Standard Operating Procedure (Church)

Overview

The Church of the Absolute’s surface temple is intended to provide for the spiritual needs of those in the upper colony, especially Absolutists. Additionally, the church is intended to help the colony in more tangible ways through direct assistance, the use of litanies, the construction of holy machines, and the provenance of goods. The Church is not intended to make a profit, however it is permissible to charge reasonable amounts for goods and most services. Those who are on duty should be mindful that they are the face of the Church to the upper colony as well as most outsiders, and should strive to represent the Church well.

Personnel

Vectors

Vectors are the lower order of clergy in the Absolutist Church. Vectors are expected to collectively perform a large number of tasks: feeding and maintaining the bioreactor, creating products with the bioprinter, providing power to the colony with the biogenerator if there is no other power source, constructing holy machinery, and protecting the Church. Not all Vectors are expected to be skilled in all things, but they should at least know how to manage the bioreactor to produce the biomatter that is so critical to Church operations. Some Vectors also have additional training in spiritual counseling, and all are expected to answer basic questions of the faith.

Job Competency Requirements

• Moderate proficiency in Church doctrine and SOP, including the rite and ban of their Path, if any
• May not work as a Head of any other faction
• Basic proficiency with the litanies available to them
• Basic proficiency in Church machinery, including understanding of how to work the bioreactor under normal circumstances

There is no dedicated training title for Vectors, but those who are new are encouraged to join shifts when they see other Vectors in the upper level to learn how to do their jobs properly.

Primes

Primes are the higher order of clergy in the Absolutist Church. Primes are expected first and foremost to oversee the spiritual well-being of the Absolutists in the colony. This duty includes managing the Vectors, both in the sense that any other Head would manage their employees and ensuring that their theology is sound and their actions in line with Church teachings. They are additionally expected to be able to provide spiritual counseling, to administer the litany of Penance when it is requested or necessary, and to speak out when they hear a member of the Church preaching something contrary to Church doctrine. Finally, the designated Prime of the upper colony is expected to represent the Church on the Low Council, making decisions for the benefit of the colony that align with the Church’s mission.

Job Competency Requirements

• High-level understanding of Church doctrine and SOP
• Fulfillment of criteria in Command SOP, including familiarity requirements in that document.
• Basic proficiency in the rites and bans of all Paths
• Moderate proficiency with all the litanies available to them
• Basic proficiency in Church machinery, including understanding of how to work the bioreactor under normal circumstances
• Ability to speak, read, and write fluently in English Common.

General Procedures

Machines

It is the responsibility of active Church personnel to operate the holy machinery within the Church. This includes the bioreactor, biogenerator, and bioprinter. Fully bioprotective equipment, such as Vector armor, must be worn in the bioreactor chamber at all times by any organic individual while the bioreactor is running, or while cleaning and servicing it. Dead colonists are not to be put into the bioreactor unless their postmortem instructions call for it. The bioprinter is core to Church operations, and should be stocked with materials as there is opportunity so that equipment can be made. The Church's biogenerator should be used to augment colony power when needed, there is to be no charge for this, but donations are acceptable.

Personnel

Active Vectors may, with the permission of the active Prime or at their own discretion if there isn’t a prime, perform the litany of Ordination on other members of the clergy who are currently off-duty or working another job which doesn’t conflict with the Church’s mission. Those who are ordained in this way are expected to abide by the direction of on-duty Vectors and Primes in Church-related matters, and are not permitted to ordain others without explicit direction from an active Vector or Prime. This privilege may be denied to those who continually spend more time in other roles rather than in the Church; ordained clergy are expected to spend most of their time in their holy calling rather than on worldly things. Those who serve as Heads in other factions may not also be Vectors, and cannot be ordained while they still work in that position. If a Head becomes a Crusader, they are expected to use the litany to deactivate the protocol in their cruciform as soon as the threat has been handled.

The litany of Consecration may be performed by a Prime on their own authority or by a Crusader who receives direct permission from the lower offices of the Church. It may only be performed on one who is an on-duty Vector. Individuals Consecrated in this manner are referred to in this document as “non-original Primes”. A non-original Prime in the upper colony, either one who is Consecrated mid-shift or who is simply visiting from the lower colony or outside, has all the responsibilities and authority of a Prime except in regards to the Low Council; they are not a Councilor and have neither the right nor the obligation to vote in decisions. They are expected to be respectful to the on-duty Prime and honor their judgment in all matters regarding the upper colony believers. This applies if a Crusader receives approval to Consecrate one individual and a designated Prime shows up. If there is a non-original Prime and the original Prime goes to the lower colony, then the Vectors should obey the remaining Prime as they would the original Prime.

Primes are responsible for their flock's adherence to church tenets and doctrine, general conduct, lawfulness, Path bans and rites, adherence to SOP, in descending order of priority. Ensuring good behavior and adherence to SOP among the Church is their responsibility. Primes who allow repeated sin or violations of Church policy can be Reduced or even excommunicated on suspicion of Heresy. As the representative of the Church on the Low Council, the Prime is expected to be able to work amiably with those who don’t share the Absolutist faith, even those whose ideals may be entirely contrary.

Paths

Vectors, due to the multitude of Paths and possible training patterns available to them, may have a variety of skills and tasks they perform for the good of the Church and the colony. The following is a list of general instructions that are primarily relevant to members of specific Path, but may be applied generally; for example, the information given to Tessellates applies to any Vector who treats the injured. These apply only to Vectors; a Divisor who is working within the Marshal department is naturally authorized to enforce colony law.

• Divisors are not authorized to enforce colony law, despite their training and equipment. They should respond reactively to material threats to the Church and its faithful, as well as aid Primes in enforcing Church punishment in the case of resistance. They are only authorized to use nonlethal force for this purpose. They are permitted to assist security in the defense of the colony against outside forces, and are expected to offer their aid to security should any foul carrion be detected in the colony.
• Tessellates should ensure that they are familiar with Medical Privacy procedures and follow them when treating patients. They may not interfere with Soteria Medical teams or attempt to treat patients being handled by them without permission. If a patient consciously refuses treatment by Soteria in favor of treatment by Tessellates, they may treat them.
• Factorials should familiarize themselves with Church machinery beyond the minimum requirements and take the lead in ensuring that they work smoothly.
• All Vectors other than Vinculum are expected to adhere strictly to their Rite and Ban, and to seek out clarification on their Rite and Ban from Primes and more senior Vectors of the same Path. Failure to adhere is punishable by the Rite of Penance or expulsion from the Path.

Church Areas

The Chapel is considered a public area, but disruptive individuals or suspected spies may be escorted out by Divisors or other capable Vectors at the discretion of the Prime, or Vectors if a Prime is not on-duty. The salvage beacon and space beacons are maintained by the Church but are treated as public areas. Salvage is handled on a first-come-first-serve basis under salvaging rights. The Church may not bar any colonist from the area without a Marshal-placed legal injunction. Entry to the Commons and any area that active Church personnel might make accessible via public holy doors is the right of all members of the Church, including Fractals, and short of Separation no member may be barred from it. An area other than the Commons that was made public can, however, be returned to its initial clergy-only status. Those who have been excommunicated may not be permitted on Church property, excluding the Chapel and beacons, without dire need. They chose actions that separated themselves from the faithful, let them be separate.

Goods and Services

The Church is tasked with seeing to the spiritual needs of the people of Nadezhda. While not all Vectors are expected to be skilled preachers or theologians, all are expected to offer support to all, even heathens, in a place of spiritual crisis or uncertainty. In the event of a hivemind outbreak within the colony or an emergence of Deep Maintenance entities to the surface, all baptized members of the Church are expected to assist with destroying the infestation. Not all must fight, but all must aid in the ways they are able.

Charity is a core principle of Church doctrine, but there is a line between "being charitable" and "being exploited". Medical treatment and garden produce is to be made available to all, including heathens and including outsiders at the discretion of Church personnel. Basic self-defense equipment, such as sidearms and armor bundles, is to be provided to all faithful, and to heathens at the discretion of Church personnel. It is forbidden to charge for these services, though donations in cash or in materials may be requested to offset their cost. Other church products, including advanced weaponry, pouches, and material for export may be sold for a modest profit, or provided for free at the discretion of Church personnel. Goods shall not be given charitably to an individual who has been excommunicated. Setting out food where any can reach it is permitted, but giving a pouch to an excommunicated individual without payment is not.

Cruciform upgrades may be offered to any of the faithful, but are to be removed if the faithful use them for purposes contrary to Church doctrine in addition to whatever other Church discipline is merited by the actions. Charging for cruciform upgrades is excommunicable Simony. Deconstructing or selling cruciforms, church prosthetics, or other items summoned by litany from the lower colonies is excommunicable Simony unless in cases of dire and immediate need. The weapons in the Prime's armory may only be deployed in cases of dire need-- in situations where the lives of the faithful or the safety of the colony as a whole are at dire risk, or on crusades against the hivemind, SolFed, or deep maintenance breaches. Issuing weapons from the armory under other circumstances is considered a waste of sacred resources and can be punished by Reduction from Prime. Sale of weapons from the Prime's armory is considered excommunicable Simony. The sacred church relics stored in the Prime's office, including Joyuese and the healing staff, are not to be lent out to those outside the Church; doing so is excommunicable Apostasy.

The Inquisition

The Inquisition is a group of Primes that have the additional special duty to ensure the clergy, especially Primes, are speaking and acting in line with Church doctrine and SOP. They are only seen in the Upper Colony when the Church is alerted to potential significant issues with the active clergy that the current Prime cannot handle, either because there is no active Prime or because the active Prime is the source of the issues. Such issues can include: teaching doctrine contrary to the Church, abusing their authority, or being onerous enough to be kicked off the Low Council. Inquisitors are empowered and authorized to implement any Church discipline short of excommunication on anyone, even other Primes. Any Absolutist who is asked questions by an Inquisitor is expected to answer fully and honestly; failure to do so may result in Church discipline.

Church Discipline

Church discipline is the series of procedures for correcting sinful behavior within the Church. It is to be done for the betterment of the Church as a whole and, with the exception of Excommunication, also for the good of the individual receiving it: pain is just pain, and temporal pain can aid one in remaining on the Path to Infinity. Church discipline is principally the responsibility of the Prime, though the Vectors should also be aware of it. A Prime who consistently neglects their duties in regards to Church Discipline may be investigated by the Inquisition and Reduced to a Vector. All Church discipline is in addition to any civil legal punishments that may be levied by the Marshals or a Tribunal. Those who resist Church discipline will incur a larger penalty on themselves, and may be brought in with nonlethal force by Vectors. Primes are expected to show prudence regarding the timing of Church Discipline, and may not order someone away from critical duties for it. A Prime reported to abuse their authority in Church Discipline may be subject to Inquisitorial investigation.

Religious Authority

Primes have religious authority over their congregation, including Vectors, Scalars, and Fractals. However, the extent of that authority over those not on active Vector duty is limited only to matters of faith and morals, not duty or orders. A Prime may, for example, counsel a member of Lonestar against personal greed, but may not order them not to perform their duties for their corporation. Similarly, a Prime may counsel a member of Blackshield against wrathfulness, or even require Penance if a believing trooper consistently acts in a harmful way from their anger, but they may not order a Trooper not to follow orders to shoot and kill an enemy of the colony. A Prime may not remove employees of another faction from the command structure of that faction, nor supersede that command structure in any way. If one’s duty to one’s job conflicts with the teachings of the Church, it is on the individual to decide to either do their duties and accept the religious consequences of such, or follow their morals and accept the employment and legal consequences of such.

Penance

The Rite of Penance is the normal punishment for most sins. It shall be carried out by a Vector or Prime at the request of a penitent, and a Prime should require it in cases of significant vice. Upon being asked for penance, the clergy member should inquire what occurred and attempt to get a full understanding of the situation. Clergy members are forbidden from discussing what was disclosed to them in this discussion other than to their Prime (if they need guidance or believe there is a pattern of behavior to watch for) or to a Marshal or Inquisitor as part of a formal investigation. Violating this privacy is grounds for immediate Reduction. Then the penance should be performed. In very minor cases, all that may be required is a confession and an agreement not to do it again. In the majority of cases, the penance will take the form of the Litany of Penance being spoken. In cases of severe vice, the litany may be repeated until the penitent collapses from the pain. Clergy are to remember the Cartographer’s teaching: pain is just pain, and to spare a penitent the cleansing pain is to deprive them of one of the means of their salvation. Alternative versions of the Rite of Penance include whipping, fasting, enforced prayer, and hard labor. They may be offered to an offender as an alternative to the standard version at the discretion of the administering Prime or Vector, but should be no less severe or unpleasant. These penalties are the only options available for penitent Fractals and synthetics, as the Fractals may not have the litany performed on them and synthetics do not feel pain.

Reduction

Reduction is used in cases of repeated or severe misconduct by a member of the clergy. It can be performed for any of the valid reasons for sanctioning found in General SOP. The litany of Reduction reduces the individual’s cruciform to a lay state, with only the litanies available to all believers and those of their Path remaining. One who has been Reduced loses all the responsibilities and privileges of their clerical office, and should have their access omitted after the Reduction is complete in most circumstances. The normal process for sanctions listed in General SOP must still be faxed; paperwork must be filled out and the Cartographer's office must be faxed.

Separation

Separation is a yet more serious penalty, usually issued to those who ignore previous admonitions or commit more serious crimes. It can be performed on most believers by a Prime, and on Primes by an Inquisitor or Fundamental. It is also used in cases where Excommunication is pending. Separation for most believers entails speaking the litany of Separation, which causes their cruciform to be deactivated and then fall off. The cruciform is to be stored in the Prime’s locker for the duration of the punishment. For Fractals, their rosary is confiscated, removing their public sign of faith and their access to the common areas of the Church. All Separations must be reported to the Church offices via fax, and any Separation intended to last longer than the duration of the shift must be actively approved by those offices.

Excommunication

Excommunication is the most serious form of Church discipline. It is only applicable in cases of the Mortal Sins defined in Church doctrine, but it is immediately applicable when any of them are committed, with no prior admonition required (with the exception of Indolence, which requires a pattern of vice). All excommunications must be approved by the Cartographer. In the case that a Prime believes a member has committed a mortal sin they should institute the penalty of Separation immediately. This includes if an Absolutist is found guilty of a 400 or 500 level offense; Separation is not discretionary in this case, it must be done. The Cartographer’s office must then be faxed the details of what occurred so she may render a judgment on the case. She may decide to approve the Excommunication, institute a lesser penalty, or institute no penalty at her sole discretion. If the Excommunication is approved, the individual is to be from that day forward not considered a member of the Church. They are barred from Church areas and procedures as noted above, and may only be readmitted by the word of Augustine herself, with the normal methods for redeeming oneself found in Church doctrine.