1932: Playing with the Japanese Communist Party with a doll

Before the "priest self-immolation incident," the Vatican believed that Springfield was planning to protest and discuss the "territorial division issue" - which part would belong to the Catholic Church and which part would belong to the "Church of God and the People";

But after this incident, the Vatican is a little unsure of Haruta's true intentions. There's no other way, just leave everything to the Holy See!

The entire team quickly split into three groups:

Walking in front were the Pope and Springfield, followed by the American attendants and cardinals, and finally the rest of the entourage.

"...Father Anderson was a true saint whose self-immolation, though tragic, was intended to awaken a spirit of reform in the Church."

When Pope Pius XI presented the arguments they had discussed earlier, his tone was filled with nostalgia and respect. Anyone who didn't know the situation would think that the priest had really committed suicide by burning himself for this reason.

"Oh? So, the priest set himself on fire because he was trying to use this extreme method to urge the entire Vatican to speed up reforms?"

"Yes, Saint, he taught us with his life that the Church must return to its original aspirations and abandon corruption and depravity in order to truly serve God's will."

After the two were alone, Pope Pius XI immediately changed the way he addressed Haruta, obviously to please him.

As the spiritual leader of a billion believers worldwide, his attitude can only be described as servile:

There were too many people outside just now, and my voice was a bit loud. Your Highness, please be more tolerant.jpgo

Ha ha.

Haruta stroked the Pietà statue, which had a roll of film on its base, and cast his gaze towards the site of the self-immolation, where no trace remained. A glint of pity and respect flashed in his eyes. He sneered inwardly, but his voice remained calm.

"Indeed, Father Anderson's sacrifice is moving. But Your Holiness, do you feel that the Vatican was too slow to respond to his 'Petition for Reform'? Perhaps it was this very delay that made his sacrifice seem all the more helpless and tragic."

Pius XI's smile froze for a moment, but he regained his composure in an instant and hinted:

"The Church is a large institution. Reform takes time and requires caution. We have carefully studied Father Anderson's proposal, but some things cannot be achieved overnight..."

"The corruption of the Vatican is an indisputable fact. Corruption and depravity are like termites, gnawing at the very foundations of faith. We are doing our utmost to eradicate them. We have recently made some progress, and we will announce it to the public when the time is right..."

At the end, the Pope even flattered Springfield:

"You are not only the absolute leader of God's People Church, but you also hold the scepter of a world power. I believe you are very aware of the difficulties faced by our religion."

To be honest, Pius XI was very envious and even jealous of Springfield.

Obviously, they are both leaders of "the integration of politics and religion", but let's not talk about "religion" for now. Their "politics" at least refers to the entire United States, and what about him?

The Vatican is so crowded that even walking a dog is too crowded. Comparing yourself to others is frustrating...

Having said that, Haruta finally understood why the Holy See had not announced those plans until he arrived in the Vatican.

On the one hand, Pius XI was worried about accidents, so he would rather endure the criticism and pressure and insist on negotiating with Haruta in person. He would not announce the plan until everything was settled and "approved";

Otherwise, what if I say something great about Anderson and then Springfield comes out and slaps me in the face?

On the other hand, the "old sect" needs to discuss with the "new sect" issues such as "mutual recognition", "territory division" and "interest transfer"!

It's indeed cautious enough, but it's useless.

Chuntian's purpose was beyond his imagination.

"Your Holiness, I fully understand your meaning. I apologize for my previous recklessness."

The Pope's orange-peel face had just broken into a half-smile at this obviously well-intentioned remark, but then he became slightly nervous at the next sentence:

"But would you be willing to let me see the Anderson Reform Memorandum and the priest's last will and testament? After all, his sacrifice has attracted worldwide attention, and I think it would help us better understand his heart."

"this..."

Pius XI hesitated for half a second, then nodded and said:

"Of course, we will meet your request. However, these documents are quite large, and it will take a long time to review them all."

"That's okay, we have plenty of time."

The Pope originally wanted to invite Haruta to visit the Vatican Secretariat directly, but Haruta refused, saying it was "too confidential to enter without permission." The Pope had no choice but to have the documents brought to the cathedral:

"This is Father Anderson's handwritten letter. You are free to read it." To be honest, the Vatican's strength is indeed not exaggerated, as it was able to forge so many things that were so real that they could be mistaken for the real thing within just a few days after the incident.

Of course, even so, due to the haste, if these files are studied carefully, the loopholes in them can definitely be found.

However, since the general intentions have been preliminarily agreed upon, the rest are just formalities and there is no need to worry too much about them.

The Pope thought so, but Springfield's first words almost froze his face:

"These documents look quite new, as if they were recently filed?"

"Yes... yes, Father Anderson's reform petition and final will were originally scattered across various departments. We only recently organized and archived them."

Apply pressure!

It must be pressure!

Fortunately, we can gain more advantages in the subsequent negotiations! "I see."

Haruta asked casually, pulling out a document and reading it. After a moment, he said:

"Why does the ink on these documents smell so fresh?"

"Uh... because... due to poor storage, we made some special repairs to the documents."

"Oh..."

Haruta remained silent. After flipping through a few documents and asking a few pointed but not-too-pointy questions, she casually tossed aside these fake things she already knew about and which were pointless to worry about. Her face was solemn.

"Your Holiness, in the name of God, is it true that Father Anderson has been submitting reform proposals to the Apostolic Library every month since 1927?"

“Of course, the efforts of that venerable martyr were like those of Moses facing the burning bush and the sea that blocked his path. The Holy See will always remember his spirit and dedication.”

This guy, once he gets into a rhythm, lying is as natural as breathing... Chuntian sighed deeply and talked about some seemingly insignificant topics: "Your Holiness, the Holy See has made great contributions to promoting God's will. Over the past thousand years, countless people of noble character and lofty ideals have emerged... God may not be grateful for these achievements, but he will always remember them..."

Why are you saying this?

Although he did not understand the reason, the Pope responded subconsciously: "Thank you for your compliment..."

"So, as the agent of God's will, in the name of mercy, I have given you one last chance."

"???"

Before the Pope's expression of astonishment could fully unfold, Haruta suddenly turned around and shouted coldly to the "middle team":

"Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli!"

When Haruta called out this rather exaggerated name, everyone, including the Vatican, was stunned.

Who is this?

Amidst the stunned gazes, a figure who wasn't too old among the cardinals of the Vatican suddenly stepped forward, his tone filled with unconcealed excitement:

“Your Highness the Saint!!!”

? ? ! !

Cardinal Basili! Vatican Secretary of State!

The first person under the Pope! He...he he he he he he he...

Why would he respond to the call of an "outsider"?

What shocked everyone in the Vatican even more was that the cardinal actually knelt on one knee and said:

"I will obey your orders!"

"

Subordinates...

The entire St. Peter's Basilica was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

Haruta turned around and looked back at the sullen-faced Pius XI, his lips curled up slightly.

"Your Holiness, I don't think I need to say more, do I?"

3

Of course, no further explanation is needed.

As someone who participated in the entire “College of Cardinals’ discussions” and “core decision-making,” Cardinal Basili was fully aware of the Vatican’s tactics and plans.

If these core figures had already become spies planted by Springfield within the Vatican's upper echelons, and had come forward to expose Anderson and even more of his dark secrets to the world, then it goes without saying what a devastating blow the Vatican would have suffered.

Thinking of this, even though Cardinal Basil had not yet begun to expose the truth, not only did several cardinals of the College of Cardinals faint, but many priests and bishops who fell behind also fell.

It’s over.

The Vatican is now completely finished.

However, unexpectedly, the Pope himself, who was at the center of the storm, was still standing there, his back slightly hunched, his tone calm:

"I've long suspected that someone might be trying to betray the Church and gain her fame, but I never really suspected you, Eugene..."

Bury the nails!

The situation of the Holy See is so critical that it is not surprising that one or two traitors appear.

His Holiness the Pope has experienced this kind of thing before, but Chuntian rose too quickly and the people around her were too loyal, so he did not succeed.

In comparison, Springfield was extremely successful.

Even with the situation so unfavorable, Pius X still had the heart to taunt: "...So, what did she promise you? My ring?"

In Pius XI's view, all Springfield could promise Cardinal Basil was the papacy, but in his heart he disagreed:

sorrow.

You are already the Secretary of State. If nothing unexpected happens, the position of the next Pope will definitely be yours!

What are you in a hurry for!

Now, even if you can successfully become the Pope with the support of external forces, you will definitely be despised and excluded within the Catholic Church.

"What do you know!"

Before Haruta could say anything, Cardinal Basil shouted excitedly:

"You have never seen the miracles of Her Highness the Saint! You will always be just a poor creature living under a stone!" (similar to "Frog in the Well")

As the chief representative sent by the Vatican to attend President Springfield's inauguration ceremony, Cardinal Basili witnessed those miracles with his own eyes and even witnessed the moment when the bullet stopped in front of Springfield at close range.

Seeing is always better than hearing.

From then on, the Cardinal's faith in Catholicism and the Holy See was completely shaken. There is no need to elaborate on what happened afterwards.

In a word - being the Saint's dog is the greatest honor!

Haruta waved his hand, stopping Cardinal Basil's rant and asking calmly:

"Your Holiness, would you like to continue?"

"Ms. Field, if you think you can overthrow the Vatican with just a Vatican Secretary of State, then you underestimate the Vatican."

Pius XI remained incredibly calm. Apart from the forced calm, he did have reasons to remain calm:

If Father Anderson could become a psychopath, why couldn't Cardinal Basil?

It cannot be said that the so-called "witness testimony" has caused a blow to the Holy See, but it is wishful thinking to rely on such a person to bring down this behemoth. The basic foundation of the Holy See's survival has never been a few cardinals.

"Yes, I understand very well that the reason the Vatican has been able to stand firm for a thousand years is not because of the cardinals' ability to preach and interpret scriptures, but precisely because of the faith that you have long since disbelieved in."

Haruta nodded calmly.

"But what if I told you that Father Anderson's spirit still lingers in St. Peter's Basilica?"

"

"Everyone, get ready to begin."

Yes, Manager."

508 If you want a miracle, I will give you a miracle!

"...The soul still lingers?"

The soul... is still there?

ha?

What's the meaning?

What the hell is this guy talking about? Something about soul or no soul.

Although in the eyes of his followers, Pius X was God's "highest and only communicator" on earth, Pius X himself did not believe in this at all.

The closer you are to God, the less you believe in Him.