Solarian Catholic Church
 Catholic Church | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Classification | Catholicism |
| Polity | Episcopal |
| Head | Pope Joseph as Bishop of Solaria |
| Administration | Holy See via Solarian Curia |
| Particular churches | Churches
|
| Region | Worldwide |
| Founder | Jesus Sotiras, according to Catholic tradition |
| Origin | 1st century Adunis, Solarian Empire |
| Members | 'x' |
| Clergy | Bishops: a number Priests: a second number Deacons: a third number |
The Solarian Catholic Church, commonly known as the Catholic Church, is the largest denomination of Sotirianity. It is named for the city of Solaris, which is the seat of its leading Bishop, the Supreme Pontiff. The church is based on the teachings and practices of Jesus Sotiras and his immediate students, the Teresarada. The central theology of the church, which governs both the organization of the church hierarchy and its practices is the Soterian Imitation as described in the Dyophysitist Creed.
The Catholic Church teaches that it is the primordial faith, through its relationship with the Atudite faith, as well as the original and only true Sotirian faith through the lineage of Saint Peter in particular and the Apostolic Teresarada as a whole. Because of this relationship to the person of Sotiras, as well as his teachings, all of the ordained members of the church take a specific Logion, or words spoken by Sotiras, as a calling. The most important of the Logion is the one for the Supreme Pontiff (Matthew 16:18–19), one for each of the members of the Papal Conclave, but there have even been orders of priests specifically organized to root out marital infidelity because of Sotiras’s admonitions against adultery (Matthew 5:27–28). The Supreme Pontiff’s status as “rock of the church” requires that all other orders be based primarily on his instruction and authority.
In its current form under the Bishop of Solaria, the Catholic Church has continuously existed since the death of Sotiras in 33 AD, making it the oldest institution in the world. In this way, the Catholic Church has been both an observer of and participant in the development of Eastern Euclea and Northern Coius. <intermediate events>. From the beginning of the second century up until the 'Lesser Schism' in the 12th century, the Catholic Church and the Epismalist Church shared communion. In the 16th century, the Amendist Revival, Reformation and Counter-Reformations caused lasting divisions across political, ethnic and geographic boundaries with long-lasting repercussions and consequences.
The Catholic Church maintains teachings, beliefs and dogmas that have caused issue historically with other Sotirian groups. These include the belief of sanctification, suppression of 'heresy' and the refusal to ordain women as priests on the belief that they have a 'special, but different' role. In modern society, much of the church's sexual teaching has received criticism in the Eastern World, particularly on issues of homosexuality, contraception, abortion and gender transition.
Name
Beliefs
Solarian belief is based on the debate and commentary of theologians, the two testaments of the Bible, and the traditions of the church itself. The church claims that it holds the sole earthly authority to interpret those three sources of doctrine and that other Sotirian groups have erred in their interpretations because only the Solarian Church is guided by the Holy Spirit. The fundamental and oldest statements of belief are called "creeds", other statements of belief are called canon--these can be compared to constitutional laws and normal legislative codes.
Deities
The Solarian Church is monotheist and worships only one supreme and eternal deity, which has many names, but is most commonly referred to as "God". Since the Solarian Churh also claims to be a part of the primordial faith, it has carefully specified that the God it is devoted to is "God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob", which links it to the Atudite faith. The Solarian God is, however, not compatible with the Atudite God, which is explicitly singular and non-trinitarian, while the Solarians promote the concept of the Trinity. The Trinity is combination of the three persons of God--the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit--each of which exists as an indivisible part of the one God. The apparent contradiction between both having three distinct parts and those parts also being indistinguishable is embraced by the church as a sacred mystery.
Part of the mystery of the trinity is the birth and person of Jesus Sotiras. Sotiras was alleged to be born of a virgin, Mary, and also a part of the trinity. Sotiras is specifically considered to be the manifestation of the "Son", sometimes all called the "Word" before its incarnation as Sotiras. Sotiras was entirely human and entirely divine, which makes him part of the trinity. Sotiras lived a human life, although he has had many miracles attributed him, and was eventually executed. This execution acted as a kind of self sacrifice. Since Sotiras was both God and man, he is considered the ideal form of male human, and much of Solarian canon law is based on imitation of Sotiras.
There are also two pseudo-deities in Solarian Catholicism, which act as the model for women. Since Sotiras was a man, he is not considered an acceptable model for women, who are instead supposed to emulate either Mary, mother of Sotiras, or Madeleine, wife of Sotiras. Mary, called the Virgin Mary, is the model for women who enter holy service as nuns; it requires chastity and obedience. Madeleine, also called the Magdalene, is the model for women who are or will become married; it requires obedience and fertility.
Ego
The Ego of the church is its description of its own role within their beliefs. Unlike some other religions, in which their beliefs are also the laws of nature, the Solarian Church is inalienable from it's doctrines. Without the direct lineage to Sotiras and Saint Peter, there is not possible salvation or communion with God. For example, in Satyism, a person can accidentally reach enlightenment without intention or instruction, but in Solarian Catholicism, only the church itself is capable of performing their rites and interpreting the scriptures.
Members of the church's clergy are still bound by the underlying Sotirian Imitation, which is the basis of the church's doctrine, but their duty also extends to a particular charismata. When taking vows as a priest or member of the monastic community, the pledger must recite one of the Commands of Sotiras as their special duty for obedience and imitation. In doing so, the pledger joins (or occasionally creates) a ecclesiastic order. Since everyone who joins the clergy must take this part of the vow, all consecrated members of the church are part of an order. This has also led to the church to view itself as the physical embodiment of the scriptures.
Resurrection
Solarians believe that after death, all people will be resurrected into one of several spiritual realms. Those who have not accepted the creeds will be sent to the least desirable realm, Gehenna, which is a giant, burning heap of garbage. Those who are sent to Gehenna cannot escape because their resurrected bodies will be burnt and combined with the garbage. Those who have accepted the creeds are guaranteed a place in purgatory, which is a place of intermediate punishment that prepares the new body for admittance into the higher realm. In purgatory, the body remains whole, although pieces may be lost in the course of punishment, whatever is left of their bodies after purgatory will go to heaven. Heaven is the most desirable realm and is the garden of God; only those who have accepted the creeds and follow canon law are admitted immediately upon death.