Chapter 433 The desperate plan to whitewash is really fascinating

Hearing the name of the plan, Catherine finally raised her head from the documents. She adjusted her glasses and looked at the young bishop in front of her who was only fifteen or sixteen years old.

You know, this plan is to transform her identity from a witch into a saint.

Based on Catherine's understanding of these citizens, they probably didn't want to be branded as ungrateful, but they had religious discomfort with the witch.

Catherine knew something about the process of Jeanne's transformation into a saint, but that was based on the miracle of Horn's beheading and resurrection. What did she know?

Horn placed a bound stack of yellowed papers on the table, stretched out his hand and pulled it to his chest. He opened it and saw densely packed names and red fingerprints.

Armand smiled slightly. "This is the current public opinion survey. We have received 3000 joint letters from districts. More than people have signed or stamped their names on the letters."

Under Armand's commission, hundreds of "rats" were sent out from the city to spread the false news quickly and successfully stirred up public opinion.

These surging public opinions are not only based on conscience and morality, but also on considerations of practical interests.

There is no one else in Rapid City who has the prestige and ability like Catherine and can unite everyone to fight for their own interests.

If Catherine is completely defeated, there will be no one to fight for the interests of the people of Rapid City.

Although it is embarrassing to try to whitewash oneself at all costs now, who can I blame if I don't stop it and it really gets me involved?
The essence of this approach is to go too far in a radical way, making people afraid of having blood splattered on them.

Under this fear, they finally supported the very thing that the Salvation Army wanted them to support in a defensive manner.

Specifically in this practice, the residents are afraid that radical liquidation of the witches will lead to more radical liquidation of them.

Horn looked up at Armand in surprise for a long time, wondering why Armand seemed quite adept at this kind of thing.

Why didn’t I notice it before?

“What’s the main content?”

"Some ask you not to kill her but to exile her, while others ask you to let her continue to rule."

Catherine tried hard to control her frustrated and aggrieved expression, but the corners of her mouth still curled down unconsciously.

After Armand's instigation, less than one-tenth of the people signed the joint letter, but even among this less than one-tenth, many still wanted to exile her.

Horn scratched his eyebrows with his fingernails to hide his embarrassment; he had expected there to be more people.

But now it seems that there are many people who talk, but far fewer people who actually take action than those who speak.

In this world where one can summon angels to descend to earth and where there really are extraordinary powers, this kind of mental inertia that is like a stamp of thought is not so easy to remove.

Seeing Horn frowning, Armand reminded him, "You'd better consider the plan proposed by Thomas. You know, witches are a very powerful force after all."

Horn understood that what Armand meant was that the witch should be firmly in Horn's hands, and the Holy Father's coming to the earth would bind the identity of the Saint to Horn.

Otherwise, Catherine could be canonized as a saint on her own, which means she is too independent.

The Salvation Army paid such a huge price just to help others integrate their forces. This was unacceptable to many people within the Salvation Pope's country.

As for the plan proposed by Thomas, it was to replicate the process of Jeanne becoming a saint, using God as a guarantor to eliminate the resentment in the hearts of the common people.

The main reason why Armand supported this plan was the disagreement on how to deal with the Magdeburg Chamber of Commerce.

The Magde Chamber of Commerce is a force of considerable strength. According to the account books Horn has collected so far, the estimated value of its assets including banking business, commercial properties, and workshops in which it holds a stake is as high as 400,000 to 500,000 gold pounds, and its liquid funds exceed 50,000 gold pounds.

Horn's Papal State currently has less than 50,000 gold pounds in liquid funds, while the Meige First Chamber of Commerce has 50,000 gold pounds in liquid funds. These funds are a small matter, but the most important thing is the various craftsmen, notaries and other literate people under it and the effective system formed by this group of literate people.

The Savior Army could certainly dismantle and annex the Magdi Chamber of Commerce, but that would be a waste. It would take too long to rebuild a system, and it might not be effective.

But if the Magdi Chamber of Commerce is retained, there will be another problem, that is, trust.

You know, if the Magdi Chamber of Commerce is integrated into the Papal State of Salvation, it will most likely assume some of the responsibilities of a central bank.

Horn needed someone who was trustworthy and capable enough to run the bank.

Then he looked around and found that the only one who had this ability was Catherine Magdeburg.

But can she really be trusted?
Anyway, Thomas and other priests of the Holy Fathers think that Magdi may be trustworthy now, but she is a member of the merchant group after all.

Her current will does not represent her future will, and the spirit she displayed before does not mean that she will always uphold it in the future.

Some people can only share adversity, but not happiness.

In other words, if you want to keep the Magdi Chamber of Commerce, you must keep Catherine.

But Catherine is an outsider after all, and the Savior Army is unwilling to provide her with such a high position, let alone trust her.

It is because of this that Armand supports "Baptism by the Holy Father".

Because in his opinion, as long as Catherine was baptized into a saint by this method, she would be deeply bound to Horn and form a strong dependence.

The process of Catherine becoming a saint is a process of surrendering one's allegiance, and it is a process of surrendering one's allegiance for the entire Magdi Chamber of Commerce.

If citizens can recognize the absurd "coming of the Holy Father" as orthodoxy, then the legal basis for the Papal State of Savior to rule in Rapid City will be established.

Because the citizens were so smart, farmers, laborers and even craftsmen might believe in the "coming of the Father", but the citizens despised it.

Therefore, Armand believed that baptizing Catherine into a saint was just a means, an implicit struggle for discourse power, and the purpose was to use this means to force Rapid City to bow to Horn.

Even though he himself knew that "God the Father" was stupid, Armand wanted the smartest and the dumbest people to bow their heads and admit that it was sacred.

The moment they acknowledged it, the social contract between the Papal State of Savior and the citizens of Rapid City was signed.

Otherwise, should the subsequent "Edict of the Holy Land of the Kingdom" be implemented? Should the sanctification of land be implemented? What is the reason for implementation?
From a rational point of view, Horn can give a lot of reasons, but the problem is that these reasons are all experiences from his home world.

That is a castle in the air, a conclusion made after the fact, and knowledge that the citizens cannot understand.

Sometimes even Horn himself knew the results but not the reasons, and could only copy what others had done.

There is no other way, so we can only use teaching methods that do not require any reasons to force it through.

What made Horn feel absurd was that it was already the 1445th year of the Imperial Calendar, and he still had to rely on witchcraft to establish his regime.

In the beginning, the makeshift team had to rely on shameless shaman performances to establish legitimacy. How come now, when they have more than 500,000 followers, they still have to rely on shaman performances to establish legitimacy?

Isn't this Pope in vain?
"Your Majesty, what is your opinion?"

"Let's talk about it later." Horn rubbed his temple and shook his wrist impatiently. "I'll think about it and give you an answer by tomorrow afternoon at the latest."

(End of this chapter)