#the vatican. more significant

[mihai-florescu]

Do u think eichi will plan to declare ensemble square as a sovereign state. Will he instate a government into ES so that it will be an independent country just for idols.

Ensemble Square is like the Vatican

[reality-detective]

The Secret Vatican Gold Vault?

"The Vatican's treasure of solid gold has been estimated by the United Nations World Magazine to amount to several billion dollars. A large bulk of this is stored in gold ingots with the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank, while banks in England and Switzerland hold the rest. "But this is just a small portion of the wealth of the Vatican, which in the U.S. alone, is greater than that of the five wealthiest giant." End quote.

This was reported by Henry Mackow. There were reportedly that an international military force that repatriated 650 plane loads of gold and cash from the Vatican to the US Treasury.

A tunnel between Vatican City and Jerusalem was discovered containing gold. The amount of gold found is “more gold than you can imagine” stacked 13 levels high for the first 150 miles (241 kilometers) of the tunnel and “650 planes used to transport the gold”.

The result of this operation was the closure of over 6,000 Vatican bank accounts used for illegal activities. I do not have any conclusive info on that but there was an interesting report that came out from the Vatican itself.

In a report from 👇

They published a Congressional inquiry into the auditing of the Fort Knox gold, and they were informed by the officials responsible for that gold, that the gold in Fort Knox and other depositries in the USA (261 million ounces) is now part of the gold reserve of the International Monetary Fund (the IMF).

We have been informed by one of the top lawyers employed by the IMF (eventually sacked because she intended to whistleblow on them), that the IMF was controlled by the Vatican and the Jesuits. Who is this person you may ask? Karen Hudes. Who has exposed over the years how the IMF worked.

Of course alot has changed since she came out publicly. K. Hudes has some stand out points she has made regarding info that you all have seen on this channel.

For instance: 👇

Hudes asserts that a clandestine version of the U.S. Constitution, enacted in 1871, handed over significant control to private bankers, significantly altering the original governance framework. Which is true.

Also according to her, individuals in court are seen as debtors rather than citizens, which of course is another term of enslavement which effectively dehumanizes us and classifies us as property of the Federal Government, so on and so forth. Something none of us should be surprised to hear.

There's a lot to look into regarding this subject. So take your time and understand that many things have changed that will come to fruition in full force over the coming months. We are no longer under the 1871 Corp Act. Which is why the Chevron Doctrine had to be overturned. 🤔

[blueiscoool]

Rome is Building an Eight-Story Underground Museum – But Treasures Keep Getting in the way

Rome, as it’s often said, wasn’t built in a day. And nowhere is that more evident than its state-of-the-art Metro Line C, an ambitious project meant to help relieve the Italian capital’s renowned traffic hellscape and celebrate its rich archeological history with a unique-in-the-world underground museum.

The €700 million line ($757.7 million) was originally envisioned for the Catholic Jubilee of 2000 as a vital link between Rome’s San Giovanni Cathedral and Vatican City’s St. Peter’s Basilica, making it easier for visiting pilgrims to collect indulgences by walking through the churches’ holy doors. Rome’s major basilicas open their holy doors only during Jubilee years, allowing Catholics from all over the world to make pilgrimages to the city to walk through them, symbolizing an openness to receive mercy and reconciliation.

But the 2000 dream never happened, thanks to a series of problems ranging from a corruption scandal in the city government and the sheer number of archeological objects – 40,000 in all, from petrified peach pits to pottery and vases and even the walls and mosaics of Emperor Hadrian’s 2,000-year-old military barracks – found with each shovel full of dirt during the initial preparations.

Now the hope is to have the line’s showcase Piazza Venezia stop, featuring an eight-story underground museum, ready in 10 years, according to engineer Andrea Sciotti, who is in charge of the metro museum complex. This will allow them to open around the Jubilee of 2033, which will mark 2,000 years since the death of Jesus Christ.

“It’s true, 10 years seems like a long time, but we aren’t just dealing with the engineering issues,” Sciotti said inside the construction site. “This station will be judged as the most beautiful in the world … we don’t have to rely on museum items being brought in, the museum station is in its original context in ancient Rome.”

Displayed where they were found:

During the initial phases of work carried out in the last five years, Sciotti said all of the artifacts were removed from the site for restoration. Each will be placed exactly where it was found inside the metro museum, which is being dug some 85 meters (280 feet) deep, encompassing eight stories below the modern city of Rome.

Over the millennia the modern city has been built over covered ruins. Only around 10% of ancient Rome has been excavated, with the rest still buried some nine meters (30 feet) below the current city, according to Rome’s tourist bureau. The city dates back to the stone age and construction work is notoriously hampered by the discovery of ruins that are too plentiful to even excavate and are often reburied to preserve them. Even simple infrastructure work, like sewage repairs, have to be attended by archeologists who have the power to stop the work if something is found.

There will be 27 escalators, six elevators and 66,000 square meters of archeological exhibit space. Ancient walls found during excavations will be placed “in situ” in the modern station and the ancient Via Flaminia that ran through the ancient city to the nearby Roman Forum and Colosseum.

The station’s three main entrances will connect the three museums around the square: the Vittoriano, the Palazzo Venezia and the outdoor ruins of the Roman Forum anchored by the Colosseum at the far end, which has its own metro station that will also feature museum and exhibit space.

Several of the archeological sites will have access points from inside the metro museum, meaning commuters and tourists alike can exit the station by rambling through historically significant ruins like Hadrian’s Auditorium, which was discovered when the initial archeological investigation into the project started and was meant to be the location of the station entrance. Since then, they moved the site and excavated the ruins, which are currently only visible looking down from street level.

‘Top down’ excavation system:

To secure the site as they dig, engineers are using a “top down” excavation system, which has never been used in Italy but was an integral part of the Jubilee line in London. Cross walls and diaphragms are being buried deep into the soil to form the perimeter of the underground complex, with the dirt taken out recycled and enhanced to be used in the building materials, Sciotti said.

The train tunnels themselves are not the issue since they will be more than 100 feet below ground.

The Venezia station museum stop is not the only treasure on the new line. In 2016, archeologists working on the site of the Porta Metronia (previously known as the Ambra Aradam) station found a 39-room complex that spanned more than 9,700 square feet that has been incorporated into the underground station, which will open by the end of 2024. In 2025, the new Colosseo-Fori station, complete with a four-level underground museum to showcase artifacts including 25 archaic wells unearthed when it was built, will also open after activation tests, meant to begin in October, are completed.

The entire 26-kilometer C-line will be Italy’s first fully automated driver-less subway system and will reduce road traffic by 400,000 vehicles a day, meaning CO2 emissions will be reduced by some 310,000 tonnes a year, according to the WeBuild group, which is the main contractor for the project.

The original plans from the 2000 Jubilee have been modified to eliminate several stations in the historical center that would have simply been too difficult to excavate.

By Barbie Nadeau.

[alexbrunn]

i loved your pav and marcoh role reversal au art so much!! do you have any more ideas about this au?? for example, does pav have any mob ties here? does marcoh want to kill the kaiser? or do they have entirely different goals / backstories? it's such an interesting premise!

I apologize for the long reply, I had a lot of time to think about this AU because I thought just switching characters around was too boring. I wanted something big, something that would affect the whole world.

You can judge for yourself how good and well thought out I've gotten, as for me, this idea still needs a lot of time to become something more serious. Plus, I haven't touched any of the characters except Pav and Marcoh (and those who are related to them in one way or another), all the other Termina members are unfortunately not involved in the idea yet.

Pav: Oh, you got a big gun like that in your pants?

The only thing that was important to me was to keep Le'Garde's importance throughout the story, because for all my love of Riccardo, he doesn't pull for someone as significant.

A time of crazy theories and crazy thoughts.

It all started when Le'Garde, instead of taking the throne in Bremen and creating Logic, decides to go the other way. He'll find out about the Sulfur God, that it's the second essence of Alll-Mer, and what's not the perfect field for his plan? If it is a part of Alll-Mer, it must be just as powerful to realize his ideas. He learns about all this in the Vatican, the capital of religions, and decides to stay there to realize his plan. Instead of politics and other public activities, he goes underground, because only from there he can learn all the darkest deeds of the Ministry of Magic and the Church, while doing other less important activities inherent in the criminal world. It comes to the point that the entire Vatican is now in his power and neither the government nor the clergy are his orders. If he wants, he will pull the strings and the vector of religious life of all mankind will change, which is gradually happening, when values are replaced by others and everything is slowly moving towards his goal of uniting mankind. Already every self-respecting believer is ready to join the crusade to Prehevil to free the second face of Alll-Mer. All those who thought otherwise were destroyed, first secretly, as if it were a showdown with the mafia, and then publicly, as heretics.

Pav's family was one of those destroyed as dissenters to the new religious dogma. The only one who survives is Pav, he vows revenge on whoever did this. His little investigation leads him first into the Mafia, and step by step he gets closer and closer to knowing that behind this is not a simple lust for money, revenge or anything else that is common in the underworld, but something more.

His character doesn't change, however given the circumstances, I feel like he would be even more self-indulgent. Even more open and swaggering, he would really like the world he is in, he doesn't feel that it was the mafia that ruined his family, he already knows there is much more behind it. In the long run, he's thinking about not just killing Kaiser, he'd love to take his place in the sun, or rather in the shade.

He probably wouldn't be in the ring much because he's not really built for it. If he does get invited, he never fights fair, he's the one who hides brass knuckles in his gloves and gets away with it for good work on the street. He's a beast out there, a guy as skillful as he is: agile, fast, dodgy, hardly had many wounds, except for two bullet wounds.

And Pav's story doesn't change, because when he learns that the boss is going to Prehevil to get the Sulfur God, he rushes off to get it himself.

As for Marcoh's story. Riccardo becomes emperor, though his role is not so significant. He follows the course already chosen by the Vatican's shadow government and the Kaiser as its leader. He is forced to go to war, because he will get money and territories, when the Kaiser himself feeds the Sulfur God with the suffering caused by the war.

With Marcoh, however, things are much simpler. They have never crossed paths in their lives, only a compulsory conscription law forces Marcoh, for all his aversion to violence, to join the army. Otherwise, his sister will suffer when her brother is killed for failing to fulfill his duty to his homeland. Worried for his sister's well-being, he asks her to move to a calmer and more peaceful region and promises to come back for her.

His psyche can't take it, he can't kill people without feeling guilty for each one, which causes him to run away from the army and end up in Prehevil.

[wutaijiemei]

ok everyone it's time. welcome to our iconic gay anime villain tournament

FIRST THINGS FIRST this is about significance to what it means to be a gay anime villain this is about impact and reach there are some truly horrid and darksided options here. this is our attempt to accurately reflect the reality of the world in which we live. there are also some sillier and more obscure options. this is our attempt to accurately reflect the reality of who i want to win as an individual gay anime fan. go forth and vote with your heart with your head with your understanding of the state of gay anime villainy and its impact on society.

------------------------------------------------

ROUND ONE

jessie & james (pokemon) vs. light yagami (death note)

hisoka & illumi (hxh) vs. izaya (durarara)

oikawa (haikyuu) vs. orochimaru (naruto)

dio (jjba) vs. kunzite & zoisite (sailor moon)

sensui & itsuki (yu yu hakusho) vs. pucci (jjba)

father julia (vatican miracle examiner) vs. griffith (berserk)

reo & mabu (sarazanmai) vs. pegasus (yugioh)

lelouch (code geass) vs. pariston (hxh)

[pendwelling]

Hello!

Have you seen the art for the new season of the TWSB webtoon?

Someone made a comment about how the new artist made the difference between the styles of Venetiaan and Riester are more obvious, and I remember you mentioned you wished that would happen, so I'm really curious about what you think.

Hope you have a nice day!

YESSSSS ABSOLUTELY

I was outdoors when the chapter dropped (which was additional torture in its own way bc I was literally counting down live hours and minutes till the season launched with some friends LMAO) and went so crazy taking screenshots while walking..... I've seen all the available chapters so far and YEAH. YEAH!! IM REALLY REALLY HAPPY ABOUT THE CLOTHING..... OH MY GOD............... THE ARTIST RLLY KNOWS WHAT THEYRE DOING!!!! They even admitted to being a fan of the original novel and you can tell!!

Jesse has such a distinct fashion and visual culture to his wardrobe that the Riesterians don't have and it singles him out as a foreigner in another country so so so well. When the webtoon was initially announced, the fashion was one of the biggest things I was anticipating and I'm glad the new season is able to tap into this (surprisingly very!) important detail of the novel!

Some minor?? not really but just in case spoilers for future events (im pretty sure? I talked about this subject before BUT IM DOING IT AGAIN BC I JUST LIKE THIS ASPECT OF TWSB SO MUCH LMAO, SORRY IF THIS ENDS UP BECOMING LONG NONSENSE)—but the clothing that characters wear is pretty significant in the story in terms of symbolism, provenance, culture, and/or allegiance, particularly with characters like Prince Jesse Venetiaan and Sir Johann Geens who come from the Divine Kingdom of Venetiaan. The most obvious of the cultural differences between countries of the continent can be seen in little things like how Johann greets Jesse in the style of the Divine Kingdom upon first meeting him [ch69][in ep48 of the webtoon, is depicted as a bow at the waist, with the arm folded at the elbow and tucked near the stomach/torso], which even Jesse remarks is completely different from what is done in the Empire. When they are first getting to know each other, Johann actually switches with how he addresses Jesse, from calling him" Your (Royal) Highness" [(왕자) 전하]—unlike the Riester characters, who refer to Jesse as "Prince-nim" [왕자님] (which is what Johann also uses when he isn't slipping up with his addresses)—which is similarly what Riester citizens would call Cédric, who is their own nation's prince: "Your (Imperial) Highness" [(황자) 전하]. There is a very clear denoting/admission of allegiance and nationality in the way people address important titled individuals (tho Johann is a bit of a peculiar case for very specific reasons), and in the way they DRESS!

When Johann finally becomes accepted as one of Empress Frédérique's men, he notably starts wearing Riester outfits instead of Venetiaan ones [ch121]. Previously, since he came from Venetiaan, he would usually dress in that kingdom's style (the webtoon, however, shows his first appearance in an attire that is a bit more ambiguous..? Personally, it looks Riesterian, but I can give it a pass since he's currently ragged LMAO and also dispatched from the Vatican in the Neutral zone, not to mention theres also the possibility of Jesse's wardrobe just being fancier since he's royalty so he might not be the best example of Venetiaan fashion wkskks [depending on how the webtoon artist will further take this]). But in his character profile from the author, it is distinctly mentioned that he initially starts out wearing Venetiaan-style clothing (until, again, ch121 where he makes his first appearance in imperial attire, ft. a summer coat)!

///ch100+ territory/// — As for Jesse(Yeseo), even when he is granted the title of "Marquis Sérénité", he is still not fully considered part of the Empire due to his extremely complicated position as a friend of the Crown (he even refuses naturalization himself), yet also as the diplomatic hostage from the opposing kingdom. People may call him a Marquis and may respect him as so, but he is still referred to as Prince-nim, and as Moon of the Kingdom (and as other perhaps less than tasteful titles from time to time), and is still generally dressed in what his staff believes to be the familiar clothing of "his" home country. It isn't until much later when [REDACTED IYKYK] happens that this association of "Jesse Venetiaan" with the Venetiaan Kingdom switches over to that of the Riester Empire—to where the style of address used to refer to him then changes to be respectively associated with RIESTER, and his wardrobe also changes to match this.

It might not seem important at first glance, but the clothing in the series is a detail that I really really love and one that I find adds so much more layers and meaning to the world, especially when paired with all these other nuances. It also marks significant shifts in statuses and relationships!! "Jesse Venetiaan" is no longer just a diplomatic hostage Prince from a foreign country, the lone resident of the Cold Palace—"Jung Yeseo" is a dear friend of the Crown, the Marquis of Sérénité, the Palace Lord of Juliette, the Little Moon of the EMPIRE! and his gradual shift in clothing reflects his position in his environment, in his status, in his identity, and in the trust and affection that the people around him have for him.

AND GGHUHAGAHHHHHH DOES THE NEW SEASON OF THE WEBTOON DO A REALLY FUN JOB WITH HIS CLOTHING SO FAR 🥹🥹🥹🥹 I like how DIFFERENTLY he is dressed from everyone else!!! When he stands beside Cédric and Christelle he really sticks out! Jesse is wrapped in long pieces of fabric that drape across his torso, wrapping around the waist and pooling down to his legs—his sleeves are loose but wrapped snuggly at the wrists (large sleeves are particularly a staple of Venetiaan noble fashion [ch447]) and his collars are round and taller like that of a cheongsam (not to be confused with imperial uniform collars tho), without any neckties in sight, and he wears very obvious knotted buttons as opposed to the more simple round ones!!!!! It's neat, it's really really neat! Riester costumes take a more militaresque/uniform kind of look for characters like Cédric and Élisabeth, but outside of formalities, they and other characters clothe themselves in dress shirts, button-ups, vests, coats/justaucorps—and most distinctly THE NECK ACCESSORIES.... The accessories between the Riester and Venetiaan characters are so distinct haha! It definitely comes down to their differences in collars—Venetiaan's round cheongsam-like collars wouldn't pair with cravats and ascots, after all. Season 1 often dressed Jesse in outfits that felt more Imperial than Divine Kingdom, so seeing this new change is very cool. (Oh I feel like I should also note that while I often use Johann as an example, he's admittedly a bit of an outlier bc he's noted to not care for neatness and, like many others in the cast, often leaves some top buttons popped open. He's really suited for Riester costumes in that sense haha!!) Yeseo, unlike the Original Jesse, isn't much one for some excessiveness for Yeseo's fashion, while fancy, is less on the eye-catching side, but I do hope to see some fur robes and hats one day from other characters if not him!!

In all the webtoon chapters for Season 2's launch (ep46~51), Jesse hasn't gone through that many outfit changes (there are about 3), and while it's a small amount, it's still really cool to see how different his attire is from the Riester characters, which really hammers down how much of an "outsider" and foreigner he still is at this point in this story—still trying to set himself apart from the tidal waves that are the Main Characters—where the kids are still getting to know each other and are figuring out what they want from one another. FASHION AS A NARRATIVE TOOL........ I JUST FIND IT NEAT.....

Early TWSB is very fun, and I'm glad I get to experience it all over again through the webtoon!! I hope you're enjoying it too 🥹🥹 And I noticed I really went off on a tangent wkdjkdkd sorry about that.... I'm just so so so excited for the visuals of this season, and knowing that the adaptation team (the artist in particular) is a fan of the original source material gives me some hope that this story will be in safe hands, alongside that of the writer, who I will be cheering on too. Season 1's HGN has a very cute and pretty style that is really well suited for modern-day story settings (evident by the art posted on their socmeds!), and I wish them luck in any future endeavours!!!

I think I'm gonna head to bed soon.... I've been drawing and thinking about TWSB the whole day bc of the webtoon wkdjkkdk and I think it's time to pass out :') Anyway YES CONGRATS ON SEASON 2!!! (I WILL BE KEEPING AN EYE OUT ON THE CLOTHING! IM HAVING LOTS OF FUN!!)

I hope you've had/are having a nice day too!!!!

[pastoralnhappy]

Jonah and his Belly…and his Whale

Introduction

“I am a chubby Catholic seminarian,” I muttered to myself as I adjusted the ill-fitting cassock, the fabric clinging awkwardly to my frame. The echoes of the morning prayers still lingered in the chapel, a reminder of the spiritual journey I had embarked upon. My heart was heavy with the weight of self-doubt, yet buoyed by a faith that had guided me through many trials.

When I first arrived at the seminary, I wasn’t quite as chubby. The rigorous schedule and the strict discipline had initially kept my 18 year old body in shape. But over time, the communal meals and the warm, encouraging words of certain priests had allowed me to indulge in the pleasures of food. Father Thomas, our jovial and rotund head of the seminary, always said that a good meal was a gift from God, and I was inclined to believe him.

“Jonah, you must enjoy the blessings God provides,” he would say with a hearty laugh, his own round belly shaking. “A happy heart and a full stomach go hand in hand.”

As I made my way to the refectory for breakfast, the aroma of freshly baked bread and sizzling bacon filled the air. My stomach growled in anticipation, a reminder of my earthly desires that often conflicted with my spiritual aspirations. Sitting down at the long wooden table, I joined my fellow seminarians in silent prayer, thanking the Lord for the sustenance we were about to receive.

The clatter of cutlery and the hum of conversation soon filled the room. I caught snippets of discussions about the visiting bishop’s potential stance on various issues, the excitement tempered by a hint of apprehension. Today was a special day, after all, and there was a palpable buzz of excitement among the seminarians.

It was then that I noticed Brother Michael, seated across from me, staring intently at his plate. He was new to the seminary, a quiet, thoughtful young man with a scholarly air. His thin frame and serious demeanor were a stark contrast to my own. He looked up, meeting my gaze with a shy smile.

“Good morning, Brother,” I said, trying to sound cheerful.

“Good morning, Brother Jonah,” he replied softly. “Are you looking forward to the bishop’s visit?”

“Indeed, I am. It’s not every day we get to hear from such a distinguished guest,” I replied, my voice filled with a mixture of anticipation and nerves.

Our conversation drifted to the day’s schedule, the bishop’s likely topics of discussion, and the latest news from the Vatican. Despite my outward composure, I couldn’t shake the feeling that today would bring something significant, something that might alter the course of my journey in the seminary.

As the morning sun cast its golden rays through the stained glass windows, illuminating the faces around me, I felt a surge of hope. My size, my indulgences, my journey—they were all part of a greater plan, one that I was slowly beginning to understand. And as I bowed my head in silent prayer once more, I whispered to myself, “I am a chubby Catholic seminarian, but I am also so much more.”

[stepmarchen]

Analyzing Shuri and Lucas' Relationship

Mostly a Lucas rant because he's one of my favorite characters (even though we love to hate this bastard)

spoilers up to Ch. 126

Despite our not so lovely introduction to Lucas' character in the early chapters of the manhwa, It's so interesting how Lucas' villainy took a complex route in later chapters and the role his strengths and weaknesses play to Shuri's misfortune and favor.

Shuri often recounts memories of Lucas during their childhood in Bretten and we get an inside look on the person he is inside.

"Lucas Ighofer, my brother... He thought I was slow and dull-witted because I didn't know how to be tough... but he would also sometimes step in like an older brother in front of the rough neighbors. Whenever that happened... He made me think that maybe some things would go his way."

- Shuri, Ch. 125

He wasn't exactly "nice" but the two relied on one another in that way that only siblings would relate to. While he totally belittled her, Lucas also trusted Shuri with his earnings, the code to his safe, and defended Shuri like a true big brother.

In a way, I think it's actually thanks to Lucas that Shuri also dreamt of a better life. We see this in the way she seems to remember him in a positive light (literally basked in warm light). There's also major significance in how her core memories of him are usually about his hopes and dreams, as opposed to say, his gambling habits or laziness.

Shuri could've had the same humble dreams as her bff Anna but I think she looked up to Lucas, who was the only real role model in her early life.

The main difference between the two was the vehicles in which they took towards their shared goal. Shuri planned a more earnest living, selling crops for a chicken, and the eggs for a pig, and so forth. Meanwhile, Lucas made bets, resulting in quick and large sums of cash while simultaneously losing it all in the process.

Lucas knows exactly how corrupt the world can be and he's fully willing to go down with it. It's just unfortunate that he's also willing to drag down Shuri along with him.

In the end, Shuri got an involuntary ride to the top of the food chain and Lucas... climbed his way to the capital... eventually.

Now let's talk briefly interlude about Lucas' time in the capital.

While he's a selfish mf that tried to extort his own baby sister (multiple times), he is also one of the most motivated characters in the series, even to the point where he becomes a pest. He'll take all the shortcuts he can take, but if it doesn't work out, he's not totally unwilling to take the long and hard route. In their first on-page meeting, Shuri calls out Lucas for lying about starving for 4 days. But this is never actually confirmed. I want to say that it's pretty likely that he really was starving. Now, the reason why? Proooobably because he gambled away his food money.

Anyway, back on topic.

Eventually, Lucas does make it and opens the Sheiss Gambling House at the call of Cardinal Meissner.

"He used other people's weaknesses for his own selfish interests... yet despised being exploited himself. He, more than anyone... wanted to live a life where he could use others."

- Shuri, Ch. 125

The thing about Lucas is that he's also one of the smarter characters as well. His outer farce makes him seem like a small threat, but he singlehandedly started the gears for the upcoming Holy War.

Think about it. He somehow gathered tons of blackmail on the church because he disliked the idea of being used by Cardinal Meissner over his Gambling Business. Blackmail that at this point, only an insider (with access to secret tunnels in the Vatican) like Richelieu had privvy to. We don't know exactly how Lucas gathered this material... but the fact that he did makes him a pretty big threat.

Which is exactly why the church captured him.

And it's only thanks to years of growing up side by side together that Shuri knew her brother well enough to know that the blackmail existed and where/how to retrieve it.

The only concern now is that Lucas may have also given the Church vital information regarding Shuri. And we don't know what he disclosed.

At this point, we know that Shuri still has some lingering sisterly love for Lucas, but it's unconfirmed whether Lucas feels the same way. Lucas is an asshole but I would like to think that in his final moments, Lucas would still protect Shuri like he did years ago.

In the end, Shuri outgrew her "dim-witted" nature and took advantage of the information waiting in her lap. She evolved past Lucas' shadow used his brains to her advantage. But she never used anything against him. Even in the bitter end, she tried to save him. And he ended up killing himself.

[rabbitcruiser]

National Acadian Day

Every year, certain Canadian regions commemorate National Acadian Day on August 15 to honor the Acadian people and culture. The Acadian leaders were given the mandate to designate the date of this celebration, which is also the feast of the Assumption of Mary, during the first National Convention of the Acadians in Memramcook, New Brunswick, in 1881. The Acadians, who originated in France, were the first Europeans to permanently settle in Canada.

History of National Acadian Day

The history and culture of Canada’s Acadian people are commemorated on National Acadian Day. When France founded Nova Scotia in Port Royal in 1605 as North America’s first permanent settlement, thousands of Acadians were compelled to abandon their homes and relocate as a result of the Great Upheaval, which lasted from 1755 to 1763. Many people eventually returned to the Acadian region, but others never did.

National Acadian Day was founded in 1881 at the first National Convention of the Acadians in Memramcook, New Brunswick, when the Acadian leaders were given the task of deciding on a date for the celebration, which coincided with the Assumption of Mary’s feast day. The date was the subject of a debate at the convention between those who wanted Acadians to commemorate Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day, which has been a national day of French Canadians since 1834 and a national holiday of Quebec since 1977, on June 24, and those who wanted the commemoration to take place on August 15.

During this time, a significant number of Acadian leaders were traditionalists who desired the preservation of pre-revolutionary France’s ideals and practices. This did not stop the Acadians from adopting a tricolor flag at the Miscouche convention three years later. With his statement before the conference, Abbot Marcel-François Richard, who supported August 15, is thought to have influenced the outcome. By January 1938, the Vatican approved the Acadian convention’s choice in a declaration. National Acadian Day became an official Canadian holiday in 2003, thanks to the efforts of the Canadian Parliament.

National Acadian Day timeline

1881 The First Acadian Day

National Acadian Day is established at the first National Convention of the Acadians.

1994 First Congrès Mondial Acadien (C.M.A.)

The first Congrès Mondial Acadien (C.M.A.) is held across municipalities in Southeastern New Brunswick.

2003 Royal Recognition

A Royal Proclamation recognizes the wrongs suffered by the Acadians when they were forcibly deported from Acadie from 1755 until 1762.

2004 National Acadian Day

The provincial governments officially recognize National Acadian Day.

National Acadian Day FAQs

Can you see the Northern Lights in Acadia?

The Northern Lights can often be observed from Downeast Acadia’s northernmost reaches.

Is Acadia home to bears?

On the island, there is a small permanent population of black bears.

Can you go hiking at night in Acadia?

Acadia National Park’s Park Loop Road is open at night, allowing visitors to drive into and around the park.

National Acadian Day Activities

Make plans to visit Acadia

Read about Acadian history

Listen to music from Acadia

Festivals are held by Acadians to celebrate their centuries-old traditions, as well as contemporary arts and culture. Festivals are held all year in Acadian and francophone towns around the province, so plan a vacation to Canada to see them for yourself.

It's possible that you've never heard of Acadia, a French colony in North America. Now that you've heard of them, it's time to learn more about their culture and history for yourself!

Good music has a way of burying itself in our hearts. It's something that brings us all together. Listen to Acadian music or Google up and listen to Acadian artists.

5 Facts About Acadia That Will Blow Your Mind

Acadia's first capital

Bolognino Zaltieri

The inspiration behind Acadia

Cod abundance

The Acadian dialect

Port Royal was Acadia's first capital and was erected in 1605.

Bolognino Zaltieri named an area far to the northeast of present-day Nova Scotia and New Brunswick 'Arcadia' in 1566.

The term ’Quoddy,’ which means open sloop-rigged sailboat, was thought to have inspired the name Acadia.

Acadia was famed for its abundance of cod, which drew European traders and fishermen to its shores.

Chiac is an Acadian dialect prevalent throughout the region.

Why We Love National Acadian Day

The view from Otter Cliff

Being one with nature

It commemorates Acadia's past

Otter Cliff, at 110 feet above sea level, is the spectacular climax of the Ocean Walk. It's a popular rock climbing destination, and it's composed of Cadillac granite, the unique pink rock that Acadia is known for.

Acadia is all about taking in the beauty of nature, and camping and stargazing add to the experience. The park campgrounds are inexpensive, nice, and clean, even if they are a little run-down.

Acadians' history is commemorated on National Acadian Day. It honors their history and culture while also preserving their legacy.

Source

[lostloveletters]

Bruised Fruit Chapter 7 (Michael Corleone x OC)

Summary: Gloria's last night out before she's a married woman only fuels her hesitations about marrying Michael, but despite her attempts to distance herself from him, he pulls her in deeper with an earth-shattering revelation.

Note: This takes place pre-Vatican II which changed a lot of things in the Catholic Church, including how mass was celebrated (seems like weekday mass has always been short though, lol), but it’s nothing too significant for now. Additionally, the name Ciro is pronounced Chee-ro in Italian.

Warnings: Angst, descriptions of pregnancy, mentions of abortion. Predominant Catholic themes and symbolism, mainly involving guilt.

Chapter 6 | AO3 Link | Masterlist

Do not interact if you're under 18, terf or radfem, or post thinspo/ED content. I will block you.

“Okay, so my parents are watching the kids tonight, and I know your people will be there, but I left the number for the club anyway,” Gloria said, slipping her foot into a black heel.

“Alright, darling. Don’t have too much fun,” Michael said, though she knew he loathed the idea of the bachelorette party the moment Vivian brought it up just two weeks prior.

It didn’t help that Connie and Sandra jumped on the idea too, even though a wedding date hadn’t even been set yet. Gloria hadn’t heard anything about the annulment in a while. She supposed the other Corleone women were just as antsy as she was to get out and go somewhere for the night.

Vivian insisted as soon as she sniffed out the slightest resistance from Michael, claiming it was only fair because the Corleones had already thrown their own engagement party in Lake Tahoe, and Gloria’s parents certainly wouldn’t do anything of the sort. He only conceded when Connie mentioned a nightclub the family operated in Manhattan. Gloria was itching to get back to that scene, thoroughly bored by domesticity.

“I’ll probably be back late. Don’t wait up for me.”

Michael smiled a bit, the purplish-gray bags beneath his eyes betraying yet another days long bout of insomnia. While Vivian and Jackie were over for dinner just two evenings before, Vivian had offered to get him in with one of the doctors at Sacred Heart to write him a prescription for sleeping pills. Michael had politely refused, insisting he was fine and had his own doctor.

Pride wouldn’t allow him to resort to turning to medication to cure his insomnia, not when he was already so reliant on it to manage his diabetes. Knowledge of his having that condition was so closely guarded, Gloria wasn’t always sure who in the family knew and who didn’t.

At times, Gloria wondered if Michael considered his suffering through his insomnia a form of self-appointed penance. Then again, that would require him to feel guilt about something. She tried not to think of Fredo, his memory potentially haunting his brother, but it was difficult not to when her own brother was around more often. 

A car horn outside signaled the arrival of her partying companions for the evening. Michael had arranged the driver, a newer family associate who had worked for the man who previously lived in their house before he passed away.

“If you need anything, call the house. If I don’t pick up, someone else will,” he said. “I love you.”

She gave him a quick kiss. “Love you too.” She grabbed her purse and rushed out the front door. Off to the races.

Connie was halfway out the back window of the car parked outside. “C’mon Glo, there’s room back here if we all squeeze in!”

Gloria shook her head, opening the front passenger seat instead. “I’ll sit up front with Ciro.”

The young man smiled at her remembering his name. They’d only spoken twice before, though she saw him more often when she’d bring the kids into the city after school to meet Michael at Genco and go for dinner. Ciro usually stood guard outside the olive oil company’s modest office building, stoney and suspicious-looking until he’d see her and smile, betraying his youthful face.

“Good evening, Mrs. Corleone,” Ciro said.

Sandra reached over the seat, playfully shaking Ciro’s shoulder. “Not Mrs. yet Ciro! That’s why we’re going out tonight!”

Vivian cheered, and Ciro laughed, smiling once more at Gloria before driving off. He entertained their antics, even bashfully acquiescing to Connie’s invasive question as to whether or not he had a girlfriend.

“No,” he answered, “not for some time.”

“C’mon, a good-looking guy like you?” Vivian asked.

“I’m focusing on work right now,” he said. “It wouldn’t be right for me to have a girlfriend and not be able to spend any time with her.”

“Aw, Gloria, tell Michael to give Ciro a vacation so he can find himself a nice girl,” Sandra said.

Gloria scoffed, “That’d go over well.”

They arrived at the nightclub not long after that, greeted by a bright, neon green sign for The Archer.

Ciro pulled up to the valet, all of the passenger doors opened for them upon their arrival. He parked directly in front of the club’s main entrance, the only car allowed to do so.

“I’ll be out here. You find me when you need to be driven home,” he said.

“You can’t come in for one drink?” Gloria asked.

He shook his head. “Thank you, I really can’t.”

Their coats and bags were collected at the door, the host emphatically reminding them that all drinks were on the house as he led them to a VIP booth.

The Archer had recently been remodeled, the walls covered in emerald green, scale-shaped tiles that resembled a snake’s glimmering skin beneath the club’s dim lighting. The booth was a sleek, modern white, deceptively creamy yet plush to the touch as it wrapped in a semi-circle around a crystalline table with gold accents. 

Funny, Michael wouldn’t be caught dead in the very nightclub he owned. Instead, he preferred old-fashioned, kind of run-down family-owned places with generous servings, strong wine, and attentive table service. The owners would always come out from the back to personally greet him, offering antipasto or a bottle of wine on the house. It almost made Gloria feel like being with a celebrity. And he was, in a way, among this eccentric group of people to whom he was more important and influential than the president.

A waitress came by the table to take everyone’s drink orders, Gloria requesting her usual rum and coke. As soon as she walked away, a waiter practically ran to the table with glasses of champagne for all four of them.

“Courtesy of Mr. Corleone,” he said.

Gloria smiled. “Thanks.”

“How about a toast, huh?” Connie proposed.

“Alright, may you and Michael have at least fifty wonderful years of marriage and half a dozen kids running around,” Sandra said.

“You’re supposed to be wishing her luck, not her worst nightmare,” Vivian joked, though it was clearly missed on Connie and Sandra.

“She’s kidding,” Gloria quickly said, shooting a glare at her sister-in-law. 

“Nothing but happiness for you and Michael, god knows what he would’ve done if you weren’t around, Gloria,” Connie said, not missing a beat.

Vivian grinned as she gave her toast. “Here’s to committing to the same cock for the rest of your life.”

Sandra laughed loudly, nodding in agreement, “God willing!”

“This is getting out of hand,” Connie snickered.

“Alright, cheers,” Gloria said, clinking glasses with her companions. 

Gloria threw back the champagne, not caring for the taste but dealing with it for the significance of the occasion. Still, she wanted it gone by the time her rum and coke came around. She tried to pace herself on her first drink, sipping while listening attentively to Vivian dishing the latest gossip from the hospital. Though it seemed she was catching Sandra and Connie up on just about everything that had happened since she started working there nearly fifteen years before.

“There’s this woman who works down in the maternity ward, her husband used to be a priest,” Vivian said.

“Hold on, was he a priest when they met—“ Sandra’s eyes widened as Vivian nodded, “Madone , and I thought I’ve sinned.”

“I mean, there are plenty of ‘em around at Sacred Heart. I’m just surprised they didn’t fire her.”

“All those nuns probably aren’t so innocent themselves,” Connie said.

Gloria laughed. “God, if my mother heard you all right now.”

“Oh, I don’t tell her half the stuff that goes on there. She’d have a heart attack,” Vivian said.

After another round of drinks, Gloria decided it was time to dance. She wasn’t particularly great at it, but it was fun, and dancing on her own in the house wasn’t the same. Michael refused to join her, especially when it came to the more upbeat, contemporary songs she preferred, but late at night, in tender moments when it was just the two of them, she could convince him to share a slower dance with her in the confines of their bedroom.

She loved Michael best in their bedroom. She didn’t have to restrain herself there, not when they were in bed together or just in each other's company. He showed unprecedented vulnerability there, the way he had during their clandestine rendezvous in Las Vegas hotel rooms, when he didn’t have to be Don Corleone. Any time she’d been with Michael outside of a bedroom, whether as his mistress or his fiance, there’d have to be distance, restraint, like they were respectable people when they both knew they were the opposite. 

So she let loose on the dancefloor, probably the last time she’d be able to go clubbing like that. The end of an era. She downed another glass of champagne in memory of the soon to be deceased party girl. She’d made it last longer than most. Wincing at the taste, she quickly ordered another rum and coke.

Her rotation of dance partners was dizzying as everyone moved about haphazardly. She wasn’t sure if rock n’ roll was on The Archer’s usual rotation, or a special request someone had made on her behalf that night, but at least she was going out with a bang. 

Leaning against the bar, feeling sweat begin to roll down the side of her face, the bartender offered to pour her a shot. She accepted, throwing it back just as ‘All I Have To Do Is Dream’ began to play. One of the few contemporary songs Michael would dance to with her. She wouldn’t sit that one out in his absence.

Her gaze fell to Ciro, now standing by the coat check. Maybe it'd gotten too chilly waiting outside.

She waved him over. 

His dark brows furrowed and he pointed to himself. 

She nodded. 

“Will you dance with me, Ciro? I love this song,” she asked when he walked over.

“I don’t know…I’m supposed to be working—“

“Just this one?”

He nodded, reluctantly taking her hand in his. He kept a safe distance between them, almost laughably farther apart than the other slow dancing couples who were wrapped in each other’s arms.

“Ciro’s a very Italian name,” she said over the music.

He chuckled softly. “Well, I am Italian.”

“You probably have half a dozen brothers and sisters.”

“Eight of us,” he answered. “I’m the fifth.”

“So I bet we all don't seem that crazy to you.”

“No, not at all.”

“How old are you, anyway?”

“Twenty-five.”

“Me too,” she said. “Y’know up until a few months ago, I used to work in a place like this.”

“Out in Las Vegas, right? Don Corleone mentioned it once.”

“I can imagine what else he’s said about me,” she joked.

“He cares about you very much. At least what I overhear,” he said, quickly adding, “I don’t make it my business to eavesdrop.”

She smiled. “It’s alright, Ciro. Your secret’s safe with me.” The song came to its end a little too soon for Gloria's liking. “Thanks for the dance.”

He nodded. “I should get back now.”

Thinking she should do the same, she made her way back to the table. Dancing with Ciro felt nice, almost normal, though she didn’t have much of a comparison for what normal was. Before she was engaged, she supposed.

Vivian reached for her hand, patting it. “I gotta call it a night.”

Sandra nodded. “Me too.”

“Lightweights,” Connie teased.

“Too old is more like it,” Sandra said. “Gloria, I’m gonna be asleep before you and Michael even have your first dance at the wedding party.”

“Thanks for coming out tonight,��� Gloria said with a smile. “It was fun.”

They parted with kisses on the cheek, and she watched as they made their way over to the coat check, gathering their things while Ciro got the car ready outside.

“More drinks?” Connie asked.

“I could get a few more rum and cokes in me,” Gloria said.

By the time a server brought over her fifth of the night, she was beginning to doubt her own statement. By Connie’s own admission, she hadn’t restrained herself when it came to the near-endless shots of tequila that were brought to the table every few minutes it seemed. She switched things up with a martini, however.

“You know Sandra and Tom are—”

“I kinda figured,” Gloria said. “Takes one to know one.”

“I feel bad for Theresa, but I mean, after Sonny was killed, Tom was the only one who could get through to Sandra. Sonny loved all of us, but Tom was his favorite brother even though he’s not blood. I guess it was only natural for them to share their grief that way."

“I can’t imagine,” Gloria said. 

She really couldn't. Michael seemed larger than life, impervious to death itself. If anything, he was to be feared over the great unknown, colder and more distant than death and whatever lay beyond it could ever hope to be. If even a fraction of what she read in the papers were true—and she knew they were—he dealt death like a deck of cards. No matter the hand, it was always in his favor. 

“Sonny would’ve liked you,” Connie said. “I think–he would’ve been glad for Michael. He always saw the best in people. At least, to me he did.” She downed the rest of her martini, nearly slamming it on the table when she finished. “Then Michael blamed Carlo for it, and he—Carlo could be a mean fucking prick, believe me, but he was my husband. What gave him the right to—”

“The right to what?”

“But Sonny was hot-headed. It could’ve been anyone who set him up. Then right before we moved to Nevada—dead. It’d been nearly ten years, but that didn’t matter. An eye for an eye. I don’t think I’ve really been happy since,” Connie lamented quietly.

The noise in the bar became muffled. Gloria’s lungs burned with each breath she tried to take, as if she were suddenly dropped into the deep sea without oxygen. Her vision blurred, watery and uncertain. Maybe it was how Fredo felt when he drowned. Drowned.

She realized then the extent of Michael’s unwillingness to forgive–inability sounded more like it.

Connie grabbed Gloria’s shoulder, shaking her a bit. “Hey, I’m drunk, what do I know?” 

Gloria forced a smile. 

She could hardly concentrate when Connie steered the conversation elsewhere, and within an hour, they decided to call it a night. Ciro had returned from dropping off Vivian and Sandra, and Gloria felt almost bad asking the guy to drive back to Long Island again. He didn’t seem to mind, though, helping Connie into the car when she nearly tripped over her coat on the way in. Gloria sat in the back with her this time, her gaze drifting between the buildings out the window and the back of Ciro’s head.

He dropped Connie off at her place first, walking her to the door and making sure she got in alright. 

“Ciro, will you drive around just a little bit more?” Gloria asked when he returned to the car. “I’m not ready to call it a night yet.”

He hesitated, but nodded, driving down a side street instead of continuing on the way back to the house. As homes and street signs passed by, she knew the direction he was heading. Her eyelids grew heavy, yet she awoke when he parked near the Long Beach boardwalk. The cool sea breeze reinvigorated her when she stepped out of the car.

He followed her to the boardwalk, the both of them leaning against the wooden railing just a few inches apart.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

“Not really, but what can you do?”

Nothing. There was nothing he could do. He was young, and in the family hierarchy probably a buttonman or soldier, whatever it was called. Maybe not even made yet. From what she'd gleaned working in Vegas and conversations with Michael, it took a long time for someone to officially be considered part of the family, and besides earning trust and respect, one task was almost certainly required of these men. It wasn’t like she could ask outright ask him, ‘Hey Ciro, ever killed someone for my fiance?’ Regardless, she didn’t want to know.

They watched the ocean waves in silence, the moon glittering off of the water in the pitch dark night. She wished she could dive under and emerge somewhere far across the sea.

“It’s getting late. I should bring you home now,” Ciro said.

Gloria wordlessly began making her way back to the car. A melancholy swept over her as they neared the house.

“Thank you for everything tonight, Ciro. It means a lot.”

“Good night, Gloria.”

She smiled, waving at him as she made her way up the short walkway to the house.

For the next few days, she avoided Michael when she could. Something about being around him made her feel uneasy. Or maybe it was the morning sickness, which she made attempts to hide from him by going on early walks and throwing up in neighbors’ flower bushes. The first time it happened, she attributed the sickness to food poisoning. Except food poisoning didn’t last for weeks on end. 

Gloria spent more time at her parents’ house, knowing Michael would generally steer clear of there unless absolutely necessary to go. Ironically, she spent more time with Anthony and Mary as a result, the kids asking her to bring them with her whenever she’d express her desire to go over. Her parents doted on them. Her mother and Mary were usually occupied in the crafting room, probably painting while Julia educated Mary on the ins and outs of New York's Democratic politics. Anthony had quickly grown close with her father, the two of them watching Yankee games in the living room whenever they were on. When they’d all walk to the park up the street, they’d play ball, Julia and Mary playing outfield while Gloria would referee from the wooden park bench nearby.

“Mary says you’re sick all the time in the mornings,” Julia said one afternoon, taking a seat next to her daughter.

“I drink too much,” Gloria lied. She hadn’t drunk since the bachelorette party, when after two days of vomiting she began to suspect the worst.

“When was the last time you bled?”

“Stress can cause that too.”

“You should make a doctor’s appointment.”

“They’ll tell me it’s nothing.”

Julia held up her hands in acquiescence. “Whatever you say.” That didn’t mean her mother was finished throwing hardballs her way. “When was the last time you went to mass?”

Gloria groaned. “Mom—“

“Drop the kids off at school tomorrow morning and then meet me at the church. St. Catherine's still has daily mass at 8:30.”

Anthony and Mary had been enrolled in the same Catholic school Gloria had gone to growing up. Even though there were parishes closer to Gloria and Michael, it had become their parish by virtue of her family already going there. They certainly weren’t going to turn down the generous donation to the parish on behalf of the Corleone family.

During the tour of the school before Michael had enrolled the kids, Gloria felt an indescribable deja vu sitting in the principal’s office again. Except she wasn’t in trouble, and the nun behind the desk was relatively young and incredibly nice, far more so than Sr. Margaret had been. Sr. Jeanne expressed that she’d do everything she could to make Anthony and Mary feel welcome despite starting there in the middle of the school year.

“I’m gonna drop the kids off at school tomorrow,” Gloria said later that evening. “I’m meeting my mother at 8:30 mass.”

“What brought this on?” Michael asked.

“She asked me. I guess I figured I’d humor her.”

“You’ve been spending a lot of time at your parents’.”

“So?”

“Nothing. It’s good to spend time with family,” he said, almost dismissively, but she could hear his displeasure lurking beneath the surface.

He noticed she was avoiding him and clearly thought her parents’ dislike of him had something to do with it. But he couldn’t protest it, not a man so obsessed with tradition and hierarchy. Despite how Americanized she was, Gloria and her family were still Sicilian, so as long as she and Michael weren’t married, her parents preceded him.

The following morning, Gloria drove her own car to drop Anthony and Mary off at school. It was a nice drive with the weather getting warmer, so they left the windows rolled down, Gloria’s favorite rock n’ roll station playing on the radio while the kids sang along to the songs they’d begun to recognize. 

When she pulled up to the school, she parked just between it and the church. She walked them up to the front doors, giving each of them a hug and extra lunch money.

Her mother arrived at St. Catherine’s just as Gloria made her way up the steps of the imposing church. The last time she stepped foot in St. Catherine’s was her high school graduation nearly a decade prior. It looked exactly the same as the last time she was there—marble floors and brick walls that led to a high ceiling supported by wooden rafters with ornate gold leafing. Each step one took inside the building would echo throughout. It was pretty much impossible to leave in the middle of mass unnoticed, which some people tried to do after communion.

She genuflected before getting into one of the wooden pews, her mother following. A few minutes went by, and they were joined by a friend of her mother’s, an older woman who also seemed to attend mass daily.

“Gloria, it’s been so long! Good to see you again, dear,” she said.

“Thank you.”

“And congratulations on the engagement. About time for a woman your age.”

Gloria smiled as politely as she could. 25-years-old and these people considered her nearly dead for not having a husband. If she had it her way, she wouldn’t even be engaged. 

“Any plans for kids?” she pried.

“Believe me, we’re trying,” Gloria said, feeling especially pleased at the scandalized expression that fell upon the old woman’s face, unable to react as mass was starting.

Though it’d been a while, Gloria knew weekday mass was always shorter than Saturday night or Sunday morning mass. She could endure half an hour of it.

As mass proceeded, she could still vaguely follow, though her Latin was rusty. St. Catherine’s offered four languages to its high school students. Gloria found French confusing despite her mother’s near insistence she take it, and Spanish was too close to Italian which was highly discouraged by her parents. She settled on Latin, and it ended up being one of the few subjects she consistently did well in, occasionally earning As on her report cards amongst the usual Bs and Cs.

She went through the motions of mass almost mechanically, her muscle memory of the service emerging from the mental depths she’d buried any piety under. The only reading for the mass came from Matthew, toward the end of chapter 18. Among the half-comprehensible verses, she caught one word in particular. Dimittam. To let go of or release-forgiveness.

Her chest tightened at recognition of the verse: Lord, how often shall my brother offend me, and I forgive him?

Jesus’ answer was symbolic, the nuns had told her. Forgiveness was limitless, to be doled out generously whether to one’s own brother or to those who didn’t deserve it. 

She thought back to what Connie had said at The Archer, the reason why she’d been avoiding her finance ever since. Coincidence, or a sign from a distant god that her suspicions about Michael were right. For as long as she’d known him, he could never let things go. She hadn’t minded it when it was for her benefit, like on their first trip to LA together. They had gotten dinner with Johnny Fontaine at a swanky nightclub he recommended. Gloria had nearly passed out when Johnny introduced them to Liz Taylor. Yet, later on that night, some up-and-coming actor wouldn’t give her the time of day despite her being a fan of his, complimenting his performance in his latest movie. The following morning he sent over a bouquet of flowers and personally called to apologize for his behavior, claiming he hadn’t been feeling well the night before when they met. Funny…she couldn’t remember his name anymore.

What had been on her mind wasn’t a perceived slight from an actor, though. If his own family wasn’t spared from his wrath, then neither was she. The priest’s homily was about forgiveness, something Michael rarely if ever doled out. Gloria could certainly hold her own grudges, but she couldn’t exactly do anything about them like he could. Maybe she understood the reasoning behind his ordering Connie’s first husband to be murdered; she'd want the same if someone had set Jackie up to die. But she couldn’t shake Fredo from her thoughts. What could he have possibly done to be denied forgiveness by his own brother? 

Her gaze drifted up toward the large crucifix on the wall behind the altar. Try marrying Michael Corleone.

Miraculously, she wasn’t struck down by a bolt of lightning, but after receiving communion for the first time in years, she prayed for Fredo’s soul, wherever it was.

Mass ended not long after, and she left her mother to talk with her obnoxious friend. She froze upon seeing Michael waiting outside for her.

“Michael, hi,” she said.

He smiled a bit, “Just ‘hi’? No, ‘I’m glad to see you’?”

“Of course I’m glad to see you.”

She gave him a kiss, a bit awkward and chaste, but she could chalk it up to being outside of a church.

“It’s a nice morning for a walk,” he said.

She nodded. “There’s a garden behind the convent. It’s pretty this time of year.”

He took her hand in his, and they meandered to the convent behind the church, following the worn stepping-stones to the prayer garden. Colorful and full of flowers, beautiful in the springtime, each blossom at its peak in May when they’d celebrate the Blessed Mother. She paused to look at a rose bush. Probably only a few days away; she’d know if she’d been paying attention.

“Darling, are you alright?”

She hummed. “Sure, I’m fine.”

“If you’re trying to convince me, you’re not doing a very good job.”

“The homily today was about forgiveness.”

“And?”

Her fingers twitched against his palm. “It’s just–you seem to have a hard time forgiving people.”

“Forgiveness isn’t compatible with what I do. You know that.”

“Is it worth it?”

“Does it matter?”

“I guess not.”

“Forget about all of that. I have great news.” He squeezed her hand. “We got a letter from Cardinal Spellman this morning. The Vatican approved the annulment.”

Her eyes widened. “Oh my god. This is actually happening.”

“We can finally set a date.” He smiled. “How does this summer sound?”

Too soon. “Perfect.”

“Why don’t we head home? I’ll drive us back in your car. Ciro has to run an errand for me, anyway.”

The drive back to the house wasn’t nearly as pleasant as the one she took earlier in the morning. No rolled down windows taking in the spring breeze or rock n’ roll stations playing her favorite songs. It was almost eerily silent, and a foreboding grew in her stomach as they neared the house. Or maybe she had to throw up again.

Something was off when they walked inside.

“Where is everyone?” Gloria asked, the house unusually empty for a weekday.

“I sent them out, gave them the day off. There’s something we need to discuss alone.”

“Is everything alright?”

“Yes, it’s just something I want to keep between us. We can talk about it in my office.”

She nodded, though she was sure her heart was going to jump out of her throat when she followed him into the room. He closed the door behind her despite their being alone. A heavy dread set over her body, and suddenly she felt cold, shaking as she sat down on the couch. He leaned against his desk, lighting a cigarette in his mouth and handing it to her.  

“Very few people know what I’m about to tell you, Gloria. Kay didn’t know. Most of my family still doesn’t,” Michael said. “You cannot repeat this to anybody. Do you understand?”

“I won’t.”

“You’re not going to be my second wife. Kay was my second wife.”

“What happened to your first wife?” Her curiosity was slaughtered the moment she asked. Looking into his eyes suddenly felt like being dragged to the second circle of hell.

His words cut through her curiosity with a closely controlled violence. “She was killed in Sicily by a car bomb that was meant for me. Her name was Apollonia. We were only married for a few months.”

Gloria froze. There it was, that drowning feeling again. Limbs heavy, lungs burning, sound muffled, everything moving in slow motion as the cigarette fell from her hand and onto the carpet. Her head drooped, and she let out a pained wail.

Her father’s words from just a few weeks prior echoed in her ears. ‘Has he got you living in some fantasy world? Where all that shit won’t touch you? That if you look the other way or keep your head in the sand, nothing will happen? He has no right promising you peace or safety when he deals in the opposite.’

Michael approached her cautiously, the way one does a wounded animal as not to frighten it. 

“Why would you tell me this?” she asked, looking up at him through the mess of black hair that had fallen in her face, voice strained as she held back a sob.

He knelt beside her, brushing her hair back to reveal black tear tracks that streaked down her cheeks. “So that you understand why I do the things I do, things I can’t always tell you about. Kay never understood, I don’t think she wanted to, but now you do. I’ll do everything in my power to protect you, and our baby. I had the man who did it killed, and I’d do the same for you, but it won’t come to that. Do you understand?”

There was no denying it anymore. No use in throwing up in flower bushes on early morning walks in the neighborhood to hide the clear signs of morning sickness from Michael. Whatever was inside of her, she wanted it out. Wished she could reach inside of herself and give it to him if he wanted it so bad. Kay’s abortion wasn’t so puzzling anymore. 

Against all better judgment, she clung to him, burying her face in the crook of his neck. Trapped with him, by him, his arms wrapping around her like a snake. She’d heard being burned alive was the most painful way to die. Unless it was instant, Apollonia spared the agony and passed it onto Kay, who through her abortion passed it onto Gloria. But there was no one else to turn to or confide in, no one who could do a damn thing about it.

“Gloria, it’s alright. As long as you listen to me, nothing will happen to you. No one will touch you.”

“You can’t promise that! You don’t know!”

“I love you,” he said, holding her tighter. “I love you.”

“More than you loved her?”

He was silent.

[reality-detective]

Thinking that there is going to be a BIG biblical scenario where they make out it's WW# but really they are activating Militaries then bombing all of these Satanic Luceriferian landmarks. Enacting GESARA funds and We The People rebuild.

THE EVENT. IT IS BIBLICAL.

WhipLash

What are some of the Very BIG Satanic Illuminati landmarks in the world. Q showed us them. Vatican, Buchinghan Palace, Whitehouse x 2 (USA, Germany), 3GD in China. Cern on the Swiss/French Border possible. What about Russia?

Another Post from WhipLash347

Big Pharma in Wuhan = Isreal

Isreal/Khazarians controls CCP.

The Media etc

34 Satanic Buildings and Dams will Fall.

Rods of God

WORLDWIDE over the coming days to Easter. Ending of Biblical Period.

Planes & Trains grounded

Lights/Power switched off

Changing over to Tesla Free energy

34 Satan buildings & dams bombed

Bitcoin Servers trued off

99.5% of Crypto gone China Coins.

WW3 Scare Event. Nuke Sirens

Water Event

Stock Market Crash

Global Martial Law

CASTLE ROCK -Scenario

Quantum Systems. Project Odin Switched on.

Nesara/Gesara/RV

Election Flipping via Military Courts

Military Tribunals/confessions/10 day movie

Revals

Inauguration

The ISRAELI MOSSAD control the WORLD's MEDIA out of the US.

Attached is Q1871 outlining this.

Project Odin as mentioned by Ron CodeMonkeyz is a POWERFUL Anti-Deplatforming Tool.

Project Odin is part of Quantum Starlink. Our new Quantum Systems are to be protected by Secret Space Programs out of the Cabal's reach.

Q2337 tells you Mossad Media Assets will be removed. Think people like Alex Jones, Anderson Cooper etc and also Mossad Satellites.

Israeli intelligence - stand down.

[TERM_3720x380-293476669283001]

Media assets will be removed.

This part of 2527 tells you that something powerful is going to knock out Mossad Media Satellites. This will blackout the media worldwide, Switch us over to the Quantum Systems. This is PROJECT ODIN. All in All give the reason to Activate the Military EBS.

Starlink [17] seems to of tactically placed itself at the right time.

If you look up the TURKSAT Rocket that launched from the USA in January you will see it was specifically for MILITARY COMMS to peoples TV's & RADIO's in AFRICA, MIDDLE EAST, EUROPE & CENTRAL ASIA.

THE EVENT has many facets too it.

The WorldWide Blackout to change over to TESLA Energy. Knocking out Media Satellites, QFS, Rods of God on Dams & 34 Buildings & much much more.

34 Buildings will be in the EVENT.

They are very significant.

Ie Whitehouse, Royal Castles, Buckingham Palace, Vatican, Getty Museum, Playboy Mansion and the like.

This will surely make the Stock Market collapse. It is all a show, 99.5% of Crypto's will be removed from existence with the event.

Swapping from Rothschilds Central Bank Notes to Rainbow Treasury Notes now backed by Precious Metals (Not Oil/Wars)

Tomorrow free money stops for backs. Bonds sell of to get off books. Seems all is lined up for scare event...stay safe.

Are we still comfy ?

Or are we scared ?

A little bit of both is normal.

Trump keeps his promises.

Have faith in the Lord Our God.

He will comfort you through the storm.

Who saw in January up to 10 countries at once have their power all turned off by the Space Force?

Just before that Israel had that happen for 30 mins too.

If they can turn 10 at once off all together. They can do the whole lot. Welcome to Tesla.

BLACKOUT NECESSARY.

Have a look at all the Global Military "Exercises" now being put in place.

Defender Europe 21 covering Europe & Africa.

Australia has one same time as Defender Europe. US just announced involvement.

Its all happening in front of you.

It's a GLOBAL MILITARY Operation

Transition to Gesara.

Now they just have to play out a fake WW3 scenario to ring sirens in every National Military Command Center.

This is to justify to the Whole Entire Planet many things that have been taking place already. The fact that Gesara Military Law has been in place. The Secret Military Tribunals, Confessions etc. The executions the lot. And like all militaries normally do they will help build new things.

- Benjamin Fulford

[blueiscoool]

Vatican Experts Restore Ancient Gilded Hercules Statue Struck by Lightning

Scaffolding in a niche of the Vatican Museums’ Round Hall conceal from view the work of restorers who are removing centuries of grime from the largest known bronze statue of the ancient world: the gilded Hercules Mastai Righetti.

For more than 150 years, the four-meter-tall (13-foot-tall) figure of the half-human Roman god of strength has stood in that niche, barely garnering notice among other antiquities because of the dark coating it had acquired.

But it was only after removing a layer of wax and other material from a 19th-century restoration that Vatican experts understood the statue's true splendor as one of the most significant gilded statues of its time. Museum-goers will be able to see its grandeur for themselves once the restoration is finished, which is expected in December.

“The original gilding is exceptionally well-preserved, especially for the consistency and homogeneity,” Vatican Museum restorer Alice Baltera said.

The discovery of the colossal bronze statue in 1864 during work on a banker’s villa near Rome's Campo dei Fiori square made global headlines.

Visitors drawn to the ancient wonder at the time included Pope Pius IX, who later added the work to the papal collection. The statue depicting Hercules after he finished his labors had the last names of the pope — Mastai — and of the banker, Pietro Righetti, added to its title.

The inscription FCS accompanying the statue on a slab of travertine marble indicates it was struck by lightning, according to Claudia Valeri, curator of the Vatican Museums department of Greek and Roman antiquities. As a result, it was buried in a marble shrine according to Roman rites that saw lightning as an expression of divine forces.

FCS stands for "fulgur conditum summanium, a Latin phrase meaning “Here is buried a Summanian thunderbolt.” Summanus was the ancient Roman god of nocturnal thunder. The ancient Romans believed that not only was any object stricken imbued with divinity, but also the spot where it was hit and buried.

"It is said that sometimes being struck by lightning generates love but also eternity,’’ Vatican Museums archaeologist Giandomenico Spinola said. The Hercules Mastai Righetti “got his eternity … because having been struck by lightning, it was considered a sacred object, which preserved it until about 150 years ago.”

The burial protected the gilding, but also caused dirt to build up on the statue, which Baltera said is very delicate and painstaking to remove. “The only way is to work precisely with special magnifying glasses, removing all the small encrustations one by one,” she said.

The work to remove the wax and other materials that were applied during the 19th-century restoration is complete. Going forward, restorers plan to make fresh casts out of resin to replace the plaster patches that covered missing pieces, including on part of the nape of the neck and the pubis.

The most astonishing finding to emerge during the preliminary phase of the restoration was the skill with which the smelters fused mercury to gold, making the gilded surface more enduring.

“The history of this work is told by its gilding. … It is one of the most compact and solid gildings found to date,’’ said Ulderico Santamaria, a University of Tuscia professor who is head of the Vatican Museums' scientific research laboratory.

By Francesco Sportelli.

[odaclan]

In “defense” of the Enryakuji invasion

This is the clash of two military and political powers that finally came to a head, not a one-sided oppression

When people cite the invasion of Enryakuji to accuse Nobunaga of all sorts of horrible things, it’s usually because they were under the impression that an unreasonably large number of people were killed, or that it was an oppressive massacre against a community that weren’t posing a threat.

It’s very unfortunate that it’s very rarely clearly explained to the general public that Enryakuji has armed forces. In a lot of ways it’s almost functioning like a samurai lord’s castle, inhabited by both warriors and civilians alike. They also had massive political power and influence. They’re not a quiet little temple whose inhabitants were peaceful or helpless.

The warrior monks of Enryakuji themselves have committed massacres and invasions. They do not accept other sects rivalling them, either out of genuine religious zealotry and considering the other sects “heretics”, or because they  simply want to maintain their sect’s influence and authority in Kyoto. They were not politically neutral, nor were they pacifists. 

(A Cultural History of Japanese Buddhism, page 178)

I emphasise the part where it says the Enryakuji warriors wrecked Kyoto so badly, it’s equal to -- or even worse than -- the destruction in Kyoto when the Onin War broke out. These monks are vicious and violent. 

They were still meddling in politics and battle in Nobunaga’s time. During Nobunaga’s battles with the Azai and Asakura, these monks joined in the forces opposing Nobunaga. They took part in besieging Usayama Castle, which resulted in the death of one of Nobunaga’s brothers and some other senior vassals. 

The killing of thousands of combatants and civilians alike regularly happens when any one lord invades another territory. There are no stipulations to spare civilians. If a lord decided to evacuate civilians first before the invasion, then it is a benevolent act. Otherwise, civilian casualties is just a fact of life in that time period.

In which case, how is Nobunaga’s invasion any different than, say, the occasion where Nobunaga invaded Mino and conquered the Saitou? That's rarely, if ever at all, cited that as an example of cruelty. That was just a battle. 

There is no reason to be especially horrified about this Enryakuji incident above any other battle or invasion. This is nothing about this battle that more morally outrageous than what every samurai commander regularly do when engaging another samurai in battle. 

I would grant that many people may think that any mass-death is automatically horrible, and perhaps no amount of reasoning and justification can make the Hieizan invasion and burning defensible. There is no denying that thousands of people were killed in Enryakuji. It’s fine if one were to still condemn this even after knowing the circumstances. Still, knowing and understanding the context matters.

The Hieizan situation only looks different than a regular castle invasion because Enryakuji has the facade and still does operate as a temple. There is something about religious sites that inherently invokes the image of sacredness after all, regardless of the faith, and the general public tends to view them differently than a regular fortress or castle.

It is true that there were contemporary Sengoku writers who severely criticised Nobunaga for his actions. However, for the Japanese at the time, Enryakuji is a holy site with immensely deep cultural and spiritual significance. Not just the temple, but the whole mountain itself. No matter how justified Nobunaga was, or even if nobody was killed, people were going to be up in arms about it simply for the fact that Hieizan was targeted.

Think of the time when the Notre Dame caught on fire. People from all over the world were horrified. Imagine how much worse would it be if, say, there’s a fire in the Vatican. That’s what it was like for the people there at the time.

On top of that, the chief priest of Enryakuji also happens to be the emperor’s brother. This invasion can be perceived to be disrespectful to the imperial court. It only worsens the uproar surrounding this situation, which then supposedly led to the dramatic letter where Nobunaga calls himself the Dairokuten Maou in a spiteful reply to Shingen’s letter rebuking him in the name of the chief priest. 

An additional point in the “defense” is the numbers. For some reason there is a claim that 20 thousand were killed in the Enryakuji invasion. I have yet to find the exact source of this information. Wikipedia and other online articles cite Stephen Turnbull’s book, but I cannot find corroboration for this claim in the original historical documents. 

Shinchoukouki said "many thousands” and did not specify a number, and Luis Frois recorded that he was told around 3000 were killed (about 1500 combatants, and 1500 civilians). 

(They Came to Japan: An Anthology of European Reports on Japan, 1543-1640, page 99)

The claim of 20 thousand people killed also does not make sense as, supposedly, there weren’t even 10 thousand people inhabiting the Enryakuji complex in Hieizan at the time. How can the dead amount to more than double the actual number of inhabitants? 

Lastly, there’s also reports from on-site research that claims that, as of 1980s, they weren’t able to find “proof” of massacre or mass-burning. They have yet to find the human remains of the dead, nor expansive traces of burning in the soil. The burning traces that was discovered were very minimal, compared to the narrative of “the whole mountain was up in flames”. On top of that, there were existing textual records describing many of the buildings were already dilapidated and abandoned as of 1570, and so even if they were burnt, there were no casualty or major losses.

However, this is a decades old report and I haven’t seen any certified updates on this yet. To be able to make a definitive claim, they would have to conduct a scan of the whole mountain, which is difficult to do.

[misc-obeyme]

yooo it’s ur weeb friend!!

lmao so asmo got banned from peru (and probably greece after the incident with helen BUT that’s water under the bridge) and levi got banned from japan for being too cringe-fail (the americans are already enough, NO MORE) but what about the others?

i feel like beel got banned from ireland after causing the great potato famine and from italy after eating all the pasta in the entire country once…

mammon got banned from vegas FOR SURE for causing a scene (not a country BUT he’s been banned from every casino in the US, and steadily working his way through canada and europe (starting with england) he’s making progress…

lucifer got banned from italy also for the vatican city incident. he wanted to see it cause he’d heard so much about it. no one is allowed to talk about it…but the brothers will tell you about it later if you want to know.

belphie and diavolo got banned from all of africa because due to a mix up they got blamed for spreading the sleeping sickness and malaria respectively (they didn’t actually do it but can’t seem to escape the allegations)

i think solomon got banned from mexico and all of south america and is the cause behind a lot of the superstitions based on devils/the occult there. people run from him in fear. he claims to not know why but you know there’s a reason. you can try to ask someone but they’re all too busy fleeing in terror.

barbatos claims he got banned from russia and china. no one knows why, not even diavolo. it’s one of the mysteries that he’s very secretive about, but legend has it that it’s related to something he did before he joined forces with diavolo.

i also think asmo got banned from india and some regions of france as well as various other european countries like spain and scotland but the stories behind those pretty much revolve around a party, drinking, and members of nobility. and they’re usually so long and crazy and asmo is always insistent he did nothing wrong and will leave out parts of the story to make himself sound good BUT if you’re a real history buff you can usually sus out what actually happened. or get him drunk. he always has loose lips when he drinks.

satan got banned from the americas (specifically north america) due to his rebellious streak/temper tantrum days resulting in the satanic panic. mostly caused by americans being rude and making him angry. he’s also a basis for a lot of mexico/south american superstition, though somehow…not as much as solomon?

just my silly lil ideas i wanted to share! what are your thoughts?? 🤔🤔🤔

Hello there, my friend!!

al;dskjfasdlksfj Beel causing the potato famine looool!

I definitely think they all have the potential to get banned for causing specific issues. Definitely Beel eating all of everything, Mammon causing trouble at casinos, and Asmo just getting drunk and partying too much.

I also think Mammon would be banned for doing something like insurance fraud. I don't know why but that just seems like something he'd get himself into. Or maybe it turns out he's the mastermind behind all the internet email scams asking you to send them thousands of dollars.

I think Lucifer has to be extra careful because uh... he's Lucifer. You would think he'd be banned from the Vatican before he ever even showed up there. Satan, too. Just stay away from religious locations when the religion in question considers you to be the source of evil, okay?? Though I would absolutely demand the story from the other brothers about the incident lol.

Okay see I headcanon Solomon spent a significant amount of time in the southwestern US just because he's always wearing that bolo tie lol. So I love the idea that he was also in Mexico and South America, just being the menace he always is. In the Devildom, the stuff he does isn't too weird, but can you imagine normal people in the human world encountering him and all his weird experiments? And if he was actually covered in pacts marks that look like demonic sigils? I have no doubt that he would be the source of years worth of superstitions.

I LOVE all ideas where Satan is the cause of any kind of Satantic activity anywhere. Like the Satanic panic was so ridiculous, but I love the idea of him causing it just by being angry about rude people.

I do think Satan could also have been banned from Japan - most specifically, Tashirojima where the cat population far surpasses that of the human one. Possibly also Hydra Island in Greece, which is another island known for its high cat population. I just think eventually they'd be like listen we appreciate how much you love the cats, but you need to leave now lol.

All of this seems more than enough to get any of them banned from the various human world locations they've caused trouble in. It's so funny to think about them running rampant in the human world. Lucifer out here probably acting like he'd never get banned, but he's caused his fair amount of problems, too.

[callsigns-haze]

🛐 religion?? I won't judge you but I just thought i'd ask :)

I'm a Christian. I went to a catholic all girl secondary school in Ireland (PTSD from that place) and I've grown up in a fairly religious family. They all had something to do with church so they were like hands down while me and my mom's boyfriend were always like.....mkay.

But now I think I do care slightly more than in my youth. We have all seven sacraments, the holy trinity and the Messiah of Jesus.

A substantial proportion of Americans, 41%, said their view of Catholics was neutral, while 2% of Americans indicated that they had a "very negative" view of Roman Catholics.

Christian Catholicism is a branch of Christianity that follows the teachings and traditions of the Roman Catholic Church, led by the Pope in Vatican City. It emphasizes the importance of the sacraments, particularly the Eucharist, and upholds doctrines like the Trinity, the divinity of Jesus, and the veneration of saints. Catholic worship includes the Mass, a liturgical service centered around the celebration of the Eucharist, and its moral teachings often influence social and political views. The Church's hierarchical structure includes priests, bishops, and cardinals, all under the authority of the Pope.

But I was an exchange student in England who stayed there while they have a completely different way as well idk if y'all learned about the reformation of the catholic church and its branches.

The predominant religion in England is Christianity, with the Church of England (Anglicanism) being the established state church. The Church of England is Protestant and follows the teachings of the Reformation, with the monarch serving as its Supreme Governor. Besides Anglicanism, there are also significant communities of Roman Catholics, Methodists, Baptists, and other Protestant denominations. I did not contribute to their teachings and am still the Catholic girl they raised me to be.

[beardedmrbean]

A Polish tech entrepreneur's global project, aimed at getting more children into computer programming, has been endorsed by Pope Francis.

Miron Mironiuk, founder of artificial intelligence company Cosmose AI, is drawing on his own experience of coding transforming his life.

He said the "Code with Pope" initiative would bridge "the glaring disparities in education" across the globe.

It is hoped the Pope's involvement will attract Catholic countries.

"We believe that the involvement of the Pope will help to convince them to spend some time and use this opportunity to learn programming for free," Mr Mironiuk told the BBC.

The initiative will champion access to coding education through a free online learning platform for students aged 11-15 across Europe, Africa and Latin America.

After 60 hours of dedicated learning, children will be equipped with the basics of Python, one of the world's most popular coding languages.

In the digital age, programming skills have become as fundamental as reading and writing.

World Economic Forum data released in 2023 revealed that "the majority of the fastest growing roles are technology-related roles".

However, a severe global shortage of tech skills threatens to leave 85 million job positions unfilled by 2030.

As a result, increasing access to high-quality programming education has become a necessity, particularly in low and middle-income countries - many of which are Catholic.

A large percentage of the Polish population identifies as Catholic.

The 33-year-old millionaire Mr Mironiuk told the BBC that he was proud of his Polish heritage and to be part of a crop of successful Polish people working in technology.

The country is making significant strides in the tech scene, particularly in AI, with companies like Google Brain, Cosmose AI and Open AI having significant numbers of Polish employees.

But Mr Mironiuk is also aware that many countries are not as fortunate, and hopes this educational programme could help change that.

The programme will be available in Spanish, English, Italian and Polish. It is expected to reach children all over South America except Brazil, and in English speaking nations in Africa and South East Asia.

This is not the first time the Pope has encouraged young people to get into coding, having helped write a line of code for a UN initiative in 2019.

Mr Mironiuk will meet the Pope at the Vatican. But he admits he's not anticipating the pontiff to emulate his students in acquiring new skills.

"I don't expect him to know Python very well, at least," he said. "But he will get a certificate for his efforts in helping start the programme."