But why do some people support [the heretics]?" "Because it serves their purposes, which concern the faith rarely, and more often the conquest of power." "Is that why the church of Rome accuses all its adversaries of heresy?" "That is why, and that is also why it recognizes as orthodoxy any heresy it can bring back under its own control or must accept because the heresy has become too strong. Umberto Eco
About This Quote

The Church of Rome has a very powerful tool: the tools of the state. The church and the state can and do work together to further their own interests and to keep the papacy in power. The church tries to make itself appear as a defender of orthodoxy, but in truth it is far from it. The church does not care about orthodoxy, because orthodoxy is only useful if you want to push your message down everyone's throat. It is useful only as long as it can contain the heretics, which is not at all the case, because heretics are usually too strong for the church to contain.

Source: The Name Of The Rose

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