The Father

The leader of the Faith

This article was written for Summer Camp 2024. Therefore it is unpolished and lacking formatting and information. Feel free to comment with any questions or requests for clarification.

The Father is the highest rank in the priesthood of the Faith. There is only ever one Father at a time, is held until death, and it is a politically significant role; in theory, the Father holds sway over the leaders of countries where the Faith is the dominant or official religion. In practice, this is not always the case. Throughout history, some Fathers have been the puppets of rulers, or held little to no power at all. In modern times, countries under the Erish Empire defer to the Father, and the Emperor generally listens to him. Other countries who have the Faith as their official religion may or may not recognise the authority of the Father; Caillah, for instance, recognises their ruler as the head of the church instead.
Symbolically, the Father is married to the Mother. This means that the role can not be passed on to anyone who has already married, even if that marriage is no longer current. The Father is also expected to have no biological children, as he must view all those of the Faith equally. Indeed, they are expected to be celibate. Upon taking up the mantle, he must renounce his family, such as his siblings; due to the age most Fathers are raised up, their parents are unlikely to be alive. Famously - or perhaps, infamously - not every Father has followed these rules.