Vatican III
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Snowdon passed St. Rose of Lima’s church, just north of US-70. He reflected on changes in his parish since he had moved to Thatcher. The shortage of priests in the US had left the parish without regular Sunday Masses. The Diocese of Tucson had installed one of four permanent deacons as parish administrator five years earlier. Sunday services were always packed, but only once a month did a priest from Tucson, some ninety miles away, celebrate Masses. Two years prior, the African Pope, Augustine I, had called for a general church Council to be held in Rome in 2050. Continental synods of bishops had been requested by Augustine in order that in the intervening time, the world’s bishops would be able to bring topic-drafts to be addressed in the upcoming Council. There were several issues that Augustine wanted the bishops to address. Pope Augustine, the orphaned son of parents who worked in the rubber industry, had grown up as Phillippe Kabamba. The young man had been raised in a make-shift orphanage and prep school (a former convent of the Sisters of Carmel) in the village of Fataki, 80 km north of Bunia, from his entry at eight years of age until his secondary schooling was completed when he was sixteen. From there, the Catholic priest in charge of the orphanage, seeing a prospective vocation to the priesthood in the young man had secured finances for Phillippe’s advanced studies at the Universite Catholique de Louvain in Belgium. While in Belgium, Kabamba had persuaged his patron to allow him to fund additional courses in science, particularly those in astronomy. It was there that he met and befriended the future Dr. David Styles, the international expert in the study of sun-spot behavior. Kabamba was ordained a priest in 2012 in Belgium, then was sent to Rome for doctoral studies in theology, then appointed rector of the major seminary of Brazzaville in the Congo. In 2033 he was consecrated titular archbishop of Garba and coadjutor with the right of succession to Brazzaville. Three years later he became Brazzaville’s Archbishop and in 2037 was appointed cardinal by Pope Gregory XVII. Upon the latter’s death in 2042, Cardinal Kabamba was elected the 269th Pope of the Catholic church. Dr. Snowdon reached his home on the north side of Thatcher. The water table had dropped dangerously low in the area, so there was a ban on use of water for such niceties as washing his dusty Fuego. He parked the vehicle outside, and, since it was late afternoon in mid-September, he found his wife Susan preparing dinner. He greeted his wife with “I have a meeting to attend in Hawaii the day after tomorrow.” “What’s it about, dear,” Susan asked, half looking up and half chopping salad greens. “I don’t know . . . It’s a secret meeting, and for some reason, I’ve been invited to the observatory at Haleakala.”
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About the Book
The author’s latest work . . .Vatican III . . . an apocalyptic thriller, set on 2050, involves foreboding world events and the twenty-second major Council of the Catholic Church. Follow the Vatican''s astronomer, Dr. William Snowdon as he tries to unravel the exciting story of an assassination attempt which suggests complicity within the Vatican itself. The novel gives insights into the daily behind-the-scenes theological maneuvering, dialogue, and debate by bishops and their theologian periti on issues to be found on the agenda of this Church Council of the future, as well as a realistic view into increasing world tensions which have implications for the future survival of the human race. It is a work filled with twists and turns and an ending you will never forget.
About the Author
About the Author
Edward J. Hahnenberg is married and the father eight children. He taught philosophy, theology, world history, scripture, world religions, and creative writing in his forty years as a teacher. He has studied Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and Spanish extensively. He holds a BA in philosophy and an MA in biblical studies. He also holds advanced degrees, an MA and an Ed. S., in education. In 2000, he was honored by the Michigan Education Association for excellence in curriculum writing. His published works include The Children of the Apostles, ISBN 1594675570; The Psalms of God’s Tenderness: Commentaries on Divine Intimacy, ISBN 1420821253; Bible Maker: Jerome - The Fascinating Story of the Author of the Latin Vulgate; ISBN 1420825798; Table Talk with Martin Luther : A Modern Catholic's Conversations with the Founder of Protestantism, ISBN 1420841408; The Evolution of Belief in the Afterlife in the Old Testament; ISBN 1595940162; and The Priesthood of the Faithful: A Theology of Hope for the Church; ISBN: 1425908837.