Resignation

[Castus 71]

The harsh stone walls of the chamber were softened by two solitary braziers casting a dim, warm light over the oaken writing desk and the four poster bed in the opposite corner. A high, narrow, stained glass window diffused the starlight of the nascent eventide through an image of St. Everard-in-persecution. A man in the dusk of his life, vested in the flowing white and royal purple robes of his office, his head topped with a simple purple zucchetto, dips a sparrow-feather quill into an open pot of ink, and begins to write on a starch-white parchment.

"I have played mouth and arm to the works of the Creator for nigh upon a decade. It is to him that my works should be attributed, not to me. My time in the office of the papacy has been a productive one. Traditional culture and practice were sheltered from the corruption of secular rulers, the patron saints were restored, dioceses were justly reappropriated, a schism was mended before it began, doctrine was established and affirmed, heresy was punished, piety prospered, preaching returned to the streets, the foreign nations heard the beginnings of the word of our Creator, and the rightful exalted-chosen emperor was returned his God-given right. It is to Him, our Lord God, that these accomplishments should be attributed, not to my feeble self.

My predecessors have a history of leaving office in death or dishonor, the latter of which has served to undermine the legitimacy of the papacy. When I reach the Seven Skies, I will join those few Pontiffs who departed from their office in sound mind and body. I resign content of my successes, cognizant of my shortcomings, and confident in the state of the Church I leave for the next father of our Faith.

I will return to the people of my home diocese to live out the last of my days among the simple folk of the common laity and my brothers of the cloth. I am a mortal man, I have seen sixty and seven harvests, and in time my body will fail. Yet, I know, as any faithful man, that in the next empire of our eternal lord God, I will live on forever.

- H.P. Regulus, OSE"

With steady hands, the aged man holds an iron spoon of black wax over a small candle, watching as the tar-like substance simmers in the heat and not wincing as the heat flows through the iron into his elderly fingers. Seeing the first slight steam rising from the wax, the man pours the wax neatly in the bottom corner of the parchment. He curls the gnarled fingers of his other hand, baring his signet ring, engraved with a noble dragon passant, and presses it firmly into the wax.

The man stands, slowed in his ascent by his age, leaving the parchment illuminated in the dim light of the braziers, watched by the solemn, starlit eyes of St. Everard.

[Esterlen 4499]

The aged Father Valerius gives a brief nod at the sign of High Pontiff Regulus' resignation, now inwardly wondering when Darfey will call for the next election.

[3andD 1722]

(( = ) ))

[Haribo 385]

The former High Pontiff Lucien II looks down from the Seven Skies on this. He somehow is able to read the resignation letter and shakes his head.

 

"What is dishonorable about passing away in office? He makes it sound like dying while being High Pontiff is dishonorable, yet the only honorable option for a High Pontiff is to die in office. That is considering, of course, that the office is for life."

 

He frowns slightly, re-reading that paragraph.

 

​"I refuse to consider my death made the papacy lose legitimacy, considering it is an office for life. I am the reason Regulus even had any power to this day."

 

He looks away, being disturbed by this recent turn of events.

[Castus 71]

"What is dishonorable about passing away in office? He makes it sound like dying while being High Pontiff is dishonorable, yet the only honorable option for a High Pontiff is to die in office. That is considering, of course, that the office is for life."

He frowns slightly, re-reading that paragraph.

​"I refuse to consider my death made the papacy lose legitimacy, considering it is an office for life. I am the reason Regulus even had any power to this day."

He looks away, being disturbed by this recent turn of events.

[[Nothing is dishonorable about passing away in office. You probably should have re-read it more closely, as two items were listed, death OR dishonor, and negative consequences were attributed only to the latter. Furthermore, precedence in procedure has demonstrated that death is not the only acceptable departure from the office of the papacy. You yourself would have left the office during life, except that you killed off your character before we completed procedures for your removal. The protection and sanctity of the office should be of more import than the pride of the man holding it.

 

On a side note, I'm incredibly amused that every poster in this thread thus far is a former High Pontiff/Ecclesiarch.]]

[Birdwhisperer 1174]

Moved to the Great Library. It shall be sorted into appropriate category shortly.