The Ark of Apocalypse

CHAPTER ELEVEN

International Broadcast

Finally Philip opened his mouth, and the words were suddenly there.

“Citizens of France, my name is Philip von Habsburg. I am the great grandson of Charles von Hapsburg, the last Holy Roman Emperor. I have come to stop the killing, the looting, and the rapping throughout France. I did not ask for this job. I was commanded to do it by Holy Obedience, something the world has forgotten. I was commanded to do it by the Holy Father, Benedict.

“For the past three years, this country and most other countries of the world have been torn apart by civil wars. Your government no longer exists. The army and police forces are in disarray and can no longer function. Law has become the law of the mob. Many cities are governed by gangs of children who roam the streets killing and looting.

“For this reason, I was called to Rome. At the foot of St. Peter’s tomb, His Holiness ordained me King of France and Holy Roman Emperor. He has sent out instructions to all Cardinals and Bishops throughout the world commanding all Catholics to listen and obey me in order to bring peace and order back to the world.

“He commanded me to restore order to France first, and then to the rest of Europe. In order to accomplish this, he gave me authority from God, his own private army, the Military order of St. John of Jerusalem, who retains their power of invincibility because of their three vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. Because they take no money for their services and because they have no women and because they are totally obedient to the Church, God has granted them supernatural help in the time of battle.

“He also gave me power from God. He gave me this.”

Philip put his hands in a cloth, picked up the Holy Grail and held it before the television Camera. The gold and precious jewels glistened in the lights. As he held it, the coagulated blood liquefied before the camera and changed from black to bright red.

“This is the Blood of Christ, our salvation. This chalice is the same Chalice Christ used at the Last Supper. This Chalice was in the Ark of the Covenant that Moses built. This Chalice was used by Melchisedec to ordain our father Abraham. This is the Holy Grail.”

He set it down reverently and bowed before it. He paused to let his words sink into the minds and hearts of those listening and then went on:

“When I drank from this Holy Grail, I received the wisdom as to how God wants me to restore order and how I should govern, in fact, how the world should have been governed from the beginning.”

Philip paused and looked into the camera with authority. Not the authority from man but the authority from God.

What he didn’t know was that the satellite was not only beaming his message all across France, but it was sending it to Russia, Germany, Poland, Hungary, Yugoslavia, North and South America, Africa, and Asia. Audio tapes were being made by monitors and would be re-shown to government leaders, cardinals, bishops, union leaders, underground rebels, and, within a week, everyone on the face of the earth would have heard of “The King”. Everyone would be talking about the man called Philip. He went on:

“In France, as in the rest of the world, God has shown me how to rule. It will be as it was at the time of Josue and the Judges, before the people demanded a King. But now you will have both the Judges to rule you, and the King to make sure that you obey them.

“From this moment (8:45 P.M. on April 1), all crime in France shall cease. Every crime committed before this time shall be forgotten and forgiven. Every crime committed from this second on shall be avenged by me without delay.

“In each area of France the former elders, priests, and religious will help set up local governments and laws.”

Reaching down, Philip picked up a folder only a quarter inch think.

“A long time ago my father wrote a sample constitution as a guide to the emerging countries leaving communism and coming into the European Union. None of these countries accepted this constitution, but I think it was the best form of government ever designed.

“This constitution is based on natural law and God given human rights. Similar to the original American constitution, it will have total religious freedom, the first of all human rights. The elders can govern however they want by the consent of the people without any interference from me, providing they do not violate the basic laws of this constitution. France will be a Constitutional Government, where the written law is the law for everyone, without exception. All laws will be based on this Constitution without exception.

“The elders selected by the people and the religious shall set up small local governments based on this law. They shall decide on the rules of order and implication of this constitution. They shall be judges of every dispute just as it was before King Saul, our first King. Whoever breaks this peace from this hour forth, it shall be reported to me though these Knights. You will be governed by this paper and not by people. Everyone from the rich to the poor will obey the same law.

“I will divide France into fifty districts, and will send a small armed force to protect these districts. They have orders to enforce the laws made by the elders, who will be elected by the local people. They will enforce without pay because I will pay them. No member of the central government of France will be paid. When you have a police force we will leave. I will take care of paying the police until taxes can be re-instated.

“I will collect no taxes. I will make no laws. I will accept no gifts. God will and has supplied my own needs and those of my army. My only job will be to protect this constitution from any change and the people from any abuse.

“If you have need of taxes for roads, utilities or whatever, you can set up a community chest approved by the elders and judges. All businesses shall set up guilds so that all employees receive fair benefits from their work. Business and guilds will work together without government interference.

“There will be peace because I will protect my people, the little people. If somehow one of my men is killed, I will personally come to avenge his death, and it will be better for those responsible if they were never born. It will be our vow to go to the ends of the world at any cost to avenge the death of one Knight. To harm one Knight will be the same as bringing down the wrath of God.

“His Holiness has ordained that whoever dies in my service to protect any Knight, priest, nun, bishop, cardinal, or child shall receive a plenary indulgence and shall not see any fires of Hell or Purgatory. But whoever goes against any one of us shall be condemned.

“One hundred armed men have already gone out to take their places. And now, I must go to the aid of my friends. I have a small army with me now. Germany is in the same disarray that France is in. We shall march into Germany and restore peace there also. I ask all Frenchmen to proclaim a war, rouse the warriors to arms. Let all the soldiers report and march. Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak man say, ‘I am a warrior.’ Hasten and come, all you neighboring peoples, assemble there.” Philip paused a minute and then closing his eyes, said a prayer to God out loud, “Bring down, O Lord, Your Warriors.” Then Philip went on again. “In three days, we shall all meet in Lorraine and march into Germany. May Our Sweet Lady guide our ways.”