I

  Chapter 465 463 [Fu'an Rebellion]

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

   "The Pope forbids Chinese Christians to worship their ancestors? How is this possible?" Ai Julian was dizzy with shock.

  Ban Ande said: "It's true."

  Ai Julian said: "You must have misinterpreted the will of the Pope!"

  The Pope at this time is Urban VIII, a very enlightened guy. Claiming to be a student of Galileo, he also helps defend the heliocentric theory and is committed to sending missionaries around the world.

  How could the Pope forbid Chinese believers to worship their ancestors?

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

  Hearing this word, the senior Jesuits at the scene fell silent. They know what's going on, and it involves factional struggles in the Holy See, as well as competition among European countries.

  The headquarters of the Eastern Mission of the Holy See is in Goa, India. The affairs of the Eastern Mission are completely controlled by the Society of Jesus, which in turn is controlled by the Portuguese government.

  France wants to seize the Eastern missionary right of Portugal. The Franciscans, Dominicans and other groups also want to break the monopoly of the Jesuits on Eastern missions. They joined forces to pick thorns and put pressure on the Pope of Rome, and Spain also got involved.

  Because Portugal became independent from Spain, all the missionaries sent by Spain to Macao were expelled from Macao by force.

  Before Benande returned to Rome, Franciscan and Dominican missionaries had already gone to the Pope to make small reports. They say Christianity has been misinterpreted in China and **** is seen as a native Chinese deity. The Jesuits, such as Ayulio, tried in vain to integrate Christianity into Confucianism, and encouraged the people to worship Confucius and ancestors. In time, they would inevitably split into heretical sects such as Protestantism and Orthodox Church.

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

  But the pressure from France cannot be ignored by the Pope. Urban VIII and Richelieu are mortal enemies, but they are also staunch allies. It was their joint efforts that transformed the Thirty Years' War in Europe from a war of religion into a struggle for national hegemony.

  In addition, the rise of Jansenism in Belgium tried to deprive the Pope of control over the church. This sect is growing very fast, and it is very likely to become another Protestantism.

  The Pope is trying his best to crack down on the Jansenists. Combined with the situation in China, he is very worried about Chinese believers worshiping their ancestors.

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

  Even Long Huamin, who once prohibited Chinese Christians from worshiping their ancestors, which led to the Nanjing religious case, is resolutely resisting the decree at the moment: "The Pope is already confused. Once he does this, the Jesuits will be finished in China."

  Banand said: "If you don't do it, **** will be finished too."

  There are so many missionary organizations in Europe, especially the French Mission, which is supported by the Pope and Richelieu. The French Mission 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 Eastern missionary rights. Once the Jesuits resist and do not comply, the Eastern missionary rights of the Jesuits will definitely be banned.

   Comply with the decree, the Jesuits will be destroyed by Zhao Han; resist the decree, the Jesuits will be destroyed by the Pope!

  Then is it possible to both obey the order and resist it?

Fu Fanji said: "Rome is too far away from China, and the pope doesn't know what's going on here. We will follow the pope's will, but we will also take into account the wishes of the Chinese people. We will persuade the people not to worship ancestors, but thousands of years Chinese customs cannot be corrected in a short period of time. The missionary focus of the Jesuits in the future is to try to reverse this custom that does not conform to the teaching according to the Pope's will."

   "Yes," Ai Julian understood instantly, "In the future, we must repeatedly publicize and persuade the people not to worship their ancestors."

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

  Ban Ande couldn’t laugh or cry, but he was also a Portuguese, and he also wanted to protect 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: to obey the Pope!

  However, other missionary organizations will not obey.

  …

   Fu'an.

  Although the Jesuits monopolize missionary rights in China, a few places have been seized by other organizations.

  The person in charge of the mission in Fu'an is Li Yufan, who was sent by Spain from the Philippines. This guy belongs to the Dominican Church. Historically, two years later, Li Yufan rushed back to Rome in person, accusing the Jesuit Society of conniving at Chinese believers to respect Confucius and worship their ancestors, which triggered a centuries-long "Chinese Ritual Controversy".

  At that time, the Pope prohibited Chinese believers from offering sacrifices to ancestors. After more than ten years of repeated delays, he finally angered Kangxi and ordered the complete expulsion of Catholicism.

  Until the Anti-Japanese War, when the Pope recognized the Puppet Manchukuo, under the pressure of Mussolini, he allowed Chinese believers to worship their ancestors, which put a disgusting end to the "Chinese etiquette dispute".

  At this time, it is the Qingming Festival, a statutory festival promulgated by the Emperor Datong, and it belongs to the three-in-one festival of Qingming, Hanshi, and Shangsi.

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

  A few miles outside of Fu'an County, there is a commotion among the cemeteries at the foot of the mountain.

  Chen Boyuan, an official of the engineering department in Fu'an County, took his brother, wife and children and knelt down to his mother: "If mother has anything to say, I will talk about it when I get home. Many folks here are watching."

  This old woman is called Chen Linshi. She lost her husband in her early years and raised her children alone. Although the family has fertile servants, it is not easy for orphans and widowed mothers, and most of the family's land is occupied by relatives.

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

  Chen Lin sternly reprimanded the younger generation: "There is only one true **** in the world, and that is God Dous (the God of Christianity). Except for God Dous, no one can worship, and neither can the ancestors..."

  Chen Boyuan hurriedly interrupted: "Mother, didn't you 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 Priest Li is preaching it repeatedly. Worshiping ancestors is blasphemy against the God of Dous, and it is a heresy. If a heretic dies, he will go to hell! Son! Mother is afraid that you will go to **** in the future..."

   "If you forget your ancestors, you will go to hell!"

  The relatives of the Chen family next to him couldn't stand it, and a young man shouted: "Those who are not allowed to worship the ancestors are crooked. Third Aunt, don't listen to the nonsense of the barbarian monks!"

Chen Lin scolded angrily: "What do you know? Priest Li is a virtuous and eminent monk sent by His Majesty the Pope. He came to Fu'an to rescue the suffering. When the Ming Dynasty was still there, there were corrupt officials and bullies everywhere. The people's lives were miserable. Going down, it’s all Priest Li who is helping to save people. How many poor people have been saved in these years? Priest Li said that worshiping ancestors will go to hell, so it must be 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 remark came out, there was an instant uproar.

   Not only the Chen clan surrounded them, 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: "The monk named Li Fanbang is really a person who deceives the public with lies. The descendants of the Chen family, I arrested the man surnamed Li. official!"

Chen Lin pointed at the patriarch and cursed: "You old bastard, you bullied my orphans and widows back then, and occupied more than 300 mu of my family's land. Now it's all right, the Emperor of Datong has come, no matter how much land you occupy, it's useless. Retribution, it is the punishment of the God of Dous!"

  A person with a foreign surname said with a smile: "Third Aunt of the Chen family, the current world report belongs to the Buddhist school, so don't repeat the scriptures."

"Ha ha ha ha!"

  Everyone burst into laughter upon hearing this.

  The patriarch of the Chen clan couldn't hold back his face even more, and he roared: "Hurry up and arrest that foreign monk surnamed Li to see the official!"

  So hundreds of people rushed to the church, not only members of the Chen clan, but also the rest of the people who worshiped their ancestors in the cemetery at the foot of the mountain, filled with righteous indignation and followed to arrest the foreign monks.

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

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

   Some Confucian scholars even shouted: "Protect Mingjiao, destroy Hongfan Church!"

  Chen Boyuan, the son of Chen Lin's family, was an official in the county government after all, so he hurriedly hissed to dissuade him: "Don't kill people, don't set fire to them, just arrest the foreign monk before the officials! Don't kill people, don't set fires..."

  The excited people will not listen to this kind of advice.

  They rushed into the church with sticks, no matter whether there were foreign devils or Han people inside, they would beat up any living people anyway. Then they **** all the people in the church and dragged them to the county government. Before leaving, they set fire to the church.

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

  The believers in this family are even more powerful. They don’t go to the graves to worship their ancestors on Qingming Festival, and the whole family stays in the room listening to the foreign monks explaining the Bible.

   Angry people still came here, smashed the door of this believer, and beat them violently when they saw a living person.

  A young girl shouted: "Forgive me, I'm a working maid, I really don't belong to this family!"

  Hearing the shouts outside, the head of the household hurriedly reminded: "Father Li, go!"

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

   "Monk Hongmaoyang is over there!"

   "Hurry up, don't let him escape!"

   "..."

   Li Yufan, who was out of breath, was caught up while running away. He was kicked in the lower back and threw himself in front of his body.

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

  Dizzy, fists, feet and sticks fell like raindrops. He didn't even utter a few screams before being hit in the head and fainted.

   was beaten to death on the spot!

   During the Fuan Rebellion, three Spanish missionaries were killed, eleven religious believers were killed, and dozens of others were injured.

  The county magistrate and the chief judge didn't know how to judge at all, 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 who served in Qintianyuan were all arrested and questioned in person.

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

  Yagyu Jubingwei was shopping, and excitedly shouted: "The emperor of China has also arrested the Nanman monk!"

  Lin Luoshan stroked his beard, nodded in approval: "That's right, the great China, how can we allow the Nanman monk to be a disaster?"

   (The narration about the Satsuma clan is due to Lao Wang’s memory confusion, and it has been corrected. If there are any mistakes in the plot about Japan, it should be regarded as the butterfly effect.)

  (end of this chapter)