Christianity

With the Edict of Thessalonica , Emperor Theodosius I made Nicene Christianity the Empire's state religion. The Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church each claim to stand in continuity with the church to which Theodosius granted recognition, but do not look on it as specific to the Empire. The Imperium currently sponsers the Catholic Church as the Great Church, under the Religio Predaco with the Templum Authentica.

## Hierarchia Ecclēsiārum Imperātōriī

The **hierarchy of the Imperial Churchs** or the **hierarchy of the United Churches** (Latin: **Hierarchia Ecclēsiārum Ūnītī**) the consists of its bishops, priests, and deacons. In the ecclesiological sense of the term, "hierarchy" strictly means the "holy ordering" of the Churches, the Body of Christ, so to respect the diversity of gifts and ministries necessary for genuine unity.

### Patriarchātūs (Patriarchs)

The highest-ranking bishops in Eastern Orthodoxy and the Catholic Church (above major archbishop and primate), are termed **patriarchs** (and in certain cases also *popes*).

#### Pope, Bishop of Rifarious and Predaconia

The **pope** (Latin: *papa* from Greek: πάππας *pappas*, "father"), also known as the **Christian pontiff** (*Pontifex Chrīstiānus*), is the bishop of Rifarious and Predaconia, head of the worldwide Catholic Church, and head of state of, and imperial vassal for, the Status Ecclesiasticus.

The primacy of the bishop of Predaconia is largely derived from his role as the apostolic successor to Saint Peter, to whom primacy was conferred by Jesus, giving him the Keys of Heaven and the powers of "binding and loosing", naming him as the "rock" upon which the church would be built.

According to tradition, the apostolic see of Rifarious was founded by Saint Peter and Saint Paul. The papacy is one of the most enduring institutions in the world and has had a prominent part in Imperial history. In ancient times the popes helped spread Christianity, and intervened to find resolutions in various doctrinal disputes. In the Bellum Unificare, they played a role of secular importance in the divided Imperium, often acting as arbitrators between Christian monarchs. Currently, in addition to the expansion of the Christian faith and doctrine, the popes are involved in ecumenism and interfaith dialogue, charitable work, and the defense of sentient rights.

##### Official list of titles

The official list of titles of the pope, in the order in which they are given in the *Annuario Pontificio*, is:

*Pope* N.N., *Bishop of Predaconia, Vicar of Jesus Christ, Successor of the Prince of the Apostles, Christian Pontiff of the Universal Church, Primate of Italy, Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Predaconian Diocese, Ruler of the States of the Church, Servant of the servants of God.*

#### **Patriarch of Alexandria**

According to church tradition, the patriarchate was founded by Mark the Evangelist. It was the centre from which Christianity spread throughout all Egypt and the Africas. Within its jurisdiction, during its most flourishing period, were included about 108 bishops; its territory embraced the six provinces of Libya Superior, Libya Inferior, the Thebaid, Egypt, Heptanomis, and Augustamnica. In the beginning the successor of St. Mark was the only metropolitan bishop, and he governed ecclesiastically the entire territory. As the Christians multiplied, and other metropolitan sees were created, he became known the arch-metropolitan. The title of patriarch did not come into use until granted by the Pope to be his peer in title (dignitas), despite not being granted prestige and authority (auctorias).

#### Patriarch of Antioch

**Patriarch of Antioch** is a traditional title held by the bishop of Antioch. As the traditional "overseer" (ἐπίσκοπος, *episkopos*, from which the word *bishop* is derived) of the first gentile Christian community, the position has been of prime importance in Christianity from its earliest period. This diocese is one of the few for which the names of its bishops from the apostolic beginnings have been preserved.

#### **Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople**

The **ecumenical patriarch** (Greek: Η Αυτού Θειοτάτη Παναγιότης, ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Κωνσταντινουπόλεως, Νέας Ρώμης και Οικουμενικός Πατριάρχης, "His Most Divine All-Holiness the Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome, and Ecumenical Patriarch"; Turkish: *Konstantinopolis ekümenik patriği*) is the archbishop of Constantinople–New Rome and ranks as *primus inter pares* (first among equals) among the heads of the several autocephalous (autonomous) churches that make up the Eastern Orthodox Church.

#### Patriarch of Jerusalem

The **Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem** or **Eastern Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem**, officially **Patriarch of Jerusalem**, is the head bishop of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, ranking fourth of nine Patriarchs in the Eastern Orthodox Church. Since 2005, the Eastern Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem has been Theophilos III. The Patriarch is styled "Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem and all Holy Land, Syria, beyond the Jordan River, Cana of Galilee, and Holy Zion." The Patriarch is the head of the Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre, and the religious leader of about 130,000 Eastern Orthodox Christians in the Holy Land.

### **Archiepiscopus Maior (Major Archbishop)**

**Major archbishop** is a title for the chief hierarch of an autonomous (*sui juris*) particular Church that has not been "endowed with the patriarchal title". Major archbishops generally have the same rights, privileges, and jurisdiction as patriarchs, except where expressly provided otherwise, and rank immediately after them in precedence of honor.

### Sanctae Ecclesiae Cardinalis (Cardinal of the Holy Church)

A **cardinal** (Latin: *Sanctae Ecclesiae cardinalis*, literally "cardinal of the Holy Church") is a leading bishop and prince of the College of Cardinals in the Catholic Church. Their duties include participating in papal consistories, and conclaves when the Papal States are vacant. Most have additional missions, such as leading a diocese or a dicastery of the Papal Curia, the equivalent of a government of the States. During the *sede vacante* (the period between a pope's death or resignation and the election of his successor), the day-to-day governance of the Papal States is in the hands of the College of Cardinals. The right to enter the Papal conclave of cardinals where the pope is elected is limited to those who have not reached the age of 80 years by the day the vacancy occurs.

### Episcopus **Mētropolītānus** (Metropolitan bishops)

A Metropolitan is the bishop of the principal (the "metropolitan") see of an ecclesiastical province (secular planetary prefecture) composed of several dioceses (provinces, colonies, states, and territories). The metropolitan receives a pallium from their patriarch as a symbol of his office. The metropolitan bishop has limited oversight authority over the suffragan dioceses in their province, including ensuring that the faith and ecclesiastical discipline are properly observed. He also has the power to name a diocesan administrator for a vacant suffragan see if the diocesan council of consultors fails to properly elect one. His diocesan tribunal additionally serves by default as the ecclesiastical court of appeal for suffragans (court of second instance), and the metropolitan has the option of judging those appeals personally.
All metropolitans have the title of Archbishop, and the metropolitan see is usually referred to as an archdiocese or archeparchy. An exception is the metropolitan Diocese of Rifarious and Predaconia.

### Archiepiscopus *(*Archbishop)

The title of archbishop is held not only by bishops who head metropolitan sees, but also by those who head archdioceses that are not metropolitan sees. In addition, it is held by certain other bishops, referred to as "Titular Archbishops" (see "Other Bishops" below) who have been given no-longer-residential archdioceses as their titular sees—many of these in administrative or diplomatic posts, for instance as papal nuncios or secretaries of curial congregations. The bishop of a non-archiepiscopal see may be given the personal title of archbishop without also elevating his see (such a bishop is known as an *archbishop ad personam*).

## Imperial Supremacy, Papal Primacy

Not one Ecumenical council was called by a pope; all were called by Byzantine emperors. The Church Fathers' writings and the Ecumenical councils never speak of any papal election. "Documents of the early church were never dated by a pope, and certainly the early Fathers never had to submit their private interpretations to the imprimatur of the Vatican."

By this law, only the Emperor holds supremacy over the