L'Eglise Aristotelicienne Romaine The Roman and Aristotelic Church

[Siemen_van_Leeuwen]

The echo of footsteps across marble reaches him before he turns his head.

Siemen’s breath stills for a fraction of a second, held without quite meaning to hold it. When he finally allows himself to look, his posture straightens on instinct, hands settling together before him with careful precision. His gaze follows the sweep of red vestments in passing, and though he lowers his eyes in respect, his awareness lingers—keen, almost painfully so—on the presence moving toward the altar.

The familiar weight of his key pendant presses warm against his chest, steadying him as the Latin prayer rises through the basilica. He inhales slowly, exhaling just as carefully, grounding himself in the sound rather than the figure who spoke it. Still, there is an unmistakable quickening of his pulse, something he refuses to acknowledge even to himself.

When Cardinal Della Scala enters and begins to speak, Siemen inclines his head, shoulders settling into a reverent stillness. The words wash over him, solemn and formal, and he feels their gravity in a way that makes his throat tighten. His fingers curl briefly against the folds of his sleeve before relaxing again.

At the call — 'Our help is in the name of the Lord' — Siemen bows his head more deeply, hands folding together. His lips move silently, following the Latin response that echoes in the space around him, though he does not speak it aloud.

When he lifts his gaze again, it lingers only a moment longer than propriety allows in Kalixtus’s direction before he reins it in, settling his attention fully on Cardinal Della Scala. His expression is composed, his posture disciplined — yet beneath it all, there is a faint tremor in his stillness, the quiet knowledge that this moment is irrevocable.

Clad in white, heart unsteady but resolved, Siemen waits where he stands, prepared to be called forward.
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Voormalig Schildknaap van Didicus Crescenzi. Imperial Count of Moers. Burggraaf van Waterland.

[Alessandro Della Scala]

"Dear brothers and sisters in Faith in Almighty God, to Him be glory and grace, we are gathered here today to celebrate the entry of a new brother into the Community of the Faithful. This is a pivotal moment in the story of a person's life; it is the beginning of a journey of awareness in Faith and of drawing closer to the grace of God and the Solar Paradise."

And, approaching the one to be baptized, he asked him:

"What name would you be called with?"
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------------------------------------------------------------------+ Cardinal Alessandro Della Scala
----------Primate of the Holy Empire | Archbishop of Trier | Archbishop of Modena | Cardinal deacon of Sant'Adonia alle Terme

[Siemen_van_Leeuwen]

Siemen’s breath caught the moment the question reached him.

His eyes lowered instinctively, not in avoidance but in reflexive reverence, as though the words themselves required space before they could be answered. For a second he did not move at all—only the faint rise and fall of his chest betrayed the effort it took to steady himself.

His fingers tightened once against the fabric of his sleeve, then slowly released. The sound of the basilica seemed to recede slightly, as if the world had narrowed to just this question and his answer.

He swallowed.

When he spoke, it came carefully, as though he was placing the word down rather than saying it aloud.

“Si… Siemen.”

The name lingered in the air for a moment longer than it should have, and Siemen immediately lowered his gaze again, hands folding together with precise restraint. He remained still afterward, posture disciplined and composed, though faint tension still lingered in his shoulders as he awaited the Cardinal’s response.
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Voormalig Schildknaap van Didicus Crescenzi. Imperial Count of Moers. Burggraaf van Waterland.

[Alessandro Della Scala]

"Siemen what do you ask from the Church of God?"
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------------------------------------------------------------------+ Cardinal Alessandro Della Scala
----------Primate of the Holy Empire | Archbishop of Trier | Archbishop of Modena | Cardinal deacon of Sant'Adonia alle Terme

[Siemen_van_Leeuwen]

The question settles heavily in Siemen’s chest.

For a moment he simply stands there beneath the vastness of the basilica, white robes motionless save for the shallow rise of his breathing. His hands remain folded before him, though his fingers tighten faintly together at the words.

He knows the answer. He has known it for a long time.

And yet speaking it aloud here, before God and His Church, makes it feel far more real than it ever did in thought.

His throat tightens briefly. He lowers his gaze another fraction, steadying himself before he answers in a soft, careful voice touched by nervous hesitation.

“The f-faith… th-that grants me et… eternal life.”

The final words come quieter than the rest, earnest and unembellished. When he finishes speaking, he bows his head once more, posture composed despite the visible restraint it takes to keep his nerves from showing more plainly.
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Voormalig Schildknaap van Didicus Crescenzi. Imperial Count of Moers. Burggraaf van Waterland.

[Alessandro Della Scala]

Then Alessandro blows three times on the catechumen's face, saying:

"Exit from him filthy spirit of the unnamed creature, and leave place for the spirit of the Most High."

Then he makes a sign of the cross over all his body without touching him, and with extended hands says:

"Fullfill our preys, O Lord, and preserve with perpetual custody this elect of Thine, that Thou called at the rudiments of the faith: Thou who live and reign forever and ever. Amen"

Then the cardinal takes the catechumen's right hand with his left one, and enters the church with him, saying:

"Enter the temple of the Most High, in order for you to partecipate with His Prophets to the eternal life."
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------------------------------------------------------------------+ Cardinal Alessandro Della Scala
----------Primate of the Holy Empire | Archbishop of Trier | Archbishop of Modena | Cardinal deacon of Sant'Adonia alle Terme