The Church of Romalia

The Church of Romalia is a powerful instrument that has a strong influence on the empires of Halkeginia. Royal advisors are not infrequent from their ranks, but the Church also influences the daily lives of people through local priests. It is a first-order moral authority that takes on many tasks that would otherwise be assigned to government agencies.

The Church of Romalia is organized pyramidally. The Pope is at the top of the pyramid of power. This title may have come from Italian immigrants who were familiar with it in their earthly life.

The Pope is elected by a college of cardinals and possibly other church officials. The cardinals are also the next level of the pyramid of power. They are spread across the countries of Halkeginia, but the majority are on duty in Romalia. The name of Romalia is probably a diminutive form of the original Rome: "Little Rome". In reality, however, Romalia need not shy away from comparison with the original Rome. Large cathedrals and churches shape the cityscape.

Archbishops are one level down. Its sphere of activity is often the capital of one of the sub-empires of Halkeginia, but it also extends to the surrounding country. They are also responsible for approving heretic courts.

Bishops live in smaller towns. They are the lowest level that heretic courts are allowed to carry out after prior approval by the archbishop.

On the lower level are the ordinary priests who are entrusted with the salvation of their surroundings.

The Church of Romalia is tightly organized and regulates everything itself, from charitable services to the content of the sermons. Lay services are practically non-existent.

Romalia itself is a Papal States, there is no secular government there. The Church also performs administrative tasks.

The Church of Romalia is far from being an instrument of peace. She maintains a strong army, wages her own wars and keeps her sheep in strict breeding. This can go as far as the extinction of entire village communities that have been found guilty of heresy. Nor does she shy away from actively intervening in the frequent wars on one side or the other and is by no means limited to admonishing words. But one has to help that the church sees herself as a corrective who wants to cut the worst excesses.

The Church's strongest weapon are the Templar-Knights, an elite that knows how to use magic as well as gun-violence. These warriors are fanatic to the point of abandoning themselves and are absolutely loyal.

In the highest ranks of the church there is something like a "Secret Doctrine" that controls the goals of the church. It consists in the absolute will to recapture the "holy land". The Church has long been aware of the danger of charging the "Windstones" that could turn all of Halkeginia into a second Albion and is trying to unite the countries of Halkeginia in a common crusade against the elves.

The church also guards the secret weapon stores, which are located in various locations in Romalia and are mostly underground. Weapons from all eras of earthly wars to the most modern war equipment are stored here. It was reportedly created by Brimir himself. However, many of these weapons are no longer functional due to insufficient storage.

The head of the church is currently Pope Vittorio Serevare. In the Animé it is portrayed as a pattern of benevolence, but again, he does not shy away from instrumentalizing people. In the Light novels, he is portrayed as an even more extreme character who is ready to go over dead bodies to achieve his goals.In this regard, it is reminiscent of one of the Borgia popes on earth. He is also one of the four Void users we meet. His intimus is his familiar Julio Chesaré.