Purple Archbishop?!

Li Zhizao and Xu Guangqi, who came to Nantang in Chinese New Year's Eve to participate in the last dispersal of the year, looked at Duke Wei in disbelief in a bullfighting suit.

Li Zhizao Ding was worried about the expiration of the period, and returned to Beijing last month to play the Western calendar to the imperial court, and heard that the Ministry of History planned to transfer him to the Shaoqing of Nanjing Taifu Temple.

Xu Guangqi was originally a reviewer of the Hanlin Academy, but three years ago, due to disagreements with some ministers of the DPRK and China, he resigned from his post due to illness and went to Tianjin.

In the past two years, Xu has been digging canals to grow rice in Fangshan and Laishui counties, conducting various agricultural experiments, and has successively written books such as "Yi Ken Order", "Draft Agricultural Book", and "Northern Cultivation Record".

In July of this year, Shen Yu, a waiter of the Ministry of Rites, sent three copies in a row, requesting that foreign missionaries be investigated and prosecuted, because they were trying to teach in Nanjing.

Xu Guangqi, who had been baptized and had a close relationship with Catholicism, hurriedly went to the "Debate and Chapter" to defend the missionaries. In September, Xu Guangqi returned to Beijing to resume his post, and is now Zuo Zanshan of Zuo Chunfang, Zhan Shifu.

Presiding over the south hall was the Italian Xiong Sanba, who was a student of Matteo Ricci. Matteo Ricci believed that Xiong Sanba was gentle and humble, and that he was serious and responsible, so when he was critically ill, he entrusted Xiong Sanba with the important responsibility of the bishop of Nantang and the dean of Nantang College.

Because he and Guo Jujing, Jin Nige and others belong to the same Matteo Ricci line, Xiong Sanba's relationship with Long Huamin, the Jesuit President in China who is far away in Macao, is not good.

After Matteo Ricci's death, Guo Jujing and Jinnige could not gain a foothold in Beijing and had to go south, and the funds for Nantang were also cut in half by the Jesuits in Macau.

Fortunately, with the financial support of Catholic officials in Beijing, such as Xu Guangqi and Li Zhizao, Nantang was able to barely survive.

Father-in-law Wei came directly from the princess's mansion to heaven, and he was not going to pay attention to Shouning last night, and was going to spend the night at Keyinyue's place.

But as soon as it was dark, He Chong came to knock on the door, saying that His Royal Highness had something important to discuss with his father-in-law, and hoped that Father-in-law Wei would be able to go over immediately.

The ghost knows what Shou Ning means, there is no way, Grandpa Wei has to say goodbye to Baba. Fortunately, although Ke Yinyue was angry, she didn't lose her temper.

The father-in-law felt guilty, and after arriving at the princess's mansion, he and Shou Ning said that they would bring Ke Yinyue tomorrow night no matter what, and everyone would have a Chinese New Year's Eve dinner together.

Shou Ning wanted to turn his face when he heard it, but then he agreed, saying that as long as you, Wei Liangchen, are willing to accompany her into the palace in the second year of junior high school, everything is easy to discuss.

It's a good fart!

The father-in-law was sullen, he ate a few bites hastily and went to bed, and he didn't care whether his legitimate husband came back or not, and suddenly came back and cut him with a knife.

After getting up in the morning, my father-in-law brought people directly to the South Hall, and happened to bump into Xu and Li, who came here for mass.

In Yangzhou that year, if it weren't for the timely help of Father-in-law Wei, Li Zhizao would have drowned the canal. Therefore, despite the shock and incredulity in his heart, he still stepped forward to greet Gonggong Wei as soon as possible, and he never had the slightest official arrogance, let alone the slightest contempt, and even respected it.

That's the benefit of being a purple archbishop.

Xu Guangqi was still confused, but he really didn't know how a eunuch in the palace became the purple-clothed archbishop of the church.

But the facts were in their eyes, and a group of Western priests and Ming believers led by Xiong Sanba collectively saluted the eunuch and respectfully welcomed him and his entourage into the south hall.

Li Zhizao whispered to Xu Guangqi about the deeds of Father-in-law Wei, of course, he mainly talked about the relationship between Father-in-law Wei and Catholicism, such as he was very good to Western priests, funded the construction of a church in the Maritime Special Zone, actively communicated with Westerners, and was baptized into the church a long time ago, and his Christian name was St. John Pommaison. The Pope valued Pommelson's influence in the East, so he specially appointed him as the Archbishop of the East, etc......

Xu Guangqi couldn't help nodding when he heard this, and secretly said that this Wei eunuch is not bad.

Able to deal with Westerners and join the Catholic Church, Xu Guangqi himself did not have the pedantic and conservative nature of literati, was very enlightened in thought, and did not discriminate against the eunuchs in the palace.

In addition, Xu Guangqi also supported the church to develop the eunuchs in the palace as believers and take the "top" route. But all along, this road has always been very difficult, and there are no important eunuchs to join the Catholic Church, and now suddenly there is a Wei eunuch, or the archbishop of the East, then it is bound to contribute to the spread of Catholicism.

Thinking about it this way, for Father-in-law Wei, Xu Guangqi's impression is naturally much more positive.

After entering the South Hall, Gonggong Wei immediately changed the teaching uniform given to him by Pope Paul V, and then gathered all the personnel of the South Hall for a short speech.

There is nothing special about the content of the speech, as long as the clergy do their job well and actively work hard for the Catholic Church to spread the Gospel of God.

It seems that it is a routine speech of a new official, and there are no three fires.

It's just that, in the end, Gonggong Wei said to Xiong Sanba: "You prepare, I will take you into the palace to see Your Majesty in the future." ”

"Huh?"

Xiong Sanba was stunned, and Xu Guangqi and the others were also stunned.

"Your Excellency is saying... Do you mean to take me into the palace to see Constantine the Great? Xiong Sanba's voice trembled.

"Constantine the Great?"

Grandpa Wei wondered what this was.

Li Zhizao hurriedly explained that this Emperor Constantine was a famous monarch in the West, and Father Matteo Ricci called me Emperor Ming the Great of the East during his lifetime.

"Our emperor must be a famous monarch, the Emperor, an emperor who is more virtuous than Constantine the Great."

Father-in-law Wei asked Xiong Sanba to get ready and listen to his notice.

Xiong Sanba has been Matteo Ricci's assistant and student since he entered the East, but he himself has never met His Majesty the Emperor, so he is very excited and very apprehensive.

"I don't know what Your Excellency wants me to do when I enter the palace to see His Majesty the Emperor?"

"If you don't do anything, it's a New Year's greeting."

Father-in-law Wei walked around the hall with his hands in his hands, and said to Xiong Sanba with some unhappiness: "Next year is the first day of the Lunar New Year, why are we so cold and lonely, and there is no New Year's atmosphere at all?" ”

"This..."

Xiong Sanba and others are not easy to answer this question, because they are just the Spring Festival of the Chinese.

Li Zhizao said a few words about the reason for the custom.

Gonggong Wei immediately said: "This is not good, follow the customs of the locals, the church comes from the west to blend in with the East, and to mingle with the people of the East. Besides, didn't Father Matteo Ricci always advocate the Orientalization and Sinicization of the Church during his lifetime, why have you forgotten his old man's instructions now? ”

Archbishop Pommerson pointed out that only by completely sinicizing Catholicism can the gospel of God be accepted by the Chinese people.

Immediately afterwards, His Excellency Pang Maichen, in his capacity as the purple-clothed archbishop, ordered the whole Nantang to mobilize immediately, paste Spring Festival couplets, hang lanterns, buy fireworks, and immediately go to the store in Beijing to purchase snacks such as melons, fruits, peanuts, and candy and put them at the door of the Nantang for the children in the neighborhood tomorrow to receive New Year's greetings.

"You don't want to be bored in the house all day long, you have to go out and walk around more, this big New Year's celebration, what are you doing behind closed doors? Do you think you are following the rules of the church, or are you holding fast to the gospel of God? Neither! I see, you are dogmatism! ”

Gonggong Wei mercilessly pointed out that the current dogmatism of Nantang is very serious, quite serious, and it has become so serious that it has to be completely out of touch with the people of the Eastern Parish!

"It must be changed, from now on, from you! Whoever does not reform is an enemy of Catholicism and a traitor to God! ”

What a change, change it from a small place.

Gonggong Wei asked that early tomorrow morning, all the priests in Nantang should go out to pay New Year's greetings to their neighbors, so that everyone could say festive words, so that the neighbors could fully feel that the church was really with them.