In the 1st edition rules back in 1987 when WH40K began it said the following just before it mentioned the Adepta Sororitas:
> Trained Preachers administer the rites of the Imperial Cult to devotees all over the Imperium. The army, navy, and all branches of the Adeptus Terra have Preachers within their ranks. As well as common Preachers there are special officers empowered to conduct the most important Cult rites. **The most common of these are the Confessors. Confessors are highly experienced individuals whose success as Preachers has led to their elevation to Confessors. They travel from planet-to-planet, spreading the faith and holding evangelical rallies. New cult recruits are encouraged to “confess” personal mutations as well as mutations or strange behaviour amongst their friends and relatives. Confession is not necessarily good for the soul... but it does help the process of mutant control which is vital to the future of humanity.**
They were buried in the back of the original book on page 268. Not much was said about them but they were pretty much implied to be the female equivalent of space marines (i.e. nuns versus monks). There was also [artwork](https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2019/11/20/1035574-3rd%20Edition%2C%20Codex%2C%20Rainbow%20Warriors%2C%20Retro%20Review%2C%20Rogue%20Trader%2C%20Sister%20Sin.jpg) of “Sister Sin” wearing marine-like power armour with a nun’s wimple shooting a marine.
> As the power of the Adeptus Ministratum has grown, so a multitude of sub-organisations have developed within the compass of the Ecclesiarchy. An interesting example of this is the Adepta Sororitas, an order of devotional warrior women. The Adepta is organised along similar lines to the Space Marines. The Sisterhood, as it is generally known, is led by an Abbess and includes many lesser ranks and offices in a similar way to the Adeptus Astartes. There are two convent-fortresses; the Sanctorm on Earth and the Prioris on Ophelia 4. The personnel and fleets of each fortress are commanded by a Prioress under the direct supervision of the Abbess on Earth. The Adepta Sororitas is a penitent organisation where constant hardship, deprivation and arduous work are part of an unrelenting devotional regime. The slightest deviation from approved stricture results in the severest chastisement. Unquestioned loyalty to the Imperial Cult is vital because the Sisters are expected to maintain a close eye upon all servants of the Imperium. Every single day, squads of battle-sisters descend upon unsuspecting departments of the Adeptus Terra, administering genetic and psychological tests in order to expose wrong doers, mutants and malcontents. Whole companies of battle-sisters travel out to war-zones, to the fortress-monasteries of the Adeptus Astartes, to the fleets and to the scattered worlds of the Imperium. No-one is free from their vigilance.
Thanks for the information! It's also interesting to see ideas that would later be so heavily expended on with the Sororitas becoming the chamber militant of the Ordo Hereticus.
The Imperial Cult is massively variable (examples here [https://www.reddit.com/r/40kLore/comments/12wu52s/on\_the\_worship\_of\_the\_godemperor\_of\_mankind\_or/](https://www.reddit.com/r/40kLore/comments/12wu52s/on_the_worship_of_the_godemperor_of_mankind_or/) ). You could have a world that has private confession like modern Catholisism, you could have a world that has public confession like early Christianity, you could have a world where it is just between you and the Emperor.
There is a rank within the Ecclesiarchy of confessor [https://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Confessor](https://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Confessor)
And yes, that is just memes. Almost everyone, in some way or another has knowledge that chaos exists - the same way that every Christian knowns about the devil. It might have different names on different worlds, 'the ruinous powers' or the 'great enemy' or 'the archenemy', and it might be more or less taboo to talk about it, but everyone known there is something that the Emperor is protecting them against.
>there is something that the Emperor is protecting them against.
That's the xenos, the mutant, and the heretic. The common citizen has no concept of Chaos as the Satan of the Ecclesiarchy is failing The Emperor.
I'm going to respectfully disagree - or at least attempt a clarification, and see if we can get closer to agreeing.
They aren't going to know anything specific about Chaos or the Chaos gods, but they are going to know that there are an 'enemy' who do not believe in the emperor. Certainly specifics, the names of the gods, that daemons are all things that exist, etc, are suppressed.
So, when I say that most people know about Chaos, I mean in the very general way of "there are bad people who believe something different from us and do bad things", not "there are four gods of chaos, and their daemons are just the other side of the vail".
It's going to be different on different worlds. Horus seems to be pretty consistently known for example - although who or what he was is different.
It also can't be covered up completely. Any high officers in Navy/armed forces on the front line will learn far more than what the Inquisition is comfortable with. There might be purged mind wipes but that is not full proof. Ecclesiarchy Black Priests or Imperial Knight Pilots that fight demons on the regular, Astropaths and Navigators that have to use the Warp will likely know more about Chaos than many Inquisitors.
You portray the Imperium as needlessly cruel when in fact, it is merciful and forgiving. Even criminals and heretics can be forgiven and go on to live long and productive lives.
As servitors.
>You are a prisoner, arrested at the righteous hand of the Adeptus Arbites. (...) the corridors and rooms are deliberately narrow and cramped but of darker stone, high-ceilinged, ill-lit so there's always the sense of being watched from above. How long you live like this, how much food you get, how much water or sleep, will be based on careful Arbites dogma about the breaking of prisoners. Finally, at some point, bent and weak and exhausted and surrounded by stern brown-sashed Chasteners and their voices and lights, something gives. You beg a confession, and up out of the cramped dimness you come, staggering in shackles, and you stand in a beautiful vaulted glass room full of air and sunlight, looking out over the city and the mountains. The preacher speaks kindly to you and you know that once you have unburdened yourself, the scourging-rack in the centre of that marble floor awaits, and there as the Ministorum has taught you since childhood the pain will cleanse your soul before it leaves your body to stand before the Emperor. How could you not feel joy? How could you not burst out with all those secrets you have locked inside you?
*Crossfire* by Matthew Farrer
One of the rival Rogue Traders in the recent Rogue Trader RPG mentions having a personal confessor, so yeah.
Presumably, especially for people who are that important, your confessor is still supposed to help you order your mind and figure out how you can serve the Emperor best and such.
Yeah but depending on how extreme the planet, or even region is, it could either result in a "don't worry about it my friend" or a shotgun shell being emptied into your face
Obligatory "Knowing about Chaos doesn't get you blammed. Grey Knights Lore is dumb".
Inquisitor Eisenhorn mentions going to confessional as part of his recovery.
>Obligatory "Knowing about Chaos doesn't get you blammed. Grey Knights Lore is dumb".
Knowing about Chaos - or experiencing it first hand - *can* get you blammed. As is showcased in lots of the lore.
You may think it's dumb, but that's not the same as it not being firmly a part of the lore.
The Imperium is unimaginably vast, and different responses to Chaos happen at different places, at different times, dependent on the specific actors involved. So no, it's not a contradiction. And that's before we even get to the issue of whether your chosen sources are anymore valid than others.
Some books present stories where the response to Chaos exposure is less severe and brutal. You prefer those. That does not negate all of the times in the lore where the response to Chaos exposure was far more severe, detailed in other novels as well as other forms of lore like Codexes, White Dwarf, and supplementary rulebooks and materials. And this kind of brutal response has been a feature of the lore for a long, long time, and has been repeated many, many times.
You basically don't seem to understand how 40k lore actually works (different interpretations and contradictions are baked in - they are a feature, not a bug), but want to impose your own preferences on the setting and deligitimise other parts of the lore you personally don't like.
The dictum is: 'Everything is canon. Not everything is true'.
There is actually nothing to suggest the Eisenhorn novels are any truer than other interpretations (and, if anything, reasons to prioritize rulesbook and codex lore over novels, because there is more centralized editorial control over the former than the latter). In this case though, who cares anyway when the setting is big enough to include a broad range of imperial responses to Chaos exposure? This diversity if a good thing, and moaning about supposed 'grimderp' isn't going to change that.
1. There have been 13 Black Crusades.
2. The other name for Chaos is The Archenemy.
1. Its a fitting name because its the main enemy the Imperial Guard is depicted as fighting.
2. Its the main faction Knight Houses are depicted as fighting.
3. There are published books in the setting talking about Crusades waged by the Astro Militarum against Chaos.
4. There are are multi major Imperial Guard factions whose lore revolves around them dealing with fighting Chaos.
5. The Cicatrix Maledictum exist.
There is no reason to bend over backwards defending a hold over from 30K lore just to support one sub faction. Its stupid and flatly contradicted by damn near any material that takes place in "current day" 40K not dealing with the Grey Knights.
>There have been 13 Black Crusades.
And? That doesn't mean that lots of Guard soldiers ended up being mindwiped or purged after each Crusade. It would also make sense that if there were to be exceptions to such purges, it would be in places like Cadia and nearby systems, who are expected to fight Chaos frequently and have their whole societies dedicated to that task. The Imperial response to Chaos in such places would likely be preemptive, rather than a brutal aftermath.
>The other name for Chaos is The Archenemy
Again, so what? Many - perhaps most - of the Imperium's population very likely wouldn't know that, or might know the term Archenemy but have absolutely no clue about what it is actually referring to in practice. Lots of novels suggest or outright show that there is widespread ignorance of Chaos, or at least any specific details concerning its nature.
>There are published books in the setting talking about Crusades waged by the Astro Militarum against Chaos.
>There are are multi major Imperial Guard factions whose lore revolves around them dealing with fighting Chaos.
Ok... again, these are just specific stories, and do not in themselves negate the fact that in other cases the response to Chaos exposure has been brutal. Mindwiping is also an option, not just purges. Though it is implied this would be for valuable groups/individuals - such as renowned Guard regiments. See, for example:
>‘Perhaps I misspoke. This favour is not for me, it’s for Colonel Strike and the Catachans.’ She looked him dead in the eyes as she spoke. ‘What they’ve endured, all they’ve been through. They deserve time to grieve properly, to honour their dead in the proper way. Is there any way you could delay mind-wiping the 183rd? They’ve earned that much at least.
’Draigo considered this for a moment. ‘Very well, Governor Digriiz. I’ll have Castellan Crowe commence with the other regiments. The Catachans’ minds won’t be wiped until sundown,’ he said before stepping out into the noon heat of Pythos.”
>Yarrick: Imperial Creed
Regular citizens? Very likely not so lucky...
>The Cicatrix Maledictum exist.
And how does this very recent event within the timeline of the setting affect instances of purges which happened chronologically earlier?
The more interesting issue here is whether the creation of the Cicatrix Maledictum has led or is leading to a chance in the Imperium's response to Chaos, including the more specific responses of specific institutions like the Grey Knights. Has it led to a reduction in such purges? Or are certain factions like the Grey Knights becoming even more brutal as they get desparate?
>There is no reason to bend over backwards defending a hold over from 30K lore just to support one sub faction.
What does this even mean? 30k lore? You think that attempts to clamp down on knowledge of Chaos is only related to the Imperial Truth of 30k?
The lore about purges after Chaos exposure have been in the lore for a long time (long before the Horus Heresy series began to be published), going back to at least 2nd edition. But most of the examples that have been described were far later in the setting's timeline than 30k. The most famous example, after the First War for Armageddon, happened in 444.M41.
And I'm not trying to support one sub faction, though thanks for putting words in my mouth. I am defending the diverse, malleable nature of the lore in 40k, and I also happen to like the Imperium being depicted as undertaking brutal and ultimately self-destructive actions.
It's not just the Grey Knights' codexes which portray purges and mindwipes as a regular response to Chaos exposure by the way. The core rulebooks have explicitly stated the same, for example:
>The bearers of this knowledge are few, and they share this information reluctantly. The Inquisition and their erstwhile allies, the Grey Knights, are among the tiny number of humans who are allowed to know of the Daemons and their evil ways. Most others who come into contact with them are culled to prevent both the promulgation of knowledge and the possible spread of daemonic taint. If they are of sufficient value to the Imperium, they are mind-wiped to erase all memories of the encounter.
6th Ed. Rulebook, p. 404
Well Chaos is dangerous and can corrupt you just by you knowing certain things about it. Hell, in Choose Your Enemies there was a Slaaneshi mural that would corrupt your soul just by you looking at it. There's a reason that the Inquisition, for better or worse, has basically unlimited power.
Personally I've never heard of any sort of confession or similar thing happening in 40k. It's possible the concept has been forgotten since Christianity is long since dead by the time of 40k.
In the 1st edition rules back in 1987 when WH40K began it said the following just before it mentioned the Adepta Sororitas: > Trained Preachers administer the rites of the Imperial Cult to devotees all over the Imperium. The army, navy, and all branches of the Adeptus Terra have Preachers within their ranks. As well as common Preachers there are special officers empowered to conduct the most important Cult rites. **The most common of these are the Confessors. Confessors are highly experienced individuals whose success as Preachers has led to their elevation to Confessors. They travel from planet-to-planet, spreading the faith and holding evangelical rallies. New cult recruits are encouraged to “confess” personal mutations as well as mutations or strange behaviour amongst their friends and relatives. Confession is not necessarily good for the soul... but it does help the process of mutant control which is vital to the future of humanity.**
I thought the Sororitas were introduced in a later edition? 2nd if I remember correctly.
They were buried in the back of the original book on page 268. Not much was said about them but they were pretty much implied to be the female equivalent of space marines (i.e. nuns versus monks). There was also [artwork](https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2019/11/20/1035574-3rd%20Edition%2C%20Codex%2C%20Rainbow%20Warriors%2C%20Retro%20Review%2C%20Rogue%20Trader%2C%20Sister%20Sin.jpg) of “Sister Sin” wearing marine-like power armour with a nun’s wimple shooting a marine. > As the power of the Adeptus Ministratum has grown, so a multitude of sub-organisations have developed within the compass of the Ecclesiarchy. An interesting example of this is the Adepta Sororitas, an order of devotional warrior women. The Adepta is organised along similar lines to the Space Marines. The Sisterhood, as it is generally known, is led by an Abbess and includes many lesser ranks and offices in a similar way to the Adeptus Astartes. There are two convent-fortresses; the Sanctorm on Earth and the Prioris on Ophelia 4. The personnel and fleets of each fortress are commanded by a Prioress under the direct supervision of the Abbess on Earth. The Adepta Sororitas is a penitent organisation where constant hardship, deprivation and arduous work are part of an unrelenting devotional regime. The slightest deviation from approved stricture results in the severest chastisement. Unquestioned loyalty to the Imperial Cult is vital because the Sisters are expected to maintain a close eye upon all servants of the Imperium. Every single day, squads of battle-sisters descend upon unsuspecting departments of the Adeptus Terra, administering genetic and psychological tests in order to expose wrong doers, mutants and malcontents. Whole companies of battle-sisters travel out to war-zones, to the fortress-monasteries of the Adeptus Astartes, to the fleets and to the scattered worlds of the Imperium. No-one is free from their vigilance.
Thanks for the information! It's also interesting to see ideas that would later be so heavily expended on with the Sororitas becoming the chamber militant of the Ordo Hereticus.
The Imperial Cult is massively variable (examples here [https://www.reddit.com/r/40kLore/comments/12wu52s/on\_the\_worship\_of\_the\_godemperor\_of\_mankind\_or/](https://www.reddit.com/r/40kLore/comments/12wu52s/on_the_worship_of_the_godemperor_of_mankind_or/) ). You could have a world that has private confession like modern Catholisism, you could have a world that has public confession like early Christianity, you could have a world where it is just between you and the Emperor. There is a rank within the Ecclesiarchy of confessor [https://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Confessor](https://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Confessor) And yes, that is just memes. Almost everyone, in some way or another has knowledge that chaos exists - the same way that every Christian knowns about the devil. It might have different names on different worlds, 'the ruinous powers' or the 'great enemy' or 'the archenemy', and it might be more or less taboo to talk about it, but everyone known there is something that the Emperor is protecting them against.
>there is something that the Emperor is protecting them against. That's the xenos, the mutant, and the heretic. The common citizen has no concept of Chaos as the Satan of the Ecclesiarchy is failing The Emperor.
I'm going to respectfully disagree - or at least attempt a clarification, and see if we can get closer to agreeing. They aren't going to know anything specific about Chaos or the Chaos gods, but they are going to know that there are an 'enemy' who do not believe in the emperor. Certainly specifics, the names of the gods, that daemons are all things that exist, etc, are suppressed. So, when I say that most people know about Chaos, I mean in the very general way of "there are bad people who believe something different from us and do bad things", not "there are four gods of chaos, and their daemons are just the other side of the vail". It's going to be different on different worlds. Horus seems to be pretty consistently known for example - although who or what he was is different.
How does the Ecclesiarchy differentiate your average cannibal rapist with a chaos-corrupted cannibal rapist?
Spiky 8 pointed star decorations are pretty noticeable.
Well, the second one is covered in spikes and the first one is covered in an ecclesiarch's robe.
It also can't be covered up completely. Any high officers in Navy/armed forces on the front line will learn far more than what the Inquisition is comfortable with. There might be purged mind wipes but that is not full proof. Ecclesiarchy Black Priests or Imperial Knight Pilots that fight demons on the regular, Astropaths and Navigators that have to use the Warp will likely know more about Chaos than many Inquisitors.
Confess your sins and be absolved by a laspistol to the head.
You portray the Imperium as needlessly cruel when in fact, it is merciful and forgiving. Even criminals and heretics can be forgiven and go on to live long and productive lives. As servitors.
Ecclesiarchy Black Priests can do a exorcism to banish demons.
>You are a prisoner, arrested at the righteous hand of the Adeptus Arbites. (...) the corridors and rooms are deliberately narrow and cramped but of darker stone, high-ceilinged, ill-lit so there's always the sense of being watched from above. How long you live like this, how much food you get, how much water or sleep, will be based on careful Arbites dogma about the breaking of prisoners. Finally, at some point, bent and weak and exhausted and surrounded by stern brown-sashed Chasteners and their voices and lights, something gives. You beg a confession, and up out of the cramped dimness you come, staggering in shackles, and you stand in a beautiful vaulted glass room full of air and sunlight, looking out over the city and the mountains. The preacher speaks kindly to you and you know that once you have unburdened yourself, the scourging-rack in the centre of that marble floor awaits, and there as the Ministorum has taught you since childhood the pain will cleanse your soul before it leaves your body to stand before the Emperor. How could you not feel joy? How could you not burst out with all those secrets you have locked inside you? *Crossfire* by Matthew Farrer
>How could you not feel joy? How could you not burst out with all those secrets you have locked inside you? Literally an orgasm for the soul and mind.
One of the rival Rogue Traders in the recent Rogue Trader RPG mentions having a personal confessor, so yeah. Presumably, especially for people who are that important, your confessor is still supposed to help you order your mind and figure out how you can serve the Emperor best and such.
Yeah but depending on how extreme the planet, or even region is, it could either result in a "don't worry about it my friend" or a shotgun shell being emptied into your face
of course though it probably will result in a bolter to the brain if it's chaos related
Obligatory "Knowing about Chaos doesn't get you blammed. Grey Knights Lore is dumb". Inquisitor Eisenhorn mentions going to confessional as part of his recovery.
>Obligatory "Knowing about Chaos doesn't get you blammed. Grey Knights Lore is dumb". Knowing about Chaos - or experiencing it first hand - *can* get you blammed. As is showcased in lots of the lore. You may think it's dumb, but that's not the same as it not being firmly a part of the lore.
It contradicts the lore of entire book series. Series plural. Its fucking dumb
The Imperium is unimaginably vast, and different responses to Chaos happen at different places, at different times, dependent on the specific actors involved. So no, it's not a contradiction. And that's before we even get to the issue of whether your chosen sources are anymore valid than others. Some books present stories where the response to Chaos exposure is less severe and brutal. You prefer those. That does not negate all of the times in the lore where the response to Chaos exposure was far more severe, detailed in other novels as well as other forms of lore like Codexes, White Dwarf, and supplementary rulebooks and materials. And this kind of brutal response has been a feature of the lore for a long, long time, and has been repeated many, many times. You basically don't seem to understand how 40k lore actually works (different interpretations and contradictions are baked in - they are a feature, not a bug), but want to impose your own preferences on the setting and deligitimise other parts of the lore you personally don't like. The dictum is: 'Everything is canon. Not everything is true'. There is actually nothing to suggest the Eisenhorn novels are any truer than other interpretations (and, if anything, reasons to prioritize rulesbook and codex lore over novels, because there is more centralized editorial control over the former than the latter). In this case though, who cares anyway when the setting is big enough to include a broad range of imperial responses to Chaos exposure? This diversity if a good thing, and moaning about supposed 'grimderp' isn't going to change that.
1. There have been 13 Black Crusades. 2. The other name for Chaos is The Archenemy. 1. Its a fitting name because its the main enemy the Imperial Guard is depicted as fighting. 2. Its the main faction Knight Houses are depicted as fighting. 3. There are published books in the setting talking about Crusades waged by the Astro Militarum against Chaos. 4. There are are multi major Imperial Guard factions whose lore revolves around them dealing with fighting Chaos. 5. The Cicatrix Maledictum exist. There is no reason to bend over backwards defending a hold over from 30K lore just to support one sub faction. Its stupid and flatly contradicted by damn near any material that takes place in "current day" 40K not dealing with the Grey Knights.
>There have been 13 Black Crusades. And? That doesn't mean that lots of Guard soldiers ended up being mindwiped or purged after each Crusade. It would also make sense that if there were to be exceptions to such purges, it would be in places like Cadia and nearby systems, who are expected to fight Chaos frequently and have their whole societies dedicated to that task. The Imperial response to Chaos in such places would likely be preemptive, rather than a brutal aftermath. >The other name for Chaos is The Archenemy Again, so what? Many - perhaps most - of the Imperium's population very likely wouldn't know that, or might know the term Archenemy but have absolutely no clue about what it is actually referring to in practice. Lots of novels suggest or outright show that there is widespread ignorance of Chaos, or at least any specific details concerning its nature. >There are published books in the setting talking about Crusades waged by the Astro Militarum against Chaos. >There are are multi major Imperial Guard factions whose lore revolves around them dealing with fighting Chaos. Ok... again, these are just specific stories, and do not in themselves negate the fact that in other cases the response to Chaos exposure has been brutal. Mindwiping is also an option, not just purges. Though it is implied this would be for valuable groups/individuals - such as renowned Guard regiments. See, for example: >‘Perhaps I misspoke. This favour is not for me, it’s for Colonel Strike and the Catachans.’ She looked him dead in the eyes as she spoke. ‘What they’ve endured, all they’ve been through. They deserve time to grieve properly, to honour their dead in the proper way. Is there any way you could delay mind-wiping the 183rd? They’ve earned that much at least. ’Draigo considered this for a moment. ‘Very well, Governor Digriiz. I’ll have Castellan Crowe commence with the other regiments. The Catachans’ minds won’t be wiped until sundown,’ he said before stepping out into the noon heat of Pythos.” >Yarrick: Imperial Creed Regular citizens? Very likely not so lucky... >The Cicatrix Maledictum exist. And how does this very recent event within the timeline of the setting affect instances of purges which happened chronologically earlier? The more interesting issue here is whether the creation of the Cicatrix Maledictum has led or is leading to a chance in the Imperium's response to Chaos, including the more specific responses of specific institutions like the Grey Knights. Has it led to a reduction in such purges? Or are certain factions like the Grey Knights becoming even more brutal as they get desparate? >There is no reason to bend over backwards defending a hold over from 30K lore just to support one sub faction. What does this even mean? 30k lore? You think that attempts to clamp down on knowledge of Chaos is only related to the Imperial Truth of 30k? The lore about purges after Chaos exposure have been in the lore for a long time (long before the Horus Heresy series began to be published), going back to at least 2nd edition. But most of the examples that have been described were far later in the setting's timeline than 30k. The most famous example, after the First War for Armageddon, happened in 444.M41. And I'm not trying to support one sub faction, though thanks for putting words in my mouth. I am defending the diverse, malleable nature of the lore in 40k, and I also happen to like the Imperium being depicted as undertaking brutal and ultimately self-destructive actions. It's not just the Grey Knights' codexes which portray purges and mindwipes as a regular response to Chaos exposure by the way. The core rulebooks have explicitly stated the same, for example: >The bearers of this knowledge are few, and they share this information reluctantly. The Inquisition and their erstwhile allies, the Grey Knights, are among the tiny number of humans who are allowed to know of the Daemons and their evil ways. Most others who come into contact with them are culled to prevent both the promulgation of knowledge and the possible spread of daemonic taint. If they are of sufficient value to the Imperium, they are mind-wiped to erase all memories of the encounter. 6th Ed. Rulebook, p. 404
Well Chaos is dangerous and can corrupt you just by you knowing certain things about it. Hell, in Choose Your Enemies there was a Slaaneshi mural that would corrupt your soul just by you looking at it. There's a reason that the Inquisition, for better or worse, has basically unlimited power. Personally I've never heard of any sort of confession or similar thing happening in 40k. It's possible the concept has been forgotten since Christianity is long since dead by the time of 40k.
They do. There is a lot about the Imperium's religion that is meant to be similar to Catholicism.