Aurorian Patriarchal Church

[Polites]

Breakaway Aurorian faction elects female Arch-Patriarch; future persecution against Aurorian Patriarchal Church expected

[Polites]

Persecution against APC likely to continue

[Polites]

Empyrean Temple turned to Hosio-Pagan use

[jamescfm]

               New Arch-Patriarch elected following extended and difficult conclave
                    9 September 4840

After a highly unusual and controversial meeting of the College of Cardinals in Ville de Saints, a new Arch-Patriarch has been elected. The conclave lasted over a week and was reportedly among the most fractious and bitter in millennia. In the end it was the Kanjorien Franck Jauffret who was elected by the cardinals in what was believed to be a hard fought compromise between a number of competing interests. The new Arch-Patriarch has announced that he will take the archpatriarchal name Gabriel XV.

Though there have always been tension within the Church, particularly as secularisation threatens their role in liberal democracies across the globe, the nature of the most recent conclave is the result of two related factors: the controversial legacy of the recently deceased Holy Father, and the exodus of the Arch-Patriarch from Auroria. For almost half a century the Arch-Patriarch has been forced to reside in Ville de Saints while a coalition between pagan conservatives and the radical left has spread anti-Hosian bigotry throughout Selucia.

Within the Church and particularly in Selucia, many are furious at the lack of resistance to the Selucian government from the previous Arch-Patriach but the nature of the archpatriarchal office made it difficult and potentially risky to express these frustrations. As a result the most recent conclave provided an outlet for this anger from a group of cardinals who have been- somewhat pejoratively- referred to as "hawks". The relative strength of this group is difficult to determine given the clandestine nature of the conclave.

Complicating the matter is an emboldened liberal faction within the Church. Fuelled by the progressive movements in the schismatic "Selucian Aurorian Church", a minority group of cardinals attempted to stall the election of the new Arch-Patriarch by repeatedly voting for the long-serving Endralonian cardinal Selmir Benedik, who made it known he would not accept the office.

Commentators and journalists have identified the lack of direction in the conservative elements of the Church hierarchy, who have been split on their approach to the Arch-Patriarch's exodus from Selucia. While some support the hawks, many are deeply averse to the notion of challenging a national government and fear that it may expose the weakness of Church institutions. In the end it seems that the latter faction won out and ironically appear to have struck a deal with liberals in favour of the inoffensive Jauffret to avoid further bad blood.

Regardless of the machinations that precipitated the ascension of this Arch-Patriach, he faces an unprecedented challenge if he is to restore trust in the Church throughout the world and reverse the trends that have eroded Hosian values over the past two centuries. At sixty-nine years old, the new Arch-Patriarch is considerably older than his predecessor was when he took office but he is still relatively young by archpatriarchal standards. More than anything though, he will require a firm will to face up to the challenges ahead.

OOC: Please note that this is a backdated post, be aware of the date when considering a response.

[Auditorii]

Kanjorian government renews Ville de Saints lease with APC (La Gazette Royale, May, 4853)

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Regional Religious Debate In Kundarváros

The Independent Endralon Is A Progressive Newspaper Focusing On Culture, Politics And Foreign Affairs

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Want Street Offers Solution For Kundarváros

The Liberal Economist Is A Libertarian Newspaper Focusing On Domestic And Foreign Economics

[Polites]

Religious liberty restored in Selucia

[jamescfm]

               Arch-Patriarch signs historic agreement with the Selucian government
                    28 May 4883

In the face of significant opposition from with the leadership and body of the Aurorian Patriarachal Church, the Arch-Patriarch has signed an agreement that attempts to normalise relations with the Selucian government following over a century of conflict. Formally titled "Concordat between the City of Saints and the Senate and People of Selucia", the agreement facilitates the return of the leader of the world's largest Hosian denomination to the religion's historic centre in the Selucian capital Auroria.

Despite this positive development the agreement involves a number of clauses that have been described as "humiliating" by commentators and serves as a symbol of the lost power of the Church in the global context. Among these clauses are the renouncement of all claims of political jurisdiction over Selucian territory including the Empyrean Temple. Despite the criticism of his complicity in this agreement, the Arch-Patriarch was clear that lost material possessions were a small price to pay for the freedom of Hosians throughout the country.

Hosians have been subject to systemic persecution in Selucia as a result of a toxic coalition by pagan and atheist political movements. As a result, many Hosians have either fled the country, taken their faith into hiding or converted to other faiths to avoid persecution. For over eighty years, the Arch-Patriarch has resided in the special territory of Ville de Saints located between Rildanor and Kanjor. Though many will celebrate his return to Selucia, the Concordat only reinforces the difficult position of the Church in the secular age.

OOC: Please note that this is a backdated post, be aware of the date when considering a response.

[ReformedEndralon]

Background to the Aurorian Patriarchal Church in the Confederation of New Endrolan and Kizenia

There are estimated to be over 800 million followers of the Aurorian Patriarchal Church spread around Terra. Surprisingly, given that the Confederation of New Endralon and Kizenia is more commonly associated with theTerran Patriarchal Church and various LuthoranChurches perhaps as many as three million Aurorians reside in the Confederation of New Endralon. These forgotten congregations are mostly hidden away on the Canton's alongside the western border of Egelion, one of the power houses of the Aurorian Church in Terra.

Organisation

With about a thousand congregations in the Confederation, the Aurorian Patriarchal Church is led by the Archbishop of Kizenia and there are ten Bishops spread across the country, mostly covering Dioceses that cover the three eastern Cantons of the Confederation.

Centuries of ethnic conflict affects the Aurorian Patriarchal Church.

However as with most cultural organisations within the Confederation, the Aurorian Patriarchal Church has not been able to escape centuries of ethnic conflict. Although the Aurorians have historically been one of the few denominations with appeal across the three main ethnic groups, there is a liturgical split. Congregations in the Cantons of Kutohaderia and Tiania largely follow the Seleucian Rite, as is the case in neighbouring Egelion, whilst Aurorian congregations in the Canton of Zyldavia largely follow the Zyldavian Rite. There is not much differences between the rites who both have celibate priests, other than the liturgical language.

Future

Although a small Church, the Aurorian Patriarchal Church has managed to maintain a presence in the Confederation despite an often hostile relationship with other larger denominations and indeed on many occasions hostile governments. The Aurorians are likely to continue to hold their place on the Confederation and with a government that is openly supporting Hosian denominations that are converting Kizenian populations it is possible that there is an opportunity for expansion too.