Crusade against the Pope

Chapter 206 The battle between life and death is endless!
【Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen.】

—Luke 24:5-6
Life is not just a survival of the flesh, life is a gift from God, life is a gift from God, life is a sacred mission.

Garys showed Privan a kind of authority, which was the control over life.

He is not only a doctor who can cut out other people's internal organs and keep them alive, but also a miracle worker who controls his own body and completely controls his own life.

A being who can control life should naturally know the mysteries of life and should be able to cure all diseases!

“Pulivan, you have to know that we do not believe in an eternal God who is indifferent to the suffering of the world and ignores the needs of the flesh.”

"But he is a Lord who sacrificed his life for the love of life and for the love of all living beings."

“Heaven is not a place of abstinence where joy and pleasure are strictly prohibited, but a feast full of the joy of life, a wedding feast where everyone celebrates and enjoys the joy of life together.”

Plivan was still in shock. It took him a long time to gradually react to the meaning of Gailis' words.

This doctor is no ordinary person, but a person who has received divine revelation.

"I have come from the dead to give the living immortality, to repent the sinners, to save the righteous, and that all should live to their appointed years, and that no one should die young."

Gellis showed Privan a whole new possibility, a whole new world.

Can faith be eaten as food? The answer is yes.

The Church always venerates Sacred Scripture as she venerates the Lord's Body. From the table of the Word of God and of the Body of Christ the Church constantly draws the bread of life and offers it to her faithful.

This interpretation of the world creates a spiritual world that is completely different from the reality of suffering.

Driven by this religious force, many people are willing to give up their worldly pleasures and seek grace in the afterlife.

And now, a powerful being who truly holds the authority over life stands before Privan.

For Pulivan, worldly pleasures are no longer enough, but his poor spirit forces him to pursue all kinds of "fun" in vain.

In this situation, after Garys showed him his power, even though Privan had doubts, he was willing to do something extraordinary with Garys.

……

The County of Tripoli, a Crusader state, was home to a large number of Franks.

Therefore, Catholicism has naturally become the most influential religion here.

The power of Islam was driven from the cities into the countryside.

And what about the Greeks? Those Orthodox Christians are facing an awkward situation.

The religious rituals they performed were too close to Catholicism.

The Catholic priests simply drove the original Orthodox priests out of the church and then easily took over their place.

But has the Orthodox Church disappeared in Tripoli?
Of course not, they just changed the way they acted. They no longer held sacraments in churches, they no longer gathered in public, they just became marginalized people in society.

One thing to understand is that although the power of religion can drive people to do many extraordinary things.

But if a business can be maintained for a long time, it must be driven by real economic benefits.

The Crusades initially sought only to recapture the holy city of Jerusalem, but later evolved into an attempt to monopolize the entrepot trade from the Middle East to Europe.

Later, the Crusader states also began to engage in large-scale handicraft production.

According to records, there were at least four thousand textile machines producing silk and cloth in the city of Tripoli during the same period.

In this case, converting pagans or "heretics" to Catholicism was not something urgent or necessary.

In fact, in the Middle Ages, from a purely ruling perspective, subjects of different religions were not necessarily a source of unrest.

Moreover, as conquerors, the Franks could not imagine having to confess to an Arab priest.

The clergy, especially the priests, were also unable to accept the possibility of Arabs discussing the content of the Gospel with them.

As a result, society in the Crusader States was divided, with Frankish Catholics occupying the upper echelons of society.

Followers of other religions began to be marginalized, ignored and abandoned.

Even though this marginalized group accounts for two-thirds of society.

Islam has its own Islamic life, and the Greeks and Orthodox Christians have also separated from the church, so their organizational form has changed.

Ever since the County of Tripoli forcibly declared that Catholic priests had occupied the Orthodox Church, the overt activities of the Orthodox Church have been greatly suppressed for several consecutive years.

There are no Greek Masses, no Greek weddings, and no Greek baptisms.

Many Orthodox priests left Tripoli and went to Cyprus, while many more either passively resisted or went underground.

The Orthodox hierarchical church, which is traditionally composed of priests, has almost ceased to exist.

So much so that in this land, lay people, that is, ordinary believers, had to take over from priests to preside over the religious sacraments.

In Tripoli, the dividing line between believers and priests has become blurred.

A large number of small and scattered Orthodox disciples gathered together to build one grassroots Christian gathering after another.

When Gellis showed these gatherings his profound theological knowledge and the letter of introduction from the Archbishop of Cyprus, he was naturally accepted by these gatherings.

Garys led a Bible study with members of one of the gatherings, had them reflect on the Bible's teachings, and imparted knowledge on how to practice medicine.

Because of Garys, the Bible here is not a dull and boring dogma, but a living faith.

The Orthodox believers here truly welcomed a priest again.

Moreover, because Garys has connected with Privan, no one should come to trouble these marginalized people in society, at least in the short term.

In a shabby little house, the lights were dim and the candlelight flickered.

Garys sat in it, quietly waiting for the next person to come here to confess.

Outside the confessional, a man with a tired face and ragged clothes walked over. He looked dazed and there seemed to be tears in his eyes.

Finally, he pushed open the door of the cabin and sat on the side facing the window.

He whispered, "Father, I need to confess. I have committed a great sin."

After examining him, Gailis said softly, "Whatever your sin is, you can confess it to our Father, and He will forgive you because of His love."

The man sighed and said in a trembling voice, "Father, I broke the commandments and committed theft."

"I took some food from a rich man's house, just some bread and fruit."

Garys listened, he knew that this man had a lot to say, this man came here not just to confess, but more to talk.

The man's voice echoed in the confessional, he clenched his fists, and his stiff shoulders trembled slightly.

"My wife died of illness a year ago, leaving me and my three children alone."

"We haven't had any food for a few days. I work at the docks moving goods every day, but the meager income is not enough for the four of us to survive."

"My little daughter, she was only five years old, and she was starving to death."

"I know stealing is a crime, but I really have no other choice. I saw that rich family with endless money and food, and I just want my children to survive..."

This is a young man who looks to be in his thirties at first glance, but is actually only in his twenties.

He was only a few years older than Garys, but due to long-term fatigue and hardship, he looked much older than his actual age.

The man had a thin face, prominent cheekbones, and his face was covered with traces of weathering. His deep-set eyes only contained dull fatigue.

His skin was rough from years of outdoor work and had noticeable sunburn.

Every word and every letter uttered by this person is a crystallization of the sufferings of this world.

Puliwan is already quite good, but no matter how good he is, he cannot eliminate poverty in his territory.

Listening to the man's sobs, Gaillis understood one thing: this man did not feel any regret for the theft, but was more helpless about his inability to protect his family.

Gellis dipped a little holy oil, took the man's right hand, and in his puzzled gaze, made the sign of the cross on his palm with the holy oil.

Then he said, "It's okay, it's okay. You don't have to repent because you have never sinned."

"Paul writes in this way: But if anyone has this world's goods and sees his brother in need but has closed his heart against him, how can the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or tongue, but let us show it in action and in truth."

"What other words have you heard from the mouth of the prophet?"

“Is not this the fast that I require: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?”

“Is it not that you should share your bread with the hungry, and bring the poor who are homeless into your home? When you see the naked, you should cover them, and not hide yourself from your own flesh and blood?”

“Thus: God hath ordained that the earth and all that is in it be for the use of all men.”

“Thus: the whole creation must be endowed with justice and charity for all.”

“Therefore: wealth should not be considered as something that belongs to oneself alone, but rather as a gift from God, and everyone has the right to own a portion of it that is sufficient for himself and his family.”

"The poor, the destitute... those who work hard but still cannot survive, there is a portion of God's gift waiting for you to take."

“I say to the rich: Provide food to the hungry. If you don’t give him food, you are killing him.”

Gailis' words shocked the man in front of him. He had never thought that he would hear such shocking words from a "priest".

For Gellis, whether it is public ownership or private ownership, he is not obsessed with the system itself.

But he knew that in this era, with the emergence of capital and the fierce market competition...

The strengthening of private ownership is an inevitable trend, and one day the concept of absolute private ownership will be born. In London in the early 20th century, in the afterglow of the Victorian era, even stealing a piece of grass from someone's home to fill your stomach could result in a two-week prison sentence.

This is not because the grass is so valuable, but simply because the act of stealing violates the sacred and unshakable "private property" and refutes the sacred "big hand".

But Gellis wants to say that private property is not absolute and unconditional, and the world belongs to everyone rather than just some people.

Gellis cannot stop the strengthening of private ownership, and he may even release the tiger himself to devour people everywhere in this era.

But after all, Garys is not a believer in the "golden calf" and will not teach people to worship an idol that will be burned to ashes.

Therefore, no matter how the times change, no matter which direction the trend goes.

Gairis will say: "Provide food to the hungry. If you do not give him food, you are killing him."

[The poor, the destitute... those who work hard but still cannot survive, there is a portion of God's gift waiting for you to take. ]

This is life, a gift from God, something that cannot be violated.

We must walk with the victims in history, and fighting for human life should be everyone's duty. This is a battle that will last for countless generations and concern hundreds of millions of people.

As long as human lives are threatened by the law of death, someone will be needed to fight.

Marx once said: "If a person is willing to become a cow, then he can certainly ignore the suffering of mankind and only care about his own skin. However, if I die without completing my book in its entirety (at least writing a draft), I will indeed think that I am impractical."

……

Living is already extremely difficult, if there is no candle of hope to illuminate the future.

Then all this is so sad.

The worship of nature gave birth to animism. In animism, humans are just one of all creatures and are no different from them.

It is perfectly normal to use people for sacrifice and to make sacrifices.

However, without exception, with the development of the times, the use of people for sacrifice is becoming less and less common.

The status of man began to be elevated among all things. In Christian mythology, Yahweh created the world because of man.

In Eastern thought, humans have become the most intelligent creatures in the world.

But there are also differences between people.

[The Lord once said: "There are poor people in the world because there are rich people; there are rich people because there are poor people."]

[The wealth of the rich is taken from the suffering of the poor, just as the roots of a towering tree are deeply rooted in the withering of the poor.]

Therefore, in order to make up for this gap, in order to make up for the poverty of the material world with the richness of the spiritual world.

Christianity and Islam, which emphasize that God values ​​the extremely poor and spiritually poor, together with Buddhism, which advocates reincarnation, have become the three major religions in the world.

All three religions, without exception, promised the poor an afterlife better than that of the rich.

This is something that the Norse beliefs, Greek beliefs, Roman beliefs, and even traditional Taoist beliefs have never originally considered.

Therefore, even in the 21st century when science is advancing rapidly, the world's three major religions may gradually lose their influence on the secular world, but the number of believers of the three major religions is still growing!

As for the 12th century, there is no need to say more, but when Gellis broke into the gatherings of the lower-class Orthodox Christians.

Even though he had never performed any miracles, simply relying on his medical skills and his new interpretation of the Bible, he was able to spread his influence like spring rain into this faith-dry desert.

But things can't always go smoothly.

After another grassroots meeting, Gailis noticed that the expression of one believer was not quite natural.

All I can say is that even though Orthodox Christians are on the margins of society, it is impossible for the Catholic Church to really leave them alone. It is in a situation where I can do without them, but others cannot touch them.

In the church of Botlen, in this stone-renovated hall.

Bishop Bernard listened to the report from the person next to him. The more he listened, the more his brows furrowed.

He had been paying attention to Garys' affairs for a long time. After all, the fact that he could save a living person by cutting off a piece of intestine from his body was a very popular topic.

At this time, it is necessary to mention one thing.

The Middle Ages was a concept that spanned a very wide area, and different churches and priests did not reach a consensus on many issues.

Therefore, even in this era, the witch hunt has not yet begun on a large scale.

But the suspicion of "witchcraft" always exists.

It's just that because Privan had taken such good care of Gailis before, the church never visited him.

But today, Gellis no longer just practices medicine, nor does he just interpret the Bible in Greek. He is also leading these Orthodox Christians to rebuild the social order among them.

Garys taught people to read and write using the Bible, allowing them to reflect on the Bible's teachings, commit to charity, and allow believers to help each other.

These grassroots gatherings preside over various sacraments on their own, work hard to improve neighborhood relations, and even plan to build bridges and roads.

To the Franks, to the Franks who really cared about this, this was unbelievable.

Because those Christians who were confused about their faith actually began to become richer in their faith!

If a person is suspected of witchcraft, it is not enough to have a huge impact on the interests of the church.

But if there is a group of people who have gone astray in their faith, they actually live better than those believers who are on the right path, and show a richer spiritual world.

This is a problem.

Because it questions the correctness of their church.

Who allowed you to live a good life? !

Your sufferings in this world are the best aid to the Franks' faith!

Because you have betrayed Holy Tradition and do not recognize the authority of the Successors of St. Peter, you deserve to suffer in this world!

The bishop sat on the pulpit in the church with a heavy face, a frown on his face, and anger and disappointment flashing in his eyes.

"We must condemn this, because he is shaking the foundation of our faith."

"That guy's medical skills are nothing but lies to fool the ignorant. They are the devil's disguise and conspiracy!"

“He is misleading those pious souls with fallacies. It is outrageous!”

The priests standing by nodded in unison after hearing the bishop's speech.

Gillis's practice of medicine actually had little impact as long as he was willing to explain his medical skills as "a gift from God."

Then, in the future, it is possible that a "saint" or miracle performer may be packaged up, which is a good thing for the spread of faith.

But this guy actually joined the Orthodox Church?

Even though Eastern Orthodoxy cannot be considered a heresy now, the differences between the sects are already very obvious!

This kind of thing is unbearable!
We must punish severely, quickly, and strictly!

What's more, he actually said: [The poor, the destitute... those who work hard but still can't survive, there is a part of God's gift waiting for you to take. ]

This, this... isn't this encouraging those people to steal, rob, and rebel? !

Some people, can't just starve to death at home and not come out and cause trouble for others, okay?
Based on this idea, the church of Botlen made its own decision and was ready to take action at any time.

Meanwhile, not far away in the Fort of Tripoli, in the castle's safest and most secret tower.

Count Raymond III of Tripoli lies in bed.

He felt like he was going to die. This was the only time in his life that he felt death approaching so clearly.

He could feel that the angel of death had descended upon him, quietly waiting for the moment he would die, so as to force him to taste the bitterness of death.

When lying on the hospital bed and looking back on the past, Raymond was confused: What is the meaning of his life?
Unlike Reynard's deep hatred for Muslims, he is not a true knight who pursues his ideals like Balian.

He was just an ordinary nobleman who inherited the title of Count of Tripoli because of his father. Under the guidance of Baldwin III, he grew up in the court of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

He plundered the coasts of the Eastern Roman Empire, was captured by Nur ad-Din at the Battle of Harin, and then spent nearly a decade in exile in Aleppo.

After redeeming himself, he married the widowed Esquiva and became the lord of Galilee in the Kingdom of Jerusalem, gradually becoming one of the most powerful Crusader lords.

Like many nobles, Raymond was eager to acquire land and wealth and seek higher power. He served as regent of the Kingdom of Jerusalem twice and signed a secret agreement with Saladin.

However, the former glory was wiped out in the battle west of the Sea of ​​Galilee.

In the face of Saladin's army, Raymond realized how insignificant everything he had pursued was.

He fled back to Tripoli in panic. His past glory did not give him the courage to continue to confront Saladin.

After all this, Raymond finally realized a sad fact: he was just a coward.

From then on, Raymond fell seriously ill, and his desire for wealth and power was ruthlessly taken away, leaving only his tortured body wandering in the world.

But Raymond didn't want to die after all. After all, a good death is worse than a miserable life.

Suddenly, a servant gently pushed open the bedroom door, controlled his steps, came to the side of the Count of Tripoli, and whispered a few words to the Count.

"What? Are you saying there's a miracle doctor in Botlen? One who can cure all diseases? He can make people live by cutting out their intestines?!"

"Quick! Go get that doctor for me!"

(End of this chapter)