At this time, the Church was not an abstract concept, but a tangible social body encompassing people from every walk of life.
The Church at this time was unquestionably one of the most useful intelligence organizations. Open any account of modern international history—when had Western wars abroad not been preceded by missionaries?
Franz had merely changed its duties from external to internal. The Church had sunk its roots into this land for a thousand years, with a history even longer than that of the Austrian Empire itself; its diocesan network was virtually everywhere.
Its efficiency and breadth of coverage were beyond the reach of any secular oversight body of the time. Moreover, clergymen could take advantage of their positions to gather intelligence and fulfill supervisory duties naturally and without drawing attention.
But this required the state to maintain an exceptionally firm grip on the Church, while also demanding that the clergy possess considerable integrity and the ability to cleanse themselves.
Otherwise, the Church could easily grow too large to control. Clergymen might abuse the authority in their hands to make reckless accusations, seek private gain through public office, or even become tools in struggles for power and profit, eventually giving rise to institutions like the Tribunal.
Ordinarily, no nation would dare play with fire and burn itself. But Austria at this time was different. After generations of effort, the House of Habsburg had long since subdued Austria's Church, and Franz was an unusually forceful monarch.
More importantly, Austria now effectively controlled the Papal States, and Pius IX had, in a sense, relinquished his own authority.
Before leaving, Pius IX had even named Franz the honorary mayor of Rome and left behind a letter that could be interpreted in any number of ways.
Would those Cardinals continue to uphold the supremacy