Annic Church
 Annic Church | |
|---|---|
| Église Annic | |
 The Motherhouse, 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 | 1612 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-recantist rebels. 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. In 1612, 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 and refusal to recognize the Magi.
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.