Alicia Dominica and the Golden Throne Room

[TheDungen]

Emperor gave everyone milk and cookies and explained the whole thing about religion out in very simple terms.

Very simple: Dont.

And even then they didnt listen to him. darn kids no respect for their elders.

[Eumerin]

On the Emperor and Religion.
The Emperor hated religion for basically 2 reasons.
1, stifled human development and the Emperor is all about the manifest destiny of mankind.
2, if you don't know about chaos, literally don't know a single thing about it what so ever, you are protected from it.
If humanity didn't know about Chaos, their ignorance would have been one of their greater weapons against it.

Well, Horus Heresy comes around and suddenly you can't keep people stupid anymore.
So the next best thing is you direct them towards a far more beneficial purpose with their worship.
That and the Ecclesiarchy is so entrenched at this point you can't remove it without wrecking the entire Imperium. It's what holds the Entire Imperium together spiritually.

And consider this, the Custodes could have gone and wiped out all the Brides with barely any trouble but instead chase a peaceful solution. The head of the Custodes leaves his own men as hostages to the Brides and he himself, outnumbered six to one rather doubtful and capable warriors clad in Power Armour and toting Bolters, leads them all the way to the very throne room of the Emperor.
Speaks publicly in support of the Brides when most the political figures want them disbanded at best.
Speaks publicly in support of Thor.
Speaks publicly in support of Thor's idea of not only keeping the now Daughters of the Emperor on as the private army of the Ecclesiarchy but even increasing their realm of authority to include all of the High Lords.
The Custodes and the Sisters are more or less on first-name basis now.
And consider that the Custodes are the closest to the Emperor. You think if the Emperor had any real problems with the Ecclesiarchy then it would have been heard by now.

Quite possible. We know that the Sisters have managed to tap into *something*, although what exactly that something is unclear. We only know about the results via their faith-based miracles. It's possible that a "more lucid than he is now" Emperor might have foreseen this and decided to trigger the creation of the Sisterhood in order to bring it about.

[randian]

As mentioned before though, you almost wonder if the Custodes were the ones who instigated the change to bring the church around and that the Emperor was never involved at all.

I strongly suspect that the Emperor isn't involved in anything at all. Who would say that the Custodes were lying when they show up to give the Emperor's edicts?

[Kettu]

The Custodes being shadow rulers of the entire Imperium whilst the Emperor is nothing but a mostly dead, psyker becon is a rather good idea actually.
I think I can fit that into my head canon rather nicely.

Thanks everyone.

The highest rank a Sister can hold is that of a High Lord - technically they exist alongside the Ecclesiarchy rather than completely beholden to them.

Sorry, rereading what I wrote, it's rather clunky.
What I meant to say was that Sisters have authority to police the High Lords. Vandire is not the last time they may send High Lord heads rolling.
But yes, Sisters can hold a place on the High Lords and I'm hoping that GW actually do just that with what ever possible update that may come in the distant future.

[Grubnar]

... Destabilising that would be catastrophic. It may well be that all the ant hills will have to be kicked over at some point, and humanity may have to topple and fall before it can rise up again. But until then I don't think whatever is left of the Emperor wants to rock the boat too much.

I can not help but think that the longer the Imperium endures the "shorter" that fall will be.

[El_Machinae]

Well, to my estimate, it's slowly degrading. This means that a 'sudden fall' will not be as severe, in absolute terms.