Solaren Church

[Kougi]

Since the Solaren faith is becoming more important in roleplay with several players mentioning it, Zeek a while back raised the issue that it is not well defined and used quite differently by different people. So maybe it is worth talking about.

Right now we have the interpretation of the Solaris Church being an openly ISIL-like terrorist group (with cells getting arrested, planning attacks etc.) coexisting with an interpretation that shows them as a fringe movement, but not openly violent (yet). Sometimes it is part of the Tiburan Church, sometimes it is not and claims legitimacy: Being part of the Church while having their own Pope Urban seems difficult, for example. Maybe it isn't even unified, and some groups do this, while others do that? In any case, a lot to think about here.

I have always vaguely thought that the Solaren church was a group that had a problem with Vatican II and is basically the St. Pius Society if they went Wahabi - not necessarily all of them are terrorists, but it is an ideology that is extreme, religiously reactionary and might be explicitly or implicitly promoting Jihadism/Crusaderism depending on whom you ask. I think there is also a more Cathar-like interpretation by Cervia, where they have been around for a while.

My proposal would be that others write their understanding as well, so that we can then synergize the movement's nature into a post/wiki article. It might well turn out to be an umbrella of movements, just like ISIL and AQ have in large parts become franchise terror brands under which anyone willing to claim association can act.

 

[Cantignia]

Commending the initiative to unify what ideas or system is at work with this. I cleared with Zeke my recent posts on it as related to what he was doing but without too much detail.

I sort of used it as a convenient vehicle for the Celestial Prophet to stay home and not want to travel abroad, and then to contrast and make a decision on working with the (what I assume to be) liberal Tiburan Catholic Church. My RP post described a "compound" of the Solaris benefiting from the concept of communes - and it being rather disruptive that they were unsealed for plotting an attack . . . should all Catholic communes be unsealed, other non-Celestials? No for now.

There is no proper Solaren player but still the Solaris, and while Pope Urban can be one player at a given time, it's now more of a meme or thought disease that seeks aggressive actions and verbose statements about the world and people's faith. Zeke for example has a lot on his plate and is putting on an Iron Mask version . . . It isn't Urban, but derivative and meant to inspire some action, attention, and following.

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Solaris Cult Movement in Cantignia:

Reliant on religious compounds or "commune protection" laws protecting religious freedom, the Solaris movement in Cantignia faced a crackdown in 2025 after a rumored plot to attack the Celestial Prophet while touring northern Westernesse. Although conservative Cantignians presented a "Catholic Redirection Act", aiming to investigate all Catholic communities in Cantignia, missionary-minded politicians voted against citing concern that Celestial Christian missions abroad would face restrictions and retributions.

 

[Spasciria]

Solaris Cult Movement in Spasciria:

The Solaren Chuch in Spasciria is banned. One of the first countries to ban it outright and completely. Though this does not mean it is non-existent in the country. The movement in Spasciria comrprises mostly the radicalised youth, a minority but non-negligible, who are religious characters outraged by war in Caledonia and Pontiff Leo's peace-loving outlook which is seen as weak by them.

The radicalised in Spasciria can be viewed as arrogant because of their self-centred beliefs, ignorant because though they seek action/war, they have never seen action/war (because Spasciria is very pacifist), and if they did they would coward out as fast as they were radicalised. They can also be viewed in addition to these, as real threats to Spasciria's religious mix, gathering not in physical hideouts but online, where they're activities and plans are harder to track.​

 

[Azilia]

I don’t remember if I wrote something about this on the forum, or discord before. But I’ll definitely give a lot more insight into the “vision” that I kinda started with Urban on here this evening or in the morning. Putting it on my list of things.

 

[Azilia]

Writing this from my phone, so uhh bare with me.

When I had the thoughts of bringing Urban and the Solaris back, I remembered that it was from the times of there being 3 (I believe 3 different “Catholic” faiths in classic).

Not wanting to have some rival Catholic religion akin to the classical era, I came up with the idea of Urban and his followers being similar to Sedevacantists. They don’t believe in the seat of the pope having been filled for x years.

His followers are very traditionalist, he himself and his closest followers could be said to be very dated, believing more in the ways of the church since before the reformation. And with the conclave having been something that had taken a very long time, he decided to declare himself Pope. Essentially making himself the anti-pope, to the pope elected by the conclave.

Urban picks and chooses his tones and messages, very confrontational with the powers of Tibur. I think his earlier messages were more directed towards open hostility, but have toned it down in certain areas with him leaving his words to be interpreted by his followers in their own ways. He seeks to appeal to the conservative and traditionalists, and he has a way of drawing in radicals who interpret his word towards action and violence.

I view his calls/word and desires to be about countering the powers of Tibur and what he has viewed as the churches failures and the same of his many followers. They claim to essentially be the rightful side of the Catholic Faith. Some of it is also to bring back the ways Urban was (with his holy crusades from the classical era), but he obviously in our world lacks a firm power base/country, so his followers that do read between the lines carry out his actions while allowing him to keep what distance he can. Making it a quasi terrorist capable network, where it breeds those who don’t commit to terrorism and those who will.

Hope this kinda makes some sense?

 

[Pelasgia]

Solaris Cult Movement in Pelasgia:

Given Pelasgia's scant religious protections for anyone outside the established Orthodox Church and the three officially recognised minority religions (Catholicism, Judaism and Islam), the Solaris were generally quite rare in Pelasgia, having faced many obstacles to their establishment in the country, including a refusal of various permits and taxation as a business. The Pelasgian constitution bans proselytism, while most Pelasgian Catholics are liberal and secular, with religious fervour being generally an Orthodox trait. These factors further limited the growth of the Solari cult in Pelasgia. Following a wave of terror attacks committed by the cult outside the country in 2024, the Pelasgian Government designated the Solari cult as a terror group and banned it through a decree of proscription, which effectively outlaws membership in or knowing association with the cult or with any of its members, and subjects all Solari cult officials in Pelasgia to severe criminal sanctions. Since then, Solari presence in Pelasgia has been negligible, if any.

 

[Nandao]

Solaris Cult in Nandao
Solaris Cult is not accepted in Nandao. To be recognized the Solaren Church must submit a request through the competent body, which in this case is the Court of Harmonious Arbitration in Dohang. If the petition is accepted, the Cult will be recognized and will be able to operate freely in Nandao, from proselytization to ownership of real estate.

In the meantime, in the absence of official recognition by the Nandao authorities, the activities of the Cult of Solaris could be financially supported by anonymous donors, if they take place outside the Archipelago.

 

[Averin]

Solaris Cult in Nandao
Solaris Cult is not accepted in Nandao. To be recognized the Solaren Church must submit a request through the competent body, which in this case is the Court of Harmonious Arbitration in Dohang. If the petition is accepted, the Cult will be recognized and will be able to operate freely in Nandao, from proselytization to ownership of real estate.

In the meantime, in the absence of official recognition by the Nandao authorities, the activities of the Cult of Solaris could be financially supported by anonymous donors, if they take place outside the Archipelago.

Might come to you about some funding for the order, or perhaps could mention a few underground funding sources for the RP i am writing if you'd like.

 

[Józefania]

Solaris Cult in Josepania

I've based much of my RP re: the Solaris Cult off of initial discussions with @Azilia that regarded them as a sort of Catholic ISIS/Al Qaeda. That is, at the very least, how they've operated out of the Apostolic Empire, where they've committed pretty substantial acts of terrorism, including being behind the assassination of La Emperatriz, and as a result have been branded as a terrorist organization currently being hunted down. I imagine most of their followers within the Apostolic Empire come from ultra-traditionalist Tiburan Catholics who are upset about the current majority sect of

You must be registered for see links

, which is a Marxist interpretation of Catholic social teaching and approaches to the socio-economic status of the poor and oppressed.

 

[Lichtenau]

Time is a flat circle. Nicosian Catholics despise the Solaren cult. While not outright illegal by Nicosian law, the government has labeled members as 'hostile to the state' and therefore face prison, deportation, or have been known to simply disappear. So not quite on the level of being labeled terrorists but not that far off either. The cult is legally defined as a cult under Nicosian law which also means that adherents forfeit many basic legal protections. Solaris literature itself is not banned but any form of promotion of the cult is banned. Those suspected of involvement with the cult are under surveillance of the Nicosian security services.

 

[Radilo]

Solaris Cult Movement in Radilo:

The Catholic Church has long been a powerful force for reform and liberalization within the Republic. Any entity that calls itself Catholic who goes against that is naturally viewed with suspicion. Such a reactionary movement would face state scrutiny, albeit, unless they engage in an actual terrorist attack, such surveillance would be de minimis. The Camorra would be more aggressive in making sure such a cult does not interfere with the lives of normal Catholics and religious minorities. It's very hard to pull off a crime in the Republic without the Camorra's permission.

 

[Serenierre]

Serenierre has always been a Liberation Theology - left leaning, socio-economically focused, progressive - Catholic track. The Solaris cult would be banned and members actively monitored by Directorate 77 (the Serenien intelligence agency).

Seeing that a Pope Urban in the form of a formal church is not so likely - I suggest something like an Order of St. Urban which would allow for something with some flexibility while also paying homage to work of the original player's work with Pope Urban.

 

[Tyran]

Tyran is a secular state where the majority of the population is essentially atheist or agnostic, followed by Orthodox Christianity and then Islam. At present, the Solaris cult is not banned (historically, we’ve had no significant interactions with them), and I have no particular objection to them as long as they do not pose a threat to the Commonwealth or to market stability. In some circumstances, they might even be viewed somewhat positively, at least as long as they remain a limited and contained movement. They would certainly not receive any open support from the state, but fear or speculation surrounding them could generate certain gains, so I don’t think Tyran would be particularly hostile. It’s more a matter of managing the balance.

 

[Pelasgia]

Directorate 77 (the Serenien intelligence agency)

THEY'RE BACK!!!

 

[Tiburan Union]

In Cervia the cult is not present at a level that can generate concern for public safety following the strong permeance of the Tiburan church in the territory. At the current level there is a generic condemnation of the violence in Cervia, but no open hostility. The state remains to observe, but with each passing day the noise of the ecclesiastical authorities on the matter is ever greater and difficult to ignore.

 

[Oceana]

There is a small Solaris Church movement in Oceana which is among the countries few growing religious denominations. The ultra-traditionalism of Urban has been received by many in Oceana as an implicit re-awakening of Christianity's Gallo-Germanian racial consciousness, a return to the purity of the middle ages in multiple ways. Nonethelss in Oceana's predominantly post-Protestant society the Solaris Church is regarded by the majority as basically alien and somewhat absurd. It is on the state's radar for the acts of Solaris terrorists abroad but is considered more a curiosity than a threat.

 

[Serbovia]

The Solaris Church briefly spread among elements of Serbovian clergy in the 1960s, after numerous traditionalist Catholic priests maintaining contact with their foreign counterparts started being converted to the Church's idea of Catholicism. For the most part, these priests represented elements of the Church who were dissatisfied with mainline Tiburan Catholicism establishing a rapprochement of convenience with the Social-Nationalist regime.

Solaris ideas continued to spread among traditionalist Catholic circles for several years, operating below the view of the regime and mostly undisturbed. The turning point came in 1967, when a member of a Solaris congregation assassinated the Bishop of Prahovo (who had been vocal in declaring the Solaris Church as heresy). Supreme Leader Jovanovic, by that point intensely paranoid of anything that could be construed as a threat to his rule, immediately declared the Solaris Church to be a banned insurgent organization.

All known Solaris adherents - by then numbering several thousand - were rounded up by the National Commissariat of State Security (NKDB) and shipped off to re-education camps. Names of other church members were usually extracted from those arrested under intense torture, and it is believed that numerous innocents were also denounced to the NKDB during the Purge of the Solaris Church.

Within Serbovia's system of NKDB-run re-education camps, Solaris members soon formed their own circles and started to become an issue to camp order, attempting to exert control over other prisoner groups. Things eventually came to head in May 1969 at the Stanjevo re-education camp, when a brawl between Solaris members and political prisoners eventually escalated into a full-blown uprising. After control was lost over vast areas of the camp, the Serbovian military was called in to suppress the uprising with live ammunition and battle tanks, resulting in several hundred prisoner fatalities.

This was the last straw for Supreme Leader Jovanovic, who personally ordered the liquidation of all known Solaris Church members within the NKDB camp system. Over the next few weeks, NKDB Internal Troops carried out mass executions of Solaris prisoners, with a death toll of approximately 7000-9000. The events were declared secret and kept from the public. Eventually, an NKDB major defecting to Josepania in 1976 revealed the incident, along with numerous other atrocities of the regime, to the public.

Small cells of Solaris Church members are believed to be active in some Serbovian cities. The church is still banned from operating in Serbovia. Members caught by the authorities typically face capital punishment.

 

[Józefania]

I'm open to reviving the Solaris Church in Józefania and have it be a lingering problem (AKA religious extremist terrorist organization) in the Apostolic Commonwealth. I also won't have its metaphorical back broken like I had RPed with Mexican Josepania, but instead have it be a constant game of cat and mouse, attempting to suppress it and only taking out one cell at a time, with other cells springing up in the process hydra-esque.