Leonism
Leonism is the dominant religion pertaining to the Leonids. It has two main denominations: Orthodoxy or Orthodox Leonism, and Dissentism or Dissentist Leonism. It is prevalent in one of its two denominations through most of the Imperial States.
Beliefs
Leonists worship the Pride Pantheon, a family of divine beings, though in most denominations, especially Orthodoxy, the family as a whole is considered more important than any particular member, and as such the religion is generally referred to as monotheistic. The Pride Pantheon are understood primarily as patrons and guardians of Leona City and the Leonid people.
The Pride Pantheon communicate with mortals through divine inspiration; the people capable of receiving such inspiration varies by denomination. Under Orthodoxy, divine inspiration is reserved for Consuls, who transform this inspiration into scripture. Dissentist views generally argue that anyone can recieve inspiration, so long as they accept the Pride Pantheon as their guardians. The validity of historical Consulate scripture is a matter of debate amongst Dissentist denominations.
Practice
The smallest unit of Leonid practice is the Temple. Each temple has a pastor, who is assisted by deacons.
Orthodox temples function primarily as collections of scripture, though will also feature statues and memorials and hold services and ceremonies in order to honour the Pride Pantheon such that the temple and it's surrounding community will be blessed by their protection. Orthodox pastors make decisions largely by consulting scripture.
Dissentist temples generally serve as much more communal spaces, and can function akin to libraries or even taverns at times (though alcohol is usually prohibited). In addition to regular services, they may be used for public gatherings or ceremonies such as weddings or town meetings, the idea being that worship ought to extend to aspects of everyday life. Some Dissentist pastors stock scripture, while others are guided by direct inspiration.
Within Orthodoxy, but not usually in Dissentism, temples are united into parishes, spanning several towns or a single city. At the centre of each is a Grand Temple (Elvish: Templum Magnum), whose pastor is referred to as a "priest", and whose deacons may be called "priest deacons".
Traditionally, parishes would unite into dioceses, ran by a bishop and his bishop deacons, who answered directly to the Consulate. There were 20 such dioceses in the Leonid Empire, though only 5 remain in the Kingdom of Leona. The United Orthodox Parishes of the South Kingdoms in Reseggia do not unite into a diocese. Leona City itself is an exception to this rule, its templed answering directly to the Consulate.
The term "clergy" can refer to any pastor, priest, bishop, or his deacons, while "patriarch" refers only to pastors, priests, and bishops.
Magic
Leonists avoid using the notion of "magic" to describe the acts and miracles performed by the Pride Pantheon. The term is generally reserved (alongside the more derogatory "witchcraft") to describe instances of magic performed by other practitioners.