Chapter 52: Live By Your Conviction

—“The Religion of

The Cathedral of Light in Graheel was just as grand on the inside as it was on the outside. The ceiling was high and grand with an arch held up with rows of beautifully carved ivory pillars. Light shined in through the large and magnificent stained glass windows above. There were rows of hardwood benches surrounded by countless standing candelabras. In front of those benches was a large altar to the Light with a podium in front.

Crowley was currently standing on that podium.

Today at the Cathedral of Light, a large crowd of well over a thousand people all dressed in formal wear gathered inside. There were some sitting in one of the many rows of benches while most were standing. All listening to Crowley, intently, while he gave an impassioned sermon on acceptance.

Crowley: “And remember what Sherdion said, just as the Light accepts all, we too must strive to be like it. Accepting all despite their difference with love and compassion, for we are all the children of the Light. Regardless of appearance, status, job, or mutation, you are all equal in Light. So when you all leave here today, I encourage you to be kind to your neighbors, to those who may not practice, and to each other here. To do so is to bring yourself closer to Light.” Crowley stopped his speech for a moment to take a sip of water, before speaking again. “What I’m trying to get at and hope you all understand, is that we need more kindness. In a world that is full of so much hate today, the compassion and love of Light and its children is most needed. Corta 11:34—‘By grace of my warmth, I give you my love unconditionally. For you are my son, my daughter, my child, and I will be by your side even in darkness.’ And so let it be. Lishla.”

Crowd: “Lishla,” they all repeated in unison.

Crowley looked over from his podium at his congregation. There was every person from every walk of life. All gathered here in this place listening to his words. It didn’t matter if they were rich or poor. Even mutants, who would not have been allowed in here many years ago, were here sitting beside their fellow church-goers.

The sight filled him with a sense of hope. That the Cathedral of Light could truly be a sanctuary for everyone. Seeing so many different kinds of people together showed him that any difference they had between each other was meaningless. Everyone is equal in the light. This is what Crowley truly believed. So it hurt to know that Archbishop Beck and a lot of other ministers were trying to ruin all this.

Crowley: “Now I know this has gone on a little longer than I normally do, but I still have one more thing to announce. But before that, let us break for now. Sister Dian and a bunch of volunteers made some special treats today for everyone to enjoy. We don’t want what they prepared to get cold, and I’m sure everyone would like to stretch their legs. So please, everyone help yourselves.”

Chatter started to fill the halls as people started getting up and out the church benches. The nuns and monks started ushering people into another room off to the side. Most of the attendees opted to leave early for various reasons, while the others followed the direction of the nuns.

Over the course of some time, the space was almost completely cleared out. Crowley stayed behind, intending to be the last to leave. He watched as people slowly dispersed. The last to leave was a couple with their son, who Crowley knew well.

It was the Marigold family with their adopted eight year old son, Tomus Marigold, who was a cute little fox mutant that looked like a ball of fluff covered head to toe in reddish-orange fur, while wearing dress clothes for a child. The Marigold had taken the poor little boy from a very bad situation and raised him as their own. Crowley remembered fondly doing a special ceremony the church does for adoption children. It was the kind ceremony where the parents promise before the light to take another child as their own and take care of them. Tomus cried back then and said how happy he was to finally be Ms and Mr Marigold's son. It was such a joyous moment for that family, and Crowley was proud to be part of it.

Tomus' fluffy pointed fox ears perked up and looked toward Crowley giving him a big vulpine smile, before being pulled along by his parents into the next room.

It was an innocent gesture, but it pierced Crowley’s heart and caused him turmoil.

He quietly thought to himself with a deep sense of sadness.

Archbishop Beck promised that he would restore some of the old church policy on mutants to appease the exterminationist faction of the church. He didn’t specify which policies he would be changing, leaving Crowley only to speculate some of the worst possibilities, such as restoring the old policy of not allowing mutants to even enter the premises of a church.

He stared down intensely at the lectern in front of him with fist clutch, fighting the emotions inside of him. Debating the best course of action he needs to take. A familiar voice called out to him, and brought back to attention.

Dian: “Father, everyone is in the kitchen area enjoying the tea and baked goods our volunteers made,” the older nun said.

Crowley: “Oh, um good. I’ll join in a minute.”

The older nun could tell something was off, but didn’t say anything. She just slightly bowed and walked off to the area everyone was at. Crowley followed behind her.

They entered into a large communal dining area with rows of tables and chairs, with a sizable kitchen off to the side for preparing food. The design of the room was more modern and less grand than the main Cathedral area. It was added on much later to the main building. Meant to help with the church's regular activity of feeding the needy, allowing the poor a warm and safe place to eat.

Laid out on some tables was an assortment of baked goods; on another table was large insulated metal urns with a small valve at the bottom to allow for the pouring of tea. Adults were enjoying the tea while the children here helped themselves to the baked goods. Everyone was chatting and the mood seemed positive.

A loud laugh from a woman rang out from a group of adults conversing with each other off to the side, while little children were running through the crowd playing tag. As Crowley was standing there looking around, a mutant girl and non-mutant man came up to him. It was Cindy and her fiancé Rob.

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Cindy was a mutant woman with the only notable mutation of deer horns on her head. Rob was a normal looking young man with an innocent looking boyish face. He looked a lot younger than he really was, despite him being a full grown adult.

Cindy: “Um, father. Could we talk to you for a brief moment.”

Crowley looked around to see everyone else conversing with someone else. He was not in a hurry to make his announcement, so decided to talk to the young engaged couple.

Crowley: “Oh course.”

Rob: “Thank you. We were just wondering if you um…um…” he said, having a hard time forming the words.

Cindy: “We wanted to know if you would officiate our wedding.” she said, cutting into Rob’s questions.

Rob: “Yeah,” he said nodding in agreement with his finance.

Crowley: “Oh, I already thought there was another priest who was going to do that.”

Cindy: “Father Qor was going to do it for us. But, something came up and we had to change the date of our wedding. We are going to tell father Qor about that today, but decided to ask if you would perform the ceremony instead.”

Crowley: “I'm sure father Qor would be disappointed that you don’t want him to be the one officiating your wedding.”

Rob: “Oh, nothing against father Qor. He’s a wonderful person. It's just that we’ve both known you longer than father Qor, and you're practically like family to the both of us. So we felt that it would be extra special if you were the one to do it.

Crowley has been serving as priest here in Graheel for over twenty four years now, since he was thirty when he was relocated here. He had built up quite the connection with many members of his congregation and was close to many of them. They always came to him with their woes and needs of spiritual guidance, always trying to do the best he could for them. Sёarᴄh the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Crowley wasn't surprised by the request. He suspected it was Cindy’s idea. She had lost her father at a young age. Accidentally causing Crowley to fill the role of a father figure she was lacking in her life. And in some ways, Crowley kinda felt that Cindy was like a daughter to him. Wanting him to have to have some part of their wedding was expected.

In truth, he had no problem officiating the wedding. In fact, under normal circumstances he would have loved to do this for both Cindy and Rob, but he worried that the things happening in the church would get in the way. Marriage between a non-mutant and mutant used to be forbidden by the church, and he didn’t know if it would go back to that way soon. Then there was also another important fact getting in the way, something that he was about to announce today to the people still here.

Crowley: “I want to tell you both that I would do this for you, but I have some issues I need to take care of at the moment.”

Cindy: “Oh, are you still busy? I thought that you might be more available now,” she said, sounding disappointed.

The disappointed in Cidy voice added to the constant feeling of anguish Crowley was almost constantly feeling. He felt like he was betraying this couple in a way by rejecting officiating the wedding himself. Not wanting to leave it like this, Crowley decided to delay his answer for now, at least until he made his big announcement.

Crowley: “Um, you know what, come talk to me later. Maybe we can work something out.”

Rob: “Thank you father. We’ll be sure to,” he said excitedly.

Crowley: “Don’t thank me yet,” he said with a smile.

Cindy: “Come, Rob. Let’s not bother the father anymore than we have, I'm sure there’s other people that want to talk to him. We’ll come talk to you in a few hours, is that OK?”

Crowley: “That’s fine.”

Cindy: “Ok. See you then,” she said with a smile.

The couple walked off, leaving Crowley alone by himself.

The old priest looked out into the room to see all the people gathered here, idly chattering with one another. The number of people here was less than hundred, with the vast majority of the other congregation leaving after his sermon, and expecting to hear his announcement from the other churchgoers later.

It all gave him a sense of melancholy. Crowley was there to share in many of these peoples moments of happiness and sorrow. Almost everyone here was someone that he felt like he had a positive impact in their lives, but it was more than that. They affected him as well.They taught him how to be a better person during his time as their ministers, and he was forever grateful for that.

Crowley sadly thought to himself.

He swallowed up the sadness he could feel forming, then called out to everyone here to make his announcement.

Crowley: “Can everyone be quiet for a moment? I have a big announcement to make,” he called out to everyone.

As he yelled that out, everyone stopped their chatter and turned toward Crowley. The old priest took a deep breath to help calm his nervousness.

Crowley: “I just want to thank everyone one last time for coming today. And um, the big announcement is that… I’m retiring,” he said, followed by a deathly silence.

No one said a thing. Some of the people present had their mouths agape in surprise about the sudden announcement. The only sound that could be heard was some of the children still running around playing, but even they stopped playing to see why all the adults were so quiet.

The causal feeling in the air took a turn and many that were present here started to look anxious at the sudden news. The nuns and the monks here looked absolutely shocked at the announcement, clearly not having been informed beforehand about this.

Priests of light don’t retire, not without a very good reason, such as declining physical or mental health. Most priests of light end up dying while serving their respective communities, just like the former Light Speaker. So it came as a shock for most people here that understood the severity of Crowley announcing retirement.

One of the Churchgoer present spoke up and broke the painful silence that was hanging in the air.

Churchgoer: “Father Crowley, are you ill?” he said, worried for the old priest's health.

Crowley: “Oh, no. It’s just…um.” he paused, struggling to come up with an excuse for his sudden retirement.

He looked out at the crowd of people with a sense of guilt. He could see some of the worries that were on some people.

Crowley silently concluded to himself.

Crowley: “The truth is that I'm being forced to go against my morals, by Archbishop Beck and others from the clergy that support him.” he said, fully planning on publicly implicating Beck for the reason he was leaving the church.

Another of the Nun, who was shocked that was present, spoke up.

Nun: “What do you mean?”

Crowley: “Archbishop Beck and his supporters want us to start excluding mutants from our congregation, and threaten me to do so, or I'd be forced out of the church. And, I'm sure you all know how I feel about the idea of forcing our mutant brothers and sisters out of our congregation. So that is why I'm retiring. Father Qor will take my place as head priest here. He’s in agreement with me about opposing the exclusion of some of our members, and will not turn away or discriminate against anyone.”

Cindy: “Why do you have to leave because of that!” the mutant woman with deer horns shouted.

Rob: “Yeah, Cindy's right. You shouldn't have to leave,” the mutant girl's fiancé said.

Churchgoer: “It shouldn’t be up to them to decide this,” another yelled angrily.

Crowley: “Please calm down everyone. You would think I’m dying with the way some of you are acting,” he said with a smile with some traces of somberness.“The reason I'm leaving like this is to protect our mutant members. It’s hard to explain how, but me leaving like this will help with the situation. Don’t worry. Father Qor will take care of everything. And maybe if we’re lucky, I might be able to return after the Speaker of Light is chosen,” he said, trying to give his congregation hope.

Crowley knew it would be unlikely he would be coming back after this announcement. Beck was the most likely candidate to be the Speaker of Light, and once he was elevated to that position, Crowley knew he would never be let back into the fold. Especially, after he implicated Beck as the reason for him leaving.

It was all part of Crowley’s plan.

He knew that leaving like this would cause chaos and discord in the leadership of the church, especially for Beck. After all, the former Hand of Light being forced out of the church, because an Archbishop tried to make him go against his morals would be scandalous. Crowley was praying that in that chaos, the archbishop would be forced to roll back on some of his promise to undo some of the church laws on mutants. All to stabilize his position as the next Speaker of Light and avoid the accusations Crowley was making.

While he hated playing politics, Crowley still knew how to play the game well. He won’t be a priest of light anymore, but this sacrifice would keep the mutants in his and others congregations across the western continent safe for a little while.

Crowley: “Anyways, I’m sure many of you have questions. But, I won’t be answering them here. As always, I have an open door policy. So feel free to come by my office later in a couple hours if anyone here needs to talk to me about this. And please, continue to enjoy the pastries that sister Dian and the volunteers brought.”

No one here looked happy at what Crowley just said. There was a lot of apprehension hanging in the air now, but there was nothing that could be done about it.

He then turned to the nun Dian, who looked as shocked as everyone else.

Crowley: "Sister Dian, I will be in my office for the next two hours sending out documents. If anyone comes to see me, let them know I will still talk to them after I’m done."

Dian: “Oh…Um, OK…” she said unsure, thinking he was about to do a bunch of paperwork involved in his retirement.

The old priest nodded and left the communal dining area.

Crowley was heading off to his office to send out the unsent speaker decrees.

Crowley thought, hoping to cause as much chaos as he could for Beck, as part of his plan.

Little did Crowley know, this decision to send out those speaker decrees would change everything.