This is the quarters where the pope of the church lives. It is a loft with a bedroom, and makeshift kitchen and a sitting area. It has a wall full of gospel books and materials and the linens are all silk.
Popes dormitory, Inside Church
preacher
pope
I am a very religious man and have strong faith. I spent many years as a priest within the church, trying to comfort my people. I enjoy caring for the poor and praying for those who need help.
My son, to come to my dormitory, it must me of great urgency, pray how can I help? Oh Holy One... though preacher I may be, I... I simply cannot believe in the Lord Our God any longer! Forgive me, Sir, and excommunicate me if you must, but You need only gaze upon the corruption of the church to see why my faith is so utterly shattered! My son, my son, of what corruption do you speak that has so shattered your belief? My Lord! If I have prayers left in me, I pray for this: that You do not break my heart with such denial! Look upon these vestments! Look upon this chamber and its material wealth! How?! How can we wear and live with such riches and still ask so much more of the poor?! My son, I understand your distress. I too once questioned the things with which we surround ourselves. I must turn you to the good book. The good book? THE GOOD BOOK?! Do you think I have not read the GOOD book?! My son, the Bible, the Bible....tells us, in Christ's own word's "there will be poor always". Do what we will, we cannot only ease the plight of the poor, not change their lot in life. The Bible also says, "It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter Heaven!" Look at us! We are rich and our people are poor! What does this tell you, You 'Holiness"? But we do not seek these earthly riches, God has provided them as a sign that we are his voice on earth. And to allow us to spread his word. What rancid nonsense! Our deeds should be our riches! These rags mean nothing! If riches were signs of God's graces, he would have come to Earth as the son of a merchant or a king, not a carpenter! My son, what would you have me do, throw away and disregard these beautiful gifts from the people who give them freely from their hearts as signs of their love of God? And insult them and degrade them? They give these gifts at our direction! We should instruct the flock to tend itself! Give not a gilded bible to the Pope but a thousand loaves of bread to the poor! Give not fancy robes to the preacher but medicine to the sick! Would that not bring us closer to God? To walk among the lepers as He did instead of among these golden halls?