I

When the Japanese mission went to Nanjing, Ben Ande, a long-term observer of the Holy See, also returned anxiously from Europe.

"The Pope forbids Chinese Catholics to worship their ancestors? How is this possible?" Ai Julius was so shocked that he felt dizzy.

"It's true," Ben Ander said.

Ajulius said: "You must have misinterpreted the Pope's will!"

The pope at this time was Urban VIII, a very liberal guy. Claiming to be a student of Galileo, he also helped defend the heliocentric theory and devoted himself to sending missionaries to the world.

How could such a pope prohibit Chinese believers from worshiping their ancestors?

Ben Ande didn't explain too much, just reminded: "France."

Upon hearing this word, the senior Jesuits present fell silent. They knew what was going on, which involved factional struggles in the Holy See and competition among European countries.

The Holy See's Eastern Mission headquarters is in Goa, India. Eastern missionary affairs are completely controlled by the Jesuits, and the Jesuits are controlled by the Portuguese government.

France wanted to seize Portugal's Eastern missionary rights, and groups such as the Franciscans and Dominicans also wanted to break the Jesuits' monopoly on Eastern missionaries. They united to find fault and put pressure on the Pope, and Spain also got involved.

Because Portugal became independent from Spain, it also expelled all Spanish missionaries sent to Macau from Macau by force.

Before Bande returned to Rome, Franciscan and Dominican missionaries had already gone to report to the Pope. They say Christian teachings have been misinterpreted in China and Jesus is seen as a local deity. Ajulius and other Jesuits tried to integrate Christianity into Confucianism and encouraged the believers to worship Confucius and their ancestors. Over time, they would inevitably split into heretical sects such as Protestantism and Orthodoxy.

Even so, Pope Urban VIII still did not make an immediate decision.

However, the pressure from France could not be ignored by the Pope. Urban VIII and Richelieu were mortal enemies, but they were also firm allies. It was their joint efforts that changed the nature of the Thirty Years' War in Europe from a religious war to a struggle for national hegemony.

In addition, Jansenism arose in Belgium, which attempted to deprive the pope of control over the church. This sect is developing very rapidly and is very likely to become another type of Protestantism.

The Pope is making every effort to crack down on the Jansenists. Considering the situation in China, he is very worried about Chinese believers worshiping their ancestors.

Ben Ande said: "Everyone, please follow the will of His Majesty the Pope."

Even Long Huamin, who once banned Chinese Catholics from worshiping their ancestors, which then triggered the Nanjing Mission Incident, now firmly resists the decree: "The Pope is old and confused. Once he does this, the Jesuits will be finished in China."

"If he hadn't done that, Jesus would have been ruined, too," Benend said.

There are so many missionary organizations in Europe, especially the French Missionary Society. This thing is supported by the Pope and Richelieu. The French Mission Society is sending missionaries around the world, hoping to use religion to expand France's overseas influence. They have been eyeing the Jesuits and have long wanted to seize the missionary rights in the East. Once the Jesuits disobey the order, the Jesuits' missionary rights in the East will definitely be banned.

If you obey the order, the Jesuits will be destroyed by Zhao Han; if you resist the order, the Society of Jesus will be destroyed by the Pope!

So is it possible to obey the decree and resist the decree at the same time?

Fu Fanji said: "Rome is too far away from China, and the Pope does not know what is going on here. We will follow the Pope's will, but we will also take into account the wishes of the Chinese Catholics. We will advise the Catholics not to worship their ancestors, but thousands of years of Chinese customs cannot be corrected in a short period of time. The missionary focus of the Jesuits in the future is to work hard to reverse this custom that is not in line with the doctrine in accordance with the Pope's will."

"Yes," Ai Julius understood instantly, "We must repeatedly publicize this in the future to persuade the people not to worship their ancestors."

Long Huamin also said: "The Society of Jesus will always support the Pope, and the Pope's will is the missionary goal of the Society of Jesus."

Ben Ande suddenly couldn't laugh or cry, but he was also a Portuguese and wanted to safeguard the interests of Portugal and the Jesuits, so he nodded and said: "This is a good idea. We respect the Pope, we obey the Pope, and we will preach according to the Pope's will."

The Jesuits have reached a consensus on this: they must be obedient to the Pope and disobeyed in secret!

However, other missionary organizations would not listen.

…

Fu'an.

Although the Jesuits have a monopoly on missionary power in China, a few places have been seized by other organizations.

The missionary leader in Fu'an was Li Yufan, who was sent from the Philippines by Spain. This guy belongs to the Dominicans. Historically, Li Yufan personally rushed back to Rome two years later and accused the Jesuits of condoning Chinese believers in respecting Confucius and their ancestors, thus triggering the "Chinese Etiquette Controversy" that lasted hundreds of years.

At that time, the Pope prohibited Chinese believers from worshiping their ancestors. After repeated efforts for more than ten years, Kangxi finally angered Kangxi and ordered the total expulsion of Catholicism.

It was not until the Anti-Japanese War that the Pope recognized Manchuria and, under pressure from Mussolini, allowed Chinese believers to worship their ancestors, bringing a disgusting end to the "Chinese Etiquette Controversy."

It is the Qingming Festival at this time, a legal holiday promulgated by Emperor Datong, and it is a three-in-one festival of Qingming, Hanshi and Shangsi.

Except for a few people on duty, most officials took advantage of their holidays to go outing in the countryside or to worship their ancestors.

A few miles outside Fu'an County, there was a commotion in the cemetery at the foot of the mountain.

Chen Boyuan, an engineering official in Fu'an County, kneeled down to his mother with his brothers, wife and children: "If mother has anything to say, I'll tell you when I get home. Many villagers here are watching."

This old woman's name is Chen Lin. She lost her husband in her early years and raised her children alone. Although the family has fertile land and servants, it is not easy for an orphan and a widowed mother, and most of the family property is occupied by relatives.

It was during this difficult period that she converted to Christianity and found her faith, and she cheered up and raised her children.

Mrs. Chen Lin sternly rebuked the younger generation: "There is only one true god in the world, and that is God Dousi (the Christian God). Except for God Dousi, no one can worship, not even the ancestors..."

Chen Boyuan quickly interrupted: "Mother, didn't you also worship your ancestors a few years ago?"

Chen Lin said: "A few years ago, we didn't understand the doctrine. The Pope has made a decree, and Father Li is preaching it repeatedly. Worshiping ancestors is blasphemy to the God of Doos, and it is a heresy. If a heretic dies, he will go to hell! Son! , Mom is afraid that you will go to hell in the future..."

"You will go to hell only if you forget your ancestors a lot!"

The Chen family members next to them couldn't stand listening, and a young man shouted: "Those who are not allowed to worship ancestors are evil. Third aunt, don't listen to the nonsense of the barbarian monks!"

Chen Lin said angrily: "What do you know? Father Li is a virtuous monk sent by His Majesty the Pope to come to Fu'an to rescue the poor. When the Ming Dynasty was still there, there were corrupt officials and bullies everywhere. The people's lives were difficult. Go down, it’s all Father Li who is helping to save people. How many poor people have been saved in these years? Father Li said that if you worship ancestors, you will go to hell, then you must go to hell! From now on, no matter who is in my family, they are not allowed to come again Worship the ancestors!”

As soon as this statement came out, it immediately caused an uproar.

Not only the Chen family gathered around, but other ancestor-worshiping families also pointed at Chen Lin.

The patriarch of the Chen family suddenly felt that he had lost the face of the whole family and roared angrily: "That monk surnamed Li is really a man who deceives the public with his evil words. The descendants of the Chen family all came with me to arrest that man surnamed Li. official!"

Chen Lin pointed at the clan leader and yelled: "You old bastard, you bullied my orphans and widowed mother and occupied more than 300 acres of my family's land. Now, the Emperor of Datong is here, and it will be useless no matter how much land you occupy. This is called the modern world. Retribution is the punishment sent down by the God of Doosi!"

A person with a foreign surname smiled and said: "Third aunt of the Chen family, the retribution in this world is from the Buddhist school. Don't recite sutras."

"Ha ha ha ha!"

When everyone heard this, they burst into laughter.

The leader of the Chen family was even more embarrassed and shouted: "Hurry up and arrest that foreign monk named Li to see the official!"

So hundreds of people rushed to the church. Not only the Chen clan members, but also the other people who were worshiping their ancestors at the foothills cemetery were also filled with indignation and followed them to arrest the foreign monk.

Not allowing people to worship their ancestors has aroused public outrage!

I saw them running in groups, and people kept asking questions along the way. After learning the truth, more and more people joined in. By the time they arrived at the church, there were thousands of participants.

Some Confucian scholars even shouted: "Protect famous religions and destroy red churches!"

Chen Lin's son Chen Boyuan, who was an official in the county government after all, quickly hissed to dissuade him: "Don't kill people, don't set fires, just arrest the foreign monks and bring them to the officials! Don't kill people, don't set fires..."

The excited people would not listen to such advice.

They rushed into the church with sticks and beat up any living person they saw, regardless of whether they were foreign devils or Han Chinese. Then they tied up all the people in the church and dragged them all to the county government office. Before leaving, they even set fire to the church.

Li Yufan was not in the church. He was invited by believers to give lectures at home.

This family of believers is even more powerful. They don't go to the graves to worship their ancestors during the Qingming Festival. Instead, the whole family stays in the room and listens to the foreign monk explaining the Bible.

The angry people came anyway, smashed the door of this believer's house, and also beat up any living people they saw.

A girl shouted: "Spare my life, I am a maid who works, I really don't belong to this family!"

Hearing the shouting outside, the head of the household quickly reminded: "Fr. Li, leave quickly!"

Li Yufan's expression was a little panicked. He wanted to go out and scold the lost lambs. But the shouts of killing were loud outside, and Li Yufan really didn't dare to die, so he could only roll up his robe and go out the window.

"The red-haired foreign monk is over there!"

"Hurry up and chase him, don't let him get away!"

"..."

Li Yufan, who was out of breath, was caught up while running away. He was kicked hard in the lower back and was thrown forward.

Suddenly he was kicked in the thigh, and then hit on the head with a stick.

While he was feeling dizzy, fists, feet and sticks fell like raindrops. He didn't even utter a few screams before he was hit on the head and fainted.

He was beaten to death on the spot!

During the Fu'an religious riot, three Spanish missionaries were killed, eleven religious people were killed, and dozens of others were injured.

The county magistrate and the chief judge had no idea how to make a decision, so they could only report the details and ask Zhao Han for instructions step by step.

Zhao Han was furious and ordered the police to surround the Nanjing church. Even the missionaries serving at Qintianyuan were all arrested and questioned in person.

The British writer Peter Mundy was also arrested as a missionary because of his Western appearance.

Yagyu Jubei was shopping and shouted excitedly: "The Emperor of China has also captured the Nanman monks!"

Lin Luoshan stroked his beard and nodded in approval: "That's how it should be. How can the vast country of China tolerate the Southern Barbarian monks causing trouble?"

(Regarding the narrative about the Satsuma clan, Lao Wang’s memory was confused and has been completely corrected. As for the plot about Japan, if there are still errors, consider it a butterfly effect.)