On Our Covenant of Faith - a Call to Pastors
From LanceaSanctum
Given as the keynote sermon at the opening of Halen Noviciate in Belgium, by Bishop J.W.Ghoren of Delaware.
I begin, Brothers and Sisters, with a reading from the Wisdom of Sirach, a book I have found most personally enlightening of late, and a passage which deals closely with three topics. One, I have thought about personally and have observed in our discussions of the others; these topics are Pride, and Leadership and Unity.
Amen.
Brothers and Sisters in the Faith,
Recently, the world-wide forum for the Sanctified has been abuzz with deep, often heated debate over a few very important and interrelated issues, including the nature of our faith as it relates to the creeds and how, despite these differences, we may find Unity. Not so long ago, Her Eminence, Cardinal-Archbishop MacKenzie DuMont, shared a vision of Unity with our Church, which has led her to bring many Sanctified together at the Gran Ballo being hosted in Milwaukee later this month. Through the Most Honorable Cardinal, God has commanded us to Unity. And I believe that, through Him and the Purpose He has given us through Longinus, we may find that Unity if we but put aside our pride.
For the first time in about as long as I've ever heard of a Kindred being active, the Bishop of Rome hails from this country's neighbor, Germany. It is an honor to his country and his very orthodox faction of the mortal Church that former Cardinal Ratzinger was selected. We, the Sanctified, do not select a Dark Pope from among the Cardinals and other Luminaries of our Church. One reason is the importance we place on each Diocese's individual growth in the faith. The other is that the very selection of such a figure would curtail said growth. The lines would be drawn, my brethren, between Monochal and Exotheist, Westminster and Tollison, for the Dark Pope's own Creed would surely have great influence on the Church, likely to the detriment of others.
There is wisdom, Brothers and Sisters, in our choice not to have such a figure. For while we might Unify against outside enemies and outright Heresy under a Dark Pope, our internal community would suffer. The orthodoxy implied and imparted by a single figurehead would hurt our community of faith, which is presently strengthened by our diversity of Testament-based beliefs. Such a figure's mere presence would give radicals in his own creed legitimacy in attacking the faith of their Brothers. Internally, such a figure would turn our diversity into division, and in such a case Unity could be achieved only through opression. And opression, the Scripture tells us, is hated by the Lord.
So we have no Pontiff. What we have instead is a more dynamic leadership, and a broader conception of the faith for it. The Ninth Canon instructs us that he who most perfectly manifests his Damnation should lead in a given diocese, and that his leadership should not be impeded from without if his teachings remain true to the Testament. This has enabled our strength, my Brethren, for it allows each diocese to be served by the Predator best suited to serve. And in a given area, that Predator may benefit from an Exotheist, rather than Westminster, or Monochal rather than Tollison Creed. The decentralization of our Church has enabled it to spread throughout the world.
"As the people's judge, so are his ministers; as the head of a city, its inhabitants."
That same decentralization and diversity, however, can make coming together hard at times, between Creeds, and between dioceses, and can thwart our attempts at Unity... if we let it. If we allow the shrill cries of radicals among us to lead Sanctified to dismiss the faith of their Brethren; if we stand by when any Testament-loving Brother is told, "your faith is false, and your Predations a waste;" if we become arrogant in our own faith and give in to the temptation to discount our brethren, then we have truly failed in keeping our differences from dividing us.
Our differences do not need to divide us. That they do so occasionally is not a statement against the diversity of our faith or the Church we have built upon many Creeds. Rather, it is an indictment of Pride against those who drive such divisions. As I have noted, such is the road to opression, which is hated by the Lord. Sirach told his sons, "The beginning of pride is man's stubbornness in withdrawing his heart from his Maker." God does not want our minds or those of man; our minds are for living our our Purpose as best we can and appreciating the sublimity of Creation, which we have been given the gift of remaining within. Let our minds be put to these purposes, and not to imagining incompatibility in our faith and that of our brethren.
God wants our hearts! Faith and belief are not functions of the mind. If our hearts are laid bare before God, and we accept Him into them, then our Faith is true. Only from a position of humility can we truly accept God, for doing so requires acceptance of His Dominion over us. That Dominion is effected through Him, and requires that even we, who are His Dark Servants, recognize that all of His Plan is not for us to see. Too often have I seen those who would tear down their Brothers' faith claim or feign knowledge of His Plan. We cannot know it, though, and that is why we must have faith; similarly, it requires us to tolerate the righteous beliefs of our brethren. What we Know, is simply that He is real, and has given us through Longinus a Purpose, which our Faith instructs us gives Kindred the opportunity to remain a part of God's Plan. Let that be what we Know, my Brothers and Sisters, but do not hold God in your minds. His Nature - and the myriad forms He can take to those who find Him - that is beyond our comprehension.
Now, I do not mean to imply that we should not think about our faith, or even that we should not question ourselves or each other. I have not said, and would not say, that the mind plays no role in faith. To the contrary, our Faith flows from our understanding of God and what little of His Plan we have glimpsed through Scripture. That understanding is bolstered, in turn, by continual questioning and rigorous thought. It is not strengthened, however, by discrediting the beliefs of our Brethren without thought. It is when we come together as Brothers and Sisters in faith, holding dear our own Creeds but recognizing the devotion of our brethren, that we can learn the most about our own beliefs - and strengthen them - by sharing them with others and discussing rather than deriding our differences. (I would point out, tangentially, that the worst people throughout History - with Hitler in mind particuarly - Knew theirs was the only way and did not question their own Righteousness.)
Some have said that there is too much acceptance and recognition of diverse beliefs within our Church. To them, my response is thus: if my Brothers' beliefs have a foundation in the Testament, their practice of them and Creed should not concern us. To be sure, those creeds which veer from the teachings of Longinus should be culled. However, if we do not take the time to talk to our brethren about their beliefs, how can we hope to find out whether their faith is merely different than our own or truly heretical? Our vigilance against heresy and those who would lead others astray requires us to be critical of others' beliefs.
However, as I was reminded soon after becoming Bishop, our Inquisitors are not an Iquisition. Like our lack of a Dark Pope, our lack of a standing Inquisition is a testament to the room for diversity within our Church. And I personally believe that my faith is stronger for the debates I have had with brethren who believe differently. Though we may not share a creed, we share faith in God and knowledge of our Holy Purpose, and I have learned much about the foundation from which my faith flows - which I mentioned earlier - which has deepened my understanding of the Scriptures, and in turn my faith.
No man or Kindred - or Bishop - is an island. The nature of our Purpose may be solitary, but our nature is not, as evidenced in the Danse Macabre we are all pulled into from time to time. The Church exists because our varying faiths are stronger together than they could ever be separately. We are meant to come together and humbly discuss our faith and our Requia with each other. Let us not forget that Longinus himself was unable to share his beliefs adequately before further developing his foundation for them through his learning with the Monachus. We have so much to learn from each other, and it is prideful folly to eschew that wich our Brothers could teach us about our own faith merely because theirs is not exactly the same.
It is in this spirit that, this evening, I propose an ongoing Dialectic among leaders of the faithful. Rooting out Heresy falls to Bishops, unless the heretic in question is, himself, a Bishop. We can ensure that our Church remains rooted in the Testament by coming together to ensure that Sanctified Pastors have the foundation they need. We can help each other to find the best ways of passing on that foundation, as well as how to bring other Kindred to their Purpose to begin with. We can work together to develop Miracles, Devotions and Ritae to benefit our parishes. And we can together ensure that those new to the faith, such as those at this Novitiate, are well-served by the Church as they enjoin the service of God.
The Diocesan Dialectic will provide a forum for Parish Priests and Bishops of all stripes to come together and ask questions. Questions of faith, scripture, the Requiem, diocese leadership and other things. I would not see our world-wide list lose any of its heated discussions. But there are some topics that do not belong there, in which Pastors can benefit from the wisdom and experience of their peers. The Society will also build a resource database for Sanctified Pastors throughout the world, building and recording our understanding of our faith and our Church. And as of this night, I shall endeavor to build such a forum. For while we rightfully have no Dark Pope, the local and ecclesiastical leaders we do have can all benefit from sharing their knowledge of Sanctified leadership.
I do not seek to establish any hierarchy, nor (as I hope the rest of this Sermon implies) to impose any hegemony on the Church. I seek to help others who find themselves where I was half a year ago - thrust into leadership of a troubled diocese, and very limited in my own foundation. I have had trouble with pride, but believe I rightly take some in how quickly the foundation of my faith has grown. That growth would have been eased - and my diocese helped - by more readily available resources for and dialogue with other Sanctified leaders. I want all to contribute to their fellows' strength of faith and quality of leadership, regardless of faction or creed, and invite those Pastors here to join me in working toward that goal.
In Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, he wrote, "Do you not know that the unjust will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators nor idolators nor adulterers nor boy prostitutes nor sodomites nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor robbers shall inherit the kingdom of God. That is what some of you used to be; but now you have had yourselves washed you were Sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God." (1 Cor 6:9-11)
We are Sanctified, Brothers and Sisters, by our Purpose. We know the purpose because it - the Hunger and the Beast that drives it - has been given to us in unlife. We have felt it from the moment of Embrace, and in the Testament it resonates and creates a foundation for faith. We have been washed through our self-abasement before Him, and may find a place in His Plan through his unending mercy. Let us never deny our Brothers and Sisters who follow the Testament their equal place before God. And let us share our Damnation and take strength from each other - for though we are of many Creeds, we are One Church, under One God, serving One Holy Purpose.
I pray this night for the strength of all Damned's foundation of faith, and for the unity of our Church. The Lancea Sanctum is a Covenant - a pact, if you will - between imperfect Monsters who have come together through the Testament to strive to be perfect Predators. The Lancea Sanctum is also a House, in which the article of our faith - the Spear of Destiny - is to be held. Current leads on the Spear notwithstanding, do not be fooled into believing that it has ever been lost to us, truly. Brothers and Sisters, WE are the Spear now. Our predations reveal the divinity of God to mortals who we turn toward the light, and the divinity within themselves when they embrace His light. That our Spear has many different points does not worry me; nay, it gives me hope that we may continue to serve as many mortals as possible.
May this Novitiate thrive in the teachings of Longinus, and may we all take an example from its premise - that we do share a foundation, and we are strongest when we put down our Pride and allow it to bring us together in Service to God, Man and our fellow Kindred.
Thank you for the opportinity to address you this evening. I look forward to many nights working with my Brethren toward our mutual deeper understanding of our faith. May the Lord Guide your Predations, and Longinus your nights.
- Return to the Pastor Resource Database
- Return to Bishop J.W.Ghoren
- Go to The Diocesan Dialectic
