Church

The Church is a powerful but weakening organization within the Spice and Wolf universe, although it is never actually explicitly mentioned what religion it is, but it is heavily implied that the Church is based on the Roman Catholic Church. The connections to this denomination are made by the recognizable regalia warn by nuns, average priests as well as high-ranking churchman. Furthermore several recognizable scriptures are quoted in a number of the anime episodes. On the other hand there remains a strong ambiguity in what church is truly being portrayed. Although the church has high towers just as those in our European traditions, the viewers eyes never go to the top of the church tower and the cross is never shown. Also the nun Merta, shown below, does not wear a cross but what appears to be a hand held scythe around her neck. Readers and viewers should remember a similar experience of institutions which call themselves "the church" in The Golden Compass.

The Church's influence in Lawrence's and Holo's world is vast and great, anything the Church says people must obey, even the king. As to specific tenets, there is the disapproval of alternative faiths, such as Paganism, and the important concept of sexual morality and marriage. Anything the Church views as heretic will have serious problems in the future, considering the various historical references the series make. This first became appearent during coin speculation/insider trading incident in which the Medio Trading Company kidnaps Holo and uses her as leverage to make Milone Trading Company look like Heretics.