The Last Confession

Roger Crane

• Publisher: Oberon Books
• Year: 2016
• Print ISBN: 9781840027792
• eBook ISBN: 9781783197866
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: British Drama
• Index: Literature

The Vatican, 1978: a little-known Cardinal from Venice is elected to succeed Pope Paul VI. A compromise candidate, he takes the name Pope John Paul I, and quickly shows himself to be the liberal the reactionaries within the Catholic Church most feared. Thirty-three days later he is dead. No official investigation is conducted, no autopsy is performed, and the Vatican's press release about the cause of death is found to be largely false. Premiered at the Chichester Festival in April 2007 starring David Suchet, this gripping thriller goes behind the scenes at the Vatican, uncovering the bitter rivalries, the political manoeuvrings and the unspoken crises of faith that surrounded the death of 'the Smiling Pope'.

Act One

It is night. The room is a study. A priest about sixty years old is writing at a small table. He is of middle height. He is CARDINAL BENELLI. He is seriously ill and his movements at the beginning of the scene reflect this. A priest enters.

LORENZI: You have a visitor Your Eminence.

BENELLI: Yes. (A grim smile of satisfaction.) Send him in.

LORENZI hesitates for a moment, then leaves. BENELLI stands up, he seems to gain a little strength and stands taller. The CONFESSOR enters. He is dressed very simply. He is short but strongly built.

You are late.

CONFESSOR: At least, I am here. (BENELLI stares for a moment then nods in acknowledgement.)

BENELLI: How is Rome?

CONFESSOR: Eternal.

BENELLI: That is what we were taught.

CONFESSOR: Do you doubt it?

BENELLI: I have many doubts.

CONFESSOR: I was told you were ill.

BENELLI: I am dying.

CONFESSOR: (Unmoved.) Do you wish to confess?

BENELLI: What I wish for is peace.

CONFESSOR: Then confess and find peace.

BENELLI: I have. There. (He point to a manuscript.)

CONFESSOR: They told me you had written a confession and were considering publishing it.

BENELLI: Yes.

CONFESSOR: (Disdainfully.) Public confession is no longer in vogue in the Church. I have come to hear your private confession.

BENELLI: You have come because you had no other choice.

CONFESSOR: We have always had choices. Neither one of us has ever been afraid to make them.

BENELLI: The Church needs a public confession.

CONFESSOR: The Church needs only God.

BENELLI: And where do God’s plans end and man’s begin? Where is the line between divine providence and human intervention? Have you forgotten Luciani?

CONFESSOR: Yes.

BENELLI: (Reading from the first page of the manuscript.) ‘I, Giovanni Benelli, Patriarch of Florence and Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, do hereby state that this is my Last Will and Testament, my final confession.’ (Turning to the CONFESSOR.) Luciani was without doubts.

CONFESSOR: I didn’t come here to talk about Luciani.

BENELLI: Then leave… (The CONFESSOR starts to exit.) and I will publish my confession. (The CONFESSOR stops and looks at BENELLI for a moment.) It begins with Luciani, it begins five years ago.

The CONFESSOR walks to a chair and sits down. He puts a stole around his neck and blesses himself. BENELLI also blesses himself. Bless me Father for I have sinned. I have killed the Emissary of God.

The stage comes alive with priests and cardinals, hurrying about their business. Amongst them is a small short man. He is dressed as a priest but wears a gold chain and crucifix. He looks lost. A priest stops for a minute. It is MONSIGNOR MAGEE.

MAGEE: Can I help?

LUCIANI: I was looking for Archbishop Benelli.

MAGEE: Do you have an appointment?

LUCIANI: No.

MAGEE: The Archbishop may be busy…

LUCIANI: I can wait…

MAGEE: Who shall I say?

LUCIANI: Luciani, Cardinal Luciani.

MAGEE: Of course, Your Eminence, I will…

BENELLI moves across the stage to join them. As he moves he appears five years younger, vigorous and in excellent health.

BENELLI: Albino, it’s good to see you. I enjoyed your book.

LUCIANI: You did? Thank you. It was just some letters.

BENELLI: Yes (Smiling.) but to Charles Dickens, Jules Verne… very illustrious. What brings you to Rome?

LUCIANI: I came to see His Holiness, but he is too busy. (To MAGEE with a warm smile.) Thank you. (MAGEE exits.) It must be a terrible thing to be Pope.

BENELLI: For some men.

LUCIANI: It is bad enough being a cardinal.

BENELLI: Patriarch of Venice. A beautiful city.

LUCIANI: My parishioners wanted me to have my own boat and gondolier. Can you imagine a private boat just waiting for me?

BENELLI: I’ve seen your car. You could do with a boat… What do you do when you need one?

LUCIANI: Call the fire brigade. They lend me one of theirs.

BENELLI: And if there is a fire?

LUCIANI: (Smiling.) Sometimes even God has to wait. (Pause. Simply.) I need help. Bishop Marcinkus is selling the Catholic Bank of Venice.

BENELLI: Yes, I know. For far less than it is worth. Have you discussed this with our Secretary of State?

LUCIANI: I did. He said he could do nothing.

BENELLI: Then Cardinal Villot is wiser than I thought.

LUCIANI: You run the Church for His Holiness, not Villot.

BENELLI: (Enjoying the comment.) Not many cardinals in the Curia would enjoy hearing that.

LUCIANI: You are the Pope’s friend.

BENELLI: Marcinkus is his banker.

LUCIANI: And what about the poor of Venice? The Church is their banker.

BENELLI: The poor are always with us.

LUCIANI: When the Pope sent me to V...

Table of contents

• Front Cover
• Half-Title Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Characters
• Act One
• Act Two
• Postscript