| Penitus Oculatus | |
|---|---|
 Sigil of the Penitus Oculatus | |
|
Motto |
"Semper vigilans" |
|
Country |
|
|
Role |
Religious Police |
|
Total strength |
Several hundred thousand |
|
March |
None |
|
Predescesor |
None |
|
Establishment |
~100 BCE |
The Penitus Oculatus (Eurasian, lit. "Inward Eye") is a branch of the Ministry of Culture who are tasked with the suppression of religious and cultural crimes. They are not a uniformed gendarmerie like the Ministry of the Police, but instead operate as agents of the state itself. They are in some ways similar to a secret police, however their purview is solely for religious crimes, and they do not enforce the general criminal law.
Historically, the Penitus Oculatus has been feared by many non-Eurasians and non-Maiorist/Deosians, being viewed as a frightening arm of the state. The Penitus Oculatus has a history of being leveraged by Emperors and politicians for use against political enemies, and during the times of Laurentius III they were used to hunt down and arrest Zacks and Newellians, many of whom were Christians or Jews. Today, the Penitus Oculatus are known for enforcing the many controversial religious laws being implemented by the Culture Ministry, including the recent closure of several Christian Lutheran-denomination churches throughout Eurasia.