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.
Date: March 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.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON OUR LINE OF APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION LEADING
UP TO THIS POINT GO TO
http://www.celticorthodoxchurch.com/succ101.html
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 IMMPORTANT 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.celticorthodoxchurch.com/oca_recog.jpg
LETTER
OF RECOGNITION FROM ALEXANDRIA
http://www.celticorthodoxchurch.com/alexandria.jpg
LETTER
OF RECOGNITION FROM THE GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH
http://www.celticorthodoxchurch.com/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.celticorthodoxchurch.com/secondary.html
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