Chapter 96: Landing
“…Regarding the establishment of the Earthly Kingdom of God, later scholars hold varying perspectives. However, the common consensus is that the first entity truly deserving of that title was the Great Unified Empire established by Pope Sistine I in the early 11th century. In 1082, Queen Amandra of Assyria fell in battle, and the triangular alliance, which was already based on interests and marital vows, began to crumble. With the revelation of Pope Sistine I’s true background and the queen’s will being made public, the fragile alliance completely collapsed. François IV openly declared his ambitions for Assyria, which stood in direct opposition to the Papal States’ pursuits. Thus began their mutual hostility.”
“But as research has deepened and historical materials have been unearthed—specifically the Holy See’s 2017 release of portions of Pope Sistine I’s manuscripts, which included content never recorded in public publications—we find, to our surprise, that Ms. Bianchi seemed to hint in very obscure terms that the seeds of the hostile relationship between Pope Sistine I and François IV had been sown much earlier. Even before the War of the Kingdom of God; even earlier than that. But the reason? No one can say for certain what caused the friction between these two equally ambitious and brilliant monarchs.”
“Some speculate that they were both fully aware of Pope Sistine I’s background from the beginning, and that François IV’s coveting of Assyria had long shown signs. This, they argue, was the origin of the conflict—for who can look upon a rival for their throne without resentment? Yet, until the Queen’s will was made public, their conflict could only be described as a ‘baseless’ mutual aversion. To this, opponents have raised a powerful rebuttal: until 1085, François IV insisted on sending annual congratulatory gifts to the Pope in Florence, along with many other personal presents. From the gift logs still preserved by the Royal House of Calais, it is clear those expensive items were by no means perfunctory.”
“We will discuss this in more detail in the next section. Now, back to the main topic: the establishment of the Earthly Kingdom of God. Without a doubt, this was a dream the faithful had yearned for over a thousand years. From the moment the Holy Lord descended upon the barren earth and laid the cornerstone of Florence with a single stone, establishing an independent state ‘belonging to God and the Holy’ was the ultimate goal of the Holy See and all believers. The prototype of this goal was the Papal States.”
“However, the Papal States could not function fully as an independent nation. The unique principle of religious supremacy meant that politics and the military were all held in the hands of the pope… In an era of feudal lords and a developed manorial economy, the trend toward centralization meant this model could only be implemented within the Papal States. The supreme ruler lacked legitimate political and military sovereignty; looking at the whole world, this was a unique and peculiar system. History has proven that such a system also defied the laws of the era. However, due to the constraints of religious doctrine, these powers nominally did not belong to the Pope, which led to a problem…”
“When a Pope was strong enough—such as during the reigns of Pope Vitalian III or Pope Sistine I—they could easily grasp the full power of the Papal States, allowing the nation’s politics to run smoothly and consistently according to their personal will. However, even in a land blessed by the Holy Lord, the Holy City was not always fortunate enough to receive a sufficiently capable Pope. After the death of Pope Vitalian III, his successor, Leo VI, was undoubtedly an abysmal Pope. His inaction allowed the lords under the Papal States to act independently; military power, administrative power, and even the economy were completely fragmented. The Papal Palace lost its functionality as the leader of the Papal States.”
“And yet, this fragmentation of power was perfectly in line with doctrine, leaving his successor in a dire situation. We should perhaps be thankful that the one who took over this mess was Pope Sistine I, and not a second Leo VI. Given the peculiar system and the Papal States’ limited land which was unable to accommodate such a large population—the realization of an ‘Earthly Kingdom of God’ was nothing more than a fantasy. Therefore, in 1082, on the Great Terrace of the Cathedral of the Holy Thorns in Florence, when that phrase was solemnly uttered and people truly saw its feasibility, it is no wonder that the believers launched a great march towards Florence.”
“An Earthly Kingdom of God where everyone was equal, prosperous, and abundant; where people can live and work in peace, far from the exploitation of lords and nobles, living quietly and happily under the protection of the Holy Lord—who could refuse such a thing? The nobles yearned for the wealth Assyria could bring them, while the poor simply longed for the blessed land promised to them in the Holy Scriptures. This war, from the very beginning, laid the foundation for its inevitable victory.”
— Alexius Portia, “The Great Reformation of the Medieval Holy See, Vol. II”