Église de Normandie

The Église de Normandie (also known as the Church of Normandie or Norman Catholic Church) was a Nazarene denomination based primarily in north-western Keltia. It functioned as the established church of the Duchy of Normandie during the era of the High Realm of Stormark. Its liturgical language was Norman Alexandrian. The Church held a unique identity that combined Catholic, Valtian, and Reformed elements.

History

Origins

The Église de Normandie traced its origins to the Tenth Council of Quimper, convened after the collapse of the Kingdom of Franciana. At this council, the Church declared itself an autonomous ecclesiastical body aligned with the newly sovereign Duchy of Normandie. It maintained full communion with the Church of Stormark and, until 1538, the Holy Nidarosian Church.

According to Church tradition, the Nazarene faith arrived in Franciana through Mary, Martha, Lazarus, and their companions, who were expelled from the Holy Land and reached Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer near Honfleur. Lazarus was venerated as the first bishop of Honfleur, while Martha was associated with the taming of a mythical beast near Ablon. Their tombs, particularly at the Abbey of Épaigne, became pilgrimage sites. The Abbey of the Trinity at Les Vaux reportedly housed a phylactery containing a tear shed by Jesus at Lazarus's tomb. The nearby Cathedral of Autuncourt was dedicated to Lazarus as Saint Lazaire.

Structure and Governance

The Church was governed by an episcopal hierarchy. Dioceses were led by bishops and comprised local parishes. Before the Second Treaty of Pont l'Évêque, the Duke of Normandie held the title Pontife d'Église de Normandie and served as the Church’s supreme head. After the treaty, this role was transferred to the Archbishop of Quimper, who became the highest-ranking cleric and spiritual leader. Both men and women could hold this office.

The Church’s legislative authority was vested in the General Synod, composed of bishops, clergy, and lay members. Synodal measures required ratification by the Haute Cour de Normandie, the Duchy’s legislature.

Theology

The Église de Normandie identified as:

• Catholic, asserting continuity with the early apostolic church.
• Valtian, through its use of the High Valtian tongue in liturgy and incorporation of Vanic customs.
• Reformed, drawing on elements of Protestant theology, particularly from Les Trente-Neuf Articles and the Livre de la Prière Commune.

Practices and Beliefs

During the Stormark era, the Church underwent substantial Vanicization:

• Approximately half of the clergy were female.
• Several Vanic deities were controversially canonized as saints. Harald, the living High King, was also canonized as the sole living saint.
• Ritual nudity featured in services as an expression of theological belief in the sacredness of the human form.
• The unclothed body was regarded as a reflection of God’s creation, echoing the Edenic state of Adam and Eve.

The Church also embraced progressive teachings on human sexuality:

• Spousal intimacy and self-stimulation were affirmed as divine gifts.
• Responsible non-monogamy and polyamory were considered morally valid expressions of Christ's commandment to love, provided they were practiced with honesty and mutual respect.
• Sexual and emotional openness were viewed as beneficial for deepening human and divine connection.

Disintegration and Successor Churches

Following the collapse of the High Realm of Stormark in 1685, the Église de Normandie fragmented into multiple successor churches. Each repudiated the Vanic and Storish influences of the past and returned to more traditional Nazarene roots, particularly as practiced in Hurmu’s Keltian territories. These included:

• The Norman Church of Amaland
• The Norman Church of Karnamark
• The Presbyterian Church of Normandie, active in the Green, Amaland, and Karnamark

Legacy

Although the Église de Normandie no longer exists in its original form, it remains a subject of interest for its distinctive theological synthesis, its liturgical and sexual ethics, and its significant cultural influence in the religious and political life of the Duchy of Normandie during a critical period in Keltian history. The heretical part of this church's heritage was banned in 1744 AN after Theodoric van Orton re-founded Normandie.