Ecclesiarchy
From Lexicanum
The Ecclesiarchy (aka the Adeptus Ministorum) is the only official state church of the Imperium. It maintains and spreads the Imperial Cult throughout the Imperium. Although the interpretation of particular Imperial Cult dogmas varies through the Imperium, any extreme deviance from its strictures is considered heresy and dealt with great severity. The Ecclesiarchy is based on Terra, its urban palace covering nearly all of the southernmost continent.
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Organization
The Ecclesiarchy is not part of the Adeptus Terra, but a wholly separate organization, and has great power within the Imperium. At its head is the Ecclesiarch, who, by tradition, is always one of the High Lords of Terra. Below him are the Cardinals, of which there are several thousand. Below the Cardinals are the Pontifices, Confessors, Missionaries and Preachers. Functionaries include Logistoras, Quire Masters, Reliquindus, etc1.
The Ministorum's ruling body is the Holy Synod, comprising the organization's Cardinals.
The Ministorum also includes an administrative bureaucracy, headed by Arch-Deacons, which controls all secular business. Arch-Deacons are the administrative counterparts to Cardinals, responsible for the temporal affairs of an entire diocese. Their servants deal with the money entering and leaving a specific diocese or parish, regulate the construction of new shrines and temples and deal with the other physical requirements of the organisation.
The Ministorum divides the Imperium into thousands of dioceses, each generally encompassing an entire Imperial world - an exception being Terra, which has several dioceses. A diocese is further divided into parishes centered around a shrine. Each diocese is headed by a Cardinal, while each parish is headed by a Preacher. Ranking between these individuals are Pontifices whose authority extends over several parishes and preachers within a single diocese.
Adepta Sororitas
As the Ministorum's power has grown, a number of sub-organizations have developed within its compass. An interesting example of this is the Adepta Sororitas, a penitent order of women. The Sisterhood, as it is generally known, is expected to maintain a close watch on all servants and departments of the Imperium.2 Its Militant Orders act as the military arm of the Ecclesiarchy.
Frateris Templar
See main article: Frateris Templar
The Frateris Templar were the original, all male army of Goge Vandire. They were destroyed by a warp storm while en route to Dimmamar to pacify the rebellious Confederation of Light. The storm became known as the Storm of the Emperor's Wrath. They have since been disbanded, and their roles have been assumed by the Sisters of Battle.
Frateris Militia
See main article: Frateris Militia
The unofficial armies of the Ministorum. The religiously-motivated Frateris fight wars of faith against the enemies of the Imperium.
'Rogue Trader' Origins
The original description of the Ecclesiarchy in Rogue Trader (1st Edition W40K) by Rick Priestley:
"The cult organization, usually known as the Adeptus Ministorum but also referred to as The 'Ministry' or The Ecclesiarchy, is run by the Holy Synod of Terra whose members all hold the rank of Cardinal. The chief, known as the Ecclesiarch, is elected from among their number by the Synod. The organization is also known as the Ecclesiarchy for this reason. Although technically subordinate to the Master of the Administratum, the Ecclesiarch is extremely influential and is almost invariably included amongst the High Lords of Terra as an Administratum representative.
"The working priests of the Ecclesiarchy are fully initiated members of the Imperial Cult known as Preachers. Senior Preachers may be placed in charge of a Mission of up to several hundred Preachers and dispatched to spread the word amongst unenlightened worlds. The principal tenets of the Imperial Cult are the persecution of mutants, the abhorrence of aliens and the worship of both the Emperor and Imperial ideals. By increasing the awareness of these dangers, albeit in a relatively unsophisticated way, the Adeptus Ministorum makes the job of the Inquisition that much easier. However, missionaries do sometimes come into conflict with Inquisitors as their fields of responsibility overlap. Trained Preachers administer the rites of the Imperial Cult to devotees all over the Imperium. The army, navy, and all branches of the Adeptus Terra have Preachers within their ranks.
"As well as common Preachers there are special officers empowered to conduct the most important Cult rites. The most common of these are the Confessors. Confessors are highly experienced individuals whose success as Preachers has led to their elevation to Confessors. They travel from planet-to-planet, spreading the faith and holding evangelical rallies. New cult recruits are encouraged to 'confess' personal mutations as well as mutations or strange behavior amongst their friends and relatives. Confession is not necessarily good for the soul, but it does help the process of mutant control which is vital to the future of humanity."2
History
The Beginning
During the Great Crusade, many different cults appeared throughout the Imperium worshiping the Emperor as a god, each with their own subtle variations and differences. These forms of worship appeared first in those primitive planets that had strongly regressed during the Age of Strife. The numbers of these cults multiplied immensely with the Emperor's ultimate sacrifice to mankind and subsequent incarceration upon the Golden Throne. Most of these cults would gradually fade away, while others prospered, eventually absorbing the weaker ones. The more successful ones spread their forms of worship to other planets.
The strongest of all of them was the Temple of the Savior Emperor. This cult had the advantages that it was based on Terra, and that its leader had been a successful and respected officer of the Imperial Guard who had fought at the Battle of Terra, defending the Imperial Palace. This leader had re-named himself as Fatidicus and had begun to preach his teachings to anyone who would listen. This faith spread among the members of the Imperial Guard and the Imperial Navy, but also to lowly scribes and minor adepts of the Adeptus Terra. The faith was spread by these individuals to other planets. When Fatidicus died at the age of 120, the Temple had more than a billion of followers on Terra and untold faithful throughout the Segmentum Solar.
In the wake of the chaos and anarchy of the Heresy, the Temple of the Savior Emperor provided a message of reunification through a common faith. Cults who rejected being absorbed, or who couldn't be absorbed, saw themselves being persecuted by fanatical mobs. Officially, the Temple rejected this violence performed in its name. This development culminated in M32 as almost two-thirds of the Imperium followed the teachings of the Temple, the exceptions being the Space Marines and the Adeptus Mechanicus, who had their own form of worship. The Temple's importance, influence, and power rapidly outmatched any other Imperial cult.
The Adeptus Ministorum
In the early 32nd millennium the Temple became the state religion of the Imperium. It also became an official organization of the Imperium as the Adeptus Ministorum. A few centuries later Ecclesiarch Veneris II received a seat amongst the High Lords of Terra, and after 300 years this seat was made permanent. The power of the Ecclesiarchy continued to grow, increasing its hold over the Imperial citizenry. Those who wouldn't follow its teachings where declared unbelievers, ostracized, and on occasion even executed. The vast territories of the Imperium were organized in dioceses led by Cardinals. These powerful figures were responsible for Missionaries and Preachers on hundreds of worlds. Lavish shrines, impressive temples, and majestic cathedrals were built throughout the Imperium.
The Confederation of Light
The only threat to the Ecclesiarchy was the Confederation of Light. Based upon the planet Dimmamar, this penitent faith ideal's of poverty and humble living contradicted clearly the teachings of the Ecclesiarchy, whose view was that sacrifices of wealth and money were for the citizens. The Confederation was too difficult to infiltrate, and the Ecclesiarchy turned to violence, supported with the unanimous vote of the Senate of the High lords of Terra, declaring the first War of Faith. The entire Confederation was declared heretical and the forces of the Imperial Guard, the Imperial Navy, and thousand of fanatical zealots were unleashed upon it, bent on its destruction. Only a few cells and hidden shrines of the Confederation managed to survive and the power of the Ecclesiarchy was made complete.
At the end of the 33rd millennium every Imperial world was furnished with its own cathedral and the coffers of the Ecclesiarchy were filled with the offerings and tithes of billions of faithful. This wealth was squandered in building more and more larger and lavish temples and to fund more Wars of faith to secure the Ecclesiarchy's power.
Age of Apostasy
The Apostasy was one of the most destabilizing events in Imperial history after the Heresy, beginning during the long struggle between the Ecclesiarchy and the Administratum for power over the Imperium. Goge Vandire, the 361st Master of the Administratum, was a power-hungry tyrant, eventually gaining direct control over the Ecclesiarchy by usurping the position of the Ecclesiarch. This made him the most powerful individual in the Imperium. His rule became known as the The Reign of Blood, consisting of massive purges of the Ecclesiarchy, and the killings and assassinations of countless perceived traitors and conspirators. This period was eventually ended by Sebastian Thor's Confederation of Light. The Apostasy resulted in a reformation of the Ecclesiarchy.
The Plague of Unbelief
See main article: Plague of Unbelief
The Plague of Unbelief is considered part of the Age of Apostasy, although occurring several decades after Sebastian Thor's ascension to the position of Ecclesiarch. The main perpetrator of the Plague of Unbelief was the Cardinal Bucharis.
See Also
- Quotes Ecclesiarchy, a list of quotes by various members of the Ecclesiarchy.
