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 Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2005 1:15 pm Post subject: The Validity of Catholic Apostolic National Church Orders |
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The Validity of Catholic Apostolic National Church Sacraments and Orders
On various occasions, members of the Roman Catholic Church coming for the first time into contact with the Catholic Apostolic National Church, have inquired of their pastors or other clergy and supposedly "informed" laity as to the position of the Roman Catholic Church on the validity of Sacraments which are administered by the Catholic Apostolic National Church. Frequently the inquirers are told that our Sacraments are not recognized by Rome. This is written to clear up any confusion that there might be on this point. The opinions of uninformed persons cannot substitute for the official opinion of the communion of which they are a member, unless they wish to reject the teachings of their own Church.
DOM Luis Fernando Castillo Mendez
DOM Luis Fernando Castillo Mendez of Brazil, Patriarch of the Catholic Apostolic National Churches (Igrejas Catolicsa Apostolicas Nacionais) was consecrated by, and succeeded the late Bishop Duarte Costa as Primate in 1961. DOM Luis Castillo Mendez is still leading the worldwide federation of the Catholic Apostolic National Churches, founded by the late Bishop Carlos Duarte Costa. DOM Luis Fernando Castillo Mendez continues the practice of the late Bishop Carlos Duarte Costa (St. Carlos of BRazil) of using only the liturgical rite of the Pontificale Romanum for Episcopal consecrations, a practice strictly followed by the member ICAN Churches. According to the ancient practice of the early Church and among many Orthodox Christian bishops, such catholic apostolic churches exist in their countries, functioning as autonomous, co-operating Churches, subscribing to the same core theological values.
Bishop Salomao Ferraz
Bishop Salomao Ferraz was a former Roman Catholic Priest, who married and was later consecrated a bishop by Archbishop Carlos Duarte Costa, for the Brazilian Catholic Apostolic National Church in 1945. He later left the Brazilian Catholic Apostolic National Church and was eventually reconciled to the Roman Catholic Church in 1958, during the pontificate of Pope Pius XII. Bishop Ferraz was named by the Holy See to be Titular Bishop of Eleuterna on May 12, 1963. Although he was a married bishop, 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. No only does this affirm the validity of his Holy Orders, but the legitimacy of a married episcopate.
It is notable that Bishop Ferraz, from whom we have received the valid lines of the Roman Catholic Church through Archbishop Duarte Costa, was never re-consecrated by the Roman Catholic Church, even conditionally, and later was buried with the full honors accorded Bishops of the Roman Catholic Church. The Roman Catholic Church, by accepting Bishop Ferraz in this manner, without any re-consecration, acknowledged the sacramental validity of the Duarte Costa Apostolic Succession, which was no longer a part of the Roman Catholic Communion. Bishop Ferraz’s lines of Apostolic Succession are part of the apostolic lines of succession of the Catholic Apostolic National Church.
Bishop Orlando Arce-Moya
Bishop Moya was the fourth bishop consecrated by Bishop Carlos Duarte Costa on November 30, 1956, with the title of Bishop of Santiago, Chile, for the Chilean Catholic National Church (Igreja Nacional Chilena). Bishop Moya left the Church Apostolic National many years later, and was received by the Patriarch of the West, Pope John XXIII of the Roman Catholic Church. Bishop Moya was never reconsecrated not even sub-conditione, and he was accepted as having valid Episcopal orders. He was appointed by the Vatican as Auxiliary Bishop to the Cardinal Archbishop of Madrid, Spain. Bishop Moya died some years later.
That having been illustrated, it is of interest to note that the various lines of Apostolic Succession held by the Church come from the earliest Christian communities set up by the Apostles, such as St. Andrew (Scythia), St. Thomas (India), Sts. Peter & Paul (Rome), and others. The Catholic Apostolic National Church has become, not through human design but through Divine Providence, a point of convergence of the spiritual gifts given these early communities through their apostolically appointed Bishops. The Catholic Apostolic National Church draws her valid sacraments and lines of succession from these ancient Churches, founded by the Apostles and empowered by Christ Himself.
The Catholic Apostolic National Church believes and professes the same Creeds, administers and believes in the Sacraments in the same manner, and teaches the same fundamental meaning and substance of them in unison with the Oriental Orthodox Churches, the Eastern Orthodox Churches, and the Roman Catholic Church. She does not stand opposed to, but rather in solidarity with, these ancient Apostolic Communions.
The Roman Catholic Church teaches an understanding of a type of a communion among the apostolic, sacramental churches in it’s official document "DOMINUS IESUS," issued during the reign of Pope John Paul II, June 16, 2000, and signed by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, August 6, 2000. We refer to Section IV: Article 17:
"Therefore, there exists a single Church of Christ*, which subsists in the [Roman] 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 [Roman] 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 [Roman] Catholic Church, since they do not accept the [Roman] Catholic doctrine of the Primacy, which, according to the will of God, the Bishop of Rome objectively has and exercises over the entire Church." [*added for clarity]
[cited, in part, from the CANC Catechism]
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