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mistress of the vatican.pdf - End Time Deception

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Eleanor Herman<br />

circled <strong>the</strong>ir wagons around him. The following morning at dawn, as<br />

Olimpia cheerfully marched into <strong>the</strong> pope’s chambers hoping to find <strong>the</strong><br />

gold still under his bed, what she found instead was Fa<strong>the</strong>r Oliva blocking<br />

<strong>the</strong> door.<br />

This authoritative figure, holding a crucifix as if Olimpia were a<br />

vampire, prevented her from entering <strong>the</strong> pope’s bedroom. When she<br />

started to argue, he actually put his hands on her shoulders and turned<br />

her around, saying she had no fur<strong>the</strong>r business <strong>the</strong>re. Fluttering, chirping<br />

about her concern for <strong>the</strong> pope, she hovered in <strong>the</strong> antechamber,<br />

ready to swoop in at a moment’s notice and get her gold.<br />

During <strong>the</strong> pope’s last days, countless courtiers hoped to take advantage<br />

<strong>of</strong> his weakened state and request favors—pardons, indulgences,<br />

judicial judgments, and <strong>of</strong>fices. But Cardinal Chigi stationed himself<br />

by <strong>the</strong> bedroom door like a dragon, telling favor seekers <strong>the</strong> pope’s<br />

thoughts must wend <strong>the</strong>ir way heavenward and not be tied to earth by<br />

earthly matters. Petitioners must save <strong>the</strong>ir requests for <strong>the</strong> next pope.<br />

But Chigi could not prevent a scene on December 29 when Dr. Parision,<br />

who two days earlier had persuaded <strong>the</strong> pope to distribute various<br />

vacancies, discovered that <strong>the</strong> pope had granted him no money. The<br />

datary had told him that now <strong>the</strong>re was nothing left. Thinking <strong>the</strong> doctor<br />

was checking on <strong>the</strong> pope’s health, Chigi allowed him into <strong>the</strong> death<br />

chamber, where Parision threw a temper tantrum, yelling that <strong>the</strong> pope<br />

owed him money.<br />

“Hearing this, <strong>the</strong> pope began to whimper and called <strong>the</strong> datary, and<br />

asked him if <strong>the</strong>re was nothing to dispense. He replied that <strong>the</strong>re was a<br />

pension for 50 scudi and a benefice in Calabria for 160, and <strong>the</strong> pope<br />

ordered that <strong>the</strong>se be given to <strong>the</strong> doctor.” 20 And now <strong>the</strong> Vatican bank<br />

was empty.<br />

On December 30 <strong>the</strong> pope lost <strong>the</strong> power <strong>of</strong> speech and couldn’t eat<br />

for two days. His legs had swollen horribly, and one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m burst, “and<br />

out <strong>of</strong> it issued much water, and his delirium left and he came back to<br />

himself.” 21<br />

During Innocent’s final illness, “Chigi stood by with assistance and<br />

orations, paying scarcely enough time to <strong>the</strong> needs <strong>of</strong> nature. The sadness,<br />

<strong>the</strong> stench, <strong>the</strong> application <strong>of</strong> his mind, and <strong>the</strong> long unease <strong>of</strong><br />

[ 362 ]

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