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Bill: Reorganization of the Mordusian Church Act of 3070
Details
Submitted by[?]: Royal Fascist Party (IA)
Status[?]: passed
Votes: This bill is a resolution. It requires more yes votes than no votes. This bill will not pass any sooner than the deadline.
Voting deadline: December 3069
Description[?]:
| The current Catholic tradition of the Coptic Church is dying. There has been no legitimate Pope for hundreds of years. As such we will reorganize the Church to fit better with the traditions that have arisen within the Church since the death of Pope Petre Flavinof the Devout over 300 years ago. We will resolve to make these traditions the official structure of the Church. Henceforth the Mordusian Coptic Catholic Church will be reformed as the Mordusian Episcopal Church. Structure: As its name suggests, the Episcopal Church will be governed according to episcopal polity with its own system of canon law. This means that the church will be organized into dioceses led by bishops in consultation with representative bodies. It will be a unitary body, in that the power of the General Convention is not limited by the individual dioceses. At the local level, each congregation will elect a vestry or bishop's committee. Subject to the approval of its diocesan bishop, the vestry of each parish will elect a priest, called the rector, who has spiritual jurisdiction in the parish and selects assistant clergy, both deacons and priests. (There is a difference between vestry and clergy elections – clergy are ordained members usually selected from outside the parish, whereas any member in good standing of a parish is eligible to serve on the vestry.) The diocesan bishop, however, will appoint the clergy for all missions and may choose to do so for non-self-supporting parishes. The middle judicatory will consist of a diocese headed by a bishop who is assisted by a standing committee. The bishop and standing committee are to be elected by the diocesan convention whose members are selected by the congregations. The election of a bishop will require the consent of a majority of standing committees and diocesan bishops. Conventions will meet annually to consider legislation (such as revisions to the diocesan constitution and canons) and speak for the diocese. Dioceses are to be organized into nine provinces. Each province has a synod and a mission budget, but it has no authority over its member dioceses. The highest legislative body of the Mordusian Episcopal Church will be the triennial General Convention, consisting of the House of Bishops and the House of Deputies. All active (includes diocesan, coadjutor, suffragan, and assistant bishops) and retired bishops will make up the over 300 members of the House of Bishops. Diocesan conventions shall elect over 800 representatives (each diocese elects four laity and four clergy) to the House of Deputies. The House of Deputies is to elect a president and vice-president to preside at meetings. General Convention can enact two types of legislation. The first type are the rules by which the church is governed as contained in the Constitution and Canons; the second type are broad guidelines on church policy called resolutions. Either house may propose legislation. The House of Deputies shall only meet as a full body once every three years; however, the House of Bishops shall meet regularly throughout the triennium between conventions. The real work of General Convention is to be done by interim bodies, the most powerful being the Executive Council, which shall oversee the work of the national church during the triennium. The council shall have 40 members; 20 are to be directly elected by the General Convention, 18 are to be elected by the nine provinces, and the Presiding Bishop and President of the House of Deputies are ex officio members. Other interim bodies shall include a number of standing commissions which study and draft policy proposals for consideration and report back to General Convention. Each standing commission shall consist of three bishops, three priests or deacons, and six laypersons. Bishops shall be appointed by the Presiding Bishop while the other clergy and laypersons are to be appointed by the president of the House of Deputies. The Presiding Bishop shall be elected from and by the House of Bishops and confirmed by the House of Deputies for a nine year term. The Presiding Bishop shall be the chief pastor and primate of the Episcopal Church and is charged with providing leadership in the development of the Church's program as well as speaking on behalf of the Church. The Presiding Bishop shall not possess a territorial see; however, the Presiding Bishop will enjoye extraordinary jurisdiction and has authority to visit dioceses for sacramental and preaching ministry, for consulting bishops, and for related purposes. The Presiding Bishop shall chair the House of Bishops as well as the Executive Council of the General Convention. In addition, the Presiding Bishop is to direct the Episcopal Church Center, the national administrative headquarters of the denomination. Liturgy: To fit with the old traditional liturgy, the new Church will keep all the old rituals and liturgy of the Coptic Catholic Church. This will ensure that most parishioners will notice little to no difference in their religious lives. Transition: To ease the transition from the old system to the new system the following steps will be enacted: 1) All Cardinals, Arch-Bishops, and Bishops will retain their Bishoprics so as to ensure a smooth transition. 2) The currently elected "Pope", Albrecht the Pious (or Albrecht Hastings), shall act as the first Presiding Bishop |
Proposals
Debate
These messages have been posted to debate on this bill:
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| Vote | Seats | |
| yes |
Total Seats: 396 | |
| no |
Total Seats: 354 | |
| abstain | Total Seats: 0 |
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