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The '''Ecclesiarchy''' (officially the '''Adeptus Ministorum''') is the official state church of the [[Imperium]]. {{citethis}} It maintains and spreads the [[Imperial Cult]] throughout the Imperium. Although the interpretation of particular Imperial Cult dogmas varies through the Imperium, any serious deviance from its strictures is considered [[heresy]] and dealt with extreme severity. The Ecclesiarchy is based on [[Terra]], its urban palace covering nearly all of the southernmost continent.{{citethisFn|1a}}

The Ecclesiarchy is not part of the [[Adeptus Terra]], but a wholly separate organisation. At its head is the [[Ecclesiarch]], who, by tradition, is always one of the [[High Lords of Terra]]. Below him are the [[Cardinal]]s, of whom there are several thousand. Below the Cardinals are the [[Ministorum Priest]]s: [[Deacon]]s, [[Preacher|Pontifices]], [[Confessor]]s, [[Missionary|Missionaries]] and [[Preacher]]s. Other specialist ranks and duties include [[Cenobite]]s, [[Relic-Keeper]]s, [[Drill Abbot]], [[Banisher]], and [[Chapel-Master]]s. {{Fn|11}}{{Fn|12}}{{Fn|1b}} A new senior rank, the [[Militant-Apostolic]], was recently created by [[Roboute Guilliman]].{{citethisFn|6}}

The Ministorum's ruling body is the [[Holy Synod]], comprised of the organisation's Cardinals. The Ministorum in turn divides the Imperium into thousands of [[diocese]]s, each generally encompassing an entire Imperial world - an exception being Terra, which has several dioceses. A diocese is further divided into '''parishes''' centered around a '''shrine'''. Each diocese is headed by a Cardinal, while each parish is headed by a Preacher. Ranking between these individuals are Pontifices whose authority extends over several parishes and preachers within a single diocese.{{citethisFn|1b}}

The Ministorum also includes an administrative bureaucracy, the [[Creed Temporal]], headed by [[Deacon|Arch-Deacons]], who control all secular business. Arch-Deacons are the administrative counterparts to Cardinals, responsible for the temporal affairs of an entire diocese. Their servants deal with the money entering and leaving a specific diocese or parish, regulate the construction of new shrines and temples and deal with the other physical requirements of the organisation.{{citethisFn|9b}}

The Ecclesiarchy directly rules several types of worlds of the [[Imperium]], most notably [[Shrine World]]s {{Fn|13}} and [[Cardinal World]]s.{{citethisFn|14}}

[[Image:Adeptus Ministorum organization chart.jpeg|300px|thumb|right|Adeptus Ministorum Organization{{citethisFn|1b}}]]

The '''Sisters of Battle''' act as armed wing of the [[Adepta Sororitas]] and the current standing army of the Ecclesiarchy.{{citethisFn|1c}}

The '''Frateris Templar''' were the original, all-male army of [[Goge Vandire]]. They were destroyed by a [[Warp storm]] while en route to [[Dimmamar]] to pacify the rebellious Confederation of Light. The storm became known as the [[Storm of the Emperor's Wrath]]. They have since been disbanded, and their roles have been assumed by the Sisters of Battle.{{citethisFn|1c}}

The unofficial armies of the Ministorum, the religiously-motivated '''Frateris''' fight wars of faith against the enemies of the Imperium.{{citethisFn|1b}}

During the [[Great Crusade]], many different cults appeared throughout the Imperium worshiping the Emperor as a god, each with their own subtle variations and differences. These forms of worship appeared first in those primitive planets that had strongly regressed during the [[Age of Strife]]. This culminated in the worship of the Emperor as a god by the [[Word Bearers]], resulting in the authoring of the [[Lectitio Divinitatus]] by [[Lorgar]]. Despite the Emperor's ban on worship, the cults continued on in secret by such figures as [[Euphrati Keeler]], [[Kyril Sindermann]], and the [[Lightbearers]]{{Fn|8}}. The numbers of these cults multiplied immensely with the Emperor's ultimate sacrifice to mankind and subsequent incarceration upon the [[Golden Throne]]. Most of these cults would gradually fade away, while others prospered, eventually absorbing the weaker ones. The more successful ones spread their forms of worship to other planets.{{citethisFn|1a}}

The strongest of all of them was the [[Temple of the Saviour Emperor]]. This cult had the advantages that it was based on Terra, and that its leader had been a successful and respected officer of the [[Imperial Army]] who had fought at the [[Battle of Terra]], defending the [[Imperial Palace]]. This leader had re-named himself as [[Fatidicus]] and had begun to preach his teachings to anyone who would listen. This faith spread among the members of the [[Imperial Guard]] and [[Imperial Navy|Navy]], but also to lowly scribes and minor adepts of the [[Adeptus Terra]]. The faith was spread by these individuals to other planets. When Fatidicus died at the age of 120, the Temple had more than a billion followers on Terra and untold numbers of the faithful throughout the [[Segmentum Solar]].{{citethisFn|1a}}

In the wake of the chaos and anarchy of the [[Horus Heresy]], the Temple of the Saviour Emperor provided a message of reunification through a common faith. Cults who rejected being absorbed, or who couldn't be absorbed, saw themselves being persecuted by fanatical mobs. Officially, the Temple rejected this violence performed in its name. This development culminated in [[M32]] as almost two-thirds of the Imperium followed the teachings of the Temple, the exceptions being the [[Space Marines]] and the [[Adeptus Mechanicus]], who had their own form of worship. The Temple's importance, influence, and power rapidly outmatched any other Imperial cult.{{citethisFn|1a}}

In the early [[M32|32nd millennium]] the Temple became the state religion of the Imperium. It also became an official organisation of the Imperium as the '''Adeptus Ministorum'''. A few centuries later [[Ecclesiarch]] [[Veneris II]] received a seat amongst the High Lords of Terra, and after 300 years this seat was made permanent. The power of the Ecclesiarchy continued to grow, increasing its hold over the Imperial citizenry. Those who would not follow its teachings were declared unbelievers, ostracised, and on occasion even executed. The vast territories of the Imperium were organised in dioceses led by Cardinals. These powerful figures were responsible for Missionaries and Preachers on hundreds of worlds. Lavish shrines, impressive temples, and majestic cathedrals were built throughout the Imperium.{{citethisFn|1a}}

The only threat to the Ecclesiarchy was the [[Confederation of Light]]. Based upon the planet [[Dimmamar]], this penitent faith's ideals of poverty and humble living clearly contradicted the teachings of the Ecclesiarchy, whose view was that sacrifices of wealth and money were for the citizens. The Confederation was too difficult to infiltrate, and the Ecclesiarchy turned to violence, supported with the unanimous vote of the Senate of the High Lords of Terra, declaring the first [[War of Faith]]. The entire Confederation was declared heretical and the forces of the Imperial Guard, the Imperial Navy, and thousands of fanatical zealots were unleashed upon it, bent on its destruction. Only a few cells and hidden shrines of the Confederation managed to survive and the power of the Ecclesiarchy was made complete.{{citethisFn|1c}}

During the [[War of the Beast]] in mid-[[M32]], the Ecclesiarchy was overseen by Ecclesiarch [[Mesring]], who went mad as the conflict ground on. After he pledged allegiance to [[The Beast]], the Ecclesiarch was executed by [[Lord Commander of the Imperium]] [[Koorland]]. Koorland went on to strip the Ecclesiarchy of its seat on the [[Senatorum Imperialis]] and revoked their [[Tithe]] privileges.{{Fn|5}} However Koorland ultimately met his end on [[Ullanor]]{{Fn|16}}, and following [[The Beheading]] his reforms were undone. The Ecclesiarchy regained its seat on the Senatorum Imperialis during the reign of [[Drakan Vangorich]].{{citethisFn|15}}

The '''Plague of Unbelief''' is considered part of the Age of Apostasy, although occurring several decades after Sebastian Thor's ascension to the position of Ecclesiarch. The main perpetrator of the Plague of Unbelief was [[Cardinal Bucharis]].{{citethisFn|1d}}

*[[Fatidicus]] - Founder of the [[Temple of the Saviour Emperor]]{{citethisFn|1a}}*[[Sebastian Thor]] - [[Preacher]] who became one of the most influential [[Ecclesiarch]]s{{citethisFn|1c}}*[[Goge Vandire]] - The mad [[Ecclesiarch]] who oversaw the [[Age of Apostasy]]{{citethisFn|1c}}*[[Cardinal]] [[Bucharis]] - Instigator of the [[Plague of Unbelief]]{{citethisFn|1d}}*[[Eos Ritira]] - Current [[Ecclesiarch]]{{Fn|17}}*[[Baldo Slyst]] - [[Ecclesiarch]] who instigated the [[Hexarchy]] coup against [[Roboute Guilliman]]{{Fn|17}}*[[Mesring]] - [[Ecclesiarch]] during the [[War of the Beast]]{{Fn|15}}*[[Mathieu]] - Current [[Militant-Apostolic]]{{Fn|6}}*[[Confessor|Arch-Confessor]] [[Kyrinov]]{{citethisFn|1e}}*[[Confessor]] [[Dolan Chirosius]]{{citethisFn|1d}}*[[Cardinal]] [[Armandus Helfire]]{{citethisFn|1e}}*[[Missionary]] [[Uriah Jacobus]]{{citethisFn|1e}}