Cennito

Holy State of Cennito
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Deus Vult!"
Capital and largest city	Cennito
Official languages	Latin, English
Demonym(s)	Cennitan
Government	Unitary Theocracy
• Archbishop	Pontian II
• Auxiliary Bishop	Paul Litwin
Legislature	Episcopal Council
Establishment
• Founding	1212
Population
• 1980 estimate estimate	1,020,000
HDI	0.74 high
Currency	Cent
Date format	dd-mm-yyyy
Driving side	right

Cennito, officially the Holy State of Cennito, is a theocratic state lying on the border of the Republic of Fiucce and the Grand Principality of Livoli. Bolsering a population of about 1.2 million, Cennito is a deeply religious society where all aspects of life, economy and politics revolve around the church and clergy. There is no separation between church and state.

The nation is largely agricultural, with a majority of the population living in small communities centered around churches and Priories. The economy is slow, but most of the population live simply without a need for consumer goods. Most of the population are farmers, stonemasons, carpenters or monks. The population attempts to live sustainably and in harmony with nature. Farming practices are sustainable, any forestry and logging required is done so in a manner to encourage new growth. Mining is conducted to not deplete resources and damage the landscape. The clergy believes that a healthy, well maintained landscape leads to a healthy people. As farming and animal husbandry are very common professions, Cennito exports oats, dairy products, potatoes, beans and wheat (flour). Tourists from neighboring nations bring in a healthy portion of revenue, with tourists arriving to see the vast number of ornate and elaborate churches, buy local goods and spend time in the countryside.

Monastic orders are common, and monasteries can be seen dotting the landscape. The most notable monastic orders are the Order of Saint Laurence the Recluse, the Order of Saint Anne, and the Order of Saint Cuthbert. The Church of Cennito can be described as a form of insular old catholic christianity. It yet retains a greater emphasis on penance and monasticism, encouraging pastoral and rural isolation.

The only legal form of marriage is heterosexual and monogamous. Divorce must be approved by an Abbot, Deacon or in certain circumstances, the Archbishop or Auxiliary Bishop. Same-sex relations are criminal. Male and female adultery is criminal, as is deviancy and witchcraft. The law enforcement is vested in the Order of the Faith and Peace and the Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition, which acts as a secret police. The main form of non-lethal punishment is public flogging, humiliation via pillory or hard labor. Those sentenced to death suffer crucifixion or burning at the stake. For a criminal to be sentenced to crucifixion, the Archbishop must approve of and be present during the punishment.

Geography

The Vulmaro Alps, the border between Cennito and Fiucce.

Cennito is a rural, mountainous nation on the northern side of the Vulmaro Alps mountain range. Cennito consists partly of farmland, and to a larger extent grassland and degenerated shrubland. It also has three mountain ranges, with forestation mainly at altitudes above 1000 meters: Imorpi, a winter ski resort, situated in the west; Sociras in the east; and the Vulmaro Alps, famous for its size and beautiful scenery, in the south.

Flora

Most of the Vulmaro Alps mountain range is designated as a protected wildlife area and is covered with the unique species of Greek fir (Abies Cephalonica) and black pine (Pinus nigra). The European pine marten also inhabits the nation.

Climate

Its climate features hot summers and mild winters in the east, the south, and those parts of the central area that are less than 1000 meters above sea level. Fall and winter are mostly rainy, except in the mountains to the west and north, which are snowy in winter. The winter months can experience up to 156 mm of rainfall, resulting in high levels of humidity on the island. Winter temperature averages at 14-15 C the day and fall at night to an average of 8-9 C. During the summer months there is usually little to no rainfall. Rain in the summer can usually be seen, but the dry air prevents it from being felt as it is evaporated before it reaches the ground.

Politics

Archbishop Pontian II in his simple vestments.

Cennito is governed principally by the Archbishop and the Episcopal Council, where there is no separation between church and state. The archbishop serves as the head of state and head of government. The legistlature is the Episcopal Council, a body of clergymen (and occasionally lay members) that serve as an advisory body to the archbishop. The balance of power between the archbishop and Episcopal Council is simple. The archbishop holds the power to veto any measure proposed by the Episcopal Council, and the council retains the power to veto any measure proposed by the archbishop. A small lay council with limited powers also operates but this is elected by a relatively narrow suffrage, and serves only as a rubber stamp, usually approving of any matter decided by the archbishop and Episcopal Council. Appointment to the Episcopal Council requires approval from both the archbishop and auxiliary bishop, and a majority approval from the standing Episcopal Council. Any applicant for passports, government jobs, university places (among many more) must obtain a reference letter from a parish priest, who conveniently also reports dissenting opinions to the Inquisition. The clergy of Cennito never had the intention to create a party-state. Nearly every archbiship has been against the whole-party concept. Instead, the church stands to control and restrain public opinion rather than to mobilize it, like most political parties. The goal by not having political parties is to strengthen and preserve traditional values rather than to induce a new social order. The most prominent ministries include the Ministry of Faith (Archdeacon Deormund of Pontafon), Ministry of Internal Affairs (Deacon Aelwin of Pitleigh) and the Ministry of Agriculture (Deacon Wihthere of Dinworth).

The Archbishop

The Archbishop of Cennito is responsible for delineation and supervision of the policies of the Holy State. The current longtime Archbishop, Pontian II, has been issuing decrees and making the final decisions on the economy, environment, foreign policy, education, national planning, and everything else in the country. Pontian also outlines elections guidelines, and retains the ability to fire and reinstate Episcopal Council appointments. The Archbishop is directly involved in ministerial appointments for Defense, Intelligence and Foreign Affairs, as well as other top ministries, usually run by a Deacon or Archdeacon, and in rare occurances, a Subdeacon or Abbot. Cennito's regional policy is directly controlled by the archbishop. The budget bill for every year, as well as withdrawing money from the National Development Fun, require Archbishop Pontian's approval and permission. The archbishop can and has ordered laws to be amended. The archbishop is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces Order of the Holy Faith of Jesus Christ, controls the military intelligence and security operations, and has sole power to declare war or peace. The heads of the judiciary (ecclesiastical judges or inquisitors), the state radio and television networks, the commanders of the police (Order of the Faith and Peace) and military forces are directly appointed by the archbishop. The Auxiliary Bishop serves as deputy to the archbishop. In the event of incapacitation, death or some other reason where the archbishop is unable to perform the required duties of the position, the Auxiliary Bishop will rule as regent until a new archbishop is elected by the Episcopal Council. It is not uncommon to have the Auxiliary Bishop also be elected as the new archbishop. Pontian II was formerly the Auxiliary Bishop to his predecessor, Archbishop Liodanus, before being elected to the position by the Episcopal Council.

The Episcopal Council

The Episcopal Council is responsible for electing the archbishop, and has the power to dismiss him on the basis of qualifications and popular esteem. To date, the Episcopal Council has not challenged any of the archbishop's decisions, nor has it attempted to dismiss him. The Episcopal Council retains the right to veto (with majority vote) any motion set by the archbishop. Due to the very longtime unchallenged rule of the archbishops, many believe the Episcopal Council has become a ceremonial body without any real power. There have been instances when the current archbishop publicly criticized members of the Episcopal Council, resulting in their dismissal. For example, Pontian publicly called then-member of the Episcopal Council, Deacon Ecgwald of Linceter a sinner, resulting in his arrest by the Inquisition and eventual dismissal from the Episcopal Council. Another instance is when Pontian indirectly called Auxiliary Bishop Paul a sinner for a statement he made, causing him to retract it, and retired from the session to "pray and reflect on his actions".

A Militant in standard uniform.

Law Enforcement

Law enforcement lies within the Order of the Faith and Peace, which holds around 12,000 members and lay volunteer auxiliary personnel. The Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition acts as a secret police, observing and listening for sinful, deviant or heretical activities. Its original aim was combating religious deviation, but Archbishop John IV passed legislation that extended the activity of the courts to cover censorship, divination, witchcraft, and bigamy. It is common for the Inquisition to spy on the population, primarily through a vast network of citizens-turned-informants, and fighting any opposition by overt and covert measures, including hidden psychological destruction of dissidents. The Inquisition is called the "eyes of God" and acts in such a manner to conduct mass surveillance to prevent sinful or heretical activities. Individuals suspected of sinful and deviant activities are investigated and eventually interviewed or interrogated by the Inquisition. Once sufficient evidence is collected, the individual faces a tribunal of 3 inquisitors, where punishment and sentencing is determined.

Law is extremely strict; men and women are severely punished for a variety of crimes. Even a child could be put to death for cursing his parents. Church attendance is mandatory. Those who missed church regularly are subject to a fine. The main form of non-lethal punishment is public flogging, humiliation via pillory or "community service" which has been recognized as hard labor. Those sentenced to death suffer crucifixion or burning at the stake. For a criminal to be sentenced to crucifixion, the Archbishop must approve of and be present during the punishment, according to the law.

Military

The Order of the Holy Faith of Jesus Christ, also called the Militia of the Faith of Jesus Christ, is the official military organization of Cennito. Primarily a monastic organization, the 10,000 active-duty order members are mostly monks and members of the clergy, with lay volunteer auxiliaries numbering around 500. The number of reservists is estimated to be around 30,000. The Grandmaster of the order serves a life term, subject to being dismissed by the archbishop. The order is split in a number of chapters. Ususally to be considered a chapter, a group of order members is given a chapel to maintain. The lowest rank within these chapters is called an "Initiate". Initiates are prospective clergymen undergoing a period of training to determine if they are worthy to becoming a full member. If an Initiate succeeds, they become a "Holy Militant", though usually just shortened to "Militant". Initiate-Masters are senior militants in charge of commanding formations of Initiates. Drill-Masters are senior brothers entrusted with ensuring discipline within the ranks of the order. They organize and command Militants on a day to day basis. Those militants who have proven themselves in combat and/or service move to lesser-command positions such as Militant-Corporal and Militant-Sergeant. Militant-Lieutenants and Militant-Captains are commanders that have proven themselves fit for leadership. They command groups of Militants into combat, and also manage defense and security of their home chapel. The Chapel-Master is a senior militant who has been assigned the task of overseeing the sanctity and carrying out the day-to-day administrative tasks of maintaining a chapel, and other places of worship for the faithful. The Chapel-Master is usually considered the highest rank within a chapter, followed by the Militant-Captain. The Chapel-Sacrist is second only to the Chapel-Master and Militant-Captain. The Sacrist is the individual in charge of everything holy, including books and relics of the chapel. The Relic-Keeper is a senior militant charged with the preserving and safekeeping of most holy relics. They answer only to the Chapel-Sacrist and Chapel-Master, never the Militant-Captain. A typical small chapter within the order will have 1 Chapel-Master, 1 Chapel-Sacrist and 1 Militant-Captain, 1 Militant-Lieutenant. Among the lower ranks, 40 Militants, 4 Militant-Sergeants, ~10 Initiates, 1 Initiate-Master and 3 Relic-Keepers.

All chapters and their respective chapels are answerable directly to the archbishop, who holds the title of Grand-Master of the Order of the Holy Faith of Jesus Christ.