Chapter 1078: Chapter 1021: Turmoil in the Green House (Double-Length Chapter)

Pope Horn is going to have a duel with Pope Grandiva, to compete in a theological debate?

The two Popes intend to turn this debate into the sixth ecumenical council, redefining doctrine?

Xie Li, carrying the papal will and the Holy Cabinet, appears in the Holy Alliance, serving as the referee?

One explosive news after another spread, leaving everyone in the room speechless for a moment.

After a while, the apprentice monks standing began whispering to each other, then started small discussions in groups of twos and threes.

Someone even leaned over to Old Pierre and whispered, "Has the papal will of Bishop Xie Li been unsealed?"

"According to news from the Holy Alliance, not yet, the wax seal is still intact," Old Pierre explained, "However, Xie Li already knows the contents of the papal will because he watched the Pope write it."

"Then, then then, then..."

"Perhaps His Majesty already knows, or perhaps not, I’m not sure," Old Pierre frowned, "If Xie Li’s appearance in the Holy Alliance is because the Pope supports His Majesty Gallar, then why doesn’t His Majesty just announce it?

If Xie Li’s appearance in the Holy Alliance was accidental, and the will is unopened..."

At this point, young Pierre suddenly stumbled, crashing into his father’s chair back.

Old Pierre shut his mouth belatedly.

Actually, Old Pierre’s latter statement was the dark thought of most present.

Even Jill had this thought arise in his mind:

If Xie Li truly supports Horn, why bother with such an ecumenical council and debate?

Pushing Xie Li forward is precisely because the papal will favors Grandiva, yet cannot cover up the fact of Xie Li’s presence in the Holy Alliance, hence the ecumenical council?

If the debate is lost, it doesn’t matter as the previous Pope didn’t support him; it’s equivalent to having no change in result.

If the debate is won, with the politically correct redefinition of doctrine, it’s equivalent to giving Grandiva a useless piece of paper.

The papal will is important if you say it’s important, but unimportant if you say it’s unimportant.

The will is merely a historical document, it doesn’t have practical significance.

Who cares what a dead person thinks?

The key lies in the imperial monks and priests’ opinions; they are the ones deciding this difficult question of who becomes Pope.

But after the fall of Holy Seat City last year, the imperial religious community generally fell into a phase of faith confusion.

The will is just a new weight on Falan’s side of the scale, although small, it’s enough to tip the balance.

However, this weight is held in Horn’s hand, and he can decide when to release it.

If Horn can persuade the priests at the ecumenical council and add a new weight to his side, then the outcome is still up for grabs.

Although this kind of thinking seems quite an attack on Horn’s personal morals, considering his past mysterious behaviors...

"Hard to say," Jill muttered, lowering his head, otherwise he couldn’t explain such strange behaviors.

You’ve got the Holy Cabinet and the will, no matter what’s written in the will, just announce the support of the previous Pope, and it’s finished, isn’t it?

Although this might lead to criticism, it’s better than letting Grandiva have it.

This obviously seems like handing a knife to an opponent, what are the many cardinals at the Holy Alliance thinking?

"This is a good thing."

After the noisy silence, the senior figure of the Saint Father’s Association, Priest Livingstone, suddenly spoke up as he sat at the table.

Seeing everyone either pondering silently or whispering softly, he cleared his throat and stood up again.

"As I mentioned earlier, the original intention of the Saint Master was good, but it was misinterpreted and poorly executed by the bishops."

"Since that’s the case, like being rebaptized to represent new birth, we must further liberate the right to interpret scriptures."

"I believe that His Majesty Saint Sun’s purpose in convening the sixth ecumenical council is precisely this, to return the right of interpretation to all capable priests and monks."

"His Majesty Saint Sun, is truly great!"

Priest Livingstone was the first to raise his fist, but before it could fall, another monk beside him spoke coldly:

"Priest Livingstone is overly presumptuous, isn’t he? His Majesty Horn’s action is too rash."

Jill recognized that monk, similarly robust, with thick knuckles, but shorter by a head than Livingstone.

Many monks from the Holy Sect in Windmill Ground are of this disposition, coming from lower-tier monk backgrounds, physically strong, with a culture of not being low.

The reason is that the Holy Sect advocates street practice rather than academic debate.

Therefore, monks of the Holy Sect often take to street preaching, street debating, street fighting, followed by street fleeing.

Any monk who rises through this set of street practices in the Holy Sect is always such a fierce appearance.

For instance, Monk Svenson, who clashed with Priest Livingstone, became famous through a battle with a double-flowered red cane, defeating six opposing monks.

"Rash? Many priests and monks are currently in a faith confusion period because the high-level bishops were swept away.

If we don’t seize this opportunity, once local bishops come to their senses, we will fall back into the quagmire of Divine Essenceism and become irredeemable."

"I’m saying the winning odds are too low." Svenson said darkly, turning his head to look at Livingstone, "You know that today’s academic debate is like two dogs barking in a mud pit, with no discernible result."

You quote one teaching of the Saint to refute my theoretical basis, I quote another Saint’s teaching to refute your theoretical basis...

The Holy Sect’s theories are still not solid enough; now is the time for sedimentation.

If it comes to academic-style debates, the Holy Alliance will undoubtedly lose!"

"Why?" A sitting monk from the Holy Sect stood up, "In the Windmill Ground, our Holy Sect’s preaching has left the Divine Essence Sect disoriented!"