Annuntio Vobis: A Papal History of Italy

[TheButterflyComposer]

Shockingly non-racist discussion of a people so often lumped in with other East Asian ethnicities.

Ahem. '...rapidly joined the concert of civilised peoples.'

Because they act like western imperialists, and buy like western imperialists, they're alright.

They most certainly will be going right back into the upstart lesser race bucket when they try fighting a western power though.

 

[eoncommander]

Ahem. '...rapidly joined the concert of civilised peoples.'

Because they act like western imperialists, and buy like western imperialists, they're alright.

They most certainly will be going right back into the upstart lesser race bucket when they try fighting a western power though.

Yes, entirely fair. I amend my statement to be "shockingly less racist than one might expect, for a nation that has yet to see the light of Christianity."

 

[volksmarschall]

Trouble in China...hmmm...history rhymes!

 

[El Pip]

I am tempted daily to excommunicate Kaiser Franz and put him in his place, but I feel that such an act would be a step too far and I would lose my credibility as Pope if I used my religious role to further simple political goals.

Innocent XV worries too much. His religious role doesn't have any credibility, it hasn't for decades, so he has nothing to lose on that front. The measure being completely ineffectual beyond annoying the person in question, that is the reason not to do it.

It's a shame the pope is Catholic.

Is he though? Sure he calls himself Catholic, but unelected dictators say a lot of things and most of them aren't true.

 

[TheButterflyComposer]

Is he though? Sure he calls himself Catholic, but unelected dictators say a lot of things and most of them aren't true.

Because he's the supreme head of the church, technically he is the absolute definition of a Catholic at that time, so by definition, yes, the pope is always a Catholic.

Perhaps on occasion a Catholic no one has ever seen before and will never see again, but a Catholic nonetheless.

His religious role doesn't have any credibility

Really? Because so far the Church hasn't really done much out of the ordinary (aside from suceed politically) in comparison to OTL. If the Papacy still has credibility in the 21st century OTL, it most certainly will have some in the 19th century TTL.

 

[El Pip]

Because he's the supreme head of the church, technically he is the absolute definition of a Catholic at that time, so by definition, yes, the pope is always a Catholic.

Perhaps on occasion a Catholic no one has ever seen before and will never see again, but a Catholic nonetheless.

Well the entire history of schism, split and antipopes would disagree with that. And that's without discussion of the difference between being Roman Catholic and Catholic in the broader Creed on Nicea sense.

Really? Because so far the Church hasn't really done much out of the ordinary (aside from suceed politically) in comparison to OTL. If the Papacy still has credibility in the 21st century OTL, it most certainly will have some in the 19th century TTL.

I feel the genocide in Greece and the Doctrine that only Italians are proper members of the Church are quite substantial changes from OTL.

 

[TheButterflyComposer]

I feel the genocide in Greece and the Doctrine that only Italians are proper members of the Church are quite substantial changes from OTL.

In the 19th century yes. It is however not the first time either a papal sponsored genocide has occurred in Greece or the only time Italians specifically were the only 'true' Catholics.

Well the entire history of schism, split and antipopes would disagree with that. And that's without discussion of the difference between being Roman Catholic and Catholic in the broader Creed on Nicea sense.

The Church remembers what it wants to remember.

 

[slothinator]

I think grand paternalism could prove very popular in the Church, State and general population. Simialr schemes in industrialised nations from private individuals hood near universal praise and acclaim in the period, so at least someone in Italy is going to propose the Church do this, maybe as a way to stay relevant.

It really can't be, as the Pope is the divinely appointed head of the Church and also the ruler of the State. Unless they eventually separate the state out into government head and ceremonial State head (that is, seperate faith and state...which is unlikely for obvious reasons).

It's probably the most read section of the bible after genesis. For that exact reason, all the laws are in it.

Mm. Nothing to do with every great power realising they can gain power over the largest market in the world without anyone stopping them (because they're all going to do it together).

See above.

Unless the british keep them to an alliance, trouble is brewing on the horizon. Hell, even if Britain keeps the alliance (no one seems to like France and they are cruising for a bruising).

It's a shame the pope is Catholic. Otherwise, the british would be your best friends. Small, weak regional power holding every great conteintal power in balance and away from each other. No ambitions near british interests, aside from the Med. And nice, stable monarchal governments to build relationships with...

Britain doesn't really mind Italy in this context but they're not too friendly mainly due to the whole Italy-Germany axis going on.

Shockingly non-racist discussion of a people so often lumped in with other East Asian ethnicities.



Ooh what fun! Would love to hear more about this.

Ahem. '...rapidly joined the concert of civilised peoples.'

Because they act like western imperialists, and buy like western imperialists, they're alright.

They most certainly will be going right back into the upstart lesser race bucket when they try fighting a western power though.

Yes, entirely fair. I amend my statement to be "shockingly less racist than one might expect, for a nation that has yet to see the light of Christianity."

Yeah, in the Victorian age the best you can expect is "Not as racist as you could have been", especially from a government

Trouble in China...hmmm...history rhymes!

Yeah, trouble in China is the only constant in the universe. It will happen eventually, give or take a few dynasties.

Innocent XV worries too much. His religious role doesn't have any credibility, it hasn't for decades, so he has nothing to lose on that front. The measure being completely ineffectual beyond annoying the person in question, that is the reason not to do it.


Is he though? Sure he calls himself Catholic, but unelected dictators say a lot of things and most of them aren't true.

Because he's the supreme head of the church, technically he is the absolute definition of a Catholic at that time, so by definition, yes, the pope is always a Catholic.

Perhaps on occasion a Catholic no one has ever seen before and will never see again, but a Catholic nonetheless.


Really? Because so far the Church hasn't really done much out of the ordinary (aside from suceed politically) in comparison to OTL. If the Papacy still has credibility in the 21st century OTL, it most certainly will have some in the 19th century TTL.

Well the entire history of schism, split and antipopes would disagree with that. And that's without discussion of the difference between being Roman Catholic and Catholic in the broader Creed on Nicea sense.

I feel the genocide in Greece and the Doctrine that only Italians are proper members of the Church are quite substantial changes from OTL.

In the 19th century yes. It is however not the first time either a papal sponsored genocide has occurred in Greece or the only time Italians specifically were the only 'true' Catholics.

The Church remembers what it wants to remember.

In fairness to the pope, he is more elected than any other monarch in Europe at this time so it's slightly better.
Also, since Italy is pretty par for the course here, the papacy can hold onto its legitimacy. Hell, the reigning caliph isn't doing too well and Islam hasn't collapsed.

 

[slothinator]

From the personal diaries of Cardinal Fabio Puccetti

Monday 5th of December 1898
The day was mostly spent in the company of letters for next week's patriotic gala at the Quirinal to ensure a few other wealthy investors can attend and provide us with funding for the army. It would be especially lucrative if we could come to an understanding with the arms manufacturers since there will be a great need for those once the mobilization comes into full effect. Although, given the latest updates from the front, there might not be much need for all that. In the west, we've secured the Alps and are holding off the French in Lyon and Aurillac while in the east we are comfortably pushing towards Vienna with our German allies, and they might well beat us to the prize. I have received some concerned messages about the Austrian occupation of Zadar but I'm sure that we'll be able to recapture the city in time for the peace deal.
I didn't expect that my promotion would throw me quite so immediately in the heart of the action, but I suppose I should be grateful for the advantages it provides. One thing I'm especially happy about is that I can do my work from the safety of Rome itself and I need only send a telegram to this or that general to guide the different theaters of the conflict. It is a little bit taxing to stay on top of the reports that come in each day, but I do what I can to respond to them when needed. Just this afternoon I received a telegram with a request for support in Lyons as it appears that the finest flower of French peasantry is being thrown against our positions, so I ordered out the conscripts from Piedmont to support our regulars there and those from Lombardy to support our general in Aurillac for good measure.
It is a terrible nuisance that we must duel with our rivals so frequently, but I suppose there is nothing to be done about it. The expense itself is often negligible but it's awfully disruptive to our supply chains here at home. All we can do is hope that our men in the field give the frogs and the krauts a thorough beating that will keep them licking their wounds for longer than the last time.

Friday 24th of February 1899
It has been a dreadful week so far and I am eminently glad that it is coming to an end. I first had to deal with a mountain of orders and counter orders for the Austrian front to deal with the German army's delay which was a nightmare and, while I waited for the outcome, the pope asked me to send out new feelers for peace with France. Fortunately, that did not come to pass, and I will be able to open communications some other time, but for now, the stress around that particular matter has been spared. Today was a bit of a mixed bag with the volatility of the reports from the east but I was fortunate that their order made the news more palatable to Innocent. It began with a telegram from Kotor where the Dalmatian government announced their capitulation to Austria-Hungary and their surrender of the Croatian coast. Fortunately, this was followed by news of our victory at Klagenfurt where our Italo-German force dispatched over thirty thousand Austrians with merely ten thousand casualties on our side; surely this is a sign that the war will soon be won, and we can forget about past unpleasantness. The pope seemed to be overall displeased with the Dalmatians' shameful surrender and I'm sure that any gallant man would share his feelings over such an ungrateful ally; after all, we provided them with ample funds and came to their aid only for them to let the Austrians occupy most of their lands.

I must confess that I believe we will be rather better off with that contentious piece of land out of the picture, the Austrians would have certainly caused more of a fuss and drawn us into a conflict every decade; this way, there will be fewer causes for conflict, and we will only have France to worry about.
Speaking of which, I've sent another measure of conscripts over to that front. The battle of Aurillac is almost won and I want the defenses of Lyons and Valence to provide a suitably crushing blow to the enemies' morale. With the Germans near Vienna and the French peasantry drying up, it won't be long until the whole sordid affair is behind us. I should also choose someone to organize the peace. I assume the former ambassador to Paris will do, I'm sure he knows well enough how to communicate with these people. Unfortunately, he is out of Rome at the moment, but I will organize a dinner party with his most prominent family members, I seem to remember that they provided a noble amount towards the war effort.

Sunday 9th of April 1899
The renovations to the villa in Ostia have hit an unfortunate roadblock recently and I fear that I will be forced to intervene personally to take care of things. I had hoped that the servants could handle the technicalities, but it seems that a more delicate touch is required. Later today I will have to look at what I should bring for the journey; hopefully, the train ride will be comfortable enough.
In better news, I have received reports from the front and the war is won. We have finally triumphed in Valence with ninety thousand French soldiers having dashed themselves upon our defenses. Together with Friday's victory in Lyons, this means that there is nothing left to do but sign the peace treaty and order a national celebration. Of course, I had tried to have the battles concluded on the same day for maximum effect (the report of two hundred thousand vanquished Frenchmen would have made for a better headline) but the general in Valence, Caraga I believe, resisted my requests for an earlier push. I enquired into disciplinary action against this insubordination, but I later found out that dealing with his family in Rome would be kicking a hornets' nest and the matter is minor enough that I don't wish to deal with that sort of situation. I suppose the general had his reasons; certainly, the influx of conscripts will have lowered the overall quality of the fighting force and there is only so much that can be done with barely trained peasants.
In any case, these last battles will allow for a lucrative addition to the peace treaty that my man had prepared. In the first draft, the Germans asked for a demilitarization of the Sudetenland to dissuade the Austrians from further meddling, and we jointly required the payment of several hundred million dramme from both Paris and Vienna to the victorious powers. Our newest prize, however, will be the full independence of Bosnia from the Hungarian crown and its new status as a protectorate under the papal tiara. I'm sure Fatta will be happy he can move away from that backwater he is stationed in and finally tie up the Balkans into something that can be kept in order under our hegemony.
I sent the news to the pope, and he seemed colder than I had expected but that appears to be his nature as far as I can ascertain. In any case, he seemed grateful enough that he relieved me of my service in advance of the expected date, allowing me some time to spend on my own incumbencies and some rest after the pressures of the last months.

 

[El Pip]

We are approaching the final form of Cardinal, one where the title is purely vestigial, an honorific that is used because of tradition and not because it has any connection to the church or faith. It may not be Puccetti who makes that last leap, though he is very close with his concerns for gala receptions, dinner parties with 'the right sort' of families and war leading to the deaths of tens of thousands of Christians being an unpleasant inconvenience. Before the end I feel sure the Church will achieve this final and literal incarnation, the sacred made entirely secular.

 

[TheButterflyComposer]

Ah but at least the Catholic Church will finally have fulfilled its god given destiny.

And destroyed the nation of France.

 

[volksmarschall]

Ah but at least the Catholic Church will finally have fulfilled its god given destiny.

And destroyed the nation of France.

Yeah, I think France lost her favored "first daughter of the Church" status sometime around 1789.

 

[slothinator]

We are approaching the final form of Cardinal, one where the title is purely vestigial, an honorific that is used because of tradition and not because it has any connection to the church or faith. It may not be Puccetti who makes that last leap, though he is very close with his concerns for gala receptions, dinner parties with 'the right sort' of families and war leading to the deaths of tens of thousands of Christians being an unpleasant inconvenience. Before the end I feel sure the Church will achieve this final and literal incarnation, the sacred made entirely secular.

This type of cardinal has been feeding on the church ever since the pornocracy. And, as we all know, with power come those who wish to gorge themselves on it. But don't worry, the worst is yet to come; although not too long now.

Ah but at least the Catholic Church will finally have fulfilled its god given destiny.

And destroyed the nation of France.

Yeah, I think France lost her favored "first daughter of the Church" status sometime around 1789.

I mean, Italy exists in Europe, by definition it has to want France wiped off the map.

 

[slothinator]

From the personal diaries of Cardinal Giovanni Trinca

Sunday 22nd of May 1898
I can't believe that it's finally happened. Innocent has decided to actually implement a real wide-reaching reform for the first time in his papacy. I thought that I would merely continue to lobby forever without any solution but it's coming together at last. I don't expect I will get this opportunity again any time soon, so I need to pay close attention to the process every step of the way to ensure it doesn't get corrupted before it's finally set in stone.
I've spent the last couple of years gathering information about living standards across Italy and, while Callixtus' minimum wage laws provide a dignified existence for those who are employed, I'm sure they can be improved to allow not only for mere survival but even upward mobility for those who are willing to work for a better future. Of course, any increase in the minimum wage would have to be matched by global supervision of this change since I've seen far too many bosses use petty loopholes and full-on fraud to keep their hands on the vast majority of the profits. I would be happy to lead the effort, but it would be good for the law to contain the tools of its own enforcement.

As for the magnitude of the increase, I've had to consider the nature of the modern world we live in and how best to accommodate those needs. Far gone are the days when families with tens of children were commonplace, now urban families limit themselves to three or four children who can no longer be sent to work in their formative years but must attend some form of schooling. So, while there are savings to be had on quantity, the quality of each upbringing has to be improved and that will require a significant increase in salaries. At the moment, the minimum wage has grown with inflation up to 46 grani a week; my educational considerations would entail an increase up to 75 but this neglects the wellbeing of the workers in this example. Though it is customary for children to take care of their parents in old age, this is not always the case, be it through emigration or unforeseeable misfortunes; it follows then that the state should take care of its subjects who have spent their entire lives in its service with yet another increase. If we add in a little extra for those who might wish to start their own business, then I think it would be best to move up to one full dramma each week as a lower baseline for this measure.
Of course, there will always be those who oppose such change, but their justifications have been the same since the minimum wage was first introduced; however, our economy has never been stronger and no disasters have struck us when we last changed the law. After all, the state takes in far beyond what it is able to spend and, short of constructing warships that no one can man, we have nothing else on which we could spend our money. What nobler goal, then, than to give back to the afflicted members of our society and raise them up as the Good Lord intended?
Fortunately for me, Cardinal Fatta is far off in the Balkans dealing with their complex problems and I won't have to contend with his opposition. He started off quite civil but has become more and more aggressive as time has gone on and, given the quality of his work in past years, I am starting to suspect that the defects are voluntary and not merely due to incompetence. The longer he stays out of the public eye the sounder I will be able to sleep. I try not to think evil of those that I do not know but he really tries my patience. I hope the Lord will grant me as long a respite as he can.

Wednesday 14th of November 1900
The inauguration of the Rome Portonaccio station has been a complete success and Italy is now more connected than ever. Until recently, the train lines across the peninsula still reflected the pre-unitary nations, and connections between the kingdoms remained uneven and outdated. So, when our engineers developed some new improvements to our current rail system, I jumped at the opportunity to reorganize the whole system to suit the current needs of our nation. I commissioned new stations for each of the royal capitals with modern railways to connect each of them so that they form a chain from Palermo (with an improved ferry service from Messina to Reggio Calabria) all the way to Turin and Venice in the North. This setup is unfortunately not yet complete, but the Naples-Rome-Florence line should be inaugurated in the next months while I expect the more peripheral elements to be completed by the end of 1901 or the beginning of 1902.

I hope that this new system of infrastructure will not only act as a valuable conduit for goods and people in peacetime but that it may also act as a deterrent against the horrors of another war against France and Austria-Hungary if they are made to fear a quick mobilization on our part. I feel powerless when I consider the impact that these constant wars have had on the people of Italy and on the families of the many brave men who selflessly fight for us. Every time Paris or Vienna chooses to pursue their imperialist goals, thousands of our youth are thrown to their graves or to permanent mutilation and the only thing that can be gained after this great sacrifice is the chastisement of our enemies and the request for an international condemnation that never comes. In any case, I believe that the single effective solution to this issue might be to foster anti-war sentiments in our rivals and ensure that their own politicians see the folly of their ways. I have been in correspondence with some socialist elements across Europe and I am convinced that their pacifism might be what finally stops the constant cycle of war and revenge that has consumed our continent for too long.
Of course, this is a solution that is not applicable within our beloved Italy. Despite being the only country where a competent peasant can become ruler, most reformist movements denounce our form of government as antiquated and out of place in the modern world, and I confess that I have had the same thoughts recently. While absolute monarchy allows for brilliance to lead, it can also raise up monsters; conversely, the masses tend to vote for mediocrity but that gives them safety from the worst extremes. I would appreciate a stronger Senate in opposition to the monarchical element of our constitution but that would require a willing pope and I'm sure that Innocent is dead set against this idea. However, he recently turned eighty and it is time for a change, I only hope that we will be judicious enough to choose someone wise to lead us.

 

[slothinator]

Also a general encouragement to all to go and vote for your favorites in the Q3 2021 ACAs!!
Everyone is eligible to cast their vote and you can vote for as few or many (there's a limit on the many but shhh) AARs as you like, we're just happy for more people to join in!

 

[eoncommander]

given the quality of his work in past years, I am starting to suspect that the defects are voluntary and not merely due to incompetence.

About as harsh a burn I can imagine coming from Cardinal Trinca.

I have been in correspondence with some socialist elements across Europe and I am convinced that their pacifism might be what finally stops the constant cycle of war and revenge that has consumed our continent for too long.

Hoo boy, it is good that these diaries are private - and that the Papal secret police hasn't caught wind.

Of course, this is a solution that is not applicable within our beloved Italy.

At first I thought this was going in the direction of, "Heaven forbid we ever depose a pope!" But then the good cardinal revealed his own doubts about the righteousness of the current political structure! Maybe there are some heroes after all. Meta-textually, I really appreciate how you not just reveal different aspects of your characters through successive diaries, but also show them changing over time.

 

[TheButterflyComposer]

We have some papal politics leading to papal communism and papal facism here. And as of yet, no real papal democracy, aside from the election of Pope.

And there can never really be democracy in a papal state, given that rhe inherent idea is rule of the people, rather than, for example, rule of God and his servants.

 

[El Pip]

I would be happy to lead the effort, but it would be good for the law to contain the tools of its own enforcement.

Cardinal Trinca has to lead the efforts in case someone looks at the vast wealth of the Church and the Vatican bank and draws the wrong conclusions. Though I'm sure the law contains many, many "This does not apply to the Church" clauses.

And there can never really be democracy in a papal state, given that rhe inherent idea is rule of the people, rather than, for example, rule of God and his servants.

I don't think there is anyone left in the Papal States who believes in that sort of thing, indeed I doubt there are many who even believe in God and certainly no-one in power in the Church does. That said I am sure all the Cardinals believe that 'God's servants' (i.e. them) should definitely rule over everyone else, for the benefit of the people naturally, and if mouthing some words they don't believe and wearing a slightly ridiculous red outfit is the price to pay for all that power, then it's a fair trade.

 

[slothinator]

About as harsh a burn I can imagine coming from Cardinal Trinca.



Hoo boy, it is good that these diaries are private - and that the Papal secret police hasn't caught wind.



At first I thought this was going in the direction of, "Heaven forbid we ever depose a pope!" But then the good cardinal revealed his own doubts about the righteousness of the current political structure! Maybe there are some heroes after all. Meta-textually, I really appreciate how you not just reveal different aspects of your characters through successive diaries, but also show them changing over time.

I feel that Trinca is fundamentally trying to be a good person and has been becoming more and more aware of the fundamental problems in the system he lives in. We must wait and see if he will actually be successful in meaningful reform.
Thanks! I'm glad that that shines through and these characters manage to seem alive and engaging. It's always something hard to show and it's good to hear that it's working!

We have some papal politics leading to papal communism and papal facism here. And as of yet, no real papal democracy, aside from the election of Pope.

And there can never really be democracy in a papal state, given that rhe inherent idea is rule of the people, rather than, for example, rule of God and his servants.

Yeah, papal democracy is vaguely in the air but it has no strong support. It's either paternalism or suppression with a strong vein of apathy in the middle.

Cardinal Trinca has to lead the efforts in case someone looks at the vast wealth of the Church and the Vatican bank and draws the wrong conclusions. Though I'm sure the law contains many, many "This does not apply to the Church" clauses.


I don't think there is anyone left in the Papal States who believes in that sort of thing, indeed I doubt there are many who even believe in God and certainly no-one in power in the Church does. That said I am sure all the Cardinals believe that 'God's servants' (i.e. them) should definitely rule over everyone else, for the benefit of the people naturally, and if mouthing some words they don't believe and wearing a slightly ridiculous red outfit is the price to pay for all that power, then it's a fair trade.

Well, few politicians believe in the ideals of their country anyway so it might as well be divinely ordained in that case. And hey, I'll have you know that cardinals' robes are quite comfy and convenient as long as you don't run them in the wash with the papal robes.

 

[slothinator]

From the personal diaries of Cardinal Vincenzo Fatta

Wednesday 17th of February 1897
I have managed to settle into Zadar as a guest of the generous Archbishop Raicevic and am now fully able to pursue our tasks in Bosnia. It took longer than I had hoped for because travel in the Balkans is a disgrace and the Serbians had no interest in letting a large diplomatic convoy pass through their lands; as such, I was forced to travel by sea from Bucharest by way of Constantinople. I must admit that my work in Romania took up far too much of my patience since I am unaccustomed to dealings with politicians who have a title larger than their relevance and often had to remedy offense with economic incentive. I took advantage of the journey to Zadar to meet with Sultan Abdulhamid and express our displeasure for the recent Ottoman bankruptcy and remind them that their empire has not had a war with Russia for decades due to Italian protection. There was some mild resistance at first, but their subservience is undeniable, and every argument fell to pieces as soon as they were formulated.

In Constantinople, I also managed to receive confirmation that King Carol had forwarded our pact of patronage to Innocent, and our influence has gained official status for the rest of Europe to see, especially the Tsar.
The rest of the journey passed like an uninspired sermon, except for an attempted sabotage when we stopped in Corinth for supplies, and I was received in Zadar with the appropriate reverence. I spent my evening reading up on the character of the governor of Bosnia, Johann von Appel, to choose how to best push this half-country out of Austria's orbit. I also need to keep into account that if the governor does not wish to cooperate with us, there are many nationalists within Bosnia who are less than enthused by the Austrian occupation and would appreciate our support in their struggle. A coup would stretch the expected expenses but, as long as Franz loses some land, the expense will have been worth it.
Having said that, until the extreme alternative becomes necessary, I must take special care to not be particularly obvious in my overtures since the Austrians might take this as a pretext for war, what with Germany's cooling attitude towards our alliance and France's rabid hate of everything for which we stand. In any case, this is a golden opportunity for espionage within the Austro-Hungarian Empire, I must ensure the presence of agents within the main cities and begin to probe the opinions of Austrian clerics and especially potential cardinals for the next conclave. I have my eye on a couple of candidates who align with my thinking and, as Innocent wanes, I will try to pull the necessary strings.

Tuesday 11th of April 1899
It seems that my efforts in Bosnia were entirely useless as we have gained with the sword that which I tried to pursue with words. And yet, despite this victory on paper, we have not managed to permanently diminish the Austrians but ended up forsaking the Dalmatians and wasting decades of effort and lives spent in their defense. I was forced to flee Zadar in October and the archbishop cowardly surrendered in February accepting to contain himself to the mere city of Cattaro where he can wait for the inevitable end of his state. It is outrageous that good Italians that have lived in the region for a thousand years will not be allowed to join their kinsmen in the country we have made but will be forced to languish under foreign occupation once again. When my time comes, I will have to right this wrong and ensure that no one will dare to tread on our homeland.
The silver lining in this arrangement is that we are now free to concentrate on the Russian encroachment into our Balkan allies. King Carol has already expressed fears that the Tsar might invade Romania to establish a compliant government and the Bulgarians are known to have Nicholas' blessing for any expansion they might have planned against Dobrudja.

Also, if the rumors are to be believed, Serbia intends to devour Bosnia for the sake of some Slavic unification which could only be considered with stubborn ignorance of every cultural and religious difference in the region. But, regardless of their reasons, I need to decide if Bosnia is worth keeping under our wing at the cost of a conflict with the Russians. If it were up to me, I don't think I would spend a single man in defense of these people. Our interest in them was purely in an anti-Austrian function. Now that Vienna has left, it would be good to keep Bosnia, at the condition we don't run any further risks now that Germany has chosen to neglect us.
I will write to my supporters in the Curia to get a majority against this foolish Balkan thing. I should also make sure that Puccetti's popularity remains in check, I don't want any real rivals when the time comes. May God smite his enemies with my hand and return the church to an orthodox pope.

Thursday 19th of April 1900
I was yearning for another military command without much hope of receiving one but direction of a war against the Greeks saw me praise God for his infinite wisdom. We can at last take revenge for the constant harassment of Italians in the Peloponnese by bringing that same anger to Athens itself. My sole regret is that this is a defensive war for Romania's sake, and we cannot erase the Greek stain from the map, but I will satisfy myself with sitting in the palace of King George and displaying to all that this state's existence is a gift of our mercy.
We can thank the Lord that the Russians refused to help the Bulgarians in their invasion of Romanian Dobrudja because, in that case, we would have had to leave them to their fate as we did for Bosnia. It seems now that Nicholas was not particularly keen on an aggressive war and allowed the Balkans to sort themselves out. There weren’t too many plans involved in this expedition: the Peloponnesian garrison began to occupy Attica within days of the declaration and the Romanians managed to hold their own against the Bulgarians, but I decided to bring in some Ottoman muscle, mostly as a test of loyalty for Abdulhamid. The one real battle we had to face was last month in the Ionian Sea where our brave sailors managed to sink the entire outdated Greek fleet in a single day with every one of our vessels intact.

As such, the war is all but over and I just need to wait for Sofia to reply with the acceptance of our sanctions on both Bulgaria and Greece for their aggression, a clear signal to the expansionary aims of the Russian bloc. Speaking of which, I think that we should move into Serbia to guarantee ourselves another ally against the Austrians and avoid a war with Russia over the Balkans by reducing the number of countries over which they hold sway. I have made some minor progress in Belgrade by managing to secure an audience with President Dordevic for our ambassador, but I did not receive any reaction to a proposal of tighter collaboration with Italy.
This messy business in the Balkans is a fair enough distraction for the moment but I need to ensure that I do not overexert myself in this field when there are certain crucial steps that need to be taken. I suspect that Innocent sent me this far to limit the amount of influence I can exert back at home but if so, he is sure to be disappointed with the outcome. In my correspondence with members of the Curia, I have managed to convince a majority of the cardinals that I would be the best choice as Pope once Innocent fades away. Though this advantage is still not enough to ensure a clear victory in the first round of votes, I am sure that I can attract the missing votes between now and the conclave. I can feel that the Church craves a return to its roots before it was corrupted by the modern world and its myriad false promises, I need but speak the truth that we all know, and they will flock to my cause.

Sunday 3rd of August 1902
It is with a pair of defeats that I choose to return to Rome rather than labor any further in a region that has crystallizes beyond any further manipulation. I am forced to accept that our Ottoman allies are unable to keep their own Greek population under control as their borders continue to shrink ever closer to Constantinople. The rebels formed a short-lived Cretan Republic and were formally annexed by Greece in the late hours of today.

While I have never hidden my dislike of Greece, I am greatly concerned with the possibility of a similar uprising in our own lands. Innocent's measures are sure to underestimate the potential risk and limit the local government to mere arrests, but I have managed to call in a few favors among the better stock of the Peloponnese to allow for more vigorous action.
But my relocation is mostly the result of the recent expulsion of our ambassador from Belgrade. The Russians have used every trick in the book to stop us from turning Serbia towards the Mediterranean and away from Panslavic ravings and they are successful time and time again in shredding any deal that might have been reached. The Serbians have often shown an interest in our proposals but, whenever they are about to come to fruition, there comes an election that is systematically won by a filo-Russian candidate. This has convinced me that there is no further value to be obtained from this region and our resources would be better spent against France and the Austrians who threaten our people directly now that Germany has chosen to betray our alliance.
I wrote as much to Innocent, and I was allowed to return home where I am free to plan for the next decade. Though my support in the Curia remains stable, I have identified that my main contender is Cardinal Puccetti who seems to be at the head of the Liberal faction and has made a name for himself with the implementation of Innocent's more senile policies. I do not expect much difficulty in kicking him down the ladder: the new reforms should remind everyone that, though we have been stable so far, the specter of revolution is always behind the corner, and we must strangle it before it has the chance to destroy us. I pray to God that He might endow my words with the strength of his truth and allow for a truly Christian pope after wandering for decades in the desert.