Chapter 1706 - 1612

Chapter 1706: Chapter 1612

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Besides that, Huguenot Faction activity in the Vivarai region is extremely frequent, especially in the mountains, where they’ve set up an organization called the "Desert Church" and periodically clash with the Catholic Church.

You could say that to be a good local official in Vivarai, you absolutely have to be outstanding in intellect, temperament, methods, and even physical force.

Joseph is sending his younger brother there to start from the bottom as a completely ordinary minor clerk, which will be extremely good training for him.

Charles made his choice almost without thinking: "I’ll go to Vivarai, brother. This time I definitely won’t disappoint you again!"

Joseph nodded: "That’s more like a Cape. You may take one horse, one pistol, and 30 francs with you.

"Remember, if you don’t respect the restrictions, you must go to Meudon Castle at once.

"For these few days you’ll stay at the hunting ground. Before you set out for Vivarai, Father and Mother will come to see you."

Joseph left the leather suitcase he had brought, reminded his brother again to change his bandages on time, and then walked toward his Arab horse.

"Brother," Charles limped a couple of steps to catch up, hesitated for several seconds, and finally mustered up his Courage: "Um... could Josiah come to France? I don’t want to leave her..."

"No." Joseph’s tone was resolute. "She’s now one of the organizers of the unrest in Rome, and her entering French territory would cause enormous diplomatic trouble."

Charles lowered his head, then pleaded softly: "Could you try your best to protect her safety? This is my last request."

Joseph answered noncommittally: "She probably won’t encounter any real danger in future. Even if she can’t become a Member of Parliament, she’ll be a very influential political figure."

Seeing his brother turn away again, Charles reached out and grasped at the air, worry and unease between his brows: "Brother, you still love me, don’t you?"

Joseph stopped and nodded to him: "Yes. You will always be one of the people I love most."

...

Milan.

A grand banquet is being held at Count Alcinto’s estate.

Only, amid the soothing music, almost no one is paying attention to the sumptuous food before them; all eyes are fixed on France’s Minister of Foreign Affairs.

This banquet can be seen as the prelude to the Mediterranean Security Organization conference that opens the day after tomorrow; everyone wants to get an early sense of France’s stance.

"That’s roughly it." Talleyrand raised his hand and gestured. "From now on, the appointment and removal of Archbishops in member states of the Security Organization will be decided through consultation between the Holy See and the governments of those countries.

"As for things like selling Indulgences, the Holy See will no longer interfere..."

At these words, the representatives of all countries showed joy on their faces and from time to time whispered a few words to one another.

Just as Joseph had said, all the Northern Italy states warmly welcome the Holy See’s departure from Rome.

Right at that moment, a hoarse middle-aged male voice came from the west side of the hall: "Your Excellency Archbishop, before talking about these matters, you might perhaps first explain to everyone the sudden operation carried out earlier by your country’s troops in Rome.

"If I’m not mistaken, that action has already violated the Mediterranean Security Organization’s..."

"Ahem—" Talleyrand cut him off with an exaggerated cough, casting a cold glance across the room.

The man was Venice’s Assistant to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mo Chenigo. Talleyrand remembered that his family had once had close ties with Vienna; during Vienna’s purge of the pro-Austria faction they used every means to escape unscathed, and later secured a seat in the Vienna Congress.

He hadn’t expected him to appear here.

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The five great papal Holy Artifacts: the tiara (triple crown), the crossed keys, the umbrella, the bishop’s miter, and the pallium with the shepherd’s staff. They weren’t chosen at random, but selected out of Church tradition as the most representative objects, each bearing its own distinctive meaning.

Let’s start with Saint Peter himself, because all these Holy Artifacts are related to him. His original name was Simon, a fisherman from Galilee. Later Jesus called him Peter, meaning "rock," saying he would build the Church upon him. In the Bible, the Gospel of Matthew records that Jesus gave Peter the keys to Heaven, granting him authority to bind or loose on earth, with Heaven following suit.

This is the foundation of papal authority. Peter later went to Rome to preach, and around the year 64 was persecuted by Emperor Nero and died crucified upside down. His successors became the bishop of Rome, that is, the later Popes. Many of these Holy Artifacts arise from this lineage, reminding people that the Pope is Peter’s successor, responsible for shepherding believers across the world.

The first Holy Artifact: the papal tiara, the triple crown. This thing is the classic emblem of papal authority, looking like a layered gold crown, somewhat hive-shaped, encrusted with gemstones. Its history is quite long, traceable back to 8th‑century headgear called the Phrygian hat, brought over from the Byzantine Empire.

At first it was just a simple conical crown; in the 9th century the first coronet was added, symbolizing the Pope’s control over worldly affairs. Between 1294 and 1303, Pope Boniface VIII added the second coronet, emphasizing leadership in the spiritual sphere. At that time he claimed to stand above Kings, causing plenty of controversy.

The third coronet appeared between 1309 and 1378 during the Avignon period, when the Church was divided and the Pope had moved to live in France; this third coronet symbolized moral guidance over earthly rulers. On top there is also a small globe and cross, meaning Christ rules the world. In the early 16th century, that little globe and cross were added as the finial.

The tiara is not only worn, but also used in heraldry. Historically, when a Pope was crowned, this crown was placed upon his head in a ceremony lasting six hours, from 1143 all the way to 1963. Paul VI was the last to wear it; at his coronation in 1963 he used a crown donated by Milan, which weighed 4.5 kilograms, was sharply conical, and not heavily jeweled.

Later he donated this crown, selling it to raise money for the poor; now it rests in the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, United States. From then on, papal coronation changed to an inaugural Masses, no longer using the tiara. John Paul II said at his inauguration in 1978 that this is not the time to revert to such symbols of worldly power.

Benedict XVI and Francis have likewise never used it, though some people gave them new ones. Traditional Catholics have objections to this change; some feel that abandoning the tiara is a sign the Church is modernizing too quickly. But in terms of symbolism, the tiara represents the Pope’s threefold role: Priest, Prophet, and King—or the Church in its three states of militant, suffering, and triumphant.

The second is the crossed keys, one gold and one silver, crossed and bound together, joined with a red cord. This comes directly from the Bible: in Matthew 16:19 Jesus says to Peter, "I will give you the keys to Heaven." The gold key on the right represents heavenly authority; the silver key on the left symbolizes spiritual authority over worldly affairs.