In Declan Finn's novel A Pius Stand: A Global Thriller, the pope is an African and the United Nations is an enemy of the Catholic Church. The UN "had declared it an outlaw entity guilty of war crimes—against women, Islam, gays…and had declared all their properties forfeit."
Church buildings are vandalized, not only Catholic but of "all varieties of Christians." US President Barry is disdainful and dismissive of Catholics and the Christian right. The Soviets form their own religious order, in line with their beliefs and values. A jihadist website presents a "wonderful plan to wipe out the Catholics in Europe."
All this anti-Christian sentiment gels into a major military attack on the Vatican. The "armies of darkness" close in, aiming to steal art treasures and destroy the Church.
Its defenders prepare for the onslaught. They're fewer in number and not perfect. But as one of them says, "God doesn't need a saint to pull off miracles—God can use whoever he likes."
They believe they'll win in the long run, even if they die. In the words of one: "I believe we can win because I believe in God, and with God, man is invincible…. I prefer that if I must die, then I die in the name of God."
Do the Church's defenders die? You'll have to read the book to find out. It contains too many characters and too much violence for my taste. However, I found A Pius Stand: A Global Thriller entertaining and thought-provoking. It's part of a trilogy by Declan Finn. The other two are A Pius Man: A Holy Thriller and A Pius Legacy: A Political Thriller.
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