Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church
Encyclopedia
The Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church is an independent Catholic church
established in 1945 by Brazil
ian bishop
Dom Carlos Duarte Costa, a former Roman Catholic Bishop of Botucatu
.
The ICAB has 58 diocese
s and claims five million members in 17 countries. Its past head was Patriarch
Dom Luis Fernando Castillo Mendez
, Worldwide Council of Catholic Apostolic Churches (WCCAC), a loose communion of churches in 14 countries.
, Athanasian
, and Apostles'
creeds and observes seven sacraments (baptism
, Eucharist
, confirmation, penance
, unction
, ordination
, and matrimony
). ICAB practices open communion
for all Christians who acknowledge the real presence
of Christ in the Eucharist. The church acknowledges divorce as a reality of life and permitted in Holy Scripture, and will marry divorced persons after the Ecclesiastical Process of Anulment and baptize the children of divorced or single parents or someone else.
ICAB teaches that birth control
is acceptable in certain circumstances (such as for disease prevention). It opposes abortion
, euthanasia
, capital punishment
, and any other taking of human life. The church has three administrative branches, in line with the conception of a nation state: executive (Episcopal Council), legislative (National Council), and judicial (Superior Ecclesiastical Court). There are currently 58 bishops and 47 dioceses within Brazil.
(1930–1945) and of the Vatican
's perceived cozy relationship with fascist
regimes. He also publicly criticized the doctrine of papal infallibility
and Roman Catholic views on divorce
and clerical celibacy
. Largely as a result of his outspoken views, he was moved from his post as Bishop of Botucatu in 1937 and was redesignated as the Titular Bishop
of Maura
(an extinct diocese of North Africa
). Duarte Costa continued to criticize the government and the Roman Catholic Church, advocating policies that were regarded by the authorities as Communist
. In 1944 the Brazilian government imprisoned him, but later freed him under political pressure by the United States
and Great Britain
.
In May 1945 Dom Carlos gave newspaper interviews accusing Brazil's papal nunciate of Nazi-Fascist spying, and accused Rome of having aided and abetted Hitler. In addition, he announced plans to set up his own Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church, in which priests would be permitted to marry (and hold regular jobs in the lay world), confessions and rosaries would be abolished, and bishops would be elected by popular vote.
In response to Costa's continued insubordination, the Vatican finally laid against him penalty from a Diocesan Bishop to a Titular Bishop and accepted his resignation to the Roman Church in 1937. Several years later, he formed the Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church (ICAB) by joining with Father (later Bishop) Salamao Ferraz who already headed a church which was originally founded in 1913. He then declared in 1945: "The Brazilian Catholic Church which is a religious society, established for the propagation of the Christianity in all the national territory, which is separated from the Roman Apostolic Church because of the errors that it has been committing since the moment when it left the catacombs
, exchanging the beauty of the teachings of Christ — simplicity, humility, poverty, love of neighbor — for a preeminently mercantilistic
institution, where pomp reigns, doing damage to true Christianity, which is found in the humble, the laborers, the legitimate representatives of Jesus of Nazareth."
In 1949 the Brazilian government temporarily suppressed all public worship by ICAB, maintaining that the similarity of its liturgy
and vestments to those of the Roman Catholic Church would result in confusion and were tantamount to deception of the public. However, a few months later the churches were permitted to reopen, provided that their liturgy would not duplicate the Roman Catholic liturgy, and their clergy would wear gray clerical attire in contrast to the black clothing worn by Catholic clergy.
Dom Carlos set about to implement a number of reforms in ICAB of what he saw as problems in the Roman Catholic Church. Clerical celibacy was abolished. Rules for the reconciliation of divorced persons were implemented. The liturgy was translated into the vernacular, and in emulation of a short-lived experiment in France, clergy were expected to live and work amongst the people, and support themselves and their ministries, by holding secular employment. Within a short time ICAB began to be identified as “The Church of the Poor”.
Shortly after founding the church Dom Carlos Duarte Costa consecrated two more bishops, Salomão Barbosa Ferraz
(August 15, 1945), and the Venezuelan Luis Fernando Castillo Mendez
(May 3, 1948) Dom, Salamao Ferraz acted as co consecrator for Dom. Castillo Mendez. These three bishops went on to establish similar autonomous Catholic Apostolic National Churches in several other Latin American countries. Dom Carlos personally served as consecrator
or co-consecrator of eleven additional bishops, each of whom took a leadership role in either the Brazilian church or one of the other national churches.
In 1958 Bishop Ferraz left ICAB to rejoin the Catholic Church; his consecration was simply accepted by the Catholic Church as valid. Shortly thereafter, in 1961, Dom Carlos Duarte Costa died, and the ICAB underwent several years of tumult as dissensions, schisms, and multiple claimants to the patriarchal throne threw the church into disarray. José Aires da Cruz briefly succeeded Duarte Costa as primate in 1961, and by 1964 Antidio Jose Vargas of Santa Catarina
was primate, consecrating the Italian Luigi Mascolo
as Bishop of Rio de Janeiro.
Some sources indicate that Bishop Luis Castillo Méndez assumed leadership of ICAB upon Duarte Costa's death in 1961, but this seems unlikely based on contemporary accounts such as Anson's. What is clear is that in 1982 Castillo Méndez was elected president of the Episcopal Council, and was designated Patriarch of ICAB in 1988 and Patriarch of ICAN (the international communion) in 1990. not forgetting that Patriarch Mendez was in private talks with the late Pope John Paul II in returning the Brazilian Church back to Rome. However the Council of Bishops had voted against rejoining the Roman Catholic Church. Dom Luis served as Patriarch until his death.
is maintained through the consecration of its bishops in unbroken personal succession back to the apostles. All ICAB bishops trace their line of succession back to Bishop Carlos Duarte Costa, who was consecrated by the Roman Catholic Church
. Every consecration strictly follows the Roman Pontifical
.
The ICAB cites the case of Salomão Barbosa Ferraz
as evidence that its apostolic succession is valid, even by Roman Catholic standards. Just over a month after the church's foundation, on August 15, 1945, Bishop Duarte Costa presided as the principal celebrant at the episcopal consecration of Salomão Barbosa Ferraz
. Thirteen years later (in 1958 under Pope John XXIII
) Ferraz reconciled with the Roman Catholic Church and was fully recognized as a bishop, even though he was married at the time. Ferraz was not ordained or consecrated again, even conditionally; however he was not appointed to a diocese immediately. He did pastoral work in the Archdiocese of São Paulo until May 12, 1963, when he was appointed titular bishop of Eleutherna by Pope John XXIII. He attended all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council
, and Pope Paul VI
appointed him to serve on one of Vatican II's working commissions. Upon his death in 1969, Bishop Ferraz was buried with full honors accorded a bishop of the Roman Catholic Church.
Not forgetting also that after Bishop Carlos Duarte Costa's resignation to Pope Pius XI was accepted in 1937 and he was appointed as Titular Bishop of Maurensi. His Principal Consecrator and friend Roman Catholic Cardinal. His Eminence Cardinal Silveria Leme do Cintra did issue a letter and permission to then Titular Bishop of Maurensi to assist in a consecration of a Roman Catholic Bishop Eliseo Coreoli in 1940. Some 3 years after he resigned to the Roman See which then relinguished control over then Bishop Carlos Duarte Costa.
A world council of the communion was held in Brazil in 2005. At a further council in the United State in June 2009, in Fort Worth, Texas, all bishops in apostolic succession were invited to attend and apply for membership. Only current members are able to vote on WCCAC business.
Independent Catholic Churches
Independent Catholic churches are Catholic congregations that are not in communion with the Roman Catholic Church or any other churches whose sacraments are recognized by the Roman Catholic Church...
established in 1945 by Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
Dom Carlos Duarte Costa, a former Roman Catholic Bishop of Botucatu
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Botucatu
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Botucatu is an archdiocese located in the city of Botucatu in Brazil.-History:* June 7, 1908: Established as Diocese of Botucatu from the Diocese of São Paulo...
.
The ICAB has 58 diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
s and claims five million members in 17 countries. Its past head was Patriarch
Patriarch
Originally a patriarch was a man who exercised autocratic authority as a pater familias over an extended family. The system of such rule of families by senior males is called patriarchy. This is a Greek word, a compound of πατριά , "lineage, descent", esp...
Dom Luis Fernando Castillo Mendez
Luis Fernando Castillo Mendez
Dom Luis Fernando Castillo Méndez was patriarch of the Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church , an independent catholic church...
, Worldwide Council of Catholic Apostolic Churches (WCCAC), a loose communion of churches in 14 countries.
Beliefs and organization
The ICAB accepts the NiceneNicene Creed
The Nicene Creed is the creed or profession of faith that is most widely used in Christian liturgy. It is called Nicene because, in its original form, it was adopted in the city of Nicaea by the first ecumenical council, which met there in the year 325.The Nicene Creed has been normative to the...
, Athanasian
Athanasian Creed
The Athanasian Creed is a Christian statement of belief, focusing on Trinitarian doctrine and Christology. The Latin name of the creed, Quicumque vult, is taken from the opening words, "Whosoever wishes." The Athanasian Creed has been used by Christian churches since the sixth century...
, and Apostles'
Apostles' Creed
The Apostles' Creed , sometimes titled Symbol of the Apostles, is an early statement of Christian belief, a creed or "symbol"...
creeds and observes seven sacraments (baptism
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
, Eucharist
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
, confirmation, penance
Confession
This article is for the religious practice of confessing one's sins.Confession is the acknowledgment of sin or wrongs...
, unction
Anointing of the Sick
Anointing of the Sick, known also by other names, is distinguished from other forms of religious anointing or "unction" in that it is intended, as its name indicates, for the benefit of a sick person...
, ordination
Ordination
In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...
, and matrimony
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
). ICAB practices open communion
Open communion
Open communion is the practice of Christian churches that allow individuals other than members of that church to receive Holy Communion...
for all Christians who acknowledge the real presence
Real Presence
Real Presence is a term used in various Christian traditions to express belief that in the Eucharist, Jesus Christ is really present in what was previously just bread and wine, and not merely present in symbol, a figure of speech , or by his power .Not all Christian traditions accept this dogma...
of Christ in the Eucharist. The church acknowledges divorce as a reality of life and permitted in Holy Scripture, and will marry divorced persons after the Ecclesiastical Process of Anulment and baptize the children of divorced or single parents or someone else.
ICAB teaches that birth control
Birth control
Birth control is an umbrella term for several techniques and methods used to prevent fertilization or to interrupt pregnancy at various stages. Birth control techniques and methods include contraception , contragestion and abortion...
is acceptable in certain circumstances (such as for disease prevention). It opposes abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
, euthanasia
Euthanasia
Euthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering....
, capital punishment
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
, and any other taking of human life. The church has three administrative branches, in line with the conception of a nation state: executive (Episcopal Council), legislative (National Council), and judicial (Superior Ecclesiastical Court). There are currently 58 bishops and 47 dioceses within Brazil.
History
Bishop Carlos Duarte Costa was an outspoken critic of the regime of Brazilian president Getúlio VargasGetúlio Vargas
Getúlio Dornelles Vargas served as President of Brazil, first as dictator, from 1930 to 1945, and in a democratically elected term from 1951 until his suicide in 1954. Vargas led Brazil for 18 years, the most for any President, and second in Brazilian history to Emperor Pedro II...
(1930–1945) and of the Vatican
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
's perceived cozy relationship with fascist
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
regimes. He also publicly criticized the doctrine of papal infallibility
Papal infallibility
Papal infallibility is a dogma of the Catholic Church which states that, by action of the Holy Spirit, the Pope is preserved from even the possibility of error when in his official capacity he solemnly declares or promulgates to the universal Church a dogmatic teaching on faith or morals...
and Roman Catholic views on divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
and clerical celibacy
Clerical celibacy
Clerical celibacy is the discipline by which some or all members of the clergy in certain religions are required to be unmarried. Since these religions consider deliberate sexual thoughts, feelings, and behavior outside of marriage to be sinful, clerical celibacy also requires abstension from these...
. Largely as a result of his outspoken views, he was moved from his post as Bishop of Botucatu in 1937 and was redesignated as the Titular Bishop
Titular bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of Maura
Maura
Maura may refer to:In places:*Maura, Norway, villagePeople with Maura as the full name:*Saint Maura, one of the two martyrs, Maura and BrittaPeople with the surname Maura:*Antonio Maura , Prime Minister of Spain...
(an extinct diocese of North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
). Duarte Costa continued to criticize the government and the Roman Catholic Church, advocating policies that were regarded by the authorities as Communist
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
. In 1944 the Brazilian government imprisoned him, but later freed him under political pressure by the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
.
In May 1945 Dom Carlos gave newspaper interviews accusing Brazil's papal nunciate of Nazi-Fascist spying, and accused Rome of having aided and abetted Hitler. In addition, he announced plans to set up his own Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church, in which priests would be permitted to marry (and hold regular jobs in the lay world), confessions and rosaries would be abolished, and bishops would be elected by popular vote.
In response to Costa's continued insubordination, the Vatican finally laid against him penalty from a Diocesan Bishop to a Titular Bishop and accepted his resignation to the Roman Church in 1937. Several years later, he formed the Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church (ICAB) by joining with Father (later Bishop) Salamao Ferraz who already headed a church which was originally founded in 1913. He then declared in 1945: "The Brazilian Catholic Church which is a religious society, established for the propagation of the Christianity in all the national territory, which is separated from the Roman Apostolic Church because of the errors that it has been committing since the moment when it left the catacombs
Catacombs
Catacombs, human-made subterranean passageways for religious practice. Any chamber used as a burial place can be described as a catacomb, although the word is most commonly associated with the Roman empire...
, exchanging the beauty of the teachings of Christ — simplicity, humility, poverty, love of neighbor — for a preeminently mercantilistic
Mercantilism
Mercantilism is the economic doctrine in which government control of foreign trade is of paramount importance for ensuring the prosperity and security of the state. In particular, it demands a positive balance of trade. Mercantilism dominated Western European economic policy and discourse from...
institution, where pomp reigns, doing damage to true Christianity, which is found in the humble, the laborers, the legitimate representatives of Jesus of Nazareth."
In 1949 the Brazilian government temporarily suppressed all public worship by ICAB, maintaining that the similarity of its liturgy
Liturgy
Liturgy is either the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to its particular traditions or a more precise term that distinguishes between those religious groups who believe their ritual requires the "people" to do the "work" of responding to the priest, and those...
and vestments to those of the Roman Catholic Church would result in confusion and were tantamount to deception of the public. However, a few months later the churches were permitted to reopen, provided that their liturgy would not duplicate the Roman Catholic liturgy, and their clergy would wear gray clerical attire in contrast to the black clothing worn by Catholic clergy.
Dom Carlos set about to implement a number of reforms in ICAB of what he saw as problems in the Roman Catholic Church. Clerical celibacy was abolished. Rules for the reconciliation of divorced persons were implemented. The liturgy was translated into the vernacular, and in emulation of a short-lived experiment in France, clergy were expected to live and work amongst the people, and support themselves and their ministries, by holding secular employment. Within a short time ICAB began to be identified as “The Church of the Poor”.
Shortly after founding the church Dom Carlos Duarte Costa consecrated two more bishops, Salomão Barbosa Ferraz
Salomão Barbosa Ferraz
Salomão Barbosa Ferraz was a Brazilian priest and bishop whose career took him through membership of several Christian denominations from the Presbyterian Church through to the Roman Catholic Church....
(August 15, 1945), and the Venezuelan Luis Fernando Castillo Mendez
Luis Fernando Castillo Mendez
Dom Luis Fernando Castillo Méndez was patriarch of the Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church , an independent catholic church...
(May 3, 1948) Dom, Salamao Ferraz acted as co consecrator for Dom. Castillo Mendez. These three bishops went on to establish similar autonomous Catholic Apostolic National Churches in several other Latin American countries. Dom Carlos personally served as consecrator
Consecrator
Consecrator is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church to designate a bishop who ordains a priest to the episcopal state. The term is often used in Eastern Rite Churches and in Anglican communities. The term "Principal Consecrator" is used to designate the primary bishop who ordains a new bishop...
or co-consecrator of eleven additional bishops, each of whom took a leadership role in either the Brazilian church or one of the other national churches.
In 1958 Bishop Ferraz left ICAB to rejoin the Catholic Church; his consecration was simply accepted by the Catholic Church as valid. Shortly thereafter, in 1961, Dom Carlos Duarte Costa died, and the ICAB underwent several years of tumult as dissensions, schisms, and multiple claimants to the patriarchal throne threw the church into disarray. José Aires da Cruz briefly succeeded Duarte Costa as primate in 1961, and by 1964 Antidio Jose Vargas of Santa Catarina
Santa Catarina (state)
Santa Catarina is a state in southern Brazil with one of the highest standards of living in Latin America. Its capital is Florianópolis, which mostly lies on the Santa Catarina Island. Neighbouring states are Rio Grande do Sul to the south and Paraná to the north. It is bounded on the east by...
was primate, consecrating the Italian Luigi Mascolo
Luigi Mascolo
Luigi Mascolo was an Italian priest who controversially defected to the Brazilian schismatic church the Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church, founded by Bishop Carlos Duarte Costa in 1945....
as Bishop of Rio de Janeiro.
Some sources indicate that Bishop Luis Castillo Méndez assumed leadership of ICAB upon Duarte Costa's death in 1961, but this seems unlikely based on contemporary accounts such as Anson's. What is clear is that in 1982 Castillo Méndez was elected president of the Episcopal Council, and was designated Patriarch of ICAB in 1988 and Patriarch of ICAN (the international communion) in 1990. not forgetting that Patriarch Mendez was in private talks with the late Pope John Paul II in returning the Brazilian Church back to Rome. However the Council of Bishops had voted against rejoining the Roman Catholic Church. Dom Luis served as Patriarch until his death.
Apostolic succession
The ICAB holds that apostolic successionApostolic Succession
Apostolic succession is a doctrine, held by some Christian denominations, which asserts that the chosen successors of the Twelve Apostles, from the first century to the present day, have inherited the spiritual, ecclesiastical and sacramental authority, power, and responsibility that were...
is maintained through the consecration of its bishops in unbroken personal succession back to the apostles. All ICAB bishops trace their line of succession back to Bishop Carlos Duarte Costa, who was consecrated by the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. Every consecration strictly follows the Roman Pontifical
Pontifical
Pontifical may refer to the Roman Pontifical, a Roman Catholic liturgical book used by a bishop.When used as an adjective, Pontifical may be used to describe things related to the office of a bishop, such as the following:*Solemn Pontifical Mass...
.
The ICAB cites the case of Salomão Barbosa Ferraz
Salomão Barbosa Ferraz
Salomão Barbosa Ferraz was a Brazilian priest and bishop whose career took him through membership of several Christian denominations from the Presbyterian Church through to the Roman Catholic Church....
as evidence that its apostolic succession is valid, even by Roman Catholic standards. Just over a month after the church's foundation, on August 15, 1945, Bishop Duarte Costa presided as the principal celebrant at the episcopal consecration of Salomão Barbosa Ferraz
Salomão Barbosa Ferraz
Salomão Barbosa Ferraz was a Brazilian priest and bishop whose career took him through membership of several Christian denominations from the Presbyterian Church through to the Roman Catholic Church....
. Thirteen years later (in 1958 under Pope John XXIII
Pope John XXIII
-Papal election:Following the death of Pope Pius XII in 1958, Roncalli was elected Pope, to his great surprise. He had even arrived in the Vatican with a return train ticket to Venice. Many had considered Giovanni Battista Montini, Archbishop of Milan, a possible candidate, but, although archbishop...
) Ferraz reconciled with the Roman Catholic Church and was fully recognized as a bishop, even though he was married at the time. Ferraz was not ordained or consecrated again, even conditionally; however he was not appointed to a diocese immediately. He did pastoral work in the Archdiocese of São Paulo until May 12, 1963, when he was appointed titular bishop of Eleutherna by Pope John XXIII. He attended all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council
Second Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed...
, and Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI
Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
appointed him to serve on one of Vatican II's working commissions. Upon his death in 1969, Bishop Ferraz was buried with full honors accorded a bishop of the Roman Catholic Church.
Not forgetting also that after Bishop Carlos Duarte Costa's resignation to Pope Pius XI was accepted in 1937 and he was appointed as Titular Bishop of Maurensi. His Principal Consecrator and friend Roman Catholic Cardinal. His Eminence Cardinal Silveria Leme do Cintra did issue a letter and permission to then Titular Bishop of Maurensi to assist in a consecration of a Roman Catholic Bishop Eliseo Coreoli in 1940. Some 3 years after he resigned to the Roman See which then relinguished control over then Bishop Carlos Duarte Costa.
International communion
Bishops Costa, Ferraz, and Méndez consecrated or assisted in the consecrations of dozens of bishops in various countries between the 1940s and 1990s. Some bishops in the Costa line maintained formal ties with the Brazilian mother church, but the majority appear to have gone their separate ways to found or participate in independent Catholic bodies without ties to Brazil. Churches in full communion with ICAB are members of the Worldwide Communion of Catholic Apostolic National Churches (WCCAC). There has been a fluctuating number of partner churches in the WCCAC communion, and a current list of official WCCAC members is not available.A world council of the communion was held in Brazil in 2005. At a further council in the United State in June 2009, in Fort Worth, Texas, all bishops in apostolic succession were invited to attend and apply for membership. Only current members are able to vote on WCCAC business.
External links
- ICAB Website (in Portuguese) http://www.igrejabrasileira.com.br/
- http://www.catholicshaveachoice.com Opus Apostolorum
- http://www.mncc.net