APOSTOLIC
SUCCESSION OF
BISHOP
BRIAN J. KENNEDY, O.S.B.
FROM
JESUS
THE CHRIST
THROUGH
THE APOSTLE ANDREW
through
the Apostolic See at Constantinople and through the
Russian
Orthodox Church / Moscow Patriarchate
AND
THROUGH THE APOSTLE PETER
from the Apostolic See at
Antioch
AUTHOR:
Bishop Brian J. Kennedy, O.S.B.
April
25, 2001
The
beginning of our line of Apostolic Succession in America is the story of Father
Ivan Wolansky, a Ukrainian Catholic Priest who came to America in December of
1884. He came here with high hopes,
great expectations and a wife.
Father
did not expect to have any problem with the Latin Rite Catholic Bishops and
Priest in the United States, however, they rejected him as not being a Catholic
because he was married.
Father
Ivan went to visit the Latin Rite Archbishop, +Patrick Ryan, in
Philadelphia. He never was able to
receive an audience with His Eminence because as soon as it was discovered he
was married the doors were closed.
After several attempts to build a bridge of cooperation and fraternal
Christian charity he was told that the Latin Rite Bishop did not even consider
Father to be a Catholic. There was
no objection to Father, other than he was married.
The
Latin Rite Bishop viewed Father Ivan as competition. The man made regulations of
the West were seen as definitive of who is and who is not a Catholic. It was the arrogance of western
Catholicism that was expressed and also the ignorance of the local Bishop
regarding Eastern Rite Catholics.
It is important to remember, all these men were in full union with Rome
and when they rejected Father Ivan they rejected another Priest in full
communion with Rome as not being a Catholic on the basis of his marital
status.
In
1880, the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith issued a decree
requiring all Priests who came to America to have faculties from the local Latin
Rite Ordinary. It further mandated
celibacy for all clergy. This
obviously was a concerted effort to exclude Eastern Catholics and a denouncement
of all Eastern clergy who elected to come to America. It also relegated all Eastern Catholics
to a position of second class status. Orientalium Dignitas issued in 1894 by His
Holiness Leo XIII, Bishop at Rome and Patriarch of the West, required
subordination of Eastern Rite Catholics to Latin Rite authority but allowed the
use of the Eastern Rite.
In
1889, Father Ivan established a parish church named Protection of Our Lady. Father Alexius Toth (Later St. Alexius
Toth) became the administrator shortly thereafter. Father Toth presented his credentials to
the Latin Rite Bishop, +John Ireland.
When it was discovered that Father Alexius was a widower Bishop Ireland
told him he also was not Catholic and even added that the Greek Catholic Bishop
of Presov, +Ivan Valia, (also in union with Rome) was not Catholic either (So much for fraternal charity and the
brotherhood of clergy). Not
content to be personally insulting, Bishop Ireland further demonstrated his
arrogance and unholy purpose by declaring that no Priests were to associate with
Father Toth and issued a mandate to be read in all parishes that none were to
attend Mass or receive the Sacraments from Father Toth. As a Professor of Canon
Law, Father knew his rights under terms of the Unia and rejected the unlawful
declaration of +John Ireland.
Father
responded by gathering eight other Eastern Catholic Priests. They found that the
Eastern Rite Catholic Bishops were no more disposed to help than the Latin Rite
Bishops, so much did they fear the Latin Rite Bishops and Rome. Father Toth and his congregation, guided
by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, made the decision to return to Holy
Orthodoxy that was the religion of their ancestors.
In
1891, the last year of his Episcopal service, His Eminence + Vladimir Sokolovsky
Russian Orthodox Bishop of the Aleutians and Alaska received Father Toth, Mr.
Paul Podany the parish Warden, and the congregation into Holy Orthodoxy. The people were the impetus
for this glorious event, with no pressure or force from the Priests or others
outside. In addition, the Holy
Spirit led 304 local Greek Catholics to also embrace the true religion of their
ancestors and were received into Holy Orthodoxy. The parish church established
by Father Ivan Wolansky, Protection of Our Lady in Minneapolis, transferred into
Holy Orthodoxy and became the center for the true light of truth and the
blessings of the Holy Spirit in the area. So powerful was the working of the
Holy Spirit, that in a short time, thousands were compelled by the truth of Holy
Orthodoxy to embrace the ancient faith of the Apostles and were received into
the Holy Orthodox Church. This was
nothing short of another Pentecost.
Many
of the Eastern Catholic Priests also embraced Holy Mother Church and were
received into Holy Orthodoxy. Among
the many Priests received into the Orthodox Church were Father Alexander
Stephanovich Dzubay who would later be consecrated to the Holy Episcopacy on 7
August 1916 by Archbishop +Evdokim (Basil Mikhailovich Meschersky) and Bishop
+Alexander (Alexandrovich Nemolovsky).
Bishop +Stephen (Dzubay) served as Bishop of the Vicariate of the
Aleutian Diocese from 1916-1917. So
much were Orthodox hated by the Latin Bishops, they called Orthodox Priest vykroplenci which was a derogatory
term meaning “pseudo priests".
From
the holy Apostle Andrew, Apostle to the Scythians, the direct line of Apostolic
Succession Passes through the Patriarchs of Constantinople and the Metropolitans
of Kiev, Vladimir, and Moscow to Metropolitan Nikon of Moscow, Russia.
METROPOLITAN
NIKON
ARCHBISHOP
AND METROPOLITAN OF MOSCOW
in
1884, in Moscow, consecrated
MACARIUS
(MICHAEL NEVESKIJ)
ARCHBISHOP
AND METROPOLITAN OF MOSCOW
who
assisted by
INNOKENTIJ
BISHOP
OF ST. PETERSBURG
Did
on 13 December 1903, in Moscow, consecrated
EVDOKIM
(BASIL MIKHAILOVICH MESCHERSKY)
RUSSIAN
ORTHODOX ARCHBISHOP OF ALASKA AND NORTH AMERICA
On
May 13, 1917 (O.S.) Archbishop +Evdokim (Basil Mikahailovich Meschersky),
(Russian Orthodox) assisted by Bishop +Alexander (Nemolovsky) and Bishop
+Alexander Stephanovich Dzubay of Pittsburgh, consecrated Father Aftimios
Ofiesch in St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church in New York City. Bishop +Aftimios was consecrated for
Brooklyn, New York. In 1922,
Metropolitan Platon (Rozhdestvensky) assumed leadership of the Russian Orthodox
Church in North America having received the appointment by Patriarch (Saint)
Tikhon of Moscow and all Russia. In
1923, Metropolitan Platon, with the approval of Patriarch Tikhon elevated Bishop
+Aftimios to the position of Archbishop.
Archbishop
+Aftimios (Ofiesch) assisted by Bishop +Emmanuel (Abo-Hatab) Bishop of Montreal
and Archbishop +Elias of Tyre and Sidon consecrated Bishop +Sophronios (Bashira)
on May 26th, 1928 as Bishop of Los Angeles, California.
Archbishop
+Aftimios (Ofiesch) assisted by Bishop +Sophronios (Bashira) consecrated Bishop
+Joseph Zuk as the first American born Bishop for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church
on February 7, 1932.
With
the consecration of Bishop +Joseph Zuk, the return to Orthodoxy was
complete. Ukrainians who came under
the secular control of the Roman Catholic Polish Kingdom were isolated from both
Moscow and Constantinople and found themselves oppressed financially and
legally. In order to preserve their
Church in Polish lands, the Ukrainians proposed an agreement between Kiev and Rome, as between two
Sister Churches by which the Ukrainians would recognize the primacy (not
Supremacy) of Rome and Rome would allow the Ukrainians to maintain their own
Hierarchy, Liturgy, Theology and customs
(Union of Brest 1596).
Two
years later in 1598, Rome had a change of heart and rescinded the Union of Brest
issuing the Papal Bull, Magnus Dominum which nullified the Treaty (so much for
written agreements and guarantees) and said that the Church at Rome and the
Church of Christ are co-terminous and because the Church at Rome is the ONLY
true Church and ALONE is the Ark of Salvation, those who desire membership
cannot make preconditions but must make absolute submission. The Ukrainians had burned their bridges
behind them and had no place to go, hence they submitted to the yoke of
Rome. They were told they were
repentant schismatic who were allowed to function according to their own Rites
by dispensation and not by any inherent right of their own.
Archbishop
+Sophronius (Bashira) of the Greek Diocese of Los Angeles with Albanian
Metropolitan +Theophanies (Noli) of Boston consecrated Archbishop +Christopher
(Contogeorge) on February 10, 1954 at the Church of Sts. Constantine and Helen
in New York City. He was Consecrated Bishop of Philadelphia. In 1947 he became Metropolitan of
Pentapolis and Exarch for the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria, Egypt
and all Africa in the U.S.A.
Archbishop
+Christopher (Contogeorge) with Albanian Metropolitan +Theophanies (Noli) on
August 25, 1934 at the Church of St. John the Baptist in New York City
consecrated Archbishop +Arsenios (Saltas). In 1954, he was made Exarch of the
Patriarchate of Alexandria, Egypt and all Africa in the U.S.A.
Archbishop
+Christopher (Contogeorge) with Bishop +Ambrosius of Aman, Jordan, in accordance
with orders from the Holy Synod of Moscow, on November 3, 1935 consecrated
Archbishop +Nicholas (Kedroffsky) as Archbishop of North America and the
Aleutian Islands. The Consecration
took place at the Russian Cathedral of St. Nicholas in New York City.
Archbishop
+Nicholas (Kedroffsky) with Archbishop +Arsenios (Saltas) and Archbishop
+Benjamin (Fedchenkoff) of the Moscow Patriarchate in 1935 at the Russian
Orthodox Cathedral of St. Nicholas in New York City consecrated Bishop+Joseph
(Klymowycz) of Springfield, Massachusetts for the Russian Jurisdiction.
Archbishop
+Christopher (Contogeorge) with Archbishop +Arsenios (Saltas) consecrated
Archbishop +Konstantin (Jaroshevich) in 1949 for the Patriarchate of
Alexandria.
Metropolitan
+Joseph (Klymowycz) with Archbishop +Konstantin (Jaroshevich) on October 14,
1950 at Springfield, Massachusetts consecrated Ukrainian Metropolitan Nicholas
(Bohatyretz) for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
Metropolitan
+Joseph (Klymowycz) with Archbishop +Konstantin (Jaroshevich) and Ukrainian
Orthodox Metropolitan Nicholas (Bohatyretz) and Metropolitan +Joseph (Zielonka)
and Metropolitan +Peter Williamowich on October 15, 1950 at Sts. Peter and Paul
Russian Orthodox Church in Springfield, Massachusetts consecrated Bishop +Peter
Andreas (Zhurawetzky)
In
1978, Archbishop +Peter
(Zhurawetsky) assisted by
Greek Archbishop +Joachim (Souris) and Greek Bishop +Lavrentios (Maniatakis)
consecrated Metropolitan +Nicholas (Llnyckyj) for the Ukrainian Orthodox
Church.
May
13, 1989, Metropolitan +Nicholas (Llnyckyj) assisted by Bishop +Christopher
(Jones) and Bishop +David (Quilliams) consecrated Metropolitan +Yuri (Spaeth)
for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
On
January 17, 1999 Metropolitan Archbishop +Yuri (Spaeth) assisted by Archbishop
+Matthew (McCarthy) consecrated Bishop +Michael Damian-Benedict (Palladino) for
the Latin Orthodox Benedictine Fathers of the Irish Orthodox Catholic
Church.
On
April 25, 2001, Metropolitan Archbishop +Michael Damian-Benedict (A Schema
Benedictine Monk) assisted by Bishop +Martin-Benedict (Tindall) and Bishop
+Brendan Nuadha (Donovan) consecrated Bishop + Brian Joseph Kennedy, (a Stavrophore Benedictine Monk) for the
Celtic Orthodox Benedictine Fathers of the Celtic Orthodox
Church.
On
February 22, 2002, Bishop Brian Joseph Kennedy, O.S.B. was raised to the office
of Schema Monk in the Celtic Orthodox Benedictine Fathers.
As
shown above, our history is marked by a cooperation and fraternity with the
larger Orthodox faith community.
Monseigneur
John of Saint Denis said in Presence Orthodoxe de 1983 n.3, page 18, "It is necessary to be careful not to
identify the Orthodox Church, the Mother Church, with the Eastern Churches. The
one is universal, the others are limited geographically, culturally and
Ritually; they are local." He goes
on to say: The West must never forget to discern within Orthodoxy that which is
universal and that which is local.
If one desires that ones joining be organic, stripped of that which is
exotic and artificial, it is necessary that one "MAKE ONESELF ORTHODOX BUT NOT
TO THE POINT OF MAKING ONESELF EASTERN."
The
challenge to the Western Rite is to sustain the true Orthodoxy handed down from
our parents while building an American expression of the ancient faith of true
Orthodoxy in such a way as to honor our parents, their faith and
traditions. The challenge to the
Western Rite is to build an American expression of the faith that is truly
Orthodox and yet faithful to the promise that is America.
ARE
PART OF WORLD ORTHODOXY IN GOOD STANDING
SEE
IMPORTANT LINKS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE
THE
OFFICE OF PATRIARCH WAS ESTABLISHED BY MAN, NOT BY GOD. THE HIGHEST OFFICE
ESTABLISHED BY CHRIST IS THE OFFICE OF BISHOP.
THERE
IS NOTHING IN THE CHURCH HIGHER THAN A BISHOP.
OTHER
OFFICES ARE PART OF THE CHURCH CREATED BY MAN AND NOT PART OF THE CHURCH
ESTABLISHED BY CHRIST. THOSE HOLDING THE OFFICE OF EXARCH, METROPOLITAN,
PATRIARCH ETC ARE BISHOPS WITH A DEFINED FUNCTION IN GOVERNING THE EASTERN
CHURCH BUT THEY ARE NOT SOMEHOW MORE OF A BISHOP THAN YOUR LOCAL
BISHOP.
THE
CHURCH IS NOT EASTERN OR WESTERN. THE CHURCH IS ORTHODOX AND IS LARGE ENOUGH TO
ALLOW FOR ALL TRADITIONS OF THE EAST AND THE WEST. THE TERMS EASTERN OR WESTERN
BEFORE THE WORD ORTHODOX DEFINE THE TRADITIONS BUT DO NOT DEFINE THE CHURCH AS
THE CHURCH IS LARGER THAN ANY GIVEN TRADITION. SEE WHAT THE OLD WORLD PATRIARCHS
HAVE TO SAY ABOUT US BY CLICKING THE LINKS BELOW.
REMEMBER
AS YOU READ THESE LETTERS OF AFFIRMATION THE BISHOPS BEING ACCLAIMED AS PART OF
WORLD ORTHODOXY WITH GRACE FILLED AND SPIRIT FILLED ORDERS ARE NOT SUBJECT TO
ANY OLD WORLD PATRIARCH YET THE PATRIARCHS ACCEPT THEM AS EQUAL BISHOPS IN THE
LARGER CHURCH WITH THE SAME APOSTOLIC MISSION.
LETTER
OF RECOGNITION FROM THE O.C.A.
http://www.celticorthodoxy.com/bkceltic-orthodox-church/oca_recog.jpg
LETTER
OF RECOGNITION FROM ALEXANDRIA
http://www.celticorthodoxy.com/bkceltic-orthodox-church/alexandria.jpg
LETTER
OF RECOGNITION FROM THE GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH
http://www.celticorthodoxy.com/bkceltic-orthodox-church/greek_orthodox_affirmation.jpg
WE
ARE SUCCESSORS TO THE APOSTLES, IN UNION WITH THE ORIGINAL 12 AND ALL THOSE WHO
CAME AFTER THEM AND WITH ALL THOSE WHO WILL COME AFTER US.
SECONDARY
LINE OF APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION
http://www.celticorthodoxy.com/bkceltic-orthodox-church/secondary.html
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