A worldwide council of Christianity—what people now call an Ecumenical Council.
Such councils are occasions where representatives from the universal Church or local churches gather to discuss matters of doctrine and governance, striving to reach a unified decision.
There are various forms of Church councils—bishop councils, patriarchal synods, regional gatherings—but among them, those that hold global significance for Christianity are known as Ecumenical Councils.
Now, Novia had officially convened one such council, hundreds of years before it would historically take place within the Roman Empire.
For Novia, who had personally ushered in Christianity's golden age, the Church was nothing like the scattered, persecuted institution it would later become. There had been no centuries of hiding, no theological fragmentation. In his version of the Roman Empire, all Christians followed a single doctrine—his doctrine—expounded through the churches under his leadership.
As such, the original First Council of Nicaea—which historically sought to resolve disputes on the relationship between Jesus and the Father, reject Arianism, establish the date of Easter, deal with Meletian schismatics, and recognize the primacy of the Bishop of Rome—had no actual reason to exist in this timeline.
In the first century, all theological teachings were still those Novia himself had proclaimed, and as the undisputed leader of the faith, most of those problems either hadn't arisen or were irrelevant—except, perhaps, for setting the date of Easter.
One could say that Novia had no need to convene such a council at all. His word alone carried the weight of law across the Church in the Roman Empire. "Autocracy" would not be too strong a word.
Yet, Novia chose to hold an Ecumenical Council—not just to disseminate the newly compiled New Testament, but also to set a precedent for the future: that even the highest-ranking believer must convene a council when making major decisions.
Given Novia's extraordinary prestige, if he didn't set this example, it could one day justify the rise of papal absolutism.
In any massive organization, corruption is inevitable. Stagnation leads to collapse. Constructive conflict is necessary. As for whether these debates would eventually cause schisms—Novia didn't care. Unity or division didn't matter so long as the Church's core values remained: aiding the poor, loving one another, caring for the weak, and treating children with kindness.
If even those values were lost—then better the Church be destroyed than continue hollowed out.
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"We believe in one God, the Almighty Father, Creator of all things visible and invisible."
Within a structure resembling the Roman Senate, Novia stood alone at the center, speaking solemnly to the representatives of the Church from every corner of the Empire.
No one dared interrupt. Silence reigned.
Emperor Nero, robed in radiant red, entered quietly and took the rearmost seat—merely an observer.
"We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begotten of the Father, the only-begotten, born of the Father's essence."
The room's decor echoed imperial grandeur. The stillness turned it into a sacred space.
"God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God. Begotten, not made; consubstantial with the Father. Through Him, all things in heaven and on earth were made. For our salvation, He came down and became flesh. He suffered, and on the third day rose and ascended into heaven."
After proclaiming the Creed, Novia declared that Easter would henceforth be celebrated on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox—independent from the Hebrew calendar.
"The love of the Lord is everything. We shall not casually speak of the glory of the Son of Man. What He entrusted to us is sacred, solemn, and revered. It is our duty to care for all things through this gift. Therefore, from this day forward, we shall be called the Sanctum Church."
The proposal to rename Christianity to the Sanctum Church puzzled many, but they did not oppose it. After all, it was just a name. Perhaps Novia had his reasons—they assumed as much.
As the council drew to a close, Novia was naturally acclaimed as the first official leader of the newly named Sanctum Church. Though he had already acted in that role, this recognition made it formal and undisputed.
A debate ensued about what title such a leader should bear.
It was Nero, the ever-observant Empress, who proposed the answer—
"Pope."
The suggestion was unanimously accepted.
Before the council ended, Novia addressed them one last time:
"The Sanctum Church, and all that the Son of Man has entrusted to me—this is our faith.
It is an unbreakable covenant, an oath that cannot be betrayed, a mutual bond that binds us all.
We exchange these promises with words, and we swear by all that we are.
It is precisely because one person alone cannot stand against the world that we must unite.
No matter the era, humanity shares the same interests—
To eliminate heresies born outside of mankind,
and when fellow believers displease us, we must close our eyes and borrow from their strengths.
We have always been a community. And as the Sanctum Church, this community exists for each of its members,
and for all those in sorrow, in suffering, for the lost and the broken.
We exist for people, and people alone.
This is not something the Lord demands of us.
It is our covenant,
a covenant that begins now and shall extend far into the future—
a covenant that all believers, in every age, must uphold."
Thus, in the year 55 AD, the faith known as Christianity officially changed its name.
The Sanctum Church stepped onto the historical stage of the Roman Empire.
And its first Pontiff bore the name Novia.
Full Title:
The Heir of Jesus Christ, Interpreter of the Lord's Will, Supreme Servant of God, Guide of the Earthly Kingdom, Peacemaker Among Men, Herald of the Mortal World, Numberer of All Things, Inexhaustible Devotee of the Faith, Supreme Patriarch of the Universal Church, Servant of the Holy Land, Archpastor of the Roman Provinces, Scribe of the New Testament, Gatekeeper of Heaven's Judgment.
—-
"…I see."
After the council concluded, dusk began to fall. The attendees busied themselves with preparations to return home and resume their duties, a flurry of movement and urgency.
Yet amid the crowd, one figure wore a troubled look.
John—one of the Eleven Apostles.
He seemed torn, caught in the depths of his thoughts.
At last, he quietly sought out Novia.
"…Yes, Novia. As unbelievable as it sounds…
Last night—I saw it.
The end of the world."
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