High Pontiff Pontian IV
|
| ||||||||||||||
Pontian IV (Common: Pontian IV; Flexio: Pontianus IV; Illatian: Ponziano IV), born as Adrian Helen Sarkozic, served as the head of the Church of the Canon from 1886 to 1920. He was elected High Pontiff unanimously in 1886. Pontian is most well-known for his legal work, his part in the Serheim crusade, and for excommunicating Duke Heinrik Sarkozic of Adria. Pontian is the fourth High Pontiff from House Sarkozic, the last being Bl. High Pontiff Clement II - who was well-known for his statesmanship and his efforts in unifying schismatics with the Church after three decades of division. Pontian IV would pass from a heart attack in 1920, in the prefecture of Florentine.
Early Life
Adrian Helen Sarkozic was born on the 2nd of Sun's Smile 1843 in Providence, the Capital City of the Holy Orenian Empire. He was the third youngest out of ten children born to Helena de Sarkozy and Demetriano d'Montelliano. Adrian had a relatively normal youth for his time. He found his vocation for the priesthood after becoming a ward of Fiodor of Freimark, who would later become the High Pontiff known as Tylos II in 1856.
Clerical Work
Adrian would become an ordained priest in 1861 and used his new occupation as an opportunity to repair the strained relations between Providence and the Canonist Church, but would find little success with the irreligious urban population, who had become disillusioned with the Church after uneasy tensions began during Everard VI's reign. With the lack of faith in Providence, Adrian's duties were increasingly difficult to perform, as the urban population were not interested in hearing sermons from a priest representing the Church which they did not respect at this time. However, the effort that Adrian had put into his priestly duties was still acknowledged by the Church and in 1863, he would be elevated to the position of Archbishop of Albarosa and granted a seat on the College of Cardinals by Tylos II, his former mentor.
Reinvigorated by the trust placed in him, Adrian used his new position to focus on shepherding the faithful that inhabited the rest of the Empire, particularly in the rural regions. Three years later, Adrian would be appointed as the Prelate of the Clergy on the Curia, succeeding Father Philip de Rosius who had been a close friend of his mother in the past. In an attempt to encourage new priests, Adrian would attempt to streamline the process for an acolyte to reach ordination. It is unknown whether the streamlining process was ultimately helpful to attaining its initial goal, but it was successful in showing Adrian's dedication to his vocation. In 1882 after sixteen years of serving as Prelate, Adrian would be put forth as Vice-Chancellor of the Church by decree of the new High Pontiff Tylos III after the resignation of the previous Vice-Chancellor.
A year later, Tylos III would find himself in a horse-riding accident which resulted in a coma. This event gave the newly appointed Vice-Chancellor a significant opportunity to push forward his own agenda and display his merit. As a continuation of his previous work as Prelate, Adrian used his influence as de facto High Pontiff to institute the complete removal of the freeform thesis system of ordination, implementing an ecclesiastical exam that was intended to assess a priest-candidate's knowledge which further streamlined the process of acceptance given its ability to be mass-issued. The new system was well-received by clergy. Tylos III would wake up from his coma in 1885 and reassumed his duties shortly after before suddenly dying while holding a mass in Karosgrad in celebration of the Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska's 100th year of independence from the Empire. Following the High Pontiff's death, the position would be rendered into a state of Sede Vacante, beginning the process of election and enthronement. Two months after the proclamation, the Conclave consisting of the College of Cardinals would begin to elect the successor. After a unanimous vote consisting of four cardinals, Adrian would be elected the new High Pontiff taking on the pontifical name, Pontian IV.
Pontificate of Pontian IV
Shortly after his enthronement, Pontian IV issued the Sixteenth Golden Bull of Jorenus - his first golden bull. This golden bull was largely expected as is customary for new High Pontiffs, however it also updated and made official some changes. Actions in this golden bull included: appointing priests to positions in the College of Cardinals to maintain a college of five cardinals, rearranging curia positions and appointing new individuals to maintain a full curia, updating the Albarosan archdiocese to take into account the success of the Harvest Revolution, officially removing the thesis prerequisite for an acolyte's ordainment, encouraging bishops to be more active in their duties, announcing a project to publish a third volume of Legenda Sanctorum, and recognising the independence and sovereignty of the Principality of Sedan under the leadership of Frederick I.
Pending a public letter in which a concerned human Canonist questioned the conundrum of being deceived into marrying an elf woman byway of alchemy that was discovered when she gave birth to Elven children, Pontian IV personally wrote a response to affirm the illegality of Human-Elf unions while offering leniency to all parties involved with penance and an annulment of the union if they were to meet in person. However, no public records of an annulment regarding this occurrence are known to exist.
On the 13th of Horen’s Calling 1890, High Pontiff Pontian IV issued an ecclesiastical decree declaring the beginning of a crusade against the Queendom of Serheim at the insistence of the Lectorate of Owyn upon its discovery that it harboured Xionists and varying darkspawn including vampires and frost witches. Most of Canondom declared full support and commitment for the Church and its crusade, including realms such as the Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska, the Viceroyalty of Hyspia, the Principality of Sedan, and the Kingdom of Balian. During the crusade, an attempt on Pontian IV's life was made by a Serheim agent during a baptism of one of Prince Frederick I's grandsons but was ultimately unsuccessful as Prince Frederick had unknowingly moved in front of the arrow as it was firing, resulting in his death and the High Pontiff's life being saved. While the crusade initially started strong, disunity among the crusading coalition as the years passed ultimately allowed Serheim's officials and any darkspawn they were harbouring enough time to go into hiding which ultimately rendered the crusade a failure. The crusade's manpower would be redirected to perform an inquisition upon Canonist humans, a great many darkspawn were discovered to be living amongst humankind.
On the 3rd of Horen’s Calling 1891, an Ecumenical Council was convened by the High Pontiff to discuss mixed marriages, women clergy, deuterocanonical texts, the Azdrazi and Paladins, and laws considered obsolete or in need of updating. Due to disruptions, they were unable to discuss all intended topics. However, the results of the councils were published in the Seventeeth Golden Bull of Jorenus alongside other information.
The Seventeenth Golden Bull of Jorenus consisted of multiple parts and is arguably considered one of the most, if not the most, important golden bull of the five bulls decreed during his reign as High Pontiff due to it shaping the future of Canondom and the Church. It declared that any form of intervention in the Aaun-Acre Civil War outside of humanitarian aid would warrant immediate excommunication. It officialised women clergy and the eighteen-year age requirement for weddings into Canon Law, as opposed to encyclical letters published by prior High Pontiffs, as well as affirmed that interracial marriages were entirely illegal, whereas earlier they were legal depending on the percentage of mixed blood. This was to prevent the intermixture of Iblees' curses. It also declared the end of the five-year crusade which was considered a success by the High Pontiff and put in place an Inquisition to deal with any further threat to Canondom for forces of Iblees. Others have opposed the claim that the crusade was a success alleging that it did not meet the initial goal of destroying all of Serheim's followers when they in actuality fled. The bull also included venerations and canonizations.
Six years later, in 1902. In the Eighteenth Golden Bull of Jorenus. High Pontiff Pontian IV called a census of the clergy and made appointments to the curia and septarchy. But more importantly the High Pontiff would urge Canonists to assist The Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska against the Inferi and undead hordes assaulting their borders. Additionally he also declared the formation of an official Inquisition, Kazimir of Vidaus being its first appointed Grand Inquisitior - Which still serves as an active entity in service of the Church to this day. Finally a handful were beatified and made venerable.
In 1916, Duke Heinrik Sarkozic of Adria was excommunicated by Pontian IV for consorting with Azdrazi, Godfreyist heretics, and infidelity. Due to the High Pontiff and Duke of Adria both being Sarkozics by birth, some have considered the possibility that the excommunication may have been partially motivated by a familial dispute between the Sarkozic branches and that the excommunication's timing was coordinated with Adrian councillors supported by King Charles I of Aaun - Adria's liege lord - who sought to depose Heinrik as duke, leading to what was known as Heinrik's Rebellion. Throughout the rebellion, no statement was made by High Pontiff Pontian IV with the exception of summoning an ecclesiastical trial for Duke Heinrik which would turn into a deadly battle known as the Battle of Two Churches.
Throughout the High Pontiff's reign, he frequently issued Golden Bulls, Encyclical Letters, and Writs of Appointment, as well as engaging in personal interactions with his faithful flock to understand their spiritual needs. Many venerations, beatifications, and canonizations were done under Pontian IV.
Death and Legacy
On an unrecorded date in mid-1920, Pontian IV collapsed from heart failure as he was fishing in the Reden River by the Prefecture of Florentine - a land temporarily acquired from the United Kingdom of Aaun to use for the Church. His main legacy has been in updating documents and procedures used by the Church of the Canon such as the Legenda Sanctorum, Rules for Diaconates, and adjusting the acolyte ordainment process. He also made several adjustments and contributions to the Ecclesiastical Service Book; a book containing all sacraments. However, he is also well-known for shaping the futures of the United Kingdom of Aaun and the Duchy of Adria through his ecclesiastical decrees and excommunication of Duke Heinrik Sarkozic of Adria. High Pontiff Pontian IV is considered one of the most successful and proactive High Pontiffs of the late 19th to early 20th century. Pontian IV was succeeded as High Pontiff by Iosif Basrid, who took on the name Sixtus V.
