Chapter 441 The Great Rome Plan
Gregory XII wandered all the way and finally arrived in Barcelona ten days later. And pray for King Martin I, because at this time his health is not as good as before, and the problem of the second heir is bothering the king again.
His son had died and he wanted to pass the throne to his grandson Federico. But the nobles of Aragon were somewhat divided, and some wanted to pass the throne to his nephew Ferdinand. The two sides went back and forth and exchanged views enthusiastically. Therefore, Martin invited Gregory XII not only to confirm his status in the Catholic Church, but also to solve his own difficulties and officially establish Federico as his successor.
The fall of the city of Rome also made some people start to reflect on why Rome occupied it. Is it because God has no longer care for us? Is it because I have done something to disgrace God?
Thinking about it this way, someone actually figured it out. Isn't the church now divided into three popes? God must have felt that the church was not united, so he let the fall of Rome serve as a warning to them that they must be united. That's all.
"God sent a punishment, and only a church could retake the city of Rome."
The monks in the monastery all took action to spread this word in the streets. For a time, even the Holy See of Avignon and Cologne had to respond and propose negotiations.
In fact, the fall of Rome allowed some people to see an opportunity, and Sigismund proposed unifying the Catholic Church, which received support from many princes. The calls for the unification of the church are getting louder and louder, and it seems irreversible.
Moreover, at this time, the secular princes basically recognized the fact that the city of Rome had fallen. Austria withdrew its troops to defend its border with Hungary. Florence and Siena agreed to pay tribute of gold coins every year, and the other princes basically agreed. Definitely next time. There was no sense of nervousness at all, and I felt like I couldn't be the next one. And Rome currently has no such plan, after all, how much time and energy it will take to unify Europe. But Peter's mind is also quietly changing.
Years of political and military experience have changed Peter's thinking a lot. Although he still feels that the ancient Roman Empire will not come back, he can create a new Roman Empire.
"From London to Moscow, from Carthage to Bergen, it will all be the land of the Roman Empire. The Danube is no longer a border. The only thing that can become a border is the vast ocean."
Stanissa was the first person to hear Peter's plan. He was shocked by His Highness's radicality and was also shocked by the ambition of the plan.
This program mainly has six core contents.
First, since all countries are considered to be descendants of the Roman Empire, they will all be unified under the rule of the Roman Empire, all speak Romanian and believe in the same religion.
Second, the New Roman Empire was different from the ancient Roman Empire in that it was mainly an alliance led by Constantinople. The emperor was the leader of the alliance, and other kingdoms were ruled by monarchs selected by the emperor.
Third, the alliance would include eight countries: the Eastern Roman Empire, the Rus' Kingdom, the German Kingdom, the Frankish Kingdom, the Kingdom of Scandinavia, the Kingdom of Britain, the Kingdom of Africa, and the Kingdom of Iberia.
Fourth, Egypt, Syria, Jerusalem, the Apennines, and Croatia should be placed under the direct jurisdiction of the Eastern Roman Empire.
Fifth, Rome would serve as the capital of the League, with Constantinople as the second capital.
Sixth, the alliance uses the same religion, language, and currency, and sets up an imperial parliament to solve problems in various places.
Such a majestic plan will make other countries tremble. It is estimated that they will put aside their differences and jointly deal with Rome. Stanissa also feels that this will not work. Now they should focus on how to improve the defense of the city of Rome.
"Your Highness, with all due respect. The goal of this plan is too big, and other countries are not like the countries we have encountered before. They are stronger than the Ottomans and Venice. If you don't have absolute strength, don't attack."
Peter smiled and said to Stanissa: "I appreciate your caution. You only see the final goal of this plan, but in fact it is also in stages. We only do what we should do during this period. As for Leave the rest to future generations.”
In Peter's view, the Greater Romania Plan already has a basis for implementation. Now the anti-Romanian alliance needs to be defeated so that the plan can be implemented smoothly.
"People always have to make plans before they are motivated to implement them."
In the past, Peter felt that it was impossible to restore the full Roman territory, but at that time he did not think of using a federation or alliance to unify Europe. Just let the Roman Empire take the lead.
----Dividing line----
When Castile saw Aragon welcoming the pope back, he quickly sent someone to meet him and express his loyalty to the pope.
Their Iberian kingdom is the most loyal to God, and they will absolutely abide by it even if the Pope tells them to die.
Moreover, they all have conflicts with Rome. In recent years, they have found that their important export product, wool exports, has declined. In particular, exports to Italy fell the fastest. The reason is that Rome's wool and cotton exports squeezed their market.
Their important magic weapon, Merino sheep, had been smuggled by the Genoese in unknown quantities, and the economic losses were inestimable. Castile asked Genoa to give an explanation, but they said it had nothing to do with him, which made them angry.
After Gregory XII arrived in Aragon, he issued a papal edict, saying that the fall of Rome was a test given to them by God. The Catholic world must unite to overcome difficulties. Only in this way can revival be achieved.
At the same time, he also gave Castile and Aragon the right to form crusades in North Africa and Granada. At the same time, it was announced that the Holy See would be moved to Toledo and that reforms were planned to address church issues.
They have already lost a lot, including Croatia, Hungary, Venice, Naples, Brandenburg, and Rome. If they continue like this, they will lose to Scandinavia, then Poland, France, and then there will be no more. Gotta lose.
The problems in the church have indeed been serious in the past few decades. Vested interests have been too ruthless in their expropriation, and people's lives have been too miserable. They have to spend the little money they have left to buy indulgences or build churches. Heresy has become popular in Bohemia, and if this continues, their living space will be gone.
Gregory planned to reform the church and discuss the merger of the papacy. If it really succeeds, then it is okay for him to abdicate.
At this time, the aftermath of Cluny's reforms was still there, and the ideals of the original monks were still playing their role in the church. Hopefully, the Catholic Church will be able to turn the corner in the ensuing battle.