Reeling from the sudden death of the pope during an international celebration, the Archbishops of the Roman Catholic Church unanimously elect Peter Carenza, a charismatic young priest from the United States, to be the next Pontiff. Carenza has revitalized the Church in America, attracting new worshipers in droves to his scandal-free, countrywide congregation. Carenza remakes the Church in his new image, allowing priests to marry, giving power to women, and preaching of the power of God in man — which Carenza himself seems to wield. He can heal the sick, summon lightning from a clear sky, even raise the dead. Is Peter Carenza the long prayed-for Second Coming? Or do his powers come from a darker Master?