Peter, will be judged as blasphemy. I have
never urged you, as you know, to tell me who you are, or where you
came from. I do not urge you now. For I feel that you have been sent
to me for some special purpose--that young as you are, you have been
entrusted by a Higher Power with some mission to me--for you possess
the spirit of inspiration, prophecy and truth. I dare not question
that spirit! Wherever I find it, in the young, in the old, in the
wise or the ignorant I give it welcome. For you have uttered not
only what I have myself thought, but what half the world is
thinking, though you are only one of those 'babes and sucklings out
of whose mouth the Lord hath ordained wisdom.' But what you have
said at the Vatican will be judged as heresy--and I shall be counted
heretic for having permitted you to speak thus boldly."
"Your permission was not asked," said Manuel simply, "I was summoned
to the Vatican, but I was not told what to say to the Pope. I spoke
as I felt. No one interrupted me. The Pope listened to all my words.
And I said no more than is true."
"Truth is judged as libel nowadays in the world," answered the
Cardinal, "And we have to confront the fact that we have incurred
the displeasure, and have also invited the vengeance of the
Sovereign Pontiff.
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