In 2008, Paraguayan Author predicted and described the Popes resignation

Vicente Brunetti

Life, at times, imitates fiction In the novel, The Apocalypse According to Benedict (El Apocalipsis segn Benedicto), published in 2008, prize-winning Paraguayan author, Esteban Bedoya, accurately describes the Popes retirement at the age of 85. One paragraph of Bedoyas novel reappeared 2 years later in 2010, when Benedict XVI expressed a possible condition for his retirement in an interview with a German journalist who later published it in the form of a book. At the end of Bedoyas short novel, after his retirement, the ex-Pope was continued to be called Benedict. In the first part, with an admirable writing style that is both precise and surgical, the novel tells a story, very similar to reality, of the public life of Benedict XVI, whose full name is Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, who after the death of John Paul II, was elected as the 265th Pope on the 19th May, 2005.

In the second part, Bedoya unleashes his creativity and, amongst other events, Benedict XVI resigns. What follows, is a recommendation for anyone who has yet to read the book, to get themselves a copy and read it. But its not just by coincidence or chance that Bedoya is lead to such an accurate prediction. Rather it is, the development of the novel that drives and justifies this outcome. The resignation and retirement of the Pope, detailed in Bedoyas fiction, is now seen today repeated in reality that has taken many by surprise. Accordingly, use of this fiction should be highlighted as an effective method to interpret and explain what really occurs in the dark, yet elaborate corridors of the Vatican. One of the extracts from the novel that accurately describe certain sentiments and reasons for retirement which have since been expressed by Benedict XVI himself, years after Bedoyas novel had been published, includes: The press speculated and started rumours which spoke of the retirement of the Pope: Benedict himself had announced his intention to resign in the case of being unable to carry out such responsibility (The Apocalypse., page 21). Benedicts sentiment in Bedoyas novel, published in 2008, fits perfectly with the paragraph highlighted by the Basque newspaper, GARA, on 12th February 2013 which reads: The protagonist himself (Joseph Ratzinger), in a book-length interview with German journalist Peter Seewald, confessed in November of 2010 his willingness to resign due to illness, if physically, psychologically and spiritually (he) were not able to perform (his) job (in: http://preview.tinyurl.com/cy9az8y). The idea is not to take away potential readers of the novel, so in it, after the resignation, the former Pope continued to be called Benedict In this regard, Cubadebate published the article: Lombardi: We will continue to call him Benedict XVI (in: http://tinyurl.com/bu7vd4r). Its worth highlighting the film Habemus Papam", by Italian film director Nani Moretti, which tells the fictional story of Cardinal Melville, who, when elected Pope, suffers a panic attack that prevents him from taking office. However, in the case of the Bedoyas novel, the identity and age of the Pope who decided to retire is depicted: the same Joseph Ratzinger Benedict XVI, at age 85. To think that a Pope can retire is not something extraordinary, even though the last time it happened was 598 years ago, but to actually predict the name and age of the Pope who has now, in real life, resigned and retired. well thats a different story. In turn, writer Frei Betto has so far depicted five resignations, including that of Benedict XVI: "In the history of the Church there are four popes who resigned ...: Benedict IX (on 01/05/1045), Gregory VI (the 20/12/1046), Celestine V (13/12/1294) and Gregory XII (on 04/07/1415). Benedict XVI will be the fifth, from 28 February "(in: http://tinyurl.com/bfdyls2).

Literature is also capable of writing the history of the future In delving into universal literature and cases of authors who produced works considered clairvoyant, emerge the names of Jules Verne, H. G. Wells, George Orwell, Ray Bradbury and Manuel Scorza. Jules Verne was a successful French writer, thanks to his ability to attract a very diverse readership, he captivated audiences by the intermingling of science fiction and its many stories, both in his time and even still today. "He predicted with great accuracy in his fantastic tales the appearance of some of the products generated by the technological advances of the twentieth century; the TV, helicopters, submarines and spaceships (in: http://tinyurl.com/ylmn3om). Herbert George Wells was a writer, novelist, historian and British philosopher. Wells wrote science fiction novels "The Time Machine" (1895), whose original title was "The Chronic Argonauts", "The Invisible Man" (1897), "The War of the Worlds" (1898) and "The first men on the Moon "(1901). George Orwell, under the pseudonym of Eric Blair, was a British writer, and wrote the novel "1984" in 1948. Perhaps this title arose as a rearrangement of the last digits of the year to place the work in the future. It is often cited as a counterexample to a utopia (an imagined place in which everything is perfect), with "dystopian fiction" (an imagined place in which everything is undesirable). In this book the concept of "Big Brother" emerges; a police state which is totalitarian, vigilant and repressive, as it used to be three decades ago, due to results of projects like "ECHELON" (UKUSA Security Agreement: United States, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand). Ray Douglas Bradbury, American science fiction writer, wrote fantasy stories with a poetic prose such as; "The Martian Chronicles" (1950), "The Golden Apples of the Sun" (1953), "Remedy for Melancholy" (1960), The Machinery of Joy (1964) Ghosts of the New (1969), and among his novels, the unforgettable "Fahrenheit 451" (1953), also included as dystopian fiction. Manuel Scorza, excellent writer, poet and social activist from Peru, wrote the monumental epic series "The Silent War", composed of five novels: "Strengthened by Rancas" (1970); "Garabombo, the Invisible" (1972), "The Sleepless Horseman" (1976), "Song of Agapito Robles" (1976) and "Tomb of the Lightning" (1978). In the latest of the series, Scorza wrote about certain characters and their actions which, two years later, came true in a few sociopolitical cases in Peru. However, in the case of "The Apocalypse of Benedict" Esteban Bedoya went a step further, by venturing into a piece of literature in which, five years ago, described with amazing accuracy that which then was the future and today is now the present. International recognition of Bedoyas nouvelle format In some proposals for the classification of novel literary works, nouvelle and long story, nouvelle or novella is a story of a lesser extent than a novel, defined by Julio Cortzar as a "genre somewhere between a story and a novel." With respect to the number of words in a nouvelle, some authors set their limits between 30,000 and 50,000 words, but it is not an inflexible rule. Two nouvelle works are: "The Tracker" by Julio Cortzar and "Perjury in Snow" by Adolfo Bioy Casares.

This extension which responds to the nouvelle format is apparently where Esteban Bedoya is most comfortable. "The Apocalypse According to Benedict" in its Spanish version has 13,389 words and in English, 14,756. Other excellent nouvelle will be republished under the title of "The Ear Collector and in its Spanish version will be 35,914 words. The novel "The Apocalypse According to Benedict" is not limited to the accuracy of the story and guessing what happens now in 2013, it has outstanding literary merit pertaining to both the structure and the level of creativity. In fact, for this work Bedoya received the 2010 PEN America/Edward and Lily Tuck Prize. As a writer, Bedoya has received awards from the Academy of Latin American Poets (1982) and the Helguero Publishing House (1983). His much publicized novel "The Bear Pit" (2003), was translated into French under the title "La fosse aux Ours" (2005), the German title "Der Brengraben" (2009) and published in France by La dernire goutte. The novel "The Evil Ones" ("Les Mal-aims") (2006) was translated and published in France as by L'Harmattan and the novel, now titled "The Ear Collectors" will be translated into French and published in France by La dernire goutte. "The Apocalypse of Benedict" is being translated into English for publication in the United States. After ten years into the publication of his creative work, Esteban Bedoyas writing continues to increase in its creativity, with genuine stories that are not only worthwhile reads, but are enjoyed with the same pleasure as that of the best of Augusto Roa Bastos.
Article by Vicente Brunetti Monday, 18 February, 2013 from Kaos en la Red, La Haine.org, Rebelin.org, vamosacambiarelmundo

(Traduccin de Gabrielle Hall, Canberra)