| The Other Commandment |
| Cardinal Sigorelli sat in the oaken hi-backed chair and surveyed the assembly. "How could this be happening!?", he continued to ask himself. He had spent 50years of his life devoted to the Church and now Mother Church was abandoning him like an unwanted child. He continued to survey the room and its occupants. His gaze stopped briefly upon Monsignor De Voghi who was talking to the ambassador from Toledo. The discussion seemed heated as evidenced by De Voghi's hand movements and frowns. Sigorelli knew that his lifetime companion was trying to convince the Spanish ambassador to vote against the new commandment. De Voghi looked around in disgust and, meeting Sigorelli's stare, he shrugged his shoulders. Toledo would vote in favor of the change. Pietro Santali Sigorelli continued his survey of the chapel occupants, going down the rows of seated cardinals, bishops, another church dignitaries. There were representatives from all the churches, both in the "Old Order" as the Moderns called it, and the "21st Order". The hated 21st Order had finally had its day. In the year 2006, the inevitable Schism was on the rise. A new pope, modern in thinking and easily swayed by the new ideas and beliefs, was implementing radical changes in Holy Mother Church. If Pietro Santali had been chosen to head the Church, there would never be this assembly, this "unholy gathering', this vote for such a desecration. Continuing his scrutiny, he came across the Civil Faction, the hated ones who now had a vote in what Pietro Santali considered strictly "a church matter". "What did they know of church matters", he questioned. "Ambassadors, consuls, presidents, and other secular entities, all privy to a matter which did not and should not involve them." This vote for the new commandment would not be taking place now if the 21st Order had not been allowed to gain the upper hand. Court cases on legal marriages had always been the Civil Courts' jurisdiction, but now the Church was bound in this matter. The State of Hawaii in the United Federated States of America had started the whole process of recognition of same sex unions when they passed a legislative law in their state allowing this new law. Many of the other states had passed opposing laws on the illegality of same sex unions, until, one by one, California, New York, Maryland, and New Texas had changed their marriage laws in favor of the "Same Sex Union". Eventually, the other states followed suit. Sigorelli knew then that it was just a matter of time before the Church would be forced to participate in the new laws. The writing was on the wall with the "Parliti-Saunders vs Church of Rome" case. A priest, Paulo Parliti was excommunicated for "his same-sex union" with an American named Saunders. The case would not have had so much importance had it not been for the influence of the Saunders. They were a very rich and influential family in the UFSA, and so, not only was their case won in the civil courts, but also in the ecclesiastical courts. Paulo Parliti was reinstated and the excommunication was lifted. The Old Order did not accept the ruling, and the Schism finally ensued. In the year 2012, prelates, bishops, and even cardinals were pitted against each other. The Church of Amsterdam separated from the Church of Rome, and other Churches in the Euro-Peoples Federation followed suit. Cardinal Sigorelli was trying to get De Voghi's attention, when the assembly started to become animated with the news that the pope was making his way to the chapel. All eyes were directed to the east entrance as Pope Giovanni Christolli entered the chapel, preceded by his Cardinal Secretary and the bishops of Florence and Paris, his personal confidantes. Behind them followed the Chapel prelates, choir boys and girls, and the 2 - |