The Church

✠ INTERNAL VATICAN ARCHIVE | ARCHIVUM OCCULTUM ECCLESIAE ✠
CLASSIFICATION: EYES OF THE HOLY SEE ONLY
FILE: STRUCTURA DOMINII ECCLESIASTICI POST CASUM
RETRIEVAL DATE: UNAUTHORIZED WITHOUT PONTIFICAL SEAL

"Power granted by Heaven is not merely divine—it is absolute."
– Commentary on the First Pontif, Volume I

The institution formerly known as the Catholic Church has, since the Fall, risen to unchallenged prominence as the supreme spiritual and temporal power within the territories of the European Hegemony. Its authority is absolute, derived from divine sanction and upheld by celestial mandate.

Central to its dominion is the technological marvel known as Saintifex—a sacred infusion of consecrated golden powder, believed to be alchemically and theurgically refined. This material is used in the consecration and empowerment of select armaments and armor, rendering them vastly superior to all mundane weaponry. Use of Saintifex is strictly restricted and must be sanctioned exclusively by the Pontif himself.

The Church is governed by The Great Pontif, undisputed Ruler of the Vatican and holder of a permanent seat upon the Council of Europa. As Vicar of the Faithful, the Pontif possesses sole authority to declare Holy War and to bestow the use of Saintifex materials. No usage is permitted without his writ.

His most trusted servant is the Bishop King of Malta—a hereditary title of tradition and might. He is entrusted with the command of the Fortress Cathedral of Malta, one of the most sacred and fortified seats of Church military power. The Bishop King is also Supreme Commander of the Pontifical Fleet, whose crown jewel is the Divine Hammer, a fleet of Saintifex-empowered warships tasked with safeguarding the waters surrounding Malta and the Italic Peninsula.
The Bishop King is forever barred from ascension to the Pontificate.

Beneath the Pontif, the Church is structured around a College of Nine Cardinals, each appointed to safeguard a territorial region of the Hegemony:

• Hisbana
• Provance
• Albion
• Hiberia
• Polania
• Germani
• Bretanga
• Dänlandus
• Crotian

Each Cardinal's region is subdivided into Bishoprics, governed by local Bishops, and further into monastic divisions led by Abbots or Priors.

The Ecclesiastical Order is bolstered by multiple Sanctified Orders. Of these, the two most significant are:

1. Ordo Novorum Templariorum Sancti Excubitorum
   (The New Templar Order of the Holy Watchers)
   They operate in secrecy, defending the flock from infernal threats. The Excubitores are our unseen guardians, engaging in covert battle against the Servants of Hell wherever they emerge.
2. Archivi Antiqui Ordinis Sancti Vaticani
   (The Ancient Archive Order of the Holy Vatican)
   Scholars, archivists, and inquisitors, they serve from the shadows to unearth forgotten knowledge and identify the seeds of heresy. Through hidden eyes and quills, they monitor the spiritual integrity of the Church, reporting potential heretical sects to the Excubitorum for annihilation in holy wrath.

For further instruction and theological foundation, refer to Page X, Volume I: Doctrina Pontificis Primi et Dominorum Antiquorum — The Teachings of the First Pontif and the Lords of Old.

✠ End of Extract ✠

Type

Religious, Organised Religion