Talleyrand paused for a moment, then his eyes flashed with fervor and anticipation. However, he lowered his head slightly and used a probing tone to say, "Your Highness, how do you plan to handle this unexpected situation?"
Joseph's face broke into a smile, "The Holy Father will come to France to seek refuge. More precisely, the entire Holy See will relocate to Avignon."
"That's wonderful," Talleyrand said, his voice rising with excitement, "Thank Jesus, the Holy See will gain lasting peace and stability. Our country can better fulfill its duty as the protector of the Holy See!"
As the top diplomatic expert, he was well aware of the great benefits that relocating the Holy See to Avignon could bring France.
Earlier, he had been worried that the Regent might consider the opinions of the Holy See and his devotion to Jesus, and be unwilling to 'invite' the Pope here.
