Commonwealth Forums

Most Reverend Bishops,

It has occured to me recently that the Church has no central repository of Synodal Decrees and statements, which makes decifering even those doctrines which are established a matter of searching and guesswork. In order to solve this problem, I am creating this thread to list all formal decisions the Synod makes. In the interest of topicality, I would ask that nobody post within this thread except to add a decree.

Once Bishop Octavius' opinion on the Ecclesiastic Titles thread is known, it may be the first addition.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Bishop McQueeny

On the 7th day of June, in the year of Our Lord 2004, the Synod of Bishops issued the following standard for Ecclesiastic Titles and Address:

On the 14th day of May, in the year of Our Lord 2005, the Synod of Bishops revised the decree issued on June 7, 2004, it now reads as follows:

(X = First Name; Y = Surname; Z = Diocese/Bishopric
Written Address (Only used in the first and third person.)[list]
[*]Bishop: "The Most Reverend X Y, Bishop of Z".<>
[*]Priest: "The Right Reverend X Y".<>
[st]Spoken Address (Only used in the second person.)[list]
[*]Bishop: "Most Reverend".<>
[*]Priest: "Reverend".<>
[st]Spoken Address (Informal) (Only used in the second person, usually only by clergy of the same or higher rank.)[list]
[*]Bishop: "Bishop X".<>
[*]Priest: "Reverend X".<>
[st]

On the day of June Ninth in the Year of Our Lord 2004 the Synod of Bishops for the Holy Church of Christ in Hanover and all Micronations decreed this on the Holy Sacraments:

Regarding Baptism, the Holy Church of Christ in Hanover and all Micronations, believes that baptism should be preformed by either a Priest or Bishop of the Church upon the parents' wishing after the birth of the child.

Upon the age of understanding of the afforementioned baptism, the child undergoes Confirmation upon the ages of 10 to 16. In this Holy Sacrament the Holy Spirit descends upon a child and they are brought to the Church to confirm the faith at baptism to bring them into a more perfect and holy relationship with the Soverign Lord. The Bishop is the only clergyman who can confirm a person any other confirmations are viewed as invalid and considered illegal.

Concerning the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist, or Holy Communion the Synod of Bishops of the Holy Church of Christ in Hanover and all Micronations has decreed that during the Eucharist the Bread and the Cup, the holy elements of the Supper, remain unchanged but the Holy Body and Blood of Christ are truly present during the ritual. The Synod of Bishops reject any notion that the Holy Eucharist is a repeated Sacrifice of Christ. Christ's work on Calvary was sufficient.

Regarding the Holy Sacrament of Confession, the Synod of Bishops of the Holy Church of Christ in Hanover and all Micronations has decreed that the penitent sinner must confess his sins to a legitimate clergyman of the Holy Church of Christ, whether bishop or priest. The bishop or priest usually assigns a work of penance to properly remove the sin from the person.

On the fifteenth day of the month of July, in the year of Our Lord 2004, the Synod of Bishops approved the following Code of Canon Law by a 3/5 majority:
[doHTML]
<p>Article I: The Laity</p>
<ol>

[*]One who has been accepted into the Church by any Cleric shall hold Lay status.<>

[*]A Layman may only cease to hold Lay status of his own volition.<>

[st]
<p>Article II: The Clergy</p>
<ol>


[*]One who has been ordained shall hold Clerical status.<>

[*]One may be ordained to three degrees, namely the Holy Episcopate (Bishops), the Holy Presbyterate (Priests), and the Holy Diaconate (Deacons).<>
<ol type="a">

[*]One may be ordained to the Holy Episcopate by any two Bishops, with the permission of the Patriarch.<>

[*]One may be ordained to the Holy Presbyterate or the Holy Diaconate by any Bishop.<>

[st]

[*]A Cleric may only cease to hold Clerical status of his own volition.<>


[*]All Clerics may deliver sermons to the Laity.<>

[st]
<p>Article III: Ecclesiastical Regions</p>
<ol>

[*]Ecclesiastical Regions shall be created by the Patriarch.<>

[*]Ecclesiastical Regions may be dissolved by the Patriarch.<>

[*]A Diocese shall be an Ecclesiastical Region composed of one nation or region.<>

[*]An Exarchate shall be a Diocese which holds doctrinal autonomy.<>


[*]An Archdiocese shall be an Ecclesiastical Region composed of several Dioceses.<>

[*]The Ecumenical Patriarchate shall be an Ecclesiastical Region encompassing the entirety of the Church.<>

[st]
<p>Article IV: Ranks of Episcopacy</p>
<ol>

[*]The Ecumenical Patriarch ("Patriarch") shall lead the Ecumenical Patriarchate.<>
<ol type="a">

[*]The Patriarch shall be enthroned by the Synod.<>


[*]The Patriarch may be deposed by the Synod.<>

[*]The Patriarch shall be the highest authority on matters of protocol and decorum.<>

[*]The Patriarch may issue encyclical letters, which shall be distributed to all members of the Church.<>

[st]

[*]An Archbishop shall lead an Archdiocese.<>
<ol type="a">

[*]Archbishops shall be enthroned by the Patriarch.<>


[*]Archbishops may be deposed by the Patriarch.<>

[*]Archbishops shall be responsible for the enforcement of Synodal and Patriarchal actions within their Archdiocese, and for the actions of clergy serving in their Archdiocese.<>

[st]

[*]A Bishop shall lead a Diocese.<>
<ol type="a">

[*]Bishops shall be enthroned by the Patriarch.<>

[*]Bishops may be deposed by the Patriarch.<>


[*]Bishops shall be responsible for the enforcement of Synodal and Patriarchal actions within their Diocese, and for the actions of clergy serving in their Diocese.<>

[st]

[*]An Exarch shall lead an Exarchate.<>
<ol type="a">

[*]Exarchs shall be enthroned by the Patriarch.<>

[*]Exarchs may be deposed by the Patriarch.<>

[*]Exarchs shall be the highest doctrinal authority within their Exarchate.<>


[st]

[st]
<p>Article V: The Episcopal Synod</p>
<ol>

[*]The Episcopal Synod ("Synod") shall be composed of the Patriarch, all Archbishops, and Bishops appointed members by the Patriarch.<>

[*]The Synod shall be the highest doctrinal authority in the Church.<>

[*]The Synod may revise this Code of Canon Law.<>

[*]The Synod shall establish its own rules for all votes and other procedures.<>


[st]
<p>Article VI: Missionary Functions</p>
<ol>

[*]The Head of All Missions shall lead the Missionary activities of the Church.<>
<ol type="a">

[*]The Head of All Missions shall be appointed by the Patriarch.<>

[*]The Head of All Missions may be deposed by the Patriarch.<>

[st]


[*]Missions shall be groups of Clergy actively promoting the formation of new Dioceses.<>
<ol type="a">

[*]Missions shall be formed by the Head of All Missions.<>

[*]Missions may be dissolved by the Head of All Missions.<>

[*]A Mission shall be led by a Missionary, who may be any Cleric.<>

[st]

[st]
[/doHTML]

On the sixth day of the month of July, in the year of Our Lord 2004, the Episcopal Synod decreed thus:

The Church of Christ of All Micronations Does Hold the Following to Be True:

1) That Jesus Christ was born of a virgin,
2) That he lived a sinless and holy life.
3) That he was crucified by Pontius Pilate and he rose in a bodily form upon the third day through which we may obtain salvation.
4) That Communion is a vital sacrament in the life of the church.
5) That Christ shall return to Earth as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

This shall all clergy teach and believe. And if any man teach any doctrine contrary to this, then let him be accursed. (Galatians 1:9).

As to other finer points of theology, the Church respects that members comes from differing denominational backgrounds and leaves to the discretion of individual clergy what shall be taught on disputable doctrinal points. We advise them to exercise caution in what they teach for the teacher of the Word will be held accountable for what he teaches (James 3:1).

We do enjoin everyone in the Church to receive each other with Christian love and forbearance and not to doubtful disputes (Romans 14), and to avoid all vain strivings (Titus 2:9).

The earliest (preferably holograph) copies of the scriptures are inerrant. All others are possibly fallible due to transcription and translation errors.

Upon enactment of this decree, all other decrees contrary to this one shall be stricken.

On the Twentieth day of the month of January, in the year of Our Lord 2005, the Episcopal Synod decreed thus:

The Holy Episcopal Synod hereby adopts the Pauline Rite as the official liturgy of the Church. All clergymen are encouraged to use it, but its use shall not be compulsory.

<center>+ADAMUS +DEMETRIUS +IORDANUS</center>
We do furthermore adopt the Nicene Creed, not including the Filioque, as a doctrinal statement of the church.

<center>+ADAMUS +DEMETRIUS +IOANNES +IORDANUS</center>
Desirous of improving activity in the Church of Christ, we do hereby decree that a meritocratic system of promotion in Orders shall be established:

<center>+ADAMUS +DEMETRIUS +IORDANUS</center>

On May the 3rd, 2005, the Patriarch decreed that:

+THEODOSIUS II, by the Grace of God, Ecumenical Patriarch
Unto the Entire Plenitude of the Church Grace, Peace, and Mercy, from Christ the Saviour

Bretheren in Christ,

We recognise that the Church is at one of the crossroads of its existence. We realise that the path the Church takes now will determine its destiny to live or to die. We wish to do as much as much as given to us from Above to keep the Church alive. We believe that re-organisation of the Church is key to keeping the body of Christ in the micronational world alive.

We hereby declare that: all dioceses other than the diocese of Hanover are to be supressed by the Holy Church of Christ.

We also create a system, whereby, missions, parishes, and dioceses may be created, if the specific region meets the qualifications of the Holy Church of Christ's policy. THe qualifications are as follows:

1) For a mission to be created, only a priest or missionary must represent the region in the Holy Church. The Missionary can lead public services in the mission but a bishop will act as vicar (representative) of the mission until a priest can be assigned to the mission.

2) For a mission to become a parish, two laymen must represent the region and a priest must be assigned to the mission for the mission to become a parish in the Holy Church.

3) For a parish to become a diocese, three laymen must represent the parish and a bishop must be assigned to the diocese by the Holy Synod. The bishop may be the former priest of the parish or another bishop re-assigned by the Holy Synod.

This is what we have thought to be the best system of organisation in the Holy Church and it shall remain so until it is nulled by the Holy Synod of the Holy Church of Christ.

In Christ,

+ Theodosius II of Bergen

On the 14th day of May, in the year of Our Lord 2005, the Synod of Bishops decreed thus:

I. Due to the inacitvity of the Holy Church of Christ in Hanover and All Micronations, the Holy Synod felt it necessary to suspend the office of the diaconate.

II. The Holy Synod of the Holy Church of Christ in Hanover and All Micronations decrees that the Holy Diaconate will be restored when activity and membership permits the office to be filled, until then the diaconate is to remain empty.

May 14, 2005,

+ THEODOSIUS II
+ ADAMUS

On the 7th day of June, in the year of Our Lord 2005, the Synod of Bishops decreed thus:

1. The Holy Church of Christ authorises two translations of the Bible as official Church translations. These translations should be used in public worship of the Church. The Church has no right to declare which translation is privately used and will not decree on such matters.

2. The Holy Synod decrees that the King James- 21st Century and the New Revised Standard Versions to be faithful translations, suitable for use in public worship. The translations are the only authorised versions to be used in public worship.

3. If a bishop or presbyter desires to use another translation in public use, he must first consult the Holy Synod. This is done to avoid 'paraphrase' or unfaithful translations.

4. The Holy Synod does not accept the Apocrypha as part of biblical canon, but it is useful for moral encouragement and example of holy living. The Holy Synod encourages the reading of these books, but does not include them within the canon of Sacred Scripture.

June 7, 2005,

+ THEODOSIUS II
+ ADAMUS