High Pontiff Owyn III
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Owyn III (Common: Owyn III; High Imperial: Ovinus III), born as Laurence August Pruvia-Albarosa, was a Kaedreni statesman who now serves as High Pontiff since 1802. Prior to his enthronement, Owyn III was Premier of Kaedrin, Lord-Spiritual of the House of Lords & Prince-Archbishop of Albarosa. He was also an active political commentator on Kaedreni politics, the Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska & the philosophy of Providence: finding a more moderate tone on his critiques of the latter two as he grew older.
Shortly after his enthronement, Owyn III published the Primus Bulla Aurea Albarosa: where he shrunk a longtime Septarchy into a Pentarchy, radically expanded the Curia, and filled these positions with younger clergymen primarily from Hanseti-Ruska & Providence. This was complicated due to the Halcourt Schism however, forcing His Holiness to turn his Pentarchy into a Septarchy once more.
The Halcourt Schism
The Halcourt Schism, named for its initiator, Cardinal Cyril Halcourt of Borealis, formed when Cardinal Halcourt became associates with former hostile elements to His Holiness' Premiership of Kaedrin in the 50s. Fabricating that a Saint had intervened for Cardinal Cyril to rescind his non-decisive vote, he summoned a council at the same time and day of what would be the First Diet of Bishops held by Cardinal Pelagius of Albarosa.
Shortly after the publication of this schism, Bishop Alfred of Henrikev spoke on behalf of the Haeseni clergy to condemn this schism, being joined by the (Arch)bishops of Jorenus & Valwyck shortly after. This schism would come to its climax in the trial of 355 ES in Karosgrad: where the auditor of the tribunal ruled them 'not guilty' against the popular wishes of the clergy. This meant that they could not face the consequences for fabricating a story of a Saintly intervention, thus complicating the wishes of the High Pontificate of Owyn III to excommunicate the schismatics.
Despite the trial concluding in favour of the schismatics, many of their supporters and hired mercenaries attempted to storm the Basilica of Karosgrad: looting it with the Clergy still inside, with multiple attempts on the life of His Holiness made. It would be due to the intervention of the HRA that the violent agitators would be pacified enough for the clergy to escape through a broken window: regrouping in the Reinmar keep afterwards to plan their discreet evacuation to Providence.
With great reluctance, High Pontiff Owyn III maintained the schismatic cardinals in communion with the Holy Mother Church: but reminded them that any further transgressions against the institution would result into the resumption of ecclesiastical prosecution. It was deemed as a truce between the Holy Mother Church and the Halcourt schismatics.
