ROMA (Città del Vaticano/Statvs Civitatis Vaticanae) - Pope Paul VI Borghese, the 265° Bishop of Rome and Pope of the Roman Chatolic Church, has died at the age of 75.

The Pope died in his private apartment at the Vatican at 10.00am today, surrounded by his closest Italian aides. Many thousands of people gathered in Rome's St Peter's Square to pay tribute to the pontiff, while church bells throughout the city began tolling. The Pope had suffered worsening health problems including a heart condition "Our Holy Father Paul VI Borghese has returned to the house of the Father". Vatican spokesman said a mass was held at his bedside by senior officials before his death. The Pope then received the Viaticum, a Catholic rite for the sick and dying.

The Italian government has declared three days of mourning.

News of the Pope's death was received with intense emotion The Pope is to lie in state in St Peter's Basilica from Thusday afternoon, the Vatican said. The funeral date has not been set but it is not expected before Saturday.

Pope Paul VI Borghese died after suffering from heart and kidney problems and unstable blood pressure. Minutes after his death, the Vatican issued a brief statement to confirm the news, adding that procedures to be carried out in the event of the death of the Pope had been set in motion.

The Pope's death was immediately announced to the crowds gathered in St Peter's Square. The news was met with long applause, an Italian sign of respect, followed by several minutes of silence as the crowd took in the news. A RAI Radio-Television's correspondent at the Vatican, says people in the square stood in groups, comforting one other.

In the Pope's native neighborhood, Roma-Trastevere, people fell to their knees and wept as the news reached them. Tributes have been coming in from political and religious leaders in other parts of the country. General Junio Borghese, grandson of Paul VI Borghese, said he was deeply saddened by the death of a Pope whom he described as a tireless advocate of peace and freedom of religion.

Few hours later, white smoke appeared on the Sistine Chapel when, taking the name Pope Benedict XVII, someone appeared on the balcony of St Peter's Basilica. His arrival was greeted by loud cheers from the many thousands of pilgrims who had packed St Peter's Square as news of his election spread across Rome.

((A human player will roleplay the Vatican since now, he will soon post his inaugural speech))

OOC: I sure hope it isn't KC. //

The sudden death of Pope Paul VI Borghese has slowed the efforts of many trying to find their loved ones in Carthage and Gibraltar. Many families made similar statements, including, "They are in good hands. The passing of Pope Paul VI Borghese is a sign from God - we are all his children. Life comes to an end. They are in good hands." A minority of families, mainly those who are atheist, agnostic or non-Catholic (Catholics compose 84% of the population in the city of Carthage and 77% in Gibraltar), took advantage of the less-crowded areas and surplus of supplies.

Former Cardinal Francisco Cardeau, now Pope Benedict XVII, walked to the open window. Previous to his entrance the white smoke had been issued from the smoke stack of the Sistine Chapel, signaling the traditional Habemus Papam! We have a new Pope! Benedict moved to the cardinal that now upheld the microphone so that he may address the amassed crowd of the faithful in St. Peter's Square:

Dear brothers and sisters, after the great Pope Paul VI, the Cardinals have elected me, a simple, humble labourer in the vineyard of the Lord. The fact that the Lord knows how to work and to act even with insufficient instruments comforts me, and above all I entrust myself to your prayers. In the joy of the Risen Lord, confident of his unfailing help, let us move forward. The Lord will help us, and Mary, His Most Holy Mother, will be on our side. Thank you!

Reports from the Vatican confirm that the Pallium and the Ring of The Fisherman have been invested upon the new Pope, and that the Vatican City has been transferred into the control of the new Pope. The Swiss Guard have likewise been sworn in with the new pope, and it's new head, the Commandant of The Guard, Rudolf Theodor Müller has taken command of the body charged with protection of His Holiness.

IC: "Zargathia wishes to know if both Popes would be willing to talk about a reunification of the Catholic Church."

(OOC: Pope Alexius I was played by KingChris before Borghese announced the coronation of 'his' Pope.)

OOC: I fail to see how he's pope if he's not in the traditional home of the Papacy. Reminds me of Avignon...

The Italian Republic will not let Alexis I step on Italian soil, he was an anti-pope, and he threatened the sovereignty of the Republic.

OOC: He wanted to but Borghese didn't want to give him access, lots of drama, then KC got a nation of his own etc.



"Then perhaps Pope Benedict XVII is willing to step off Italian soil for these meetings? Your stance against Pope Alexius I is well known."

"Every stance against the anti-pope should be united and well-known."

What happens outside our territory is irrelevant, but Alexius I will not be able to reach the Vatican City. He would be put under arrest as he steps off the plane at the Roman airport.

If this pope Alexius I is indeed not well liked, or rather likened to an anti-pope it would do well for His Holiness and indeed the faithful to remain separate from him. It is the stance of the Roman Catholic Church at this time that we do not accept any other Papacy other than the one that resides within the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican City. This has been the traditional seat of Christ's beloved Church for over 265 papal successors and we see no reason to challenge this time honored, and sacred tradition.

The Grand Council of Fascism and the entire Italica is saddened by this inauspicious event. The Duce expresses his personal condolences to Junio Borghese for his great loss. Italica has always recognized and will always recognize the Pope of Rome as the true and only emissary of Christ on Earth; then it salutes the rise of Benedict XVII as the new head of the Roman Catholic Church.

And it's thanks to General Junio Borghese, the leader of the Italian Republic, if this 2000 years old tradition has been restored. Rome always had a Pontifex Maximus, since the 1st century after Christ.

The Pope thanks Junio, for restoring the Church to it's proper place. His Holiness is deeply humbled by this truly charitable and pious act of faith.

"Which was why we never mentioned where these discussions should be taking place. It is not our intention to encourage anyone to break national laws. All we did was ask whether these talks would be supported."



"Then... we would respectfully mention that Paul VII Borghese's coronation was well after Pope Alexius I had become Pope, and that at the time of his coronation he was the only Pope known to the Catholic Church... Up until the Italian Republic announced Paul VI Borghese to be their Pope actually."

Why is there then, such widespread animosity toward the church of pope Alexius I at present? It seems that thus far many people seem to feel that this pope is somehow in disfavor. Furthermore, I assert once again the sacred tradition (which is of great importance to the Faith) that the natural and spiritual home of the Church resides within Rome. The only exception of this was the "Babylonian Captivity" in which the King of France held the pope hostage for political reasons until the Papacy again moved back to it's rightful spiritual home in Rome.

"The 'pope' Alexius I has taken it upon himself to act as a political adviser would. He has attempted in the past to find and take political power in places and even has tried to use the large amount of followers of the Roman Catholic Church as a threat."

"That would be due to a number of factors, mainly one the brief rift by Archbishop Wood creating confusion amongst the Christians. It is also the reason why we are attempting to make both Popes meet one another, to hopefully take a first step towards reunification and away from the path of separatism that has plagued the Catholic Church of late."



"We would like to know where he did so."

"It is my job to say, very sincerely, that we apologize for the confusion. We, that is, the interim government, have mistaken Alexius I for a former alleged Pope who did many misdeeds. We humbly apologize."

OOC: Confused you and KC

Christ's body is incapable of being separate from one another, and it's divine nature is infallible. We attest this to be true and firmly believe that there is no division within the Roman Catholic Church, insomuch as it resides within Rome. As we stated earlier, and His Holiness expounded in his Motu Propio on the Church in Rome, we do not recognize the "catholic church" of pope Alexius I. We strongly feel that while the Holy Spirit is capable of expressing itself and working through other Christian communities, there is only one seat of the Roman Catholic Church, and it resides within Rome.

"No offense taken, we accept your apology."



"It would not change the fact that you refuse to recognize someone that came before you. Again, we are not unsympathetic towards you, your ideals and the Church, but we simply wish to prevent a rift from forming before the damage will become irreversible. A split in the Church is to no one's benefit."

We are saddened by the death of the leader of the Catholic Church and pray that Benedict XVII will be wise as the new pope.

The Kingdom of Cochin offers its condolences at the demise of Pope Paul VI Borghese and congratulates Pope Benedict XVII on ascending the Papal Throne.

We hope the new Pope would consent to visit the Kingdom and perhaps conduct a sermon at the Great Temple of All Faiths. It would be much welcomed by the Christian population of the Kingdom of Cochin.

Again, as we have stated, there is no split. We attest this to be true and desire no such split (which by the very divine nature of Christ's Church, there can be no such schism). While there may be Catholics, and indeed even Protestants who have not yet come home, when they do come home we will welcome them with the never ending stream of God's love and mercy.

OOC: You did not reply to me, mate!!

OOC: I will, just hang in there. I'm at work on the phones

"And yet, you declare someone an antipope mere moments after your inauguration. In the Vatican which, need we remind you, was little more than a museum open to the public before the coronation of Paul VII Borghese, in a country that prior to that very same inauguration denied the existence of the Roman Catholic Church, and has been rumored to arrest 'hundreds of priests, cardinals, journalists and religious activists across the nation'. If we were forced to choose at this point we would side with Pope Alexius I of the Church of Jerusalem, therefore we would urge you to reconsider your statements concerning Pope Alexius I and reach out to reunification of the Churches instead."

"We are saddened to hear about the death of Pope Paul VI Borghese and congratulates Pope Benedict XVII on his ascendency."

His Holiness is deeply disturbed by the manner in which you have been pressing your arguments. Namely, the slander that we have decried Alexius I as an "anti-pope". We have said nothing of the sort, but rather we have pointed out that this is seemingly the widely held belief by many people across the world. If it is true and such of his accounts are indeed fact, we merely urge the faithful to remain wary of his actions. We did not claim to agree to such a stand, nor do we think that he stands against the Roman Catholic Church. We feel he is a man of God, and a brother in Christ. We do not, however, recognize him as Pope. If this, in your eyes, makes him an anti-pope, than you have labeled him as such, but we have not seen that as an offense to God or the Church in Rome.

We are unconcerned with the worldly affairs of states and countries. We are concerned with the protection, welfare and spiritual needs of Christ's Church here on Earth. As of yet, we have seen only yourself take offense to the coronation of His Holiness. If this pope of yours whom you claim is true and right takes offense, let him take up his Cross and confer with me without interference from outside parties. His Holiness feels that what has been said in this matter, has been said.

May the peace of the Lord be upon you.

"You refused to recognize Pope Alexius I. Thus, as it is commonly known that there can not be two Popes, you would call him an antipope even if the actual words are not spoken. And while we ourselves have no problem with your coronation either -- you would notice that we have properly titled both Pope Alexius I as well as Pope Benedict XVII as 'Pope' in previous communiques -- we felt the actions of Archbishop Wood were damaging enough to the Church that we may have jumped the gun in our initial reaction. As a whole however, our stance remains the same."

Millions of Slavorussians admitted they’re relieved to be Orthodox and not Catholic.

His Holiness invites your Orthodox, to come into union with the Pope. The body of Christ has no divisions

"The animosity is not as widespread as it appears. Those who condemn Alexius are a vocal minority, despite the fact that he was elected in a legitimate Papal Conclave."


"As Borghese has stated...you cannot do this in Rome without Alexius I being arrested. Are you willing to go to Alexius in Jerusalem to talk this over?"

Unfortunately the schism between the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox church goes back centuries. Our differences are far too great for us to reconcile at now.

"Are they?"

"They are."

This matter is currently being handled behind the scenes. We urge patience while the matter is resolved peacefully, and according to God's will.

The small Christian following in Dranagg has, and still, only recognizes the Rebel Virginia Pope, Pope bubba XII. Living or dead, none will replace him.


Every other pope is recognized as a anti-pope by them, and treated as such.

OOC: You're joking, right. Lulz...

Statement from the Jerusalem Catholic Church:

It should be known that His "Greatness" Junio Borghese is currently charged for involvement in the assassination of Pope John Paul III. It is also an obvious fact that Pope Alexis I was kicked out of Rome by the same Borghese because the ruthless Italian leader would not allow the Catholic faith to be freely practiced unless under their control. Borghese then held his own Papal Conclave, in which his cousin, Paul Borghese was elected as "Pope." This Pope did absolutely nothing, serving only as a tool to try to lure the Italian people to liking their Fascist dictator. Therefore, we consider this Pope Benedict XVII an antipope. However, those who have followed this series of Popes and wish to revert to our Church will be granted membership.

Oh, and also, if you knew the true forms of the Catholic Church, the funeral would be held four to six days after the Pope's death, followed by a period mourning. The Papal Conclave would occur a week after the death at the minimum.

OOC: Give me my Church! Pwetty Pwease

"You mean that maniac still has supporters?"


OOC: No, he's not. Though the guy that created that character was probably joking with the name...

OOC: Trust me when i say this is just the tip of an iceberg large enough to sink the Titanic.

All of these are lies, starting with the very blatant lie about the assassination of the "Pope" John Paul III. Despite a complete lack of evidence of any kind whatsoever, you continue to call him an assassin and a murderer. Everything after is a continued lie. Shame upon the Jerusalem Catholic Church for spreading lies and aggressive behavior. Shame!

OOC: After all, what do you expect from a player like Rebel Virginia?

"There actually is evidence to support the claim, though we believe it may have been manipulated by whomever was the real assassin."

We would like to ask Alexius I, whom is calling whom an anti-pope now? His Holiness is in direct dialogue with pope Alexius I, and the vast majority of the world sees the Jerusalem Catholic Church as an illegitimate Church founded on the basis of worldly boastfulness and vanity of individuals. We believe that pope Alexius I is simply caught in the midst of a power struggle of a waning faction of the Church. We humbly invite Alexius to return to the fold, and accept the mercy and love that comes only through Christ.

"Vast majority of the world? No, sorry."

"He is indeed correct, despite what a nation with diplomats who cannot even read calendars may say."

OOC: I tried to figure out how to put this statement to IC, but I can't so I will just say it OOC. Anyhow, the only people in objection, are you and Amyante, and OOCly, Amyante and I are discussing how to get Alexius back to the Roman church as a Cardinal.

I'm under the impression OOC statements cannot be used as IC evidence, so that is why I told you.

OOC: OOC statements cannot be used as IC evidence, but there are some players who see fit to do so anyway. I'd be careful no matter who you talk to.

Including myself. bwahahahahahaha

"No, we view the active opponents of Alexius to be a vocal minority. Prove it is otherwise."



OOC: Sargun, I am not using OOC as evidence. There are a number of people who have supported Alexius in the past...they simply have yet to speak up.

So currently, Amyante and myself are simply the only supporters who have stated that they are supporters.