Orthodox Aroman Church in Ebrary

Orthodox Aroman Church in Ebrary
Ecclesia Aroman Orthodoxe de Ebraria
Abbreviation	EAOE
Classification	Aroman
Scripture	Septuagint, New Testament
Polity	Episcopal
Primate	Jon Baran Archbishop of Laverna and All Ebrary
Language	Ebrarese, Laimiaic
Liturgy	Ebrarian
Origin	1939
Separated from	Church of Ebrary

The Orthodox Aroman Church in Ebrary (Ebrarese: Ecclesia Aroman Orthodoxe de Ebraria), abbreviated EAOE and also known in Ebrary simply as the Ebrarian Aroman Church, is an autonomous Christian church located in Ebrary. It is headed by the Archbishop of Laverna and All Ebrary and headquartered in the Church of the Pentecost in Ceres. As an autonomous church and not an autocephalous church, the Archbishop of Laverna is confirmed by Patriarch of Europatorion, head of the Aroman Church.

The Aroman church has a long tradition in Ebrary, but its presence was effectively ended in the year 698, during the iconoclasm controversy, when the Christian Church in in Ebrary declared autocephaly and broke communion with the now-iconoclast Aroman Church. The Ebrarian Church became part of the Orthodox communion. Most ancient and medieval cathedrals and churches are today used by the Church of Ebrary, which evolved from an autocephalous Orthodox church into a state church.

After the Ebrarian Reformation, a small group of priests and churchgoers who continued to believe and worship in the Orthodox fashion persisted in the church for centuries as the Adherentes Antiquate movement. The Adherentes Antiquate parishes and priests continued to use various forms of Aroman liturgy, and the practice was tolerated to varying degrees by the church hierarchy. Eventually, many members of this movement began to adopt iconoclastic beliefs, and by the end of the 19th century these iconoclasts made up the majority of the Adherentes Antiquate. These Adherentes Antiquate who rejected the usage of icons were termed Persistas, so occasionally the EAOE is referred to as the Persist Church.

During the Republic of Ebrary, the Church of Ebrary became disestablished and there was, for the first time in centuries, no established church in the country. In 1939, the Holy Synod of the Church of Ebrary voted to separate the majority of Adherentes Antiquate, iconoclast (Persista) dominated parishes and the historic Church of the Pentecost in Ceres from the main Church of Ebrary to form the new Ebrarian Aroman church. The separation was largely amicable due to the differences between the two factions in the church, and separation was arguably postponed for decades due to the fact the Church of Ebrary was under the control of the government which opposed such a move. Those Adherentes Antiquate who still supported the usage of icons continued to remain in the Church of Ebrary until 1940 when this faction went on to form the Ebrarian Orthodox Catholic Church.

Theology

The EAOE believes in the trinitarian view of God, which is three distinct and divine persons with one essence. They believe that mankind has a fallen nature because man chose to participate in evil, as illustrated in the Biblical story of Adam and Eve. The intent and the action of this choice were separate from God's will, and it is that separation that defines and marks any action as sinful. The church believes the virgin birth, death, and resurrection of Christ were real, historical events. They also believe that when a person passes away, the soul is separated from the body for a temporary period. After the Temporary Judgment, the soul is then ultimately escorted either to Heaven or Hell. The experience of the soul in either of these realms is only a precursor to the Last Judgement when the soul and body will be reunited. The Bible and sacred tradition are both seen as equally valid sources of authority in the church.

Iconography

As part of the Aroman Communion, the EAOE strictly adheres to aniconism and takes a pro-iconoclasm stance. Many churches are ornately decorated, but avoid the depiction of people, Christ, or God, in their artwork. The usage of icons in worship is viewed as idol worship, and is strictly forbidden.

Liturgy

The liturgy of the EAOE is a variation of the Ebrarian Rite, itself an adaptation of the old Aroman Rite used by the Christian church in Ebrary before the Reformation. After the Reformation, the liturgy was informally maintained for centuries until it was codified by a council of Adherentes Antiquate ministers in the Church of Ebrary during the 18th century, which created an Orthodox-aligned form of Ebrarian-language liturgy. This was codified in the Prayer Guide of the Old-Fashioned Adherents. In 1950, the EAOE published a version of the liturgy which attempted to bring the liturgy of the church back in line with the mainstream Aroman church while simultaneously preserving the Ebrarian character inherited from the liturgy of the Adherentes Antiquate. This liturgy, outlined in the "Prayer Guide for the Orthodox Aroman Church in Ebrary", has continued to be used up to the current year with only minor revisions. Service is permitted to be conducted in both Ebrarese, Fragran, and Laimiaic, but Ebrarese predominates in the vast majority of places.