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APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION OF HIS EXCELLENCY,
ARCHBISHOP LEONARD J. CURRERI, D.D.,
METROPOLITAN OF THE TRIDENTINE CATHOLIC CHURCH
The information contained in this section is taken from the book Christ
Unto Byzantium by Archbishop Mark Karras. The only portions used are
those which pertain directly to Archbishop Curreri’s Consecration.
The Orthodox Church reached American soil as early as 1792 when
eight Russian Orthodox missionary monks established the first Orthodox
Mission in Kodiak, Alaska. This Russian mission in America had the
following Episcopal Succession:
Bishop Josaph Bologloff (no dates given)
Bishop Innocent Veniaminoff (no dates given)
Bishop Peter (1859-67) Bishop Paul, (no dates given)
Bishop John (1870—76)
Bishop Nester (1879-82) Bishop Vladimir (1898-1917)
Early in 1917 Patriarch Tychon and the Holy Synod of the Russian
Orthodox Church elected a monk of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch
as Bishop. Archbishop Aftimios Ofiesh was consecrated by Metropolitan
Evdokim on May 11, 1917 in New York City. Metropolitan Evdokim was
assisted by Bishop Alexander Nemolovsky, Russian Orthodox Bishop of
Canada and the Aleutian Islands and by Bishop Stephen Dzubai, Russian
Orthodox Bishop of Pittsburgh. Metropolitan Evdokim had been
consecrated by Metropolitan Macarius of Moscow. Archbishop Aftimios
died at the age of eighty-five in Wilks-Barre, Pennsylvania on July 24,
1966.
Archbishop Aftimios Ofiesh, assisted by Bishop Emmanuel of
Brooklyn, New York in 1931 consecrated Bishop Sophronios who later
became the Syrian Archbishop of Brooklyn, New York.
The Albanian Orthodox Church is the continuation of the early
Christian Church where Saint Paul had preached the Gospel of Christ
(Rom. 15:19). There Greek and Latin missionaries had been active under
both the Churches of Constantinople and Rome.
Due to the circumstances of the Russian Revolution of 1917, the
Albanian Orthodox Church in America with its influence and jurisdiction
at that time reverting back to the Church in Albania, found itself
independent of the Russian Orthodox Church and under the sole
leadership of Archbishop Theophan Stylian Noli. Archbishop Noli was
consecrated Metropolitan of Durrazzo in 1923 at Saint George’s Cathedral
in Korista, Albania, by Archbishop Christopher Kissis of Albania and
Bishop Ierotheos of Mount Athos, Greece. Archbishop Noli had his
Metropolitan See for the New World in Boston, Massachusetts and had
been in communion with Constantinople. He died in 1965. The Albanian
Orthodox Church was recognized by Constantinople as late as April 12,
1937.
The Syrian Archbishop Sophronios of Brooklyn, spiritual offspring
of the Russian Orthodox Archbishop Aftimios Ofiesh, with the Albanian
Metropolitan Theophan Stylian Noli, on February 10, 1934, at the Church
of Saint John the Baptist in New York City consecrated Archbishop
Christopher Cantogeorge who was made Metropolitan of Pentapoleos
and Exarch of the Patriarchate of Alexandria in the United States in 1947,
had previously been made Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania. Archbishop Cantogeorge died on August 30, 1950.
Archbishop Christopher Cantogeorge with Archbishop Theophan
Noli, on August 25, 1934, at the Church of Saint John the Baptist,
consecrated Archbishop Arsenios Saltas who in 1954 was made Exarch of
the Patriarchate of Alexandria in the United States of America. Archbishop
Saltas died on December 4, 1955.
Archbishop Christopher Cantogeorge, with Bishop Ambrosios of
Aman consecrated in 1937 Archbishop Nicholas Kedroffsky of North
America and the Aleutian Islands at the age of thirty-five was publicly
acknowledged as the youngest Archbishop in the world.
Archbishop Nicholas Kedroffsky with Archbishop Arsenios Saltas in
1935 at the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Nicholas on East 97th
Street, consecrated Bishop Joseph Klimovich of Springfield, Mas-
sachusetts, who on October 14, 1950 at Sts. Peter and Paul Russian
Orthodox Church was elevated to Patriarch of the Orthodox Catholic
Patriarchate of America. Patriarch Joseph died on August 20, 1961 in New
Salem, Massachusetts at the age of eighty-one.
Archbishop Christopher Cantogeorge in 1949 with Archbishop
Arsenios Saltas and with the blessing and concurrence of Metropolitan
Theophan Noli consecrated Archbishop Konstantin Jaroshevich. Patriarch
Joseph Klimovich with Archbishop Konstantin Jaroschvich and with the
assistance of two Old Catholic Prelates, Archbishop Metropolitan Joseph
Zielonka and Bishop Peter M. Willianowich, on October 14, 1950,
consecrated the Ukrainian Metropolitan Nicholas Bohatyretz who died in
1964 at the age of seventy-five.
Patriarch Joseph Klimovich with Archbishop Konstantin
Jaroshevich and the Ukrainian Metropolitan Nicholas Bohatyretz, and
with the assistance of two Old Catholic Prelates, Metropolitan Joseph
Zielonka and Bishop Peter M. Williamowich, (these Prelates trace their
Episcopal Succession through Archbishop Joseph Rene Vilatte, who was
consecrated a Bishop at the hands of Archbishop Alvarez of the Syrian
Orthodox Patriarchate in 1892) on October 15, 1950 at Sts. Peter and Paul
Russian Orthodox Church in Springfield, Massachusetts, consecrated
Archbishop Peter Zhurawetzky of the Holy Eastern Orthodox Catholic and
Apostolic Diocese of America, who later became the Presiding Bishop of
the Holy Synod of The Orthodox Catholic Churches of America. Archbishop
Zhurawetzsky had been ordained to the Priesthood on May 20, 1932 at the
Greek Orthodox Cathedral in New York City by Archbishop Athenagoras I
(Spyrou) of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America,
becoming Patriarch of Constantinople in 1948.
Patriarch Klimovich with Metropolitan Peter A. Zhurawetzky and
with the two Old Catholic Prelates mentioned above, and with
Metropolitan Clement Sherwood consecrated Archbishop Joachim Souris,
who later became Primate of the Autocephalous Greek Orthodox Church
of America.
Archbishop Joachim Souris, with the assistance of Archbishop
Stanislaus DeWitow of the Holy Orthodox Church in America, on October
3, 1964 at the Cathedral Church of the Holy Resurrection in the Bronx,
New York, consecrated Archbishop Metropolitan Walter Propheta for the
American Orthodox Catholic Church. Archbishop Propheta had been
ordained to the holy Priesthood by Bishop Bohdan Shpilka of the
Ukrainian Orthodox Church on May 15,1933. The Ukrainian Orthodox
Church is still in union with the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
Archbishop Walter Propheta, with the assistance of Archbishop
John A. Christian, on December 7th, 1969, at the Cathedral Church of the
Holy Resurrection, the Bronx, New York, consecrated as his Auxiliary
Bishop Francis J. Ryan. Bishop Ryan had been conditionally ordained to
the Priesthood by Archbishop Propheta on September 1, 1968. Bishop
Ryan was later elevated to Archiepiscopal status at a ceremony held in the
UN Chapel.
Archbishop Francis J. Ryan, with the assistance of Bishop H. Bennett Dayhoff and Bishop John Basilo, on April 23, 1977, at Holy Cross Polish
Catholic Church in New York City, consecrated Archbishop Leonard J.
Curreri, O.F.M., D.D. as Metropolitan Archbishop of the Tridentine
Catholic Church, a traditionalist Catholic jurisdiction. The Roman
Pontifical was used for the conferral of the Episcopate which was
conferred during the solemn celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
Archbishop Curreri had been ordained to the Priesthood on October 26,
1974 by Archbishop Thomas J. Fehervary of the Traditional Christian
Catholic Church in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Roman Pontifical was
used for the conferral of the Priesthood which was bestowed during the
celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. All of the above episcopal
consecrations were performed according to the Eastern Orthodox
pontifical until the episcopal consecration of Archbishop Ryan, which was
performed according to the Roman Pontifical, as was that of Archbishop
Curreri.
For reasons of continuity with the Roman Catholic Church and for other reasons, Archbishop Curreri was consecrated conditionally in the following line of Apostolic Succession:
BRAZILIAN ROMAN CATHOLIC LINE OF APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION
REBIBA Scipione (??-1577) Created Cardinal 20 XII 1555 in the title of S.
Pudenziana. Titular Bishop of Amicle and Auxiliary Bishop of Chieti.
Elected Titular Bishop of Amicle and Auxiliary to Gian Pietro Cardinal
Carafa, Archbishop of Chieti, 16 March 1541.Bishop of Modena Archbishop
of Pisa 1556, Patriarch of Constantinople 1565, Bishop of Albano 1573, and
Bishop of Sabina 1574.
SANTORIO Giulio (1532-1602) Created Cardinal 17 V 1570. Buried in the
Basilica of St. John Lateran, Rome. Archbishop of Santa Severino, Bishop of
Palestrina 1597. Consecrated 12 March 1566 in the Pauline Chapel of the
Vatican Apostolic Palace by Scipione Cardinal Rebiba, Patriarch of
Constantinople, assisted by Annibale Caracciolo, Bishop of Isola and
Giacomo de Giacomelli, Bishop emeritus of Belcastro.
BERNERIO Girolamo O.P. (??-1611) Created Cardinal 16 November 1586.
Bishop of Ascoli, Bishop of Albano 1603, Bishop of Porto 1607. Consecrated
7 September 1586 in the Basilica of the Holy Apostles, Rome, by Giulio
Cardinal Santorio, assisted by Giulio Masetti, Bishop of Reggio Emilia and
Ottaviano Paravicini, Bishop of Alessandria.
SANVITALE Galeazzo Archbishop of Bari. Consecrated 4 April 1604 in the
Chapel of the Apostolic Sacristy, Rome, by Girolamo Cardinal Bernier O.P.,
Bishop of Albano, assisted by Claudio Rangoni, Bishop of Piacenza and
Giovanni Ambrogio Caccia, Bishop of Castro di Toscana.
LUDOVISI Ludovico (??-1632) Created Cardinal February 15, 1621 in the
title of S. Maria in Traspontina. “Nepos” Buried in the Metropolitan
Cathedral of Bologna. His remains were later transferred, according to his
will, to the Church of S. Ignatio, Rome. Archbishop of Bologna, nephew of
Pope Gregory XV. Consecrated 2 May 1621 in the private chapel of his
consecrator, near Saint Peter’s Basilica, Rome, by Galeazzo Sanvitale,
Archbishop emeritus of Bari and Prefect of the Apostolic Palace, assisted
by Cosmo de Torres, Titular Archbishop of Hadrianopolis and Ottavio
Ridolfi, Bishop of Ariano.
GAETANI Luigi (??-1642) Created Cardinal January 19,1626 with the title
of S. Pudenziana. He died in his Roman Palace and was buried in his
family’s Chapel in the Church of S. Pudenziana. Patriarch of Antioch,
Archbishop of Capua. Consecrated 12 June 1622 in the Basilica of Santa
Maria Maggiore, Rome, by Ludovico Cardinal Ludovisi, Archbishop of
Bologna, assisted by Galeazzo Sanvitale, Archbishop emeritus of Bari and
Vulpiano Volpi, Archbishop emeritus of Chieti.
CARPEGNA Ulderico (??-1679) Created Cardinal November 28, 1633 in the
title of S. Anastasia. Buried in the Barberini Chapel of the Church of S.
Andrea della Valle, Rome. Bishop of Gubbio, Bishop of Todi 1638, Bishop of
Albano 1666, Bishop of Frascati 1671, Bishop of Porto 1675. Consecrated 7
October 1630 in the Pauline Chapel of the Apostolic Palace of the Quirinal,
Rome, by Luigi Cardinal Gaetani, assisted by Antonio Ricciulli, Bishop
emeritus of Belcastro and Vicegerent of Rome, and Benedetto Landi,
Bishop of Fossombrone.
PALUZZO Paluzzi degli ALBERTONI ALTIERI (??-1698) Created Cardinal in
Pectore. Proclaimed February 15, 1666 Buried in the Church of S. Maria in
Campitelli, Rome, in the Chapel of S. Giovanni Battista that he had built in
that same church. Bishop of Sabina 1689, Bishop of Palestrina 1691 Bishop
of Porto 1698. Consecrated 2 May 1666 in the Church of San Silvestro in
Capite, Rome, by Ulderico Cardinal Carpegna, assisted by Stefano Ugolini,
Titular Archbishop of Corinth and Giovanni Tommaso Pinelli, Bishop of
Albenga.
ORSINI Duke de GRAVINA Vincenzo Maria O.P. (1649-1730) Created
Cardinal February 22,1672 in the title of S. Sisto. Buried in the Church of
S. Maria Sopra Minerva, Rome, in the Chapel of S. Domenico. A year later,
his remains were transferred to the Patriarchal Vatican Basilica.
Archbishop of Manfredonia 1675, Bishop of Cesena 1680, Archbishop of
Benevento 1686, Bishop of Frascati 1701, Bishop of Porto 1715. Elected
Pope as Benedict XIII, 29 May 1724. Crowned 4 June 1724. Consecrated 3
February 1675 in the Church of S.S. Domenico e Sisto, Rome, by Paluzzo
Paluzzi degli Albertoni Altieri , Prefect of the Sacred Congregation de
Propaganda Fide, assisted by Stefano Brancaccio, Archbishop Bishop of
Viterbo e Tuscania and Costanzo Zani, O.S.B., Bishop of Imola.
LAMBERTINI Prospero (1675-1758) Created Cardinal in Pectore on the 9 of
December, 1726 with the title of S. Croce in Jerusalemme. Proclaimed on
June 30, 1728. Buried in the Patriarchal Vatican Basilica. Bishop of
Ancona, Archbishop of Bologna 1731. Elected Pope as Benedict on the 14 of
August 1740. Crowned 22 August 1740. Consecrated 16 July 1724 in the
Pauline Chapel of the Apostolic Palace of the Quirinal, Rome, by His
Holiness Pope Benedict XIII, assisted by Giovanni Francesco Nicolai,
O.F.M.Ref., Titular Archbishop of Myra and Nicola Maria Lercari, Titular
Archbishop of Nazianzus.
REZZONICO Carlo (1693-1769) Created Cardinal 11 of November 1758 In
Pectore in the title of S. Lorenzo in Damaso. Proclaimed February 10, 1758
“Nepos” Buried in the Patriarchal Vatican Basilica. Bishop of Sabina 1773,
Bishop of Porto & S. Rufino 1776. Elected Pope as Clement XIII, 6 July 1758.
Crowned 16 July 1758. Consecrated 19 March 1743 in the Basilica of the
Holy Apostles, Rome, by His Holiness Pope Benedict XIV, assisted by
Giuseppe Cardinal Accoramboni, Bishop of Frascati and Antonio Saverio
Cardinal Gentili.
GIRAUD Bernardo (1721-1782) Created Cardinal In Pectore 17 VI 1771 in
the title of S.S. Trinita al Monte Pincio. Proclaimed 19 IV 1773. Archbishop
of Ferrara. Buried in his family tomb in the Church of S. Maria in Vallicella,
Rome. Consecrated 26 April, 1767 by His Holiness Pope Clement XIII.
Assisted by Archbishop Scipio Borghese and Archbishop Ignatius Reali.
MATTEI Alessandro (1744-1820) Created Cardinal In Pectore 12 VII 1779 in
the title of S. Balbina. Proclaimed 22 V 1782. Buried in his family Chapel in
the Church of S. Maria in Aracoeli, Rome. Archbishop of Ferrara, Bishop of
Palestrina. Consecrated 23 February 1777 by Bernardo Cardinal Giraud,
assisted by Archbishop Mark Anthony Conti and Bishop Joseph Mary
Carafa.
GALLEFFI Pietro Francesco (1770-1837) Created Cardinal December 8,
1803 with the the title of S. Bartolomeo all’ Isola. Buried in his family tomb
in the Church of Santissima Trinita dei Pellegrini e Convalescenti, Rome.
Archbishop of Damascus 1819, Bishop of Albano 1820, Bishop of Porto, S.
Rufino & Cittavechia 1830. Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church 1824.
Consecrated 12 September 1819 by Alessandro Cardinal Mattei, assisted by
Bishop Gerald Macioti and Bishop Francis Albertini.
FRANSONI Giacomo Filippo (1775-1856) Created Cardinal February 10,
1826 in the title of S. Maria in Aracoeli. Buried in his Titular Church.
Archbishop of Nazianzus I.P.I. Liguria. Nuncio in Portugal and Brazil.
Consecrated 8 December 1822 by Pietro Francesco Cardinal Galleffi,
assisted by Archbishop John Francis Falzacappa and Archbishop Joseph
della Porta Rodiani.
SACCONI Carlo (1808-1889) Created Cardinal 27 IX 1861 in the title of S.
Maria del Popolo. Buried in Campo Verano Cemetery, Rome, his remains
were later transferred to his family tomb in Montalto. Bishop of Palestrina
1870, Bishop of Porto & S. Rufino 1878, Bishop of Ostia and Velletri 1884.
Nuncio in France. Consecrated 8 June 1851 by Giacomo Filippo Cardinal
Fransoni, assisted by Patriarch Joseph Valerga and Bishop Rudesindus
Salvado.
HOWARD Edward (1829-1892) Created Cardinal March 12, 1877 in the title
of Saints John and Paul. He is buried in his family tomb in the Church of S.
Philip, Arundel. Titular Archbishop of Neocaesarea I.P.I., Bishop of Frascati
1884. Consecrated 30 June 1872 by Carlo Cardinal Sacconi, assisted by
Archbishop Salvator Nobili Vitelleschi and Archbishop Francis Xavier
Frederick de Merode.
RAMPOLLA del TINDARO Count Mariano (1824- 1913) Created Cardinal 14
III 1887. Buried in Campo Verano Cemetery, Rome. His remains were
transferred to the Basilica of S. Cecilia in Trastevere on the 19 June 1929.
Archbishop of Heraclea. Secretary of State. Consecrated 8 December 1882
by Edward Cardinal Howard, assisted by Archbishop Alessandro
Sanminiatelli Zabrarrella and Bishop Guilio Lenti.
ARCOVERDE de ALBUQUERQUE CAVALCANTI Joachino (1850-1930)
Created Cardinal 11 XII 1905 in the title of SS. Bonifacio ed Alessio. Buried
in the Metropolitan Cathedral, Rio de Janeiro. Bishop of Goias (1891)
Bishop of Sao Paulo (1894) Archbishop of Rio de Janeiro. (1897)
Consecrated 26 October 1891 by Mariano Cardinal Rampolla del Tindaro.
LEME da SILVEIRA CINTRA Sebastiao (1882-1942) Created Cardinal 30 VI
1930 in the title of SS. Bonifacio ed Alessio. Buried in the Shrine of the
Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, Rio de Janeiro. Auxiliary Bishop of Sao Sebastiao
do Rio de Janeiro (1911) Archbishop of Sao Sebastiao do Rio de
Janeiro.(1930) Consecrated 24 June 1911 by Joachino Cardinal Arcoverde
de Albuquerque-Cavalcanti.
DUARTE COSTA Carlos (1888-1961) Bishop of Botucatu (1924) Consecrated
8 December 1924 by Archbishop Sebastiao Leme da Silveira Cintra,
assisted by Bishop Alberto Jose Concalves and Bishop Benedito Alves de
Souza. Bishop Duarte Costa withdrew from communion with the Holy See
in 1945 and became Patriarch of Igreja Catolica Brasileira (6 June 1945).
Mgr. Salomeo Ferraz.* was accepted into the Roman Catholic Church on
May 10, 1963 with full pontifical dignity. He was given the titular See of Eleuterna de Crete and took part in the Sessions of the Second Vatican
Council under Paul VI. He died in 1969. Before his acceptance by the
Roman Catholic Church, he consecrated:
Mgr. Manoel Ceja Laranjeira, who was the co-founder and Patriarch of the
Independent Catholic Church of Brazil, and who on August 15, 1965,
consecrated:
Mgr. Benedeto Pereira Lima, who on August 15, 1966, consecrated:
Mgr. Dom Jose Marcolino Machado, who on December 2, 1967
consecrated:
Mgr. Dom Oscar Cairoli Fernandez, who in 1973 consecrated:
Mgr. Michael Staffiero,* * who on June 29, 1975 consecrated:
Mgr. Roger Caro, who on July 7, 1976 consecrated:
Mgr. George Bellmare, who on December 12, 1976 at the Cite de Marie,
Mirabel, Quebec, Canada, consecrated:
Mgr. Andre Barbeau, * * * who on July 30, 1977 consecrated:
Mgr. Leonard J. Curreri, O.F.M., D.D. * * *
*
* * Mgr. Michael Staffiero was born on May 5, 1928. He entered the Minor
Seminary at Ariano, Irpino, Italy, and then the Major Seminary at Salerno.
He also studied at the Angelicum in Rome. Mgr. Staffiero consecrated
Mgr. Rainer Laufers in November of 1976. Mgr. Rainer Laufers assisted
Archbishop Barbeau as one of the co-Consecrators of Archbishop Curreri,
therefore Mgr. Leonard J. Curreri has the Brazilian Roman Catholic
Succession from Mgr. Laufers as well.
* * * Mgr. Andre Barbeau was a Priest of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of
Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He was ordained to the Priesthood on
November 21, 1940.
* * * * Mgr. Leonard J. Curreri was ordained to the Holy Priesthood by
Archbishop Thomas J. Fehervary on October 26, 1974. Archbishop
Fehervary was consecrated a Bishop at the hands of Archbishop James
Prochniewski on November 11, 1945. He died January 7th, 1984 in
Montreal.
What the Roman Catholic Church may not want you to find out.
* I present here a biographical history of Bishop Salomeo Ferraz who was born in Sao Paolo Brazil in the latter part of the nineteenth century. As a Roman Catholic priest, he left the Roman Catholic Church in the 1930s. He was then consecrated a coadjutor bishop by Bishop Carlos Duarte Costa. In 1958, Bishop Ferraz, decided to return to the Roman Catholic Church under Pope Pius XII. He was never reconsecrated a bishop by the Roman Catholic Church, not even conditionally. By receiving Bishop Ferraz in this manner, the Roman Catholic Church thereby affirmed both de jure and de facto that the consecration he received within the Apostolic Catholic Church of Brazil was unquestionably valid. He was an active speaker at all four sessions of Vatican Council II , and was named Titular Bishop of Eleuterna of Crete by Pope John XXIII on May 12, 1963. In this capacity he died in 1969. Paul VI appointed him to serve on a working Commission during Vatican Council II, where he addressed the Council Fathers on several occasions. Upon his death, Bishop Ferraz was buried with full honors accorded a Bishop of the Roman Catholic Church.
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