Chapter 188: The Mire (Part II)

After the Inquisition in Rome was changed to the Ministry of Jurisprudence, Joshua and Giulio were still the two judges, but what made the cardinals secretly accuse Pius III of being too cunning was that after the original Inquisition was changed only externally, to the Ministry of Jurisprudence, which was both external and internal, the power of these two young cardinals suddenly became enormous - the nominal justice of the Ministry of Jurisprudence was His Holiness the Pontifical, and the deputy justice, according to tradition, was entrusted to the cardinal, that is, Joshua's "uncle", Cardinal Grande Lovere. One is a teacher, the other is an uncle, can these two impulsive and reckless foals be elbowed by anyone?

But they were comforted by the fact that the two young cardinals were not without contradictions, most notably Joshua. Lovere is cold and ruthless by nature, but that Julio. The Medici, with the sentimentality that most Medici have—today they have a great disagreement over the celibacy of the clergy, and although both Joshua and Giulio believe that the current clergy's wanton behavior of raising lovers and raising illegitimate children should be curbed, Joshua clearly has a more strict requirement of piety and chastity - he believes that as shepherds of countless sinners, the clergy should be like prisoners to imprison their own desires, Only when they can hear clearly what the Lord says and see His ways, can they serve as guides and teachers for the laity—and if they have sinned, they will have to pay for it with many times the suffering of the laity.

As stated in canon law, monks or clergy who have lost their virginity are not only punished with fines and not being allowed to participate in holy sacrifices or being removed from the clergy, but also with additional penalties of minor excommunication and excommunication.

But surprisingly, the black-haired cardinal, instead of supporting it, suggested that as long as the clergy were punished or voluntarily renounced their former status, it would be inappropriate to impose a fine or other punishment, whether minor or major excommunication – and he even suggested that if they returned to the world, then the celibate vows they had made before should be eliminated, and they could be with their loved ones and enter into marriage.

The cardinals could not help but look at His Holiness the Pontifical Majesty's face, for this clause, although not often cited, was one of the exclusive powers of the Pope, but Pius III did not seem to care in the slightest, and only watched them debate with a smile and a groan.

"I really don't know what the Holy Father is thinking?" A cardinal asked quietly.

"I am probably very proud to have such two disciples with deep theological roots." Another cardinal replied quietly.

Anyway, they had probably heard from 100 A.D. to 1300 A.D., and what they knew and didn't know, about celibacy and chastity, was brought out, and each cardinal felt his face be thickened...... Including Cardinal Grand Lovere.

The cardinals really don't know what to say about this, which of them can they support? After all, even the Medici. Giulio also believed that celibacy and abstinence were what the clergy should do, and that if they could not give up the pleasures of the world, they should give up the priesthood - and they always wanted everything.

————————

Martin. Lud sneaked in through the small door of the abbey, and without meeting anyone along the way, he returned to the copying room, sat for a while, and could not help but find the inkwell, parchment, and quill, and began to write on the small desk.

"What are you writing about?"

A voice suddenly sounded from behind Martin, and little Martin was so frightened that he hurriedly covered his palm over the parchment, but the ink that had not yet dried immediately stained the parchment and his palm, and it did not help, Brother Desi looked down at the desk condescendingly, and the uncovered part came into his eyes, and he hurriedly read it, and found that its contents were very familiar.

"It's ...... Who is this preaching? It's Joshua. Cardinal Lovere? ”

Martin. Rude nodded helplessly, and while he spread out his palms, he waited for the teacher's punishment - Brother Desi's black iron ring ruler was not such an easy thing to receive, but he was also a little unconvinced in his heart...... Although Cardinal Grande Lovere's reputation is not very good in the hearts of the Romans, Cardinal Lauver Younger, although some people criticize him for being too ruthless and cruel, let Little Martin look at him, he is better than Giulio. The Medici was braver and more pious—even if the latter had a greater reputation among the populace, but he was not pure and unblemished. But Joshua. Lovere, though he was still a young man (emphasis added: a handsome young man), had no lover, no illegitimate children, no good food, no good makeup, never accepted bribes or intercedes from others, and after becoming the head of the Ministry of Law, he was even more strict with himself, like a devout ascetic—it is said that he also wore a thorny iron belt around his waist, which he never removed, and in the middle of the night, he whipped his back again and again with a bitter whip, so as to appease the devil's desires for young men.

Compared to him, even Julio. Cardinal Medici, too, was clearly inferior.

Martin Jr. pursed his lips, he didn't mean Julio. Medici is not good, but ...... When he saw Giulio, he was a little disappointed, for he was not much different from his brothers, except for his beautiful face, great knowledge, and compassionate heart, and he would make a harmless joke or two about little Martin, and he would also use good food to soothe the hairy little hamster...... He was close to people and not as divine as Martin imagined.

Although he knew that if he asked that question, he might be given a few hard strokes, but Martin. Rudd couldn't help but whisper, "Brother Desi...... Teacher...... I would like to know ......"

"You don't know anything." Brother Desi said with a grim face, and when he wasn't paying attention, Martin. Rod was bewitched by Cardinal Lovere the Younger, or rather, there were not many people in Rome who were impressed by this cardinal who lived like an ascetic, especially young monks who still had a conscience and a passion—they were still young, and they had seen too little to know that there were times when those who had no mercy or love, even for themselves, were the most terrible.

"It's because I don't know that I'm asking!" Martin shouted, glaring fiercely at his beloved friend and division commander for the first time: "Julio. Did the Medici insist that clergy should not be excommunicated after violating canon law, or that they should be able to be affectionate, married, and have children after they were discharged...... Because he himself has an illegitimate child?! ”

Brother Desi's face changed suddenly, and Julio. The Medici had an illegitimate child, which he also knew after becoming the personal secretary of His Holiness the Pontifical, but ...... Where did Martin know about it? Because the child was half Borgia blood, for his safety, only a few people knew about it.

If that's not the worst of all - as soon as he looked up, he saw Giulio. Medici.

Giulio returned to the library to retrieve a secret dossier for His Excellency the Pope. Lud brought some preserves, and when the monks went to collect the file, he asked where Martin was, and came, but he did not expect to hear such a sentence.

Little Martin also noticed Brother Desi's gaze - he turned around nervously, and sure enough, he saw Julio. Medici.

The Medici must have heard it, Martin thought, and at the same time his heart couldn't help but feel a little bitter and sorry, he really, not with malice in his words, he must say, probably unwilling to find out that the person he once admired had committed such a sin...... He just, just wanted to know......

"Now that you have been told," said Giulio mildly, "then I can tell you, yes, Martin, that I have an illegitimate son, and at that time I decided to renounce the priesthood and enter into a marriage contract with her, and to spend my life as a mortal...... It's just that fate is cruel, and we are still separated from each other in the end, and we will never see each other.

My children were the only thing she left me.

But," he said, and put the bag of candied fruit in Martin's hand, "I am so strongly opposed to Joshua. Cardinal Lovere's proposal is not entirely because of my previous mistakes – and of course I don't want to be excommunicated," he said in a tongue-in-cheek tone: "That's because, Martin, maybe you don't understand now that we are not saints—whether we are priestly or not, or rather, even saints, we make mistakes and sin—St. Peter denies the Lord three times before the rooster crows, but does the Lord deny Him?" After His resurrection, Jesus Christ appeared before Peter's eyes three times and asked him three times if he wanted to be the Lord's shepherd.

And can we be greater and more complete than Jesus Christ? Can Jesus Christ forgive St. Peter, who denied him, and we even have to throw people into the fire once and for all?

If they have given up their sacred office for the sake of worldly pleasures, then it is better to keep them away from honor, and as clergy they are bound to observe their duties and obligations, but if they are no longer clergy, it is right to demand them according to the requirements of the laity. ”

"But if there were no harsh laws and heavy punishments," Martin said. When Lud heard this, he couldn't help but retort, "How can you get people to do what you say?" ”

Brother Desi choked when he heard this, and Giulio only smiled helplessly, and he reached out one last time to squeeze Martin. Rudd's face.

"You're a stubborn hamster," said Giulio, "but every young man in the world has been like this, and so have I—I'm not mad at you, but Martin, as I said before......"

He glanced at Brother Desi, who looked pleading, but finally stepped aside.

"Martin. Rode," Giulio gave his verdict, his tone still mild, even a little bland, but the content struck Martin on the head like thunder: "You have been expelled. ”

"You don't have to leave Rome, but from now on, the Vatican, the Picromini Palace, the Picromini monasteries and churches, and the Medici mansions, are no longer places you can set foot in – I will not see you again, your teacher, my teacher – and His Holiness will not see you again."