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The Council of Providence


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((Only priests, monastics, monsignors, and holy knights are permitted into the council chambers of the Basilica. All others, please do not post in this thread.))

 

[!] Letters bearing the pontifical coat of arms are delivered to the priesthood, inviting them to an ecumenical council at the Basilica of the Ascent of Ex. Godfrey in Providence, for the purpose of revising the canon law.

 

Is It Time for Vatican III? Here's Issues That Might Justify The Next Ecumenical  Council |

 

THE COUNCIL OF PROVIDENCE, 1799

 

The Council of Providence manifests first as a slow trickle of parish priests and hermit monks from near the capital, and then as waves of successively larger and grander entourages: the courts of bishops, archbishops, and cardinals, and finally the armed procession of the Knight-Regent. The City of Providence and the Basilica of the Ascent, each unrivaled in size and glory compared to their predecessors, easily accommodate this brief uptick in population. 

 

The attendees are greeted at the doors of the Basilica by the azure-clad knights of the Palatine Guard, who usher them to guest chambers. They are given leave to explore the city and confer with their colleagues, until such a time the High Pontiff should call them to order. Among the more provincial clergy, there are whispers that this cathedral is so large that she could swallow whole the old Basilica of the Final Revelation in Helena.

 

After some weeks of waiting, it is finally judged that the Council has reached a good quorum of clergymen, and they are called to order. The grandees are ushered to a great council room in the Basilica, and murmur in hushed tones. Now, High Pontiff James II makes a public appearance for the first time since the coronation of King Josef of Haense. He is wheelchair-bound and almost entirely paralyzed--his nephew Theon appears to have taken the role of his attendant, wheeling him into the room. Despite his disability, the venerable Pontiff remains capable of speech. He addresses them: 

 

"Brothers and sisters,

 

Thanks be to God that all of you have made your journeys here safely. I ask of you first that you not be too concerned by my disability, rumors of which may have reached you since our last encounter. I am in as good health as the Lord allows, and so I must decline any offers of treatment you might have. Please instead direct them to the poorer folk of this city, who are in greater need than I.

 

 I have called you here today to see to the revision of the Canon Law of Daniel VI, which has served its purpose nobly, but become a little outdated. I and my predecessors have promulgated many bulls--about fifteen, I estimate--and a number of writs, minor bulls, encyclicals, and so forth since good Pontiff Daniel VI's reign. I have made it my duty in occupying this office to amend his canon law to include the aforementioned and many other legal rulings and traditions which have gone unrecorded until now. At each of your tables, there is a manuscript of this revision. It is my hope that we should review its contents and, after a few months of discussion, adopt it as binding by majority vote.

 

Of course, only the ordained may vote on this matter, but all attendants are invited to share their wisdom.

 

For now, I invite you to review the document and offer what commentary you may have. If you see no impediment to adopting the entire document without further revision, please indicate so.

 

Let us now pray that almighty God will guide our hand in this council, for the better instruction of Virtue."

 

The High Pontiff then invites the attendees to speak.

 

((CANON LAW DOCUMENT))

 

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The newly ordained priest does the cross and reviews the document...

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The aged and reclusive Secretariat, Sister Anabel, made passage into the chambers, at long last dispelling any rumors of retirement. Clinging fervently to one wooden cross, the monastic sat amongst her comrades to silently contemplate the amendments.

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With a quiet tapping of his cane, Goren hobbles into the building, his weary and feeble form taking a seat amongst the throngs of priests.

Edited by Lojo613
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Fr. Pelagius, sits himself on a cushioned seat within the Basilica meeting room, offering a nod towards the Pontiff before facing the document with his pointer finger, skimming through it's details in preparation for the holy discussion amongst canonist clergy to commence.

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Bishop Bram made his way out of his Cathedral hovel. The ‘middle-aged’ man cracked his back a few times before signing the Hussaria along his chest passionately.  He would take hold of his crosier and then march on to the council area, a mind filled. 

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Cardinal Sutica wrapped his hands connivingly at the mention of law. Priest by day, Justice of the Peace by night, Amadeus was ready to pounce.

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"Your Holiness and attendees of the Council,

 

Regarding age and the law:

 

At one point it says a man must only reach age of majority, defined at 14, to be a priest but at another it says he must be 16. Whichever article of the law is overridden by the other should be removed or altered for the sake of clarity. 

 

This next point is just a matter of opinion, but at present the law says that anyone under 14 is completely inculpable for their actions. I believe this is far too old. Older children and especially young adolescents absolutely have use of reason. They are not mindless. 

 

I'll make further comments as I examine other portions of the law.

 

Regards,

Ailred Cardinal Reinmar."

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A young boy dashes into the room, takes off his little hat, and, becoming mindful of the august company, bows to the High Pontiff shyly and hands him a sealed letter. "Beggin' your pardon, your Hono- I mean, your 'Oliness. Father Pius promised me 'arf a Crown if I would gis you this."

 

The boy hesitates for a moment, before pleading shyly. "He's in a bad way, milords. Pray for him, please."

 

Inside, is a letter.

 

The handwriting is far from Pius' beautiful and immaculate script to which the Pontiff would by now have become accustomed to. It is shaky, very shaky, full of blots and blemishes, and on the bottom of the page there are, clearly visible, blood-stains. 

 

It reads:

 

"Your HolinesS, 

 

I oFfer my apologies for

my failure to attend the latest ECumenical Council of Holie Church. I have come

into

an ailment which preventS my attendance. The GoOd God as ever has kept me as the apple

of His eye. I have come to reaLiSe novv just how prodigous - is that how you spell it? my mind is much befuddled - just how all-encompassing His mercy truly is and has been in my life. I have been surrounded by Holy Angels and Saints from the first moment of my existence - I do not have a devotion to Saint Jude and Saint Kristoff, but they, thOse blesSed brethers - brothers - have a devotion to ME. Almighty God truly conspires for the good of each and every soul that He has made, and so I leave my condition in His hands, and am resigned to my fate, happy to ssuffer exile here for centuries more if it be His wish for me - He knows best, does He not?

 

He has given, after so le

                                        Nghty a combat, an inexpressible sense of inner peace to my soul.

 

Now my lord, what you have written is truly excellent, but I expected no less from you. Only, you yourself know how anxious I

have been

to 

             defend

the most holy Rite of Confession.

 

It is very pressing to me. St. Jude, that glorious and venerable Patriarch, wrote hearing divers Confessions in sundry times and places among his chief achievements

 

and that

 

in a life so rich! And Bl. Wigbrecht, Bl. Jude I, and Ven. Humbert, as you know, had a similar devotion to that holy Rite, indeed Humbert on at least several occasions used to say his entire Breviary in a single block, and theN he wOULd heaR Confessions till he dropped asleep with exhaustion. That is the dedicatione a TractarIan is expected to have to Confession.

 

But you have already read my thoughts. I am no Canon Lawyer like you, I am only an assitant - assitant - assistant - priest at a parish. I only propose that the nature of Confession be more neatl-y defIned sO as to give [the writing becomes increasingly vague] clarity. For any vagueness is unacceptable when dealing with such a weighty matter, as I have at length and sundry times proven it to Be. 

 

Therefore, I propose to yOu that two things be made clear:

 

that the ordinary minister of Confession is the priest. Non-priests may hear Confessions only when absolutely necessary.

 

ANd that it is not merely guidance or fraternity, but the pronouncement of absolution - which I have since discovered does

not originate

with Ven. Humbert but is, in fact, much older and which he merely modified, which is ordinarily made with the full priestly authority, but may, in emergency, be done from the Prophetic authority endowed at BapTiSM, HAS a sacramental effect, namely that if the penitent 

accepts

             a valid penance and has true contrition

then, objectively, his soul is cleansed, and the remission pronounced takes a real and substantial EFFECT.

 

I would like to write to you, and venerable Bishops of Holy Church at greater length, but rest assured I am offering every pain and suffering to Almighty God for your sakes. That is my prayer for you.

 

PiUs."

                       

 

 

 

 

Edited by thesmellypocket
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The Albarosan Cardinal smiled "This is a fine document: it shall be blessed with my approval."

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The Archbishop of Godvinus would descend from his office in the upper levels of the Basilica, finding himself on the ground floor among his brothers. His finger tips stained with ink and eyes marked with dark circles after many sleepless nights, he would genuflect before the High Pontiff, refraining from kissing his ring and therefore marking the Holy Father's hand too with the ink. Nevertheless, he soon found a seat where one was left before his tired gaze drew over the papers before him, marked with the Pontifical seal. After an hour or two passed of reading and analyzing the document along with discussion with the fellows of Priesthood nearby, Cardinal St. Julia made his comment, "I would have to agree with Cardinal Reimar on the matter. However, I lean more so in favor of the age of majority remaining sixteen. I believe it best to retain the precedent set by the authors High Pontiff Daniel VI and High Pontiff Pontian III of the last iteration of Canon Law. Otherwise, I have no other qualms and approve of the document in it's current state with the hope that the age of majority be edited to reflect such. It has my vote in favor."

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James II thanks Cardinals St. Julia and Reinmar for their contribution. He then addresses the scribes, directing them to amend the working copy of the canon law accordingly: 

  • At the age of twelve, children attain the age of reason, whereby they have limited moral culpability and may become acolytes;
  • At the age of sixteen, individuals attain the age of majority, whereby they are fully competent adults and eligible for the priesthood;
  • Confession is to be taken only by clerics except when there is grave need.

These amendments are proclaimed, and the High Pontiff requests those gathered pray for the health of Fr. Pius. During a recess, he dictates a letter to his ailing friend.

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At the Holy Father's words, Cardinal St. Julia would bow his head in prayer for his sick brother, the good Tractarian, Father Pius.

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Goren stands, slowly and shakily, raising his weary voice to be heard. "The ritual of ablution was separated from the act of Confession for a reason, so that we might not deny the right of our pious women their duty, to root out Iblees from amongst the tribe of man just as St. Julia did. As it is written, 

"Thus informed, Julia went into her family’s tent, their holy tabernacle, and she gathered their three sons. She bade them to remain in the tabernacle as she walked the camp, looking for Iblees. So Horen went into the east, and followed the path ordained for him. Iblees observed his absence, and went into the camp of Horen’s people, and began to tempt them. But Julia was wise and recalled her husband’s warning. She revealed Iblees, and the Denier was cast out of the camp, and he was very wroth."

From the book of Horen, lines 19-23, I ask you, how did Julia know that Iblees was tempting them? She took their confessions, and through following the web of sin which Iblees was weaving was able to find and reveal the Deceiver. We grant the wives of clerics the right  to exorcise daemons, just as Julia exorcised Iblees from the camp, but not the right to take confession? What is a mother which is unable to listen to her children, a sister which cannot tend to the spiritual ailments of her brothers, and an exorcist which cannot hear the confessions of the afflicted. Confession is not ablution, and while the clergy alone can grant this sacrament, the right to hear confession should not be reserved to them alone. What of the lay abbots and lay cardinals. Can an abbot no longer be a confessor either? What of those who are in lay brotherhoods, and are not monastics at all? Allow those of pure soul and mind, even without the title of cleric, to perform this sacred act. Allow for the monastic to guide his brothers and sisters to contrition, and ablution to follow only when a cleric deems it good." Goren pauses, looking amongst the crowd "And furthermore, why can a nun, who is married most notably to GOD alone, not hold the same right to exorcise daemons as the wife of a cleric. Is not GOD himself the superior of all clergymen? Is not the Pontiff His Vicar? " Goren signs the Lorraine cross "I argue against the restriction of confession to the clergy alone, and argue for an expansion of the right to exorcism to the convents. Should my brothers not see the reason in one, surely they must see reason in the other." he says, finishing off his speech with a long, bone rattling cough. The weary man would then seat himself again, closing his eyes while he attempted to catch his breath.

Edited by Lojo613
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Bishop Benedict rises to reserve the right to object on proceeding forward with the motion to vote, requiring more time to consider the document in its entirety.

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