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Regarding Sacramental Validity of the Holy
Orders of Churches not in communion with the
Roman Catholic Pontiff it is to be noted that
Leo PP XIII, in the Bull Apostolicae Curae
(1896), stated that, where an appropriate
Sacramental minister performs the sacramental
ritual using the correct matter and form, with
no appearance of jest or simulation, he is
presumed with moral certainty to have acted
validly. CACINA makes no declaration by this
statement as to the official position of the
Roman See as to CACINA Holy Orders, but simply
points to positions historically held by that
Church in regard to Sacramental Validity when
the Sacraments are celebrated by clergy not in
formal communion with the Pope. It is also to
be noted that proper matter of the Sacrament
of Holy Orders is a properly disposed human
and that CACINA employs the ritual of the
Roman Church in her ordinations thereby
ensuring proper form. The Apostolic Succession
of CACINA bishops, further required to
establish the appropriateness of ordaining
bishops, is provided elsewhere in this site.
It is also to be noted that CACINA has
publicly declared itself to be separated and
independent of the Roman Catholic Church. It
is CACINA's position that this schism was
instituted by the Roman See for its own
reasons, and not by CACINA nor by ICAB. While
we love and respect our brothers from the
Roman Church, historical accuracy requires
that the origins of the schism be noted.
CACINA is not, and has never been, associated
with or derivative from the so-called "Irvingite"
Catholic Apostolic Church. This group was a
19th century apocalyptic community that
dissolved after the world did not end as they
had predicted. CACINA's history begins, as
noted throughout this site, in 1945 in Brazil
with Bishop Carlos Duarte-Costa.
CACINA is not associated with any other groups
or communions who also use the name "Catholic
Apostolic" as part of their identity. This is
in no way a comment on their authenticity or
holiness, only a statement of fact as to our
affiliations.
After guiding the
Catholic Apostolic Church for 16 years, Bishop
Duarte-Costa fell asleep in the Lord on March
26, 1961. See also:
St. Charles of Brazil
Bishop Stephen M. Corradi-Scarella brought the
Catholic Apostolic Church to the United States
in 1949, establishing the first diocese of
what would later become both CACINA and the
Western Orthodox Church in America (WOCA) in
Albuquerque, New Mexico. Bishop
Corradi-Scarella fell asleep in the Lord
November 13, 1979.
Bishop Luis Castillo Mendez is still living,
in Brazil.
During the 1950's, 1960's and 1970's the
Church that is today CACINA underwent several
adjustments in identity. Communication with
the Brazilian Church was lost and the Church
variously identified itself with the Old
Catholic movement and Independent Orthodoxy.
Communication was restored with Brazil in the
1970's but a dispute developed in the 1980's
over whether to return to Western Latin Rite
theology or retain an Orthodox approach. Two
bodies were formed, CACINA, following Latin
Rite theology, and the Western Orthodox Church
in America (WOCA) following a westernized
Orthodox theology. The separation was amicable
and cordial relations are retained between us
today. WOCA and CACINA are children of common
fathers-in-faith (Duarte-Costa and
Corradi-Scarella). The clergy and people of
WOCA are our special brothers and sisters in
Christ and are held by CACINA in the highest
esteem and fraternal affection.
Other sad fractures have occurred over the
years that were not as amicable as that with
WOCA. These fractures in relations with our
brothers have deeply saddened CACINA, but
sometimes, as with Abraham and Lott, brothers
cannot dwell together in peace and must pursue
their futures in different ways.
Bishop Francis Jerome Joachim Ladd became the
second Primate of CACINA, succeeding Bishop
Corradi-Scarella to that title. Upon retiring
he resigned as primate, and relocated to
Mexico. There he worked with our sister
Church, the Catholic Apostolic Church of
Mexico, until he fell asleep in the Lord
November 5, 1997.
Bishops Justo Gonzalez and Donald Buttenbusch
both held the office of Primate of CACINA,
becoming the third and fourth Primates
respectively. Both are still living but have
left active ministry within CACINA.
In a note of some interest, Bishop Salmeo
Ferraz, a former Roman Catholic Priest whom
Bishop Duarte-Costa consecrated a bishop of
ICAB in 1945, eventually returned to Roman
Catholic obedience under John PP XXIII. Though
married, Bishop Ferraz was made Coadjutor
Bishop of Sao Paulo, Brazil for the Roman
Catholic Church, attended the Second Vatican
Council, and addressed the Council during its
sessions. He was never reconsecrated by Rome,
even conditionally, and is buried with full
honors as a bishop of the Roman Church. By
accepting Bishop Ferraz back into the Roman
Church without re-consecration, the Roman
Catholic Church affirmed, de facto, the
Sacramental validity of Catholic Apostolic
Orders.
CACINA participates in sub-conditione
consecrations of its bishops for only one
reason: when there is a doubt as to the
validity or regularity of the original
consecration of a bishop seeking incardination
into CACINA.
CACINA does provide consecration, ad cautelam
(as a precaution), so as to pass the
Duarte-Costa succession to otherwise validly
consecrated bishops being incardinated into
CACINA who may not possess it. In this latter
case, the purpose is to assure a consistent
lineage, for the future of CACINA, through a
single source: Duarte-Costa.
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