High Pontiff Sixtus IV

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Benegar Gotthold High Pontiff Reign: 1567-1577 Enthronement: 29th of the Amber Cold, 1567 Predecessor: Theodosius I Successor: Lucien IV Born: 15th of the Grand Harvest, 1518 Felsen, Oren Died:

Sixtus IV (Common: Sixtus IV; High Imperial: Xyxtus IV), born as Benegar Gotthold, is a Heartlander and a Canonist Priest who was elevated to the Cardinalate in the latter years of the pontificate of Theodosius I.

The Pontificate of Sixtus IV is overshadowed by the waning moments of rebellion in the later reign of Emperor John II, and the disunion within the Church after the stagnant period it saw during the previous reigns of the Pontiffs Theodosius I, Daniel III, and Tobias I. In his inaugural homily, Sixtus emphasized unity, which became a central value of his reign. In the Autumn of 1567, he issued a Pontifical Encyclical titled "Unitatem in nostri mundi." In the letter, the Pontiff urged the faithful, both clergy and laity alike, to seek peace and tolerance amidst the chaos shown during the late days of the Empire in Vailor, offering solutions to encourage faith in daily life. This became epitome of his announcement of the Jubilee Year of Unity. He was also responsible for the reform of Canonist traditions in the Eleventh Golden Bull of Holofernes. Sixtus presided over the coronation of Emperor John III in 1568, and in 1570, embarked in the great exile to Axios.

The Church was stationed in the capital city of Johannesburg under the Holy See of St Thomas. On the 8th of the Snow’s Maiden in Anno Domini, 1573, the High Pontiff issued the First Golden Bull of Johannesburg imposing a major reformation of the Synod, establishing five positions, sponsoring the poorhouse of St. Amyas and the Abbey of St. Tobias outside the walls of Johannesburg, canonizing High Pontiff Saint Daniel I, the broadening of Church traditions such as the authorization of a Ruskan liturgy (where he appointed Yaroslav Vasiliev as Holy Exarch and Ruskan Canonist Patriarch), and the permission for women to be inducted into the Holy Knights of St Wilfriche.

During his reign, he experienced two attempts on his life. The first was an apostate group of elvish heathens, another by a rogue archer in St. Thomas square. He is also responsible for the creation of the Holy Order St. Wilfriche.

In 1573, the High Pontiff issued a writ of excommunication on Guy Owyn for aggravated threats and intolerable conduct. In acting within the continuity of policy, Sixtus also granted indulgences in his Pontifical Encyclical Remissionem Peccatorum for Crusaders, whom fought in the Dreadlands. He is noted to have supported Emperor John III’s call to take up arms against the Dreadlands at court most ferociously.

In issuing the First Golden Bull of Johannesburg, the Pontiff called for a return to Evarardian tradition and growth for the Church. Two years later in 1574, High Pontiff Sixtus IV convoked The Apostolic Council of St Thomas to gather the Synod and supporting clergy at his bequest to reform the liturgy of the mass and to redefine the social teaching of the Canonist Church and its relationship with the evolving world of Axios with the intention of restoring the growth that began under St. Daniel I and Bl. Everard II, and that ended after the reign of Bl. Lucien III.

In the latter years of his reign, he issued the last Bull of his Pontificate, officially mapping the dioceses of the new realm, the forging of a new laurel to replace the one lost by Bl. High Pontiff Lucien III, much to the detriment of the Priesthood who considered it a false idol, and the canonization of Miguel Cortez, as a saint. He abdicated the Immaculate Throne on the 5th of the Grand Harvest in the year 1577 in a speech justifying his advancing age and inability to fulfill the Holy Office at the Cathedral of St Thomas in Johannesburg. He is succeeded by his second Vice-Chancellor, Cardinal Giovanni di Luca, now known as High Pontiff Lucien IV.

Early Occupation

Benegar Gotthold began as a priest after his ordination with his assignment in the Vandorian capital of Aethermoor in the land of Vailor. At the onslaught of the Rebellions of Courland and the Dreadlands, he was immediately moved to the Duchy of Carnatia where he served as a Parish Priest and Chaplain to the Gold Corps. In 1563, he departed from Carnatia upon his elevation to Bishop (and subsequently to the Synod as a Cardinal) to the Duchy of Lorraine where he was briefly stationed in Arnaut.

With worsening news of the Rebellion and the war within Oren, he quickly sided with the High Pontiff on key decisions such as the excommunication of the self-proclaimed King of the Krajia, the removal of Cardinal Svatobor Ivanovich, and the canonization of Karl Barbanov as St. Charles, despite the massive outlash it created. Gotthold was then moved one last time to the Province of Erochland in 1564 at the request of House Ruthern. There, he governed as Archbishop of Erochland. In 1565, he dedicated a newly built cathedral at his order for the commemoration of the sainthood of St. Charles.

At the sudden death of High Pontiff Theodosius, he along with the other cardinals were summoned to Visiga to elect his successor. Four days later, on the 29th of the Amber Cold in the year 1567, Cardinal Benegar Gotthold was elected High Pontiff of the Holy Canonist Church by a slim majority of three votes to two, defeating Cardinal Fabian the Lesser.