From SuspireWiki
This was written by Vaclav as a helper to new Lancea Sanctum players.
The Lancea Sanctum is fanatical, zealotrous and feared.
If someone bad mouths the LS or their faith, they get their tongue cut out, whipped, or have their ass kicked in some other way. But it is done wisely. Not in Elysium, not where a breach will occur. And if you can't do it yourself, then you get a bunch of your LS buddies and gang-up on them. Non-LS have to be afraid of what will happen them if they mock the LS.
Also there is usually no in-between with them. You're either faithful or heretical. Helping or hindering. Such are fanatics.
The LS are smug, superior S.O.Bs
If you're not Sanctified, then you're heretical. Period. Even the Invictus are heretical. The main questions are, do they try to follow the LS dictates, and who is more heretical than whom? Unsurprisingly the LS view Crones as the most heretical, and Invictus as the least. But it's still heretical.
The LS is made up of blood sucking monsters, and they know it.
The LS have no illusions on being "kindred" or "brothers". They are monsters and they certainly aren't going to try and get along if they loathe each other.
That is why they are so strict about hierarchy, there's an alpha and a pecking order. Individual LS may hate each other, but if one is superior to the other, the inferior one is not going to give the superior one any chance to screw him over, at least not until he is superior.
Example: the priest Johanthan has taken a real dislike to Dean. Dean did something that made John look like a fool, so Johnathan is watching dean like a hawk, waiting for Dean to mess up and to then put the smack down on him. However Dean is savvy in the games of the undead, and keeps his nose out of trouble. The Archbishop notices how faithful and true to God's will Dean is and makes him a Bishop. Now the tables are turned. Bishop Dean can get his revenge for the trouble Johanthan gave him.
The LS are EVANGELICAL
They preach, they cajole, they demand, they tell, they threaten. If you are not doing it the LS way, they will tell you how to do it the LS way. If you are LS and you don't do this, you'll get slapped with not following the fifth.
The Fifth Cannon states that it is every LS's duty to do this, to tell all vampires what they are doing wrong, and how to fix it Longinus' way. The LS know they are right and that they have eternity to get everyone else to see they are, so they just keep at it.
Example: Sebastien the Ordo Dracul has been plagued by Israfel the LS. Israfel keeps harping on Sebastien to do things the LS way. Night after night, year after year! Yes even decade after decade. Until finally Sebastien says "enough I'll do it, just shut up!"
The LS use force if that doesn't work.
Example: Elizabeth is a lusty Mekhet Invictus. She's been sleeping around with everything she can. Father Immanuel says she is sinful and needs to confess. Elizabeth laughs and goes "silly thing. I'm very naughty, why don't you punish me? *wink*" So Immanuel does. He kicks her ass for being smart, and torpors her (with physical force or Theban). She is then revived and frenzies. So Immanuel kicks her ass again, torporing her. He then revives Elizabeth again, since a torpid vampire can't confess and repent. She manages to retain control and Immanuel says "you going to repent, or do we have to do this again?" Unsurprisingly Elizabeth says "yes! God yes...please just leave me alone!"
There is also a clause stating that any who completely refuse the canons, then the LS may and must kill that wicked person. Who decides who's wicked? Inquisitors, Priests, but mostly the Archbishop or Bishop.
The LS have many different interpretations on the Canons.
And while there are some definite things which are bad (like Diablerie) The rest is decided by the leaders. This means if the Archbishop decided that you can't drink mandrake tears, it makes you reckless and harms the covenant, then in that parish you don't drink mandrake tears. Period.
Example: Johnathan believes that vampires should never have sex. To his interpretation vampires can not love, and the physical acts only distract and bind you by blood to someone else. Instead a vampire should focus on preaching and enforcing God's will.
However the Archbishop has decided that if someone used sex as a tool against another vampire to get them to follow God's will. Then it's kosher. Since he's the Archbishop that's the rule, and Johnathan follows it.
No one is sinless.
To be sinless is to be a Saint or Holy. Since all vampires are damned unless sainted, then obviously you've done something wrong sometime. If a Priest says you should confess, even if you did nothing sinful, it is far better to make some minor sin up than to be declared a proud heretic and inquisited.
LS do not publicly question those above them, especially to their face in public
Period. If a priest questions your faith, you better show you're sorry or faithful, otherwise you'll be inquisited. If the Archbishop tells you to jump, you jump. You do not speak back to them or mouth off. That will get you inquisited by the ninth canon.
The ninth cannon states the recognition of wisdom within the ranks of the LS for those who best embody damnation. The implied part (which Invictus love) is that if someone is above you, even if you think they suck, they are wiser and embody damnation more than you do. Otherwise how did they become what they are?
Example: Johnathan is a priest from the previous example. He really really disagrees with the Archbishop's statement on okaying sex between vampires. He speaks out on it, saying "wtf you got it wrong. I'm a priest, I know all about cannons and stuff." And he gets his head handed to him on a silver platter by the Inquisitor.
The reasoning why is that what John did, to question the archbishop, would be to question his superiority and thus if he is more worthy than you. A violation of the ninth cannon. Because if John really was wiser and more worthy than the Archbishop, then he'd be the Archbishop.
You can dislike what superiors say and do, you just can't mouth off to them. Remember status counts and ic actions have ic consequences.
Confessions for vampires are not privileged
It states in the book that the LS do not hold confessions private like the mortal church does. Confessions can happen with an audience listening, or be discussed by priests. This is how the LS find heresy.
It should also be noted here that technically within the Lancea Sanctum (or the entire city if it's Lancea run) once a Priest gives confession and penance for something, further punishment cannot be given because the "sin" is "gone." You can liken this to America's double jeopardy rule.
Priests are watching and judging you
That's right, they are the eyes, ears, and warning system of the LS. They see who does well, who screws up, and decide who is heretical from the masses. All LS should know this, that when you confess to a priest, they are memorizing it and adding it to a little file on you.
If the Archbishop wants a new Ostiary, he tells the Priests, rarely anyone else. The Priests then watch everyone, seeing who would best fit the position and recommend them for the spot. And as stated above, if a Priest questions your faith or thinks you're heretical, they will alert the Inquisitor.
The LS don't carry deadweight or suffer fools gladly
The LS have God's work to do, so everyone needs to be busy doing it. If a vampire isn't doing something to improve this, then they must be slowing everyone down. Also if a vampire keeps screwing up or mouthing off, the LS will "prune" them. They have no time to deal with fools, and they certainly don't want that vampire making a mess the LS has to then clean up, or worse defect to another covenant.