mistress of the vatican.pdf - End Time Deception

Eleanor Herman
sister-in-law of His Holiness, the only recipient of the favors of the pope,
is a lady of intelligence and masculine spirit and only makes herself
known as a woman through her haughtiness and avarice, from where it
is necessary that the favor-seekers at court give her incessant obsequiousness
and continual gifts.” 17
The ambassador of the republic of Lucca explained, “The signora
Donna Olimpia, sister-in-law of His Holiness, governs absolutely the business
of the house of Cardinal Pamphili her son. And at the age of 48 or
thereabouts [she was 53], of singular valor and greatly esteemed by the
pope, it is the universal opinion of the court and of all Rome that she is the
most powerful and efficacious means to obtain graces and rewards from
His Beatitude. She goes frequently to private audiences with His Holiness
once or twice a week where she is always needed, and in this favorable
environment she obtains commodious honors and great gifts.” 18
The culture of the time didn’t look at gift giving as corruption; bestowing
handsome presents in the hopes of influencing the powerful
was, after all, only common sense. Olimpia had done it for decades to
position her brother-in-law to become nuncio, cardinal, and pope. Now,
sitting at the pinnacle, she would reap her reward as other ambitious
people gave gifts to her. It was only fair.
Bribery was endemic not only in the Papal States but throughout
Europe. When Peter the Great began executing corrupt state officials,
one of them summed up the international situation when he quipped,
“In the end you will have no subjects for we are all thieves.” 19
Pasquino had a field day with the cartloads of gifts trundling into
Olimpia’s Piazza Navona courtyard. In ringing Italian rhyme he said,
He who wishes a favor from the sovereign,
Bitter and long the road to the Vatican.
But the shrewd person
Runs to Donna Olimpia with full hands,
And there who wants it attains it,
And the street is wider and shorter. 20
Olimpia, always short, had indeed been getting wider lately.
As a close relative of the reigning pope, Olimpia was doing nothing
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