Structure of the Church

[Malachi Drake]

The Church: An Introduction

The structure of the Church is separate from the King and the shires as Church members form a separate social class called clerici (clergy). The clergy is made up of ecclesiastics devoted to the faith who have taken vows not to pursue worldly advancement and possessions, instead choosing a life of service to our God and the faithful.

The Church will have the power to regulate its own affairs and Church members will be tried by the ecclesiastical courts rather than the secular courts of the Kingdom. However, the Church will have to operate from the lands of the secular lords until such time as they are granted their own lands. Such lands will be given to a Bishop as a temporality which is the only exception to the rule that a member of the clergy may not own property.

It is hoped that in the future the Church will be able to acquire their own lands either through a grant from a magnate or direct conquest. It will be quite a while, however, before the Church will be able to muster the wealth, support and military strength to become a political force unto itself.

Clergy may not pursue crafting skills with the intention of becoming a commercial trader. But they will be able to peruse any craft for the betterment of the Church and can offer these services to those outside the clergy in exchange for donations to the Church. They can serve as ministers or officers of the court but will not be allowed to accept payment unless it is a donation to the Church.

When clergy members hold secular positions in the military or government they hold special titles. See the section on Clergy Titles.

A member may leave the clergy, but will not be allowed to re-enter service without special dispensation from the ecclesiastical council.