Episemialist Church
 Episemialist Church | |
|---|---|
.jpg) St. Nikolai's Cathedral in Samistopol, Narozalica | |
| Type | Western Sotirianity |
| Classification | Sotirianity |
| Theology | Episemialist theology |
| Polity | Episcopal |
| Structure | Communion |
| Primus inter pares | Ecumenical Patriarch Alexander VIII |
| Highest Council | Ecumenical Synod |
| Region | Worldwide |
| Language | Amathian, Solarian, and native languages |
| Liturgy | Amathian rite, and Solarian |
| Founder | Jesus Sotiras, according to Episemialist tradition |
| Origin | 1st century Adunis, Solarian Empire |
| Separations | True Episemialism |
| Members | 230 million |
| Other name(s) | Episemialist Catholic Church, Western Sotirianity |
The Episemialist Catholic Church, also commonly referred to as just the Episemialist Church, is the second-largest Sotirian church, with around 230 million baptised members. It considers itself to be the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, founded by Jesus Sotiras and that through its bishops, it is the one continued and uninterrupted instance of succession from the Apostles. From that perspective, the Episemialist theology considers itself to be practicing the Sotirian faith as it was originally, and deems its teachings to be dogmatic and ecumenical, centered on the Dyophysitist Creed, the Scriptures, the Tradition of the Church, and the concepts of Asimism.
Since it claims to be the true Sotirian tradition, the Episemialist Church considers the Solarian Catholic Church to be heterodox and in a Schism with the true church, and as such, it also considers the Amendist Churches to be lacking orthopraxy. Most other Sotirian groups are considered to be separated churches who have failed to retain the traditions and dogma of Sotirianity, while the term heretical is reserved only for those churches which do not respect the original Ecumenical Councils.
Due to its history of decentralization, it is actually a union of multiple regional churches, who are all in communion with each other, respecting the same doctrine and traditions. There is no central authority of the church like the Pope in Solarian Catholicism, but it has a primus inter pares in the Ecumenical Patriarch of Arciluco, the incumbent of which is Alexander VIII.
Through its succession of bishops, the Episemialist Church has existed continuously ever since the Resurrection of Sotiras, and it has had a considerable role and influence on the history and development of the nations in Western and Central Euclea, where the majority of the faith is concentrated.
The Church is also sometimes referred to as "Western" owing to its geographical distribution in comparison to Solarian Catholicism. Its name comes from the Ancient Piraese ἐπίσημος (epísēmos), meaning splendid, official or formal.
Nomenclature
Theology
Present
Communion
- Ecumenical Patriarchate of Arciluco (Archbishop of Arciluco and Alikianos and Ecumenical Patriarch)
- Metropolitanate of Amathia (Archbishop of Cluzia and Metropolitan of the Amathians )
- Autonomous Metropolitanate of Piraea (Metropolitan of Piraea}
- Autonomous Metropolitanate of all Miruvia (Metropolitan of All Miruvia)
- Narozalic Episemialist Church (Patriarch of Samistopol and All Narozalica)
- Patriarchate of Noavanau
- Vedmedi Episemialist Church