Autocephalous Nazarene Church of Alexandria

The Autocephalous Nazarene Church of Alexandria (formerly the Imperial Church of Alexandria), or the Alexandrian Nazarene Church, is the established and former state church of the late Empire of the Alexandrians and the mother church of the Alexandrian Nazarene faith. It was officially incorporated as the state church of Alexandria in 1468 AN by Imperial Decree. The Church was later re-constituted and included in several constitutional documents as an organization receiving the direct financial support of the state through special grants. Acts passed by successive Alexandrian Parliaments, in consultation with the clergy and leadership of the church, further reformed and cemented the church as the main religion of Alexandria.

The Alexandrian Nazarene Church remains the main church of the Alexandrian diaspora, receiving the patronage of the government of Nouvelle Alexandrie through the Proclamation of Punta Santiago. It is currently among the largest religions in the nations of Nouvelle Alexandrie, Western Natopia, Eastern Natopia, Ransenar, and Constancia. It was the second-largest faith in former Caputia, after the Melusinian Faith. After the collapse of Alexandria in 1651 AN, the Alexandrian Nazarene Church became a significant cultural and community pillar for support for the hundreds of millions of stateless Alexandrians, along with the Alexandrian Patriots' Association, the House of Carrillo Association, and the Imperial Order of St. Luis. The work by these organizations and the Alexandrian Nazarene Church helped secure political, financial, and material support to moving millions of Alexandrians to Natopia, Alduria, Constancia, and Ransenar. This also included financial support for families, students, and parishioners in foreign lands that helped many resettle and build a new life.

Headed by the Archbishop of Geneva, currently Archbishop Joseph Bélanger (since 1690 AN), the governing structure of the church is based on diocese, each of them presided by a bishop. Each diocese is subdivided into parishes. The Sacred College of the Autocephalous Nazarene Church is the legislative body for the church and comprises of bishops, other clergy, and laity. The Alexandrian Nazarene Church is centrally administered by the Holy See of St. Luis (the bishopric of Geneva), which has its official and ceremonial base at the Basilica of St. Luis the Protector in the Western Natopian capital and former Alexandrian capital, Geneva. The administrative body of the Holy See of Geneva, the Alexandrian Curia, has its principal offices in Geneva.

The core beliefs of the Alexandrian Nazarene Church are found in the Creed of St. Natsanet. It maintains that it practises the original Christian faith as it was passed down by God to St. Natsanet herself, who bathed in the Markion River and revealed the Holy Scripture and the details of the faith.

Background

Collapse of Alexandria

Until the collapse of Alexandria in 1651 AN, the church was known as the Imperial Church of Alexandria because of its Imperial patronage. With the Emperor at its head, the church was considered to be an extension of the Emperor's possessions in-state but his role was limited with much of its administration and direction led by the most senior cleric, the Archbishop of Geneva.

When Imperial patronage was removed after the death of Emperor Edgard II in Dos Gardenias, the Sacred College was convened at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Storms and Sorrows, where a new constitution for the governance of the church was authored and promulgated. At the time, the city of Geneva had been abandoned and ravaged by the Alexandrian flu plague and the church had to reconstitute in a new country and a new city: Dos Gardenias, Natopia. The resulting constitution declared that the church would be renamed as the Autocephalous Nazarene Church of Alexandria. The church declared that the new head of its church would be the Archbishop of Dos Gardenias, establishing the Holy See of Saint Luis in Dos Gardenias. This proved controversial, with many important clerics and lay leaders suggesting that the declining role of the church and a shortfall in membership suggested that the church had no right to separate itself from the Emperor and the House of Carrillo. The new constitution, along with the new details of the rising new church, were approved by the Sacred College in 1652 AN.

In the years after the collapse of Alexandria, the Church reconstituted focused on assisting the Alexandrian diaspora together with the Alexandrian Patriots' Association, the House of Carrillo Association, and the Imperial Order of St. Luis. With the assistance of the Natopian and Constancian governments and other Alexandrian Raspur Pact allies, the Alexandrian Nazarene Church assisted hundreds of millions of Alexandrians find settlement, support, and safety abroad and in many other nations around Micras. It was the work of resettling Alexandrians that led the church to heavily fund and support the foundation of Alduria, which led to the formation of Nouvelle Alexandrie later on.

The Holy See of St Luis

The Holy See of St. Luis is the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Autocephalous Nazarene Church of Alexandria and the episcopal see of the Archbishop of Geneva who is head of the church. It serves as a central point of reference and is responsible for the governance of the faithful organized in their individual churches and religious institutes. The governance of the See is devolved in many aspects to the Curia.

There is a common misconception that the Curia meets, works, and lives within the Basilica of Our Lady of the Storms and Sorrows in the city of Dos Gardenias, Natopia. In fact, only the most formal of church meetings and events take place there and only Metropolitan Archbishops who have been awarded the Holy Patriarchal Welcome can sit as members. Today, there are around 30 members and 20 junior members of the Curia who do not hold the rank of Metropolitan Archbishop but are still entitled to attend councils. These junior members however do not have the right to cast a ballot in the election of a new Patriarch-Archbishop. All members of the Curia head various departments and congregational councils dealing with different areas of church governance.

The Archbishop of Geneva

Until the collapse of Alexandria and removal of Imperial patronage, the most senior cleric was the Archbishop of Geneva. Under the new constitution, the Archbishop of Geneva assumed the title of Primate of the Church, which conferred leadership of the church onto the Archbishop.

The current incumbent is Archbishop Joseph Bélanger (since 1690 AN). The Archbishop of Geneva is elected from within the Alexandrian Curia. He must be of the senior rank of Metropolitan Archbishop and is considered to be primarily responsible not for the Curia or the church as a whole but for also for the Archdiocese of Geneva. He must be in good health and not over the age of 75 at the time of his election though members of the Curia are not expected to formally retire until the age of 80. Upon his election, the Patriarch-Archbishop chooses a regnal name and is formally enthroned at the Basilica of Our Lady of the Storms and Sorrows.

The Patriarch-Archbishop is not considered to be God's representative on Micras. Rather, he is considered to be the spiritual leader of the faithful who gives endorsement to the rulings of the Curia - the representatives (plural) of God on Micras. On rare occasions, the Patriarch-Archbishop may insist that a ruling be changed or introduced according to his wishes without the recommendation or endorsement of the Curia. This is known as a Patriarchal Ordinance and cannot be challenged or questioned by the faithful. In the past, such ordinances were issued by Archbishops within the Imperial and Royal Church but they could be nullified by the Emperor.

Clergy & Religious

There is a strict hierarchy among the clergy of the Autocephalous Nazarene Church with appointments made with the Patriarch-Archbishop's approval but mostly orchestrated by the Congregation for the Clergy & Religious, one of the governing departments of the Alexandrian Curia. The highest-ranking official in the church below the rank of Patriarch-Archbishop is that of Cardinal-Archbishop. Cardinal-Archbishops are "elected" by the Patriarch-Archbishop in a special ceremony known as "the Elevation of the Princes". This is a reminder that in days gone by, Cardinal-Archbishops were entitled to petition the Emperor to raise their family to the rank of Princes.

• Cardinal-Archbishops usually number no more than 25, though some may continue to sit 'in curia' and be eligible for election to the Patriarchy even though they no longer carry out diocesan duties. They are given the style of "Your Eminence" and upon their election, they are entitled to wear red vestments.
• Bishops usually number no more than 10. They may head Congregations within the governance of the Curia but are not entitled to enter the conclave to elect the Patriarch-Archbishop. They are given the style of "Your Grace" and upon their election, they are entitled to wear purple vestments. In 1670 AN, the Curia imposed a mandatory retirement age on Bishops which is currently set at the age of 80.
• Priests Superior are pastors or diocesan priests who have been given special authorities or additional duties by their Bishop. This may be as Curate to a particular religious order or to take charge of certain projects or departments within local church administration. Priests Superior wear black vestments trimmed with purple ribbon to show their obedience to their Bishop. They are addressed as "Father Superior".
• Priests General are diocesan priests who carry out the local duties of a parish priest. They wear black vestments and are addressed as "Father".

All clergy are forbidden to marry, neither can they own property in their own right or make large purchases in their own name. All clergy are forbidden from standing for political office and are expected to maintain a reasonable degree of political impartiality.

As well as the clergy, the Church has a religious presence in communities of monks, nuns, and others in consecrated life. At present, there are an estimated 200,000 monks, nuns, and others in Natopia and Alduria and most are organized orders within the Church though dispensation or approval has been given to new communities, hermits, or consecrated individuals who do not live according to a rule approved by the Curia. Male enclosed communities will often be comprised of a mix of friars and priests general.

The largest orders are:

• The Congregation of the Sacred Blood;
• The Congregation of the Brothers & Sisters of St Luis (also known as the Luisians);
• The Warriors of the Lord;
• The Order of Our Lady of Storms and Sorrows.

Alexandrian Nazarene Sects

There are many groups outside the Autocephalous Nazarene Church of Alexandria which regard themselves as Alexandrian Nazarene, such as:

• The Movement of the Most Holy Nazarene Church: a decentralized and organized movement on a largely cellular basis that started in Ciudad Santa, Alduria. There are several denominations, known as the "Bastions of the Holy Church", the most prominent of which is the Most Holy Bastion of Ciudad Santa, each offering a different interpretation of the movement's beliefs. There are an estimated 700,000 to 1 million "Naztas" (as followers of this movement are commonly known) across Micras; the largest population is in Alduria, although communities can be found in many major population centers. The majority of practitioners are of black Alexandrian descent, although a minority come from other Alexandrian groups.
• The Neridian Alexandrian Church: The church regards the last Archbishop of Geneva, whom they revere as a martyr, and his predecessors as true leaders of the church, but hold, on the grounds of claimed apparitions, that the Patriarch-Archbishop of Dos Gardenias is excommunicated and that the See has been transferred to their See of Eadricton, at the Cathedral of St. Luis, the Protector of All Nations.
• The Alexandrian Nazarene Church of the Sun