RELIGION IN THE ENCLAVE
MAIN ENCLAVE MENU
3/RELIGION IN THE ENCLAVE
The Enclave is monotheist, believing in a unique God they simply call God or the Almighty. As well as they refute magic, they refuse to believe in the existence and powers of other gods.
Their God is served by angels and, on the material world, by holy people known as Saints and Prophets.
They believe a Savior has come to help them triumph over evil as represented by polytheist religions they call heretic and heathen. This Savior they call JESUA was a prophet who led them during the war of the signs but was eventually crucified by the empire of ARDUN as a rebel and terrorist.
No one other than people in ETORAS and some people in GALVIR believes this JESUA was anything else than a conman adventurer and Wizard.
Because of their religious belief the people from the Enclave keep in some way the closest contact with ETORAS which is considered as the cradle of their religion.
Their religion, JESUANISM is led by a pope living in Etoras, elected by Cardinals. One of these Cardinals is ruling over the enclave, only man to have a unified power over the four Duchies. He is established in Dolvir. Under him are Archbishops, Bishops and Priests, who take care of their flock in parishes spread all over the Enclave.
The position of the clergy in the enclave is not as tough though as it is in Etoras. Nor is it as militarily oriented.
Jesuanism has a relatively short history, but it has already known dissenssions. The main one, a new branch of the church is called Curlongism. Jesuanists and Curlongists are at odds on the personalities of Jesua and Curlong. To put it simply, for the Jesuanists, Jesua is the savior and Curlong, who came after him, a saint. For the Curlongists, Jesua is only a prophet and Curlong is the real Savior. Basically, they follow the same principles and worship the same unique God, but differ in some interpretations of the holy texts. It seems that Curlongism is especially strong in the Enclave and might have originated there, probably because the remains of Curlong are kept in the Cathedral of Ostina in the Enclave where they are said to perform miracles. Etoras, the capital of Jesuanism doesn't acknowledge Curlongism but as an heresy.
There is in the enclave a city that is directly linked to Etoras and therefore is considered independent from the duchies. It is called Gortina, in the Emin Lunon mountains, and is the holy city of the Enclave where pilgrims flock all year long to pray in the magnificent cathedral and holy sanctuaries. Ostina, is another holy city, second to Gortina in prestige, but capital of the Curlongism.
Click to go back Up
Or click HERE to go to the next chapter,
or HERE to go back to the previous chapter.
©® Greenstraw 1999 Contact: Rhialto
