Line #116 Main/SaintlyChurch


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7	[[quoteright:350:[[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/zelda___temple_of_time_by_md_arts_d5df7ey.png]]]]
8	[[caption-width-right:350:The [[UsefulNotes/{{Christianity}} Holy Trinity]] of triangles.]]
9
10	TheChurch that is AlwaysLawfulGood or NeutralGood. It is honestly interested in the saving of souls, promoting spiritual growth, and are generally shown to be simple, pure, and Good, [[GodIsGood like the Big Guy upstairs.]]
11
12	These are the Churches where you can find religious people good with [[FriendToAllChildren children]], [[FriendToAllLivingThings animals]], and the elderly. [[GoodShepherd Kindly priests]] and other religious types ready to give [[GoodSamaritan help]] or good advice to any troubled heroes are to be had here, and in the more fantastical types of setting, clerics give healing of both the [[HealingHands physical]] and [[TheMentor spiritual]] to the wounded adventurer and resurrect the occasional dead teammate. Should the heroes ever meet UsefulNotes/ThePope or local equivalent of this church, more often than not, they will find themselves standing before a ReasonableAuthorityFigure very ready to hear what they say.
13
14	CrystalDragonJesus optional. ChurchMilitant also optional because [[GoodIsNotSoft being good doesn't mean you can't kick ass]].
15
16	In SpeculativeFiction settings, the more likely you have an AlwaysChaoticEvil monster race that is [[HolyBurnsEvil hurt by holy powers]], the more likely it is that the church will be good instead of evil. Sometimes this kind of Church may be portrayed alongside one of the corrupt or evil ones for contrast and to help emphasize the pure goodness of the religion.
17
18	Most RealLife churches would see themselves this way, and [[TruthInTelevision a good many of them are right]], but even so, '''Administrivia/NoRealLifeExamplesPlease''' - This means that they are also too common anyway.
19
20	This will be replete with {{Good Shepherd}}s, but they can also be found in the CorruptChurch, just as {{Sinister Minister}}s might be found here.
21
22	SubTrope of TheChurch. Contrast PathOfInspiration. The EvilCounterpart of this trope is the CorruptChurch. The polar opposite is ReligionOfEvil. Compare ChurchOfSaintGenericus.
23
24	----
25	!!Examples:
26	[[foldercontrol]]
27
28	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
29	* The Belkan Church of the Saint King in the ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'' devotes its resources to building schools and hospitals and provides assistance to the [[TheFederation Time-Space Administration Bureau]] whenever they can. In the [[Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaStrikerS third season]], the Bureau itself (for whom all of the heroes work) has been revealed to have a darker side, so the Saint Church remains as the only incorruptible authority in the setting.
30	* ''Literature/TrinityBlood'' has Abel Nightroad as a friendly and goofy fellow. The head of the church is also a NiceGuy. Other members of the church are less heroic.
31	* ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'' has a church-related arc, wherein the clergy are supposed to be of the "kindly old man" variety, even though we never do meet them. The local [[NunsAreMikos nuns]] are, in fact, mages in nun habits.
32	[[/folder]]
33
34	[[folder:Comic Books]]
35	* in the ''ComicBook/{{Hellboy}}'' comics, the church, and holy men in general are generally portrayed positively. Most priests are pretty nice guys and their blessings are genuinely effective against minor demons, though big ones like Helldad [[CrossMeltingAura can shrug them off]]. Even vicious ones like the Inquisitors from ''The Island'' and the Witchfinder General were usually the lesser of two evils. The Mignolaverse's cosmology is based on early Celtic mythology, corresponding to the time when the churches of the white Christ were around, but not necessarily dominant.
36	* For the most part, the Catholic Church in ''ComicBook/WarriorNunAreala'' is portrayed very positively, as being an organization working directly under the authority of Heaven, empowered to hunt down and battle the forces of Hell, and optionally more mundane villainy such as Nazi masterminds. The order of Warrior Nuns is armed with weapons that, while lethal to demons and the undead, do not harm humans.
37	* In Marvel's ComicBook/WhatIf... story where Wolverine became the Horseman of War future is a wannabe utopia where humanity has united under the threat of War (as in Wolverine, not war). There are retreats, held by monks, for people who wish to practice peace more than other people. The monks are the ultimate keepers of peace, teaching the way on non-violence in a world without war. [[spoiler: One of the monks is Brother Xavier, who really is Wolverine, who has learned how to keep his anger in control.]]
38	[[/folder]]
39
40	[[folder:Film — Animated]]
41	* ''WesternAnimation/{{The Hunchback of Notre Dame\|Disney}}'' split the character of Frollo into two characters, the SinisterMinister everyone knows, and the friendly and kind Archdeacon, who is essentially the novel version of Frollo before he becomes corrupted.
42	** Furthermore, alternative interpretations of scripture and religion are a theme present throughout the entire movie, shown best in Quasimodo and Frollo's songs "Heaven's Light" and "Hellfire", respectively.
43	[[/folder]]
44
45	[[folder:Film — Live-Action]]
46	* ''Film/TheBlindSide'': Christian charity is part of what motivates the Tuohys to help Michael.
47	* ''Film/TheBravados:'' The local church is presented as a benign institution. The (non-villainous) characters view it so seriously that even Deputy Primo, the jail guard, takes a break from his duties to attend mass (with Sheriff Sanchez filling in for him). At the end of the movie, the priest is both firm and sympathetic while talking to Douglass about the moral implication of his RoaringRampageOfRevenge.
48	* ''Film/JesusChristVampireHunter'': Naturally, when Christ Himself is out smiting evil He's going to have some disciples doing likewise.
49	* In ''Film/TheMinion'' Creator/DolphLundgren is a warrior priest who is a member of UsefulNotes/TheKnightsTemplar. They hunt demons with blessed holy gauntlets fitted with spikes.
50	%%%%%%%%% As a general rule, examples are never obvious.
51	%%%%* In the {{biopic}} of ''Film/PopeJohnPaulII''
52	* In ''Film/OfGodsAndMen'', the French monks caught up in the Algerian civil war are like this. They've provided medical care and social services to their Muslim neighbors for decades, and are shown studying the Qu'ran. When Islamist insurgents try to kidnap the doctor at gunpoint, the abbot insists that if they bring their injured comrades to the monastery, the doctor will provide care no questions asked. The monks are as good as their word. When an opportunity to flee the violence arises, they all refuse because the villagers need them and, after all, Jesus wouldn't run from violence. [[spoiler: They all get kidnapped and executed.]]
53	* Where ''Film/ThePurgeElectionYear'' included a church where a politically-minded minister appealed to the wealthy pro-Purge elites by fusing worship with politics and Purging, ''Film/TheFirstPurge'' has one that gives shelter, support, and community to the poor residents who do not wish to participate in the experiment... until [[spoiler:white supremacists blow them up]]. It's also mentioned that the Pope has condemned the Purge.
54	* ''Franchise/StarWars'': The Jedi are like monks with laser swords. They catch criminals and mediate conflicts. Whether they are this trope though, depends on who you ask. Their portrayal in the Prequel Trilogy can be read as the CorruptChurch, although fans debate this. Also, it isn't technically a religion: although it tends to act like one.
55	* The Catholic Church is depicted positively in ''Film/TheWhiteSister'', with no corrupt or unsympathetic characters working for it. In particular, the "marriage to the Church" scene, in which the heroine officially becomes a nun, is portrayed with solemn reverence for the rituals taking place.
56	[[/folder]]
57
58	[[folder:Literature]]
59	%%%%* The Universal Church in Creator/AlanDeanFoster's ''Literature/HumanxCommonwealth'' books is one of these.
60	* Almost all of the religious organizations in ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'' are good-aligned. This series runs on AllMythsAreTrue and FantasyKitchenSink, so there has to be a benevolent god who acts through saints, priests, and knights. This isn't necessarily the same thing as the entire institution being benevolent, it's just that Harry specializes in dealing with the magical bits of the world, and the magical bits of Catholicism are based in the mythology of absolute goodness. The priests in the church that don't have the power of faith and so on just don't show up in Harry's bailiwick. Most specifically [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Mary_of_the_Angels_in_Chicago St. Mary of the Angels in Chicago]] where Father Forthill resides, but there's also the Buddhist monastery that Mouse the Lion Dog puppy came from.
61	* The churches run free hospitals in ''Literature/JenniferGovernment'', where everything down to the ambulance service is privatized. Volunteers for the hospitals take the hospital's name as an auxiliary surname.
62	* The Christian Church in ''Literature/QuoVadis'' is unambiguously good. Its members live simple, happy lives, standing above the depraved environment surrounding them in AncientRome.
63	* In the backstory to Creator/HPLovecraft's ''The Haunter of the Dark'', the evil Nyarlathotep-worshiping cult are routed by a Catholic/Baptist alliance between Father O'Malley and the Reverend Drowne. At the climax of the story, a group of Italian Catholics attempt to contain the avatar of Nyarlathotep [[SealedEvilInACan within its prison]] using candles, but, sadly, it slips through.
64	* Creator/DavidWeber's ''Literature/{{Safehold}}'' books has the Church of Charis, created in book two in response to the [[CorruptChurch corrupt]] [[PathOfInspiration Church of God Awaiting]], headed by Archbishop Maikel Staynair.
65	** From the ''Literature/HonorHarrington'' series, most religions are implied to be this, including Second Reformation Catholic (Queen Elizabeth III), Third Stellar (Honor herself), and the Church of Humanity Unchained (Grayson edition), which, although highly conservative and somewhat sexist, is largely good - personified in leader Reverend Hanks. Obviously, the Masadan variant - well, not so much.
66	* The Universal Brotherhood in E.C. Tubb's ''Literature/DumarestOfTerra'' books. The "monks" are pacifistic, doing good among the downtrodden, oppose the machinations of the Cyclan, and frequently assist Dumarest against them.
67	* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}''
68	** While originally nasty, the Omnian religion becomes one of these once Brutha [[spoiler: becomes Cenobiarch]] at the end of ''Literature/SmallGods'', because he strains out the nastiness.
69	** Implicitly (re)combined with ChurchMilitant in ''Literature/UnseenAcademicals'', in which Mightily Oats is mentioned to have brought "Forgiveness" to the wild places of Uberwald, both in the literal sense and in the [[ICallItVera sense of a large axe]].
70	* The Catholic Church in ''Literature/ACanticleForLeibowitz'' is portrayed as being the sole retainer of knowledge from the times before the Fire Deluge.
71	* In the Literature/LordDarcy series, the Church polices both itself and the Empire's sorcerers, using magically-Talented Sensitives to check that its members remain free of corruption.
72	* ''Literature/SongAtDawn'' is said to be led by a "genuine innocent" (Innocent III) and the church in Narbonne is only antagonistic to the heroes because its archbishop has a personal grudge against one of them. The rank and file members are genuinely zealous about reclaiming the Holy Land, preaching self-discipline, and steer clear of KnightTemplar territory.
73	* In Creator/PoulAnderson's "The Live Coward", the abbot is a shrewd politician. Nevertheless, Wing Alak knows better than to offer a direct bribe. When the abbot does ask for return, it's for technical expertise to advance farming on his planet -- and for himself, some books on astronomy translated into their language, asked for with such touching curiosity about the stars that Alak resolves to keep it, though his job calls for him to break such promises without mercy.
74	* ''Literature/KindlingAshes'': The Temple of Lua and Soan [[ZigzaggedTrope is a complicated example]]. They provide Giselle a bath and a warm meal just for showing up and looking like she needed it, but also because she wants to become an initiate. She's there on a gold smuggling assignment because no one would think to look for a hidden cache there, but Giselle thinks that this means that part of the clergy is part of the operation. She generally has a poor opinion of them because they think she's possessed, and she is, but by a dragon instead of an evil spirit but the clergy of this region isn't likely to see a difference because of the recent dragon war.
75	* ''Literature/JourneyToChaos'':
76	** The Priesthood of Zaticana spend their time volunteering as translators, starting summer reading programs, and running public libraries.
77	** The Brotherhood of Death work as hospices and also police in the case of necrocraft crimes.
78	* In the ''Literature/VillageTales'' novels, Dr. Jettou's ''masjid,'' Monsignor Folan's Roman Catholic parish (and the diocese of Clifton), the Nonconformist chapels, and for that matter, despite all the ecclesiastical quarrels and church politics, the whole Church of England – especially the Alternative Oversight parishes of the setting, under Canon Paddick –, are very explicitly this. (Ask the poor and suffering, and they'll tell you so. So will wives and children of those domestic abusers who've been … persuaded to repent … by some militant churchmen.) So, for that matter, are all the faiths represented in the novels to date saintly: Judaism and the Salmons' charities, Sikhism with its ''seva,'' Nepali Hinduism as represented by the local colony of retired ''[[UsefulNotes/NepaliWithNastyKnives Gurkhas]]''...
79	[[/folder]]
80
81	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
82	* The nuns of Nonnatus House on ''Series/CallTheMidwife'' exemplify this trope, always caring for their poverty-stricken patients while refusing to pass judgment on them, to the point where the show may very well contain the most positive portrayal of Christianity of the past decade.
83	* ''Series/DoctorWho'':
84	** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS28E1NewEarth "New Earth"]]: The Sisters of Plenitude run a hospital founded by charity to heal the sick. They take ''oaths'' to do nothing but heal the sick. [[spoiler:One of them says that the "people farm" thing was a last resort because nothing else they tried worked fast enough to heal all the sick people coming to them. When Cassandra releases the clone-humans, they quarantine the hospital to prevent anyone else from getting sick. They are still in the hospital when this happens. On the other hand, however, most of them express severe callousness towards the clones, not seeing them as real people and thinking nothing of incinerating clones who develop a consciousness.]]
85	** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS28E8TheImpossiblePlanet "The Impossible Planet"]]/[[Recap/DoctorWhoS28E9TheSatanPit "The Satan Pit"]]: The Beast, who claims to be {{Satan}}, was [[SealedEvilInACan imprisoned]] by a group called the Disciples of the Light, who are implied by the religious themes in the story to be a religious group who opposed the Beast because he was doing evil.
86	** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E4TheTimeOfAngels "The Time of Angels"]]/[[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E5FleshAndStone "Flesh and Stone"]] introduces a militarized church from the 51st century. It provides heroic soldiers that help the Doctor neutralize the Weeping Angels. Octavian gives the sense that this is a routine mission. They're even helping criminals atone for their crimes (albeit in the sense of a parole officer).
87	* The Way of the Prophets in ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine''. Granted, for most of the series its leader is SinisterMinister Kai Winn, but it's made clear that she doesn't have that much influence on what the church itself believes, and her subordinates continue to be {{Good Shepherd}}s.
88	* ''Series/{{Galavant}}'' introduces The Order of Our Father of Perpetual Refrain. They are very hospitable, providing meals, drink, and baths to travelers. Even the "bad boy" among them is not ''too'' bad because he's a monk.
89	[[/folder]]
90
91	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
92	* The Church of Pelor... and every church of good-aligned deities in ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' that are on the ball.
93	** Other major examples in the Third Edition standard cosmology are Hieronious (valor, heroism, etc.), Kord (strength), Moradin (patron of dwarves), Corellon Larethiean (patron of elves), Garl Glittergold (patron of gnomes), Yondala (patron of halflings), and Bahumat (lord of all good dragons).
94	** In the ''TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms'' setting, Ilmater tends to be this especially, but then, he is CrystalDragonJesus more than most. Also the divinely-granted spells of the worshipers of Sune, Goddess of Beauty and Love, are the closest thing to weaponized love in the setting.
95	*** [[https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Tamara Tamara]] is also a good example, being the NeutralGood Draconic Goddess of life, light, mercy, and healing. Tamara's also noted to be the kindest and most benevolent of the draconic pantheon.
96	** A good TabletopGame/{{Eberron}} example is the ancestor-worship of the Elves of Aerenal, which is NeutralGood and splits its time equally between giving advice to the still-living Elves and beating seven shades of undead crap out of the Blood of Vol.
97	** [[http://www.pathguy.com/melg.htm The Ministry of Elemental Good]].
98	** The ''Literature/{{Dragonlance}}'' setting has the Church of [[CrystalDragonJesus Paladine]], which had become a CorruptChurch by the times of the Cataclysm, but, reborn under the guidance of Elistan, now fits the bill.
99	** In short, almost any church to a Good deity will either have extensive charitable operations or a generally benevolent police force, if not both.
100	* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'':
101	** The Church of Sigmar in the Fantasy version. They're the good guys, but it's more an example of Lawful Good ChurchMilitant, except for the [[KnightTemplar Witch Hunters]], of course. [[GoodIsNotNice Even the good ones]] are pretty vicious.
102	*** The Temple of Shallya, goddess of healing and mercy, and also non-violence, what is quite hard a commitment in such a violent world as Warhammer.
103	** Elven deities range from pretty good to AxeCrazy, but Asuryan especially usually comes across as a good guy. Making the AwesomeMomentOfCrowning into a SecretTestOfCharacter helps.
104	* The Brotherhood from ''TabletopGame/MutantChronicles''. {{Soulsaving Crusader}}s to a man, and willing to torture suspected heretics and assassinate dissidents. They also run charitable hospitals, schools, and soup kitchens, maintain the only universally recognized bank and currency, and mediate in corporate disputes.
105	* In ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'', The Church of Avacyn on the plane of Innistrad is the only shining beacon of hope for humanity in a plane full of many horrors, most of them undead in one way or another. The church employs various Catholic-esque imagery, such as the Mark of Avacyn, a vaguely cross-like symbol used in many of the same contexts, and naming its prominent members as "Saints" (during life rather than posthumously). Unfortunately, its patron angel Avacyn is AWOL-- until ''Avacyn Restored'', where she breaks out of the Helvault to restore the BalanceBetweenGoodAndEvil.
106	* In ''TabletopGame/{{Pendragon}}'', individual Gamemasters are given the option of portraying the Roman Christian Church and the British Christian Church as providing a civilising and compassionate influence during a [[TheDungAges dark and brutal era]]... or, alternatively, portraying either or both as [[CorruptChurch decadent and corrupt.]]
107	[[/folder]]
108
109	[[folder:Theatre]]
110	* ''Theatre/MarieAntoinetteMusical'': Agnés, as the main representative of the Catholic Church in the German and 2006 Toho productions, tends to act as the moral compass of the show.
111	[[/folder]]
112
113	[[folder:Video Games]]
114	* ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'': The Church throughout the franchise is usually a helpful organization that assists the vampire hunters in their adventures.
115	** ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaIISimonsQuest'': "To restore your life, shout in front of the church.", which means "Go inside and talk to the priest." Don't shout at buildings, man.
116	** The Catholic church which employs Yoko and Arikado in ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaAriaOfSorrow'' and ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaDawnOfSorrow'', keeping an eye out for strange supernatural happenings and intervening when it is demonic.
117	* The Churches of the usually unnamed deity in the ''VideoGame/DragonQuest'' series are almost always kind and helpful, which stands to reason given more often than not GodIsGood in ''Dragon Quest''. Even on the [[VideoGame/DragonQuestIX rare occasion]] GodIsEvil in though, its followers are not and will supply services like curing poison, reviving dead characters, and telling you many experience points until a character levels up. And in most games, the churches also function as the main {{Save Point}}s completely free of charge. That's certainly one way to save your soul.
118	* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'': Throughout the series, the Temples of the Eight (later [[DeityOfHumanOrigin Nine]]) Divines are portrayed as uniformly benevolent. They are dedicated to the Aedric deities who sacrificed large portions of their divine power in order to [[CreationMyth create Mundus]], the mortal plane. According to some interpretations of the myth, the Divines sacrificed so much power that they actually are ''[[GodIsDead dead]]'', but "dream that they are alive" and can still influence events on Mundus [[GodNeedsPrayerBadly through the faith of their followers]]. Worship of the Divines has been the official religion of the various [[TheEmpire Cyrodiilic Empires]] of Tamriel since the foundation of the first (where it was adopted as part of the BargainWithHeaven struck with the Aedra which allowed the First Empire to form). Their benevolence is in sharp contrast to the [[ReligionOfEvil typically evil]] (or at least [[ScaryAmoralReligion ill-intentioned]]) Daedric cults (though the Daedra themselves operate on a very BlueAndOrangeMorality) and {{Corrupt Church}}es like the Tribunal Temple.
119	%%* The cult of Avo in ''VideoGame/{{Fable\|I}}''.
120	* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'': The Temple of Time is the most famous and reoccurring example. It is always a safe place for Link because it has a wall around it, though it is open to all. Originally the sealed temple in [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword Skyward Sword]] and was used as the [[CoolOldLady Old One's]] home, and where [[MasterSwordsman Link]] places the [[CoolSword Master Sword]]. Between [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword Skyward Sword]] and [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Ocarina of Time]] Rauru repurposes it as the entrance to the sacred realm, making a SecretRoom to hide the [[CoolSword Master Sword]] and the sacred realm entrance, so that evil cannot steal the [[CosmicKeystone Triforce]], and the Sealed Temple is renamed the Temple of Time. Tens of Thousands of years later it can be found in [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild Breath Of The Wild]], though it's in a much worse state due to the [[ApocalypseHow The Great Calamity]]
121	* Several standalone churches in ''VideoGame/Fallout3''. The player can donate to them to increase their karma.
122	** Even the ones that get people killed are well-meaning and misguided (and you can make them realise the error in their ways)
123	** The Mormons, now called "New Cannanites" in ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' are portrayed as largely benevolent and always willing to offer help in the form of protection or medicine to anyone willing to put up with their preaching. They were almost completely wiped out after a tribe working for Caesar's Legion took advantage of SacredHospitality by getting them to open their doors to them and razing their town to the ground. Even their most infamous member, [[TheDreaded Joshua Graham]], is portrayed as a force of good, albeit a very conflicted one.
124	* The Light of Kiltia in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII''. Benevolent, politically-neutral (their priests are forbidden to engage in matters of the state), and deeply protective of refugees and pilgrims. It is implied, however, that in the [[TheVerse mythology it shares]] with ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics'' and ''VideoGame/VagrantStory'', its diminished political power allowed the [[CorruptChurch Church of Glabados]] and the [[{{Cult}} Müllenkamp cult]] to appear from within its ranks.
125	* The Prontera Church in ''VideoGame/RagnarokOnline'' is a force for good, training Novices as Acolytes who then become Priests: support classes that specialize in healing/buffing adventurers and fighting dark monsters with holy magic. Acolytes can also become Monks that fight with their fists. The Church is on cordial terms with the Prontera Chivalry and Castle, who train Knights and Crusaders.
126	* Danette's parents were part of one of these in ''VideoGame/SoulNomadAndTheWorldEaters''. One was a priest, the other a mage. Revya's group also protects one of these from Thurists.
127	* Depending on who you ask: the Church of the Holy Light in ''VideoGame/{{Warcraft}}'' 'verse. Their offshoot, the Scarlet Crusade, is [[FantasticRacism less]] [[PathOfInspiration so]]. Disgruntled members of the Scarlet Crusade also have their own reformist organization, the Argent Dawn, which is an equal opportunity employer and even has high-ranking ''undead'' members. They have been at least complicit in some pretty awful things though, because of being so tied to the Alliance.
128	** Also, again depending on who you ask, the Sisterhood of Elune. In general they appear benevolent and have done some very much objectively good things (like rescuing the Worgen). On the other hand, they rule Kaldorei society with an iron fist, are paranoid about arcane magic, and have a distinct tendency towards FantasticRacism. While the Kaldorei certainly see the Sisterhood as this trope, not everyone else does.
129	%%%%* The various Churches of Mana from the ''VideoGame/WorldOfMana'' series.
130	* The church of Nisan in ''VideoGame/{{Xenogears}}'', led by Sophia as its [[FriendToAllLivingThings Holy Mother]], in contrast to [[CorruptChurch Ethos]] and the [[TheTheocracy Sacred Empire of Solaris]].
131	* The Church in Palm Brinks in ''[[VideoGame/DarkCloud Dark Chronicle]]'' counts because its sole purpose is to allow you to recruit [[GoodShepherd Priest Bruno]]. It also lets you get a few photos for the [[FirstPersonSnapshooter photography mini-game]]. You place a similar church in Balance Valley, which is where Priest Bruno eventually moves in. This one is much more important than the one in Palm Brinks, as it forms the basis for an important place of worship in Monica's time.
132	* The Zedem church in ''VideoGame/{{Startopia}}'' is [[TheFundamentalist old-fashioned and moralistic]] but seems genuinely well-intentioned, spreading the word by evangelism and its adherents being nonviolent ascetics. Much more importantly, [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney they pay the administrator a]] ''[[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney lot]]'' [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney of moolah]] if you let them set up a church on your biodeck and bring in converts -- a more high-risk, high-reward alternative to [[BrainwashingForTheGreaterGood more secular alternatives of dealing with sinners]].
133	* The Church of the Holy Maiden in ''VideoGame/LaPucelle''; although the game actually questions the notion of faith in gods at some points (and even [[spoiler: their goddess, Poitreene, herself claims not to be perfect at one point]] ) the Church is still largely a force for good that cares for the people. On the other hand, their rivals, The Church of the Holy Mother, turns out to be a [[spoiler: ReligionOfEvil in disguise]] but [[VillainWithGoodPublicity has more worshipers]].
134	* The monk and his church in ''VideoGame/KingsQuestII'' help Graham a great deal. [[spoiler: The FanRemake? Not so much...]]
135	* ''VideoGame/ShiningInTheDarkness'' has a church where you can save your game.
136	* The Septian Church from the ''VideoGame/TrailsSeries'' have a surprisingly squeaky clean record, with no real visible sign of corruption in any of the games. They also have quite a few [[BadassPreacher combat-capable priests]] that manage to ''avert'' going KnightTemplar.
137	* The Temple of Palfina in ''VideoGame/HexyzForce''. When they learn that Cecilia inherits Palfina's power, they throw all their support behind her despite her reputation as a [[IJustWantToBeNormal slacker]].
138	* The temples (which seems to be an {{expy}} of the Catholic Church) in ''VideoGame/DokaponKingdom'' cures you of your status ailments and serves as a checkpoint.
139	* In the ''VideoGame/{{Lufia}}'' series, churches serve as save points, and also have other functions such as teaching magic to party members.
140	* The Chantry of the ''Franchise/DragonAge'' series ''tries'' to be this, it honestly does. Unfortunately, history has shown us that it is also self-important, intolerant, and extremely brutal in many of its methods, not to mention that on several occasions it has removed verses from the Chant of Light (their version of a holy book) in order to suit their political aims. Given that it was created by an imperialist, it is no surprise that some nations and other races like elves see the Chantry as CorruptChurch. By the end of ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'', however, the player can [[VideoGameCaringPotential do a lot to remedy this]] through their choices in the story and by influencing the appointment of the new Divine. They can also just as easily [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential make things a whole lot worse]].
141	* The Church of the Harvest Goddess in the ''VideoGame/HarvestMoon'' series. They're typically run by a kindly minister who will always listen to your troubles, [[PalsWithJesus even though you can often talk to the Harvest Goddess for yourself and see how she's doing.]] In the games set in Mineral Town (''VideoGame/HarvestMoonBackToNature'' and ''[[DistaffCounterpart Back To Nature For Girl]]'', and the ''Friends of Mineral Town'' games), the church is a vital place where you can raise your friendship with the townspeople by confessing your sins, get cursed tools blessed to make them usable, and even get rare mushrooms from the pastor, who likes to garden a bit. In the Wii games (''VideoGame/HarvestMoonTreeOfTranquility'' and ''VideoGame/HarvestMoonAnimalParade''), it plays host to several festivals, and you can use it in Animal Parade to [[SelflessWish pray for the wishes of the townspeople to come true]].
142	* ''VideoGame/OctopathTraveler'', unusually for a [=JRPG=], depicts religion positively. The Church of the Sacred Flame is an unambiguous force for good who worship the twelve benevolent gods of the world. [[WhiteMage Ophilia]], one of the eight Travelers, is a full-fledged cleric who was adopted by the church's Archbishop years ago, and goes on a journey to rekindle the Sacred Flame, helping out everyone she finds along the way. The antagonists are instead a ReligionOfEvil who worship [[SatanicArchetype Galdera]], the thirteenth god who turned on the others.
143	* In ''Franchise/FireEmblem'', [[WhiteMagic light and healing magic]] are [[ReligionIsMagic derived from faith]] and therefore the units that use them are typically members of the local church. As such, many of the religious institutions in the series are portrayed as forces for good, though the exceptions, as well as individual {{Sinister Minister}}s, do exist.
144	** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBindingBlade'''s Saint Elimine's Church has the distinction of being so far the only major religion that has been portrayed as outright benevolent; the villains that come from the Church are shown as traitors that joined Arcard or Roartz.
145	** In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemThreeHouses'', the Church of Seiros does have its problems, but is ultimately dedicated to upholding order in Fódlan. On three of the four routes, they ally with you to bring an end to the war that dominates Part II.
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149	* In ''Webcomic/{{Terinu}}'' The Holy Den Mother is almost universally worshiped by the Vulpine and is generally portrayed as a benevolent MotherNature.
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152	[[folder:Web Original]]
153	* ''WebVideo/CriticalRole'':
154	** As Sarenrae is the goddess of healing and redemption, her clerics are pleasant folk. Her temple in Emon, for instance, is always open to those in need. They charged 100 gold for a Greater Restoration on Tiberius but only to cover the cost of the spell component (diamond dust) and nothing at all for diagnosing/disinfecting Vex's vampire bite or the bit of glissfoil Keyleth requested.
155	--->'''Cleric of Sarenrae''': We're happy to heal.
156	** The Platinum Dragon/Bahamut is more about sending out his paladins to smite evil ForGreatJustice. His Platinum Sanctuary is nigh-unanimously recognized as the safest place to seal away dangerous artifacts like the Horn of Orcus.
157	* In the [[VideoGame/TheTraderOfStories Forest Bed]], the Servants of Voice seem to fill the social niche of Christianity, running schools, hospitals, and orphanages. Note that their goddess Voice is [[TheSacredDarkness the lady of the underworld]].
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161	* The Air Nomads in ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' are heavily implied to have been a Buddhist-inspired variation of this, mostly according to the backstory and a lot of WordOfGod. They used all the money they made to support others, they fought only in self-defense, and the last surviving Air Nomad, the eponymous Last Airbender, makes reference to various Air Nomad wisdom from time to time. It's notable that as a whole, they were so spiritual that their entire culture could Airbend, while in the other Nations only a certain percentage can, though this may be related to their small population.
162	** This is so much a part of airbender culture that in one late episode when Aang is conferring with his past incarnations to try and find a relatively peaceable solution to the problem of Fire Lord Ozai, he has a HeroicBSOD when the previous Air Nomad, Avatar Yangchen, admits that [[GoodIsNotSoft killing Ozai is the best solution available]] to Aang. [[spoiler:When a method to deal with Ozai without killing him presents itself, Aang takes it without question, even though he's risking his soul to do so.]]
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Context Main / SaintlyChurch