DISSERTATION cont...
Part Two
Building a superior fleet of warships and manned by well trained sailors and soldiers, the British cruised the high seas, searching for cargo ships of foreign nations that were returning from their colonies abroad, heavily loaded with their riches. Great Britain had actually become a nation of pirates, capturing and seizing cargo ships from Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, and France, filling the coffers of the British treasury and building an empire that would in time cover one quarter of the worlds land mass. They had become rulers of the high seas.
While Spain and Portugal were declining in military power, France came to the aid of the Roman Catholic Church to protect conquered territories and expand further their empire. As the United States and Canada are the result of the expansion of Britain and France into the New World, it was here that the Roman Catholic Church met with Protestant religions that had expanded into large individual entities, but at the same time remain united in purpose to become a force that would eventually stop the dictatorial actions of the Roman Catholic Church. The twentieth century began with a new hope for humanity, but was soon disappointed. Communications were controlled by the rich and powerful. People around the world were living in poverty, destitute in their own homeland, the world population did not know of conditions in other nations and continents. Their only source of information were short sighted politicians, and dictatorial actions from religious institutions. They would enter the twentieth century very much like the nineteenth and all the centuries past. The dignity of the human person received very little attention.
In 1914 the great world war began, it would effect the entire world. It was said to be a war that would end all wars, to save democracy. Thousands of young men gave their lives, believing their great sacrifice would help the people of the world. Unfortunately their lives were given in vain.
In 1917 two great and significant events, would emerge into global controversy. The combination of these two events would cause the greatest destruction of human life, spiritual life. and material wealth ever witnessed by the human race.
The one such event was the Russian revolution which began in Petrograd on March 8th, 1917. The revolution drove the Czars from power. For many centuries Russia was ruled by the Czar and the Russian Orthodox Church, who had complete control over Russian life. These two powers had kept the people of Russia in poverty, illiteracy and in total bondage since the Eastern Orthodox Church made its way into the vast lands of Russian territory. These two powers had also kept the Russian people cut off from the progress being made in the western world. By the early 1900's many other countries had become industrialized, but Russia had little industry. The greater majority of Russian's were poor uneducated peasants. They farmed Russia's broad plains, with the same kind of tools their ancestors had used. In spite of the harsh life, peasants loved their giant land, which they called mother Russia. They expressed this love in beautiful sad songs and in folk dances and colorful festivals.
The revolution began with the workers in meetings and demonstrations in which the principle slogan was a demand for bread, supported by 100,000 men and women. The police were called, but refused to use their weapons against them. On March 12th., the revolution triumphed. Regiment after regiment of the Petrograd garrison joined with the people and the united workers and soldiers became masters of the capital. Demonstrations continued throughout the summer until November 7th. and 8th; when ratification of principle was made. Decisions and the land question were made in form of a decree. The right to private property in the land was annulled forever. The landlords property in the land was annulled immediately and without any indemnity whatever. All landed estates and the holdings of monasteries, churches and Czars were made national property and were placed under the protection of the local land committees. Hired labour on land was prohibited, and the rights of all citizens to cultivate land by their own labour was affirmed. The revolution of the Bolshevik, later called the communists were totally incompatible. with Russian Eastern Orthodox Church and with the Roman Catholic Church. The two ideologies clashed with both sides endeavoring to destroy each other.
The other event was the appearance of the Lady of the Immaculate Heart, to three young children on May 13th. at Fatima in Portugal. She had left a message with them. To save the people of the world, God wants them to establish in the world, my Immaculate Heart. If the people of the world will do what I tell them, many souls will be saved and there will be peace. The war was going to end, but if the people do not stop offending God, another much worse one will begin during the reign of Pius XI. When you see a great light illuminated by an unknown light, Aurora Borealis - Polaris, know that this is the great sign that God is giving you. That he is going to punish the world for its crimes by means of war famine and persecution of the church and the Holy Father.
To prevent this, I shall come to ask for the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart and for communions of reparations on the first Saturday of each month. If they heed my requests Russia will be reconverted and there will be peace. If not she will spread her errors throughout the world, promoting wars and persecution of the church. The good will be martyred, the Holy Father will have much to suffer and various nations will be annihilated.
In the end my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me. A certain period of peace will be granted to the world. The power of God will always advise the people of the world what will happen to them in the future if they refuse to accept the word of God.
By the year 1929, the protestant religions, who had there earlier beginnings in Europe, came to haunt the Vatican, especially the protestant nation of England. Of all nations the British had shown the greatest genius for colonizing new lands and for governing people of every color and creed. Though the American War of Independence proclaimed on July 4th. 1776 seemed to mark the failure of the old empire, yet the Napoleonic wars and the 19th. century, witnessed the rise of the new Empire. richer and greater than the old, covering in the late 1920's one fourth of the land surface of the globe. Its population was estimated at four hundred and eighty five million, two hundred and ten thousand, of this number over 66,000,000 were whites. The British Empire emerged from the supreme crisis of the first world war stronger and potentially richer than ever. It had become the most powerful nation in the world. It had thrown its cloak of power over all protestant religions, that where expanding around the world.
The Royal family carried the title, His Most Excellent Majesty, George the Sixth, by the grace of God, of Great Britain, Ireland and the British Dominions beyond the seas, King Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India. These titles were carried thorough until the end of the second world war, after which, the British Empire began to disintegrate.
Pope Pius XI and the Roman Catholic Church had become very concerned about the strength of the British Empire and realized the importance of a recognized sovereign state. Pius XI and the Vatican Curia convinced Dictator, Benito Mussolini of Italy the right to become a sovereign state. This resulted in the Latern Agreement of 1929 between the Vatican and Mussolini with the support of the Italian people. With the signing of this agreement it became a sovereign state within the State of Italy. It comprised one hundred and nine acres of land and buildings in the center of Rome. It consists of St Peters Basilica and all religious buildings constructed since the year1306. Vatican City immediately created its own bank, coin, postal service radio station as well as a variety of guarantees and measures of protection. As a sovereign state they established the right to exercise temporal and ecclesiastical control over their foreign colonies. If any of these nations had received their independence from Spain or Portugal, the Roman Catholic Church stayed to govern and maintain their powers of religious dictatorship.
Now as a sovereign power the Vatican was exempted from paying duty on imported goods. It had diplomatic immunity and accompanying privileges for its own diplomats and those accredited to it by foreign powers. Mussolini guaranteed the introduction of Catholic teaching in all state high schools and the entire institution of marriage was placed under cannon law, which ruled out divorce.
The benefits to the Vatican were many. Article (1) Italy undertakes to pay to the Vatican on ratification of the Latern Agreement the sum of seven hundred million lire and at the same time hand over consolidated five percent state bonds to the bearer for the nominal value of one billion lire. At the 1929 rate of exchange this package represented 81 million dollars.
To handle this huge amount of money, Pope Pius X1 created on June 6th, 1929 "The Special Administration" he appointed a layman, Bernardino Nogra. He was given a free hand to invest this money into any part of the world he chose to make and would be totally free of any religious or doctrinal considerations. The world would later realize that this agreement was instrumental in plunging the world into the great depression of the thirty's. The great crash of the world markets gave Bernardino Nogara and Vatican City unlimited wealth to invest around the world.
With Nogara now at the head of "The Special Administration" he dealt in currency speculation, and to play the stock markets, and the stock exchange, including the buying of shares in companies whose products were inconsistent with the Roman Catholic teachings. These included items such as bombs, tanks, guns, and contraceptives which may be condemned in the pulpit, but the shares Nogara bought for Vatican City in companies which manufactured these items helped to fill the coffers of St. Peters. Nogara played the gold markets and the futures market. He bought Italgas the sole supplier of gas to many of Italy's biggest cities. Among the banks that, came under Vatican influence and control, were Banco di Roma, Banco di Santa Spirito, and Cassa di Isparmo di Roma.
Using Vatican capital, Nogara acquired significant and often controlling shares in company after company. Having acquired a company he would nominate one of the Churches trusted men (the Vatican elite) to protect the Vatican's interest. He purchased textiles, railways, cement, electricity, water, ocean shipping and pharmaceuticals. Nogara was everywhere, when Mussolini needed armaments for his invasion of Ethiopia in 1935 a substantial proportion was supplied by a munitions plant which Nogara had acquired on behalf of the Vatican./He acquired controlling interests in the field of insurance, steel, flour, spaghetti, mechanical industry, and real estate. He purchased 15 % of the Italian giant Immobiliare and gave the Vatican a share of an astonishing array of property. Societa General Immobiliare is Italy's oldest construction company. Through its ownership of the building firm and therefore to a significant degree the Vatican owned, after its 15% acquisition, The Rome Hilton, Italo Americana, Alberghi Cavalieor, Alberghi Ambrosiana, and Italiana Alberghi Moderni. These are just the major hotels in Italy. The list of major buildings and industrial companies also owned is twice as long.
Realizing the inevitability of the second world war, Nogara moved part of the assets then at his disposal into gold. He bought 26.8 million dollars worth of gold at 35 dollars per ounce. Later he sold 5 million dollars worth of gold on the free market. The profit on the sale was in excess of the 26.8 million dollars he had paid for the entire original quantity.
When Hitler took power in Germany on April 11th, 1933, Vatican city demonstrated its ability to negotiate successfully with pro Vatican Governments. The agreement of 1929 with Mussolini was followed by an agreement between the Vatican and Hitler's Germany. Solicitor Francesco Pacelli had been one of the key figures in the Vatican and Mussolini agreement. His brother Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli, the future Plus XII, had a leading role as the Vatican's secretary of state in concluding the agreement with Germany.
For the Vatican, one of the major assets to emerge from this very lucrative deal with Hitler was the "Kirchenesteuer Church Tax. This tax became a state tax that was deducted at source from all wage earners in Germany. This tax represented between eight and ten percent of income tax collected by the German Government. This money was handed over to the Vatican to be used at their discretion. Substantial amounts derived from this tax began to flow to the Vatican shortly after the signing of the agreement and through out the second world war. This tax has never been rescinded and the tax is still being collected today, with vast sums going to the Vatican, Nogara put the German revenue alongside the other currencies which was pouring in. In 1978 through the state tax of "Kirchensteuer" the Roman Catholic Church of west Germany received 1.9 billion dollars. of which it then subsequently passed on to the Vatican a significant portion.
On June 27th. in 1942, Pope Plus X11 decided to bring another part of the Vatican into the modern world and under the control of Bernardino Nogara. He changed the name of the "Administration of Religious Work" to the "Institute for Religious Works. Under Pius XII its function became, the custody and administration of money's (in bonds or cash) and property's transferred or entrusted to the institute itself by fiscal or legal persons for the purpose of religious works of Christian piety. It was now in every sense the Vatican Bank. Nogara set his mind to the task of increasing Vatican funds and went from strength to strength. The tentacles of Vatican City spread world wide. Close links were forged with an array of banks, Rothschild of London and Paris, who had been doing business with the Vatican since the early nineteenth century.
With Nogara at the Vatican's helm, the business increases dramatically. He purchased shares in the Bankers Trust Company of New York -- useful when he wanted to buy and sell stock on Wall Street. He purchased shares in Morgan Guarantee, The Chase Manhattan and The Continental bank of Illinois. All this was being done while the world was in the throes of a horrible and vicious war. It was never made an issue and people around the world got to know very little of the activities of Vatican City. In Canada, Vatican City purchased shares in the Royal Bank of Canada. They owned the worlds tallest skyscraper, The Stock Exchange Tower, situated in Montreal. The Port Royal Tower, a 224 suite apartment complex a huge residential area in Greensdale, Montreal, plus all the real estate throughout the dioceses in Canada. It is almost impossible to trace the total value in dollars invested here in Canada.
Vatican City also bought shares in General Motors, Shell, Gulf, General Electric, and IBM and these are by no means all of them. The modern monster created by Bernardino Nogara had by 1978 become self generating. Although Nogara retired in 1954, he continued to give the Vatican his unique brand of financial advice until his death in 1958. Scant mention was made of his death by the press or radio as the majority of his activities on behalf of the Roman Catholic Church had been cloaked in secrecy. This one man demonstrated that, wherever Christ's Kingdom may be, that of the Catholic Church was assuredly of this world. A memorable epitaph was given by Cardinal Spellman of New York: "Next to Jesus Christ the greatest thing to happen to the Catholic Church is Bernardino Nogara."
Bretton Woods Conference, popular name of the UN Monetary and Financial Conference that took place from July 1 - 22, 1944 at Bretton Woods, a vacation resort in New Hampshire. This conference was sponsored by Vatican City and representatives of 44 nations which resulted in the creation of the International Monetary Fund and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. They would become part of the New Financial Order that would control the world economy. These two branches would be joined by the Bank of International Settlements at Basle, Switzerland. This is the headquarters of the prestigious G7. This is a private powerful inner fraternity which effectively oversees the worlds monetary system at secret meetings in Basle. It controls the amount of money in circulation at any given time, world wide.
The "World Bank" its official name is the International Bank of Reconstruction and Development operates in more than 181 countries and makes bank loans to members, who cannot obtain money from other sources at reasonable terms. The International Monetary Fund are the finance police. When nations become so debt ridden they could no longer pay interest on loans made by the World Bank, the finance police take over the financial administration of such nations and cut expenses (abolish social programs of any nature) without regard for human suffering, until such nation can become fully responsible for their own debt payment. This usually never happens and the poor become poorer, and despair and misery are the end results. Nations like Brazil, Mexico, Italy, Central America are only examples of what our new world order is doing to people around the world. Today Japan and Asian nations as well as Russia and the other nations of the former Soviet Empire are feeling the power and strength of the IMF.
Before and during the second world war the U.S. Government created a secret organization that worked in most nations around the world. Knowledge of political thought were of paramount importance to the USA intelligence. They remained a secretive organization until 1947. They officially took over the responsibility from the office of "Strategic Services", a unit known for its espionage exploits. They became officially known as the Central Intelligence Agency, or CIA.
The CIA and the Vatican worked in close association for decades. Their greatest fear was the election of a socialistic or communist government in Italy and nations of Latin America. During the 50's 60's and beyond the CIA gave economic support to many of the activities promoted by the Roman Catholic Church, from orphanages to missions, to the overthrow of democratic governments in central and South America.
European Colonialism was maintaining its power over third world countries. Vatican City as a sovereign nation demanded their sovereignty powers be respected throughout the world. Unrest, rebellion and civil war was expanding from Africa, South East Asia, Central America, and South America. No third world nation was free from European colonialism. They had lived in poverty for centuries, destitute people in their own homeland.
In October of 1958 a new light shone through the bleakness of a dreary world. A new Pope, Pope John XXIII was elected on October 18th, 1958. At the very outset of his short reign he had difficulty with the bureaucracy at the Vatican. The Vatican Curia had supported the election of Angelo Roncalli as Pope, with the idea that he would be a interim Pope, for at the age of seventy seven, he would only have a short period of time. The Cardinals who controlled the holy office were determined to wreck, not only his tolerance that was implicit on religious freedom they were fighting a rear guard action against anything that smacked of modernism or change.
It seemed to Pope John, the Roman Catholic Church was not coming to terms with the problems of the twentieth century. It was a crucial point in history of the church. Roman Catholic's around the world were asking for more religious freedoms, birth control, divorce, celibacy and other reforms.
Within the first 100 days of Pope Johns election, his style of leadership had been established. He made Episcopal appointments, Urbani to Venice to replace himself, Carroro to Verona, and in Vittoria Veneto there was a vacancy for Bishop. Albino Luciano had made a name for himself as a man who could get things done. Pope John asked Albino Luciano to fill the vacancy. The forty six year old Luciano was ordained Bishop by Pope John XXIII at St. Peters Basilica two days after Christmas in 1958. These two men believed that the Roman Catholic Church must be a church of the poor for the poor.
From the beginning Pope John pledged his Papacy to new development in the eternal youth of the Catholic Church. Ancient traditions were shattered. Two weeks after his coronation, he announced that he would create twenty three new Cardinals, at a consistory to be held on December 15th, 1958. The sacred college had shrunk to fifty two, of whom twelve were past eighty. What John proposed was to exceed the limit of seventy Cardinals set by Pope Sixtus V in 1586. Over the next three years he held four more consistories creating fifty five new Cardinals in all, among them Bishop Valerian Garcias, the first Indian to be given the red hat, Bishop Laurean Rugambwai, the first African, Julius Doepfner of Berlin, who was only forty five became the youngest so honoured.
In January of 1959 he called the second Ecumenical Council. The first was in 1870 and that resulted in the infallibility of the Pope. This power of the Pope did so much damage. It destroyed hundreds of faithful Catholic's and drove them from the Church. Jews were forced into Ghettos and they remained there until they were given their freedom by the Italian Police. Pope Plus IX was equally intolerant of Protestants and recommended the introduction of prison sentences for non Catholic's who were preaching in Tuscany.
Pope John XXIII was very concerned of world conditions at this time. He discussed with his newly appointed Secretary of State, Cardinal Domeninico Tardini, the implications of what a young man by the name of Fidel Castro was doing to the Batista regime in Cuba, an island that had been ruled by the Vatican and the US multi-millionaires as a playground for the rich and wealthy. This island had been considered papal lands since the day Christopher Columbus landed on its shores. He inquired of the Russian demonstration of advanced technology in sending a rocket around the moon. They discussed the revolt in Algeria, and the appalling poverty in Africa, in Mexico, and Latin America. The poverty and starvation of these two continents were of real concern to him. The church was very much a failure in these two continents, very little was being done to help the poor, to feed and clothe them, or at least try to make them more self efficient. The Vatican Curia gave John very little support.
At Pope John's discretion the baptismal ceremony for converts to Catholicism was revised to eliminate the condemnation of participants of a former faith. Parts of the liturgical prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which were offensive to Jews and Muslims were like wise changed. On his first Good Friday as Supreme Pontiff, Pope John XXIII expunged from the traditional Good Friday Prayers the reference to the perfidious Jews and infidels, his own true feelings on this matter ran very deep, that no one could use the term perfidious Jew.
On May 15th, 1961, Pope John issued the first of two towering encyclical letters which if he left no other heritage, assured his brief papacy long life in the memory of men. Its subject was Christianity and Social Progress but its title, Mater et Magistra, is taken from the opening sentence, Mother and Teacher of Nations, such is the Catholic Church established by Jesus Christ.
Mater et Magistra voices the church's concern for the exploited poor in the factories of industrial nations, and for the forgotten poor in the colonial and emerging nations. It speaks not only of their basic necessities, but for human dignity itself, and redefines social justice in the mid twentieth century to mean that all men must share in the wealth produced by modern technology. Socialization, a word that might have struck terror in the hearts of church elders was now specifically endorsed so long as it was achieved in full consideration for the rights of all. Socialization, wrote John, is an expression of the tendency on human beings to join together to attain objectives which are beyond the capacity and means of single individuals.
Even more striking was the section of Mater de Magistra dealing with the great disparity's between the economically advanced nations and the underdeveloped lands in the rest of the world. The solidarity which binds all men and makes them members of the same family, imposes upon political communities enjoying the abundance of material goods the obligation to share with other communities at least some of their technology and wealth so they may too enjoy at least some of the worlds bounty.
In early 1962 Pope John XXIII set up a Pontifical Commission to study birth control, as well as more religious freedom in which the people would have a say in church decisions.
On October 11th 1962, 2,381 Bishops from all parts of the world gathered in Rome for the opening ceremony of the second Vatican Council. It was one of the most forthright and thought provoking number of Bishops ever assembled. Roman Catholic's around the world rejoiced in the open and honest discussions held. While hundreds of million's of Catholics around the world waited and wondered. Speculation that a change in the Church's position may be imminent, grew even larger and many began using the pill or other forms of contraception.
In January of 1963, Pope John XXIII issued his encyclical "Pacem in Terris" (Peace on Earth) which was the first significant move by the Vatican to bring an end to the East-West cold war. In March he had received Alexis Adzhubei, Krushchev's son in law and editor of the Soviet Government newspaper, in the first public contact between Pope John and a senior Soviet official. It resulted in the release of Archbishop Josef Slipyi of the Ukrainian Catholic Church from a Siberian labour camp.
Pope John XXIII literally gave his life to ensure that the council he had conceived would not die. He was advised he was seriously ill. He declined the operation his specialists were insisting on. They told him that such an operation would prolong his life. He retorted that to leave the Second Vatican Council during the early stages, would be to ensure a theological disaster. He preferred to remain in the Vatican to manage the idea of the second Vatican Council to its final conclusion. In doing so, he calmly and with extraordinary courage signed his own death warrant. When he died on the third day of June in 1963, the Roman Catholic Church through the second Vatican Ecumenical Council was finally attempting to come to terms with the world as it was, rather than the Curie of the Roman Catholic Church would like it to be.
John F. Kennedy took office in January of 1961 as President of the United States of America, He became the first Roman Catholic so elected. Pope John XXIII head of the Roman Catholic and John F. Kennedy, President of the United States of America held the two most powerful offices in the world. These two men whose aspirations and ideals were similar could have given the world new hope, new enlightenment, and bring some dignity into the lives of people around the world.
President Kennedy's inaugural address set the tone of the youthful idealism that raised the nations hope: "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans, born in this century, tempered by war disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage, and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this nation has always been committed and to which we are committed today, at home and around the world. Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty."
The Kennedy Administration and the Vatican Curio became antagonists almost immediately. Kennedy had inherited from President Eisenhower a CIA trained force of Cuban exiles and a plan to invade Cuba. These Cuban forces were stationed in Guatemala waiting to invade Cuba. Kennedy wanted these troops out of this central American country. Eisenhower had agreed to supply air support for the invasion, yet all the markings and incidental that could supply proof of US planes were forbidden. Trusting military advice, Kennedy allowed the invasion to proceed, but refused American air support and the action failed. Instead of toppling Cuban leader Fidel Castro, the Bay of Pigs invasion strengthened Kennedy's prestige and power as a revolutionary leader. Vatican City was very disappointed with Kennedy, as they had claimed Cuba as papal lands, since the day Christopher Columbus landed on its shores. The Bay of Pigs turned the Kennedy's against the CIA and they became bitter enemies. Kennedy also questioned the actions of Eisenhower with their planned actions in South Vietnam. Vatican City was urging Kennedy for support in Vietnam. Kennedy responded by committing 17,000 US military advisors and the balance of PT boats that were no longer of any use to the US. Kennedy was asked for American support to shear up the power of the corrupt Deim brothers, rulers of South Vietnam, strong Catholic's, supported by Vatican City. In answer to this request, Kennedy at a press conference, in September of 1963, remarked, "In the final analysis it is their war. They are the ones who have to win it or lose it, the People of Vietnam."
John Kennedy had no use for colonialism, claiming that it had held Ireland in bondage for more than one thousand years. He claimed that European Powers were seeking support of the United States in the preservation of their Colonial Empires. He intimated about the colonialism of Vatican City, throughout S.E.Asia, Africa, Central and South America as well as other nations throughout the world.
Kennedy introduced the "Alliance for Progress, a Latin American program which he had pushed through congress, the Senate and was now Law. Its plan was for a ten billion, decade long program of economic assistance. This was the first such commitment ever made by the United States of America. Kennedy then created the peace corps for young Americans to get involved. He welcomed new nations into the world community and sent Americans to help them. They were educated Americans of every race, color or creed, they were teachers, tradesman, surveyors, agriculturists doctors a union of men and women that would make nations self sufficient. These Peace Corps workers would have an enduring effect on most third world country's. He wanted nations to become self sufficient provide them with the necessary technology, were self worth and freedom could flourish.
At the time of his death over 100.000 members had joined to go forward into third world countries, to teach them to become self reliant. Also at this time well over seven thousand letters a week were pouring into the Peace Corps office. If applications had been allowed to continue how many Americans would have volunteered to help third world countries? 500.000 a1,000,000? If that number was not sufficient the USA had the technology and the resources to train men and women and send them to areas of the world where the greatest need existed.
He questioned the actions of the International Monetary Fund, The World Bank, The Federal Reserve System, and their effect on third world countries. Like Pope John XXIII he believed the poverty and misery that exists around the world, are made by man and only man can rectify it. In the fall of 1963, Kennedy began his strategy for reelection. He flew across the country extolling the improvements on the international scene and progress made on civil rights and in the domestic field. On November 22 at 12:33 PM CST, while riding in an open limousine through Dallas Texas. Kennedy was shot in the head and was killed instantly. He was assassinated. His murder has never been satisfactorily explained.
Vice President Lyndon Johnson was sworn in as President. He took the oath of office on board the presidential jet, Air Force One, before returning to Washington DC. He committed the United States to assist European colonialism in the far east. Citing the need to protect US lives and prestige Johnson increased the Kennedy authorized contingent of 17,000 men in South Vietnam to 125,000 by mid 1965, 480,000 by mid 1967, and 550,000 by 1968.
In 1965 Johnson drew criticism for sending 22,000 US troops into the Dominican Republic, a totally catholic country, ostensibly to protect Americans, but in fact to save a corrupt government and prevent the socialists from assuming power. It was during this period of time that Johnson was received in audience with Pope Paul VI, with Paul Marcinkus as official translator. Reportedly it was the Vatican Curia that was in charge of Vatican business during the reign of Paul VI.
Robert F. Kennedy, brother of President John F. Kennedy was part and parcel of the Kennedy administration. They were very close, in fact, there were remarks made, that it was almost like having two presidents. In 1961, following the election of his brother to the presidency, Robert F. Kennedy was appointed attorney general. His tenure in that office was marked by active enforcement of civil rights laws. He resigned his cabinet post in the Johnson administration in 1964 and in the same year was elected US senator for New York. As a senator, Kennedy showed himself to be particularly concerned with the problems of urban ghettos and the poor and disadvantaged.
In the spring of 1968, Kennedy, who sharply differed with some of the policies of President Lyndon Johnson campaigned for the democratic party nomination for the presidency. Kennedy was a forceful campaigner he had one thing on his mind and that was to initiate the programs and the vision of a new America, a new world, that had been placed into motion during the days of the Kennedy administration. Robert Kennedy could envision a world free of dictatorships, free of forced slavery, free of the misery and despair that had touched so many people around the world, free of world debt that was crushing the efforts for a free and just society. He had a vision of the human race enjoying all those things the earth could bring forth and the technology that man could provide. By June 5th. 1968, he had won major preference primaries in Indiana, Nebraska, and California, on his way to becoming the next president of the United States of America.
Upon leaving the celebration in Los Angeles after his victory in the California primary was assured, people in Canada and the US watched Kennedy's victory and acclaim by the delegates at the convention center. T.V. coverage was superb, they were covering his every move. People watched, as Kennedy was to go down the elevator to his suite, one of his body guards, pulled Kennedy from the elevator, advising him plans had been changed and they were going through the kitchen. There waiting was a trained assassin who shot him. People watched in unbelievable horror as Kennedy lay dying on the kitchen floor while total confusion transformed the crowd into stunned disbelief. Robert Kennedy died the following day June 6th, 1968, and the world mourned the passing of a great leader.
Fearing that Martin Luther King Jr. would have great influence in the presidency of Robert Kennedy, and his leadership of black American's would assure Kennedy's victory, was placed on the list. He was murdered on April 4th. 1968.almost two months before the death of Kennedy.
Richard M. Nixon won the presidential elections in the fall of 1968, He was sworn in as President of the United States of America in January of 1969, with the promise that he would withdraw American troops from Vietnam immediately. However after being sworn in he suggested to the American people, rather then a period of confrontation, they would be entering an era of negotiation. He ordered a gradual withdrawal of the 500,000 troops from South Vietnam. The withdrawal took four years, however during which time, the war raged on and casualties mounted. Nixon authorized a US incursion into Cambodia in 1970 and the bombing of Hanoi and the mining of Haipong Harbour in 1972. During the period of time when the United States military launched its most aggressive action against North Vietnamese Nixon met in audience with Pope Paul VI With Monsignor Macchi, acting as translator. The morality of US power in South East Asia was a very concerned topic of discussion. Vatican City as a sovereign power played an important role in the battle of Vietnam, in the hope of maintaining their Roman Catholic domination of this part of Asia.
In 1972 Nixon won by one of the greatest majorities in US history, however the actions of his most trusted advisors and his approval of the actions, they had taken led to his downfall. he resigned on August,8th. 1974. At noon on August 9th, Gerald Ford took the oath of office as Nixon was being flown to retirement in California. President Gerald Ford pardoned Nixon for all offenses against the United States people.
President Gerald Ford held this office until 1976, after his defeat by James Earl Carter Jr. and his presidential running mate Senator. Waiter F. Mondale. His presidency was considered a status quo period to end the republican party's term of office.
Jimmy Carters presidency lasted his one term. Carter initiated a foreign policy based on respect for human rights. Carters greatest triumph came in 1978, when he provided the framework for an Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty that was signed in 1979. His greatest frustration was his inability until the day he left office, to free more than 50 U.S. hostages who had been taken by the revolutionary regime of Iran late in 1979.
Over the next several years it was claimed, that powerful international agency's had worked with the Ronald Reagan team to hold the refugees in Iran until Ronald Reagan was sworn in as president. Jimmy Carter did not fail his American people, but his efforts were sabotaged in order to give the Ronald Reagan- George Bush the acclaim for obtaining the release of the embassy officials.
In 1978 the Vatican Bank became embroiled in one of the worst most complex scandals to hit a church institution--one which included charges of laundering of Mafia money from the drug trade, bogus offshore companies in the Bahamas and in Latin America, money for missiles for Argentina in the Falkland crisis and the deaths of several Italian magistrates and justice ministers. In August of 1978 Pope Paul VI passed away and a new Pope would be named.
Over 100 Cardinals came to Rome to elect a new pope. They wanted a pope that would carry them into the twenty first century. They yearned for a pope like John XXIII who would bring modernism into the future. A pope who would rid the Vatican of the corruption and disgrace it had brought to the Vatican, from the power of money, from its attachment to the rich and powerful.
The cardinals elected their choice of pope, someone who would change the course of the Roman Catholic Church, and this great responsibility was given to Cardinal Albino Luciani. As Pope John Paul 1st, he accepted the crown of the Roman Catholic Church and head of Vatican City. It would now be necessary to deal with the turmoil and corruption that existed within the walls of the Vatican. Luciani's aspirations became quickly clear total revolution. He was intent on taking the church back to its origins, back to simplicity, honesty, ideals and aspirations of Jesus Christ. Luciani told the diplomatic corps, the Vatican would renounce its claims to temporal powers.
When the Cardinals elected Albino Luciani (Pope John Paul I) to the papacy in August 26th, 1978 they set an honest incorruptible pope against the forces that were responsible for the corruption at Vatican City. Albino Luciani had a dream. He dreamed of a Roman Catholic Church which would truly respond to the needs of the people on vital issues such as birth control. He dreamed of a church which would dispense with wealth, power, and prestige that it had a acquired through the creation of Vatican City, a church that would get out of the market place and reject the money lenders, where the message of Christ had become tainted, of a church that would once again, rely upon what has always been its greatest source of power, the gospel.
By the middle of September, 1978,the pope had acquired evidence that indicated, there was within the Vatican State, over 100 Freemasons ranging from cardinals to priests. This despite the fact under Roman Catholic Cannon law, that to be a freemason ensured automatic excommunication. Luciani was further preoccupied with an illegal Masonic Lodge which had penetrated far beyond Italy in its search for wealth and power. It called itself P2. The fact that it had penetrated the Vatican Walls and formed a link with priests, bishops and even Cardinals made P2 anathema. Pope John Paul had obtained a list of freemasons within the Vatican. He would now study the damage or effect they had on church corruption.
Pope John Paul I had ordered an investigation into the Vatican Banks Branco Ambrosiani and specifically into the methods employed by the president of the Vatican Bank, Paul Marcinkus. He was very concerned about what the power of money had done to people in the Latin American nations, and throughout most of the world. He was also very concerned about the close association between the Roman Catholic Church and the CIA.