The Catholic States
| |
| Flag of The Catholic States | |
| Motto: "Ad majorem dei gloriam" | |
| No map available. | |
| Region | The Catholic Union |
|---|---|
| Capital | New Constantinople |
| Official Language(s) | Latin |
| Leader | Cardinal Jefferson Lee |
| Population | 700 million |
| Currency | kepa |
| NS Sunset XML | |
The Holy Republic of the Catholic States is a theocratic union of states located on the former Italian Peninsula. In 2009, the secular government of Italy descended into a far left-winged ideology. The government quickly made a poor example of the Church, almost totaly ignoring it. In 2007 Italy entered into a cold war with Poland, due to its strong conservative nature. This cold war eventually brought other nations into alliances, and in the winter of 2012, a number of nuclear exchanges occurred. Italy was turned into a series of large islands, much like the Philippines. Soon after, the Church regained support due to a sudden urge in spirituality, and two great nations rose out of the rubble of what once was Italy. The Catholic States and The Holy Empire of Peter and Paul formed a strong alliance. The two nations are almost mirror images of each other, and they have a large influence, in a religious sense, with the rest of the world.
Contents
Doctrine
As a theocracy, The Catholic States has an allegiance to the Pope. The Republic's doctrine is the same as that of the Holy Catholic Church.
Organization
The head of state is the Pope, but the day to day affairs of the States are run by the Archbishop of New Constantinople, Cardinal Jefferson Lee. Assisting him are numerous bishops, priests, religious, and lay officials. The government is set up similar to the Catholic Hierarchy in the Vatican.
The Curia
The primary governing body is the Republican Curia which is made up of several Congregations, the most important of which are:
- The Congregation for the Docterine of Faith, concerned with faith, morals, and complience with Catholic docterine.
- The Congregation for Education
- The Congregation for the Clergy
- Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life
The Inspired Senate (Secular Law-making Authority)
There is also an elected Senate which is elected by popular election to 3 year terms and is made up of one lay person from each of the Republic states and one consecrated representative for every 2 parishes or communities. The Senate represents the people and passes all laws that deal with non moral, religious, or ethical issues. A UN representative may be appointed by the Senate if needs be.
Every year at the first meeting of a new term the Senate elects the High Council which represents each district. To become law a bill must pass both houses. Each body has numerous committees which server to examine individual issues.
Judicial System
The Court system is based on Canon Law and is made up of both district courts and a Federal, State, or Local Grand Inquisition. In some cases (such as those involving the clergy) are given to the Vatican Courts.
Military
The Catholic States has a small military that runs on private donations. The military (reffered to as the Repubic's Knights) has the one of the best airforces in the world, and is technologically advanced due to its nature of private funding and an overwhelming donation of technology by big businesses.
Basic Laws
All people have equal rights regardless of membership in the Church. However, no non-Catholic can hold any of the religious seats on the Senate nor can they be Head of State. In general, lawmakers use the Pro-Life mentality when forming bills and signing international treaties. Abortion and chemical contraceptives are illegal, and the death penalty is scarcely used (except for cases of national defense). A recent rise in the science and healthcare industries have allowed voters to obtain a deeper insight into the development of embryos. As a result, in vitro fertilization is largely unpopular in the States.
UN Policy
The Catholic States has always been strictly opposed to the UN's proposal of forcefully legalizing IVF, as well as the forceful change in state-based cannon law to allow homosexuals to adopt children. In 2013, the Catholic States repeatedly stated it would resign from the UN, if infact any sanctions are proposed against the nation because it refuses to comply. Three months later, initial sanctions against the Republic's policy were introduced to the UN Security Council, but the Catholic States resigned its position before the vote took place.
Involvement in the Catholic Union (CU)
After the UN incident, the high cardinal announced the Republic's intentions to form a "traditional, Catholic union for Chuch-aligned countries to use as a foundation for international diplomacy." Within the year, the CS formed the Catholic Union (CU), with its staunch ally and neighbor, The Holy Empire of Peter and Paul. Since the region is still in development, treaties and policy still remain to be unorganized.
