Catholic Church in Nyrmod

The **Catholic Church in Nyrmod** is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. The collection of islands is served by a single diocese, the Diocese of Eridu. As of 2023, the ordinary is Bishop Samston, O.Cist. The diocese is directly subject to the Holy See.

## History

The first Catholic monks arrived in Nyrmod from Ireland in 456, later founding the First Church of Mizrab. This early encounter with the Catholic faith likely led to its rapid adoption among the Nyrmodian people, with an estimated third of the population being Roman Catholic by the sixth century, and a majority of the population following the Church by the seventh century.

During the medieval ages, the Catholic Church in Nyrmod went through multiple turbulent periods. In 1256, the East-West Schism reached Nyrmod, with an initial estimate of conversion to Orthodox Christianity at about fifteen percent of the population, though many likely reconverted back to Catholicism within their lifetime. The Protestant Revolution struck Nyrmod in 1515, causing such great tension that the War of the Faiths broke out in 1517 amongst Catholic and Protestant aristocrats. The conflict lasted until the Faith Laws were signed in 1535, granting protections to all Christian Nyrmodians. In the following decades, differences in political and spiritual attitudes between Nyrmod and mainland Europeans led to prolonged spats between the Church in Nyrmod and the Vatican. The Catholic Church eventually agreed to allow the Bishops of Nyrmod some autonomy, but this effectively split the Church from most of its source of support from the Vatican.

After centuries of a relatively separated relationship with the Vatican, the Catholic Church in Nyrmod decided to renew its connections to the Catholic Church in Rome in 2023. Under new leadership by Bishop Samston O.Cist, a new formal diocese was created called the Diocese of Eridu, directly answerable to the Holy See in the Vatican. Leadership within the Church in Nyrmod hopes to reverse the waning faith in Nyrmod, through more calls to the Religious life, increased investments into community services, and the founding of more spaces for religious and spiritual thought. Reflecting these efforts, Father MooMoo, a member of the Pauline Fathers invited to the Islands, helped to found a local seminary in Canaan that same year.

## Influence

Roman Catholicism was recently surpassed by Protestantism as the largest collection of believers within Nyrmod. However, Catholicism remains the greatest single denomination of faith in terms of size, with over 38% of Nyrmod's polution identifying with the faith. Despite Nyrmod's relatively tiny population there are over 75 catholic churches sprinkled throughout the country. Even as the influence of religion appears to wane in modern society, the Diocese of Eridu remains the single largest provider of education, charity, and care to homeless persons. The Church is also the second largest provider of healthcare and housing within Nyrmod, behind only the Government of Nyrmod itself. Officials believe the Church's involvement with charity and community services is behind the slow uptick noticed over the past few years in Nyrmodians who identify as Roman Catholic. If this trend continues, Roman Catholicism might return as the most predominant religion in Nyrmod by 2025.

## Organization

Following its autonomy from the Vatican in the 17th century, the Catholic Church in Nyrmod was without a prelate for centuries. After a convention of local Church leadership led by Bishop Samston, O. Cist, the Church agreed to reestablish a more formal connection to the Vatican. In recognition of its proportionately large Catholic population an apostolic administration was founded quickly as the Diocese of Eridu, with Bishop Samston appointed as the ordinary. The Diocese of Eridu serves the entire country, with 25 parishes for over 75 churches.