The Great Hunt (Oslo, Norway)

[Patricus I]

A decade in Vatican City and the Holy Father rarely left the borders of his city-state. Then the last few weeks he’d visited no less than five rural dioceses all around eastern Europe. His visits were the same at each. He showed up without announcement, attracted a lot of attention from the surrounding community, spoke with the faithful, gave mass then left. The only other common thread among these surprise visits was that they were in dying corners of the world where the church’s reach, money and parishioners ran thin.

Norway was not known for their large Catholic population. Less than one or two percent of the population was affiliated with a diocese. Since the revelation of channeling, people seeking answers in the arms of religion gave church attendance a small bump, but the Bishops in Oslo were concerned (they all were). Philip never gave much attention to the flight of the faithful. So many within the media were curious about his new behaviors, and to Philip’s annoyance, attributed them as some sort of response to the CCD.

Therefore, his arrival in Oslo was noted as a stop through to another location yet even the Pope must sleep. He preferred a priest’s dormitory in St. Olav’s cathedral, but he was assured that the rooms were in an uninhabitable state of construction following disruption of the internal piping.

He ended up forced to sleep in a hotel in order to continue his journey to the more rural prelature that was his destination. 

Of course, there was no missing his arrival.