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The Church of England or Anglican Church (イギリス清教 Igirisu Seikyō?, lit. "English Puritan Church", Yen Press: English Puritan Church) is one of the world's three largest Christian denominations in the world of Toaru Majutsu no Index.[1] Most named magic side characters come from the denomination, specifically, from its 0th Sector, the Church of Necessary Evil, and are most often supportive to Kamijou Touma's actions in the storyline.

Etymology

The characters used for the Church follows the author's naming convention of having it named after a place and adding its quality, in this case, the proper name of the Anglican Church is English Puritan Church in the Toaru Majutsu no Index setting.

However, it only applies when the name of the Church is written down in text, as the Church's pronunciation is simply called English Church if spoken. Furthermore, However, the third chapter of Toaru Majutsu no Index Light Novel Volume 07 has "Anglican_Church" as its English subtitle. As such, since the Church is modeled of the real world Church, many translations forego or outright remove the Puritan adjective of the Church, as will this wiki, which will refer to in all articles as either the Church of England or the Anglican Church.

Background

King Henry VIII in his reign during the 1500s created the Anglican Church, as he hated having other countries interfering with the governing of his own country. In order to get rid of all external influence, he made sure of two points when he created the Church. The first was that the country would never be violated by foreign influences and the second was that the King of England would be at the top of the Anglican Church and that the king did not have to listen to the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church.[2]

The Church was originally a mere political tool, lower in power than the Knights of England. However, the Church had gained enough power to be of equal standing with the British Royal Family and the Knights of England.[3]

The Church of Necessary Evil

Main article: Necessarius
Toaru Majutsu no Index II E02 02m 14s

The true seat of the Church of England.

Due to the fact that Great Britain is a magical country, the Church of England were forced to do witch hunts, heretic hunts, and inquisitions, developing an anti-magician culture. Eventually, their operations materialized into massacres and executions.[4] In the end, in order to defeat magicians that are rampant in the country,[5] the Church established a special division, its 0th Sector, the Church of Necessary Evil, in an effort to know the ways of magicians as so they can defend against it, and in the process, become magicians themselves.[1]

However, because of the fact that they used magic, they were viewed poorly by the Church, and have been chased out of Canterbury Cathedral, which is the based of the Archbishop of Canterbury, leader of the Church of England, and sent to St. George's Cathedral. However, since the Church made numerous contributions behind the scenes, allowing for them to build a profile and power within the Church of England. Today, the power of Canterbury Cathedral has waned, and is only seen as a figure head of the Church of England, as the true decision-making powers have now been transferred to St. George's Cathedral.[5]

Recent history

In 1947, the Church of Necessary Evil took part, along with people who are even the least related to magic, in an attempted assassination of Aleister Crowley, after he announced that he would give up magic and start all over again and analyze science and technology.[6] The Anglican Church later takes control of his assets after his presumed death.[7]

Twenty years prior to the start of the series, Sherry Cromwell was part of a secret sect that was created within the Anglican Church to create a Magician-Esper hybrid. She was the one who taught the esper known as Ellis, a child like her, magic and spell, and became good friends with him. However, when Ellis tried to use magic, the contradictions between magic and AIM proved fatal for Ellis, which burst his blood vessels and severely injuring him. At which point, operatives of the Knights of England came and destroyed the institution that Sherry and Ellis were in in, after the higher-ups of the Anglican Church realized that they were in contact with the science side, under the pretext of preventing the leakage of magic teachings and secrets, however, the true intention was because they didn't want magic to have any contact with science. The knights then killed Ellis, who used himself as a shield providing with Sherry enough time to escape.[8]

The Index Librorum Prohibitorum was established for the desire to counter, reverse-engineer, and neutralize magic, perhaps even neutralize all magic in the world.[1] With the cooperation of various churches and organizations of the world such as the Roman Catholic Church,[5] which has the Book of the Law, Index was filled with 103,000 grimoires.

Laura Stuart first appears in documents as the Archbishop of the Church of England and the head of the Church of Necessary Evil in 1909.[9] Following the events of the Coronzon Arc, she is replaced in the position by Tarot-based living Grimoire Dion Fortune.[10]

Principles

The Anglican Church is one of the largest denominations of Christianity in the world. It refers to itself as Catholic, meaning that they at least consider themselves following the Apostolic Succession as a branch of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, along with the Roman Catholic Church, and the Russian Orthodox Church.[11] It specializes in in inquisitions and anti-magic, which necessitated in the creation of a secret sector, Necessarius, for such a deed.[1]

The Church's headquarters and its seat of power is officially in Canterbury Cathedral, but power has now actually transferred to St. George's Cathedral in London, England found in Lambeth.[5]

Domestic concerns

It is the state religion of all the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and along with the Knights of England, support the British Royal Family in the shadows, there existences ensuring a kind of check and balances for each other.[2] The monarch is the supreme head of the Church, as such, the Church answers to the reigning monarch. The balance of power in England rested on the three powers, with the British Royal Family, composed of the monarch and her committee, the Knights of England, made up of its leader and fellow knights, and the Anglicans, made up of the Archbishop and her followers. The Royal Family controlled the Knights of England through direct orders; The Knights of England made use of the Anglicans through political items; and the Anglicans manipulated the British Royal Family through holy advice.[3]

With regards to its own religions practices and rituals. The Church of England is more liberal when it comes to with what their various sects believe in. In fact, according to Tsuchimikado Motoharu, there is no other Christian denomination in the world that is as complicated as the Church of England. They have all sorts of sects and beliefs, such as the Kabbalah expert Sherry Cromwell and Amakusa-Style Remix of Church. Tensions between different factions will naturally rise, but because of this variety, the Church of England is composed of several belief systems that can be benefited by them.[12]

Foreign relations

The Church of England operates globally, specifically, their magicians, allowing members such as Stiyl Magnus operating in Siberia,[13] and can be assumed has good standing with the countries they are in in order to carry out their operations.

Moreover, with Academy City, whom regularly allows other Churches to operate inside the city when it concerns magic and magicians, such as when the the Thirteen Knights of the Roman Catholic Church hunting down Aureolus Izzard, [14] no other Church has a better standing in Academy City than the Church of England. It was due to Laura Stuart signing a pact of alliance after Kamijou Touma became the keeper of the Index Librorum Prohibitorum,[12] allowing the Church of England to receive aid and gifts from it, such as a washing machine.[15]

Index SS 006-007 Clean

The girls of Necessarius meet up with Sasha Kreutzev during the conference between the Churches of England and Russia.

Up until the invasion of Academy City, the Church had a neutral relationship with other churches such as the Roman Catholic Church, going in operations together for political reasons,[5] and the Russian Orthodox Church, whom up until their alliance with the Roman Catholic Church for the inevitable war, held meetings with the Church.[16] It can be assumed that the relationship between them has cooled off after the war, but still draws suspicion towards each other.

Known members

Witches

Members of the Church of Necessary Evil

Affiliated Factions and Sects

Roman Catholic Church London branch

Refers to the established Roman Catholic Church faction that was introduced by Agnese Sanctis after becoming affiliated with Necessarius.[15]

Amakusa-Style Remix of Church

The sect is allowed to not to discard their codes and teachings. The Amakusa-Style Remix of Church is multi-religious and is flexible enough to follow the rituals of the Church of England.

External Links

References

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