Crusade against the Pope

Chapter 441 All Things Are Renewed (The End)

Compared to the fighting in the Sinai Peninsula, the upcoming conference in Jerusalem is clearly more noteworthy.

Meetings are an indispensable feature of Christianity; it can be said that meetings bear witness to the divisions and growth of Christianity.

Without meetings, there is nothing.

Aside from the small meetings held by the diocese on a regular basis, it is the ecumenical councils that truly influence the Christian order.

In the 13th century, recognizing which ecumenical councils one belonged to, or not recognizing any at all, was the simplest way to distinguish which sect one belonged to.

For example, the Sinai Autonomous Church, led by Archbishop Caristratus, only recognizes the first seven ecumenical councils.

Even though the Eighth Council was the Fourth Council held in Constantinople, it was co-hosted by the Catholic and Orthodox churches.

The Sinai Autonomous Church, a branch of the Eastern Orthodox Church, also does not acknowledge the correctness of that instance.

Based on the number of times, all those who acknowledge the first four times are called the Chalcedonian Church (including Catholicism, Protestantism, and Eastern Orthodoxy).

Those who only acknowledge the first seven are generally the Eastern Orthodox Church.

The Eastern Orthodox Church (represented by the Coptic Orthodox Church) only recognizes the first three times.

The church that only recognizes the first two times is the Eastern Assyrian Church (represented by the Nestorian Church).

Those who never admit it are called the Arians (many of Hong Tianwang's ideas are closer to this school of thought).

Now, with Garys gathering secular forces from the Middle East and the Asia Minor peninsula, along with the reopening of the church, it inevitably carries a sense of wanting to participate in a grand event.

Of course, from a historical perspective, whether this meeting can be considered a grand council remains to be seen a century from now.

Each Christian denomination has its own set of standards for whether or not it recognizes this.

Take the Catholic Church, for example. As the tribe that considers itself to have held the most ecumenical councils, they believe that the location of the council or whether it is convened by the emperor is not important.

The important thing is to have the Pope's endorsement.

In contrast, there is the Eastern Orthodox Church.

An ecumenical council of the Orthodox Church is considered legitimate only if it involves the participation of the entire church.

The Orthodox Churches often exist on equal footing, without an absolute authority like that of the Pope. Therefore, they need to rely on secular supreme authority to give the ecumenical council sufficient legitimacy.

This was possible for the Roman Empire at its peak, or even for successfully conquering the Eastern Roman Empire.

But now, Constantinople has fallen.

Logically speaking, there shouldn't be another ecumenical council of the Orthodox Church.

But Gaylis is ultimately an outsider.

The current situation is a problem that all those who have witnessed the Miracle of Guelph, whether in the Middle East, the Near East, or among the pilgrims, must face.

Has a new prophet appeared?
This problem is more critical than any doctrinal issue in the past.

A new prophet means new revelation, and new answers to the problems that have been passed down through history as errors.

Of course, Gary claims to be the incarnation of Jesus, a prophet before Muhammad, and not someone born in the new millennium.

This claim provides a better explanation for many Muslims, preventing the Muslim community from rejecting Gairis due to an overly forceful shift.

Returning to the question of the "new" prophet.

In the present moment when a new prophet has emerged, in addition to distinguishing people by their historical religion, a new standard has been added—whether you acknowledge "Garis".

If Galis is accepted, then it doesn't matter whether one was originally a Christian, an Islamic, or even a Jew.

They all essentially became part of the "Fourth Church".

This meeting is less a continuation of the Eastern Orthodox ecumenical councils, but rather a potential eighth ecumenical council of the Eastern Orthodox Church.

It was more accurately described as the first ecumenical council of the Fourth Church.

……

The venue for the conference was chosen to be the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Garys' decision surprised many, but it more powerfully demonstrated his differences from mainstream Christianity and was a call for the re-emergence of Abrahamic religions.

The Al-Aqsa Mosque was quite grand for its time, covering a total area of ​​14.4 hectares (one-third the size of Tiananmen Square), with the mosque itself occupying 0.46 hectares and capable of accommodating up to 5,000 worshippers. The area outside the mosque could accommodate up to tens of thousands of people.

Indeed, tens of thousands of people gathered here, eagerly anticipating the event.

Today is the first Sunday after the spring equinox in the Gregorian calendar year 2. The past 40 days of Ramadan have ended, and now that the sun is breaking through the darkness, it is Easter.

The rising sun in the east peeks out from behind the Al-Aqsa Mosque, piercing the darkness and bringing dawn.

In this sacred moment, everyone fell silent.

At dawn, without any attendants to introduce him, Gairis walked out of the mosque and met the crowds in the square.

He walked to the center of the square, stood on an inconspicuous stone platform, facing the crowd. His voice was not loud, but it reached everyone's ears.

"Brothers and sisters, the poor and the rich, the believers and the foolish..."

Today, we are not in churches, mosques, or synagogues; we stand on the same ground under the dome of the sky.

Whose land is this? Is it Jewish? Christian? Muslim?
No, this land belongs to everyone, it has been trampled upon, it belongs to those who have longed for justice for thousands of years but have not received it.

The revelation has never ceased. Revelation is neither the sealed scriptures of the past, nor the commentaries debated by Arab scholars.

Revelation is the outstretched hand of the poor in hunger, the cry of a mother searching for her child in ruins, and the prayer that every oppressed person dares not utter aloud.

You all know who I am.

I am neither new nor old; I have always been here, and now you have finally seen me.

Moses led his people out of Egypt, but someone behind his back rebuilt the golden calf.

Jesus went to Golgotha, but some people turned his cross into a throne of power.

Muhammad preached equality for all in Mecca, yet some have used faith as an excuse for bloodshed and fire.

I know that after this day, the past will not cease, but I have still come.

I want to tell you that after I leave, countless versions of me will emerge from among you.

Today, I will reveal my full picture to you, tell you what I will do, and establish a covenant that should be followed for the next thousand years until the new heaven and new earth.

I tell you, what you believe is meaningless if it cannot set slaves free, and if it cannot defend the suffering, you are complicit with tyrants.

If you are rich, help others; if you are strong, carry the burdens of the weak; if you are knowledgeable, teach the illiterate.

You will not lose anything from this, but you will receive spiritual salvation and have a place in the new heaven and new earth.

Don't ask, 'Who is my neighbor?' Ask, 'Whose neighbor am I?'

You must transcend race and language to see that even in the face of your enemy there is the image of God.

All who are here, regardless of their country of origin, language of speech, or name of God.

If you know how to love, have compassion, and act justly, then you are my brother or sister.

From this day forward, stop saying 'I am a Christian,' 'I am a Muslim,' 'I am a Jew'... Say: 'I am a friend of righteousness, a servant of God, a brother to the suffering, and a tongue to the oppressed.'

Even if you can't lend a helping hand, you should still applaud others and speak out for justice.

Today we make our covenant, not with sheep's blood, not with Holy Communion, not with the sword, but with one another's hearts..."

Behind Gayris, the sun peeked out, making Gayris appear exceptionally dazzling, as if he were about to leave this world.

“I tell you again: faith is not an escape, but a transformation, for the kingdom of God is neither in heaven nor far away, but among you.”

“If you are well, the kingdom of heaven is near.”

As the speech ended and Gairis turned to re-enter the mosque, the crowd erupted in shouts and cries. Some raised their arms in response, while others knelt and kissed the dust.

But he didn't look back.

Those who were attending the gathering at the temple had been waiting for a long time.

(End of the book)

(End of this chapter)