A LETTER TO HENRIETTA OF ÖSTERLAND

[Proddy 2242]

To the esteemed Henrietta of Österland @Dasdi

 

We hope this letter reaches you well. It is unfortunate that the first correspondence between the Holy Mother Church and yourself must proceed in this fashion. However, having received multiple complaints and witness statements, we feel there is no choice left but to appeal to your reason.

 

You have been observed and heard pursuing sensual intimacy in the gardens besides the Basilica of Ex. Godfrey multiple times, with multiple men. The sounds made disturb the prayers of our clergymen, and render our ecclesiastical staff uncomfortable. 

 

While His Holiness and his esteemed Clergy cannot prohibit you from making love in the Augustine gardens at night, we hope that this letter can remind you that in the public domain: you share space with other citizens, and you share a collective responsibility to maintain that public domain as liveable and decent to all. 

 

If her Lady of Österland cannot pursue sensual intimacy indoors due to a lack of housing, one can always appeal to the local clergy for charity events or temporary housing. 

 

Yours truly, 

Carlos Clericus Hyspia, Pontificial Chamberlain

 

[dmitris 282]

"Based." Said Theophilos, looking at the flyer furrowing his brows.

[drowknows 696]

"Based" Said Cardinal Albarosa, peering down at the missive.

[ReveredOwl 5314]

"Whilst some would find this drama amusing, is it the job of the mother church to offer those who have lost their ways to lust and promiscuity a way out and confession so that they may repent instead of publicly humiliating them. Our role is to guide those who have fallen astray not humiliate them insofar as they will never seek our guidance for fear that you will publish the contents of confession." said Basil Moroul.

Edited January 19, 2021 by Basil Moroul

[Valannor 6344]

 would look at the missive and frown, having just woken up for the morning, a cup of black tea in hand as she crossed her arms, a gown of furs serving to keep her warm in the harsh northern morn.

 

"And somehow, I can't even find a husband..."

[ydegirl 1756]

Theodora Angelica, a close friend to the Countess of Aldersburg, gasped when she saw the letter. She quickly sent a bird, carrying the missive to her two dearest friends, Wilhelmina (@marilka) and The Countess, Henrietta, (@Dasdi).

 

She knew this was not true- for Henrietta was a faithful and loving wife to her husband. She sat in her room, reading it over and over again. "The church spreads lies and slander of an Imperial Princess... Surely this is not illegal?" She queried, to no one in particular.

 

The Countess of Leuven kept pacing around her room all night in worry.

[VIROS 2709]

Josephine Augusta makes a mental note to avoid bringing gentleman callers near the side of the Augustine gardens that abut the Basilica. She then remarks to her chambermaid “Some gall that priest has, humiliating Henrietta like this. Wasn’t grandfather the one who gave them a home by our garden in the first place? Perhaps he should take it away.”

[Burnsider 4542]

Nicolas Barclay would pen an private letter to the Pontifical Chamberlain.

 

From His Excellency Holy Sir Nicolas, Equestor-Imperator and Praefectus Castrorum of the Supreme Order of Exalted Owyn,

 

To Carlos Clericus Hyspia, Pontifical Champerlain, @Proddy

 

Greetings.

 

I hope this letter reaches you in good health and prosperity. I saw your open letter to Henrietta of Österland and I felt it best to reach out to you as one vowed to defend Canon Law to address several failings that I hope you can address, perhaps in Confession and perhaps in another letter to the Imperial Princess.

 

First, I would like to remind you of Canon Law II.I.4.3, which states that Clergy such as yourself “must strive for harmony amongst the faithful.” I do not see how your public letter was meant to strive for harmony. Instead, it has only created division.

 

Second, I would like to remind you of Canon Law VI.III.2.1, which states that the Church, and hence you, “shall strive to maintain harmony between the crown and the laurel, which are the temporal and the spiritual, this being the command of Ex. Sigismund.” I do not see how your public letter is meant to strive to maintain harmony between the crown, familial to the Imperial Princess, and the laurel, that is yourself. Instead, it means to drive a wedge.

 

Third, I would like to remind you of Canon Law VI.III.4.7 which states that the Church, and hence you, “shall endeavor to remain in harmony with the Holy Orenian Empire, accepting and promoting the scope of its temporal authority, without harming the promotion of virtue.” While I understand that your letter was in hope of the promotion of virtue, it is clear that a private letter would have helped the Church remain in harmony with the Holy Orenian Empire, seeing as how you humiliated their Imperial Princess.

 

Fourth, I would like to remind you of Canon Law VII.III.1.1, which states that it is “the duty of a cleric to inquire personally should he believe a breach of canon law has occurred.” I must ask you if you truly believe that a public letter best facilitates the spirit of the law regarding personally inquiring. If you responded in the positive, then I should very much like to point you to my next point.

 

Lastly and most fervently, I would like to remind you of your blatant disregard of Canon Law VII.III.1.2, which states “those investigating must be careful as to not taint the reputation of the faithful.” There can be zero doubt that you have blatantly, and indeed tauntingly, tainted the reputation of Henrietta of Österland.

 

Now, we are all sinners and we are not meant to be perfect. I hereby request that you seek the advice of your superior and confess to your sins to your Confessor at your earliest availability. Thank you, and I hope that this is the last letter I need to send on this subject.

[frill 2276]

The auditor of the tribunal, Rev. Armas, wipes his biscuit-crumbed fingers on his deskside jaycloth, running the flat of his palm across the paper before his desk before beginning to write to the chamberlain. His sleepy hand raises a cheese-knife above a candle for a few long moments, mulling over the mail cast throughout his chamber. After the heat begins to reach the tips of his fingers, he whips the tool away and entreats the treated blade to a fine cheese-cake, the hot blade making light work of carving the monsignor a slice.

 

He begins to write a private correspondence in reply, soon sealing it with the wax seal of his ecclesiastical office as to prevent any contemporaneous tamperers and ne'er-do-wells from playing messenger. 

 

Fr. Carl.

 

It is the nature of the sacrament of penance to prescribe private penance for a private sin, as to not throw feed into the maw of gossip and tea-party whispers and make souls whole. All Canonists have a thirst to confess their sins more than a desert beast thirsts for water; but all men naturally object to confessing them while others, guilty of equal sin yet without the public demand for penance, sit by and laugh at them.

 

A sin confessed and adequately repented is an abolition of a wound to the church, but it is a duty of the sinner alone to confess the sin. There is no sincerity nor contrition in sitting a man in the confession-box by coercion of sword nor quill. A priest, as a shepherd of his flock, may offer warnings of sins prior to commission or further, but these are tools to spurn reconciliation and not cast scorn.

 

It is a morbid concept for a man of the faith to conceive that some may not confess their sins, but it is far more morbid for a member of the clergy to confess somebody else's.

 

Private sin is healed with private penance, and public sin with public penance. To conflate the two casts the church down from a saver of souls to the gossip column of an afternoon penny gazette. Recant and apologise for this abuse of the trust placed in your clerical office or I will see fit to bring you before an ecclesiastical court to adjudge restitution proper.

 

I hope that you may join me in prayer for a church that is far more apostolic and reflecting of the light and love of the scrolls.

 

Rev. Mnsgr. Armas.