Chapter 708: The Performance of Pius IX
Although the Austrian Empire escaped a disaster, the German Confederation suffered, because almost no country in this era would spend money to build a public health system.
However, the world has become terrible since some time. The locusts from Africa crossed the Mediterranean and ate up Sicily.
Before Franz could feel sad for them, there was intelligence that the locusts were heading north, as if they were rushing to attend the Pope's coronation ceremony.
Where hundreds of billions of desert locusts passed, there was almost no grass growing. A whole field was eaten up by a large group of locusts within a few hours after landing.
At that time, there were no pesticides, so only the most primitive means could be used, such as smashing with shovels and burning with fire, but the effect was not very ideal or almost ineffective.
From ancient times to the present, people always like to ask for help from gods and Buddhas when facing problems that are difficult to fight or solve, and Europe is no exception.
The Castel Sant'Angelo fired a salute, and Pius IX decided to take action himself. Amid the devout prayers of thousands of believers outside the Castel Sant'Angelo, a group of cardinals in red robes walked out, their faces full of solemnity and solemnity.
A cardinal deacon began to chant the pope's hymn, and finally a man in a white robe appeared. He wore a golden crown and a tight bitter face to look more majestic.
However, Pius IX was too short after all, and the huge golden crown on his head looked a bit funny. Many people couldn't help laughing when they saw the new pope like this, even the ambassadors of Austria, France and Spain who were in conflict with the Papal States at this time.
This made Pius IX feel that everyone liked him very much, and his brother, the new Secretary of State of the Holy See, Jotel, also said.
"If someone cuts my brother into a million pieces, then a new priest will be born from each piece. No one dislikes him, he is a real saint."
Pius IX raised his hands confidently and blessed the believers with a strong and clear voice.
"I bless you and your family!"
--
This is a formalistic performance of about two hours--
After a series of red tape, the 54-year-old new pope was already out of breath. After all, it is not an easy thing to wear such heavy clothes in such hot weather.
In fact, the holy garments of Pius IX are woven with gold and silver threads, and the weight is not light.
"Father, you once said that the poor and needy seek you, and you will answer them. You have abundant mercy and grace, and you will not abandon them.
The locust disaster in southern Italy is serious, and people's crops are disappearing. We ask for your help and ask you to drive away all the locusts.
You lift up the world like a tiny thing, and your power is endless. You use your omnipotence to support us and keep us alive.
More than three thousand years ago, you once blew the west wind and the locusts left Egypt and were blown into the Red Sea. We also call on your name.
Please, for this your mercy"
Although this is nominally to pray to God to disperse the locust plague, it is actually a political show. Because Pius IX deliberately used the word Italy, which was undoubtedly a provocation to the Austrian Empire.
He did not even let France, Spain and Russia go, and even implied that the Tsar's expulsion of the Jews was the root cause of the locust plague.
If you continue to disobey the Pope, the agent of God on earth, then disaster will come.
But let's not talk about Russia, an Orthodox country, the diplomats of Austria, France and Spain are not scared.
Not to mention that the Russians are the ones who did evil, why is the Apennine Peninsula suffering?
And the Austrian Empire has been committed to making people forget the word Italy and turn it into a geographical term.
But at this time, Pius IX deliberately used the word Italy, and the signal he released would excite all Italian nationalists.
However, almost all cardinals regretted it, because Pius IX's series of crazy actions made Austria, France and Spain stop bribing them.
Especially for the Austrian Empire, which was the victim of the fraud, Prince Metternich changed his previous attitude and asked the secret police to thoroughly investigate the bishops' property in the German Confederation.
As the Prime Minister of the Austrian Empire, Metternich did have this right. Even without Franz's reform, Austria had a great influence in the German Confederation in history, and could even arrest people directly in universities in other countries.
In the eyes of the police at that time, college students were all hens that lay golden eggs. Most of the former were inexperienced, and usually had a good family background. After all, the tuition fees of universities at that time were not low.
And no matter how powerful the background is, if you are associated with revolution and rebellion, you will be in trouble. As we all know, German police and British chefs have always been the standard of hell.
The police of the German Confederation may not be good at fighting crime, but extortion is definitely a master.
Especially those bishops who are usually righteous, who doesn't have a few mistresses and hundreds of kilograms of gold at home.
If eyes could kill, Pius IX would have been torn into pieces by the bishops at this time.
The ambassadors of France and Spain were also very helpless. French Ambassador Pellegrino Rossi was 59 years old.
"I think our new pope is a bit naive. He actually wants the French church to be loyal to him. Who does he think he is? Robespierre?"
Spanish Ambassador Hernando Fili was also helpless. Although he hated the priests in his country, if he let the pope in front of him take control of the Jesuits again, it would be better to disband this illegal organization directly.
(In fact, the Society of Jesus was forcibly expelled and disbanded by many countries.)
After the execution of the king during the French Revolution, the French government did require the priests to re-loyalty to the country. Robespierre promulgated the "Civil Organization Law of the Priests" and also created a series of horrific tragedies.
But compared with the entire Jacobin reign of terror, the plight of the clergy is nothing worth mentioning.
Hernando Fili sighed.
"Who knows? It feels like the whole world is not peaceful, with famine and war everywhere. The Pope in front of me is so special.
Looking at the attitude of the Austrians, I am afraid that in a few months the Austrian army will march directly into Rome and replace the pope. "
Historically, the Holy Roman Empire has interfered in the affairs of the Papal States many times over a long period of time, and its one-vote veto power on the election of the Pope is not enough because of piety.
French Ambassador Pellegrino Rossi: “I would rather have a fight between the Austrians and the Papal States, so that we would have reason to interfere in the affairs of the Papal States.
At the same time, Catholics around the world are called on to attack them. Moreover, this is not an internal matter of Germany. I think the German Confederation will not interfere in this matter. "
In fact, at this time, French and Spanish officials had a fantasy that one day in the future, the two countries could be united.
Most of the Spanish nobles spoke French, which was very common in the upper class at that time, so a change of owner in Spain would not have much impact on their interests.