Holy Cardinal Pontificate

The Holy Cardinal Pontificate, usually referred to simply as the Pontificate, is the most dominant religion across Amestria. The Pontificate is also referred to as 'the church', and has a history of not being tolerant towards other religions. Believers of the faith follow the Cardinal Teachings, which are said to guide the individual to a happy and productive life. Following the teachings are also said to secure one a place in the afterlife. There is very little tolerance for violating the teachings, even towards those who are not believers. The church formed after the fall of Exodia as an answer to humanity's vanity, to ensure that such avarice and arrogance would never arise once again. The church is lead by the Hierophant, who in turn delegates his power to several Maesters which are responsible for representing the religion and coordinate different regions. Due to humanity's majority faith in the Pontificate, these religious figures hold an extensive amount of power and control many aspects of human society.

Hierarchy

An image of a cardinal knight.

The Holy Cardinal Pontificate maintains a strict hierarchy within their temple walls, with the Hierophant himself being the most powerful individual, progressing downwards to the most humble of priests. Individuals who are lower in the hierarchy are expected to listen and fulfill the wishes of the upper hierarchy. While the Hierophant himself is considered the embodiment of the cardinal teachings and is also the head of the church, most matters are handled by Maesters, localized leaders of the faith who are often responsible for several churches in a region. Cardinal knights uphold the cardinal teachings, by combating heresy wherever it rears it's ugly head. Inquisitors are responsible for actively seeking heresy and attempting to convert heretics by any method they have at their disposal, and if they should fail they will send word to the church to dispatch a cardinal knight to handle the heresy. Priests are the humble servants of a church, with the High Priest being the leader of the church and several normal priests serving under them.

Hierophant

The Hierophant is considered the embodiment of the cardinal teachings. All members of the faith listen to his every word, and work tirelessly to fulfill his wishes. The Hierophant is elected by a council of maesters, and will remain in power for the duration of their life. The selection process is somewhat of a mystery to outsiders, however it is known that they might spend years or even decades searching every human settlement for the right individual. The current Hierophant has been the source of much controversy, having been elected from a very young age over a century ago. The Hierophant is also the only individual which may make changes to the cardinal teachings, however such a thing has not happened in recent history.

Maester

Maesters are responsible for handling most matters within the faith. They manage the churches in their region, while also dispatching inquisitors and cardinal knights where needed. Maesters are considered to be an extension of the Hierophant's will, and as such are treated with great reverence and respect. They often command a significant amount of influence, going so far as being able to influence the decisions of entire kingdoms. They will attend religious ceremonies in their region, spending most of their time travelling between locations. While members of the church see the Maesters as peerless, those not of the faith have spread rumors of the Maester's growing corruption. Regardless of rumors, almost everyone respects their wishes, lest they be counted as heretics and dealt with by the church.

Cardinal Knight

Cardinal knights are the holy warriors of the church, and are dispatched to deal with heresy wherever it might appear. While one would think that they only fight non-believers targeted by inquisitors, they could not be farther from the truth. Cardinal knights are also responsible for handling tasks issued by a local church, which often extends to aiding the town or village the church is located in. Cardinal knights have been considered heroes by many for their valiant acts, such as defending a village from hordes of bandits or looters, saving someone's life, or even helping repair an important town structure. Wherever a cardinal knight might go, their duty is to represent the the church and hopefully bring faith to the people they assist.

Priest

Priests are the liaison between the church and the faithful. They work tirelessly to maintain their church as well as perform daily ceremonies and rites for the local population around their church. The church itself is lead by the High Priest, who will then delegate tasks to the priests under them. Priests are often versed in healing magic or medicinal remedies, and are responsible for healing the faithful. Priests are also responsible for preaching the cardinal teachings, often trying to spread the influence of the church in their local town or village.

Beliefs and Practices

The Cardinal Teachings

1. The Hierophant is the embodiment of the faith, thus follow their guidance without hesitation.
2. Seek not the deception that is immortality.
3. Machina is a dark art which begets chaos and destruction, thus should be destroyed and it's practitioners executed.
4. Be humble and do not place yourself above your kin, nor deem yourself a god.
5. There are no gods before heaven, thus keep your faith in the teachings.
6. Curb your vanity and greed, and seek faith and guidance from your brothers and sisters of the faith.
7. Keep your hands busy and your intentions earnest, so that you may find peace in life and in death.
8. Vampires are curse upon humanity, and must be eliminated without question.
9. Aid your fellow kin in the faith, and build a community upon which the teachings may prosper.
10. Follow the teachings with heart and soul, so that you may be secured a place in the afterlife that is heaven.

The Greeting Prayer

It is customary to use the greeting prayer when upon meeting a member of the church or during certain ceremonies. The prayer consists of bowing your head while clasping your hands together pointed upwards. The whole prayer lasts about 5 seconds, but can be offensive if done too quickly.

History

The fall of Exodia resulted in cataclysm for humanity, not only by reversing several centuries worth of progress, but also by causing many casualties at the hands of aetherial horrors produced through uninhibited research and experimentation. Once the initial chaos had ended, humanity started to question the decisions of their forefathers. This uncertainty led to the birth of several new ideologies which opposed the notion of limitless progress and vain aspirations. There were many new religions at the time, but none of them spoke as loudly as the Prophet Aethis, who traveled from town to town preaching what would become known as the Cardinal Teachings.

At first, the prophet had no followers, and was mocked as he journeyed from town to town. But as the reality of humanity's situation started to sink in, people became more open to new ideas. Ultimately, Prophet Aethis would start to collect a large following, and villagers would eagerly await his sermons whenever he would arrive at their town. He eventually journeyed to the town of Easthaven in the year 227 AE, and established the first church dedicated to the cardinal teachings. His influence was so great over the local townsfolk that the city was renamed to Redemption City, to reflect the people's newfound faith.

Prophet Aethis would succumb to old age and pass away in the year 247 AE, but the religious following he left behind continued to expand at an unprecedented rate for many centuries. The faith was officially proclaimed the Holy Cardinal Pontificate in the year 256 AE, and several members of the church volunteered to spread the cardinal teachings to every corner of the world. Many centuries passed as followers of the faith peacefully spread the cardinal teachings, ultimately converting most of humanity to the new faith by 432 AE. The cardinal teachings became so widely worshiped that the Holy Cardinal pontificate would become simply known as 'The Church' to most people. By the year 526 AE, a formal hierarchy was established along with all the practices and rituals which are still used in present day Amestria.

The Yaelic were the indigenous people who lived on the Cascadian Coast long before Exodians migrated into the region. They have always been a stubborn people, being extremely zealous in the worship of their faith known as Yale, while rejecting any attempts to be converted to a different faith. In the year 857 AE, the church sent inquisitors to convert them but ultimately failed. The church then sent in cardinal knights, and ultimately succeeded in converting many villages to their cause by force. This act of violence did not go unnoticed, and the church has since avoided excessive bloodshed, instead turning to political and economical methods of conversion.

Machina has always been considered the symbol of Exodia, and in the eyes of the church, forbidden taboo. The church started actively searching for anyone who was practicing the branch of Machina in the year 1293 AE, and made an example of them by executing them in the middle of a town or village. While Machina had always been considered a taboo among humans ever since the fall of Exodia, it was now labeled as forbidden and incredibly risky to pursue due to the church's continuous and active involvement. Many Machina relics have been confiscated by the church over the years, and to this day no one knows where these relics ultimately went.

In the year 1702 AE, the current Hierophant was elected. It was a joyous occasion, as the faith had been without a Hierophant for many decades prior. The current Hierophant continues to be the head of the faith to present day, and has stirred much controversy. He has not aged at all since the day he was elected, and most attribute it to his profound faith in the cardinal teachings. He continues to be the most revered Hierophant of all time, with a level of public admiration comparable to that found in the legend of Prophet Aethis.

Assorted Info

• The current Hierophant was elected over a century ago, however he still looks the same as the day he was elected. Many attribute this to his profound faith in the cardinal teachings.