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Apostolic Succession

 

Questions of Apostolic Succession arise normally in the desire by Roman Catholics, Anglicans, and Eastern Catholics to ensure that the Church they are attending is recognised as being “validly Catholic”. Often, poorly formed and uneducated, but well-meaning Roman Catholic clergy will attempt to dissuade someone from becoming involved in the autocephalous or Emergent Catholic Movement by falsely claiming that our Church is not recognised as having valid sacraments and orders. This contradicts the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church. In Dominus Iesus, the declaration on the unicity and salvific universality of Jesus Christ and the Church, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI), who was then prefect of the Roman Catholic Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith states, "Therefore, there exists a single Church of Christ, which subsists in the Catholic Church, governed by the Successor of Peter and by the Bishops in communion with him. The Churches which, while not existing in perfect communion with the Catholic Church, remain united to her by means of the closest bonds, that is, by apostolic succession and a valid Eucharist, are true particular Churches. Therefore, the Church of Christ is present and operative also in these Churches, even though they lack full communion with the Catholic Church, since they do not accept the Catholic doctrine of the Primacy, which, according to the will of God, the Bishop of Rome objectively has and exercises over the entire Church." (See also: Second Vatican Council, Decree Unitatis redintegratio, 3.; Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Declaration Mysterium Ecclesiae, 1: AAS 65 (1973), 396-398.; Second Vatican Council, Decree Unitatis redintegratio, 14 and 15; Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Letter Communionis notio, 17: AAS 85 (1993), 848.; First Vatican Council, Constitution Pastor aeternus: DS 3053-3064; Second Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution Lumen gentium, 22.) For more information on Apostolic Succession please see  Wikipedia,

 

Apostolic Succession   Saint Gertrude Utrecht Netherlands

The Old Catholic Church of Utrecht The Diocese of Utrecht, Holland, was founded in AD 722 by St. Willibrord. The right of the Chapter of Utrecht to elect the bishop of The Diocese was recognized in AD 1145. In AD 1520 the Bishop of Utrecht was given the right to adjudicate matters in his diocese without appeal or recourse to Rome. In AD 1559, when the war with France had ended, Philip II of Spain, the hereditary ruler of the Netherlands, persuaded the Pope to elevate The See of Utrecht to an archbishopric, with five new dioceses under it (Haarlem, Deventer, Groningen, Leeuwarden and Middelburg). Having survived the Calvinist Reformation in Holland as an underground Church, the Dutch Roman Catholic faithful were suddenly subjected to the political ambitions and maneuverings of the Jesuits, who fought to have Rome declare The See of Utrecht a missionary district under their control. At first failing in this battle to gain control of The Church in Holland, the Jesuits adopted a new tactic in AD 1691 by accusing + Peter Codde,

 

The Archbishop of Utrecht, of espousing the so-called heresy of Jansenism. Although the Archbishop was eventually proved innocent of heresy, Pope Innocent XII tried to appease the Jesuits by suspending and deposing him in AD 1705. No mention was made of any reason for the deposition. Even a Papal canonist, Hyacinth de Archangelis, issued a formal opinion that a Vicar-Apostolic with the rights of an Ordinary (as + Codde undoubtedly was) could not be arbitrarily deposed. Two Dutch Catholic Chapters (Utrecht and Haarlem) naturally decided not to recognize this irregular, if not illegal, act. The battle was over local autonomy in a collegial Church versus Papal supremacy. When the Papacy appointed + Theodore de Cock as Pro-Vicar-Apostolic of The United Provinces, in the place of Archbishop Peter Codde (deposed), the Chapters of Utrecht and Page 4 of 37 Haarlem further decided not to recognize his authority on the ground that The Patriarch of Rome had no canonical authority to deprive even a Vicar-Apostolic, much less an Archbishop, without trial and condemnation. At the same time the Calvinist government decided that it would prefer a Catholic Church controlled by Dutch Catholics to a Catholic Church controlled by Rome. The government, therefore, issued a decree forbidding + de Cock to exercise any jurisdiction over Roman Catholics in Holland. Later, after accusing the Dutch government of being bribed by the secular clergy loyal to The Archbishop (+ Codde), + de Cock was banished from Holland and fled to Rome. Rome countered by placing the Dutch Church under an Inhibition, prohibiting all Bishops from performing any episcopal acts in Holland. At this point the battle between Utrecht and Rome was not doctrinal, but the results of Jesuit intrigue and their desire to firmly establish the Papacy as an absolute monarchy. Had Archbishop Codde continued to exercise his authority as The Archbishop of Utrecht, while appealing his uncanonical suspension as Vicar-Apostolic (as Vicar-Apostolic he had diocesan jurisdiction wherever there was no Bishop or Chapter; metropolitan jurisdiction in the other dioceses), the course of Church history may well have seen the defeat of the Jesuit sponsored Ultramontane movement. Unfortunately, + Codde not only protested his suspension but also retired from the exercise of his office. His jurisdiction thus reverted to the Chapters and his people were left without episcopal protection and governance.

 

It was the position of the Chapter of Utrecht that: both the Province and Diocese of Utrecht, with all their ancient and canonical rights and privileges, still existed. (The Chapter of Utrecht was formally recognized on many occasions by Papal Nuncios even after this date.) The Vicariate instituted by Archbishop Philip Rovenius on 9 June 1633 was the canonical reconstitution of the ancient Chapter of Utrecht and possessed all the rights of the Chapter, including the right to elect the Archbishop of Utrecht. (All nominations made hereafter by this Chapter were, in fact, accepted by Rome, including that of Archbishop Codde.) Later archbishops, from + Vosmeer to + Codde, were not only Vicars-Apostolic of the Roman See, but also Archbishops of Utrecht, the true canonical successors of St. Willibrord. On 25 May 1717, five doctors of the theological faculty of the University of Louvain publicly sided with the Archepiscopal See of Utrecht by stating that the Church of Utrecht had not been reduced to the status of a mere mission, that the Chapter of Utrecht had survived, and that the Vicariate established by + Rovenius was the ancient Chapter of Utrecht. Later, 102 doctors of theology at the University of Paris, together with the whole law faculty, publicly agreed with the doctors of Louvain. As a result of the support of the theology faculties of two French universities, three French Bishops (Soanen of Senez, Lorraine of Bayeux, and Caumartin of Blois) declared that they were ready to ordain priests for the Chapter of Utrecht, and actually did so. Upon the death, in AD 1710, of + Peter Codde, the deposed Archbishop of Utrecht, the Cathedral Chapter (exercising its historically recognized right) elected a successor. No Bishop, Page 5 of 37 however, could be found who would ignore the Pope's Inhibition by consecrating the Archbishop-elect. The Church of Holland continued to send Her candidates for the priesthood out of the country for ordination by foreign Bishops; Her children, without a diocesan Ordinary, were left unconfirmed. At this point the Jesuits and Rome sought and anxiously anticipated the total capitulation of the autocephalous Dutch Church. A turning point in the Dutch Church's struggle with Rome came in AD 1719 when + Dominique Maria Varlet, former missionary priest in The Louisiana Territory in North America, stopped in Amsterdam for a few days on his way to his new post in Persia. A local Dutch priest, Father Jacob Krys, begged the new Bishop to confirm 604 orphans and other poor children as an act of charity, which he did. He then continued his journey to Persia, arriving at his residence at Schamake (now Shemakh near Baku in the Republic of Azerbaijan) on 9 October 1719.

 

On 26 March 1720, the Bishop of Babylon was presented with a formal Notice of Suspension from his office, sent by the Bishop of Ispahan by order of the Congregation de Propaganda Fide, and delivered by a Jesuit priest (Fr. Bachou) because of the confirmations in Amsterdam. Like the late Archbishop Codde, Bishop Varlet elected not to remain in office while fighting the Papal action. After careful consideration and prayer, the good Bishop immediately left Persia and returned to Amsterdam, where he settled permanently. The Chapter of Utrecht had meanwhile repeatedly attempted to get the Pope to allow the election and consecration of an archbishop; Pope Innocent XIII ignored their petitions. The Chapter next turned to the leading canon lawyers of the day. They were told that the Chapter had the canonical right to elect their archbishop and get him consecrated without the consent of the Pope (recent precedents in both France and Portugal supported this position).

 

Nineteen doctors of the theological faculty of the Sorbonne (University of Paris), and others from Nantes, Rheims, Padua, and Louvain, gave their agreement to this position, as well as assuring the Chapter that in the case of necessity one bishop alone might preside at the consecration. With the approval of the government, the Chapter met at The Hague on 27 April 1723 and, after a Mass of The Holy Spirit, elected, with all the canonical forms, Cornelius Steenoven to be Archbishop of Utrecht. Although Fr. Steenoven was elected as the candidate likely to be the least objectionable to Rome, the Pope refused to answer the Chapter's request to permit his consecration. The Chapter finally begged the Bishop of Babylon to consecrate their candidate. He consented. The government also consented to this the first consecration of an Archbishop of Utrecht since the Reformation. Thus at 6:00am on Pentecost XX, 15 October 1724, Cornelius van Steenoven was consecrated in the presence of the whole Chapter by the Bishop of Babylon in Amsterdam to be the seventh Archbishop of Utrecht and canonical successor of St. Willibrord. The Bishop of Babylon was called upon by The Chapter to consecrate four archbishops for the See of Utrecht before his death on 14 May 1742 at The Hagu

 

Apostolic succession of Most Reverend Thomas E. Abel

Apostolic Succession   Saint Gertrude Utrecht Netherlands

 Old Catholic Line of Succession


ANTONIO CARDINAL BARBERINI, as Archbishop of Rheims, 1657. He consecrated in the Church of the Sorbonne, Paris, the son of the Grand Chancellor of France,

CHARLEAS MAURICE LATELLIER, succeeding as Archbishop of Rheims, November 12, 1668. He, in turn, consecrated in the church of the Cordeliers, Pontois,

JAMES BENIGNE BOSSUET, as Bishop of Condom, September 21, 1670. He was transferred to the See of Meaux by Pope Clement X, 1671. He in turn, consecrated in the church of Chartreuse, Paris,

JAMES GOYDON DE MATIGNON, Bishop of Condom, 1693, son of Count De Thoringy. He was Doyen of Lisieux and Abbey Commendantaire De St. Victor, Paris. By order of Pope Clement XI, he consecrated at Paris,

DOMINIC M. VARLET, as Bishop of Ascalon in partibus, and coadjutor to the Bishop of Babylon, Persia, February 12, 1719. Retiring later to Holland, he died 23 years after entering the Cistercian Abbey of Rhijnwick. In response to the appeals of the Chapter of the Old Catholic Church of Utrecht, he consecrated,

PETER JOHN MEINDAERTS, as Archbishop of Utrecht, October 17, 1739. He had been one of several priests ordained in Ireland by Luke Fagan, Bishop of Meath, afterwards Archbishop of Dublin, with the view of sustaining independence of the ancient Church of the Netherlands, founded by St. Willibrord in the 7th century. By his consecration to the Episcopate, the succession of the Old Catholic Church in Holland has been perpetuated. Archbishop Meindaerts consecrated,

JOHN VAN STIPHOUT, as Bishop of Haarlem, July 11, 1745. He, in turn, consecrated,

WALTER MICHAEL VAN NIEUWENHUIZEN, as Archbishop of Utrecht, February 7, 1768. He consecrated,

ADRIAN BROEKMAN, as Bishop of Haarlem, June 21, 1778. He consecrated,

JOHN JAMES VAN RHIJIN, as Archbishop of Utrecht, November 7, 1805. He consecrated,

GILBERT DE JONG, as Bishop of Deventer, November 2, 1805. He consecrated,

WILLIBROD VAN OS, as Archbishop of Utrecht, April 24, 1814. He consecrated,

JOHN BON, as Bishop Haarlem, April 22, 1819. He consecrated,

JOHN VAN SANTEN, as Archbishop of Utrecht, June 14, 1825. He consecrated,

HERMAN HEYKAMP, as Bishop of Deventer, July 17, 1854. He consecrated,

GASPARD JOHN RINKEL, as Bishop of Haarlem, August 11, 1873. He consecrated,

GERARD GUL, as Archbishop of Utrecht, May 11, 1892. He consecrated,

ARNOLD HARRIS MATHEW, as Regional Old Catholic Bishop for Great Britain on April 28, 1908, at St. Gertrude's Church, Utrecht. He was elected Archbishop in 1911. He had been ordained to the Priesthood by Archbishop Eyre, at St. Andrew's Roman Catholic parish in Glasgow, June 24, 1877. He consecrated,

LANDAS BERGHES, on June 29, 1913. He consecrated,

HENRY CARMEL CARFORA, on October 4, 1916. Carfora was elected Archbishop of the United States for all Old Catholics. He consecrated,

Robert Alfred Burns in 1956. He consecrated,

 

Robert Lane in 1970.  He consecrated,

 

Floyd Anthony Kortenhof, for the Old Roman Catholic Church, English Rite in 1991.  He consecrated,

Thomas E. Abel on May 25, 2003 as Auxiliary Bishop of the Old Roman Catholic Church, English Rite. Bishop Abel came under his own Jurisdiction on August 8, 2004. Bishop Abel headed the Catholic Church of America, originally called Old Roman Catholic Church, Diocese of San Diego. In January of 2006 the Catholic Church of America came together with the Diocese of California, American Catholic Church. Bishop Abel was elected Presiding Bishop of the Church, a position he held until July of 2012 when he stepped down to focus on parish growth at Santo Nino Catholic Church and that of the Catholic Church of America. He lead the Catholic Church of America until 2016 upon his until full retirement in 2023.  He consecrated,

MARK RANDALL EARL, on January 23, 2016, as Coadjutor Bishop to assist Bishop Abel for the Catholic Church of America. Bishop Earl became the second Presiding Bishop on September 11, 2016 upon Bishop Abel’s smi-retirement. Bishop Earl is the Pastor of Sacred Heart Community, Catholic Church of America, in San Diego, California.

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Apostolic Succession of Most Reverend Christopher Carpenter

Antiochian - Jacobite (Syro-Malankara)

Peter, 38

Evodus 40

Ignatius I, 43

Aaron, 123

Cornelius, 123

Eodos, 142

Theophulus, 157

Maximinus, 171

Seraphim, 179

Astlediaes, 189

Philip, 201

Sebinus {Zebinus},219

Babylos, 237

Fabius, 250

Demetrius, 251

Paul I, 259

Domnus I, 270

Timotheus, 281

Cyrilus, 281

Tyrantus, 296

Vitalius, 301

Philognius, 318

Eustachius, 323

Paulinius, 338

Philabianus, 383

Evagrius, 386

Phosohorius, 416

Alexander, 418

John I, 428

Theodotus, 431

Domnus II, 442

Maximus, 450

Accacius, 454

Martyrius, 457

Peter II, 464

Philadius, 500

Serverius, 509

Segius, 544

Domnus III, 547

Anadtasius, 560

Gregory I, 564

Paul II, 567

Patra, 571

Domnus IV, 586

Julianus, 591

Athanasius I, 595

John II, 636

Theodorus I, 649

Severus, 668

Athanasius II, 684

Julianus II, 687

Elias I, 709

Athanasius III 724

Evanius I, 740

Gervasius I, 759

Joseph, 790

Cyriacus, 793

Dionysius I, 818

John III, 847

Ignatius II, 877

Theodosius, 887

Dionysius II 897

John IV, 910

Basilus I, 922

John V, 936

Evanius II, 954

Dionysius III, 958

Abraham I, 962

John VI, 965

Athamasius IV, 987

John VII, 1004

Dionysius IV, 1032

Theodorus II, 1042

Athanasius V, 1058

John VIII, 1064

Basilius II, 1074

Abdoone, 1076

Dionysius V, 1077

Evanius III, 1080

Dionysius VI, 1088

Athanasius VI, 1091

John IX, 1131

Athanasius VII, 1139

Michael I, 1167

Athanasius VIII, 1200

Michael II, 1207

John X, 1208

Ignatius III, 1223

Dionysius VII, 1253

John XI, 1253

Ignatius IV, 1264

Philanus, 1283

Ignatius Baruhid, 1293

Ignatius Ismael, 1333

Ignatius Basilius III, 1366

Ignatius Abraham II, 1382

Ignatius Bacalius IV, 1412

Ignatius Behanam I, 1415

Ignatius Kalejih, 1455

Ignatius John XII, 1483

Ignatius Noah, 1492

Ignatius Jesus I, 1509

Ignatius Jacob I, 1510

Ignatius David I, 1519

Ignatius Abdullah I, 1520

Ignatius Naamathalak, 1557

Ignatius David II, 1577

Ignatius Philathus, 1591

Ignatius Abdullah II, 1597

Ignatius Cadhai, 1598

Ignatius Simeon, 1640

Ignatius Jesus II, 1661

Ignatius Messiah, 1661

Ignatius Cabeeb, 1686

Ignatius Gervasius II, 1687

Ignatius Isaac, 1708

Ignatius Siccarablak, 1722

Ignatius Gervasius III, 1746

Ignatius Gervasius IV, 1768

Ignatius Mathias, 1781

Ignatius Behanam, 1810

Ignatius Jonas, 1817

Ignatius Gervasius V, 1818

Ignatius Elias II, 1839

Ignatius Jacob II, 1847

Mar Ignatius Peter III, 1872

Paulose Mar Athanasius (Kadavil Kooran) was consecrated on December 4, 1907 by Mar Ignatius Peter III - Patriarch of the Apostolic See of Antioch and the East. (Syrian Antioch Bishop of Kottayam and Metropolitan of Malabar / India ).

Mar Julius I (Antonio Francis Xavier Alvares) was consecrated July 28, 1889, by Paulose Mar Athanasius, under authority of Patriarch Ignatius Peter III to be Archbishop of the Latin Rite Independent Catholic Church of  Ceylon, Goa and India  

Joseph Rene Vilatte was consecrated on May 29, 1892 in Columbo,  Ceylon at Our Lady of Good Death Cathedral by Mar Julius I, under  authority of a Bull of Mar Ignatius Peter III, to serve as Archbishop of North  America.

Fredrick E. Lloyd, 1915. Consecrated by Vilatte as Bishop, later succeeded Vilatte as Archbishop.

Samuel Gregory Lines, 1923. Consecrated by Lloyd as Bishop.

Justin Boyle, 1927. Consecrated by Lines as Bishop.

Lowel Paul Wadle, 1940. Consecrated by Boyle as Bishop.

Herman Adrian Spruit, 1957. Consecrated by Wadle, Charles H. Hampton (Liberal Catholic) and H. Francis Marshall (Greek Melchite), as  First Bishop of the Church Universal.

Paul Michael Clemens, 1988. Consecrated by Spruit and W.  Blillinger, as Bishop of the Church of Antioch.

Joseph Philip Sousa, 1991. Consecrated by Clemens and Richard  Alston Gundrey, as Bishop of the Church of Antioch.

Willibrord Johannes Van Campenhout, 1993. Consecrated Autocephalous Bishop by Sousa. Bishop to the Christians of Saint John.

William Dennis Donavan, 1993. Consecrated by Van Campenhout.

Robert Joseph Allmen, 1995. Consecrated by Donavan. Presiding Bishop of the American Catholic Church. Later, Archbishop and Presiding Bishop of the Reformed Catholic Church.

Michael M. LaBrecque, 1997. Consecrated by Allmen as Bishop.

Francis Raphael, 1999. Consecrated by Allmen as Bishop.

Joseph Francis, 1999. Consecrated by Allmen as Bishop.

Phillip Zimmerman, 2004. Consecrated by Allmen as Bishop.

G. Peter Posthumus, 2006, Consecrated by Zimmerman as Bishop

Raelynn Scott, 2007, Consecrated by Zimmerman as Bishop

Niall Sheridan, 2008, Consecrated by Quinlan as Bishop, Elevated Archbishop by Zimmerman

Marcis Heckman, Consecrated by Zimmerman as Bishop Elevated Archbishop by Quinlan

Joseph Corrigan, Consecrated by Zimmerman as Bishop

Brian Watson, Consecrated by Zimmerman as Bishop

John A. Bell, Consecrated by Zimmerman as Bishop, Elevated Archbishop by Zimmerman

Christopher Carpenter, 2011 Consecrated by Bell, who consecrated

 

MARK RANDALL EARL, on January 23, 2016, as Coadjutor Bishop to assist Bishop Abel for the Catholic Church of America. Bishop Earl became the second Presiding Bishop on September 11, 2016 upon Bishop Abel’s smi-retirement. Bishop Earl is the Pastor of Sacred Heart Community, Catholic Church of America, in San Diego, California.

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ROMAN - OLD CATHOLIC SUCCESSION

Peter, 38

Linus, 67

Ancletus {Cletus}, 76

Clement, 88

Evaristus, 97

Alexander I, 105

Sixtus I, 115

Telesphorus, 125

Hygimus, 136

Pius I, 140

Anicetus, 155

Soter, 166

Eleutherius, 175

Victor I, 189

Zephyrinus, 199

Callistus I, 217

Urban I, 222

Pontian, 230

Anterus, 235

Fabian, 236

Cornelius, 251

Lucius I, 253

Stephen I, 254

Sixtus II, 257

Dionysius, 259

Felix I, 269

Eutychian, 275

Caius, 283

Marcellinus, 296

Marcellus I, 308

Eucebius, 309

Melchiades {Miltiades}, 311

Sylvester I, 314

Marcus, 336

Julius I, 337

Liberius, 352 Liberius was expelled from Rome by the Aryan Emperor

Constantius, during his absence, the See of Rome was held by Felix II, who

resigned upon the return of Liberius from his two year exile

Damasus I, 366

Siricius, 384

Anastasius I, 399

Innocent I, 401

Zosimus, 417

Boniface I, 418

Celestine I, 422

Sixtus III, 432

Leo I, 440

Hilary, 461

Simplicius, 468

Felix III, 483

Gelasius I, 492

Anastasius II, 496

Symmachus, 498

Hormisdus, 514

John I, 523

Felix IV, 526

Boniface II, 530

John II, 535

Agapitus, 535

Sylverius, 536

Vigilus, 537

Pelagius I, 556

John III, 561

Benedict I, 575

Pelagius II, 579

Gregory I, 590

Sabinianus, 604

Boniface III, 607

Boniface IV, 608

Deusdedit {Adeodatus I}, 615

Boniface V, 619

Honorius, 625

Severinus, 640

John IV, 640

Theodore I, 642

Martin I, 649

Eugene I, 654

Vitalian, 657

Adeodatus II, 672

Donus, 676

Agatho, 678

Leo II, 682

Benedict II, 684

John V, 685

Conon, 686

Sergius I, 687

John VI, 701

John VII, 705

Sisinnius, 708

Constantine, 708

Gregory II, 715

Gregory III, 731

Zachary, 741

Stephen II, 752

Paul I, 757

Stephen III, 768

Adrian I, 772

Leo III, 795

Stephan IV, 816

Paschal I, 817

Eugene II, 824

Valentine, 827

Gregory IV, 827

Sergius II, 844

Leo IV, 847

Benedict III, 855

Nicholas I, 858

Adrian II, 867

John VIII, 872

Marinus I, 882

Adrian III, 884

Stephan V, 885

Formosus, 891

Boniface VI

Steven VI, 897

Romanus, 897

Theodore II, 897

John IX, 898

Benedict IV, 900

Leo V, 903

Sergius III, 904

Anastasius III, 911

Landus, 913

John X, 914

Leo VI, 938

Stephan VII, 928

John XI, 931

Leo VII, 936

Stephen VIII, 939

Maginus II, 942

Agapitus II, 946

John XIII, 955

Leo VII, 963

Benedict V, 964

John XIV, 965

Benedict VI, 973

Benedict VII, 974

John XIV, 983

John XV, 985

Gregory V, 996

Sylvester II, 999

John XVII, 1003

John XVIII, 1004

Sergius IV, 1009

Benedict VIII, 1012

John XIX, 1024

Benedict IX, 1032

Sylvester III, 1045

Benedict IX {Second time},1045

Gregory VI, 1045

Clement II, 1046

Benedict IX {Third time},1047

Damasus II, 1048

Leo IX, 1049

Victor II, 1055

Stephan IX, 1057

Nicholas II, 1059

Alexander II, 1061

Gregory VII, 1073

Victor III, 1087

Urban II, 1088

Paschal II, 1099

Gelasius II, 1118

Callistus II, 1119

Honorius II, 1124

Innocent II, 1130

Celestine II, 1143

Lucius II, 1144

Eugene III 1145

Anastasius IV, 1153

Adrian IV, 1154

Alexander III, 1159

Lucius III, 1181

Urban III, 1185

Gregory VIII, 1187

Clement III, 1187

Celestine III, 1191

Innocent III, 1198

Honorius III, 1216

Gregory IX, 1227

Celestine IV, 1241

Innocent IV, 1243

Alexander IV, 1254

Urban IV, 1261

Clement IV, 1265

Gregory X, 1271

Innocent V, 1276

Adrian V, 1276

John XXI, 1276

Nicholas III, 1277

Martin IV, 1281

Honorius IV, 1285

Nicholas IV 1288

Celestine V, 1294

Boniface VIII, 1294

Benedict XI, 1303

Clement V, 1305

John XXII, 1316

Benedict XII, 1334

Clement VI, 1342

Innocent VI, 1352

Urban V, 1362

Gregory XI, 1370

Urban VI, 1378

Boniface IX, 1389

Innocent VII, 1389

Gregory XII, 1406

Martin V, 1417

Eugene IV, 1431

Nicholas V, 1447

Callistus III, 1455

Pius II, 1458

Paul II, 1464

Sixtus IV, 1471

Innocent VIII, 1484

Alexander VI, 1492

Pius III, 1503

Julius II, 1503

Leo X, 1513

Adrian VI, 1522

Clement VII, 1523

Paul III, 1534

Julius III, 1550

Marcellus II, 1555

Paul IV, 1555

Pius IV, 1559

Pius V, 1566

Gregory XIII, 1572

Sixtus V, 1585

Urban VII, 1590

Gregory XIV, 1590

Innocent IX, 1591

Clement VIII, 1592

Leo XI, 1605

Paul V, 1605

Gregory XV 1621

Urban VIII, 1623

Innocent X, 1644

Alexander VII, 1655

Antonio Barberini, 1655. nephew of Urban VIII, was consecrated to the Episcopate under authority of the Bishop of Rome, by Bishops Scanarello, Bottini and Govotti. He was Archbishop of Remes 1657 until his death in 1671, and was made a Cardinal. It is from Bishop Barberini that the Roman Succession from Peter branches off from the Bishops of Rome

BRANCHED FROM ROME

Michel le Tellier was consecrated by Barberini in 1668. He was confessor to King Louie XIV of France,  and a Jesuit Provincal.

Jacques Benigne de Boussoit, was consecrated by le Tellier in 1670 as Bishop of Mieux, France

James Coyon de Matignon, was consecrated by de Bousseut in 1693.

Dominique Marie Varlet, Consecrated in 1719 in Paris by Bishop de Matignon, assisted by the Bishop of Qubec and the Bishop of Claremont. He was named Coadjutor to the Roman Catholic Bishop of Babylon who died on November 20, 1717 and Bishop Varlet succeeded to the title. After a period in Persia at Schamake, he was susspended from office for alleged technical irregularities, including the confirmation of 604 candidates in Holland whom he had confirmed at the request of the Church in Amsterdam. The Dutch Church had been without a Bishop for 18 years as a punishment from Rome because the Dutch Church refused to cooperate in the persecution of the "Jansenists" in Holland. Following the election of

Cornelius Van Steenhoven to serve as Archbishop of Utrecht, the Primatial See of Holland, Varlet agreed to perform the Consecration, which he did on October 15, 1724, thus making Van Steenhoven the seventh Archbishop of Utrecht and canonical successor to Saint Willibrord, the British missionary who had brought the faith to Holland. In this consecration was born the Old Catholic Church.

OLD CATHOLIC SUCCESSION

Johannes an Stiphout (1745-1777)

Walter van Nieuwenhuisen (1768–1797)

Adrianus Johannes Broekman (1778-1800)

Johannes Jacobus van Rhijn (1797–1808)

Lambertus de Jong (1865-1867)

Willibrord van Os (1814–1825)

Johannes Bon (1819-1841)

Johannes van Santen (1825–1858)

Johannes Heijkamp (1875–1892)

Gaspardus Johannes Rinkel (1873-1906)

Gerardus Gul (1892–1920)

Arnold Harris Matthew was consecrated on April 28, 1908 by Archbishop Gul of Utrecht, assisted by Bishop J. J. Van Thiel of Haarlem Bishop N. B. P. Spit of Deventer and Bishop J. Demmel of Bonn, Germany to serve as the First Old Catholic Bishop of Britain.

Frederick Samuel Willoughby, 1914

James I Wedgwood, 1916

Irving S. Cooper, 1919

Charles Hampton, 1931

Herman A. Spruit. Consecrated by Lowell Paul Wadle, Charles H. Hampton (Liberal Catholic) and H. Francis Marshall (Greek Melchite), as First Bishop of the Church Universal. 

Paul Michael Clemens, 1988. Consecrated by Spruit and W. Blillinger, as Bishop of the Church of Antioch

Joseph Philip Sousa, 1991. Consecrated by Clemens and Richard Alston Gundrey, as Bishop of the Church of Antioch

Willibrord Johannes Van Campenhout, 1993. Consecrated Autocephalous Bishop by Sousa. Bishop to the Christians of Saint John.

William Dennis Donavan, 1993. Consecrated by Van Campenhout.

Robert Joseph Allmen, 1995. Consecrated by Donavan. Presiding Bishop of the American Catholic Church. Later, Archbishop and Presiding Bishop of the Reformed Catholic Church.

Phillip Zimmerman, 2004. Consecrated by Allmen as Bishop.

John A. Bell, Consecrated by Zimmerman as Bishop

Christopher Carpenter, 2011 Consecrated by Bell as Bishop. He consecrated

 

MARK RANDALL EARL, on January 23, 2016, as Coadjutor Bishop to assist Bishop Abel for the Catholic Church of America. Bishop Earl became the second Presiding Bishop on September 11, 2016 upon Bishop Abel’s smi-retirement. Bishop Earl is the Pastor of Sacred Heart Community, Catholic Church of America, in San Diego, California.

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ROMAN - Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church (ICAB)

On March 12, 1566, Scipione Cardinal Rebiba consecrated Cardinal Santinio

Who on September 7, 1586, consecrated Cardinal Benninio

Who on April 4, 1604, consecrated Cardinal San Vitale

Who on May 7, 1621, consecrated Cardinal Gaetani

Who on October 7, 1630 consecrated Cardinal Carpegna

Who on May 2, 1666, consecrated Cardinal Altieri

Who on February 3, 1675, consecrated Cardinal Orsini (Pope as Benedict PP XIII 1724)

Who on July 16, 1723, consecrated Prospero Lambertini (Pope as Benedict PP XIV 1740)

Who on March 19, 1743, consecrated Carol della Torre Rezzoni (Pope as Clement PPXIII 1758)

Who on April 26, 1767, consecrated Bernardinus Giraud (Cardinal 1771)

Who on February 23, 1777, consecrated Alexander Matthaeus (Cardinal 1770)

Who on September 12, 1819, consecrated Peter Francis Galetti (Cardinal 1803)

Who on December 8, 1822, consecrated James Phillip Fransoni (Cardinal 1826)

Who on June 8, 1851, consecrated Charles Sacconi (Cardinal 1861)

Who on June 30, 1872, consecrated Eduard Howard (Cardinal 1877)

Who on December 8, 1882, consecrated Mariano Rampolla Marchese del Tindaro (Cardinal 1887)

Who on October 26, 1890, consecrated Joaquin de Albuquerque-Calvacanti (Cardinal 1905)

Who on June 4, 1911, consecrated Sebastiao Leme de Silveira Cintra (Archbishop 1921)

Who on December 8, 1924, consecrated Carlos Duarte-Costa

Who on July 6, 1945, established the Catholic Apostolic Church in Brazil

Who on August 15, 1945, Bishop Carlos Duarte-Costa consecrated Salomao Ferraz

Who on May 29, 1951, consecrated Manuel Ceja Laranjeira

Who on August 15, 1965, consecrated Benedito Pereira Lima

Who on August 1, 1966, consecrated Jose M. Machado

Who on December 2, 1967, consecrated Oscar Fernandez

Who on April 29, 1969, consecrated Agusto Montez-Silvieri

Who on November, 1972, consecrated Gerald Gates

Who on February 3, 1997, consecrated Ronald D. Nowlan

Who on November 21, 1998, consecrated Paul Victor Verhaeren and Wayne Moore Hay

Who on April 19, 2003, consecrated Bruce D. Campbell

Who on June 2003, consecrated Shane Price

Who on 1 February 2005, consecrated Phillip Zimmerman

Who on 29 January 2011 John A. Bell Consecrated Christopher Carpenter

Christopher M. Carpenter Consecrated

 

MARK RANDALL EARL, on January 23, 2016, as Coadjutor Bishop to assist Bishop Abel for the Catholic Church of America. Bishop Earl became the second Presiding Bishop on September 11, 2016 upon Bishop Abel’s smi-retirement. Bishop Earl is the Pastor of Sacred Heart Community, Catholic Church of America, in San Diego, California.

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ROMAN - APOSTOLIC SECONDARY SUCCESSION

On March 12, 1566, Scipione Cardinal Rebiba consecrated Cardinal Santinio

Who on September 7, 1586, consecrated Cardinal Benninio

Who on April 4, 1604, consecrated Cardinal San Vitale

Who on May 7, 1621, consecrated Cardinal Ludovisi

Who on June 12, 1622, consecrated Cardinal Gaetani

Who on October 7, 1630, consecrated Cardinal Carpegna

Who on May 2, 1666 consecrated Cardinal Altieri

Who on February 3, 1675, consecrated Cardinal Orsini (Pope as Benedict PP XIII 1724)

Who on July 16, 1723, consecrated Prospero Lambertini (Pope as Benedict PP XIV 1740)

Who on March 19, 1723, consecrated Carol della Torre Rezzoni (Pope as Clement PP XIII 1758)

Who on April 26, 1767, consecrated Bernardinus Giraud (Cardinal 1771)

Who on February 23, 1777, consecrated Alexander Matthaeus (Cardinal 1771)

Who on September 12, 1819, consecrated Peter Francis Galetti (Cardinal 1803)

Who on December 8, 1822, consecrated James Phillip Fransoni (Cardinal 1826)

Who on June 8, 1851, consecrated Charles Sacconi (Cardinal 1861)

Who on June 30, 1872, consecrated Eduard Howard (Cardinal 1877)

Who on December 8, 1882, consecrated Mariano Rampolla Marchese del Tindaro (Cardinal 1887)

Who on October 26, 1890, consecrated Joaquin de Albuquerque-Calvacanti (Cardinal 1905)

Who on June 17, 1928, consecrated Josef R. B. Beckertz (Archbishop 1941)

Who on May 22, 1953, consecrated Henri Louis D'Autel (Archbishop, Lyon - 1966)

Who on November 10, 1964, consecrated Jean Balland (Archbishop, Lyon - 1978)

Who on March 19, 1969, consecrated Robert R. Johnson

Who on February 3, 1997, consecrated Ronald D. Nowlan

Who on November 21, 1998, consecrated Paul Victor Verhaeren and Wayne Moore Hay

Who on April 19, 2003, consecrated Bruce D. Campbell

Who on June 2003, consecrated Shane Price

Who on 1 February 2005, consecrated Phillip Zimmerman

Who on 30 January 2010 consecrated John A. Bell

Who on 29 January 2011 John A. Bell Consecrated Christopher Carpenter.

Christopher Carpenter Consecrated

 

MARK RANDALL EARL, on January 23, 2016, as Coadjutor Bishop to assist Bishop Abel for the Catholic Church of America. Bishop Earl became the second Presiding Bishop on September 11, 2016 upon Bishop Abel’s smi-retirement. Bishop Earl is the Pastor of Sacred Heart Community, Catholic Church of America, in San Diego, California.

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OLD CATHOLIC SUCCESSION II

ANTONIO CARDINAL BARBERINI, as Archbishop of Rheims, 1657.

CHARLES-MAURICE LE TELLIER, succeeding as Archbishop of Rheims, November 12, 1668. He, in turn, consecrated in the church of the Cordeliers, Pontoise

JACQUES BENIGNE BOSSUET, as Bishop of Condom in Gascony, September 21, 1670. He was transferred to the See of Meaux by Pope Clement X, 1671. He, in turn, consecrated in the church of Chartreuse, Paris

JACQUES DE GOYON DE MATIGNON, Bishop of Condom, 1693. By order of Pope Clement XI, he consecrated at Paris

DOMINIQUE MARIE VARLET, as Bishop of Ascalon in partibus, and coadjutor to the Bishop of Babylon, Persia, February 12, 1719.In response to the appeals of the Chapter of the Old Catholic Church of Utrecht, he consecrated

PETRUS JOHANNES MEINDAERTS, as Archbishop of Utrecht, October 17, 1739. He consecrated

JOHANNES AN STIPHOUT, as Bishop of Haarlem, July 11, 1745. He, in turn, consecrated

WALTER VAN NIEUWENHUISEN, as Archbishop of Utrecht, February 7, 1768. He consecrated

ADRIANUS JOHANNES BROEKMAN, as Bishop of Haarlem, June 21, 1778. He consecrated

JOHANNES JACOBUS VAN RHIJN, as Archbishop of Utrecht, November 7, 1805. He consecrated

GISBERTUS CORNELIUS DE JONG, as Bishop of Deventer, November 2, 1805. He consecrated

WILLIBRORD VAN OS, as Archbishop of Utrecht, April 24, 1814. He consecrated

JOHANNES BON, as Bishop Haarlem, April 22, 1819. He consecrated

JOHANNES VAN SANTEN, as Archbishop of Utrecht, June 14, 1825. He consecrated

HERMANNUS HEYKAMP, as Bishop of Deventer, July 17, 1854. He consecrated

GASPARDUS JOHANNES RINKEL, as Bishop of Haarlem, August 11, 1873. He consecrated

GERARDUS GUL, as Archbishop of Utrecht, May 11, 1892. He consecrated

ARNOLD HARRIS MATHEW, as Regionary Old Catholic Bishop for Great Britian, April 28, 1908, at St. Gertrude's Church, Utrecht. He was elected Archbishop in 1911. He had been ordained to the Priesthood by Archbishop Eyre, at St. Andrew's Roman Catholic Cathedral, Glasgow, June 24, 1877. He consecrated

RUDOLPH DE LANDAS BERGHES, on June 29, 1913. He consecrated

CARMEL HENRY CARFORA, on October 4, 1916. Carfora was elected Archbishop of the United States for all Old Catholics. He consecrated

EARL ANGLIN LAWRENCE JAMES, on June 17, 1945. He, in turn, consecrated

GRANT TIMOTHY BILLET, on December 25, 1950. He, in turn, consecrated

NORMAN R. PARR, on October 23, 1979. He, in turn, consecrated

MAURICE DARRYL MCCORMICK, on July 14, 1991. He, in turn, consecrated

IRWIN R. YOUNG, JR., on September 21, 1997. He in turn, consecrated

PAUL VICTOR VERHAEREN and WAYNE MOORE HAY on November 21, 1998

BRUCE D. CAMPBELL on April 19, 2003, He consecrated

SHANE PRICE on April 19, 2003, He consecrated

PHILLIP ZIMMERMAN on 1 February 2005, He consecrated

G. PETER POSTHUMUS on 7 October 2006, He consecrated

RAELYNN FABICK SCOTT on 14 April 2007, He consecrated

MARCIS HECKMEN on 3 October 2008, He consecrated

JOSEPH CORRIGAN & BRIAN WATSON

JOHN A. BELL, consecrated on 30 January 2010. He consecrated

CHRISTOPHER CARPENTER on 29 January 2011. he consecrated

MARK RANDALL EARL, on January 23, 2016, as Coadjutor Bishop to assist Bishop Abel for the Catholic Church of America. Bishop Earl became the second Presiding Bishop on September 11, 2016 upon Bishop Abel’s smi-retirement. Bishop Earl is the Pastor of Sacred Heart Community, Catholic Church of America, in San Diego, California.

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OLD CATHOLIC and Pillipine Inndependant Church SUCCESSION III through Archbishop Robert M. Clement

 

ANTONIO CARDINAL BARBERINI, as Archbishop of Rheims, 1657.

 

CHARLES-MAURICE LE TELLIER, succeeding as Archbishop of Rheims, November 12, 1668. He, in turn, consecrated in the church of the Cordeliers, Pontoise

 

JACQUES BENIGNE BOSSUET, as Bishop of Condom in Gascony, September 21, 1670. He was transferred to the See of Meaux by Pope Clement X, 1671. He, in turn, consecrated in the church of Chartreuse, Paris

 

JACQUES DE GOYON DE MATIGNON, Bishop of Condom, 1693. By order of Pope Clement XI, he consecrated at Paris

 

DOMINIQUE MARIE VARLET, as Bishop of Ascalon in partibus, and coadjutor to the Bishop of Babylon, Persia, February 12, 1719.In response to the appeals of the Chapter of the Old Catholic Church of Utrecht, he consecrated

 

PETRUS JOHANNES MEINDAERTS, as Archbishop of Utrecht, October 17, 1739. He consecrated

 

JOHANNES AN STIPHOUT, as Bishop of Haarlem, July 11, 1745. He, in turn, consecrated

 

WALTER VAN NIEUWENHUISEN, as Archbishop of Utrecht, February 7, 1768. He consecrated

 

ADRIANUS JOHANNES BROEKMAN, as Bishop of Haarlem, June 21, 1778. He consecrated

 

JOHANNES JACOBUS VAN RHIJN, as Archbishop of Utrecht, November 7, 1805. He consecrated

 

GISBERTUS CORNELIUS DE JONG, as Bishop of Deventer, November 2, 1805. He consecrated

 

WILLIBRORD VAN OS, as Archbishop of Utrecht, April 24, 1814. He consecrated

 

JOHANNES BON, as Bishop Haarlem, April 22, 1819. He consecrated

 

JOHANNES VAN SANTEN, as Archbishop of Utrecht, June 14, 1825. He consecrated

 

HERMANNUS HEYKAMP, as Bishop of Deventer, July 17, 1854. He consecrated

 

GASPARDUS JOHANNES RINKEL, as Bishop of Haarlem, August 11, 1873. He consecrated


GERARDUS GUL, as Archbishop of Utrecht, May 11, 1892. He consecrated

 

ARNOLD HARRIS MATHEW, as Regionary Old Catholic Bishop for Great Britian, April 28, 1908, at St. Gertrude's Church, Utrecht. He was elected Archbishop in 1911. He had been ordained to the Priesthood by Archbishop Eyre, at St. Andrew's Roman Catholic parish in Glasgow, June 24, 1877. He consecrated,

 

LANDAS BERGHES, on June 29, 1913. He consecrated,

 

HENRY CARMEL CARFORA, on October 4, 1916. Carfora was elected Archbishop of the United States for all Old Catholics. He consecrated,

 

Richard Arthur Marchenna[as Suffragan Bishop of Newark with delegated ordinary authority over congregations in New Jersey and New York. He consecrated.

 

Robert M. Clement as a Bishop on October 6, 1974 The Most Reverend Robert Mary Clement, Archbishop of North America of the original American Catholic Church (1915) and the original Eucharistic Catholic Church; founder of The Church of the Beloved Disciple, in Manhattan (1968-1986); the first openly gay bishop in the United States; the first major urban Apostolic and Sacramental work for the LGBT community in New York; and, the co-creator of term “Holy Union” and the first “Holy Union” was celebrated at the Church of the Beloved Disciple in July 1970 by the Rev. Robert Mary Clement. Robert Clement was born on March 12, 1925 in Lee Park, Pennsylvania, of Roman Catholic and Episcopalian parents.  In college, he became aware of the Old Catholic movement, and felt comfortable with it as a way to study and prepare for the priesthood.

Archbishop William Henry Francis Brothers ordained him as a priest in the Old Catholic Church of America on August 8, 1948.  As a result of intercommunion, two years later he was transferred to The Old Roman Catholic Church under the jurisdiction of Archbishop Richard Arthur Marchenna (1911-1982).  For internal reasons he was conditionally re-ordained on November 1, 1950.  Clement was a Bishop-Elect under Marchenna in 1958.  He was at that time the Vicar General and was elected to be Co-Adjutor to Archbishop Marchenna. 

 

Recognizing a different call within the priesthood, he was accepted into The Polish National Catholic Church; again, in order to regularize the standing of his priesthood, he was conditionally ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Thaddeus F. Zielinski on June 22, 1959 in Perth Amboy, NJ.  In August 1959 Fr Clement met his life-companion John Darcy Noble while in London; a relationship, which lasted 44 years until Bishop Noble’s death on September 21, 2003. Fr Clement served as a parish priest in New Jersey and New York City for the Polish National Catholic Church for approximately ten years, until he left the PNCC in 1968 since the PNCC had no interest at that time in a primarily English-speaking parish in New York City. 

 

Consequently, Fr Clement founded an independent work called the American Orthodox Church of the United States (Western Orthodox), based upon an apostolic and sacramental system for which he became the Curial Administrator.  This was in response to Fr Clement’s strong desire to do an open and public outreach to the LGBTQ+ community. So in 1968, Fr Clement and friends founded the initial work of The Church of the Beloved Disciple, which primarily served the New York LGBTQ+ community. 

 

However, after the Stonewall uprising, Fr Clement heeded its clarion call to action, and in New York City’s first Gay Parade, Fr Clement marched as the only openly-gay priest and in collar carrying the banner “Gay People This Is Your Church,” while his life-companion John Darcy Noble passed–out fliers inviting people to attend “The Church of the Beloved Disciple.”  Over 800 people attended the following Mass at the church at 9th and 28th Street.  In essence, Clement had inherited the work of the 1946 Eucharistic Catholic Church.  So much so that, in 1972 Bishop Hyde legally transferred to Clement the official incorporation papers of the original American Catholic Church (founded by Archbishop Vilatte in1915) so that Beloved Disciple now functioned under it as the incorporated American Catholic Church.    Two years later, Bishop Hyde also authorized Bishop Clement to continue the mission of the Eucharistic Catholic Church at Beloved Disciple.  The year 1974 was a highmark in Clement’s work and life, as Archbishop Richard A. Marchenna consecrated Robert M. Clement as a Bishop on October 6, 1974, assisted by Bishop Martin Luther Williams, which was televised over New York City, and received national attention as the first openly gay bishop’s consecration.  Clement and Noble also coined the term “Holy Union” and Clement was the first to publicly perform Holy Unions in July 1970.  Bishop Clement was a lightning-rod for the News Media whenever they wanted a quote concerning the naturalness of gay and lesbian people.

 

In 1986, Bishops Clement and Noble wanted to retire from the fray of New York City, so Fr Philip Vasianto became the rector of Beloved Disciple in New York City until his death.  When Fr Philip died of AIDS, Bishops Clement & Noble were living in southern California and too far away to return to over-see The Church of the Beloved Disciple.

 

In California, Bishop Clement made ecumenical relations with other independent Catholic jurisdictions and work, while his personal time was occupied by caring for a gay Godson Tim who had AIDS, and in caring for Bishop John who had diabetes.

 

On October 24, 1993, Archbishop Marcario Ga, Obispo Maximo (1972-1981) of the Philippine Independent Church (IFI), recognized Archbishop Clement’s ecclesial standing and sub-conditione consecrated Robert M Clement as the regional Bishop of San Diego. Archbishop Ga was assisted by Bishop Robert Halliwell II and Bishop David Riggs at St.Andrew Church in Los Alamitos.

 

During the San Diego years, Clement underwent deep introspection and Bishop Robert began to reassess his understanding of his calling and service, and the meaning of Jesus’ words.  His readings expanded to the Jesus Seminars, the Historical Jesus, and he became aware of the historical Celtic Church and found within it similarities to the philosophies of Buddhism and Sufism.  He had an epiphany in realizing that since he had been a leader in LGBT human rights and since many churches now embraced his lead; it was now time to present a new vision of spirituality and the church.  Clement saw in the Celtic church that it was free of the Augustinian concepts of sin, guilt and punishment, and how the Celtic church expressed in greater depth many of the spiritual concepts of The Church of the Beloved Disciple.  He Consecrated

 

MARK RANDALL EARL, on January 23, 2016, as Coadjutor Bishop to assist Bishop Abel for the Catholic Church of America. Bishop Earl became the second Presiding Bishop on September 11, 2016 upon Bishop Abel’s simi-retirement. Bishop Earl is the Pastor of Sacred Heart Community, Catholic Church of America, in San Diego, California.

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Apostolic Succession through Archbishop Standly J Harris he Consecrated

MARK RANDALL EARL, on January 23, 2016, as Coadjutor Bishop to assist Bishop Abel for the Catholic Church of America. Bishop Earl became the second Presiding Bishop on September 11, 2016 upon Bishop Abel’s smi-retirement. Bishop Earl is the Pastor of Sacred Heart Community, Catholic Church of America, in San Diego, California.

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Apostolic Succession through the Liberal Catholic Church via Bishop Charles W. Finn

 

The Liberal Catholic Church traces its apostolic succession to Archbishop Arnold Harris Mathew. Mathew was consecrated bishop on 28 April, 1908, by Utrecht Archbishop Gerhardus Gul, assisted by the Old Catholic bishops of Deventer and Berne, in St. Gertrude's Old Catholic Cathedral, Utrecht. Only two years later, Mathew declared his autonomy from the Union of Utrecht, with which he had experienced tension from the beginning. It was only a short time later that Bishop Mathew found himself at odds with his own clergy in Great Britain and ultimately walked away to seek union with the Roman Catholic Church.

 

The founding Bishop of the Liberal Catholic Church was James I. Wedgwood of the Wedgwood China family, formerly a Cleric in the Church of England (Anglican). Wedgwood grew dissatisfied with the Church, and discovered the Theosophical Society, which had a stronger appeal to his sense of life and justice. When Archbishop Arnold Harris Mathew sought to ordain those clergy who were dissatisfied with the Church of England, Wedgwood was one who joined the new Old Catholic Church of England. Archbishop Mathew knew of Wedgwood's membership in the Theosophical Society, as well as that of other clergy in the Old Catholic Church of England, and originally promised that this would not be a problem, but later retracted that promise and asked all clergy to resign from the Theosophical Society. Not willing to do so, Father Wedgwood and most of the Old Catholic Church in England found themselves without a Bishop as they withdrew from Archbishop Mathew's leadership.

 

One of the men who Archbishop Mathew had consecrated to the Episcopate, Bishop Frederick Samuel Willoughby, offered to consecrate and elevate one of the withdrawn clergy to the Episcopate so that they would not be without a Bishop. Father Wedgwood was selected and elevated to the Episcopate on February 13th, 1916. The Church was eventually reorganized and renamed The Liberal Catholic Church. Archbishop Wedgwood then consecrated another former Anglican Priest, Charles W. Leadbeater, later that same year, with Bishop Leadbeater going on to become the 2nd Presiding Bishop of the Church in later years.

 

The LCCI arose from the 1941 schism of the Liberal Catholic Church in the United States, which surrounded the controversy involving American Regionary Bishop Charles Hampton, who wished to keep adherence to Theosophical tenets optional for all clergy, in accordance with the wishes of the church's first two Presiding Bishops, James I. Wedgwood and Charles W. Leadbeater.

 

During the controversy of the 1940s, 3rd Presiding Bishop Frank W. Pigott, who embraced a more Theosophical vision for the church's future, suspended Bishop Hampton and all the clergy under him who refused to endorse his Episcopal replacement. Bishop Pigott also ordered the confiscation of church property at the Regionary headquarters in California. The American Synod saw this as a breach of canon law and a violation of the laws of California under which the church had been incorporated in America.

 

The majority of clergy in America, who had supported Bishop Hampton, broke with Bishop Pigott and continued as the Liberal Catholic Church, with Bishop Ray M. Wardall becoming the 4th Presiding Bishop in 1943. The Church eventually won the right in a court of law to use the name The Liberal Catholic Church (while being called the Liberal Catholic Church International in the rest of the world), although the litigation was settled after Bishop Hampton's death.

 

In 1955, Edward M Matthews became the 5th Presiding Bishop, followed by Francis Erwin in 1962. The 7th Presiding Bishop was William H. Daw in 1970, followed by Joseph Neth in 1974. The 9th Presiding Bishop was Dean E. Bekken in 1989, followed by Bishop, Charles W. Finn, who Consecrated Stanly J Harris in 2004 who Consecrated

 

MARK RANDALL EARL, on January 23, 2016, as Coadjutor Bishop to assist Bishop Abel for the Catholic Church of America. Bishop Earl became the second Presiding Bishop on September 11, 2016 upon Bishop Abel’s smi-retirement. Bishop Earl is the Pastor of Sacred Heart Community, Catholic Church of America, in San Diego, California.

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