Crusade against the Pope

Chapter 244 The Acts of Barnabas

There are many things that Gellis cannot talk to people about directly, for example, what is the concept of a modern state.

He simply couldn't talk about this with people of this era.

If we take a Eurocentric narrative, the prototype of the modern state is generally considered to have been formed in Europe between the 16th and 18th centuries.

First of all, there was the Thirty Years' War. Such a long and intense war forced the political systems of the participating countries to be updated.

This was followed by the Peace of Westphalia, which established the principle of state sovereignty and made the state the basic unit of international relations.

Subsequent nationalism, monarchy and centralization have all deepened this process.

As a "modern" country, it has some key characteristics.

For example: clear territorial boundaries, sovereignty, permanent government, rule of law, regular military and police forces, national identity, international recognition...

In the 12th century, whether there was a country that met these characteristics or not, Cyprus did not meet them.

The current situation in Cyprus.

High emotional intelligence: a small country with few people and governing by doing nothing.

Low EQ: You don’t have what you want…

If one day a big country appears next door and wants to extort tribute from Cyprus, that big country will find that it is unclear who to ask for money from.

Even the nominal head of state does not govern the country.

Apart from the church, the island was essentially in a state of anarchy, with the exception of the widespread collection of tithes.

On the side of the Serbian Liberation Front, people led by Nicholas are trying to end this situation.

To truly establish a unified country and government that can restore the glorious infrastructure of Cyprus in the Roman era.

And the biggest competitor for this goal is actually the Cyprus Church itself.

Nicholas does not think that the church represents the future of Cyprus.

That’s why he said to Andre: “The movement has not yet succeeded, we still need to work hard!”

……

Return to the church, or more precisely, return to your own archbishop's cathedral.

Antony found it very troublesome, even though the emperor of Cyprus had been overthrown.

Now that the church has become the head of Cyprus, Anthony finds that the workload he has to deal with every day, like that of Archos, has doubled.

Because Cyprus lacks a systematic government institution.

Almost any trivial matter that the bishops and priests below did not want to deal with would be submitted to Anthony.

The matter ranged from big things like two cities setting up tax checkpoints for each other to small things like a farmer losing a chicken...

Moreover, now that Gellis has asked the Cypriot Church to show its willingness to enter into communion with the Holy See.

The envoys from the Roman Catholic Church also came to Cyprus, and every now and then they would come to Antony to debate with him.

Take today's situation for example. We have just left Aljos and are preparing to go to Paphos Port to prepare to welcome Frederick I "Red Beard".

The Roman envoy, Cardinal Arnold, found Anthony. When Anthony saw the other party's excited face, his mood became even worse.

Without a doubt, they were coming to discuss the details of "communion" with me again. Nowadays, the differences between the Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church were actually very small in the eyes of other religions.

Everyone is also very clear about the main points of disagreement.

It is nothing more than whether to recognize the leadership of the Pope, the authority of mysticism and doctrine, or the differences in rituals and ceremonies.

Of these three issues, the first one is about the Vatican, which will never back down no matter what, and the last two are actually just details.

Due to Gellis' instructions, Anthony has said many times: "There is only one head of the whole church, Christ. This is beyond doubt, and we must obey that head's instructions."

To Cardinal Arnold, the Roman envoy, this was an acknowledgement of the Pope's authority.

Since they can reach an agreement on the general premise, the subsequent details can be resolved by Arnold sooner or later.

But Anthony needed to delay time and it was impossible for him to really enter into communion with the Vatican.

Therefore, he made a lot of demands on details, thus delaying time.

For example: whether the Mass is held in Greek or Latin, whether local festivals are recognized, etc.

Of course, in order to delay time, Anthony actually has a powerful weapon.

"Bishop Arnold, there is one issue on which I, as the Archbishop of Cyprus, cannot give in in any way."

"You say."

Cardinal Arnold flattered Anthony and allowed him to express his opinion.

Now the two are walking in the Archbishop's Cathedral in Anthony. This is not a formal meeting, but just a communication of opinions.

"The Acts of Barnabas are infallible and, together with the numerous Epistles of Barnabas, are an inseparable part of the Holy Scriptures, and the Holy See must recognize this."

When Arnold heard what Anthony said, he swallowed subconsciously. It was clearly December, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

This historical legacy is indeed a bit scary.

The status and identity of Barnabas as an apostle is recognized in the Book of Acts in the Bible.

Although he was not one of the twelve apostles, he played an important role in the early church. He had a close working relationship with the founder of Christianity, the Apostle Paul, and the two of them engaged in missionary activities together.

He was even a key figure in the conversion of the apostle Paul, introducing and protecting him to the other apostles and allaying their doubts when Paul first converted to Christianity.

As an apostle born in Cyprus, he holds a status in the Cyprus Church that is difficult for other apostles to achieve.

The Church of Cyprus has repeatedly stated that Barnabas was the first apostle in history to be baptized by a Roman governor and that he directly led the conversion of the entire island, and therefore he has a unique historical position in the Christian system.

During this process, the Church of Cyprus has repeatedly presented the Epistle of Barnabas and the Acts of Barnabas in an attempt to prove its uniqueness, saying that they are part of the Bible.

Of course, most Christian churches do not recognize this.

It is extremely difficult for the Vatican to compromise on this issue.

After all, "The Acts of Barnabas" has almost been defined as apocryphal by the Vatican.

You can't just acknowledge the other party's false scriptures just to win over a church, right?

What if the other party used the contents of "The Acts of Barnabas" to criticize the Roman Catholic Church at the Ecumenical Council?

　Second update
　　
　
(End of this chapter)