Religion in Paretia

Religion in Paretia

From top, left to right: Curs Purse Cathedral, Christo Rei da Precea, Painting of Saint Rodrigo, Precea Cathedral, Esodos Mazar, Sanctuary of Our Lady of Brígida, Santiago Réquiescia Cathedral.

This article discusses information on religion in Paretia. The country has been predominantly Sotirian, mainly Solarian Catholic, since the times that the Solarian Empire ruled the peninsula. The country however does have small groups of other faiths and sects, including Amendism, Episemialism, and Irfan. Irreligion is also a large minority within Paretia.

Although Church and State have been separate since the formation of the Constitution of Paretia in 1833, the influence of the church, particularly the Solarian Catholic Church, is still great. Religion has played a major role in Paretia's history, culture, and identity.

History

Religion in Paretia

  Solarian Catholicism (85%)

  Irreligious (8%)

  Amendist Church (3%)

  Episemialist Church (2%)

  Irfan (1%)

  Other (1%)

Sotirianity

Sotirianity makes up the majority of the Paretian population, making up 90.1% of the country's population when putting together all denominations. It has been the dominant faith of Paretia for centuries, Paretians have considered their country a central nation of the Sotirian world.

Solarian Catholicism

The Espiesa Cathedral

The Solarian Catholic Church is the largest specific faith in Paretia, ranking with 85% of the population identifying as Solarian Catholic. It has been the dominant religion of the country since the the times that the Solarian Empire ruled the peninsula. It's influence on Paretian culture has made it an integral part of the country itself. There are over 80 archdiocese located in Paretia, with dozens of large Catholic Cathedrals, mainly in the major cities of the country. Some of these include the magnificent Curs Purs Cathedral in Encerosa, the Precea Cathedral, Ocerto Cathedral, and Vallenoche Cathedral. There are also many monasteries across Paretia, including the Sant Jeromi Cabre Monastery, Santa Carla Monastery, and the San Túlio Monastery.

Paretia was converted into the Solarian Catholic Church around 200 AD. The church grew in influence over the centuries, Paretia had made itself one of the major catholic nations in the world, there are 4 Popes that are from Paretia. During the colonial era Paretia's catholic church sent many missionaries to the Asterias, as well as Coius, including places Senria and Satria. Some famous missionaries include Stephen Pererius and Romeu de Castelonovo. During the middle ages various religious orders were created in Paretia. The church would continue to have an influence on the country, during the Pronunciamento the church was targeted by revolutionaries. During the Functionalist rule the church had attempted to stay neutral. In Recent years Paretia's church has begun to lose some size. In 2021 the Paretian government made Catholicism the official faith of Paretia.

There are many Catholic Saints from Paretia, including Clementina of Mavoa, Roderic, Teresa II of Luzela, and Geraldo and Serafina Prates. There are also many Catholic religious orders from Paretia, including the Society of the Evangelites, Roderican Order, Order of Santiago, and the Order of the Knights of Sotiras. As of August 2021 it has been made the official religion of Paretia, with other faiths being catagorized as minority faiths.

Amendism

The Amendists have historically had very little members in the heavily Catholic Paretia. However there still is a sizable minority of Amendists, who have grown in recent years with many being converts from Solarian catholicism. There also is a small migrant community from Amendist northern Euclean nations, but mainly from majority Amendist nations who were formerly colonies of nations like Estmere and Werania, including Maucha, Rwizikuru, and Satavia.

Amendist make the second largest Sotirian group after Solarian Catholicism, at around 3% of the population of Paretia being Amendist. There are small communities located in concentrated areas across Paretia where the denomination had made converts. Many come from smaller denominations such as Kasperism, Gospelism, and Embrianism.

Episemialism

Historically Episemialism was a very small group in the country, as the nation since the Great Schism with the Solarian Catholic Church was dominated by the latter. Since the 20th century the population has grown to around 2%, many of the Episemialist community in Paretia are migrants from Episemialist nations in western and central Euclea.

The largest Episemialist community in Paretia is the Amathian community, many of which migrated during the functionalist Kingdom of Amathia, the following Amathian Civil War, and the Amathian Equalist Republic. Other Episemialists come from Tengaria, Etruria, Miersa, Piraea, or are Paretian converts.

Other Denominations

The Álamarian Catholic Church complex in Álamar

One unique denomination is the Álamarian Catholic Church, founded in Álamar, Esmeira. It has it's own papacy headed by Pope Pedro II, it separated from the Solarian Catholic Church in 1965, it's founder, Pope Carlos, had claims the papacy. Some have compared it to a cult. It has it's own central church in Álamar and it's own traditions separate from the Solarian Catholic Church.

Other smaller denominations include the Brethren Church, which has around 15,000 members in Paretia. It's largest church in Pareta is the Herrero Brethren Church Cathedral in Ocerto, Esmeira.

Irfan

The Farrakhon Mazar in Burgo Coroa

Historically Irfan was a very small religious minority, most early Irfan in the country are descendants of small groups of Rahelians, Öroqics, and Pardarians who migrated and settled during the Tagamic Invasions.

Most modern Irfan in the country are migrants, mostly from Coius, mainly Rahelia and Bahia. The largest community of Irfan come from Tsabara, many of them refugees displaced due to the Tsabaran Civil War. Other nations where many Irfan migrants hail from include Yemet, Zorasan, Nise, and Sohar. There is a small community of converts in Paretia.

Throughout much of Paretian history, the Irfan minority of the nation have experienced severe discrimination by the rulers of the peninsula. There are accounts of murders, mob attacks, and arson committed against the minority, especially in the middle ages and early modern period.

Ashram

Draksarasa Monastery in Tosutonia, an important site for Ashramists in Paretia

Ashram is one of the largest non-sotirian religious minorities in the nation. It's largely made up of migrants from Satria, namely nations like Rajyaghar, Arthasthan, and Padaratha. There are also around 20,000 converts from Paretia as well.

Historically there have been very little members of the faith until the late 20th century when many migrants came to Paretia. It has become a very prominent minority faith in the country.

There are numerous Ashram temples and monasteries located across Paretia, the largest being the Draksarasa Monastery in Tosutonia, which has become a major tourist destination in Paretia and is seen as the central religious site for Paretian Ashramists.

Atudism

Atudism has historically been a religion in the nation for a long time, although a very small one, many early Atudies settled in Paretia during the Solarian Empire, when it controlled both Tsabara and Paretia. Atudies in Paretia have had a history of discrimination from the Sotirian majority. Many Atudites today come from he Atudite homeland in Tsabara, many are migrants due to the Tsabaran Civil War.

There are many synagogues located across Paretia, the largest being the Esodos Synagogue, many of them are very old. Atudism has grown in Paretia in recent years, through migration or converts.

Other Faiths

The Tulyata Temple of Tecêno

There are also other minority faiths in Paretia, although they are very small. Including Tulyata, Zohism, Badi, and Tenkyou.

Tulyata has a large migrant community from Satria namely Ajahadya and Rajyaghar. There are many Tulyata temples located across Paretia. There are also around 5,000 converts to Tulyata.

Zohism is a large community mainly made up of migrants from Padaratha and Shangea, it has a few thousand converts from Paretia as well. There are a few Zohist places of worship in Paretia.

Badi is the only minority faith mostly made up of converts, with around 50,000 converts in Paretia. migrants of the faith come from nations like Dezevau, Kabu, Lavana, and Kuthina.

Tenkyou is mostly made up of migrants from Senria, and is one of the smallest religious groups in the country, where there are a few Tenkyou temples.

Irreligion

Since the 19th and 20th centuries agnosticism, atheism, and irreligion have grown relatively quickly in Paretia. Most of these identities are more popular among the younger generations of Paretia. As of 2020 around 8% of the country identifies as agnostic, atheist, or irreligious, a growth of 4% from the beginning of the 21st century. It is predicted that like other Eastern Euclean nations, irreligion will continue to grow, especially amongst the young.

For most of Paretia's history irreligion was seen unfavorably by the religious majority and often times persecuted. The first decree allowing irreligious beliefs in Paretia was under King Marcellus II in 1681. Irreligion grew immensely during the 19th century and even more so in the 20th century, with more freedoms being given to minor religious identities in Paretia. There is still some stigma today in Paretia between the religious and irreligious.

Festivals, events, and sites

A scallop shell, the symbol of the Way of Saint James.

Statue of The Virgin Mary at Brigída

One of the most well known Sotirian pilgrimages is located in Visega, the Way of Saint James, which goes to the city of Santiago Réquiescia, Visega. According to tradition the apostle Saint James is buried at the cathedral in the city. It attracts many Euclean Sotirians who do the pilgrimage. There are markers with shells located all over eastern Euclea that point into the direction travelled on the pilgrimage. The pilgrimage travels through many locations in Esmeira and Visega. It attracts millions of pilgrims from countries all over eastern Euclea. Saint James is also known as Saint James Matatagamos, known for the legendary apparition of Saint James battling back Tagamic forces during the Tagamic Invasions.

Palm Sunday celebration in Esmeira

A man in a capirote in Tosutonia on Good Friday

Paretia's Holy Week festivals attracts many visitors to the country. Holy Week is a very important holiday for the Paretian sotirians, there are parades and events in every city across the country during it. There are many small Sotirian brotherhoods that hold their own events in their local towns, they usually dawn unique costumes known as a capirote. Precessions of floats, known as Pasos, with statues of Jesus Sotiras or The Virgin Mary are very common in the parades. Each day of Holy Week brings out different types of Parades, on Palm Sunday the floats have Jesus on a donkey with people carrying palm leaves, on Good Friday the pasos usually have Jesus carrying or on the Crucifix, all before celebration of Easter. Other important religious holidays in Christmas, celebrated in December, sees to celebrate the birth of Sotiras. Another holiday is in early January, Epiphany, known as The Day of Kings (Dia dos Reis), is commonly celebrated in Paretia.

One famous Sotirian site in Paretia is the Sanctuary of our Lady of Brigída, located in Brigída, Luzela, it is the site one of the most famous and well documented marian apparitions in modern history. Here a group of three children were visited by the virgin mary and thousands of people from the city of Brigída came to see the apparition.