Orthodox Beatification
History
For most of its history the beatification process undertaken by the Orthodox Church of Orion was very similar to that undertaken today by the New Canon Church, it was a posthumous acknowledgement of the holiness the new saint had possessed in life and the authority they had been granted in death. In both churches the overwhelming majority of saints were initially granted their sainthood by Orion and beatification was an acknowledgement by the church of this fact, but each has examples of the church interceding and performing a beatification on behalf of one yet unsainted as a request to Orion. Though they were performed quite sparingly, there are no known instances of divine refusal. This is often cited as the justification for the changes that established the new Orthodox process, though officially the authority of the Imperator is such that no justifications were asked nor given.
Today, Orthodox Beatification is a ritual performed on the living, often still in recognition of holiness but now sometimes in order to impart and mandate holiness instead. It is no longer an acknowledgement of authority but a granting of it. Finally, the only known example of living sainthood granted directly by Orion is the case of the Imperator himself, all beatifications since have been intercessions by the Imperator and subsequently granted by Orion.
Execution
In what was likely an intentional decision to lend familiarity and positive feeling to the radically new process of naming living saints, the actual ritual bears a striking resemblance to traditional weddings. Prior to the ceremony, both the Imperator and the soon-to-be-sainted separately undergo multiple processes of cleansing, first cleaning the body through traditional imperial bathing, then cleaning the mind and soul through prayer and anointment with oils. The prospective saint enters the Silver Spire first and is attended to by the Allfather. They are washed of their oils in holy water blessed by the Imperator and the Allfather both, then dressed in robes sewn by other saints with divine cloth brought each year from Orion's own palace in a different ritual overseen by the Allfather. The saint will keep this robe, use it in various ceremonies and miracles throughout their life, and be wrapped in it after death. In the event that new saints are beatified at a rate swifter than new cloth is acquired or robes sewn, they will stand naked for the ceremony, because modesty is deemed less important than disallowing unclean material to come between the soon sainted and Orion. When all else is ready they will stand before the altar and the Allfather much like a groom at a wedding and await the coming of the Imperator.
The First among Orion's Living Saints arrives at the Silver Spire also dressed in robes of divine cloth, wearing neither his crown nor any other badge of mortal office. His feet are washed just outside the door with holy water blessed by the Allfather, but not himself. He then approaches the altar through the aisle much like the bride in a wedding. As soon as he crosses the threshold, instead of turning to face him the nearly saint will kneel and continue to face the Allfather. When the Imperator reaches the altar he and the Allfather will bless the kneeling one in Celestial, and then the Imperator will turn towards the audience and in Common impart his instructions for his church's newest saint. Finally, he will turn to them, help them to their feet and give them their new name.
Components and tools
Though many implements are used in the ceremony and its preparations such as the various holy oils and robes of divine cloth, the only ones utterly necessary are the holy water blessed by Imperator and Allfather to cleanse the new saint, and that blessed by the Allfather alone to cleanse the Imperator. Only these can cause a ceremony to be delayed if the supply is lacking.
Participants
All saints who are present in Solaire and not dearly otherwise disposed are expected to attend beatifications, it is considered such an honor to do so that the same level of attendance can be expected of the various clergy, and the remaining room in the Silver Spire is left open to the public. However, the only individuals actually necessary to perform the ceremony are the Allfather, the Imperator, and the one who will become a saint.
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