Annic Church

Annic Church
Église Annic
The Motherhouse, near Socrè
Classification	Beoin
Scripture	Diash
Rectress General	Lise XI
Administration	Conclave
Abbeys	644
Priories	2912
Region	Global
Language	Meronnian and native languages
Headquarters	The Motherhouse
Founder	Annais of Ponce
Origin	1613 Guillemin Priory, Meronnia

The Annic Church, more formally the Church of the Lady Saint Annais, is a Beoin sect that originated in Meronnia in the early 1600's during a period of religious unrest in that country.

While respecting the core teachings of Beo, the sect differs from others in a number of theological and secular ways. It differs most prominently from other sects of Beoinism with its doctrine of "Monastic Supremacy", wherein monastic orders of nuns are responsible for administrative roles and oversee churches, rather than the reverse.

History

The Annic Church was founded by its namesake, Annais Arceneaux of Ponce.

Arceneaux was the daughter of a family of silk traders in Gaumont, who in 1607 entered the Beguinage of Gaumont as a religious sister at the age of seventeen. Her responsibility was for tending to the rose gardens. She was known to be extremely devout, and a passionate speaker, and she was also known to be prone to fits and possible seizures. During her two years at the Beguinage, Arceneaux claimed to receive divine inspiration during her fits.

She entered the Guillemin Priory in 1609, taking full vows and becoming a nun. Her entry to the priory coincided with the beginning of the War of Faith in Meronnia, a rebellion by proto-recantists termed the Manifestantes. Arceneaux became close to a number of her sisters during their effective lockdown in the priory, speaking to them about her own unorthodox beliefs. While still primarily in the Gaspardic tradition of the Verroist Church, Arceneaux's visions led her to some conclusions more in line with the Orasterean tradition, including acknowledging that the teachings of the scripture were far more important than any personal details about the Anidena Magi.

Through such feats as threatening would-be looters with eternal damnation, Annais became a well known devotee of Beo, though she was nominally still a sister under Prioress Claudette. The independence of thought she expressed, and her unorthodox speeches, became too much for the Abbess of their order, Melisant, who moved to remove her from the order at the behest of Bishop Abelin of Blénoir in 1613. In response, the sisterhood of the Guillemin Priory ejected the Prioress and barred entry to the compound.

The resulting Siege of Guillemin Priory is seen as the foundational moment of the Annic Church. While barricaded within the Priory, Annais suffered a number of fits and claimed to receive new divine instructions, which laid the foundations for the modern doctrine of the Annic Church. The instructions included the removal of the clergy most prominently. Additionally, when her sisters tried to proclaim her as the heir to Oraster, she denied them, declaring that the Magi had no legitimate heirs.

After her words were smuggled out of the priory, they were taken up by a number of surrounding towns, which gathered a militia to compel the Bishop's forces to withdraw. After a standoff nearly resulted in a battle between the two sides, the intervention of King Louis VI was sought. The King saw Annais and her devotees as a useful tool to reduce the secular authority of the Magi and the Verroist clergy in Meronnia, and ultimately became a supporter of the new movement.

The King met Annais several times, and is recorded as having spoken well of her. The Proclamation of Primacy, issued by Louis on August 8th, 1613, officially recognized the Church of Roses as the state church of Meronnia, leading to his excommunication by the Magi.

The 1600s in Meronnia became known as the Religious Wars for their frequent and violent civil conflicts on the subject of religion. During this time, the established Church of Roses changed significantly, but the Council of Socrè in 1688 led to their reformation as the Annic Church, adopting a set of traditions and doctrines which have changed little since.

Beliefs and Doctrine

The core of Annic beliefs are in line with the teachings of Beo as established in the Diash. The Annic Church also recognizes the Book of Songs, but does not count the Book of Apprentices among its Canonical Texts.

Annic doctrine recognizes the existence of "Divine Assignment", by which God grants responsibilities to mortal individuals, and Beo is seen as having received the first of these Assignments. Other historic Assignments are recognized, and in the place of the Book of Apprentices the Annic Church includes the Common Litany, which compounds the writings of a number of Apostles recognized by the Church (most prominently Saint Annais herself).

The Annic Church does not recognize the legitimacy of the modern Magi. Annic doctrine asserts that the Magi were the followers of the first apostle, Beo, but had not received any Divine Assignment of their own. Consequently, they have no authority with which to instruct others on the word of God.

The Annic doctrine also asserts the concept of Monastic Supremacy, whereby the monastic orders supplant the ecclesiastic orders. Monks and Nuns who commit their lives to living the teachings of Beo through their vows are recognized as the true messengers of their faith, as established by the Common Litany which exclaims that "Action is the first message".

The Monasteries of the Annic Church are only open to females, due to the Annic Church's foundation as an organization of Religious Sisters. The church does operate convents with male friars, and males make up the majority of the diaconate which operate the chapels and church houses subservient to the monasteries, but this does restrict males from attaining high positions in the Church.

Structure

The Annic Church, unlike other Beoin sects, is structured around monasteries as the fundamental divisions of the church.

Abbeys, overseen by Abbesses, take the equivalent role of Diocese. Each Abbey is both a physical complex and a geographic area of responsibility. Convents and Hermitages are generally subservient to an Abbey. Major church houses and historic cathedrals belonging to the Annic Church are generally operated as "Annexes" of the responsible Abbey.

Priories are a monastic division below the Abbeys, and function in a similar way. They are subservient to their responsible Abbey, and some Priories may have their own subservient Convents and Hermitages. Priories are most closely equivalent to Parishes of other Beoin sects. Prioresses administrate the Priories, appointed by their responsible Abbess. On the death or retirement of the Abbess, one of the Prioresses will replace her in a process of traditional trials and election.

Some Abbesses are given the title of Abbess Superior, bestowed by the Rectress of the Order of Assignment. They are not considered superior to Abbesses, but have several unique responsibilities.

The lowest territorial division of the church are the Chapelries. Chapelries are based around a Chapel subservient to the responsible Priory, and are administered by a Chaplain appointed from among the Diaconate. The Diaconate is the only remaining ecclesiastical order in the Annic Church, and its deacons serve as the primary clergy, maintaining churches and holding public sermons.

The Motherhouse is the center of the Annic Church, where its overall administration exists.

This includes the Conclave, a body primarily consisting of theologians and retired Abbesses. Each year the Abbesses Superior meet in the Motherhouse as the Assembly Superior to elect one new member to the Conclave. The Conclave is responsible for, among other roles, proposing candidates to replace the Rectress General of the Church. While it is not a requirement, the candidates tend to be either abbesses or rectresses.

The Assembly is the term for the Abbesses of the Church when they congregate in the Motherhouse. The Assembly may vote to enact theological and doctrinal changes, and they also practice blackball voting on the Conclave's candidates to elect the Rectress General.

The Rectress General is the overall head of the church. They are an important figurehead, and also have a number of administrative roles and powers. Most prominently, they are responsible for appointing the Rectresses, who oversee the Orders of the Church. The Orders are both geographic regions, and administrative groups with distinct responsibilities.