1932: Playing with the Japanese Communist Party with a doll

Pope Pius XI snorted in dissatisfaction and asked, "What happened that is worthy of your panic?" "Your Holiness! Something happened in Shanghai!"

The Pope took the materials and looked at them, his face suddenly pale. The thing the Vatican had been worried about had finally happened.

Because of the anger caused by the Nanchang Protestant monastery incident, the Catholic Church was also attacked, especially the "Notre Dame Cathedral" in Xujiahui, Shanghai, which was founded in 1869 under the "French Salvation Sisters";

Most importantly, when the attackers stormed Notre Dame, they discovered a large number of children's corpses and hundreds of infants and young children living in filthy conditions, emaciated, dying, and covered in bedbugs and rats!!

Now, Catholicism doesn’t have to worry about being dragged into the water because they are already in the water.

"Shit! It's all shit!!" the Pope couldn't help but curse:

"Isn't Shanghai's defense the most stringent?! Why did they let a bunch of damn Americans break in?!"

Yes, it was not the Chinese but the Americans who took the lead in attacking the Notre Dame Foundling House.

A group of young American people stranded in Shanghai, with the cooperation of an insider working in the orphanage, rushed into Notre Dame, shouting slogans such as "Long live Her Highness the Saint".

The problem is that in the Pope's impression, Shanghai has always been the richest city in China. Logically, after such a major incident as the one in Nanchang, Notre Dame should have been on high alert, right?

The cardinal who reported the news explained helplessly:

"Well, the Xuhui Foundling Center has always been very careful about its public image. Anyone can enter freely to visit. After this incident, they didn't close it, so..."

The Pope knows the rest of the words without the bishop having to say them.

It's nothing more than the difference between "surface" and "inside"!

It is certainly fine if it can be opened to the public for image building, but any deeper places are absolutely not allowed to be visited by any outsiders;

Therefore, Xuhui Nursery was very confident that as long as they maintained this state and did not change, no one would doubt them.

But no one expected that someone inside the orphanage would be inspired by the American saint, who had never spoken to her, and secretly tell her American friends about this matter.

What was even more unexpected was that these Americans, without consulting anyone, disregarded the former father-son relationship and the potential conflict between their countries, and directly charged the French.

And because the people leading the charge were foreigners, the local police didn't even dare to intervene... Now, things became tricky.

What happened in Shanghai could not be concealed. Since it could not be concealed, it further confirmed the Chinese people's previous speculation:

Damn, these foreign monasteries are all the same!

The priests and their little boys can tell with their asses that more attacks against Christianity, especially Catholicism and Protestantism, are coming.

"boom!"

The Pope threw the paper to the ground and trembled with anger.

He was not angry about the corrupt practices in the churches, but was angry at the stupidity of those French idiots and the arrogance of the Americans.

(Pope Pius XI always hated and looked down on the French, and later had extremely fierce conflicts with French bishops)

Although we are heretics, we are still brothers in the same religious system. Is this how you Americans stab your brothers in the back?

Her Majesty the Saint... Her Majesty the Saint... Did she give you some strange medicine?!

The more Pius XI thought about this, the angrier he became, kicking and banging the tables and chairs to vent his anger. The Cardinal, feeling contempt in his heart, pretended to be cautious on the surface and asked, "Your Holiness, what should we do now? Should we order the churches in the Chinese diocese to strengthen their defenses?"

(Note: The Pope is elected by the cardinals. In theory, any cardinal can be elected as Pope, so there are many cardinals who are against the new Pope or even against him.)

"No, absolutely not!"

Although Pope Pius XI had not read much Chinese literature and did not know the allusion of "there is no silver here", he understood this principle:

Since you have no guilty conscience and you haven't done anything like this, why did you suddenly increase your defenses after the incident at the Catholic church in Shanghai?

Doesn't this clearly tell everyone that evil exists in the church?

Therefore, Pope Pius XI would never dare to issue such an order. What if people discovered more horrific crimes in the church that even he had never seen?

He doesn't believe that China's Catholic churches are clean.

But, we can't just ignore it.

If a new "Boxer Rebellion" were to occur, the blow to Catholicism would only be even greater.

"Then...what should we do? Please give us your instructions, His Holiness!"

Faced with the cardinal's pressure, Pius XI gritted his teeth and said, "Let me think about it!"

"Your Holiness, this matter cannot be delayed any longer, otherwise..." "I know! Let me think about it!"

The Pope waved his hand irritably, and asked everyone to leave.

How to do?

How would he know what to do! It’s not right to intervene, nor is it right to ignore! It’s not right to condemn, nor is it right not to condemn! It’s not right to support, nor is it right not to support!

This dilemma easily plunged the usually indecisive Pope into a state of hesitation. After thinking for a whole day, he only came up with one solution:

Write letters to heads of state, asking them to put pressure on the Chinese government to deploy police and even military forces to protect all Christian churches;

But there is also a problem, that is the attitude of the Americans, or rather, the attitude of Her Highness the Saint.

If the other party objects, I'm afraid not many countries will respond.

If that doesn't work, write a letter to that person and ask her to also speak out and condemn the Americans who attacked the French monastery;

But wouldn't that make our Church seem too humble? Wouldn't it feel like we were surrendering to that woman? No, we couldn't just write a letter. We had to find a way...

However, the rapid development of the situation did not allow Pius XI to hesitate.

Before nightfall, another cardinal burst into his room and said, "Your Holiness! Her Highness the Saint has issued a statement!"

"Um?"

The announcement from Her Majesty the Saint is quite long, but it has the following main points:

1. We express grave concern over the incidents of infant abuse and murder occurring in China, and strongly condemn and express great indignation towards those who commit such acts;

2. Praised the Chinese Communist Party and the Americans for their courage in exposing their crimes, while mildly criticizing the latter's behavior of trespassing into the monastery and beating the monks;

3. All American monasteries in China are required to immediately report to the U.S. government whether they have similar problems. If so, they are to return to the U.S. and surrender themselves. Otherwise, they will be cursed by Her Majesty the Saint and severely punished by U.S. law.

4. We suggest that the Holy See also conduct self-examination and rectification of all churches around the world to rectify their internal practices. Her Highness the Saint can provide necessary support.

5 ...

"...the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese people from all walks of life are requested to remain calm. After the trial is completed, the lives of the main perpetrators of the monasteries will be spared for now.

"After I officially take office as President of the United States, I will visit China and personally burn at the stake all the main culprits involved in similar incidents!!"

Looking at these statements, if His Holiness the Pope were more educated, he would probably think of eight words:

To ask about the importance of something is to meddle in other people's business.

345 The Pope Really Has Several Teachers

Pope Pius XI and the entire Vatican leadership were almost driven mad with rage.

To outsiders, what Haruta did was nothing more than a kind-hearted and moral saint condemning the devil, but in their eyes, it was a provocation to the authority of the Holy See.

It doesn’t matter whether those children live or die. What matters is what the Vatican will gain and lose from this incident.

Who does Catholicism belong to? It undoubtedly belongs to the Vatican.

So, if a Catholic makes a mistake, who has the power to punish him? It is undoubtedly the Vatican.

But now, a so-called "saint" who belongs to the Protestant Church, has not been canonized, and does not hold any position in the Catholic Church, has arbitrarily decided to severely punish the "devil" without the Vatican making any statement?

Damn you, you piece of satanic shit!

Who gave you the power to define who is a "devil" and punish them severely?

We are the ones who define it and punish it severely. Who do you think you are?

The emotions and tone revealed in the announcement made the Vatican particularly unhappy.

Despite Chuntian's polite words like "suggestions," "self-examination and self-correction," and "providing necessary assistance and support," these old bureaucrats in the Vatican saw clearly:

It was simply that Haruta didn't want to appear too aggressive. Besides, look at what he said!

"support"?

What does my Holy See do that requires the support of a "saint" like you who has no position or power?

We didn't canonize you, so how can you be considered a saint? This is undoubtedly a provocation.

It was not only a provocation by Springfield to the Pope, but also seen by the Vatican as a new round of provocation against Protestantism as a whole.

The "bully" that should have been issued by Pope Pius XI was issued by Springfield, and after that the Vatican could only follow suit, and all its actions were regarded as the will of the saint.

Therefore, this time, the Vatican suffered a huge loss. It was not right to oppose, nor was it right not to oppose. No matter what it did, its authority would be severely hit.

If it's done well, it's the "first mover effect" of Her Highness the Saint; if it's done badly, it's the incompetence of your Church!!

Therefore, as soon as Haruta's statement was released, the entire Vatican (at least the top leaders) almost immediately fell into a state of common hatred and anger.

Even the Prime Minister Deacon Bishop von Lateran and Cardinal P. Gaspari, who were almost at each other's throats, stopped fighting among themselves and held a meeting to discuss what should be done about the matter.

However, as analyzed above, the Vatican did almost nothing about this matter.

Springfield had occupied the "great cause" in advance, his identity was quite unusual, and he had the support of the United States behind him. He was not an opponent that could be easily dealt with.

Thinking of this, many people looked at the Pope with resentment:

It's all your fault. You reacted so slowly, and now the entire Vatican is in a completely passive position.

After much discussion and much spitting, the humidity in the Papal Palace rose to a new level. His Holiness the Pope finally issued the "encyclical" reluctantly. The content of the encyclical was basically copied from Springfield's notice, and it seemed extremely "weak".

At the very least, the Holy See did not dare to say that it would conduct self-inspections and self-corrections on dioceses, churches and orphanages around the world, and it did not even dare to conduct self-inspections on the Chinese pastoral areas.

Because they know very well that this thing cannot be checked.

Even if we want to investigate, we can only pretend; otherwise, what if we really find out something? Oh, no, something has already happened.

That is, if more "demons" are discovered, how will the Catholic Church step down? As for the one that has already happened in Shanghai?

Damn French, deal with it yourselves!

Therefore, the Vatican did respond, trying to save face but it is obvious that such a response is not satisfactory.

Regardless of what the parishioners thought, it quickly caused an uproar among the deacons, who are the main grassroots force of the Vatican.

Most bishops and priests discussed and questioned the issue privately, while some senior bishops, who were not prominent but had extensive experience, even wrote to the Pope, asking him why he, the Pope, was not as courageous as a saint!

His Holiness the Pope, who was so angry that he almost vomited blood, did not know that even if Chuntian did not get Mark's order, even if she was not a saint, but just an ordinary American president, she would have to speak out when encountering such a thing;

Because, in the United States, which is mainly populated by Puritans, public opinion exploded after hearing about such things. There was no opposition at all, and it was almost unanimous in demanding severe punishment for those demons and the restoration of religious style.

As the Saint President, if she does not respond positively and support these voices, it will definitely damage her prestige.

"Severely punish the man-eating demon! Severely punish the man-eating demon!" "Save China's children! Save China's children!" "Your Highness the Saint! Divine punishment! Divine punishment!!"

Chuntian drank his coffee and looked through the curtains at the huge crowd of people marching downstairs with a calm expression. After a while, he said to the man next to him:

"Mr. Roosevelt, do you see this? This is the will of the people. No matter who I am, I cannot help but respond strongly to such a voice."

"Yes, Ms. Field, I fully understand and support all your decisions." Compared to when they first met, Roosevelt seemed more respectful to Springfield. Even though he was leaning on a crutch in one hand, he endured the pain in his body and tried hard to bow.

Of course, there were special reasons why Roosevelt took such an attitude.

First, of course, was Springfield's growing prestige and status both within the U.S. and abroad. Candidates from the Republican Party, the Democratic Party, and other smaller parties had already withdrawn from the presidential race, with the more prudent ones rushing to declare their support for Springfield's candidacy.

This created a miracle in the history of the US presidential election - the candidate easily forced out other candidates based on his own reputation, and became the undisputed president of the United States before the formal voting even began.

If it weren't for Springfield's insistence on respecting the U.S. Constitution and completing the entire process, he would have already entered the White House and started handling government affairs.

(In fact, this is because it allows one to control the political arena while remaining above it, and not be constrained by many things.)

Second, it was due to Roosevelt’s own health.

Some time ago, Springfield called Roosevelt to her residence and gave him an electric-assisted wheelchair that she made herself to facilitate his travel.

After contracting polio in 1921, Roosevelt's condition became increasingly serious. At the beginning, he could barely walk with the support of a cane, but now, except in public, he is almost completely unable to leave the wheelchair.

There was nothing wrong with the wheelchair, but the key point was that Roosevelt was very unhappy about the feeling of needing help from others even when encountering the slightest uphill slope, as if he had become a disabled person.

But now, Roosevelt no longer needs help from others to climb a small hill. With the help of his almost perfect electric wheelchair, he can climb it by himself.

Most importantly, Chuntian also examined his physical condition and said that she would personally formulate a medical plan and treat him in the future;

Regardless of whether he could be cured or not, Roosevelt was deeply grateful for the thought alone and was more willing to serve Springfield.

The third is Springfield’s “ambition”.

As a politician who ran for the US presidency despite being physically disabled, Roosevelt was undoubtedly ambitious.

But since following Chuntian, he gradually realized that compared with this man's ambition, his own achievements were nothing worth mentioning.