The Shroud Codex - Jerome R. Corsi [129]
Rothschild agreed. “How about Anne and Father Bartholomew?” he asked. “What have you concluded about them? Were they mother and son, or were they brother and half sister?”
Castle wanted to choose his words carefully. “Try as he will, I don’t think Gabrielli is going to be able to prove Father Bartholomew and Anne Castle were charlatans.” The Anne Cassidy I knew was the Anne Bartholomew I saw in the photographs of that album. They were one and the same person. Father Bartholomew may never have had a half sister, but he had a mother and I believe that mother was both Anne Bartholomew and the woman we knew as Anne Cassidy. I’m told Ferrar’s television special this Wednesday has a face-recognition expert who’s prepared to say on camera that Anne Bartholomew and Anne Cassidy were the same person.”
Rothschild had suspected Castle would come to that conclusion. Even in death, Anne had somehow found a way not to abandon her only child. As impossible as that seemed, the possibility was what made the events his protégé Dr. Stephen Castle had just experienced so tantalizing.
The steaks were excellent. The Bordeaux was one of the best he had ever tasted. There was good reason this restaurant was one of Rothschild’s favorites.
“What position has the pope taken on what happened last Friday?” Rothschild asked.
“Father Morelli assured me before I left Rome that the pope is planning to issue a statement this week to the effect that the Vatican has agreed to cooperate fully with Italian law enforcement authorities in the missing persons case involving Father Bartholomew and Anne Cassidy,” Castle explained. “The Vatican is preparing to explain that the events surrounding Father Bartholomew are still under investigation. Immediately following that, Morelli told me, the Vatican will issue a second statement affirming that the Shroud of Turin is still regarded by the Catholic Church as a relic worthy of veneration. Morelli said the Vatican also plans to announce a new exposition of the Shroud this spring. Father Bartholomew’s case has obviously renewed interest in the Shroud worldwide.”
“What do you think the pope believes about the Shroud of Turin?” Rothschild asked.
“Honestly, I don’t know,” Castle said. “The pope has always played his cards very close to the vest with me. But I may have a clue in how the pope handled himself during the conference with the Italian physicians who examined Bartholomew for the Vatican. The pope made it clear that his job was to lead the Catholic Church and he wasn’t about to bet his future or the future of the Catholic Church on any relic, regardless of how many millions of Catholics might believe it is authentic. I doubt the pope will change his mind on that.”
This made sense to Rothschild. No mature CEO of any organization, whether the organization was the Catholic Church or one of the largest public corporations in the world, ever rolls the dice on something that is not 100 percent certain, unless they have no choice but to do so. “You respected Marco Vicente when he was a cardinal and I sense you continue to respect him now that he is pope,” Rothschild said.
“Yes, I do.” Castle spoke without hesitation. “I admire how he handled this case. He deferred to Morelli’s judgment, much as a field general would defer to a top lieutenant. He agreed to allow Bartholomew to see the Shroud after Morelli argued it made sense to do so.”
“Do you think Morelli was right?” Rothschild asked.
Castle thought for a moment before answering. He took a sip of the wine. “It’s a tough judgment call, but I do think Morelli was right.”
“How so?” Rothschild asked. “There’s a huge controversy over whether what happened Friday was a miracle or a magic trick.”
“I know,” Castle said. “But I don’t think the pope minds that controversy. It takes the issue off whether the Shroud is a medieval forgery and puts the world’s attention squarely back on figuring out who Bartholomew really was and what he was all about.”
“How about you?” Rothschild asked as he ordered a rare brandy