From Hell to Heaven · Volume 1 · Chapter 115

Rome criticised. Bruno enlightens. The benefit of night.

1. Says the speaker: “Friend, you have presented the matter with astonishing logical consistency, and I have to thank you on behalf of all guests! But that leaves a fundamental question – should you answer that convincingly also, then you shall have won us, and we shall make you our group leader. The question is:

2. “If, according to your clever presentation, Christ is Lord over heaven and Earth, then it is asked – which earthly sect is closest to the truth? And what does Christ Himself think of the Roman Catholic Church? Who is not familiar with the old, supremely dictatorial doings of the sole beatifier!

Here the word of God, atrophied and crippled, is only a hypocritical banner, behind which a wolf hides its rapaciousness. Every possible storm has vainly tired to rip the sheep’s clothing off this wolf-jaw! This Moloch, this seven-headed dragon, this ancient whore of the world thrives and vegetates indestructibly, continuing its shameless profession completely, without celestial hindrance!

3. “If Christ, Who emphatically rebuked the brazenness of the Jewish priesthood on every occasion, is God, living like us after physical death, then tell us: how can He allow such abominations to run their course for over fifteen centuries already, watching unperturbed as these black servants of God misuse Him worse than all those Roman henchmen who nailed Him to the cross? More than four fifths of Christianity is fully aware of this aberration, saying: ‘The Roman is the oldest among the Christian sects and therefore must know best what to make of Christ and His doctrine! But through its completely hypocritical behaviour it only proves that it never believed in this doctrine, and hence even less in Christ. It bakes Him, sells Him, and would indeed even condemn Him to hell, should He dare to also have a relationship with another sect. Therewith all followers of His doctrine are shaken, turning their backs on such doctrine.

4. “Say, if there is a Christ, does He not see this, or does He not want to see it? Or is it His will that the Roman Catholic Church carries on the way it has always shamelessly done? Is Christ earnestly pleased with such works? Can He really speak only the Latin tongue, loving those most vain sacraments above everything else? – He, Who in His lifetime rebuked nothing so severely as shameless hypocrisy! – Therefore, friend, solve also this mystery, and then we are all for your God.”

5. Says Bruno: “Friend, your objection regarding Rome certainly is well-founded, and there is hardly anything to be approved about this Church. The Lord nonetheless must have a reason for letting it continue. It is perfectly true that God’ word enjoys much greater regard even with the Jews and the Muslims than with the Romans, who make out of Christ whatever suits them, distorting His most holy word the way it will most favour their domineering and greedy junk.

6. “This now aged tree, spiritually has undergone degeneration like the old Sicilian chestnut tree near Aetna, whose kernel has turned brittle, rotten and dead for close to one thousand years. Since this tree has driven mighty roots and far-spread branches in its youth, a new body had in later times formed between roots and branches. In this way a multiple tree has formed from the original, healthy single one which holds together only in its crown, but no longer as the same tree by root and branch. This tree indeed bears an occasional fruit, but without flavour, being hard and almost inedible. The reason would be that this tree has long since completely lost its life-kernel. Other kernels have indeed formed from the strong rootlets and divided off-shoot branches. But the main trunk, on whose full health alone the edible fruit depends, is helped only sparingly therewith. This tree is now traditionally regarded by the simple fold more as a historic curiosity than an actually useful tree, being worshipped with all kinds of fables by the simple folk (who are well- disposed towards everything ancient), being worshipped by blind fools even as a holy relic. The best thing about this tree is that it can protect wanderers from sudden inclement weather.

7. “It is likewise with the much fractioned Roman Catholic Church. It no longer has any actual stem or kernel. Outwardly it still the appearance of a tree of life but is fundamentally no more so than the old Sicilian Chestnut tree still is a useful fruit tree. It indeed still vegetates and has an outward life in its limbs, still bearing some blossoms an fruit, but they are no longer edible, being hard and without flavour, being bought as a curiosity by some travellers. Just as the Sicilian natural tree is now actually dead long since, approaching its full disintegration, so it now is with the feeble aged Roman spiritual tree. I say unto you: shortly, Rome shall exist only in history books!

8. “It is certainly true that a great many other fresh and healthy trees could stand in its place, but if God is pleased to let such curiosities exist, for which He is certain to have a reason, then why should it bother us, since we have not for a long time drawn any life-purpose therefrom and shall do so even less in future!

9. “Incidentally, the Roman Church seems to me like the faith of night, since during their so-called divine service they have to always kindle lights, as a sign that there is night within it in broadest daylight! Night however has the distinct advantage of given rest to the tired. And where do the spiritually tired get more rest than in the night-church of Rome? They don’t need thinking, research

or stepping forward, but just partake of the mother’s (night) goods, being able to sleep there peacefully! If awakened by some moral or political knock however, then none seek light as busily as those finding themselves in the night!

10. “And so I believe this to be the reason for the Lord’s tolerating the Catholic ‘nightly’, like the natural night besides the day, that people might work up that much more appetite for light! I for one have always been convinced that the blind find greater joy in light than the seeing. And so it may well be that of all the Christian sects, none shall so assiduously seek than the members of the night church. Surely that would clarify why the Lord tolerates the old Roman woman, and what it is actually good for?”