056: Novia's Covenant and the Portents of Revelation
A worldwide conference of the Christian religion is known as an ecumenical council.
A church council is a gathering of representatives from the universal church or local churches to discuss church affairs collectively, aiming to reach unanimous decisions.
There are many types of church councils, such as episcopal conferences, patriarchal synods, or local councils. Among these, the worldwide conference of the Christian religion is known as an ecumenical council.
Now, Novia has officially convened this council, which originally would not have begun in the Roman Empire until three hundred years later, a full three centuries ahead of schedule.
For Novia, the glorious Christianity he brought forth is entirely unlike that of later eras. Unlike in later times, where years of hiding and dispersion led to differing understandings of faith among Christians across the Roman Empire—with interpretations relying solely on local bishops—Novia's Christianity faced no such issues.
This also means that the historical reasons for the first ecumenical council—resolving disagreements among bishops about the relationship between Jesus and God the Father, addressing Arian teachings, establishing Easter, dealing with the Meletian schism, and recognizing the Bishop of Rome's primacy over other bishops—are either non-issues or have not yet arisen in the first century AD, with the exception of establishing Easter.
In essence, Novia had no real need to convene an ecumenical council. It could even be said that his authority was unquestionable, and his words carried binding force over all churches across the Roman Empire, even without such a council.
However, Novia chose to convene the ecumenical council not only to disseminate the New Testament but also to set an example for future generations: no matter the circumstances, even the highest-ranking Christian believer must convene an ecumenical council to make major decisions.
After all, Novia's prestige was now so immense that failing to set such a precedent might indirectly lead to later popes ruling autocratically.
For an organization as vast as this, corruption was inevitable, and prolonged stagnation could lead to its collapse. Thus, necessary debate was essential. As for whether this would lead to schisms as in the original history, Novia was entirely unconcerned. Whether the church remained united or split, as long as its core principles—relieving the poor, loving one another, caring for the weak, treating children kindly, and so on—remained intact, it would suffice.
If even these principles were abandoned, it would be better for the church to be destroyed outright than to endure division.
"We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of all things visible and invisible."
In a facility resembling the Senate, Novia stood alone at the very center, addressing the leaders of churches across the empire.
Everyone listened in utter silence, not daring to make the slightest noise. Nero, dressed in a dazzling red robe, entered and took a seat at the back as an observer of the council.
"We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begotten of the Father, the only-begotten, that is, of the essence of the Father."
The decorations on the walls fully conveyed the solemnity of the place, and the silence transformed it into an even more sacred space.
"God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one essence with the Father, through whom all things in heaven and on earth were made. For us and for our salvation, he came down, became incarnate, was made human, suffered, and rose again on the third day, ascending into heaven."
Following this, Novia established the date of Easter: the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox, as the day of Jesus' resurrection, independent of the Hebrew calendar.
"The love of the Lord is everything in this world. We must not boast of the Son of Man's glory in vain. What the Son of Man has left us is a holy, solemn, and reverent space, which we must use to care for all. Therefore, from this day forward, we shall be known as the Holy Church."
As for Novia's suggestion to change the name of Christianity to the Holy Church, although some were puzzled, they all agreed. After all, it was merely a name, and they assumed Novia must have his own unique understanding.
As the council drew to a close, Novia was naturally elected as the leader of the newly renamed Holy Church. Although his status had been implicitly acknowledged before, it was now officially and publicly affirmed.
However, the question of what title to use was discussed at length. In the end, Nero, who had been observing the proceedings, proposed—
Pope.
This was unanimously agreed upon by all.
Just before the council officially concluded.
"The Holy Church is what the Son of Man has entrusted to me. This is our faith, an unbreakable covenant, an unbetrayable oath, or perhaps the binding conditions that unite us all."
"We exchange verbal promises and pledge with everything we have."
"Precisely because one person cannot fight alone, we must unite our strength. At all times, our interests as humans are aligned. Eliminate heretics who harbor malice toward humanity, and if there are things about fellow believers that displease you, close your eyes to them. Please, by all means, draw upon the strengths of others."
"We have always been a 'community,' and as the 'community' of the Holy Church, it was established precisely for each of its members, for all those in the world who suffer, those in misfortune, those lost about the future—for people, and only for people."
"This is not what the Lord demanded, but a covenant between you and me. It is also a covenant that, from now until the distant future, all believers of God in the world should follow."
Thus he spoke.
Therefore, in the year 55 AD, Christianity changed its name, and the Holy Church formally stepped onto the historical stage of the Roman Empire.
Its founder and first Pope was named Novia.
His full title was:
Successor of Christ Jesus, He Who Correctly Understands the Lord's Will, Chief of the Servants of God, Leader of the Heavenly Kingdom on Earth, Mediator of Conflicts, Guide of the Mortal World, Counter of All Things, He Whose Faith in the Lord Is Boundless, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, Servant of the Holy Land, Teacher of the Lands of the Roman Province, Scribe of the New Testament, Interrogator at the Gates of Heaven.
.....
"...I see."
After the Council concluded, the sky gradually darkened. Those who had participated in the Council were busy preparing to return to their local duties, and thus were extremely occupied. Yet among this crowd, John, one of the Eleven Apostles, wore a troubled expression, as if pondering something.
In the end, John secretly sought out Novia.
"Yes, Novia. Though it is hard to believe, last night, I saw... the End."
Note: I'm new to translating so please be kind and tell me any mistakes you all find, I will try to release a chapter a day but don't expect much
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