A Study on Church and Kingdom

[CopOwl 1668]

A STUDY ON CHURCH AND KINGDOM

Naf Lendyy i Kongzem

De Ecclesia et Regno

 

 

Written by

LORD TEARLACH GANT

On the 10th of Tov ag Yermey, 443E.S.

 

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The Church of the Canon and the Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska is a partnership essential to the temporal and spiritual fulfillment of all Haeseni people. As the High Pontiff is a spiritual shepherd for all Canonists, a shining paragon of virtue shielding us from the evils of Iblees and their Daemonic brethren which serve ever to tempt the immortal souls of the Descendant Races, so too does the King of Hanseti-Ruska serve as a temporal shepard to the Haeseni people, protecting us from the depredations of foreign invasion, and providing the Realm with the stability and guidance needed for prosperity. The Church assists the Kingdom in providing for the spiritual needs of the Citizenry while the Kingdom assists the Church in rooting out the vile evils of the lands. 

 

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The relationship between Church and Kingdom is evident in the laws of the Haurul Caezk. Jura I Kongzem XXXI states "The faith of the Kongzem shall be Canonism, and no other faith shall be practiced." In turn the Codex Iurius Canonici Book VI Title III Chapter 3 Section 3 states "The purpose of a Canonist prince is to rule virtuously in keeping with the Canonist faith, for the good of his subjects" for which a Canonist Prince is defined in the following Section 2 as ''The form of a Canonist prince is the Canonist ruler of a realm possessing sovereignty, or a Canonist ruler owing fealty directly to such a prince." It should be noted therefore that both the King and the Peers of Haense are held to the same duties outlined in CIC.VI.III.3.1-11. Both Canon and Civil Law acknowledge the general relationship between the entities as mutualistic.

The Book of Honor incorporates many aspects of Canon Law into its wording, beyond the proscription that the Faith of Haense is the Faith of Canon. The structure of Sections 1-3 of Jura I Krima, that someone shall not be guilty of crime that is not of competent mind from age or ailment, parallels Codex Iurius Canonici Book V Title I Chapter I §1 - §6, though the Church in its infinite spiritual mercy allows for the Negligent Ignorance of Man that the Kingdom does not. Likewise, the Church acknowledges an age of limited competency, defined as twelves years of age, whereby some culpability is applied but not to the fullest extent of Canon Law (CIC.V.I.1.2) which is not present in the Civil Laws of the Kingdom. The mercy of the Crown and the mercy of the Church flow in different ways. 

 

Indeed much of Jura I Krima draws from the Codex Iurius Canonici. Murder (HC.J.Kr.VII)(CIC.V.II.1.6), Contribution (HC.J.Kr.VI)(CIC.V.II.1.12), Sacrilege (HC.J.Kr.XVIII)(CIC.V.II.2.4), Heresy (HC.J.Kr.XVIII)(CIC.V.II.2.1),  Desecration (HC.J.Kr.XIX)(CIC.V.II.1.4), Fornication (HC.J.Kr.XXV)(CIC.V.II.1.2), Misgenation (HC.J.Kr.XXVI)(CIC.V.II.1.8), Dark Witchcraft (HC.J.Kr.XXXI)(CIC.V.II.1.3), and Abomination (HC.J.Kr.XXXII)(CIC.VI.VI.0.4) all are written in parallel, to safeguard the spiritual sanctity of the Kingdom. Of note, not all Civil Law crimes bear the same name as their equivalent Canon Law crimes. Canon Law defines Sacrilege as "A person who is gravely irreverent of a corpse, sacred place, sacred object, an individual suitable for veneration, or a relic," while the Civil Law of the Book of Honor states that Sacrilege is "He who undermines or challenges these teachings". Canon Law’s definition of Sacrilege is Civil Law’s definition of Desecration while Civil Law’s definition of Sacrilege is one of Canon Law’s crimes against the Unity of the Church, akin to heresy.

 

Some Civil Laws of the Haurul Caezk are logical extensions of the Codex Iurius Canonici. The Church of the Canon defines Matrimony as a holy union of a man and a women in the model of Exalted Horen and Saint Julia (CIC.IV.I.2.1) and prohibits carnal relations outside the bounds of Matrimony in all forms (CIC.V.II.1.2). Therefore the Civil Law against Homosexuality (HC.J.Kr.XXVII), while not explicitly derived from the Codex Iurius Canonici, is implicitly derived from the logical combination of CIC.IV.I.2.1 and CIC.V.II.1.2. Other matters of Matrimony are explicitly referred to the temporal authorities, that is the Kongzem, as stated in CIC.V.V.1.1 as long as they abide by CIC.IV.I.2.1-14. This would include much of the inheritance laws stated in HC.J.Sz.XIII-XVIX. 

 

In conclusion, Canon Law and Civil Law are parallel systems that seek to exist in harmony to protect and foster the spiritual and temporal wellbeing of the Canonist Haeseni. It should be encouraged for all members of the Judiciary to familiarize themselves with the Codex Iurius Canonici as it bears such influential weight upon our own Haurul Caezk.

In addition, there are three minor proposals to take away from this study. 

 

               1. Redefine Sacrilege and Desecration to more accurately reflect the Codex Iurius Canonici, as these crimes are spiritual of nature and therefore we should defer to the Church’s teachings. 

             2. Consider incorporating the age of reason (12 years of age) into the law system for the purpose of sentencing and punishment.

               3. Ensure the participation of the Church, through its Clergy, in the Investiture of both the King and his immediate feudal vassals, so as to guarantee the sanctity of their office and title. 

 

 

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MONN TAMORT OE SPARVEED,

 

His Lordship, Tearlach Raibeart Gant, Ward of the Office of the Justiciar

 

Her Excellency, Adele Emma Ludovar, Lady Justiciar of Hanseti-Ruska, Countess of Otistadt, Viscountess of Sezwesk, Baroness of Juliksburg, Lady of Ricksburg, Lady Handler of Hanseti-Ruska, Kastellan of Domestic Trade, Kastellan of Labour

[Arbiterhark 16]

Tearlach Gant admires the official version of his first legal study before framing it on his wall in the Gant Manor. 

[Borin 5256]

Cardinal Viktor reads the study and simply nods, considering whether to have it written up for his little library