter 2     The Intersession

Chapter 3     August 13

Chapter 4     Finding the Children

Chapter 5     Boiling Oil

Chapter 6     The Visit

Book 2

The Teacher and the Boy

Chapter 7     Russian Revolution

Chapter 8     1937

Chapter 9     1939

Chapter 10   1941: the New Young Pioneers

Chapter 11   Occupation

Chapter 12   Russian Winters

Chapter 13   1944

Chapter 14   Mysteries

Chapter 15   1945

Chapter 16   Stalin’s Boy

Chapter 17   Dmitri

Chapter 18   Discipline

Chapter 19   247

Chapter 20   Natasha

Chapter 21   The Assignment

Book 3

The Priest

Chapter 22   Homecoming 1951

Chapter 23   The Path

Chapter 24   Last Chance

Chapter 25   Freedom

Chapter 26   1958

Chapter 27   The Priesthood

Chapter 28   Another Secret

Chapter 29   Africa

Chapter 30   1976

Chapter 31   The Holy Place

Chapter 32   The Next Assignment

Chapter 33   The Road Not Taken

Chapter 34   The Awakening

Chapter 35   Hope

Chapter 36   An Assignment

Chapter 37   Fishers of Men

Chapter 38   Another Assignment

Chapter 39   Sister Lucia

Chapter 40   The Call Experience

Chapter 41   Refuge

Chapter 42   The Truth

Book 4

The Man of God

Chapter 43   The Pope

Chapter 44   Electoral Conclave

Chapter 45   A Consultation

Chapter 46   The Del Vado Inheritance

Chapter 47   Falling Scales

Chapter 48   The Tolling of Bells

Chapter 49   The Polish Pope

Chapter 50   The Legacy

Author’s Note

BOOK 1

THE CHILDREN OF FÁTIMA

1

THE INQUIRY

August 6, 1917

As Father Carrera entered Ourém, a small hilltop town built around a centuries-old Moorish castle and surrounded by vineyards and farms below, he saw a group of around thirty villagers, mostly farmers, standing outside the city hall.

You there! he said to one of the farmers. Why are you out here and not inside?

The courtroom is full, he said.

Shhh! The inquisition has already started, said another.

Crazy kids, said a third.

Father Carrera dismounted his horse, asking one of the men to watch him, and pushed his way through the crowd into the city hall to the courtroom. The lack of breeze in the room intensified the heat of the August afternoon, and many of the onlookers, mostly men from the surrounding villages, had taken off their jackets and hats and were fanning themselves and brushing away the flies.

Above the heads of the bystanders, Father Carrera could see that the child named Lucia Marto was on the stand. The bishop had sent Father Carrera to find out if the three children claiming to have seen the Virgin Mary were safe—and if the visions were true. He knew from visiting the families that Lucia was the only one at court. She’d arrived with her father when summoned; the other two were still at home. He knew from the bishop that the mayor summoning these children and running the court was no friend to Catholics or even to children.

The grumbling of the onlookers made it hard to hear exactly what Mayor Santos was saying, but it sounded as if he were interrogating the child, as each time the mayor spoke, the men would yell out their own answers, and many laughed derisively when Lucia spoke. Father Carrera nudged through the men to get a closer look at the proceedings.

He was immediately impressed with the bearing of this ten-year-old girl. Lucia was clearly one of the peasant working class, but her black-and-white plaid dress was clean and pressed although threadbare. Her head was covered with a coarse cotton shawl that exposed her tan face and highlighted her broad forehead and dark deep-set eyes. Lucia sat tall and straight with her hands folded around a rosary in her lap, looking not at the mayor but at the crowd of unpleasant men in front of her. She showed no fear or anger as they taunted her.

Although he was not a physically imposing man, Mayor Santos was wearing a black suit and a bright blue satin apron and collar, both intricately embroidered in gold thread and tassels. Such formal attire was out of place in the rural town, but it was obvious to Father Carrera the mayor was dressed that way to intimidate the child—and to impress all the villagers in the courtroom.

Positioned on each side of the mayor was a man similarly dressed, each holding a flag emblazoned with a gold triangle formed by a compass and a mason’s ruler square, signifying that they were members of the Freemasons.

Seven years earlier, the Freemasons had staged a governmental coup in Lisbon and defeated the constitutional monarchy, proclaiming a Masonic republic. The Masonic government had passed many anti-Catholic laws that undermined the teachings of the church and promulgated the harassment of priests and nuns, causing fear in the religious citizens. This intense religious persecution had been focused in the larger cities, such as Lisbon, Porto, and Braga, but had not spread to most of the rural villages or counties, such as Ourém. Father Carrera remembered the warning from Bishop Vidal about the anti-Catholic sentiment of the mayor, who had just been elected grand master of the Masonic hall in Ourém. He had heard more about the mayor from his friend Father Mendoza during his overnight stay in Cartaxo. He had learned that the mayor of Ourém had been in politics since his youth, and although he was of meager education, he had gained tremendous power in the county as chief magistrate, wielding a heavy hand in not only administrative matters but also judicial matters. Santos was also the publisher of the local newspaper, which he used to undermine the Catholic church with the intention of quelling the religious fervor of the people in his county.

Father Carrera made it to the front of the room just as Mayor Santos stood up to tower over Lucia.

So this woman you say you saw at the Cova da Iria—who do you think she was? Mayor Santos asked.

She told me who she was, the girl said, betraying not the slightest trace of humiliation as a few of the men laughed.

One shouted, She’s lying! She just wants attention!

Who did she say she was? the mayor asked.

The Blessed Virgin, the child responded, still looking not at the mayor but straight ahead as the laughter increased.

And this blessed virgin—what else did she tell you? the mayor said with a leer.

She told me secrets, Lucia answered.

Secrets! And what were they?

Father Carrera could see Mayor Santos’s face redden as he paced back and forth in front of Lucia.

I cannot say, Lucia said without looking at the mayor.

You refuse to say?

She told me not to say, Lucia whispered, looking straight ahead.

But I am the mayor, and you are in my court, and I order you to say.

No, she told me not to, Lucia said softly. She looked at the mayor as he pushed his face toward her.

Do you know where you are?

Yes.

And you refuse to tell this court one thing that this so-called virgin said to you?

Father Carrera saw Lucia shuffle in her seat and then sit up taller. She seemed to be thinking about the mayor’s question in a new way.

Yes, I can tell you one thing. She said she wants to meet me again at the Cova da Iria on the thirteenth of this month. Lucia took a deep breath and smiled as she looked out at the crowd of men and then back at the mayor.

I order you to tell this court what else she said to you!

I will not.

Do you want to go to prison?

The aggressive behavior and the threat of prison were more than Father Carrera could bear. Forgetting himself, he stepped forward.

What kind of a trial is this, where a grown man bullies a child in front of a group of laughing jackasses? Father Carrera boomed.

Mayor Santos whirled around to confront the person who had just insulted him. This isn’t the Vatican, he spat. Your collar carries no weight in this court of law, Priest!

Father Carrera removed his collar and stuffed it into his pocket. All right, he said, trying to control his own anger and maintain a sense of poise equal to that of the child on the stand, who was already an inspiration to him. Let us all forget our ranks and titles and talk to one another as human beings and citizens of a great nation. I was sent from Lisbon by Bishop de Lima Vidal to ensure that this child has an advocate, an adult who can protect her rights and defend her dignity.

And that should be you? the mayor sneered. What about the girl’s father, who is sitting in this very courtroom without raising the slightest objection?

If he’s here, why don’t you put him on the stand and threaten him with jail?

Because he has been cooperative in every way, said the mayor. But if it will shut you up, I’ll do it.

Father Carrera tipped his head slightly to signify his appreciation and stepped aside to let the mayor return to his chair above the witness stand. The mayor appeared to have calmed down and took his time reseating himself and organizing the papers on his desk.

After a few minutes, the mayor looked over at Lucia. Girl, you go sit by your uncle while I talk to your father, he said. Afterward, he called Antonio, Lucia’s father, to the stand.

Antonio rose slowly from his seat in the first row and, looking back at Lucia, removed his hat to comb his hair away from his forehead with his fingers. He was uncomfortable and sweating in his brown woolen suit. He walked quickly to the chair at the front of the room and slumped as he sat looking down at his lap, where he fingered his hat.

Do you believe that your daughter has told us the truth here today? the mayor asked Antonio.

Antonio looked at his hat, tapping it on his knee, and muttered something unintelligible.

I’m sorry, but could you please speak up? the mayor asked. In your opinion, is your daughter telling the truth?

She has a very active imagination, like most children, Antonio stuttered.

Please answer the question, demanded the mayor. Did Lucia and her two cousins, in your opinion, meet and converse with the Blessed Virgin?

Of course not, Antonio admitted with a polite shrug, looking up at the mayor for the first time.

Father Carrera stared at Lucia to see how her father’s timidity on the stand affected her. To his surprise, he found that Lucia was paying no attention to what was happening in the front of the room. Instead, she was looking right back at him inquisitively, as if she’d recognized him and could read his thoughts.

Do the people of Fátima believe these children are telling the truth? the mayor asked.

Oh no, sir, Antonio insisted. These are tales that the women sometimes tell. Nobody takes them seriously.

The mayor seemed satisfied with Antonio’s answer. However, the man Lucia had gone to sit by was not satisfied with his brother’s answer, and he jumped up to confront his brother as well as the mayor.

Put me on the stand, demanded Ti Marto. I am Lucia’s uncle, and I believe what she says. My two children were there and say the same things about talking to Our Lady. You summoned them here today, but I would not let them come.

So you admit that you have flouted the law? the mayor asked.

I admit nothing of the sort. I simply made the decision that my two small children have no business being questioned in a court of law, and after seeing how you’ve treated Lucia, I was right not to bring them. I have come in their place, and I am prepared to answer for them. May I take the stand?

Please do, the mayor said.

As Ti Marto walked toward the stand, Antonio stepped down and paused to look at his brother. Neither one spoke, but Ti Marto shook his head as he took Antonio’s place.

Do your children tell the same story as the girl?

They do, Ti Marto said.

They claim to have seen the Blessed Virgin at Cova da Iria?

They do.

And what do you say?

I say what they say.

I beg your pardon?

You ask me what they say. I have answered truthfully.

Do you believe what they say?

Yes, sir, I do.

The men in the courtroom laughed, and a few whistled at Ti Marto’s answer.

Perhaps I should throw you in jail, said the mayor, more irritated than before by this peasant.

What would be the charge? Ti Marto asked.

Yes, exactly, echoed Father Carrera. On what charge?

The mayor waved his gavel in dismissal. I see that in your case, your children come by their delusions honestly, he said, receiving an appreciative laugh from the crowd. I order you both—the mayor pointed at both fathers—to discipline your children and keep them from spreading these dangerous lies that make people very upset. And I want your promise that you will keep your children indoors on the day of August thirteenth.

I will promise, sir, Antonio muttered.

Good. Then get your daughter back home, where she belongs, said the mayor.

I do not promise, said Ti Marto. I will take my children to Cova da Iria on that day if they want to go.

Father Carrera could see that the mayor pretended he didn’t hear what Ti Marto said, but he noticed the mayor pulling at his collar and then wiping sweat from his forehead. The two men next to the mayor had stepped down from the platform. Just as Lucia and her father stood to leave, the mayor pounded his gavel so hard that everyone in the courtroom froze. Father Carrera rushed forward as the mayor rose from his seat and jabbed his gavel toward Lucia with a sneer.

Girl, if you go to the field on that day, your disregard for my orders may cost you your life.

Lucia’s father hung his head but said nothing to this man who had just threatened his daughter’s life. Ti Marto squeezed Lucia’s arm and pushed her toward the door through the crowd of men standing along the aisle of the courtroom.

The mayor’s threat to Lucia infuriated Father Carrera, and he bolted toward the mayor as Santos stood to leave.

You just threatened to hurt a child, Father Carrera said to the mayor. How could you, with any conscience—

The mayor whirled around and shook his fist at Father Carrera. Priest, I’m warning you. Go home, and stop meddling in the business of my municipality, or you will be in jail yourself!

Father Carrera said, My concern is only the safety of these children.

You come from Lisbon, and you don’t know the ways of our parish!

The bishop sent me to ensure that the children are not harmed. You just threatened her. Surely even you do not wish to harm the child!

I am the authority in this municipality, not you, not some bishop, and certainly not the Catholic church! The mayor signaled to two men from the crowd, and all three quickly disappeared to the back of the courthouse through a bolted door.

Father Carrera pushed his way outside through the crowd, where Antonio was placing Lucia on top of a burro.

It seems to me that a grown man just threatened your child, he said to Antonio.

Antonio waved him away and packed his burro.

I hope you keep an eye on her, said Father Carrera. I do not think she is safe.

Please don’t worry about me, Father, Lucia said with a proud smile. Our Lady will see to my safety.

Father Carrera watched Lucia as she rode away with her father. She looked back at him with the same inquisitive intensity he had seen from her in court. He knew the matter was far from settled, and he would need to stay in Ourém until August 13 to help protect the children if they went to the Cova da Iria again.

2

THE INTERSESSION

Father Carrera rode to the residence of the parish priest, Father di Pietro, with a note from the bishop that introduced him and requested that he receive lodging for as long as he wanted to stay. By the time he arrived at the old stone church across from the large square in the center of town, Father Carrera found that word of his behavior at the courthouse had preceded him.

Father, it is not wise to cross the mayor, blurted out Father di Pietro when he met him. For the good of every Catholic in this municipality, I beg you to hear me.

I’m here on a mission, Father Carrera explained.

You must not talk to the mayor or challenge him the way you did today in court, Father di Pietro insisted.

Why should he be allowed to mistreat and threaten those children?

You don’t understand how cruel he is. He has used the power of the Masons to gain control of Ourém. He controls the newspaper. He’s printing endless propaganda to get people to forget about religion. In so many little ways, he makes life for these people hell, and keeps them in fear. He seeks to rid the entire nation of the church in all its forms. The last thing he wants is a miraculous sighting of the Blessed Virgin in his own municipality.

It may not be something he can control.

Those children are lying, and they are causing us all a lot of trouble.

Maybe they are making things up or imagining things, Father Carrera said. Children do that. But we do not hurt them for that. Do we?

Who said anything about hurting them?

The mayor did. In court today, he threatened to hurt them if they returned to the Cova de Iria.

Father di Pietro shook his head and sighed. Dear God, it is worse than I thought. He handed Father Carrera a key. You can stay in the room in the back of the rectory. Please do not cause any more trouble than you absolutely have to.

Father di Pietro showed him to his room and then disappeared back into the rectory.

After Father Carrera washed up, he prayed before eating the snack he had brought with him: Our most gracious Father, thank you for guiding my journey to Ourém. Please give me the wisdom and strength to protect these children who believe they have talked with the Virgin Mary. Help me to understand your miraculous ways, and thank you for this nourishment. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

As Father Carrera ate his meal, his thoughts drifted back to the courtroom and Lucia’s resolve. He was perplexed by the mysterious, brave little girl who had faced those jeering men that afternoon. He knew that Lucia and her cousins needed his help. He was also intrigued by the apparitions as well and wanted to see firsthand how the crowds of faithful reacted to the children when they showed up in the field for their monthly conversation with the Virgin.

3

AUGUST 13

When the sun came up on August 13, Father Carrera mounted his horse and rode to the home of Ti Marto, where a crowd had already gathered. Ti Marto’s wife, Olimpia, was calling him in from the fields. Mayor Santos had arrived shortly before Father Carrera. Father di Pietro was there too, standing timidly at the side of the mayor.

Ti Marto went first to shake hands with Father Carrera. I am certainly glad to see you here, Father, Ti Marto said.

It seems I have come not a moment too soon, said Father Carrera.

The mayor impatiently stepped forward