Chapter 8: The Soul that Distinguishes Between Good and Evil

Even experienced baptizers like Nidiatas were taken aback; in their memories, there were no children who liked to stay in the baptismal font. From beginning to end, there were many who cried and made a fuss, and quite a few who cried after being splashed with water. Yet, it seemed that only this child stubbornly clung to the edge of the font, unwilling to leave the baptismal basin

The era in which the Roman Pontiff reigned supreme over secular monarchs can be said to have permanently passed. Subsequently, the French pope who rose to power moved the papacy to Avignon, France, and the once-mighty pope even became a "tool" of the French king.

Wow, this feels amazing. This was the only thought in Wang Wuchen's mind at that moment. It had been a year, and during this year, he had truly come into contact with water, regardless of whether it was cold or hot, he was thoroughly washed.

If Wang Wuchen were an ordinary newborn, his parents would arrange for him to be baptized within a few weeks of his birth

Not only did Archbishop Niditas stagger back several steps in shock, but the priests, knights, and baronial couple who witnessed this miraculous event also stared blankly at the infant in the baptismal font

It is the fierce loli character | The wife Isabela challenges the bipolar difficult delivery mode, which involves both childbirth and chanting scriptures, something that ordinary people cannot handle

Niditas held Wang Wuchen down, and in the blink of an eye, he was pulled back up, shivering as Wang Wuchen rubbed his armpit.

Wang Wuchen took advantage of the old man's closed eyes and decided to wipe his bottom once more

The Archbishop guarantees that a group of clergy will enter unharmed, while it is estimated that very few will leave. Baron Neville does not dare to kill them; imprisoning them and letting them go hungry for a few days is one option. If he were to be more ruthless and disguise himself as a bandit to rob the road, then none of the clergy would be able to return alive to the city of Vienna

If there is no contact with water and no baptism, where will the believers come from! The wool comes from the sheep, and if there are no sheep left, what use is there for the shepherd

The baron was delighted to accompany the archbishop and the parish clergy into the Lyon Castle; such a grand occasion was truly beyond his expectations. Given Neville's family background, it was likely that his son could only have a bishop perform the baptism, so having an archbishop come in person was indeed a lofty aspiration

The ceremony soon came to an end, but Wang Wuchen had not yet finished washing up! What kind of service attitude is this? In order to protect the interests of the customer, he resolutely decided to file a complaint. He shouted at the distant "Mom" and "Dad" with all his might, refusing to let the old man take him out of the bathtub.

Amen

I now serve the Holy Father

Amen

At the mercy of the other party, Archbishop Niditas publicly stripped the clothes of the minister under the light, slowly immersing his entire body in water

The hall of the castle echoed with responses.

His parents, family knights, servants, and clergy all stood in the hall, watching him

I can't believe it, fellow villager, am I going to be burned? Wang Wuchen closed his eyes, regretting it too late. It's all due to insomnia

Those who shout that they will never touch water in their lifetime are all demons sent to the mortal realm by evil spirits. The Church responsibly ensures their complete annihilation. However, the reasonable Church compromises with the world, allowing that in this lifetime, for the sake of Christ, one may touch water just once; the Lord will remember your goodness.

"I baptize you in the name of the Son and of the Holy Spirit"

The baron's son is making a great fuss, but his cries are in protest against the archbishop taking him out of the baptismal font. This indicates that the child has already developed the ability to discern right from wrong and understands the goodness of the Lord

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age

Niditas let go, and the child stopped crying. When he tried to grab him again, the child started to fuss once more, repeating this several times

After a while, Niditas excitedly drew a cross and said: "This child is a spiritual child"

Baron and Baroness Neville stood at the castle gate, where they encountered the solemn archbishop clad in a purple robe, which stirred a sense of excitement in the baron. Although in recent years, the religious authority had gradually waned due to several failures of the Crusades, compounded by the actions of the handsome French King Philip IV over a hundred years ago, who publicly burned papal decrees and imprisoned Pope Boniface VIII at that time.

After repeating it twice, during the last time, he choked. Lady Isabella was nearly frightened to death upon hearing her son's coughing sound

The Archbishop was initially somewhat concerned; if the baron's son was not possessed, then everything would be perfectly fine and everyone would be happy. However, if misfortune struck, accompanying the Archbishop were a group of priests from within the Church specifically trained in exorcism. It would not be permissible to simply kill the baron's son, even if that might have been an option two hundred years ago. But now, the situation was somewhat mysterious.

All past sins will sink into the water with the body, buried from that moment on, feeling the Holy Spirit fill your being, receiving the power of holiness, and being graced by God, thus becoming the redeemed children of God

A very quiet little fellow, this was Niditas's first impression

No wonder it looks so familiar

Last night, I accidentally listened to Wang Wuchen at the corner of the wall all night, his expression was one of confusion and drowsiness just after waking up. As soon as he saw himself being lifted, he almost let out a scream. Fortunately, Niditas is not the red-bottomed old baboon from The Lion King, and he is not the young lion Simba, so no lion's roar echoed from the church

The archbishop looked solemn yet kindly at the little one nestled in the baroness's arms, who was sleeping with his eyes closed. It seemed that the noise of a large group of people moving together had awakened him, as the dark-haired infant opened his blurry eyes and turned over.

The local archbishop Niditas has come this time to determine whether this infant is possessed by evil spirits. Therefore, the baptism has been postponed to this time a year later

There are countless instances where people lose sight of the bigger picture due to minor losses, and cases like this, where one could lose their life just by taking a bath, are truly one of a kind with no other comparable examples

Some doctors even suggest that it is best to avoid water for a lifetime, a notion that the Church finds most objectionable. To avoid water for a lifetime is akin to undermining Jesus Christ. Baptism signifies the cleansing of one's original sins and the acceptance of Jesus Christ as one's Savior, thereby renewing one's life

This has become quite a situation; the district assistant bishop has been boasting to everyone for the sake of his reputation, causing a stir throughout the entire parish. This incident has even reached the inner circles of the Vatican in Italy through special channels

But how was he born

Thinking of the doting gaze of his wife as she looked after their child, the baron felt a warmth in his heart. At that moment, this French man, often slandered by Wang Wuchen, firmly believed that his son would surely elevate the family to new heights, for this was a child blessed and watched over by Jesus Christ

In the last century, the outbreak of the Black Death caused many deaths in both kingdoms. The kings of the two nations, unable to continue conscripting laborers, wisely chose to suspend their struggle for the crown. There were rumors that bathing was the source of disease invasion into the body, and that not bathing could prevent the Black Death. Initially, people laughed it off, but gradually, some began to follow this practice. After several years, indeed, no one died from the Black Death, and many Europeans started to believe that not bathing could prevent disease.

At present, this infant, who absolutely refuses to come out of the baptismal font, has thoroughly shocked the members of the church. The so-called children or infants, who have not yet reached the age of discernment between good and evil, are indeed unaware of right and wrong. Therefore, it is only natural for them to make a fuss during baptism. After all, the Lord Christ Jesus will cleanse them of their original sin as they grow, and the church will not hold it against them.

The authority of the Pope has plummeted

Archbishop Niditas solemnly declared: "O you sinners of the past, all those sins of greed and indulgence, by the precious blood that flowed at the moment when our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified in the flesh, our transgressions are fully forgiven today"

Upon witnessing the action of drawing a cross, Wang Wuchen became excited. Were not those onlookers, the bald uncles, elder brothers, and grandfathers watching him bathe, all believers from his hometown?

Even though the Holy See may be somewhat languid, even a rotten ship has three nails; as long as there are still people who believe in Jesus and praise Jehovah, the power of religion cannot be considered completely defeated

The baptism process is not complicated; in the private chapel of the castle, directly in front of a specially opened cruciform window, the archbishop received the royal minister, who was held high, above a silver basin filled with warm water.

Running naked in front of a large crowd is quite unpleasant, but for the sake of this water, Wang Wuchen decided not to hold it against the old man with white hair and hurried to wash himself a few more times