Dolores' Cry

Hearing the sound of horses' hooves outside, Hidalgo was slightly surprised. Dolores was a rather remote place, with few people passing by during the day. For a group of people to be galloping by at this hour, something must have happened. So he said to his mistress Josephine, who was helping him organize his preaching supplies, "You stay here, I'll go out and see."

Catholicism priests are traditionally required to remain chaste, but this doesn't mean they don't have certain needs. There's a reason why Catholicism priests are particularly prone to having a morbid attraction to young boys. However, this Catholicism rule has gradually undergone a change. The rule of chastity continues, but the implication has shifted to allowing priests to do whatever they want as long as they don't publicly marry. For example, the infamous Pope Alexander VI kept a large number of mistresses, one of whom was even his own illegitimate daughter.

Following this example, many Catholicism priests, while still remaining unmarried, had mistresses and children. Hidalgo was no exception. As for "Revolutionary Theology," it stated directly. "God is in the love between people; only the devil hates love between people."

Josephine nodded, Hidalgo, carrying a lantern in one hand and a revolver in the other, pushed open the door and looked in the direction from which the sound of hooves came.

At this time, the eastern sky was still pitch black; it was the darkest hour before dawn.

From afar, Hidalgo saw several lanterns approaching.

"Who is it?" Hidalgo asked.

The horses stopped, and a person could be vaguely seen jumping off the front horse, raising the lantern hanging on the saddle to his face. The yellowish light illuminated his bearded face.

"Father, it's me, it's Allende!"

Captain Allende was a friend of Hidalgo, and he was also a native-born Mudman. Allende had been a great help in the relatively safe smuggling of Dolores' wine and olive oil before this.

When Father Hidalgo began to insert elements of "Revolutionary Theology" into his sermons, Captain Allende immediately warned Hidalgo. He told Hidalgo that his ideas were very dangerous and that if the Mexico Inquisition found out, he would be judged a heretic.

He told him that in Europe, being labeled a heretic wouldn't be a big deal these days. But in Mexico, the Inquisition still had the power to kill!

"I know you're right. I think you're right too. But my friend, I don't want to see you become a torch. However, you... I mean, are you serious, do you really believe what you're saying, and are you willing to fight for it?"

"Yes, my friend. Just as Jesus said, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.' I live not to eat, but for the truth," Father Hidalgo replied.

"Then count me in!" Captain Allende said. "It's time for this world to change!"

This conversation was a crucial step in the Mexico Revolution. The revolutionary organizations began to have their own armed forces.

"Allende, my friend, what's wrong?" Hidalgo asked quickly.

"Someone informed the Inquisition that you are a heretic practicing 'Revolutionary Theology.' You know, two weeks ago, a bishop was sent from Rome specifically to oversee the investigation of the 'Revolutionary Theology' heresy case. I received word last night at nine o'clock that the police would be coming to arrest you after dawn today," Captain Allende said. "Fortunately, they don't know we're in cahoots, that we're all 'heretics.' The situation is urgent now. What do you say we do? We'll all listen to you!"

Upon hearing this news, Hidalgo expected to be shocked, but surprisingly, he remained remarkably calm. He showed no emotion in the face of this unexpected news; in fact, he even laughed.

"My friend, haven't we been preparing for this day all this time? You didn't come alone, but with all our comrades from the army—wasn't it all for this day? All this time, we've toiled in the wilderness, haven't we been preparing for this day to 'prepare His ways and straighten His paths'? Now, this day has finally come! Alright, everyone, you've all had a long journey. Come in and rest for a bit. When it's light, the crowds will gather..."

The cavalrymen then led their horses to the back of the church to prepare.

The sun rose, and Father Hidalgo, dressed in a black tuxedo, came to the church entrance and personally rang the church bells.

As noon approached, a crowd gradually gathered. Everyone surrounded Father Hidalgo's pulpit, waiting to hear his sermon.

Father Hidalgo then began his sermon. In this sermon, he no longer concealed the content of "Revolutionary Theology," and he "reversed the Bible, which had been distorted by those false churches that followed Satan." Finally, he told everyone that the way of Jesus is the way against all oppression, the way of redemption, and the way of liberation.

The Bible says, "A cry rang out in the wilderness: Prepare his way, make his paths straight." This way is the way of Jesus, the path of salvation and liberation that leads people out of slavery and towards freedom, just as Moses, the lawgiver, led the Israelites out of Egypt...

Just then, some dust rose from the other side of the road—it was kicked up by several galloping horses. These were probably the police who had come to arrest Father Hidalgo.

A few moments later, several policemen arrived at the church entrance. Led by a native white man, the policemen brandished batons, pushed aside some Native Americans who were gathered around, and walked toward Father Hidalgo's pulpit.

Father Hidalgo had noticed them long ago. His sermon was drawing to a close. So he addressed the crowd. "My children, do you yearn for freedom? Do you wish for a happy life? Three hundred years ago, those hateful Spain colonial bandits stole the land of our ancestors. Are you willing to do anything to reclaim it?"

The surrounding Native Americans and white people then shouted together, "Hang the colonial thugs!" "Long live independence!" "Long live freedom!"

Just then, the colonial policemen squeezed to the side of the pulpit, preparing to announce their intention to arrest Hidalgo, the heretic, in the name of God and the King, when such shouts rang out from all around. The deafening roar of the shouts was deafening, and the slightly chubby policeman leading the group opened his mouth wide, but couldn't utter a single word.

At this moment, the shouts around them gradually subsided, and everyone saw the police officers who had squeezed to the side of the podium. Countless eyes were fixed on them. These gazes were as heavy as the Rocky Mountains, making the police officers sweat profusely.

The slightly overweight policeman leading the group trembled all over. He opened his mouth and finally shouted, "Hang the colonial thugs! Long live Mexico independence!"

The policemen following him immediately raised their fists and shouted, "Down with the evil Spain! Long live Mexico independence!"

After shouting those words, the policemen immediately felt much lighter. The gazes of those around them softened considerably.

The policeman leading the group quickly grabbed the white man who had brought them there and kicked him to the ground in front of Father Hidalgo. Father Hidalgo looked down and recognized him as a smuggler named Leonardo, who had bought their wine before.

"Father, this is the guy who tipped us off!" the policeman said indignantly, pointing his baton at Leonardo.

"So it was you, kid! You're the one who brought the police here?" A mixed-race white man drew a knife from his waist.

"Did you inform on us? How many silver dollars did you sell us for? Thirty?" another Indian asked.

Father Hidalgo stepped forward and asked, "What's going on?"

"Father, it's like this," the fat policeman replied with a broad smile, "Recently, that damned Bishop Carlos came to the Inquisition and has been offering bounties everywhere for heretics of 'Revolutionary Theology.' This traitor, this shameless scum, for money, went and betrayed you! Bah! This shameless bastard, traitor, Judas! He went to the Inquisition and denounced you as a heretic of 'Revolutionary Theology.' Bah! What's wrong with revolution? Mexico should have had a revolution long ago! A revolution against those peninsula people, those nobles, those archbishops, it's absolutely necessary! Father, you don't know, we've long harbored revolutionary ambitions, we've long wanted to hang all those damned colonial bandits on the gallows and let them dry! So we brought this traitor to you."

"Sheriff, how could you..." the smuggler said.

The fat policeman immediately struck him in the mouth with his baton, knocking out two of his front teeth.

"Shut up, you damned Judas! I hate the Spain bandits second most, and you traitors first! I may not be able to beat the Spain bandits, but I can certainly beat you!"

Then, with a broad smile, he said to Father Hidalgo, "Father, are we about to revolt? I know the situation in the city. I'm willing to join the revolution. Please let me contribute to the revolution. I'm willing to lead the revolutionary army!"

"Yes, yes, yes!" several other policemen shouted. "Father, we're willing to lead the revolutionary army! Let's move out now, Father! Let's catch those Spain bandits off guard!"