Schism of 1490
The Schism of 1490 was a series of events that concluded with the formal separation of the Church of Elwynn from the Treesian Unorthodox Church (TUC) in 1490 AN. In Elwynn, the TUC loyalists remained and formed the Remnant Church of Treesian Unorthodoxy. The Schism lasted until 1692 when it ended by an agreement of communion ("Communion of 1693"), and the absorption of the Remnant Church into the Church of Elwynn.
Communion of 1693
In 1691, the Princess of Elwynn, Kamilla Winther took the initial steps for the reconciliation between the Church of Elwynn and the Remnant Church. In leading the initial negotiations, she ensured that the leaders of the two churches understood that their differences were schismatic and not heretical in nature, wherefore there would be no conceivable way why they could not join in communion with one another. After some motivation from the Princess, the two parties agreed to her assessment and began a process of lengthy discussions and negotiations.
They agreed an end to the schism was agreed in the final days of the year 1692, with New Year's Day 1693 becoming the day of communion, thus ending the two-hundred-and-two-year long Schism of 1490. Because most of the differences between the churches were agreed to be schismatic and not heretical, the negotiations revolved very little around theological matters, and merely canonically legal and administrative matters. It was thus agreed that:
- The Bishop of Eliria would retire with full honours as a former sagart of the Church of Elwynn
- The ordinances of the Remnant Church would remain fully valid
- The two most senior clerics of the Remnant Church would be the two next-in-line to any vacant sagartships.
- Mass could be celebrated in the Treesian rite as an alternative, a more conservative form of the Church of Elwynn rite previously celebrated by the Remnant Church and done in the Treesian language rather than the vernacular one, and the decision of which rite (the Elwynnist, the Arborianist or the Treesianist would be chosen by the local congregational synod)
- Any mutual excommunications to be revoked ex post facto
- The Church to remain a spiritual realm and not be involved with the political, carnal and secular disputes of the world.
