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An august soul

Furlanìe

Establishing Nation
Joined
May 8, 2015
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1,212
Location
Friuli - Italy
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Grau
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Alos
It was not unusual for the bishops to gather in Aquilê, although the Patriarch had full powers and freedom of action under the Pope, it was customary to maintain an healthy dialogue between the powerful figures of the Friulian clergy, to better coordinate the effort of the Patriarchate.
What made this event unusual was actually the lack of meetings in the previous period; the Patriarch had tried to hide his state of health for some time, but the rumours that were coming out of his most private circle forced him to make the situation known; the truth turned out to be even less rosy than what the voices first revealed.

From the large but simple room in which they gathered, a voice attracted the attention of the present and interrupted their murmurings.
"Brothers and friends, good afternoon. You have been called here to be the first to receive the disheartening news that alas we all felt approaching: tonight, our beloved Patriarch, Agostino II, was called back into the arms of the Lord and left his earthly remains in an eternal rest.
I ask you to join me in prayer, to cheer him on his journey, and to comfort our souls"

If not to be the first to know, the meeting was necessary for the difficult decision that now the bishops where asked to make: the election of a new Patriarch, the spiritual guide of the Grand Duchy, which should have been unanimously agreed between the bishops, and obtain the approval from the Pope and the usual appointment as cardinal.

Although historically the metropolitan archbishop of Grau, strong of the large number of faithful under his influence, often obtained power with little competition from the other bishops, by the late evening, 9 of the 24 participants made their candidacy known to the assembly.

As customary, early in the morning of the following day, the bishops reached the burial chamber, where the Patriarch's body had been placed.
As the news began to be broadcasted in the newspapers, radios and televisions of the Grand Duchy, the bishops would remain there, with Agostino II as witness, until the final decision was made.

The evocative atmosphere, and the rigid figure of the deceased Patriarch, worked as almost always, to reduce the number of candidates, and after a simple lunch of bread and water, only 4 remained to contend the title:
the Metropolitan Bishop of Grau, . a strongly conservative figure, highly loyal to the Pope, with the clear objective of strengthening the power of the church over the nation.
the Bishop of Turride, . a liberal man from a family of Aurarian origins, with the hope to make some steps towards a less invasive Patriarchate, with concessions to abortion and an easier divorce process.
the Bishop of Tumieç, . a man of the arts, that would change the focus from dogmatism to culture, and with the dream of transforming the Patriarchate into a national and international patron of the arts.
the Bishop of San Pieri, . conservative, with the desire to detach further the Patriarchate from the control of the Pope, and evangelise the peoples under the yoke of communism.
 

Furlanìe

Establishing Nation
Joined
May 8, 2015
Messages
1,212
Location
Friuli - Italy
Capital
Grau
Nick
Alos
Days had passed since the beginning of the meeting, after a series of inconclusive votes, a large majority agreed that Albèrt Marinârs' ideas were dictated by selfishness, and a desire for greatness for himself, after a series of debates in which both Leopolt and Ferdinant had words in favour of his detractors, Albèrt was persuaded to give up his candidacy.

Ferdinant soon shifted the debate towards the distinction between religious conservatism and liberalism, citing as an example the more liberal sister churches of Gallo-Germania, and comparing this to the aggressiveness that was seen to be mounting up around the lands of Furlanìe, he argued that a more conservative Patriarchate would have found the favour of God, the Pope and of the Grand Duke, and would have ensured peace and stability to the Aquileian faithful.
Leopolt sensed Ferdinant's game, and decided to join him and speak in agreement with him, thus joining forces of both against the only remaining liberal candidate, Berengario.

Emphasising the importance of a strong and solid Patriarchate to counteract interference from the north-west, especially from the BPR, even the most fervent liberals conceded that the debate had been won by Leopolt and Ferdinant.
Among all, it was the final intervention of the bishop of Circivènt, a moderate liberal, put in his place by Agostino II himself, to conclude the clash.
"My brothers, although the philosophy of our beloved Agostino II was indispensable for bringing the clergy back to the humble people, and regaining our place in the world outside our palaces, I think that he too, who I am sure is here with us and looks at us all with interest, would agree that the dark rhetoric taking more and more space in our world is dangerous.
I agree with Ferdinant when he says that the months to come will be difficult, and as far as my dream would be to continue with the action taken so far, I fear that man's imperfection obliges us to choose a firmer way.
Berengario, you know how much I appreciate and support you, and I will be at your side in making sure that the progress made is defended and safeguarded, I think we should continue our struggle, but from within an institution capable of supporting the grave pressures under which we may soon be crushed"

After a meditative break, Berengario agreed to renounce to his candidacy, leaving the floor to the two conservatives remaining: the Metropolitan Bishop of Grau, Ferdinant Marie de Lauzâ; and the Bishop of San Pieri, Leopolt de Roncgnûf.
 

Furlanìe

Establishing Nation
Joined
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1,212
Location
Friuli - Italy
Capital
Grau
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The debate moved on for another set of days, while the corpse of Agostino II laid restful but, for all the present, spiritually vigilant and imposing.

Leopolt insisted on the current isolation of the Patriarchate, and the need to bring back the word of God among the peoples around them, among the godless communists, and the many liberals led astray by the devil, who weakened the strength of the church. his speech expanded to heavily criticise the Papacy, which he considered corrupt and detached from the will of the Lord "The Pope, as the puppet he is, does nothing but bend like a blade of grass to every rich and powerful person before him" he argued, insisting on the need to detach themselves from the central clergy, and restore faith to its lost splendour in every corner of Gallo-Germania.
"it is shortsighted to stop and look at our feet, while the faithful around us drown in the false and corrupted liberal heresy. we must join virtuous people like the Virumaans, and expand our pure and true faith to the heretics"

Ferdinant fought Leopolt hard, trying to underline the radical and unstable nature of his plans, the risks and the impossibilities, and explained his view, a modest but solid alternative.
According to Ferdinant the Patriarchate should work to get a bigger grip over the decision-making process of Furlanìe, strengthen its ties with the Papal administration and work wisely to give the Pope more influence and powers to face the dissolution of the traditional values and the prime danger posed by the Godless communists by organising a strong and coordinated counter-propaganda, to dissuade communist ideals to reach the Catholic nations. "we shouldn't fight our brothers in Gallo-Germania for their liberal nonsense, but take them back to the true teachings of the Lord through example and hard work, they are not enemies but lost sheep we need to take back with us, only together, and strong enough to influence our corrupt politicians, we can hope to see our faith triumph again".

The points highlighted by Ferdinant convinced the more moderates, while the aggressive rhetoric of Leopolt frightened them enough to finally reach a conclusive vote.
In the late evening the Metropolitan Bishop of Grau, Ferdinant Marie de Lauzâ, obtained a large consensus, with no vote against him.

All the bishops joined in front of the sealed door of the burial chamber, and started singing part of a Christams chant.

" __________"Be careful, listen to me
"__________to the prayer I have to give you"

The doors soon opened and the Aquileian priests welcomed the bishops back, after informing the priests of the newly elected Patriarch, the bishops moved to the Cathedral, waiting for the investiture of the new spiritual leader.

During the brief ceremony, Ferdinant took the name "Sieghard III" a name used also by the Patriarch that helped liberate Furlanìe from the HFE, leading the Friulian armies in the decisive battle of Assiette. a strong name with a strong message.

At the end of the ceremony, as all the church-bells clamoured in Aquileia and in the nearby villages where the news already spread, the bishops left the Basilica and headed home, to officially announce the results, coordinate the change of leadership, and finally eat something substantial; including Sieghard III, that was now returning home victorious.
 
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