- APOSTOLIC PRIMACY OF SUCCESSION
-
- Within Independent Catholicism apostolic primacy is
of paramount importance. The total history of Independent
Catholicism is fraught with schisms, divisions and splits
which further separate jurisdictions. As director of
FICOB, the Federation of Independent Catholic and
Orthodox Bishops, Archbishop-Matriarch Meri Louise
initially opened membership to everyone who can prove
apostolic succession. It was her fervent prayer that by
communicating with each other the numerous jurisdictions
would come together and repair the seamless body of
Christ, at least within the Independent Catholic
movement.
-
- WHAT IS MEANT BY PRIMACY OF APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION?
-
- Primacy is where an Archbishop or Patriarch of an
established jurisdiction leaves the primacy of his
jurisdiction to another Archbishop as the designated head
of that jurisdiction. To be credible, the primacy must be
well established, be part of an established organization,
and stand the test of time.
-
- HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
-
- In 1944 and 1945 there were a series of Codicil's and
Concordat's leading to the formation of the Federation of
Independent Catholic and Orthodox Bishops. The first of
these united the major lines of Archbishop Lowell Paul
Wadle (American Catholic Church Vilatte succession),
Patriarch Anthony Aneed (Byzantine Catholic Church-Greek
Melchite succession) and Bishop Verostek (Bishop
Commissary for the American Old Roman Catholic
Church)
-
- In 1945 the first codicil to the American Concordat
was made adding the lines of Bishop Charles Hampton,
Regionary Bishop of the Liberal Catholic Church (USA) and
Archbishop Henry Joseph Kleefisch of the Byzantine
Universal Orthodox Church who held the Primacy of the
Russian Orthodox Church.
-
- These agreements made sure each member of FICOB held
the same lines of apostolic succession with right of
survivorship in case of untimely death or disablement
thus insuring untainted lines of primacy. It was agreed
that no Primate would raise anyone to the episcopate
without all members of FICOB agreeing on the
qualifications of the candidate.
-
- In 1957 Herman Adrian Spruit was consecrated a bishop
for the first Church Universal by Bishops Charles
Hampton, Archbishop Lowell Paul Wadle and Bishop H.
Francis Marshall.
-
- Archbishop Kleefisch had passed away in 1955 leaving
his primacy to Archbishop-Patriarch Anthony Aneed. Bishop
Verostek while very active during the mid 1940's later
left the organization and continued to consecrate bishops
outside of the Federation.
-
- Archbishop Herman Spruit became the President of the
Federation of Independent Catholic and Orthodox Bishops
as his jurisdiction had with time become the largest and
most viable of the membership.
-
- On June 27, 1965 Archbishop Robert Raleigh (Boyle)
and Archbishop Herman Spruit imposed hands on each other
in a specific ceremony for the purpose of uniting their
respective jurisdictions. Herman was named coadjutor to
the primacies held by Archbishop Robert Raleigh and
became his successor. Robert Raleigh had consecrated
Archbishop Lowell Paul Wadle and held the primacy of the
Apostolic Christian Church. He had also obtained the
direct line of succession of Archbishop Samuel Gregory
Lines in 1927 when they joined forces to form the
Apostolic Christian Church and Archbishop Lines had been
consecrated by Vilatte. Archbishop Robert Raleigh retired
in 1965 shortly after naming Archbishop Herman A. Spruit
his successor.
-
- Upon the untimely death of Archbishop Lowell Paul
Wadle no successor had been appointed. The American
Catholic Church was for a time headed by a Priest and
later turned over to H. Francis Marshall by the
claimants. Archbishop Herman Spruit elected not to get
involved knowing the wreckage of many jurisdictions
historically have caused nothing but bitterness and
strife leaving nothing in their wake but
antagonists.
-
- Upon the death of Patriarch Anthony Aneed in 1970,
the primacy of the Byzantine Catholic Church passed to
Archbishop Herman A. Spruit. Within this jurisdiction
were two major primacies. Aneed's which included the
Greek Melchite lineage and Kleefisch which included the
primacy of the Russian Orthodox Church. Since Patriarch
Aneed was enthroned Patriarch in 1946 the title of
Patriarch then passed to Herman by the last will and
testament of Anthony Aneed. Many wonderful artifacts,
Aneed's crozier and records became the property of the
Church of Antioch.
-
- One of the most interesting of the Primacies and also
the most convoluted is the one held by Bishop Charles
Hampton, Regionary bishop of the Liberal Catholic Church.
Bishop Hampton had for many years been involved in
promoting ecumenism and assisting at the consecrations of
bishops outside the Liberal Catholic Church. He was
directly responsible for creating many jurisdictions
within the independent movement, such as Aneed's in 1940.
Although a loyal theosophist he advocated the separation
of the Liberal Catholic Church from the Theosophical
Society. In 1943 he found himself locked out of his
Cathedral by the Priest in charge. In 1957 he was the
principle consecrator of Herman A. Spruit and they became
dear friends. Herman who worked as a Superior Court clerk
in California helped Bishop Hampton with his legal claims
to help recover his Cathedral and establish who had the
right to use the name Liberal Catholic Church in the
United States. However, before the litigation was
settled, Bishop Hampton died. Interestingly, the Liberal
Catholic Church, upon the death of Bishop Hampton,
claimed him as their own and had his ashes interred at
Krotona in Ojai, California. Their records presently
reflect that Bishop Hampton was indeed the legal
Regionary Bishop of the Liberal Catholic Church.
-
- Unfortunately Bishop Charles Hampton never learned of
his legal victory. Most of his earthly possessions, such
as his famous radio talks delivered during the 1940's,
his vestments, and his crozier along with some of the
archival information, records, and pictures of the
Liberal Catholic Church, now rest in the archives of the
Church of Antioch. It was Hampton's will that Herman A.
Spruit carry on the spirit and love that he had dedicated
with his entire life to. The legacy of Charles Hampton
lives on, whereas Archbishop Richard Gundrey, the
successor of Matriarch Meri Louise, uses his crozier at
each ordination, consecration and special Mass celebrated
today. At Church Central, in Santa Fe, NM, rest the
croziers of Patriarch Aneed and Bishop Charles Hampton,
along with many other historical artifacts of the early
days of the Independent Catholic movement in the United
States.
-
- In 1980 Meri Louise was raised to Archbishop within
the Church of Antioch. In 1986 she was enthroned
Ecumenical Matriarch of the West and Matriarch of the
Church of Antioch. In 1991, due to ill health, Patriarch
Herman Spruit retired and named Meri Louise his sole
successor. She retired in 2004, passing on this legacy to
Archbishop Richard Gundrey. Today these primacies reside
in the person of our dear Archbishop Richard. Our lines
of apostolic succession are passed down to generations of
Priests and Bishops. The Primacies stay with the Church
of Antioch. Although many claim to share in the apostolic
succession of the Church of Antioch, no one can claim the
Primacies of the aforementioned jurisdictions, since they
are held in perpetuity by whoever leads the Church of
Antioch.
|