mistress of the vatican.pdf - End Time Deception

Eleanor Herman
had been, and green for the others. The cells were built without roofs
but were covered with a canopy, which could be opened for air circulation
or closed for greater privacy. The servants would then have set up
his bed, tables, chamber-pot chair, writing desk, stools, a chest with his
clothing, books, washbasins, a little stove to reheat cold food, and eating
utensils.
Each cardinal was allowed to have two servants, or conclavistas, who
slept with him in his cell. Old, sick cardinals were permitted three.
These servants were invaluable to their masters. They tidied their cells,
served their food, cleaned their clothes, and emptied their chamber
pots. But far more important than these mundane matters, conclavistas
were their masters’ eyes and ears. They performed tasks undignified for
a prince of the church yet absolutely necessary all the same, such as
peering through keyholes or placing an ear firmly against a thin wooden
cell wall to listen to the conversation inside. Hidden in the shadows,
they watched which cardinals visited one another. They often wore disguises
at night—false beards, mustaches, or bulbous noses—and
ghosted around from cell to cell negotiating with other cardinals on
behalf of their masters.
Conclavistas spread false rumors, lied, flattered, and offered bribes to
other servants for information. They smuggled letters in and out and
sent news to the bookies to set odds on which cardinal would be elected
pope. Armed with their inside knowledge, most conclavistas placed
high wagers of their own, reaping a fortune when their favorite was
elected. A cardinal chose his conclavistas from among his household
servants, who eagerly sought the exciting, remunerative position. Among
the emoluments was the right to sack the new pope’s cell as soon as he
was elected.
On the evening of August 8, 1644, singing hymns and saying prayers,
fifty-five cardinals processed into the Vatican. Due to recent deaths, the
Sacred College numbered only sixty-two, with seven cardinals living
abroad; one of these, the nuncio to Madrid, was racing back to Rome
and would join the conclave three days later. Other than the three
Spaniards, two Frenchmen, and one German taking part in the conclave,
the rest were Italians.
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