War of the Holies

by Artemio Saguinsin

  16

  In Vathikan City, the Pope amended the traditional name of the universal church and founded the Universal Vathikan Church as the new name of worldwide church, however, no changes were made as to the faith and doctrine that used to be embraced by the nations of the world. As usual the Papacy continued ordering the churches to conduct normal mass celebrations in the same way the Protestant-Fundamentalists in some regions of the world did their usual evangelization on the air and in their respective churches.

  In the states of Amerika, religious campaign for world peace, Christian solidarity and doomsday warnings were flaunted in the streets, commercial establishments, railway stations and bus stations and the enormous electronic billboards on the walls of high rise buildings in downtown New York.

  In some parts of Asiania, particularly in Singapore, Malaysia, and Philippines where Christian-fundamentalists were rampant in their street evangelization would urge the nation their doctrinal messages. Likewise, in California, USA, a self-professed Christian fanatic, presented himself as Pastor Swanson in his wholesome attire would catch the public attention and media by his pronouncements.

  “ I am the last messenger of this generation and whoever follows me would receive peace and salvation. You will never be afraid of the impending war and rumors of war from other parts of the globe today. So, while I have the promise to this generation to save you all, I would like to invite you ladies and gentlemen to join me in this last crusade of the millennium. Come to me, brothers and sisters to join me to meet the Lord in the air in this coming rapture. Your wealth will mean no more. They are worthless when that day comes. Come submit them to me, so you and I will be saved from this troubled world” he exhorted.

  An old woman who looked like religious-fanatic was engrossed with his litany and convincing words.

  “ What is the assurance that me and my family would be saved when the war disrupts us in this place?” she asked.

  “ The war will not disrupt us here, but there will be rumors of war only in this place, Mom. The wars taking place in distant places would not come here and destroy us. But what I am telling you is the coming kingdom of God that will save us from all these troubles” he insinuated.

  “ When is the coming kingdom of God coming?” she asked.

  “ It will come soon. We will see our Lord Jesus Christ descending from the clouds with his angels. We will then meet him in the clouds to be with Him forever “ the Pastor added.

  “ But will happen to us and other people who would not be able to meet Him in the clouds ? “ she continued.

  “ To those who will not be able to float in the air and meet Him in the clouds, they will be given a chance to believe and accept Christ , they must repent in order to be saved for the next resurrection “ he explained.

  “ I must inform my loved ones therefore, to repent in order to be saved and join you in meeting Him in the clouds on that day” an old woman added.

  “ Yes. Mom, You have to tell them that the day is now to repent ! Notice the war that is threatening us today, the raining flames from the skies that will destroy earth and its inhabitants ! it’s no joke at all, we might someday be in trouble, but that is not too late to those who believe”

  “ Is there any way that we may be saved from the war and annihilation by fire when it comes ?’ asked a curious old man.

  “ Yes, that is why we have prepared a tunnel where we can be saved when that day comes. Anyone who believes in me will be able to enter that cave until the war and annihilation by fire stop “ the Pastor said.

  “ Where is that cave and tunnel located ?” he added.

  “ It is just somewhere in the hills of the Santa Ines, California. I will lead you there when you believe in me. We should be in a hurry to go there before the fire and war come over. It is a safe haven for us. We are safe there to live while we are waiting for Him to descend from heaven.” he said.

  “ If we come with you today or tomorrow, how about our property ?” an old woman asked.

  “ You will not need those wealth or properties at all because in the tunnel we will wait until He comes. You will not bring them to heaven anymore”

  “ I have some stock certificates, coupon bonds, and plenty of land titles, will they not serve at all ?” asked the old man.

  “ They will not serve its purpose anymore. Bring them all to me as your trustee and we will both live inside that cave until the annihilating fire and war broke down here” he insinuated.

  “ That’s terrific ! Is the war in Europe coming here ?” she asked.

  “ War is imminent, can’t you see in the news, television and radio the raging war there ? That will most likely to involve us. I am telling you, move now ! Go home !” the pastor ended his message.

  In Nicea, France, the effect of growing tension of the threatening war drew in more anxious parishioners in many locales in their respective churches for mass prayer, consolation and healing sessions by their beloved- priest named, James Canuto, who had been so occupied for days to appease and exhort his constituents.

  “ Father, there are lots of people today. The poor and the rich as well have flooded the gates of the church.” said the church assistant.

  “ Tell your boys to bring around the tithe boxes. We have to raise more funds to buy more supplies for the needy.” said the priest.

  Meanwhile, the ill-starred parishioners would be brought nearer to him for oil anointing and prayers while more would approach and ask assurance and peace.

  “ Father, shall we come into this church when the war breaks out ?” asked one parishioner.

  “ There will be no war. Stay calm and just pray. You can always come in whenever the war breaks out.” replied the priest.

  Momentarily, the crowd kept silent when the television screen flashed news of the current situation and the coverage of the President’s pronouncement of the state of war in Nicea.

  Immediately, the pronouncement by the President, the snarling tanks and war machines could be heard outside the church. The crowd would panicky crashed into the gates and found safe refuge while astounded and terrified parishioners grasped the habit of the Father Canuto who was also stunned by the sudden arrival of the war machines.

  “ Shut the door, shut the door ! Let everybody in !” the priest shouted.

  When the door was shut, salvos could be heard everywhere that prompted everybody inside the church to crawl everywhere for fear of being hit by stray bullets. Bullets riddled the century old-walled church while there were no signs of life running around but all were securely indoors trying to sense the situation outdoors.

  All of a sudden, the air were filled with whistling noise of flying machines and momentarily, series of deafening blows shuttered the area that snarls of rolling iron where scattered everywhere. The uniformed cadavers that could be seen in both directions where burning machines were stationery could only be recognized by their red star insignia in their cap and patches in their blood stained uniform. There were dead bodies in the rubble and the flaming pieces of iron from blown tanks and armored cars were torn to pieces. The surrounding was gripped with terror as silence began to overwhelm indicating that no more subsequent hostilities would ensue.

  An armored car in dark green camouflaged arrived followed by other tanks and later on an infantry of French soldiers emerged somewhere. A man in a French army uniform that looked like a general appeared from the armored car.

  “ Major, secure the area” he commanded

  “ Yes, General.” Replied the major.

  “ See to it that no Reds are left alive” he added.

  “ As you said, General” the major added.

  The general got the cordless phone from his assistant and reported the situation to the President. Later, the general proceeded to the church. He ordered his men to force open the bullet-riddled wooden door. The crowd were shocked and clamored for mercy when armed soldiers broke in a haste.

  “ Calm down, calm down, we’re not enemies” the Gen
eral said.

  Father Canuto who was among the frightened crowd emerged and approached the General.

  “ Father, I would urge you and your people to leave this place in two days. Nicea is no longer safe to live in. The Reds are coming and this will become a hell of a battleground.” He urged.

  “ But there are many parishioners seeking safe refuge in this church.” Father Canuto replied.

  “ I know but their lives would be endangered because this will become a battleground” the General reiterated.

  “ We are nowhere to go?” Father Canuto added.

  “ My men will deliver you to the border of Italy where you could enter Rome for temporary refuge” the General said.

  “Yes, General. I will tell them, so we could prepare to live”

  In two days’ time Father Canuto and the parishioners were delivered to the Italian border for temporary refuge and it was ensued by the startling attack launched by fully-armed Red insurgents . The city of Nicea became a battleground for the Reds to penetrate the nearby cities such as Marseilles but they were prevented by the French soldiers from slipping further into Nicea.

  While the world economy continued to its unprecedented decline the more agony the nations of the world experienced and in this scenario only the well off nations would be able to feed but with austerity measures among their people. The influx of people from bordering countries became even more stricter and prohibited as they would impliedly went astray to seek economic and safe refuge into their land.

  “ Officer, I have a gold bar to give you just let me trade my goods into this region” a mustached –blue-eyed middle aged English man bribed an Italian immigration officer

  “ No. I am sorry. Your money and gold bar will not serve its purpose any more. There is no more trading from any alien would be strictly allowed by our country. This has been a strict policy of the Vathikan City and if we break this rule we will be expelled and imprisoned.” an officer said.

  “ Go back to your country of origin and make business there” he added.

  “ There are little chances of succeeding there. Our economy is gravely hit by world recession” an Englishman sighed.

  “ I cannot do anything. We follow the rules. Why not try other countries” he offered.

  “ I could hardly travel to neighboring countries because they are also implementing the rules as yours. They are in distress, too.” He added.

  “ Then, I am sorry for you.” The officer said.

  Serafetti ordered the military stabilization and fortified its border defenses to repel any threat of Reds attack. French President Francois Delloire conferred with Serafetti and Pope Justinianus for a coalition force constituting all traditional universal church countries to pledge their support against the Communist insurgency around the world.

  With this joint collaboration of universal nations against the Reds all other non-surviving countries like the Hislamic nations also participated in the collaboration that made Universal Vathikan Church a newly-borne dominant church in the world. It was so powerful that it had almost full control of the world economy surpassing the strength of Amerika, Brittania, Russia and other world superpowers.

  The political government of the Vathikan City, the seat of the Universal Vathikan Church was parliamentary in nature. Pope Justinianus was the symbolic Emperor, Serafetti, the President. The Legislature constituted the Senate that passed the laws and approved by Serafetti and affirmed by Pope Justinianus. Likewise, without the Pope’s affirmation the law would not be officially became a law.

  During the reign of the Pope another emerging influential group of ecclesiastical organization called the Global Covenant Church, a break- away group of the Universal Vathikan Church whose teachings and campaign in different countries had become viral that it had drew in multitude of followers everywhere suddenly emerged. It was said that its leader preferred to be called, Brother Lucianus hailed from Avignon, France and once upon a time became a priest but later renounced it and impelled him to abdicate the church and lived in Rhome where he founded his own church.

  Brother Lucianus was forty years old, and engaged with a young French bachelorette who was living with him in Paris. Brother Lucianus normally shunned media and did not want any media coverage of his church services. If ever being invited for an interview he would put on his shades to filter lights that he felt so scorching in his eyes. He loved to wear shades and dark suite during his services and wherever he would go for any personal commitments.

  He lived with his girl in a mansion where he had a huge entertainment lounge for his important guests and close friends. He lived lavishly by the grace of his church and abundant lifestyle. He had close and reliable aides and house servants whom he would order to meet any guests who would desire to talk with him but most often than not they would be shunned and asked to see him in the congregation.

  Brother Lucianus was a loner and so secretive that he wanted to be alone most of the time, reading and writing about politics, economy, religion and government. His pronouncements, when he would shun the crowd would just be read to his congregation by his personal spokesman. And if he was not available for his service pronouncements, he would make use of the technical facilities via satellite to relay his messages around the world as if seeing him conducting it live.

  While the world was suffering from economic depression, Brother Lucianus would sympathize by sending reliefs to the poor nations even if they were not his. His benevolence, generosity and kind regards for the poor nations were most admired and caught the attention of world leaders that he was often invited by different socio-civic, charitable associations, government programs and activities anywhere in the world to give recognition for his contributions for the benefit of the nations of the world.

  17

  While world economic recession continued to its unprecedented decline more and more people around the world were suffering from poverty and thus, the domino effect was the rising rate of criminality anywhere. And the worst had yet to come, people became even more desperate to survive when the Universal Vathikan Church announced that only the peoples of the member states that were traditionally compliant or obedient to the creed of the UVC would be able to do business among them and would forbid others that did not belong to their family of nations.

  The doctrine of Brother Lucianus was far different from the doctrine of Pope Justinianus thus, a conflict between the two was implied . In one occasion, Pope Justinianus invited Brother Lucianus for a diplomatic meeting to discuss about the world crisis and as a special guest in the Vathikan City.

  Although reluctant, Brother Lucianus gave way to the Pope’s friendly invitation in order to discuss and find resolution to the world crisis. The meeting was the first in the history of the Universal Vathikan Church that a breakaway church was invited to discuss relevant issues. The talks were significantly heralded worldwide since the friendly talks resorted to a conciliatory meeting and compromises.

  “ I would be glad to be part of the ruling party in the Vathikan and being an officiating minister of the Universal Vathikan Church.” Brother Lucianus said.

  “ I am pleased that you accepted my offer since our main objective is to help the depressed world from economic recession.” Pope Justinianus said.

  And therefore, since Brother Lucianus was unanimously offered by Pope Justinianus and Serafetti the second highest position in the Universal Vathikan Church in the Vathikan City, he had to settle in the place. He was provided a pompous living accommodation in the vicinity of St. John Square de Basilica with all the material needs that he wanted in life.

  Brother Lucianus made personal pronouncements of his appointment and the change in his mode of religious services that had to be associated with the Universal Vathikan Church’s Creed. The worldwide followers of Brother Lucianus had to abide by the new order since they did not have the right to oppose the amendments but thought that everything was for their benefit and survival from economic recession. Meantime, the Reds’ pug
nacious attacks against the allied powers were halted when they thought that they were being blighted by the shortages of food supplies from their allied nations. French President Delloire announced that China and Russia had sent their emissaries demanding for a temporary truce to ease the agony of their nations from hunger and death in the midst of blizzards in their own country.

  In the negotiating table, French President Delloire, Vathikan President Serafetti, USA President Clevelander, Russian President Tchaikovsky and Chinese President Liu Xia Chang and other delegations talked of the temporary truce in the Vathikan City which was now the economic capital center of the world. And for the sake of the lives of their peoples, they vowed down before the Pope and the Vathikan superiority in the current world situation. The whole world witnessed the accord that was being signed at the Universal Vathikan Church and telecast via satellite.

  The Reds’ occupied territories were surrendered back to their respective country as they pulled back their troops and went home to their families to start new lives. The leaders of the Red nations ordered their people to fix and build their nation anew while economic assistance was promised to them by Pope Justinianus. However, some of these Red countries opted to rebuild their own nation and did not ask any economic aid from the Vathikan City hoping that they would be able to recover by their own feet from economic difficulties.

  Meantime, Brother Lucianus was displeased with the trend and economic policy of Pope Justinianus that only those member nations were being given full economic support while others were still under the ordeal of economic starvation.