His own name has been chosen.

The cardinals bow.

White smoke rises.

The crowd in St. Peter’s Square erupts in joy.

Habemus Papam.

But as Lomeli dons the white cassock and prepares to step onto the balcony, he knows the battle has only just begun.

Part Seven: The Will of God

The balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica opens before him.

From the square below, hundreds of thousands of faithful wait with eyes fixed on the glowing façade.

Lomeli feels the weight of the centuries on his shoulders. He never sought Peter’s throne. He never wanted to be Pope.

But here he is.

The camerlengo approaches and whispers:

—You must choose your name, Your Holiness.

Lomeli closes his eyes. Jacopo Lomeli died in the Sistine Chapel.

When he opens them, the Pope born in his place whispers two words:

—John Paul.