Ecclesiarchy
The Ecclesiarchy (also known as the Adeptus Ministorum) is the official (and only legal) Church of the Imperium of Man, dedicated to the worship of the Emperor.
History
The Ecclesiarchy was not a creation of the Emperor, who despite his immortality and power did not want to be seen or worshiped as a god. The Ecclesiarchy emerged three Millenia after his ascention to the golden throne out of various cults and faiths based around the emperor, which gradually gained powerful. As of now, it is one of the most powerful insitutions in the Imperium of Man.
Organization
Despite being the only official Church in the Imperium of man, the Imperial Cult varies immesely, with a myriad of sects, mostly decended from earlier faiths with worship of the Emperor added over time after being conquered by the Imperium, as well as unusual philisophical posistions. However, despite this internal variation, the Ecclesiarchy can be extremely dogmatic at times and willing to declare minor deviations among a population that would otherwise be ignored as local customs as Heresy, condemming millions to Death.
Despite this, their are several groups which exist outside the Ecclesiarchy's control in the Imperium, among these are the Space Marines which have their own warrior cults that venerate the emperor as the apex of humanity, but not as their god, and the Adeptus Mechanicus, which are a largely seperate element in Imperial society and have their own set of religious beleifs revolving around the Machine God (Omnisiah).
The head of the Ecclesiarchy is the Ecclesiarch, one of the High Lords of Terra.
The armed forces of the Ecclesiarchy are the militant wings of the Adepta Sororitas.
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