Rheinian news

[Rheinbund]

Press conference Archbishop Strelecki and Oberpräfekt of Heilbach Bronstein

"Good evening, dear listeners and watchers, this is Reglinde Sydow for RFR Nachrichten with a live report of the press conference by Archbishop Strelecki and Oberpräfekt Bronstein on the elaboration of the Tiburan Reforms on the Tiburan Catholic Church and the Prince-Bishopric Heilbach. The Archbishop indicated earlier that he had to study the Pope's edict, a speech that has become known in the Rheinbund as the Tiburan Reforms. Meanwhile, the Archbishop held several meetings with the Rheinian Bishops to discuss the matter, and also discussed with the Oberpräfekt of Heilbach on what the consequences to the Prince-Bishopric would be. We now switch over to Gereon Halm at the Oberpräfektur in Heilbach to hear what the Bishops have decided and what will happen in Heilbach. Hello Gereon Halm."

"Hello Reglinde Sydow. We got a message that the press conference is about to begin. And indeed, the door is opened. Archbishop Strelecki and Oberpräfekt Bronstein enter the room and seat themselves behind the table."

«Archbishop Strelecki is a man in his early sixties, with grey hair and brown eyes. He appears in the black robe typical for Archbishops. Eduard Bronstein is a man in his early fourties, with black hair and black eyes. He wears a dark blue suit, a white shirt and a dark red tie. He also wears the pin that identifies him as the Oberpräfekt (i.e. sort of Head of Government) of Heilbach. The Archbishop starts talking.»

"Good evening everyone, thank you for coming. As you know, the Tiburan Catholic Church is in turmoil at the moment. Actually, the whole Christian Faith is in turmoil. In a turmoil that can be compared with the Great Schism in the 11th century and the Reformation in 16th and 17th century. I also heard that a new schism has taken place. It fills me with great sadness to see this all happen. Who is right in this? Who is wrong? I don't know. Only God knows. We can only guess what God wants here. But that guessing can only be successful when we remain calm.
The most important guidance we have, is the Bible. It indicates which behaviours are sins, One of those behaviours is homosexuality. His Holiness did not declare that homosexuality is no sin any more. He only indicated that we should not consider it a reason any more to deny Communion. This part of his edict was the one that caused the most controversy, I think.
The Bible also describes how to approach sinners. The Old Testament describes and orders some harsh punishments, but the New Testament tells about Jesus Christ who approaches the sinners with friendliness. At least the regretful sinners. This is an aspect in which the New Testament supersedes the Old Testament.
With those two facts combined, how to handle Communion? Indeed, you can only receive Communion when you are free of sin. But how do you as Priest know that the person in front of you is free of sin? Even if the person in question is not free of sin, how do you as Priest know whether that person is standing before you only to keep up appearances or because that person really wants to be close to God and needs our support to repent? When somebody stands before the Priest to receive Communion out of the wish to be close to God and Jesus Christ, the Priest should not refuse to give Communion. The opinion of the Rheinian Tiburan Catholic Bishops is, that Priests always have to presume that the person standing in front of them to receive Communion stands there in good faith. When that person does not stand there in good faith, the Priest will still act in good faith when presuming that person's good faith. The sin will be a matter for the person receiving Communion while not in good faith. God and Jesus Christ will know what to do then, and exactly the story of Sodom and Gomorrah describes how God spares the good people while punishing the sinners.
On the other hand, there is the issue of so-called 'very minor sins'. We disagree with His Holiness that we can simply step over so-called 'very minor sins'. Even if a sin is a very minor one, it is still a sin. Although it is the Church's ultimate task to keep the good on the good path and lead the sinners towards the good path, the Church should not facilitate sinful behaviour. We should be warm and welcoming to sinners, but we should still call a sin a sin. So while being a safe haven for homosexuals, people committing adultery and people living together unmarried, the Tiburan Catholic Church in the Rheinbund will continue to preach that homosexuality, adultery and extramarital sex are sins.
I also want to make clear that, although we have a difference in opinion regarding 'very minor sins', the Tiburan Catholic Church in the Rheinbund will continue to be part of the Tiburan Catholic Church. The Tiburan Reforms not mentioned by me in today's speech will be carried out by the Tiburan Catholic Church in the Rheinbund.
Now I hand the word over to Oberpräfekt Bronstein."

"Good evening everyone. I will talk about how this will influence legislation in the Prince-Bishopric of Heilbach. At this moment, homosexual intercourse, adultery and extramarital sex are considered a crime punishable by maximally ten years imprisonment or a 4th level fine (or both). The latter means maximally 20 daily bruto wages, i.e. in practice one monthly wage. We will follow the Tiburan Reforms and will decriminalise homosexual intercourse, adultery and extramarital sex.
At the same time, we will follow His Eminence Archbishop Strelecki's explanation of the Tiburan Reforms. Heilbach is a Prince-Bishopric, ruled by a Prince-Bishop, ruled based on the teachings of the Tiburan Catholic Church as explained by the Prince-Bishop. Heilbach cannot facilitate sin. Allowing homosexuality, adultery and extramarital sex would mean that we let sins happen. That cannot be. Therefore, homosexuality, adultery and extramarital sex will be considered offenses, punishable by a 1st level fine, meaning maximally 2 daily bruto wages. Considering these deeds offenses instead of crime also means that homosexuality, adultery and extramarital sex will not lead to a criminal record any more."

 

[Rheinbund]

24SEP2022
The Rheinbund and Pelasgia sign general free trade agreement

During his visit to Fehrbellin this week, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Pelasgia Philippos Andreades and Minister of Foreign Affairs Gustav Kohlschreiber signed a general free-trade agreement to lift trade barriers between the two countries. This agreement includes the lifting of taxes, fees and administrative costs on Pelasgian oil, because of which the Rheinbund will get Pelasgian oil at prices below the market level, as well as the construction of a microchip factory in Pelasgia by a joint venture between the Rathenau Gruppe and the Pelasgian Pegasus Conglomerate. The agreement also includes cultural exchanges and student exchange programs.
The connections between Pelasgia and the Rheinbund are traditionally tight, especially between the noble families. The current empress of Pelasgia, Empress Hildegard, is a granddaughter of the Sovereign of Tirolstein, Karl IX von Görisburg. Furthermore, the Rheinians and Pelasgians teach each other's languages at secondary school. The introduction of the Bachelor-Master system at both Rheinian and Pelasgian universities facilitated that Rheinian students did their master's degree at Pelasgian universities and vice-versa. This student exchange will also become easier with the newly closed agreeement.

 

[Serenierre]

Office of the Premier | Kingdom of Serenierre
Efforts by the Pelasgian and Rheinbund governments to enhance and strengthen their economic ties is a positive development for international trade. We hope that Serenierre, too, in coming times will arrive at similar arrangements.

On behalf of Premier Alexandre Renaudiere

 

[Rheinbund]

Minister of Defence Eisenberg: "We have to commit to CETO decisions, and those say 3"
Rheinbund increases defence budget to meet with CETO requirements

Part of the debates on next year's budget is an increase of the defence budget. Much will change in the coming two years w.r.t. the armed forces. The Rheinbund will transition from partly conscript partly professional armed forces to 100% professional armed forces. Furthermore, much of the older equipment will be replaced. As an example, the Wirbelsturm and Luftgeist 2 planes will be replaced with Fallwind planes. Also some older frigates and destroyers will be replaced, as well as older tanks and other army vehicles.
The defence budget will increase sharply. Criticism about that from the Environmentalists, Communists, Postdelegationists and the far-right Volksunion were met by Minister Eisenberg saying: "The Rheinbund is part of CETO. We have to commit to that organisation's decisions, also on the percentage of our GDP to be spent on defence, and those decisions say 3. So our defence budget has to rise."
The switch to 100% professional armed forces would suggest that the Rheinbund would abolish conscription. That is not the case. Conscription will be suspended; nobody will be called up for miltary service any more unless in extremely extraordinary situations. Society service will continue to last two years until 2025 to prevent that the third "double yeargroup" (i.e. two yeargroups entering the job market at the same time) would follow the first two too closely.

 

[Rheinbund]

29OCT2022
What are those public holidays in the middle of Autumn?

The Rheinbund is a very diverse country, especially in the sense of religion. No less than eight different Christian religions dominate the country, ranging from very liberal to very conservative. These eight Christian religions also dominate the calendar in terms of public holidays. New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Day, Easter Monday, Ascension Day, Whitsuntide, Whitsuntide Monday, Christmas Day and Second Christmas Day are the standard public holidays determined by Christianity. But there are also some religious holidays that apply to Catholicism only or Protestantism only. Examples of such days are Reformation Day (Protestant; 31 October) and All Saints Day (Catholic; 1 November). The Protestants celebrate 31 October as the day at which Michael Luther sent his 95 theses to the Archbishop of Cöllen. The Catholics use 1 November to clean the graves of their beloved ones for All Souls Day the next day (the day at which all deceased people are commemorated).
But then, how are the holidays handled? Memberstates with mixed populations generally give both days as public holidays, but it will never happen that Heilbach turns Reformation Day into a public holiday, and it will never happen that Bramsfeld honours a Catholic holiday.
Due to the way 31 October and 1 November fall this year, the shops in Wetterau, Sigmaringen and the other three memberstates with mixed populations will be closed for three days. That resulted in extra long rows in the supermarkets today. Furthermore, because this week already has two public holidays, many people from these memberstates take the additional three days off to celebrate a short vacation, facilitated by the fact that the autumn break of the schools also fall in this week.

OOC: Disclaimer: The Michael Luther in this post is a fictitional character. He is 100% based on Martin Luther, and in this fictitional world did exactly the same as Martin Luther.

 

[Rheinbund]

Daedalus Aviation presents plans for 6th generation fighter

The Rheinian government has been hesitant about developing plans for the future of the armed forces for a very long time, until the current government decided to join CETO and increase the defence budget. Now Daedalus Aviation sees a chance for its plans for a 6th generation fighter, currently dubbed the

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. Like its direct predecessor, this plane will have a deltawing again. This plane is planned to be combined with a new to be developed drone into an integrated air combat system.
After the Federal companies Jupiter Aerojet and Continental Consolidated both presented 5th generation fighters, rumours went that Daedalus was working on a 5th generation plane as well. These rumours have been denied; Daedalus confirmed that it "skipped one step" and will set the step from its 4.5th generation

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to the 6th generation FP-4.
The Rheinbund had been neutral from the 1940s until this year, and had economised on its armed forces since the beginning of the century. Newly developed equipment were bought only at a limited scale. Thirty percent of the country's fighter planes are still from a late 1960s and 1970s design, and only a few new naval vessels have been bought in this century, despite the fact that Rheinmund Schiffbau presented a couple of very interesting designs. The wars in Pannonia and Southern Hymiar changed some things in the Rheinbund as well though, resulting in a paradigm shift towards "Si vis pacem para bellum".

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[Rheinbund]

11NOV2022
The Carnival Season has started again

Carnival, or, like it is called in Cöllen, Fastelovend, is an item in South-Wetterau, Ripuarien and North-Ruppertswald. A very important item. But when you think that it starts on the Friday before Ash Wednesday, you are wrong. The Carnival starts already in the year before, on the eleventh of the eleventh at 11:11. Why at that moment? Because 11 is the number of the crazy people, or like the Cöllener say, Die Jeckenzahl. The start of the carnival season is celebrated to a large extent. Many people went to the inner cities of Cöllen and Mainbad. In costumes, of course. At 11:11, the party started with announcing the name of Prince Carnival, the Committee of Eleven and in Cöllen also the "Bauer" (Farmer) and the "Jungfrau" (Virgin), who form the Dreigestirn together with Prince Carnival. The party will continue until early next morning.

 

[Rheinbund]

Polio case reported near Ratzeburg

The Mitgliedsstaatsgesundheitsamt Emsland announced in a press release that a patient with poliomyelites has been admitted to the Kreisspittal Ratzeburg. As per the information provided in the press release, the patient would be an unvaccinated boy in the primary school age. The boy would have been admitted to the intensive care unit with breathing problems.
Poliomyelitis is a disease that is obliged to be reported to the health authorities of the memberstate where it was diagnosed, as per federal law. Vaccinations against Poliomyelitis are given as part of the national vaccination program, and both the Salk and the Sabin vaccine are given. However, because having your children take part in the national vaccination programme is not obligatory at federal level, the vaccination levels differ throughout the country. It is close to 100% in Lotharingen, Ripuarien and Sauerland, where memberstate laws make the federal vaccination programme mandatory, 90% in most other parts of the country, but only 70% in Emsland and even 40% in Bramsfeld. At least that is the official number for Bramsfeld.
The reason for these low vaccination levels is a religious one. The Reformatorial Community and the Reformatorial Community Under The Cross both reject vaccinations as illicit interference with God's Plan, and many reverends from the Christian-Reformatorial Church share this opinion. Many Bramsfelders and also quite some Emslanders are members of these Churches, and, therefore, do not have their children vaccinated. At least not officially, because there are quite some Bramsfelders who go to Lotharingen or Wetterau to have their children vaccinated without their family and friends knowing it.
Despite these vaccinations under the radar, there are still a lot of unvaccinated children in Bramsfeld and Emsland. As a result, outbreaks of diseases easily preventable with vaccines occur once every few years. It is, therefore, expected that this case of polio is the start of yet another polio outbreak. It may also spark the discussion on making the vaccines federally compulsory, a long-cherished wish of the Social-Liberal LDP.

 

[Rheinbund]

Number of Polio cases raises in Bramsfeld and Eastern Emsland

The health authorities in Bramsfeld and Emsland report an increase of the cases of polio in Bramsfeld and Eastern Emsland. Also the number of patients with paralytic symptoms is increasing. Currently there are ten patients in intensive care units due to breathing problems, and there are 60 more patients in hospitals due to paralyses. Many more people are suffering from general malaise.
Spokesperson of the Bramsfelder health authorities Hans-Helmut Ribbeck indicated that the number of polio cases is rapidly increasing, especially among members of the Christian Reformatorial Church, the Reformatorial Community and the Reformatorial Community Under The Cross, religious communities that generally reject vaccinations.
The hospitals in Bramsfeld and Eastern Emsland are able to handle the situation at this moment. Should the number of patients needing hospital care increase, then hospitals in Scharmbeckerland, Wetterau and Lotharingen will take up patients as well.

 

[Remuria]

REMURIAN COMMONWEALTH

The Commonwealth is ready to provide assistance to our Rheinian neighbours in dealing with the medical emergency, should such support be needed. With medical assets within Remuria ready to receive patients and military medical teams available for deployment to Rheinbund.

In the meantime, and as a temporary measure, arrivals from the Rheinbund into Remuria shall be expected to present a Rheinian vaccination book featuring a polio vaccination stamp.

Risk of spread of polio within Remuria is considered as very low, given mandatory vaccinations throughout the Commonwealth with hefty fines for uncooperative parents.

 

[Rheinbund]

Auswärtiges Amt
Gesundheits- und Wohlfahrtsministerium
Fehrbellin, Rheinbund

We have full understanding for the decision by the Government of the Remurian Commonwealth to require proof of vaccination against poliomyelitis.

Apart from the two affected memberstates, the vaccination levels are high enough in the Rheinbund to contain this outbreak. We thank you for the offered assistance. Our epidemiological models forecast that the Rheinbund's health care system will be able to hold this; should this not be the case, then we would like to make use of your offfer.

Gustav Kohlschreiber, Minister of Foreign Affairs
Priv. Doz. Dr. Erich Weinbaum, Oberarzt, Minister of Public Health and Welfare

 

[Rheinbund]

Polio-epidemic rages on in Bramsfeld and Emsland; motion to oblige vaccinations at federal level filed

The polio-epidemic is still raging in Bramsfeld and East-Emsland. Meanwhile, 500 patients have been admitted to hospital, and eight patients have died. The Rheinbund has a robust health care system with a.o. 12,000 intensive care beds, so the system is not overwhelmed yet. It is expected that the first patients will be shipped to Sharmbeckerland, Wetterau and Lotharingen by the end of the week. Not occurring in the official statistics, is the number of patients with stomach flu and diarrhoea (a prestadium of polio), but it said that this number is high as well. Meanwhile, the reverends of the Reformatorial Churches and Communities are holding days of prayer on all the Wednesdays; they plan to continue with these days of prayer until the epidemic has disappeared.
Meanwhile, politicians from the RSP, LDP, FDV and RKP have filed a motion to oblige having your children take part in the federal vaccination program. It remains to be seen whether this motion will pass.

 

[Rheinbund]

16FEB2023
No new poliomyelitis cases detected, epidemic “coming to a close”

During this evening’s press conference at the Governmental Press Centre, Minister of Public Health and Welfare Dr. Erich Weinbaum and director of the Rheinisches Gesundheitsförderungsinstitut (RGI) Prof. Dr. Raphael Baer opened the reporting of the state of affairs regarding the poliomyelitis epidemic with a positive message: No new cases of poliomyelitis have been reported since Friday 10 February. Minister Dr. Weinbaum also mentioned some numbers: A total of 1827 people experienced paralyses and were hospitalised, 201 people had to be ventilated, and 108 people died; 260 patients are permanently paralysed, among them 30 patients with permanent paralysis of the respiratory muscles.

Prof. Dr. Baer added the following explanations to the numbers: “The good news is, that we haven’t seen any new cases since last Friday. Furthermore, the number of virus particles in sewer water has decreased to undetectable levels. However, this does not mean yet that the epidemic is over. The incubation time of the poliomyelitis virus is up to 20 days. Therefore, we cannot call the epidemic over yet. We can only do so after the incubation period has ended, and then we prefer to wait a bit longer before announcing the big news. I can give some other numbers though. This poliomyelitis outbreak occurred mainly among members of the Reformatorial Churches and Communities, as well as among anthroposophics and people who refuse to be vaccinated for other reasons.”

Upon questions regarding compulsory vaccinations; Minister Dr. Weinbaum reacted: “As you know, the national Government cannot impose rules on the memberstates that involve ethical matters. As per legal verdicts by the Rheinisches Verfassungsgericht, vaccines are an ethical matter. Therefore, the memberstates are responsible for carrying out the vaccination campaigns, even if this involves a federal programme.”

 

[Remuria]

With the epidemic in the Rheinbund being effectively overcome, the Commonwealth shall be lifting the requirement of presenting polio vaccination certificates when crossing the border between the two countries.

 

[Rheinbund]

Auswärtiges Amt
Fehrbellin, Rheinbund

We are indeed close to overcoming the epidemic. We thank you for lifting the requirement of presenting polio vaccination certificates by Rheinians. We will also make a proposal for a

Gustav Kohlschreiber, Minister of Foreign Affairs

 

[Rheinbund]

Lenten season starts after Carnival ends

It was impossible to overlook: It was Carnival in the Rheinbund. At least in Wetterau, Ripuarien and Ruppertswald. Six days long, the people in those memberstates walked around in the most extravagant costumes according to the Rheinian tradition, walked from Büttereede to Büttereede, partied and either watched or took part in the cavalcade on Rosenmontag. And as always, the politicians and royals were mocked. Not only the Rheinian politicians and royals, but also the ones abroad. But despite the image of an enormous drinking fest, Carnival is bound with rules. Rules dictated by the traditions. One rule is the strict end of Carnival: The festivities stop at the start of Ash Wednesday, sharp at midnight. Everyone sticks to that.
This morning the Tiburan Catholics went to Church to obtain an Ash Cross. King Philipp went to the Cathedral of Fehrbellin to obtain his ash cross from the Bishop of Fehrbellin.
With the start of the Lenten season, the restaurants, pubs, clubs and cafés stop serving alcohol, except on Sundays, when fasting is not obligatory. Also here midnight is an important moment, because in the night from Saturday to Sunday at midnight the beer tap is opened.


Synods of Christian-Reformatorial Church, Reformatorial Community and Reformatorial Community under the Cross meet to discuss ban on vaccinations

The synods of the religious communities that currently ban vaccinations held a meeting on whether vaccinations should be allowed or not. Despite the polio epidemic, there is still a lot of resistance against vaccinations, which are considered an unallowed interference in God's Plan. The same reasoning also forbids to take insurances. As it stands now, the Reformatorial Community and the Reformatorial Community under the Cross will maintain the ban on vaccinations, but the opinions in the Christian-Reformed Church are more divided.

 

[Rheinbund]

Rheinian arms industries report larger profits thanks to increases in orders from Rheinian government

After the raise of the defence budget became effective, the Rheinian Ministry of Defence immediately started to place orders for military equipment at the Rheinian defence industries. As a result, the profits of companies like Magarus, Beck & Böhm, Rheinmund Schiffbau, Rathenau Militärausrüstung and the Rheinian-Pelasgian company Daedalus Aviation started to increase. Also Karl Seiff and Agfas as well as many companies delivering to the Rheinian arms industry are benefitting from the arms orders of the national government.
In the meantime, the first batches of new equipment are being delivered to the armed forces, new soldiers are being recruited and new pilots are being educated. Contrary to earlier decisions, old equipment will not be replaced until the armed forces are on the strength desired. As an example, this will mean that the Wirbelsturm and Luftgeist 2 planes will remain in service until 2030, and replacement of these planes will only start when the planned total number of fighter planes has been reached.

 

[Rheinbund]

17MAR2023
Polio epidemic has ended, says Rheinisches Gesundheitsförderungsinstitut (RGI)

During a press conference at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Minister of Public Health and Welfare Dr. Erich Weinbaum and director of the (RGI) Prof. Dr. Raphael Baer gave the lates update on the polio epidemic. Prof. Dr. Baer: "No new cases of poliomyelitis have been reported since 11 February, and the number of virus particles in sewer water has remained below detectable levels since 2 February. This means that the polio epidemic has ended."
Poliomyelitis is a disease that usually only occurs as "imported cases" (i.e. patients who contracted poliomyelitis abroad) in developed countries like the Rheinbund. Therefore, it is remarkable that exactly in a developed country with an extreme focus on public health like the Rheinbund such an outbreak could occur. Prof. Dr. Baer gave the low vaccination levels among the people belonging to several Reformatorial religions as the reason, combined with the fact that these people live in relatively closed communities: "The epidemic primarily raged in Bramsfeld and Eastern Emsland, where most Reformatorials live. There were no cases in memberstates where Catholicism, Lutheranism and the Reformed Church are predominant. In those memberstates, vaccination levels are much higher than in Bramsfeld and Emsland, clearly demonstrating that vaccination helps against Poliomyelitis. Quod non iam erat demonstrandum, by the way."
On a question why the Rheinbund does not make vaccinations compulsory, Minister Dr. Weinbaum said: "This is a question that was asked before. I will reiterate what I answered back then. The Rheinbund has a federal vaccination programme, but as per the constitution, ethical matters are a matter for the memberstates to decide on, and as per the verdict number 1960/14 of the Rheinisches Verfassungsgericht, vaccinations are an ethical matter. So the memberstates have to decide whether having your children vaccinated is compulsory or not. I personnally consider having your children vaccinated a no-brainer, but it is up to the memberstates to make vaccination compulsory. Several memberstates have already taken that decision, and others are preparing legislation for this. But this is the way to go."

 

[Rheinbund]

01APR2023
Rat der Regierungen, Heads of the Memberstates and King Philipp ratify Remuria's accession to the Meridian Union

The ratification of Remuria's accession to the Meridian Union was a formality in the Bundesversammlung, but was a difficult process in the Rat der Regierungen, where not only a 2/3 majority among the individual members but also unanimity among the memberstates is needed. This leaves the room for individual Präfekte of a memberstate government to cast a different vote than their immediate colleagues, but within each memberstate government a majority is needed.
The memberstates Bramsfeld and Emsland had objections against Remuria's accession to the Meridian Union because of this country's reaction on the polio epidemic. During the epidemic, Remuria restricted access to the country to Rheinians who could prove that they had been vaccinated. This decision was met in Laubach and Emden with annoyance, because this meant that 30% of the Emslanders and almost all Bramsfelders (at least officially) were barred from entering Remuria.
It is quite exceptional that the Rat der Regierungen gathers together at a Saturday, but this is what happened. Sources around the National Government indicate that the Chancellor and Minister Dr. Weinbaum negotiated intensively with the governments of Emsland and Bramsfeld to get their approval. Part of the deal would be the guarantee that no attempt to exclude vaccinations from the list of ethical matters would be conducted; in return, Emsland and Bramsfeld would vote for ratifying Remuria's accession to the Meridian Union.
After the Rat der Regierungen had ratified Remuria's accession to the Meridian Union, Chancellor Lauritzen ensured to the press that "the ratification is not an April Fool's joke", and indicated that he would go to Schloss Schöneweide to have Remuria's accession to the Meridian Union ratified by the King and the Heads of the Memberstates (i.e. the Sovereigns, the Prince-Bishop and the Legates). One hour later, the ratification process was complete.

@Ebria @Corrientes @Remuria @Radilo

 

[Rheinbund]

Discord in the Christian-Reformatorial Church

The Calvinist-Christian movement in the Rheinbund has undergone five schisms since the 19th century. This as a result of endless discussions about how to interpret the Bible. The last schism dates back to 1953. Since then, there has been frictions all the time, resulting from how to react on developments in the world.
The Christian-Reformatorial Church is the first Church that broke away from the Reformed Church. Almost 200 years later, it looks like this Church is about to undergo a schism. The reason is the question whether people should be vaccinated or not. The recent polio epidemic put this question on the table again. Where the Reformatorial Community and the Reformatorial Community Under the Cross decided quite quickly that vaccinations are still prohibited, the Christian-Reformatorial Church is taking much more time to come to a conclusion. Now it seems that the majority of the Synod wants to allow vaccinations, but a large minority is still against it. The discussions are still ongoing.