A Meeting at the Vatican
The heavy oak doors of the Apostolic Palace hummed as they swung open, revealing an office that smelled of aged vellum and beeswax. JCJ walked in with a measured stride, his posture reflecting the discipline of a man used to high-stakes strategy. Across the ornate desk sat Pope Leo, his white robes stark against the deep crimson of the room’s tapestries.
Pope Leo: (Looking up from a manuscript) “Mr. Jukic. They tell me you have been spending quite a bit of time navigating the old structures. The York Rite, I understand? A path of many steps.”
JCJ: “It’s a linear journey, Your Holiness. One that leads to a very specific door. The Commandery of the Knights Templar.”
Pope Leo: (Leaning back, a faint smile playing on his lips) “The Templars. A name that carries a lot of weight in these halls—some of it historical, some of it… complicated. Most choose the philosophical breadth of the Scottish Rite. Why choose the sword and the cross of the York?”
JCJ: “Because I value the completion of the story. In the Blue Lodge, things are lost. In the Royal Arch and the Cryptic degrees, they are recovered. But in the Commandery, those secrets are finally defended. There’s a certain clarity in a chivalric oath that you don’t find in abstract philosophy.”
Pope Leo: “Clarity. Yes, that is rare these days. But the Knight Templar degree requires a specific commitment—a vow to defend the faith. In an age of shifting allegiances, that is a bold ‘right hand path’ to take.”
JCJ: “I’ve always preferred a clear objective. Life is like a grand strategy; you can’t win if you don’t know what you’re defending. To me, the York Rite isn’t just about degrees; it’s about the discipline of the warrior-monk. It’s about the tradition of the High Middle Ages meeting the modern world.”
Pope Leo: (Nodding slowly) “It is a path of tradition, certainly. One that mirrors the structure of the Church in its own way. You seek the highest level, the Knight Templar. Tell me, Joe—when you finally stand at the altar with the mantle on your shoulders, what is it you hope to find?”
JCJ: “Not just a title, Your Holiness. I’m looking for the realization that the ancient virtues haven’t disappeared. They’ve just been waiting for people willing to walk the path to find them again.”