In the fall of 1977, I found myself standing at the Member’s Entrance to the Canadian House of Commons, waiting for Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. What followed was a series of encounters that would intertwine my life with his, the papacy, and the divine shaking of earthly powers—a story of faith, humility, and the enduring call to “feed the sheep.”
My journey with Trudeau began in 1977, when I wrote him a letter and attempted to deliver it to him as he returned from his daily lunch at 24 Sussex Drive. As his limousine pulled away, I shouted, “Prime Minister! I have some information for you, Sir. Will you accept it, please?” Trudeau froze in his footsteps, unable to move until his aides helped him. Days later, I returned to Parliament Hill, climbing the main stairway to the road in front of the Peace Tower. Just as Trudeau’s limo was passing by, it stopped unexpectedly. To my surprise and admiration, Trudeau got out and walked toward me.
“Why do you keep shouting at me?” he asked.
“To get your attention,” I replied.
“I’m a busy man. I’ve got my work to do,” he said.
“I’ve got my work to do too,” I answered, handing him the envelope.
A few days later, at an event on Parliament Hill, I asked Trudeau if he had read my note. The media often projected him as a devout Catholic, so I was surprised when he responded, “You only want to talk to me about God. Use your mind.” At that moment, I thought, The game is on. It was a challenge, but also an invitation to engage on a deeper level.
A year before my first encounter with Trudeau, in 1976, I was washing dishes at Suzanne’s Kitchen on the boardwalk of Venice, California, when I woke up remembering a vivid dream. In the dream, I was a small child, perhaps six or seven years old, dressed in an oversized General’s uniform. The cap covered my ears, the sleeves extended far beyond my hands, and the greatcoat and sword crumpled on the floor around me. I stood at the bottom of a grand stairway, looking up at the Pope, who was crowned and enthroned at the top, surrounded by all the pomp and ceremony of the Vatican.
As I watched, the Pope rose from his throne and descended the stairs. He approached me and said, “Here are the Keys.”
I asked, “You’re giving me the Keys?”
He answered, “Yes.”
“You’re giving me the Keys to the Kingdom?”
“Yes,” he replied.
“You’re giving me the Keys to the Vatican and the Treasury of the Vatican?”
In the dream, the Pope said, “It’s all yours, and you can do what you want with it.”
I answered, “If it’s all mine, let’s order champagne for the world and go uptown Saturday night.”
And then I woke up.
The dream stayed with me, its meaning unclear but its imagery unforgettable. It wasn’t until the Year of Three Popes in 1978 that I began to see its significance. Obviously the Pope didn’t deliver the keys to me physically, but in the real World 2 years later, the Pope in fact did come down from the throne, and Pope John Paul I who in fact came down from the throne came from Venice, Italy. You must decide if that was coincidence or design?
August 3, 1978, I had a chance encounter with Trudeau near the Langevin Block in Ottawa. As he stepped out of his limousine, I said, “Peter, feed the sheep.” The words were a variation of what Jesus said to Peter, the first Pope, in John 21:15-17. The official title of the Pope is “Successor to the Apostle Peter,” and Pierre is the French form of Peter. I couldn’t say “feed my sheep” because the sheep belong to God, not to me. Trudeau, perhaps puzzled but amused, shrugged his shoulders and replied, “Alright! Alright! I’ll feed the sheep,” before leaping up the stairs to his office.
The Official RCMP report confirms this encounter with Prime Minister Trudeau
Naturally the RCMP Agent would consider what I said to the Prime Minister as nonsensical not being aware of the spirit of the words Jesus said to the Apostle Peter the 1st Pope, recorded in John 21:15-17, Jesus said to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, do you love me? Peter said to him, Yea, Lord; you know that I love you. Jesus said to him, Feed my sheep.
Three days later, Pope Paul VI, the successor to the Apostle Peter, passed away. The timing felt like more than a coincidence—it was as if the words I had spoken to Trudeau echoed across the globe, a reminder of the responsibility that comes with authority.
Paul VI was the last Pope to be Crowned and Enthroned in the 1000 years of Catholic Ritual and Tradition
The world was filled with hope and optimism in August 1978 when Cardinal Albino Luciani was elected Pope John Paul I. Known as the “smiling Pope,” he appeared relatively young, vibrant, and in good health. His warm demeanour and reputation for humility suggested that he would bring a fresh perspective to the Vatican, perhaps even cleaning house and ushering in a new era of transparency and reform. For many, his election felt like a breath of fresh air, a sign of renewal for the Catholic Church.
Most probably I was the only person on Earth to know the connection with the dream I had in Venice, California in 1976. This new Pope John Paul I who came down from the Throne 2 years later came from Venice, Italy.
Yet, just over a month into his papacy, on September 25, 1978, I experienced a profound spiritual impulse. A strong sense of conviction moved me to reach out to Pierre Trudeau once more, this time to reiterate the message I had delivered earlier: “Feed the sheep.” It was a call rooted in faith, a reminder of the divine responsibility that comes with leadership. However, Trudeau was out of town, so I phoned his personal secretary, Cecile Viau. I reminded her of my earlier encounter with the Prime Minister at the Langevin Block and asked her to convey the message to him: “Tell him to feed the sheep.”
Three days later, on September 28, 1978, the world was stunned by the sudden and unexpected death of Pope John Paul I. His passing after just 33 days as Pope sent shock waves through the Catholic Church and beyond. I was dumbfounded by the news. I had no foreknowledge of his death when I acted on that spiritual impulse September 25. It felt as though the timing of my message and his passing were intertwined in a way that defied coincidence, as if the call to “feed the sheep” echoed beyond Trudeau and into the very heart of the Church.
On October 13, 1978, Prime Minister Trudeau made an appearance at Glebe Collegiate Institute in Ottawa to speak to the children prior to what the media called a ¨mini-election¨ of 15 federal riding’s having a by-election. Standing at the main entrance to the school as he arrived, I said to the Prime Minister not 2 feet away from me, “Peter, look at the Spirit of the 13. Feed the lambs.” I was wearing my trademark No. 13 jersey.
Note: the RCMP agent in his Official report of that day with the noise of the melee of mass media at the entrance to the school singled out “13”
The only difference from John’s account in the Bible is Jesus said to Peter, to whom the Pope is Successor, “Feed my Lambs” 1st in the sequence. This is said last in the Spirit of the Day as it is written, But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first. Matthew 19:30
I always wore that #13 jersey going to meet Trudeau. Standing at the curb between him and the photographer as he got out of his limousine I said, “Prime Minister! Look at my sign. I had it made for you and the Premiers!” An artist friend drew it in beautiful calligraphy.
It read: “Woe to those who judge for hire and profit, but not for Justice and Truth!” Obviously, the Prime Minister liked it. Maybe it reminded him of when he started his Political career on the theme of a Just Society?
Three days later I was in the Prime Minister’s Suite of a downtown Ottawa hotel watching election returns with Michael John Houlton the Independent Candidate for Ottawa Centre and other friends. Those returns were interrupted with news of the election of Pope John Paul II. Trudeau lost 13 of the 15 by-election seats up for grabs. Trudeau’s election was scheduled. The election of the Pope was not.
The 1st time I reasoned it could just be a co-incidence. What you have just read is exactly the way it happened. What would you think if that was your True Life experience?
This moment deepened my sense of awe at the mysterious ways in which faith and divine timing operate. The death of Pope John Paul I marked the beginning of another chapter in the Year of Three Popes, leading to the election of Cardinal Karol Wojtyła as Pope John Paul II. His papacy would go on to shape the Church and the world in profound ways, but the brief reign of John Paul I remained a poignant reminder of the fragility of life and the urgency of spiritual responsibility.
The dream of the keys, with its imagery of a child receiving the keys to the Vatican, took on even deeper meaning as I reflected on the seismic shifts in global power structures that unfolded in the late 20th century. One of the most significant of these was the Iranian Revolution of 1979, an event that not only ended the Persian monarchy—one of the oldest thrones in history—but also set in motion a chain of events that continues to shake the foundations of earthly powers to this day if you believe the MSM projecting a possible US-Israeli WAR with Iran.
The fall of the Shah in 1979 marked the end of a monarchy that had endured for over 2,500 years, predating even the Papacy. It was a moment of profound transformation, not just for Iran but for the world. The revolution replaced a secular, Western-aligned regime with an Islamic Republic, fundamentally altering the balance of power in the Middle East and beyond. The reverberations of this event are still felt today, as Iran remains a central player in global politics, religion, and culture.
The revolution was not merely a political upheaval; it was a spiritual and ideological awakening. It challenged the dominance of Western secularism and materialism, asserting the power of faith and tradition in shaping societies. In many ways, it echoed the themes of my dream—the handing over of the keys, the shaking of old systems, and the emergence of new ways of understanding power and authority.
The Iranian Revolution also highlighted the tension between earthly and spiritual authority. Just as the dream depicted the Pope descending from his throne to entrust the keys to a child, the revolution represented a shift from the opulence and excess of the Shah’s regime to the austere, faith-driven leadership of Ayatollah Khomeini. It was a reminder that true power often emerges from the margins, from those who are willing to challenge the status quo and embrace a higher calling.
This theme of transformation resonates with the broader narrative of my journey—from my encounters with Pierre Trudeau to the Year of Three Popes and the legacy of St. Francis of Assisi. Each of these moments reflects a divine shaking of earthly powers, a call to humility, service, and spiritual accountability. The Iranian Revolution, with its far-reaching consequences, is a stark reminder that no throne, no matter how ancient or powerful, is immune to the forces of change.
Centuries before my encounters with Trudeau and the papal nuncio, St. Francis of Assisi stood before Pope Innocent III in 1210, seeking approval for his radical vision of humility and simplicity. St. Francis’s commitment to serving the poor and living in harmony with creation challenged the opulence of the medieval Church. It took 800 years for a pope to take the name Francis, signalling a return to these values.
These videos of Francis of Assisi were posted to this Blog 2 years before Pope Francis I was elected
Pope Francis I, elected on this Day in 2013, has embodied this legacy, emphasizing humility, care for the poor, and environmental stewardship. His papacy is a reminder that the Church’s true strength lies not in its wealth or power but in its ability to reflect the love and compassion of Christ.
From my encounters with Trudeau to the lunch with the papal nuncio, and from the legacy of St. Francis to the papacy of Pope Francis I, my journey has been one of faith, humility, and divine timing. These moments—seemingly ordinary yet profoundly significant—remind us that true power lies not in titles or thrones but in the willingness to serve and uplift other
The dream of the keys, the shaking of earthly powers, and the ongoing transformation of global structures all point to a deeper truth: that divine timing and purpose are at work in the world, often in ways we cannot fully understand. Whether through the fall of ancient thrones, the rise of new leaders, or the quiet acts of faith and service, we are all part of a larger story—one that calls us to embrace humility, compassion, and the courage to feed the sheep.
As we navigate the challenges of our time, may we remember that the keys to the Kingdom are not meant to lock doors but to open them—to invite humanity into a space of love, compassion, and divine purpose.
To sum up, I had a hard time sleeping in anticipation of posting this article today, and I had this unusual dream:
I was in an elevator with an unknown, unrecognizable pope, and I was telling him he was wrong. Then, I was sitting in a pew of a packed church when Pope John Paul II, who passed away in 2005, came to me. He hugged me firmly, whispered in my ear, and the whole church saw it. Someone in the pew in front of me asked what had happened, and I answered, “It was proof of the resurrection of the dead.” After that, someone handed me a drink, saying, “You’re in charge,” and then I woke up.
The dream felt like a continuation of the spiritual journey I’ve been sharing with you. In the elevator with the unknown pope, I told him he was wrong—a moment that felt like a call to accountability, even within the highest levels of spiritual authority. Later, in the packed church, Pope John Paul II’s embrace and whispered message felt like a divine seal of approval, a reminder that those who have gone before us still guide and affirm our work. The resurrection of the dead, a cornerstone of Christian faith, became a living reality in that moment—a testament to the enduring power of truth and the interconnectedness of all who seek justice and humility.
God only knows what the tomorrows will bring? But as we navigate the challenges of our time, may we remember that the keys to the Kingdom are not meant to lock doors but to open them—to invite humanity into a space of love, compassion, and divine purpose.
Moving from Montreal to Ottawa in August 1977, for the last 7 years of his Administration until he quit in 1984, I was in the unique position to stand Face to Face with Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau as he entered or left The Members Entrance to the House of Commons as the Spirit moved me from Time to Time, to speak or pass him a letter in an envelope. In all those years there were only 4 exceptions, the 2 Times mentioned in this article, and the last 2 Times on 2 consecutive nights at the main entrance to The House under the Peace Tower.
How I got into that position is explained in ‘About Ray Joseph Cormier’ at the top of this page.
In February 1984, I was questioned at length by the RCMP on my attitude toward him. I was as surprised as every other CanaDian when he announced he was quitting 2 weeks later on February 29 of the Leap Year.
While the RCMP have all the records, Canadians were not aware of those historical facts, and I was surprised to learn the Prime Minister moved from the House of Commons to the Cormier House in Montreal designed by Ernest Cormier who also designed and built The Supreme Court of CanaDa.
The Spirit never moved me to go up to the Hill again to speak to any other Prime Minister after him, including his son Justin Trudeau, recently compelled to step down as PM. The Internet didn’t exist at that Time.
