Aurorian Patriarchal Church

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Re: Aurorian Patriarchal Church

Postby jamescfm » Wed Aug 05, 2020 12:57 am

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               Heretical clergy excommunicated by the Arch-Patriarch

Following the official passage of the "Constitution of the Clergy" legislation in Selucia last month, Arch-Patriarch Benedictus X has confirmed that any member of the clergy who swears the oath of loyalty to the Republic that the new legislation mandates is excommunicated from the Church. In the wake of strong condemnation from Patriarch of Istalia, Solentia, and Quanzar and protest from Hosians across the globe, the Arch-Patriarch has strengthened his opposition to the legislation and set the stage for a skirmish with the Selucian Republic.

In an official public decree on the matter, the Arch-Patriarch affirmed that priests and bishops who took the oath were latae sententiae excommunicated from the Aurorian Patriarchal Church for the heresy of rejecting the supremacy of the Arch-Patriarch within the Church. The declaration has significant implications for the position of the clergy, believed to include around a third of all priests within Selucia, who have taken the oath already. Excommunicated individuals are forbidden from taking communion and members of the Church are required to prevent them from performing their roles as ministers.

At the moment it is still difficult to measure the effects of the regulation. Patriarchal Hosians are the largest religious group in Selucia but it is not clear whether they will be convinced by the firm stance taken by Benedictus or whether the looming threat of a government clampdown might lead them to embrace the excommunicated clergy. Likewise it is not clear if the administration intends to take decisive action against the Church or if it is simply an attempt to divide the faithful.
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Re: Aurorian Patriarchal Church

Postby Polites » Wed Aug 05, 2020 12:04 pm

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Re: Aurorian Patriarchal Church

Postby jamescfm » Wed Aug 05, 2020 3:50 pm

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               Arch-Patriarch returns to Auroria following visit to Ville de Saints

Arch-Patriarch Benedictus X has returned to the Empyrean Temple following an extended stay in Ville de Saints. With an extended period of tension between the Selucian government and the Aurorian Patriarchal Church ongoing and a group of excommunicated priests defying the Arch-Patriarch to form their own church, Church officials announced at the end of last month that the Arch-Patriarch would take a break from his duties to spend time in the autonomous region between Rildanor and Kanjor.

During his time in Ville de Saints, the Arch-Patriarch has spent a significant amount of time meeting with the Patriarch of Canrille. In the past the two men had been reported to have a mixed relationship but it is believed that the current challenges facing the church have brought them together and reports indicate the pair have been spotted discussing faith and the future of the Church for many hours late into the evening.

Prior to his arrival in the city, Benedictus spent a short time in Kanjor where he gave a large open air mass in the capital before meeting with the Archbishop of Atyr, among the most prominent members of the clergy to criticise the actions of the Selucian administration. Despite a positive reception to his visit from the local population and reassurances from the Church leadership, some have become concerned about the wellbeing of the Arch-Patriarch. Elected over a decade ago now, he had not experienced any serious problems in the past but the significant pressure placed upon him by the ongoing situation may have led to a deterioration in his health.
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Re: Aurorian Patriarchal Church

Postby Aquinas » Wed Aug 05, 2020 4:53 pm

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Re: Aurorian Patriarchal Church

Postby jamescfm » Wed Aug 05, 2020 10:46 pm

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               Arch-Patriarch Benedictus X dies peacefully in the Empyrean Temple

With profound sadness the Aurorian Patriarchal Church has announced the passing of Arch-Patriarch Benedictus X overnight. At the moment the Church has not revealed the cause of death but it happened peacefully during his sleep. Benedictus had served as Arch-Patriarch since 4785 in a relatively stable term until the new military administration in Selucia passed the "Constitution of the Clergy" and brought the first significant schism in the Church for centuries. For several months there have been concerns about the health of the Arch-Patriarch and he had begun to reduce his public appearances.

As the official period of mourning following the death of an Arch-Patriarch gets underway, speculation is already rampant about who will replace the late Arch-Patriarch and high-ranking clergy are beginning to make their way to the Empyrean Temple in preparation for the archpatriarchal conclave. The upcoming election might be the most significant since the reunification of the Church and any candidate will need to balance a host of concerns.

The frontrunner for the position at the moment appears to be Archbishop of Vinesia Vittore Bellafiore. During his long tenure in his current role, Bellafiore has become a popular figure within wider Istalian society for his openness and commitment to philanthropic work within the city. Despite being a relatively modern force by the standards of the wider church, his election would represent an endorsement of the status quo as the latest in a long line of Istalian Arch-Patriarchs. Despite his early leading position though it is still not clear that he would be willing to serve as Arch-Patriarch.

For those searching for a more conservative voice for the next Arch-Patriarch, there is the current Archbishop of Hugamest Lengyel Mátyás. If he were to be elected, Mátyás would become the first Arch-Patriarch from Endralon and the first from Artania in centuries. For some within the clergy a strong traditionalist figure is the ideal response to the difficult challenges that the Church faces from the Selucian government, someone who is able to mobilise the "silent majority" of the Hosian population within the country and stand up to the administration.

Aside from the two major candidates, some commentators have observed that the upcoming archpatriarchal electorate will include a substantial number of cardinals from outside the Selucic world. For many centuries, the Arch-Patriarch has been limited to clergy from a small group of countries, particularly Selucia, Egelion, Istalia and the former Canrille, with only a handful of notable exceptions.

For this reason some have cited Daníl Hnanja, the Archbishop of Vrkzel and sole Jelbic cardinal, as an outside candidate who might command support from the global delegation of cardinals. Hnanja is a relatively moderate figure within the Church and might be tempting as a unifying, compromise candidate if there is no clear leader in the early ballots. In addition he is relatively young for a potential Arch-Patriarch and known to have an active lifestyle incorporating elements of traditional Jelbic culture like horse-riding.
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Re: Aurorian Patriarchal Church

Postby Polites » Thu Aug 06, 2020 10:05 am

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Re: Aurorian Patriarchal Church

Postby jamescfm » Thu Aug 06, 2020 12:08 pm

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               Vanukean elected as Arch-Patriarch for the first time

Despite ongoing concerns about the security of the event, the College of Cardinals has convened in Auroria and elected a new Arch-Patriarch of the Aurorian Patriarchal Church following the death of Benedictus X. In a remarkable outcome the Cardinals have elected the Vanukean Daníl Hnanja, the Archbishop of Vrkzel, as the next Arch-Patriarch. After three days of voting within the confines of the Empyrean Temple, white smoke rising from the Temple's chimney signalled that a new Arch-Patriarch had been elected.

During a relatively brief presentation at the Archbasilica of Saint Michael, the Arch-Patriarch spoke to the assembled crowd in Selucian and asked that they pray for him and the wider Church at this "moment of adversity". In addition he announced that he would take the archpatriarchal name Thomas Justus, to honour Saint Thomas the Believer in recognition of his "quiet, knowing restraint" and the first Arch-Patriarch of the reunited Church Justus XI "at a time when unity within the faith is tested". Even though many of the major public events of the conclave were scaled back for security reasons, a large crowd from around the world still made their way to the city for the conclave.

In addition to being the first Vanukean and Jelbic Arch-Patriarch, Thomas Justus' election marks the first time for many centuries that an Arch-Patriarch has been elected from within the Patriarchate of Augusta. Following the Augustan Rite, the Patriarchate is heavily influenced by the historic Augustan Church and uses Kalopian as the official liturgical language. In most of the regions under the jurisdiction of the Patriarch, Aurorian populations are a minority.

In the short time since the election took place, some have already cited the fractured religious demographics of Vanuku (divided between the Terran Patriarchal Church, Israi Ahmadism and Jelbic Shamanism) as a potential reason for the new Arch-Patriach's selection by the Cardinals. In spite of the tight restrictions placed on the election, experts believe that the slightly longer conclave and the selection of an outsider candidate indicates that there was a standoff between two frontrunners. In this context, the Vanukean's commitment to interfaith dialogue and experience dealing with a pagan government may have set him apart.

Prior to the beginning of the conclave, most commentators believed that the new Arch-Patriarch would be the relatively liberal Archbishop of Vinesia Vittore Bellafiore, however it is suspected that Bellafiore may have declined the archpatriarchate. If this were the case it is highly possible that no major candidate would have the support of the necessary two-thirds of cardinals and the clergy may have considered Hnanja as a compromise. Nonetheless he will need to adapt quickly to the office if he is to confront the challenges that the Church continues to face.
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Re: Aurorian Patriarchal Church

Postby Polites » Fri Aug 07, 2020 9:57 am

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Re: Aurorian Patriarchal Church

Postby Aquinas » Tue Aug 11, 2020 3:54 pm

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