Repairing God's House, One Stone at a Time

Homosexuality and the Bible

2011-04-16T18:07:00.001-04:00

Several years ago, I came across the following letter on the Internet that addressed the issue of Homosexuality and the Bible. While I was online today, I stumbled across it once again and thought I'd add it add to my blog. Here it is, in quotation marks.

"Ever get tired of people throwing Bible verses at you, and using religion as an excuse for condemning homosexuality? Well, this is something I came across many years ago, and I still laugh every time I read it.

On her radio show, Dr Laura Schlesinger said that, as an observant Orthodox Jew, homosexuality is an abomination according to Leviticus 18:22, and cannot be condoned under any circumstance. The following response is an open letter to Dr. Laura, penned by a US resident, which was posted on the Internet. It's funny, as well as informative:

=============

Dear Dr. Laura:

Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's Law. I have learned a great deal from your show, and try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination... End of debate.

I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some other elements of God's Laws and how to follow them.

1. Leviticus 25:44 states that I may possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians?

2. I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?

3. I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanliness - Lev.15: 19-24. The problem is how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.

4. When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord - Lev.1:9. The problem is, my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?

5. I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath.Exodus 35:2. clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself, or should I ask the police to do it?

6. A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination - Lev. 11:10, it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don't agree. Can you settle this? Are there 'degrees' of abomination?

7. Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle-room here?

8. Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev. 19:27. How should they die?

9. I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?

10. My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev.19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? Lev.24:10-16. Couldn't we just burn them to death at a private family affair, like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)

I know you have studied these things extensively and thus enjoy considerable expertise in such matters, so I am confident you can help. Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal and unchanging.

Your adoring fan.

James M. Kauffman, Ed.D. Professor Emeritus Dept. of Curriculum,
Instruction, and Special Education University of Virginia"

================

I don't think I could add anything further to this. It sort of speaks for itself, don't you think?

General Friedrich Wilhelm Augustus von Steuben - Why we must repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell

2010-12-15T21:47:00.002-05:00

After reading a news article on MSN today about the large majority of the House of Representatives who voted today, for the second time, to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT), I felt the need to toss my two cents into the discussion. With predictability, following the article, I read comment after comment from the usual crowd of misguided mud slingers whose hateful lies and foul rhetoric frequently follows any discussion related to the right of Gay and Lesbian citizens to be treated like human beings, the same way every citizen wishes to be treated.

It seems terribly sad and ironic that any person who lives in the United States, and especially anyone connected to our military, would question for a minute the invaluable service of Gay or Lesbian people in our armed forces. As I recall from my American history, it was a former Prussian officer, who fell out of favor in his country due to rumors that he was homosexual, who came to the aide of the troops under the command of General George Washington at a moment in our history when it looked like we might lose the war to England.

The Continental army was ill trained and in disarray until General Friedrich Wilhelm Augustus von Steuben, a Gay man, volunteered to fight on the side of the American forces. He didn't merely serve with the Continental Army, but he actually transformed it into a viable fighting force. He trained our soldiers in marching, marksmanship and battle tactics. He picked 100 men, trained them and sent them to train the others. He improved the sanitary conditions of the military camps, had the men set up their tents in rows so the camp began to have a military structured appearance.

By April of 1778 the Continental Army became a truly organized and trained military force. General von Steuben wrote the manual, "Regulations For The Order And Discipline Of The Troops", which was used my our military for a good many years after we won our independence. The book included detailed instructions for the discipline and conduct of officers and soldiers, as well as organization of units, and all related issues.

What seemed to be a certain defeat, when American troops encountered the British Army near Monmouth Courthouse (NJ), turned into a patriotic victory and a turning point in the war. This battle was followed by his victories in Stony Point, Yorktown and other places. In 1784, von Steuben was honorably discharged and granted American citizenship.

To repeat my point, it seems ironic that we are discussing whether or not Gay and Lesbian soldiers have the right stuff to serve openly in the American military. Had it not been for a Gay man who volunteered for service in our armed forces, there might be a Union Jack flying over our capitol today.

For anyone who doubts the accuracy of what I have written here, please, by all means, study your American history just a little more deeply. Unlike some who oppose the repeal of DADT, I didn't have to twist or invent untrue facts to support a particular point of view. Some powerful churches, fraternal organizations and hate groups will promote their point of view by distorting the truth, or re-writing history or by discrediting the reputation of their opponents, but I have no reason to stoop to such tactics. It is said that the victors write or perhaps re-write their own history and quite often, when they do, they leave out some important facts.

General Washington knew about General von Steuben's reputation and his problems at home and yet he welcomed him into the service of the Continental Army. Thank God that there was no DADT back then.

I, for one, believe that it is insulting to the memory of a real patriot and hero of the American Revolution to have ever enacted DADT. I wonder if there are any in Congress who have the courage and patriotic spirit to overturn this terrible injustice to equality under the law. DADT is an insult to the humanity and professionalism of all our service men and women. We are probably one of the last developed nations on the planet whose military punishes its own soldiers solely on the basis of being honest about who they are. We'd prefer that they be liars, rather than be open and honest people. It amazes me that some among us who proclaim to be Christians don't see anything wrong with this?

Some very sad news

2010-06-06T16:54:00.000-04:00

I learned today of the death of Jay Kristifer Nelson (45), a former Franciscan Brother in the Franciscans of Divine Providence. Out of great respect for him, I will continue here to call him Brother Jay because he will always be a member of our Order in Spirit.

When Brother Jay first wrote to me and told me that he had found our website on the Internet, he was cautiously excited that a lifetime dream of his might actually come true. Since he was a younger man, he had wanted to become a Franciscan. For a variety of reasons, including the fact that he later married and had two wonderful children, he came to the conclusion that his dream would never come true. After reading about the FDP, he wrote to me to ask if we would consider accepting someone like him as a member. Brother Jay became the first married person to join our Order.

For the two years or so that he remained with us, he exhibited the joy and spirit that is so apparent with one who has grasped the Franciscan charism. He also endured a great deal of pressure to break his ties with us from his church due to the fact that we are not "Roman" Catholics. Subtle and not so subtle threats of excommunication came his way for belonging to a "schismatic" group. His church-related job became threatened as well.

All that Brother Jay wanted to do was to form a prayer group in his former parish, with the pastor's permission. Permission was denied. They could not permit him to organize such a group as that it would not be under the auspices of the Archdiocese. Despite his pleas and his explanation that we are a valid Catholic Jurisdiction and that it is not our policy or our intention to steal parishioners away from other churches, he was not permitted to form a simple prayer group in the parish.

I respected Brother Jay's commitment to hang in there despite the fact that he was encountering some heavy opposition from his church. On the other hand, he had a wife and a family to consider. More than once I chatted with Brother Jay about the problems he was having with the pastor. I shared my serious concern that he might lose his job because of his membership in our Order. The last thing I wanted was for him to become unemployed and unable to support his family. He was keenly aware of the possibilities, yet he wanted to remain with us. Finally, I had to convince him that, for the sake of his family, he needed to break his ties with us. I had hoped that things would not come to this, but there seemed to be no other choice. Sadly, it became clear to him that we needed to part company.

The loss of Brother Jay from our Order was a serious loss for us all. He was a good man and a true Franciscan. I fully expected that he would have been just the person to grow a new FDP community in the Twin Cities area. In the last year, I haven't heard from Brother Jay, except some news that he might have found a new parish to worship with. I can only hope that he found a more open and ecumenical spirit among that faith community.

Now, he is gone from us, and we will never know what he might have done as a Franciscan in our Order. There would certainly have been many new challenges ahead of him, especially since he was someone I had hopes of ordaining to the priesthood. He touched our lives in many ways while he was with us and we shall miss him. He leaves behind a wife and two young sons. I cannot begin to imagine how very much they will miss him.

He is with God now, but he will always be with us in memory and in spirit. I'd like to ask that you please take a moment to say a prayer for Brother Jay's wife, Molly and his young sons, Issac and Samuel. Also, say a prayer for the repose of the soul of Brother Jay Kristifer Nelson, who once walked in the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi and now joins him in heaven with all the saints. May he always be remembered as one who tried his best to repair God's House, in the spirit of Saint Francis.

Jay Kristifer Nelson

Age 45, of Eagan Passed away June 3, 2010 Preceded in death by parents, Daniel and Janet; brother-in-law Louis Guzzetti. Survived by wife, Molly; sons, Isaac and Samuel; sister Kara Guzzetti; neices and nephews. Private interment at Resurrection Cemetery. Memorials preferred in lieu of flowers. Memorial Mass of Christian Burial Wed 10 AM, Lumen Christi Catholic Community at 2055 Bohland Ave St Paul. Memorial visitation Tue 5-8 at: Washburn McReavy Nokomis Park Chapel 612-721-1651 1838 E. Minnehaha Parkway, Mpls

A Manifesto! The Time Has Come!

2009-10-17T21:38:00.002-04:00

A priest friend of mine forwarded me the following manifesto, which was written by Bishop John Shelby Spong. It is a powerful statement, which I wish to share with you, as that I am in total agreement with it's contents.

"A Manifesto! The Time Has Come!

I have made a decision. I will no longer debate the issue of homosexuality in the church with anyone. I will no longer engage the biblical ignorance that emanates from so many right-wing Christians about how the Bible condemns homosexuality, as if that point of view still has any credibility.

I will no longer discuss with them or listen to them tell me how homosexuality is "an abomination to God," about how homosexuality is a "chosen lifestyle," or about how through prayer and "spiritual counseling" homosexual persons can be "cured." Those arguments are no longer worthy of my time or energy.

I will no longer dignify by listening to the thoughts of those who advocate "reparative therapy," as if homosexual persons are somehow broken and need to be repaired.

I will no longer talk to those who believe that the unity of the church can or should be achieved by rejecting the presence of, or at least at the expense of, gay and lesbian people.

I will no longer take the time to refute the unlearned and undocumentable claims of certain world religious leaders who call homosexuality "deviant."

I will no longer listen to that pious sentimentality that certain Christian leaders continue to employ, which suggests some version of that strange and overtly dishonest phrase that "we love the sinner but hate the sin." That statement is, I have concluded, nothing more than a self-serving lie designed to cover the fact that these people hate homosexual persons and fear homosexuality itself, but somehow know that hatred is incompatible with the Christ they claim to profess, so they adopt this face-saving and absolutely false statement.

I will no longer temper my understanding of truth in order to pretend that I have even a tiny smidgen of respect for the appalling negativity that continues to emanate from religious circles where the church has for centuries conveniently perfumed its ongoing prejudices against blacks, Jews, women and homosexual persons with what it assumes is "high-sounding, pious rhetoric." The day for that mentality has quite simply come to an end for me. I will personally neither tolerate it nor listen to it any longer.

The world has moved on, leaving these elements of the Christian Church that cannot adjust to new knowledge or a new consciousness lost in a sea of their own irrelevance. They no longer talk to anyone but themselves.

I will no longer seek to slow down the witness to inclusiveness by pretending that there is some middle ground between prejudice and oppression. There isn't. Justice postponed is justice denied. That can be a resting place no longer for anyone. An old civil rights song proclaimed that the only choice awaiting those who cannot adjust to a new understanding was to "Roll on over or we'll roll on over you!" Time waits for no one.

I will particularly ignore those members of my own Episcopal Church who seek to break away from this body to form a "new church," claiming that this new and bigoted instrument alone now represents the Anglican Communion. Such a new ecclesiastical body is designed to allow these pathetic human beings, who are so deeply locked into a world that no longer exists, to form a community in which they can continue to hate gay people, distort gay people with their hopeless rhetoric and to be part of a religious fellowship in which they can continue to feel justified in their homophobic prejudices for the rest of their tortured lives. Church unity can never be a virtue that is preserved by allowing injustice, oppression and psychological tyranny to go unchallenged.

In my personal life, I will no longer listen to televised debates conducted by "fair-minded" channels that seek to give "both sides" of this issue "equal time." I am aware that these stations no longer give equal time to the advocates of treating women as if they are the property of men or to the advocates of reinstating either segregation or slavery, despite the fact that when these evil institutions were coming to an end the Bible was still being quoted frequently on each of these subjects. It is time for the media to announce that there are no longer two sides to the issue of full humanity for gay and lesbian people. There is no way that justice for homosexual people can be compromised any longer.

I will no longer act as if the Papal office is to be respected if the present occupant of that office is either not willing or not able to inform and educate himself on public issues on which he dares to speak with embarrassing ineptitude.

I will no longer be respectful of the leadership of the Archbishop of Canterbury, who seems to believe that rude behavior, intolerance and even killing prejudice is somehow acceptable, so long as it comes from third-world religious leaders, who more than anything else reveal in themselves the price that colonial oppression has required of the minds and hearts of so many of our world's population. I see no way that ignorance and truth can be placed side by side, nor do I believe that evil is somehow less evil if the Bible is quoted to justify it.

I will dismiss as unworthy of any more of my attention the wild, false and uninformed opinions of such would-be religious leaders as Pat Robertson, James Dobson, Jerry Falwell, Jimmy Swaggart, Albert Mohler, and Robert Duncan. My country and my church have both already spent too much time, energy and money trying to accommodate these backward points of view when they are no longer even tolerable.

I make these statements because it is time to move on. The battle is over. The victory has been won. There is no reasonable doubt as to what the final outcome of this struggle will be. Homosexual people will be accepted as equal, full human beings, who have a legitimate claim on every right that both church and society have to offer any of us. Homosexual marriages will become legal, recognized by the state and pronounced holy by the church. "Don't ask, don't tell" will be dismantled as the policy of our armed forces. We will and we must learn that equality of citizenship is not something that should ever be submitted to a referendum. Equality under and before the law is a solemn promise conveyed to all our citizens in the Constitution itself. Can any of us imagine having a public referendum on whether slavery should continue, whether segregation should be dismantled, whether voting privileges should be offered to women? The time has come for politicians to stop hiding behind unjust laws that they themselves helped to enact, and to abandon that convenient shield of demanding a vote on the rights of full citizenship because they do not understand the difference between a constitutional democracy, which this nation has, and a "mobocracy," which this nation rejected when it adopted its constitution. We do not put the civil rights of a minority to the vote of a plebiscite.

I will also no longer act as if I need a majority vote of some ecclesiastical body in order to bless, ordain, recognize and celebrate the lives and gifts of gay and lesbian people in the life of the church. No one should ever again be forced to submit the privilege of citizenship in this nation or membership in the Christian Church to the will of a majority vote.

The battle in both our culture and our church to rid our souls of this dying prejudice is finished. A new consciousness has arisen. A decision has quite clearly been made. Inequality for gay and lesbian people is no longer a debatable issue in either church or state. Therefore, I will from this moment on refuse to dignify the continued public expression of ignorant prejudice by engaging it. I do not tolerate racism or sexism any longer. From this moment on, I will no longer tolerate our culture's various forms of homophobia. I do not care who it is who articulates these attitudes or who tries to make them sound holy with religious jargon.

I have been part of this debate for years, but things do get settled and this issue is now settled for me. I do not debate any longer with members of the "Flat Earth Society" either. I do not debate with people who think we should treat epilepsy by casting demons out of the epileptic person; I do not waste time engaging those medical opinions that suggest that bleeding the patient might release the infection. I do not converse with people who think that Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans as punishment for the sin of being the birthplace of Ellen DeGeneres or that the terrorists hit the United Sates on 9/11 because we tolerated homosexual people, abortions, feminism or the American Civil Liberties Union. I am tired of being embarrassed by so much of my church's participation in causes that are quite unworthy of the Christ I serve or the God whose mystery and wonder I appreciate more each day. Indeed I feel the Christian Church should not only apologize, but do public penance for the way we have treated people of color, women, adherents of other religions and those we designated heretics, as well as gay and lesbian people.

Life moves on. As the poet James Russell Lowell once put it more than a century ago: "New occasions teach new duties, Time makes ancient good uncouth." I am ready now to claim the victory. I will from now on assume it and live into it. I am unwilling to argue about it or to discuss it as if there are two equally valid, competing positions any longer. The day for that mentality has simply gone forever.

This is my manifesto and my creed. I proclaim it today. I invite others to join me in this public declaration. I believe that such a public outpouring will help cleanse both the church and this nation of its own distorting past. It will restore integrity and honor to both church and state. It will signal that a new day has dawned and we are ready not just to embrace it, but also to rejoice in it and to celebrate it."

– John Shelby Spong

Fourteen Years Ago Today!

2009-03-15T21:51:00.004-04:00

March 15, 2009

My dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

As many of you know, today is the 14th Anniversary of the founding of the Franciscans of Divine Providence. We celebrate this day by giving thanks for all of the good people whom God has sent to us over the years, including those who walked with us for a distance and later chose a different direction in their faith journey. While I wish that they had all remained with us on our common journey, I am glad for them, if by joining us they received the grace and the motivation to go on to do greater things for the love of God.

One of the basic goals of our Order has always been to empower people to do great things for the love of God. We have always been willing to gather the "stones" that others would have rejected. From our point of view, every stone has value and a purpose when it comes to repairing God's House.

I want to thank those who remembered our Order's anniversary. Further, I want to extend an invitation to our readers, to consider joining the Franciscans of Divine Providence. We are a canonical religious Order to the Trinitarian Catholic Church, which is a progressive, autocephalous Catholic Jurisdiction. We are one of the many emerging Catholic communities in the United States and elsewhere that has valid Apostolic Succession, but is not in union with the Roman Catholic Church.

We'd like to hear from small, unaffiliated, independent Catholic religious Orders, faith communities and individuals who might wish to become affiliated with our Church. I'd encourage you to visit our FDP-TCC website to learn more about us. Please write to us if you have questions or just wish to tell us about yourself and your faith journey.

Blessings!

+Bishop Russell

Just to say thanks!

2009-02-28T17:11:00.003-05:00

For those who do not know it, the Trinitarian Catholic Church offers two programs of education for members of the Church including those who have joined our religious Order and those who are preparing for Holy Orders. One of the study materials is, "Introduction to Homiletics" by Donald E. Demaray.

I would like to acknowledge and also thank Julie Innes, from Light and Life Communications of Indianapolis, Indiana for her thoughtfulness in sending me a copy of the 3rd edition of this book, which was updated and revised in 2006.

I'd like to further acknowledge that Light and Life Communications LLC has partnered with Wesleyan Publishing House to provide customer service and product fulfillment. All Light and Life products are available at their website: http://www.parable.com/wph/

Once again, I'd like to thank Julie Innes for being so kind and thoughtful to send me the book. I hope that others will find this information to be useful and that visitors to our Blog and our FDP website will visit Wesleyan Publishing House online.

Blessings to all!!

Welcome!

2009-02-22T01:47:00.005-05:00

Peace be with you!

As a person of faith who has been using computers and also navigating the Internet for about twenty years, it seemed about time for me to venture in the realm of blogging. It would seem as though everyone has a blog these days because just about everyone has something to say and to share with everyone else.

My first thoughts are to use this blog as a means to speak to you about our Church and our religious Order, but first we should discuss where and how we began. There are many emerging Catholic communities in the United States and elsewhere and I think it is important that people are aware of our existence. Many of us grew up believing that there is only one Catholic Church, so it is difficult for a great many people to accept the reality that there are actually many Catholic churches.

The Roman Catholic Church, for instance, is in union with the following churches: Armenian Catholic Church, Byzantine Catholic Church, Chaldean Catholic Church (East Syrian), Coptic Catholic Church, Ethiopian Catholic Church, Maronite Church, Melkite Catholic Church, Romanian Catholic Church, Russian Catholic Church, Ruthenian Catholic Church, Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Ukranian Catholic Church, West Syrian Catholic Church.

There are also other churches that are "Catholic" by virtue of their historical and apostolic lineage and creedal beliefs, such as: Eastern Orthodox (Byzantine Tradition Churches: Greek, Russian, Serbian, Arab, etc.), Oriental Orthodox Churches (Armenian, Syrian, Coptic, Ethiopian, Indian Syrian), Assyrian Church of the East, Polish National Catholic Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church (Lutheran World Federation), Anglican Communion, Reformed (Calvinist: Presbyterian, United Church of Christ, Dutch origin churches-RCA & CRC), Methodist (United, African Methodist), Christian Church/Disciples of Christ .

The Early Church was made up of five co-equal Apostolic Sees, each of which was led by its own bishop or patriarch. The Apostolic Sees were: Jerusalem, Alexandria, Antioch, Constantinople and Rome. Together they were the Orthodox Catholic Church. The word "Catholic" meaning Universal.

To better understand what happened to the Early Church, please visit this website and read about the Great Schism that seperated the Church. http://www.mb-soft.com/believe/txc/gschism.htm

Although the Bishops of the undivided Church were (and are) equal to each other in the administration of the liturgical rites and the teaching, they began to differ in rank according to the valuation of the places where their Sees were located. Rome, Alexandria and Antioch were prominent cities, Metropolis, in those days. Their Bishops were Metropolitans, and the Bishop of Rome was given the honorary precedence only because Rome was then the political capital of the world. Later, the Bishops of the capitals of all political Provinces were called Archbishops. When the Emperor moved his Seat from Rome to Constantinople, the Archbishop of latter was given equal reverence with that of Rome "because Constantinople was the 'King's city' "; later in 587, the honorary title of "Ecumenical" was bestowed on him, too. By 451 the Bishops of Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem were called Patriarchs, of whom only two remained free after the inroads of the Moslems (7th century): that of Rome in the West, and Constantinople in the East, both equal in rank and reverence. Later, the attempted abolishment of the equal rank status of both Seats was the main cause of the Great Separation.

The Bishop of Rome, even today in this century, insists that he has a primacy of jurisdiction over all Churches, including the Patriarchs of the East. He claims they should be subject to him since "he is not only Bishop of Rome and the Patriarch of the West but also the Vicar of Christ on Earth, the successor of St. Peter, and the Supreme Pontiff". Pope Pius XII in 1955 called upon the "Uniat" Church to use its utmost to bring the Orthodox Churches to the "fold". The Eastern Orthodox is told that it would not be necessary to change any of the teachings or customs of the Orthodox Church but to submit himself under the Pope's jurisdiction; that is, to lose every right of freedom and independence. In other words, unconditional surrender under the Pope's yoke is asked. But the principles of the democratic government of the Eastern Orthodox Church is its very foundation. The "Conscience of the Church" is its supreme authority and the infallible guidance to proclaim the truth of Salvation, as was the case for centuries for the Western Church, too. The question as to the supremacy of the Pope was the main cause of the separation of the Eastern and Western Churches.

So, where did independent Catholic churches and other emerging Catholic communities come from? For one thing, there are many traditionalist as well as progressive Catholic churches and emerging Catholic communities in the United States and around the world. While some do, the majority no longer have ties with the Church of Rome. In our hemisphere, a large number of valid, Catholic ordinations and episcopal consecrations, outside of the Church of Rome, began with the late Bishop of Botucatu, Brazil, ++Archbishop Carlos Duarte Costa (1888 - 1961).

Archbishop Carlos Duarte Costa, originally ordained a Roman Catholic Priest on April 1, 1911, founded the National Catholic Apostolic Churches (Igreja Catolica Apostolica Nationales). The resulting branches of his Church spread to other places around the world through subsequent ordinations and consecrations. In the United States and elsewhere, many independent, Catholic churches and Episcopal Jurisdictions can trace their Apostolic lines back to Archbishop Duarte Costa. My own Apostolic Succession can be traced back to the Episcopal lines proceeding from Archbishop Duarte Costa and to preceding Apostolic lines dating back to Pope Leo XIII of the Latin Rite and also Bishop Dionisio's Jurisdiction of the Greek Orthodox Church, the See of Saint Mark (Alexandria/ Greek Orthodox Rite).

Archbishop Duarte Costa was consecrated as the Roman Catholic Diocesan Bishop of Botucatu, Brazil, on December 8, 1924, until certain views he expressed about treatment of the Brazil's poor, by both the civil government and the Roman Catholic Church in Brazil, caused his removal from the Diocese of Botucatu. Archbishop Duarte Costa was subsequently named Titular Bishop of Maura by the late Pope Pius XII (Eugenio Cardinal Pacelli, formerly Vatican Secretary of State until 1939, under Pope Pius XI). Archbishop Duarte Costa had been a strong advocate in the 1930's for reform of the Roman Church; he challenged many of the key issues that the Second Vatican Council would later thirty-five years take action upon.

Archbishop Duarte Costa's criticisms of the Holy See, particularly about Vatican foreign policy during World War II toward Nazi Germany, were not well received at the Vatican, and he was eventually separated from the Roman Church by Pope Pius XII. This action was taken only after Duarte Costa's strong and repeated public denunciations over the fact that the Vatican Secretariat of State was engaged in the issuance of Vatican Passports to some very high ranking German ex-Nazis, a practice referred to as the "Ratline."

These former Nazi officials were among some of the most notorious of war criminals, such as, the Auschwitz Concentration Camp Commandant Adolf Eichmann and the infamous, Dr. Josef Mengele, the "Angel of Death," both of whom traveled after the War on officially issued Vatican Passports. Such criminals were in flight from trial to South America in 1945.

The Brazilian Government came under the criticism of Archbishop Duarte Costa for collaboration with the Roman Church over these passports. Duarte Costa espoused liberal church positions on divorce, challenged mandatory celibacy for the clergy, and publicly stated his contempt regarding abuses of papal power, including the concept of Papal Infallibility, which the Archbishop considered a misguided and false dogma. Archbishop Duarte Costa left the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church on July 6, 1945. He immediately founded the independent Igreja Catolica Apostolica Brasileira (ICAB) on that same date and remained Primate until his death in 1961.

Archbishop Luis Castillo Mendez of Brazil, Patriarch of the National Catholic Apostolic Churches (Igreja Catolica Apostolica Nationales) was consecrated by and succeeded the late ++Archbishop Duarte Costa as Primate in 1961. Archbishop Luis Castillo Mendez is still leading the worldwide spiritual confederation of the National Catholic Apostolic Churches founded by the late Archbishop Duarte Costa. These national churches are now estimated to have a combined worldwide membership which exceeds 12 million members. According to the ancient practice of the early Church and among many Orthodox Christian bishops, such Catholic apostolic churches exist in their countries, functioning both as autonomous and independent Particular Churches.

In addition to ICAB in Brazil, there are sister apostolic branches in thirteen other countries in the Western Hemisphere, Europe, the Pacific and in Asia, including: Argentina (ICAA), Chile, Venezuela, Cuba, Mexico, Spain, Germany, France, Portugal, Australia, the Philippines, Canada and the United States of America. While bound by a common origin from Archbishop Duarte Costa's apostolic line, each bishop or bishops are autonomous, being completely independent and self governing, while adhering to doctrinal precepts of Orthodox Christianity.

Bishop Salomao Ferraz who was a former Roman Catholic Priest, was consecrated a bishop by Archbishop Carlos Duarte Costa for the Igreja Catolica Apostolica Brasileira (ICAB) in 1945, and was eventually reconciled with the Roman Catholic Church in 1958 during the late pontificate of Pope Pius XII. Bishop Ferraz was named by the Holy See to be Titular Bishop of Eleuterna on May 12, 1963. Although still married, Bishop Ferraz was later appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Rio de Janeiro by Pope John XXIII. Bishop Ferraz was later called by Pope Paul VI to serve on a working commission of the Second Vatican Council and addressed the Council Fathers in session.

It is notable that Bishop Ferraz was never re-consecrated by the Roman Catholic Church, even conditionally (sub conditione), and later was buried with the full honors accorded Bishops of the Roman Catholic Church. The Roman Church by accepting Bishop Ferraz in this manner, without any re-consecration, affirm de jure and de facto the sacramental validity of the Duarte Costa Apostolic Succession lines of what is commonly known as the "Rebiba Apostolic Succession."

I was ordained as a Catholic priest in 1997 by His Excellency, +The Most Reverend Robert Wayne Martin, then Presiding Bishop of the Holy Catholic Church (USA). The Holy Catholic Church had split from the Ecumenical Catholic Church (USA) two years earlier. I was elected to the episcopacy in 2003 and in 2004 was consecrated, in the Name of the Most Holy Trinity, as a Bishop by their Excellencies, +The Most Reverend Michael Ronald Steinhardt and +The Most Reverend Raphael Byron DeFord, bishops of the Free Christian Catholic Orthodox Church of Costa Rica. Upon my consecration, our new Jurisdiction, the Trinitarian Catholic Church was established. Our Metropolitan Diocese of Hope encompasses the New England States of the Northeastern United States of America, as well as New York and New Jersey.

Having been borne from a contemporary Franciscan charism, our Church has adopted as it's mission an ecumenical approach that is intended to build bridges between the many separated families of God's Holy Church in order to fulfill Christ's request to Saint Francis of Assisi to repair God's House.

Well, since it's getting pretty late, I think I will close here for now. Hopefully, this will serve as a good start for our blog. I'd like to close by saying that we know from experience that there are many people who will read this blog and our website and get angry because they will feel threatened by our existence and the existence of new, emerging Catholic communities. To you I say, fear not. We are not trying to tear down anyone's Church as we attempt to grow ours. We never steal members from other churches. We respect other churches and all people of faith. Just thought I would close by saying this.

Peace and love,

+Russell Francis, FDP