✠ Entering the Clergy: Rules for Nobles ✠

[Apateus]

[!] A bulletin is posted in front of the Grand Cathedral of Adelsburg, bearing the seal of the Vater.
A copy is also kept in the Temple Rules' Archive in the Vater's Palace [!]

✠ Rules for Nobles entering the clergy ✠

23, Godsnight, 1542​

Nobles entering the clergy

Any noble in the Empire who is not Herzog (or higher) or Graf can freely join the clergy.
A (Groß)Herzog or Graf of an Imperial fief can in fact remain in the clergy only by assuming the status of Herold, described below in this document.

In the case of dynastic succession, a noble member of the clergy who inherits land has three options:

• Giving up your inheritance, letting the next heir in line succeed.
• Assume Herold status (if possible).
• Leave the clergy and just become (Groß)Herzog or Graf.

Status: Herold of Alder

Requirements for admission:

• You must be a member of the Hadriana nobility.
• You must be appointed by the Vater.
• You must be of the human race.
• Never been married.
• It is necessary to be baptized.

Privileges and obligations:
The Herolds are the official representatives of the clergy in the Hadrian politics, they carry out the task of spreading and promoting the faith and of first intermediaries between the Temple and the politics of Hadriana on behalf of the Vater.

The Herolds are allowed to own fiefdoms or noble titles on behalf of feudal lords of Hadriana external to the Temple, they are excellent candidates for appointment as future Erzbishops and are direct advisors to the Vater.
They may be entrusted with the "spiritual oversight" of an Imperial Erzbisphoric or Abbey on behalf of the Vater to report about Cults or Erzbishops in case of tensions with the nobility. They can baptize, celebrate weddings or funerals.

It is their duty to remain celibate and practice chastity. They cannot have legitimate children or inherit lands, and upon their death all their possessions revert to their feudal lord or the Temple, whether granted by vassalage or personal possessions.
The penalty for violating this rule is exclusion from the clergy.

Any officer of the Templar Paladins, including their first commander the "Grand Master" is chosen from among the Herolds.

Herolds of Alder can become Erzbishops or "High Templars".

Signed Gregor von Volker, Vater of the Alderist Temple