A Second Enclyclical

The novel deals with the events leading to the assassination of future Pope Michael I after the publication of his first encyclical. That encyclical caused animosity from Muslims, Jews, Protestants, non-believers, and even many within the Catholic Church for its stauncly conservative and bellicose stance. It is fear of a second encyclical that prompts the Curia, the governing body of the church, to try to stop their leader whom some feel has become somewhat mad. Why, how, and who caused his death is the subject of the narrative which spans 40 years.