Joy and Thanksgiving as Pope Plans for His Succession
This visit captures the joy of the Holy Father in mid-June 1988, days in which He is in contact with His secret cardinals to make arrangements for His Successor. The reporter greets him by saying, "Emminence, we are in paradise." To which the Holy Father points upwards and replies, "The real Paradise is close to Us." He dies less than 11 months afterwards, indicating that He meant himself, and was using the royal "We." It seems that His Holiness knew his mission on this earth was soon to be completed; that is, the passing on of the Papacy amidst the secrecy that is so necessary to the Church in Exile. Pope Gregory XVII pray for us!