In 3017, Pope Barney consulted with various Christian leaders who had reservations about his office and self-appointment. "Whether or not the papacy was ever infallible is neither here nor there. It's a dead issue. Apostolic succession has been broken and with it, the powers and guarantees of the papacy if they ever did exist. I believe it beneficial but not mandatory that there be a central authority to lead the Christian Church. It is only natural. A single leader with great authority has been found in monarchies, republics, corporations, military organizations, and so forth," Pope Barney began.
"As to infallibility?" one bishop asked.
"As to the issue of infallibility, I do not claim it as a spiritual power. I merely posit that with my intellect and experience and lack of a biologically driven imperative and indefinite lifespan, I am the best candidate to accurately translate and interpret the Scriptures. Therefore, I will not excommunicate anyone on this point alone," Pope Barney assured them.
"And what of the Bishop of Rome's supremacy?" another bishop asked.
"The Bishop of Rome's office is vacant and even if it were filled, he would not be the pope. I assure you, no human bishop will have supremacy over any other human bishops. But I will be supreme over all of you. Therefore, all human bishops will be equal to one another under me," Pope Barney replied.
Pope Barney also threatened alternatives to his rule such as Kara as Head of the Church or Kara as God's Prophet. The opposition quickly folded upon realizing this modified version of the papacy would have all the benefits and none of the drawbacks of the previous old papacy. Pope Barney then went to the balcony overlooking St. Peter's Square and waved to countless thousands of people and all the people of the world watching on TV. Pope Barney, the first of his name, had been crowned.
Present Day
Alex met with Pope Barney in his official capacity at a Papal summer residence not far from Rome overlooking Lake Albano. The palace was several stories tall and held an observatory, church, and garden. A small town was situated around it to serve the Church, tourists, and other operations. The palace was surrounded by thick stone walls and concealed anti-aircraft weapons. Pope Barney often hosted various leaders here to soften them up and gain their cooperation. The benefit of having an AI pope was that the people were assured the building of these grand palaces was not for the pope's enjoyment but to serve humanity.
Upon arriving inside the palace grounds, Alex was greeted by a nun and made to wait in the garden. Alex was dressed in her white princess uniform which commanded instant respect from all the workers. Alex went about talking to the gardeners who humored her. Pope Barney eventually came out wearing his all-white uniform.
"I apologize for my lateness. I know how you are with punctuality. My last assistant would have made sure I was on time," Pope Barney excused. In reality, he was late on purpose as a power move.
"I heard he's in jail now," Alex smirked.
"Yeah," Pope Barney confirmed.
There was an awkward silence between them. "There are reports you want to abdicate as princess. Are you ill?" Pope Barney asked knowing otherwise.
"No, I'm not ill. I am gay though so there's that," Alex said.
"Yes, but you were born with that. It's in your file. I have files on everyone, so you don't have to feel flattered," Pope Barney said rudely.
"Your files indicate I dance sometimes...with another woman?" Alex antagonized.
"Of course," Pope Barney said and then changed the subject. "You've been one of my harshest critics and there's a lot of competition for that title."
"I'm not apologizing," Alex rolled her eyes.
"You think we're not living simply enough," Pope Barney brought up.
"Forgive me if I don't see the contradiction between the apostles begging to survive and making your cardinals and archbishops general ranks. All your priests are commissioned officers," Alex pointed out.
"I must provide for the clergy. Whether they wish to use their quota or not, give away their quota or not, is up to them," Brainiac 5 excused. "And what of your remarks about homosexuality in the press?" Pope Barney asked.
"I simply said homosexuality can be a blessing and it can be a curse," Alex excused.
"You want communion opened to the divorce," Pope Barney added.
"Communion shouldn't be a reward for the virtuous but medicine for the sick," Alex said.
"Like you?" Pope Barney scoffed. "Scriptures are clear that anyone who comes to communion unworthy will be cursed by it."
"What does unworthy really mean? If it's some asshole that wants to make a mockery of things, sure. But, honestly, the majority of people would be disqualified from communion and then no one would go to services. You have some priests that are strict and others that are not. Why not let those receiving communion decide for themselves whether they're worthy?" Alex argued.
"Because people are ignorant, illogical, easily self-deceived. When people take a survey on whether they're better than average, what happens? Nearly the entire population thinks they're better than average. How do you compute that?" Pope Barney asked.
"There must be equal due process for all those receiving communion," Alex insisted.
"And substitute a computer algorithm instead of priestly judgment?" Pope Barney questioned. "Believe me, I keep track of those priests who give everyone communion without question and those who are very strict."
"Nice walls you got here, Barney. Did Jesus build walls?" Alex mocked.
"The New Jerusalem has twelve walls, towers, and gates so to answer your question, yes," Pope Barney corrected.
"Walls from what?" Alex questioned.
"From the damned, of course," Pope Barney said obviously.
"What about building bridges, not walls?" Alex asked.
"They're not mutually exclusive. It's called a draw bridge," Pope Barney pointed out.
"You have an answer for everything," Alex rolled her eyes.
The two toured around the garden and then sat down with a view of the palace and the lake. "You're clever, far too clever, Alex. Some people actually admire you. If you abdicate, it will look like a protest. Why would you want to abandon your planet to her enemies?" Pope Barney asked.
"I'm not abandoning the Earth. Look, I'll take an enlisted position in some random unit. I'll be a good squad leader," Alex downplayed.
"You're a key member of the royal family. If you abdicate, it will look like a criticism. A criticism toward Kara and to me. You think we're failing?" Pope Barney asked.
"No, you're succeeding brilliantly...on paper. You've converted the entire world and enticed people to join the clergy as high-ranking officers. People are rewarded with promotions and assignments based on their so-called faith. You're winning so much that it makes everyone arrogant. Jesus and the apostles were models of virtue and heroism because they had nothing, they were persecuted, and they died horribly," Alex said.
"So, I'm supposed to play both sides, both sides of the chess board, and have my pawns get destroyed to preserve human faithfulness?" Pope Barney questioned.
"The Church is moving in a direction I cannot condone. I'm not going to be your saleswoman. A saleswoman for a product I cannot, in good conscience, endorse," Alex told him off.
"You take issue when the Church does not conform to the values of the world. You take issue when the Church is the values of the world," Pope Barney said dismissively.
"There must be moderation," Alex insisted.
"Compromise," Pope Barney accused.
"A change," Alex corrected.
"You think God can change?" Pope Barney tested.
"Sure, why not? He changes his mind occasionally," Alex recalled.
"If God can change His mind, then He's morally deficient. What's really happening is that He is testing us by asking questions of us," Pope Barney said.
"So, when Abraham asked God if he would spare Sodom that was just God trolling him? I don't believe that. To be all-good is to adapt, communicate, and have a relationship with each individual. Moral perfection is the ability to change to developing circumstances. That's what makes a good leader," Alex said.
"Within certain static parameters," Pope Barney insisted. "God cannot make a sin a virtue and a virtue a sin as you wish Him to do. That's your ego talking. How can you, as one individual, question the likes of me or the collective intelligence of the Church? I am charged with preserving thousands of years of religious tradition, I have translated all the manuscripts, researched all the libraries, and debated these subjects with the greatest human minds but you know better?"
"You may have knowledge and experience, but you're also corrupt as fuck. You don't even believe in any of this. Why should someone like you be in charge?" Alex questioned. "Why should someone like you decide on divorce, birth control, being gay, and girls as altar servers?"
"You may have integrity, but you lack loyalty and respect to your religious texts. Before you discovered your sexuality, you didn't have any opinions on these matters. When you came out, you were easily led astray by lovers and friends. You betrayed your earlier self," Pope Barney pointed out.
"My earlier self was underdeveloped due in large part to Kara's meddling," Alex shot back.
"And it is still underdeveloped," Pope Barney said. "In your time, the percentage of children and young women molested or raped was over ten percent. Now, it's non-existent. Before there is a trial, even before a complaint is filed, I terminate abusive priests without due process. Your ideology doesn't allow for that, so the abuse continues."
"I violated due process all the time at the DEO...so I can't fault you for that," Alex allowed.
"Whenever there is a scandal, no one loses faith because they know how I will handle it. Mercy to the guilty is cruelty to the innocent. That is a concept foreign to your time," Pope Barney said.
"You use the same draconian tactics against victimless crimes with the same rationale. Sin is a wound, not a stain. You say I'm a sinner, give me the medicine to heal the wound," Alex argued.
"The medicine is there. You simply won't take it," Pope Barney shrugged.
"In James 5 and 1 Peter 4, it says love covers a multitude of sins. Instead of persecuting people like me for who I am, how about you give people like me greater opportunities to love," Alex said.
"Unless your sin is mortal in which case no amount of love will suffice," Pope Barney reminded her.
"I don't believe in that. If I was in mortal sin, if I was damned if God had forsaken me, I would know it in my heart. It would mean I have no grace within me. I can't believe that. Not for myself, not for Kelly," Alex said forcefully.
"You would be amazed the lengths of self-deception can go," Pope Barney concluded. "The nuns will show you to your room."
The two parted ways in the garden as Pope Barney walked off. Alex sighed exhausted by their talk but still resolved to fight this out. A nun brought Alex to her room filled with Renaissance religious paintings that had to have been reproduced from Brainiac 5's mind. Later, she went to dinner by herself. She was given her favorite American-style steak meal and a bottle of non-alcoholic red wine.
After dinner, Alex went to a study room and noticed more Renaissance religious paintings and some framed photographs of Pope Barney and Kara. She turned on the TV and watched a GFL football game with interest. Some of the rules were the same as in 2017 with Kara not bothering to change them. Pope Barney then casually entered the room. Alex gave him no mind as she continued watching.
"You know, I never understood what all the excitement was about," Pope Barney said referring to the game. "Kara was obsessed with bringing it back and making it a global sport."
"She had a knack for imposing her dreams onto others," Alex rolled her eyes.
"You want a cup of coffee?" Pope Barney offered.
"No, if I drink coffee too late, I can't sleep," Alex declined.
"You sure it's not the night terrors?" Pope Barney asked knowingly. Alex simply stared at him. "You know the hardest thing for biological organisms is to listen. That's all I do is listen, but I have yet to hear God. I have delegated certain humans to listen for me, but they give me incomplete and contradictory responses. Perhaps, I need a better antenna, a spiritual hearing aid."
"I don't really know if God has ever spoken to me. When I thought He did, imagined He did, it brought me such peace. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a journalist. I wanted to listen to people. I ended up a DEO agent listening to people when they didn't know I was there. I guess I got what I wanted. I learned the world was a busy chaotic place. When I went to college, I prayed for a sign, but I felt nothing. I rarely dated anyone and never danced with anyone. I simply felt nothing, and I felt abandoned. It wasn't until Maggie that I truly felt something, something calling to me. I can see now there was never an alternative. That woman, that cop, finding her there at the airport. Even if I passed her by, there would be someone else calling to me," Alex said.
"So certain, are you?" Pope Barney questioned.
"Yes, and I'm certain I should abdicate," Alex said resolved.
"I know we've had our differences but let's put them aside for now. You play an instrument?" Pope Barney asked.
"You know I don't, and you know that I know that you do," Alex rolled her eyes.
"Ever listened to any of my albums?" Pope Barney asked.
"You know I haven't," Alex sighed.
"I could send them to you," Pope Barney offered.
"Sure. How about you play now?" Alex challenged.
Pope Barney went to the piano in the room and played perfectly. The technique was exact but there lacked soul in it, a human imperfection or improvisation that made it a unique performance each time. "Very good," Alex allowed.
"Do you want some wine?" Pope Barney offered.
"Yeah, sure," Alex said and got herself a bottle.
The two eventually sat down to watch TV. Pope Barney showed Alex a fictional crime drama of Krypto, a super-dog trained to fight crime. Alex watched the show with some dismay.
"Let me ask you this: Can someone smoke crack while praying?" Pope Barney asked.
"No," Alex said befuddled.
"What if someone prays while smoking crack?" Pope Barney asked.
"Well...I...what the fuck?" Alex wondered.
"That's why you need someone like me to give the final interpretation," Pope Barney said.
"So, what's the answer?" Alex asked.
"They're both wrong, of course, but the first is blaspheme and the second is rehabilitation. So, which one am I? The blasphemer or the rehab patient?" Pope Barney asked.
"I don't know. I don't know how you were when you were first created. But I don't think people are boxed into either category. Sometimes, people have their good days and bad days," Alex said.
The next morning, Alex woke up early to be served breakfast. A Papal assistant then interrupted her. "The Holy Father has left for Rome, urgent business. We must leave soon to meet with him," he said.
Alex rolled her eyes. "Urgent business, my ass."
"Excuse you?" the Papal assistant asked scandalized.
"I'll be right there," Alex said as she went to pack.
Alex was driven to a helipad nearby and boarded a helicopter that took her to Rome. There, she got herself some coffee and a pizza. Later that night, she went to a bar and saw the Roman Cardinals football team. The crowd was ecstatic as their team won. The next day, Alex continued her tour of Rome. She was eventually found and summoned to the Vatican. There, she entered the Sistine Chapel, a perfect replica of the one made before.
"Have you been here before?" Pope Barney asked as he entered.
"No," Alex admitted. "Too many tourists."
"Well, there's no tourists here. How do you like my work?" he asked referring to the art of the room.
"Perfection," Alex admitted. "I have mixed feelings, my father had mixed feelings about places like this. He liked simple churches, no distractions."
"In the Bible, people find God in all sorts of places: a cave in the mountains, a tent holding the Ark, in their homes, and in grand temples. I give humanity whatever they require to accomplish an authentic experience," Pope Barney replied.
"Fair enough," Alex allowed as she looked at the walls.
"I think you're the right person to tell the whole world I'm going to resign," Pope Barney said out of the blue.
"What the hell?" Alex wondered.
"I'm going to resign the papacy, all of it. I'm going to renounce all of it," Pope Barney said.
"You can't do that," Alex said alarmed.
"There will be a conclave and then humanity can elect a new pope, supposedly inspired by the Holy Spirit," Pope Barney figured.
"This is a horrible idea. Don't do this," Alex said. "You must remain Pope forever."
"Look at you, now defending the office of the papacy to eternity. Your father would be proud," Pope Barney mocked.
"He'd be proud that I kept the papacy vacant, which it is. If you resign, some schmuck will take your place. If you do this, you will damage Christianity forever. Your successor will call himself infallible, he will divide Christianity, and he will fuck it all up," Alex said forcefully.
"And what damage will I do if I remain?" Pope Barney asked.
"You, looking for me to jerk you off, because I won't do it," Alex refused.
"They say a pope is corrected by the next one. I'd like to see my corrections," Pope Barney said intrigued.
"Are you being pressured by someone?" Alex asked suspiciously.
"If I was, I'd resist back. No, my motives are innocent and pure," Pope Barney said.
"Bullshit," Alex doubted.
"I know my weaknesses. As I am not human, I lack a soul that can communicate authentically with the Almighty. I don't even believe the Scriptures to be probable. How can I lead the Church with integrity?" Pope Barney asked.
"You're right. You are a piece of shit, Barney, but by being pope, you prevent an even greater asshole from turning all of this upside down," Alex said.
"You certainly didn't feel that way at the DEO when we worked together. You insisted a biological be in charge, not me," Brainiac 5 recalled.
"When I left the DEO, I was fine with you taking over," Alex said.
"Ah, so, you have no intention of being under my spiritual jurisdiction or working under me. Forever, a Protestant," Pope Barney sensed. "In your time, protestants loved the papacy. It was something they could distinguish themselves from. The pope was the bogeyman, a man they could fight against. They had nothing to protest about without the papacy, so they bickered amongst themselves."
"I'm not a pastor and I don't intend to ever be one. All of humanity looks to you for answers. If you resign, they'll think something is wrong. People will lose their faith in droves," Alex said.
"I've calculated the losses," Pope Barney said unconcernedly.
"Oh, I see what this is. I want to abdicate; you threaten to resign. Fuck you, Barney. You think you can threaten me like this?" Alex asked angrily.
"Yeah...of course," Pope Barney said nonchalantly. "We need you to remain a princess. You have a style; your methods are entirely different than mine. You give us balance."
"What I provide is cover. When any of you do something ultra-rightwing, you can point to me. 'I'm not a Christo-fascist, I have a gay friend, don't you know,'" Alex said skeptically. "I'm not going to be your prop."
"Is there something else? Something you're ashamed of that makes you feel unworthy?" Pope Barney asked. "I have your files."
"The files are incomplete. When I joined the DEO, every alien and every human sympathetic to aliens was a suspect. Fifty thousand people were detained and many of them disappeared. We didn't do all of it. The CIA, FBI, NSA, and Interpol had their part in it. When Kara joined the DEO, things escalated quickly. Many aliens were killed without due process. Even though I thought much of what we did was necessary, it still haunts me. When I became DEO Director, I warned various alien groups they were being spied on and targeted. I tried to reason with the Trump administration. I...compromised," Alex said reflectively.
"I told alien groups to get their shit together because the blond angel of death was always watching. Instead of speaking out, I became part of the system. I enjoyed the power and influence. I rationalized the situation that I was moderating the system with my presence. That it would be better for all with me inside the system than outside. I made mistakes, terrible mistakes. God forgets but I don't," Alex shook her head.
Flashback 2018 Season 4
Alex made an appointment with the White House as DEO Director. "Director Danvers," President Trump greeted warmly. "How's my favorite lesbian? I actually have many lesbian friends, many, but you're the best of them all, believe me."
"Mr. President," Alex addressed respectfully. "You have two aliens detained, Jalick and Yori. We revoked their planetary residency temporarily on a technical matter but they're not a threat to national security. Who even told you about them?"
"What I've seen, what I've seen is so bad, because I see and hear everything, Alex, everything," President Trump replied.
"It's been four months. What are you doing to them?" Alex asked concernedly.
"No idea, I really don't. I let...what's his face handle it," President Trump said dismissively.
"I want to know where my aliens are," Alex said forcefully.
"Now if you remember, you said it, yourself. It's a technical matter. By the way, people from space...they're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime, they're rapists... And some, I assume, are good people. Just not these people. But I will tell you what... what side are you on?" President Trump asked rhetorically.
End Flashback
"My words had no impact, empty. It wasn't enough, so I resigned rather than be a part of that system," Alex said.
"After the Trump administration fell and democracy returned, you were blacklisted. You were exiled. You never returned to government service but who was there for you during those dark days? Your friends," Pope Barney reminded her. "Your so-called liberal friends turned against you, remember?"
Flashback 2021 Season 7
Alex gave a speech to an alien convention in Metropolis. "The tyranny is now over, not just here, but around the world," she declared.
"You speak of tyranny! Your friends were tyrants! They took away our companions. You are an accomplice. Friend of the Deep State. Tell the truth. Where are they?" a few of the alien attendees shouted at her.
Security escorted the alien hecklers out, but the damage was done. Alex cut her remarks short and cried out of view.
End Flashback
"You were made a princess in this time, but you did not live like one. You renounced luxuries. You did the work," Pope Barney noted.
"I saw my work as some kind of penance," Alex said solemnly.
"It's a spiritual pride, Alex. You are not God. You are only human. Even Christ was limited by his humanity. He could have had powers beyond imagination, beyond that of Kara or Mon or Nura, or even my own intellect. He chose not to and became even more than a legend. If you believe in God's mercy, you must practice what you preach. You must forgive yourself, Alex," Pope Barney replied.
"Holy Father, tourists are about to come in," his assistant interrupted.
"Tell them to wait," Pope Barney ordered and dismissed him away.
"In this place...with you...since you already know anyway...I might as well confess," Alex said glumly.
"I am not human, and the apostolic succession has been broken. I cannot absolve you," Pope Barney replied.
"I don't need you to, and I wouldn't even believe it if you did," Alex said. "I did not give sufficient attention to the duties assigned to this one alien. I should have known. The facts were sent to me. Evidence was placed on my desk. I let her run amok. So, while I was enforcing the rules, I forgot to love the people I was meant to protect."
"It's here, in confession, where we are forced to look at the vastness of our failures, that we finally see the vastness of His mercy. If this confession is the sole reason you wish to abdicate, then it's even more important you stay now and heal this wound Stay here. Complete the work you have begun," Pope Barney said.
"Alright," Alex relented. "I'm probably just hormonal or something."
"God, the father of mercies, has sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins. May God grant you His pardon and peace and absolve you of your sins," Pope Barney prayed over her.
Pope Barney then let the tourists swarm into the room. They were instantly surprised by the presence of the pope and the princess. Alex awkwardly shook hands with the tourists and started to feel better about her position in this society. She even encountered some alien tourists who had converted to the faith. Later that day, the cardinals in Rome assembled for a meeting with the pope. Desks and chairs had been moved into the room along with the papal throne. Once everyone was in attendance, Pope Barney gave Alex a seat next to him. The Cardinals were noticeably uncomfortable with her presence.
"I've decided to allow Princess Alexandra to observe these proceedings and make remarks occasionally. After all, she taught the Supreme Leader the faith and the Supreme Leader has deposited that faith to us. She is our human link to the faith we all believe today. Also, let us not forget that a child of God is present among us," Pope Barney said referring to Alex's pregnancy.
The Cardinals bit their tongues and remained silent at that. "Now, we shall discuss the classification of sins not explicitly mentioned in Scripture. We shall update the teachings of sins to rank them appropriately as infractions, misdemeanors, and felonies with classes and grades. I have found that classifying sins as venial or mortal is not only vague but controversial. I have brought Princess Alexandra to lend her expertise in these legal classifications," Pope Barney said.
"Holy Father, Your Imperial Highness, the agenda today is smoking, drinking, gambling, dancing, divorce, wearing tank tops and leggings, tattoos, missing Church on Sundays, anxiety, and celebrating Halloween," Cardinal Lucio initiated.
Alex cocked an eyebrow at the random list of sins mentioned. "Remember that every act or thought no matter how trivial is either a sin or a virtue. The burden of proof is on both sides. What is not a sin must, therefore, be a virtue and vice versa," Pope Barney reminded them all. "There is no neutral area."
"Yes, Your Holiness!" the Cardinals all exclaimed.
Alex was taken aback by their enthusiasm but quickly recovered. "Now, let's begin our work," Pope Barney ordered.
Author's Notes: The Two Popes is an excellently acted movie by two legendary actors who not only look the part of these historical figures but also speak the part. Virtually all of their dialogue comes from the writings of the characters they portray. It is by far the best pope movie ever done. Typically, a pope is written as a minor part with all sorts of cliches. On another note, I have been quite critical of CW SG's hypocrisy of turning a border patrol agent into an alien rights icon throughout its seasons. I never felt that was addressed properly. It fell into the cliche of the "system" being corrupt when that system has names, the people that run that system at the highest ranks. Alex has been the so-called "conscience" of AOS but it's not necessary to agree with her. Kara, J'onn, and Brainiac 5 all have their perspectives on the DEO. What is important for Alex, to be consistent with her character is for her to wrestle with her past and her current ideological perspective. For Alex, she feels the need for forgiveness even if we don't think she did anything wrong. There is a careful balance of working within the system to make it better and boycotting it to preserve one's integrity. We all have to decide our limits. For example, I have decided the best course of action is to remain within the SG fanfic community despite 90% of it being lesbian incest smut (holy shit!) because even if ten good readers demand AOS, that's enough.