Aurora:Pope John Paul III
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Pope John Paul III, previously PerseusV, is the current leader of the Holy Catholic Church. He is the first pope to be a member of the Dominican Order and first pope to not have played on Terra Nova.
Perseus was ordained as a priest in August of 2023 in Rome, Papal States. He remained in Italy for his episcopacy, where he served as Bishop of Sicily and later as an titular archbishop in Rome as the Prefecture of the Papal Household. He was created a cardinal on May 16th, 2023, by Pope Clement XV. During his time as cardinal, he served as the Cardinal Secretary of State and oversaw the governance of the Papal States. He was the project manager for the construction of the new St. Peter's Basilica on Terra Aurora.
Following the historic resignation of Pope Pius XIII on September 24th, 2024, a papal conclave elected Perseus to be his successor on the 5th of October. His election came after the longest conclave in the history of the Church on EarthMC, taking two separate rounds of voting over the course of a week. He startchose the name John Paul as his papal name in honor of Pope Saint John Paul II.
Pope John Paul III is widely recognized for his pastoral excellence, his impassioned speeches, and his ability to connect deeply with the faithful. Before his ascension to the papacy, he built a reputation as an advocate for community engagement, organizing numerous events that brought together Christians of all walks of life such as the coronation of the Holy Roman Emperor in May of 2024. A strong proponent of Christian unity, Pope John Paul III has consistently emphasized the importance of bridging divides within the Christian community, making it a central pillar of his young papacy. He views every initiative through the lens of advancing the Church's mission, urging his prelates to set aside all personal differences and tensions for the sake of spreading the truth of God's love to all. Whether through local gatherings in Rome, Church-wide celebrations, or administrative efforts, his leadership has so far been marked by a genuine desire to serve, inspire, and unite the people of God.