The Holy Orthodox Church

**Current Head**
 **Current Bishops**
Pelaios Silvertongue

**The Holy Orthodox Church** was founded June in 624 K.C. when those who were bound to the Church of the Holy Light decided for themselves that the traditions they had long adhered to were now being compromised. In their disagreement, their voice was given to the then Archimandrite Gavriel Branas and the then Bishop-Emeritus Rennali Sunwhisper to express their discontent with the Church's body of government and their desire to secede from the church and preserve their traditions; traditions that could, without extrapolation, be traced back Alonsus Faol. With the Enunciation of Orthodoxy, it was made official a year later after the pair had been excommunicated from the Church of the Holy Light and the Council of Bishops under the reign of Archbishop Columban V.

## The Enunciation of Orthodoxy

**Let all things hereafter be known of fact.**

The Church of the Holy Light has stood to be the community by which all mortals, regardless of ethnicity or race might find communion with each other and with the divine powers that uphold things which are sacred; that this path which such men and women have dedicated themselves to such a following has come to be known as the Holy Light, and that the community of men and women who follow this path make themselves known to be the Church of the Holy Light.

We call ourselves Orthodox; we maintain that we have kept well in mind and in practice the right faith; the traditions and dogmas that have been passed down through the Church of the Holy Light from one generation to the next.

We recognize that doctrines concerning how one ought to be instructed in how to best follow the path of the Holy Light are temporal theorems conceived of by the minds of mortals. We recognize that though the Light dwells in all naturally born beings, that mortals are not divine in their own right, and even those beings which are divine in their own right must submit themselves to their own standards that they themselves declare, lest another may declare them to be flawed. As mortals are not divine in their own right, it is never within their power, even should the whole of mortality was gathered in one voice, to declare themselves to be beings of perfection, being divine in their own right and free from any reproach, since by their very ontology, mortals are neither divine in their own right, nor free from any reproach.

We also recognize that there are mortals that are appointed to both rule and to guide other mortals both the temporal powers of the state and the eternal powers of the church, but as such rulers and guides, though appointed to do as such, are mortals as well, this does not change them ontologically, but only apparently.

We recognize that dogmas, unlike doctrines, concerning what it is that one must do and believe to follow the path of the Holy Light are eternal traditions given to mortalkind by the Divine through revelation.

We heard of how, in olden times, our church became fractured even as the states of mortals fractured. We saw our one Mother Church become many different churches as different nations and kingdoms of state made themselves known. We also saw each church develop its own doctrines to interpret the dogma of the one Mother Church.

In recent times, we saw our church rejoin even as the states of mortals rejoined. We saw strife begin amongst the the Sees within our Reunited Mother Church and we decided that one from among our leaders must be made to be a mediator. We recognize that this action, as it was the decision of mortals, was a new doctrine, not a new dogma, as it was not a thing revealed to mortalkind by the Divine.

We saw that mediator preside, not rule, over our leaders in the Mother Church in compassion and in wisdom, upholding the dogmatic virtue of tenacity in remaining true to the dogmas that were revealed to the ancient fathers of the Mother Church.

We saw our Mother Church thrown into disarray and ravaged by the malevolent and foul undead and that many of the laity and clergy within the Sees of the Mother Church departed for the Light’s embrace; so much so that many Sees became defunct. We saw our beloved mediator of the leaders of the church depart for the Light’s embrace, and a new mediator was elected by the leaders of the church.

We saw many more leaders of the church depart for the Light’s embrace and that many young and eager members of the church’s clergy become seen as leaders in the church.

We saw these many new leaders fail to uphold the dogmatic virtue of tenacity, and attempt to philosophize on a blasphemous ontologies of the Light, all of which were contrary to the ancient traditions and dogmas of the Mother Church, and presents them as new doctrines to the laity.

We saw the laity begin to show less and less regard for the Divine as the Divine became something only to philosophize instead of commune with, and as such, even many among the clergy began only to philosophize and teach others to philosophize instead of commune with the Divine. Through this, we began to see temporal doctrine replace eternal dogma, where doctrine became more venerated than dogma.

We saw the mediator of the leaders of the church partake in and profess blasphemous and abominable succor and doctrine and, with his demise, the Mother Church was again thrown into disarray.

We saw the surviving leaders of the church strive to uphold the dogmatic virtue of tenacity and reclaim the ancient dogmas of the Mother Church, but we also saw that so infectious had the blasphemy of the previous arrogant and insolent leaders of the church become that nigh all the new leaders of the church being elected adhered to the false beliefs that the dogma of the ancient Mother Church was simply an old doctrine that must be disregarded as easily as bath water to pave the way for new doctrines which they falsely claim as dogma. These elections came not through local synods but through a single synod of the leaders of the church. This is one such new doctrine that runs in direct contrast to the ancient dogma.

We saw the new leaders of the church elect a new mediator, falsely proclaiming that it must be done for the sake of dogma, only to have been found to have spoken with a forked tongue and wholly disregard the advice of this mediator by beginning to resume merely philosophizing and contemplating the Divine as opposed to communing with the Divine and make false declarations for the changing of dogmas which they saw to be hindering their temporal power so that they might increase their power to encompass secular powers.

And finally, we saw them falsely shunning us for the sake that we wished to continue on with our sacred mission to bring the Light to all of mortalkind and instruct mortals in communing with the Divine.

**We, therefore now, enunciate ourselves and our orthodoxy, declaring ourselves to be the preservers of the Mother Church and shall forever strive to root out the heresy that has befallen all churches that associate with the synod of the leaders of the church, so that the mission of the Mother Church may continue and see our eventual reunifying into one Holy Ancient Church.**

## The Holy Orthodox Canonical Laws

I. A Bishop must be ordained by another Bishop.

II. A Bishop must first be elected unanimously by the Priests of his diocese before ordination.

III. Let the Bishops meet in synods so that through the spirit of unity and truth, that the pure, unadulterated will of the Light may be correctly decided and interpreted. In all things that are done, let them be done in unanimity.

IV. Let the Bishops of the synods determine one among them to be their mediator, elected unanimously through the spirit of unity and truth. Let his wisdom be their guide as he presides in love over the whole of the Church, as a loving and wise father. Let the Bishop elected be named Patriarch of the Holy Orthodox Church

V. Should, at anytime, the be only one Bishop among the church, then he shall assume the role of Patriarch until such a time as new Bishops are elected and they determine the need for a new Patriarch.

VI. Let no man who, having just converted to the faith, be made a Bishop or even a Priest, for a novice is easily puffed up with pride and falls into the snares of temptation set about by the darkness. Let the newly converted first have his orthodoxy put to the test before he is allowed leadership within the Church.

VII. No Bishop, Priest, or Deacon shall indulge himself in worldly cares. If he does, let him undergo a period of penance. If he continues and refuses penance, let him be deposed of office. If then he still refuses penance, then let him be excommunicated. If, after he is excommunicated, refuses to repent of his wrong doings, let him be anathema.

VIII. If any Bishop, Priest, or Deacon is deposed for indulging in worldly cares but afterwards lives piously, let him be received in love. If he must undergo a period of penance and serves that penance in full, let him be received with love. If he is excommunicated, then repents of his wrong doings, let him be received with love.

IX. No Bishop, Priest, or Deacon shall put his or her spouse away under pretext of reverence. If he continues doing so, let him undergo penance. If he refuses penance, let him be deposed of office.

X. If any clergyman or layman who has been excommunicated, or who has not been admitted to penance, goes away and is received into another diocese with love without commendatory letters, let both the receiver and the one received be excommunicated.

XI. A Bishop shall not abandon his own diocese and go outside it to interlope into another on the ground that he can be of greater help to the inhabitants there; save for if he is urged to by many people to go there, and for good reason for doing so. He must not go of his own accord, but only in obedience of the judgment of other Bishops. If he goes of his own accord, let him be deposed of office for abandoning his diocese.

XII. If a Priest or Deacon abandons his diocese and goes outside it, contrary to the will of his Bishop, let him be deposed of his office. If his Bishop wills him to go outside his diocese, let him be obedient to the Bishop of his new diocese. If he is sent to an area where there is no diocese, let him be an evangelist and begin to establish a new diocese.

XIII. Let those who have served the Church faithfully as Deacons be submitted to laymen of their diocese for their approval. If the laymen approve, let his Bishop ordain him as a Priest.

XIV. Let those who wish to faithfully serve the Church present themselves to their Priests for their approval. If the Priest approves of him, then let him be consecrated as a Deacon.

XV. Let only those who have given up all titles, assets, and lands be admitted into the Clergy.

XVI. Any Clergyman that gives simony shall be deposed. Righteousness cannot be a thing that is bought.

XVII. Any Clergyman that has committed either fornication, perjury, or theft shall be deposed of office.

XVIII. If among the diocese is found one that has committed an offense against the Light, let him be called forth to answer to that which he is accused of. If he refuses the summons, let him be excommunicated. If he answers, let him speak that appropriate penance (if any) may be administered.

XVIX. If any clergyman administers penance, or pronounces excommunication without allowing he who is accused of offense against the Light to speak, let him be deposed of office. The Light never quick to anger, and is ever abounding in mercy.

XX. Because of this too, penance can never be coupled with excommunication for the same offense. Never exact justice twice for the same offense.

XXI. Any Clergyman that strikes believers for sinning, or unbelievers for wrong doing, or does any sort of deed to coerce or intimidate, let him be deposed of office. When you are struck, do not strike back; when you are reviled, do not revile your revilers; when you are suffering, do not threaten. In the words of Saint Uther: “Vengeance cannot be a part of what we must do. If we allow our passions to turn to blood lust, we will become as vile as the Orcs.”

XXII. If any clergyman who has been justly deposed of his office for proven crimes dare to attempt leading his diocese again, let him be excommunicated as a teacher of disorder, as well as those that commune with him. If he continues to do such after excommunication, let him be anathema.

XXIII. If any Bishop, Priest, or Deacon becomes the recipient of his office by means of money, let him be deposed of his office, as well as the one who ordained him. The Light cannot be bought with money. If he and the one that ordained him attempt to lead their diocese again, let them be excommunicated as teachers of disorder, as well as those that commune with them. If they continue to do such after excommunication, let them be anathema.

XXIV. If any Bishop, Priest, or Deacon becomes the recipient of his office by boasting of righteousness not of his own, let him be deposed of his office, as well as the one who ordained him. Righteousness is not a thing that can be imputed. If he and the one that ordained him attempt to lead their diocese again, let them be excommunicated as teachers of disorder, as well as those that commune with them. If they continue to do such after excommunication, let them be anathema.

XXV. If any Bishop, Priest, or Deacon becomes the recipient of his office by means of the authority of a secular ruler, let him be deposed of office, as well as the one who ordained him; and let the secular ruler be put under penance. The power of the Light is not temporal, fading, and subject to death, but is eternal, everlasting, and the giver of life. If he and the one that ordained him attempt to lead their diocese again, let them be excommunicated as teachers of disorder, as well as those that commune with them, including the secular ruler if they give approval for them to lead. If they continue to do such after excommunication, let them be anathema.

XXVI. If any Priest condemns his Bishop, draws people aside, and begins a new diocese without any good justification, let him be deposed of office on the grounds that he is an office-seeker; but if his condemnation has merit, let the Bishop be deposed of his office, but do not have the same Priest take his place.

XXVII. If any Bishop, after having been ordained, does not undertake in the ministry, and the care of the people committed to him, let him be deposed of office. Just as the master of the house shall not put up with a lazy shepherd, so too shall the Light not put up with a slothful Bishop. Likewise shall be done with a Priest or a Deacon.

XXVIII. Let no Bishop be quick to condemn any within his diocese. The fruit of holiness is patience in love, not swift wrath. Likewise, let no Priest be quick to condemn any within his parish.

XXVIX. Let no clergyman condemn any laity for the cause of personal grievance. A clergyman’s service is to the Light, not to themselves.

XXX. If any laity has a grievance with their fellow laity, let them not quarrel with each other, but let them come and reason together their differences. Let the one offended bring his grievance to the other quietly. If the other does not cease in his offense, let the one come to him again with witnesses. If the other still ceases not, let the one bring him before the Bishop so that he may decide the appropriate action to be taken.

XXXI. If any clergyman has a grievance with another clergyman, let them not quarrel with each other, but let them come and reason together their differences; clergymen should never allow their grievances with each other to be shown in front of the laity. If their grievance cannot be resolved among themselves, let them be brought before the Bishop so that he may decide the appropriate action to be taken. If the Bishop is unable to administer appropriate action, let the grievance be brought before a synod so that the appropriate action may be decided by the will of the Light.

XXXII. If any laity has a grievance with his Bishop, let him go to his Bishop so that they may reason together their differences. The Bishop must consider carefully the appropriate action to be taken, lest the layman be drawn away from the Light. If the Bishop cannot determine the appropriate action, or the layman is unsatisfied with the Bishop’s ruling, let the matter be brought before a synod so that the appropriate action may be decided by the will of the Light.

XXXIII. Let no clergyman marry any two persons who are not both confirmed laity or clergymen. Marriage is a thing that is sacred and can easily be torn asunder by those of differing tenants.

XXXIV. Let clergymen who are asked to marry any two persons first have those seeking to consider carefully their decision. Marriage is a thing that is sacred and can easily be torn asunder by those who rush into it.

XXXV. Let no clergyman or layman attempt to coerce their secular powers into holiness. Righteousness is not a thing that can be brought by force or intimidation. Instead, guide them with patience and with love, giving appropriate penance where it is needed.

XXXVI. Let it be that when the pure, unadulterated will of the Light is in the process of being correctly decided and interpreted that no Bishop or group of Bishops should refuse to act in unanimity with his fellow Bishops without just cause. If seven motions pass and unanimity has not been reached, let those who have not found unanimity with their fellow Bishops present their case. If their cause be just, then let it be that notion is left alone. It is far better that when judgment is muddled that inaction be the course of action so that the Holy Orthodox Church does not find itself at odds with the Light itself. If the cause is not found to be just, then let them submit into unanimity with their fellow Bishops. If they refuse to submit, then they have refused communion with their fellow Bishops and have excommunicated themselves.