History Main / CorruptChurch

There have been (many) corrupt clerics throughout history, '''Administrivia/NoRealLifeExamplesPlease''' [[note]]We know you Website/{{Reddit}} [[RageAgainstTheHeavens atheist]] [[HollywoodAtheist types]] are just itching to say "AllOfThem".[[/note]] Every religion (or lack thereof) will have both defenders and detractors somewhere out there, and remember: somewhere, your local deity is {{Face Palm}}ing.

Whilst, there have been (many) corrupt clerics and callous doctrines throughout history, '''Administrivia/NoRealLifeExamplesPlease''' [[note]]We know you Website/{{Reddit}} [[RageAgainstTheHeavens atheist]] [[HollywoodAtheist types]] are just itching to say "AllOfThem".[[/note]] Every religion (or lack thereof) will have both defenders and detractors somewhere out there, and remember: somewhere, your local deity is {{Face Palm}}ing.

** A recurring villainous organization are the Purifiers (first appearance: ''ComicBook/GodLovesManKills''), a Corrupt Church founded on FantasticRacism; the group literally believes that mutants are the minions of {{Satan}} sent to conquer the Earth in his name, so they brutally seek out and murder any mutant or mutant sympathizer they can.

* ''VideoGame/LikeADragonInfiniteWealth'' has one as a key plot element: [[spoiler:Palekana, a religious organization operating in Honolulu. Outwardly, they are beloved for their outreach programs, feeding the homeless and taking in orphans. In secret, however, they hold a frightening amount of sway over Hawaii: children who are designated as "Haku" are sent to Nele Island, where the group's leader, Bryce Fairchild, indoctrinates them, has them undergo plastic surgery when they come of age, and inserts them as spies in not only Honolulu's criminal syndicates, but in positions of power at all levels, in the police, in business, even in the government. So great is the level of control Bryce has over these pawns that they are willing to ''die'' to protect him. However, the organization was once a genuinely charitable organization and the previous Sage was a dedicated philanthropist who actively tried to take contingencies against Bryce but was assassinated before he could put his plans in motion. At the end of the game Bryce's schemes are exposed and he's arrested, with Akane and the last surviving legitimate heir to Palekana planning to reform the organization]].

* The Holy Church of Seiros in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemThreeHouses'' definitely has its darker side. While the system of Nobles that its head Rhea has implemented has kept Fódlan running for a good long while and has been somewhat successful, it has also led to a very problematic society where many people solely place value on the crests-bearers in noble houses and treat those who possess none like garbage, with some of those families even casting out their own simply for not bearing one. The Church and Rhea herself are also far from as benevolent as they appear to be, as while they are more than willing to offer shelter, protection, and favor to those who follow the doctrines set by the Church, heretics and those who defy the Church's authority are given severe punishment, usually death, depending on their crimes against them. And this is all within the MAIN branch of the Church. [[spoiler:Rhea is also very aware of the protagonist Byleth's own past and personally keeps it from them in hopes of using them to selfishly revive her"mother" Sothis, and depending on the route you take, can either realize her faults and reform the Church into a more reasonable system by the end, or be the final enemy you need to put down by the end of the story. The "Crimson Flower" route takes this to the extreme, as Byleth joining Eldegard after being asked to kill her by Rhea drives her over the edge and she becomes hell-bent on killing Byleth and reclaiming Sothis's heart within them.]]

* ''Film/{{Luther}}'' (2003) -- It is a movie about the life of Martin Luther and why he initiated the Reformation. It reveals the extent of the corruption in the Catholic Church in 15th Century Europe (see Literature examples below) in very clear, explanatory detail.

** While the Chantry of Andraste doesn't actively harass and mistreat Fereldans, (actually, it's quite nice and pleasant), it is the main reason behind many, ''many'' social and racial problems and wrong-doings throughout Thedas. Due to the fear of BloodMagic, nearly all Mages are to be feared and despised, leading them to be rounded up and imprisoned in the [[MageTower Circle]], supposedly for their own protection. Elves are often seen as second-class citizens and forced to live in Alienages, where they are subject to much racism from humans. The Chantry likewise [[KickTheDog repaid]] the Dalish Elves' assistance in helping Andraste free Thedas from the Tevinter Imperium, by later branding them heretics for not worshipping the Maker and leading an [[UsefulNotes/TheCrusades Exalted March]] against their new homeland, reducing them to wandering nomads. Not to mention the Chantry's method of ensuring [[ChurchMilitant the]] [[KnightTemplar Templars]] remain loyal is to addict them to [[FantasticDrug Lyrium]] under the excuse that it'll make them more powerful, despite knowing that it can lead to paranoia, emotional instability, and full-blown psychosis.
** Despite nominally being a BigGood in Kirkwall, the refusal of the Grand Cleric in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'' to deal with the problems of mages and templars was seen by some as acceptance of Templar abuses and got to the point [[spoiler: where Anders decided to blow up the Chantry in an act of rebellion, resulting in an all-out war between mages and templars.]] Likewise, her lack of action towards some of her fanatical underlings and their crusade against the Qunari led to [[spoiler: the city being attacked, the Viscount being killed, and Meredith controlling the city in the wake of the power vacuum. This evidentially didn't teach the Grand Cleric her lesson about inaction and she still refused to act when it came to mages and templars, setting up the explosion.]]

* The last Kingpriest of Istar in the ''TabletopGame/{{Dragonlance}}'' setting. Under his reign, the faith of Paladine became increasingly tyrannical and fanatical, to the point where the {{Knight Templar}}s that made up the clergy began resorting to brutal MindRape to ferret out "evil thoughts" among the people. It finally reached its apex when the Kingpriest tried to ''overthrow the gods'' and [[GodhoodSeeker take their power for himself]] despite the gods repeatedly trying to warn him that what he was doing was wrong. Eventually, the [[EarthShatteringKaboom Cataclysm]] took place, destroying the reign of Istar and causing it to sink to the bottom of the ocean.

* Some parts of the church of the [[CrystalDragonJesus Silver Flame]] in ''TabletopGame/{{Eberron}}'', a ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' Setting. The faith itself is good, but many of its members are either corrupt or [[KnightTemplar Knights Templar]] (both literally and figuratively).
** Also, the NeutralGood sun god Pelor from TabletopGame/{{Greyhawk}} has a popular EpilepticTree that he is actually evil.

** The churches of the gods [[LawfulNeutral Helm]] and [[LawfulGood Torm]] in the TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms had both become corrupted before the Time of Troubles. Once the deities actually saw for themselves what their clerics were doing, they immediately set about cleaning up the ranks of their faithful, dictating new rituals and duties as penance to make their followers atone.
** The Blood of Vol in Eberron combines this with PathOfInspiration. The ''church'' was set up by Vol for her own purposes. Much of the dogma, on the other hand, pre-dates Vol and can be defended as, if not good, then at least not [[ReligionOfEvil evil]]. Effectively, it is a PathOfInspiration in terms of organization and a Corrupt Church in terms of ideals.
*** One of the latest R.A. Salvatore [[Literature/TheLegendOfDrizzt novels]] has Artemis Entreri return to Memnon in Calimshan to take bloody vengeance on the corrupted priests of Selûne who were responsible for making his life a living hell as a child.

%% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1331936257066302900

[[quoteright:350:[[TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/pontiff.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:"That guy probably deserved it. Pay no heed, ye faithful."]]

-->''"I have no more cause for shame than you, you vulture-hearted plunderer,” answered Murilo promptly. “You exploit a whole kingdom for your personal greed; and, under the guise of disinterested statesmanship, you swindle the king, beggar the rich, oppress the poor, and sacrifice the whole future of the nation for your ruthless ambition. You are no more than a fat hog with his snout in the trough. You are a greater thief than I am. This Cimmerian is the most honest man of the three of us, because he steals and murders openly."\\

* Subverted in ''Film/TheNightOfTheHunter'': Mr. Powell is not even a real preacher, but dresses and acts like one to gain his victims' trust.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Castlevania}}'': It'd be easier to list the number of times the Church ''didn't'' fuck up in a colossal way or pin the blame on the wrong people just for being different [[spoiler: which is exactly ''once'' when Trevor commissions a local priest to consecrate some holy water during the nightly demon raid]]. It also didn't help their reputation with the fact that the Catholic Church in Wallachia was '''directly''' responsible for Dracula putting a death sentence on the human race when they burned Lisa at the stake for being a so-called "witch"; in truth she was a scientist, but given the anti-science and misogynistic attitudes typical of that sort of Christian, that's something the Catholic Church refused to acknowledge. [[spoiler: Taken to the logical extreme when a group of demons attack the Bishop in the church. The Bishop -- who happens to be the one who ordered Lisa's death -- tries to invoke God's protection, but the lead demon claims that God is so disgusted with [[SinisterMinister the Bishop's actions and attitudes]] that He has forsaken the church and withdrawn His protection.]]

* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsInTheSky'' (not in the same continuity as above) and by extension, the ''Videogame/TrailsSeries'' as a whole, meanwhile, is notable for just ''how hard'' it averts this trope in comparison to [[EasternRPG its genre]]. The Septian Church is an unabashed force for good, and the vast, vast majority of its clergy are true believers in the goddess Aidios. Most simply wish to contribute positively to their communities, and the Church even aids the heroine's party at several points in the ''First Chapter''. In fact, a clergyman is a playable character in the ''Second Chapter'', and although [[spoiler:he's willing to commit assassinations for the sake of the church]], he's still unquestionably a man of good faith. He's even made the protagonist in ''The 3rd'', along with ChildhoodFriend and nun Sister Reis. The primary counterexample of this, [[spoiler:Weismann]], the BigBad of the Liberl arc, was ''kicked out'' of the Church for being a SinisterMinister before the story began. The D∴G Cult of the Crossbell Arc goes to the other extreme, being an outright ReligionOfEvil.

* ''{{Series/Cursed}}'': The Catholic Church is portrayed as mostly a force of evil in the series. It's convinced that Fey are really demons who must be killed without mercy, with an entire order called the Red Paladins tasked in doing this. A few exceptions exist, however, such as Abbess Nora and some of her nuns who don't agree with this. [[spoiler:Nora is killed for heresy after it's revealed she gave sanctuary to Nimue, who's Fey.]]

** In Amonkhet the [[NephariousPharaoh God-Pharaoh]] is worshipped higher than the plane's actual gods, and the entire society is a theocracy built as to establish a role in the afterlife through deadly trials. In truth, the God-Pharaoh is [[SatanicArchetype Nicol Bolas]], an evil planeswalker who just wants a supply of zombies. Anyone who finds out is [[AndIMustScream locked in sarcophagi]] and thrown into the desert.

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'': The Church of Yu-Yevon is an oppressive, violently Luddite organization that unknowingly (and in some cases knowingly) [[spoiler: perpetuates the cycle of Sin's death and rebirth]]. The head of the church as well as Yunalesca [[spoiler: are Unsent, undead monsters that the Church is ostensibly trying to eradicate.]] The church is hypocritical as well. [[spoiler: They heavily use machines while telling their followers that using machines is highly sacrilegious. This is done out of fear that people may discard the teachings of the church and are able to find a way to kill Sin off for good, which would make the entire church collapse. This is why the Al-Bhed are viewed as the enemy by the people worldwide.]]

Whilst, there have been (many) corrupt clerics and callous doctrines throughout history, '''Administrivia/NoRealLifeExamplesPlease''' Every religion (or lack thereof) will have both defenders and detractors somewhere out there, and remember: somewhere, your local deity is {{Face Palm}}ing.

* A few decades later, Creator/{{Boccaccio}}'s ''Literature/{{Decameron}}'' presents numerous examples of the corruption of the Catholic Church and its churchmen, starting with the second story of the first day. In that one, an honorable and upstanding Parisian Jewish merchant named Abraham is constantly beseeched by his Christian friend and fellow businessman Jehannot de Chevigny to convert to Christianity; to decide whether he should do so, Abraham goes to Rome in order to observe the Church hierarchy -- which causes Jehannot to go OhCrap, as although he's portrayed as kind of an idiot, he knows full well how corrupt the Church of his time is. However, upon returning to Paris from Rome, having observed the terrible habits of the Pope and his court, Abraham [[spoiler:declares he will become a Christian, reasoning that if the Catholic Church can withstand all this corruption at the top and still boast millions of pious followers, it must be the true religion, or at least have something supernatural going for it.]]

* ''Literature/SwansBraidAndOtherTalesOfTerizan'': The clergy of the god Cot'Dazur, who's just beginning to get worshipers in Oreen, are very power-hungry. In order to get Cot'Dazur more worship, therefore increasing their power, they have all other gods' icons stolen as these are the focus of people's beliefs.

* A few decades later, Creator/{{Boccaccio}}'s ''Literature/{{Decameron}}'' presents numerous examples of the corruption of the Catholic Church and its churchmen, starting with the second story of the first day. In that one, an honorable and upstanding Parisian Jewish merchant named Abraham is constantly beseeched by his Christian friend and fellow businessman Jehannot de Chevigny to convert to Christianity; to decide whether he should do so, Abraham goes to Rome in order to observe the Church hierarchy -- which causes Jehannot to go OhCrap, as although he's portrayed as kind of an idiot, he knows full well how corrupt the Church of his time is. However, upon returning to Paris from Rome, having observed the terrible habits of the Pope and his court, Abraham [[spoiler:declares he will become a Christian [[InsaneTrollLogic reasoning that if the Catholic Church can withstand all this corruption at the top and still boast millions of pious followers, it must be the true religion, or at least have something supernatural going for it]].]]

* The ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'' comics introduced us to the Order of St. Dumas, a heretical Catholic sect started during the Crusades by the [[KnightTemplar murderous Swiss knight]] Chartrien Dumas. Dumas went so far as to have his men slaughter emissaries from the Vatican without provocation and declare himself Pope. He also began a tradition of "holy" vigilantism, wherein the title of "Azrael" (a sword-wielding "angel") would assassinate "sinners," often simply as a pretext for seizing their wealth from them. (For centuries, the Order of St. Dumas was -- secretly -- the single wealthiest organization on Earth.) Fathers prepared their sons to [[TakeUpMySword succeed them]] as the avenging angel, subjecting them to [[TrainingFromHell grueling physical training]] and weird, mind-warping rituals. The heir to this violent tradition, Jean-Paul Valley, moved to Gotham City to attend college and quickly became Bruce Wayne's apprentice. [[FromBadToWorse Things went downhill from there...]]

* A recurring ''ComicBook/XMen'' villainous organization are the Purifiers, a Corrupt Church founded on FantasticRacism; the group literally believes mutants are the minions of {{Satan}} sent to conquer the Earth in his name, so they brutally seek out and murder any mutant or mutant sympathizer they can.
** The Church of Humanity, an offshoot of the notorious anti-mutant hate group Friends of Humanity, also qualifies. This group is itself particularly infamous for a certain Chuck Austen story that focused on them attempting to install Nightcrawler as an AntiChrist figure (the notorious [[MemeticMutation exploding communion wafers X-meme]] comes from this story).
** On the other side of the human/mutant coin are the [[Characters/XMenAcolytes Acolytes of Magneto]], a supervillain group unique for their stance of exalting and worshiping ComicBook/{{Magneto}} as a mutant messiah.

* The Holy Church in ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/14158315/1/Breaking-Providence Breaking Providence]]'' originally started as an information network to help the Destined Hero find and slay the Dark Lord every generation[[note]]Itself less benign than it sounds since the Dark Lord often hadn't ''done anything'' and was merely the sacrifice needed to keep the Empire prosperous for another twenty years[[/note]], but by the start of the story, had grown in power to equal the royal family and nobility combined. The actual level of corruption for individuals varies from genuinely pious paladins and priestesses whose worst flaw is being {{covert pervert}}s, to bishops who act more like politicians and only care for personal power, to paladin commanders that try to take entire convents as {{sex slave}}s. Even the Pope, who is herself a mostly righteous figure, is a PsychoSupporter of the hero who eventually decides to take over the empire entirely for the hero's benefit. The church as a whole also supports FantasticRacism, enslaves anyone with an "evil" Job, continues the Destined Hero vs Dark Lord doctrine centuries after it stopped being valid, and in times of hardship, fills it's coffers by letting nobles pay to rape criminals to death[[note]]The last two of which are generally known to only the highest ranking members, ''especially'' the truth of the Destined Hero vs Dark Lord conflict, which is known only to the Pope[[/note]].
* In ''Fanfic/{{Origins}}'', a ''Franchise/MassEffect''[=/=]''Franchise/StarWars''[[spoiler:[=/=]''[=Borderlands=]''[=/=]''[=Halo=]'']] MassiveMultiplayerCrossover, a religion forms around worshipping [[spoiler:the Flood]]. This is just as bad as it sounds.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{WITCH}}'' fanfic ''Fanfic/{{Ripples}}'' has the Sisterhood Covens, Meridian's official religious body. Nearly all the clergy we meet are either politically corrupt, religious fanatics, or both. WordOfGod comments that there ''are'' genuinely pious members of the Sisterhood, citing for example the Abbess who [[spoiler: is killed for refusing to aid [[KnightTemplar Allora's]] plot against Weira]], but also that, as is also too common in real life, these people are overshadowed and pushed out of power by the corrupt and zealous.
* The Church of Thorns in the ''RWBY'' Subreddit fanfic ''Fanfic/TheGreatMetaFic''. Based on the ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' character ship White Rose.

* In the horror Manga series ''Kichikujima'' a corrupt sect of the vaitian was led by Archbishop Maximillion who had sent Mariko Glaccias into finding the Magic stones but she instead fall in love with Yoshikazu and had family with him.