Even though the architects had done everything they could to ensure that St. Peter's Basilica was well lit and displayed its resplendent interior, before the sun rose at dawn, the inner sanctuary remained dim and mysterious.
For a child in his teens, the scene was rather frightening. It would be better once the priests came in, and better still once the visitors arrived.
There were ninety-nine eternal lamps before the bronze baldachin. Their glow felt warm, while beneath the canopy stood the papal altar and St. Peter's tomb. Only the Pope could celebrate Mass at that altar.
Seven candles had to be placed on the altar, one candle per candlestick. This was also prepared by the altar boys.
The boys were more willing to compete for the chance to take part in Mass than for the meaning represented by the ritual.
At "work," they were rivals; during breaks, they were friends who played football together.
There was a garden near the Apostolic Palace where the altar boys played football. Countless believers around the world dreamed of coming to the Vatican and getting close to the Pope. They were the luckiest seventeen.
Not only could they attend the best private schools and seminaries in Rome, they also had a great chance of remaining in Rome and encountering things ordinary people would never see in their lives.
Joseph had never considered it before. He was busy, having to attend an ordinary school while also receiving training as The Exorcist.
If he truly had a dream, it was to become a miracle investigator, examining cases like the Fatima Apparitions.
The Vatican had specialized training institutions for exorcists, as well as many exorcists far more famous than he was.
He did not know why he had been so aggressive, speaking to the Pope in