‘What secret? There you have a copy of a letter sent by Loyola to Francisco Xavier. Nothing which you guard is real. It was all a hoax.’
The other was ashamed.
‘Jesus, the Nazarite, was crucified and rose from the dead on the third day,’ Ratzinger proclaimed. ‘His body was never found, nor will it ever be, because He ascended into the heavens to join His Father, where He sits on the right hand. That’s what Scripture says. That’s what actually happened.’
The priest retreated in defeat, without turning his back on the Supreme Pontiff until he reached the door.
Ratzinger sighed and got up with difficulty. He looked out at Saint Peter’s Square through a slit in the curtains. A few camera flashes from the Roman side recorded the facade of Saint Peter’s Basilica for posterity.
The whiskey could wait. He gave a sad sigh and retired to his bedroom. ‘That’s what actually happened.’