"As expected, His Majesty the Pope has really done his best to deal with us Normans." William will Russell. Morality. After reading the information handed over by the Count of Bayolle in detail, he threw it on the ground casually, pursed his lips and said disdainfully.

"My Excellency, His Majesty Pope Leo IX has now made up his mind to fight us to the end, and he has not only excommunicated me, but has personally intervened in the war between Emperor Henry III of the HRE and King Andrei I of Hungary, and instigated Emperor Henry III to turn his gun against us.

The hostility between His Majesty the Pope and us is irreparable, and from now on, you should no longer have any expectations or illusions about His Majesty the Pope and the Holy See.

Between me and His Majesty the Pope, one of the free ones fell, and the war was over.

We have no choice but to take up the weapons in our hands, resist the oppression of the Roman Church and His Majesty the Pope, and create a clear and pure blue world that truly belongs to us! ”

William sat on his throne in the hall of lords in the castle of Saint-Gerton de Sant, and looked at the nobles standing on either side of the hall of lords, and spoke impassionedly.

He spoke generously as he focused on the reactions of the nobles in the city.

From their expressions, William could tell what the attitude of the nobles was towards the break with the Pope.

As soon as William's words were finished, the nobles began to talk about it, and it was clear that they were also caught off guard by the Pope's hand.

Their Majesty William wanted them to choose between their own king and their religious leader.

Such a choice was undoubtedly very difficult, but it was not true for the Normans.

The Normans themselves were formed more than a hundred years ago after the settlement of Normandy in Normandy in the northern part of the Kingdom of France by Vikings from Denmark and a small number of Norwegians.

In the process of settling, they abandoned their original Norse polytheistic beliefs, followed the example of their leader, Rollo, Duke of Normandy, who converted to Catholicism and formed an alliance with the local French people by marrying a French noblewoman.

It can be said that the Normans were a people dominated by the Vikings who settled in Northern Europe and united with the local French.

However, the conversion of the Normans to Catholicism, the abandonment of the Viking lifestyle, the change of tribal system, and the nobility of Normandy did not mean that the Normans would change their character.

Catholicism has never changed the character of the Normans, and it can be said that all Normans are shallow or pseudo-believers, and they are pragmatists.

When believing in Catholicism can bring them benefits, they can convert to Catholicism, but when their vital interests are harmed by believing in Catholicism and obeying the Pope's edicts, they may as well abandon their faith and choose the one that is most beneficial to them.

Soon, the Normans made their choice, and they fell to their knees under the leadership of the Duke of Richard, expressing their break with the Holy See and their loyalty to William.

However, after the Normans, foreign nobles such as Duke Rodrigo were somewhat hesitant, and they did not abandon their faith and Pope Leo IX at the behest of William, as the Normans did, and chose to be loyal to William.

All along, they were taught that the rule of noble knights was to guard the Church with the sword in their hands, and to obey the Pope's edicts and not to disobey them.

So when their monarch and the pope were at odds, asking them to choose one or the other, it was especially at odds.

When they choose to be loyal to the Church, they break the oath they made when they were loyal to William, and when they choose to follow William and fight against the will of the Pope, it is a violation of the oath they received from childhood to educate and protect the Church.

William also saw their difficulties, but he did not speak, and quietly looked at Duke Rodrigo, waiting for them to make a choice.

In the end, Rodrigo and the others still knelt on the ground and kowtowed: "Your Majesty, your will is my mission, no matter what, we are willing to follow you." ”

"Very good guys, I really feel the loyalty of everyone, and after this big battle, everyone will be proud of their choice because they chose to be on the side of the winner." William looked at everyone with a smile and said:

"As the saying goes, there is no two heavens and no two lords, and since the churches of the kingdoms of England, Norman, and France have been separated from the Holy See and have no leader, then I, as the king of England and the Normans, and the conqueror of France, should shoulder this responsibility as a matter of course.

From now on, I'm William. Morality. Normandy will be the supreme head of the Church in the Kingdom, and all the archbishops, bishops, priests, and dioceses, parishes, and monasteries in the Kingdom will obey my commands and must not be disobeyed. ”

As soon as William's words fell, the nobles present were taken aback, they did not expect William to be so decisive and serve as the pope of the Kingdom Church and take charge of the Kingdom Church.

However, they were not unacceptable, because during the Great Rebellion in England a few years ago, William had also promulgated the "Supreme Act" in anger because of the Pope's interference, making himself the supra head of the Kingdom Church, and removing the five bishops and other bishops from their positions.

However, William and the Pope reached a reconciliation, and the "Supreme Act" was temporarily shelved, and the churches in England and the Norman kingdom still ostensibly respected the papal decree.

However, when William broke with Pope Leo IX, he resolutely lifted the veil of warmth and decided to hold the Kingdom Church in the palm of his hand.

Of course, in order to achieve the goal of complete control of the church, it is not enough to obtain the support of the nobles, and William also has to remove several archbishops and bishops who are interested in the Holy See from their posts and go to prison, and take away their assets.

Especially Eldred, the Archbishop of York, who has always opposed William in recent years, is a thorn in his side and is one of the first targets to go out.

Prior to this, William had sent a letter to Hubert, Ladolph, Osborne and others who had stayed in England, ordering them to arrest and detain all the Archbishops of York listed above according to the list listed by William, and wait for him to return to England for another trial and decision.

As for the property of the clergy and the assets of the church, it was naturally taken over by the Osborne stewards to the royal family.

Not only England, but also Normandy, France and other places have set off a wave of liquidation of the church, and it is William's close confidant Phaller who is in charge of this aspect. Osborne.

Because the French Church is extremely powerful, it is important to clear the French Church.