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George Alexander McGuire

812 bytes added, 05:06, January 27, 2010
African Orthodox Church: add note
Negotitions were immediately initiated with the [[Orthodox Church in America|Russian Orthodox Church in America]] in order to obtain valid [[Holy Orders|Apostolic Orders]]. The Russians were hesitant to assist the formation of another "independent" jurisdiction however, making it clear that they were willing to talk, but in the end, they intended to fully control this Black jurisdiction. Such an arrangement was totally unacceptable to Fr. McGuire and the other leaders of this new jurisdiction. Other Orthodox groups in the U.S.A. expressed the same willingness and intent as the Russians, however, the ''African Orthodox Church'' finally entered into negotiations with Archbishop [[w:Joseph René Vilatte|Joseph René Vilatte]] and the ''"American Catholic Church"'' (ACC).<ref group="note">The "American Catholic Church" (ACC) was a sect founded by [[w:Joseph René Vilatte|Joseph René Vilatte]] as an off-shoot of the Episcopalian Church. It included the jurisdictions and groups which had come out of Joseph René Vilatte's Episcopal ministry or were under his oversight. Among them were French and English speaking constituencies, and Polish and Italian ordinariates. The ACC began on [[August 20]], 1894, at a synod held in Cleveland, Ohio, where Polish-speaking parishes joined the jurisdiction of Bishop Vilatte, however the ACC was actually incorporated in July 1915.</ref>
Fr. McGuire had himself re-ordained [[Bishop]] in the ''American Catholic Church'' being consecrated on [[September 28]] 1921, in Chicago, Illinois, by Archbishop [[w:Joseph René Vilatte|Joseph René Vilatte]],<ref group="note">Joseph René Vilatte was ordained to the '''Diaconate''' on [[June 6]], 1885, and to the '''Priesthood''' on [[June 7]], 1885, by Bishop [[w:Eduard Herzog|Eduard Herzog]], the Old Catholic Bishop of Berne, Switzerland. His '''Episcopal Consecration''' took place on [[May 29]], 1892, in the Cathedral of Archbishop Alvares in Colombo (Ceylon), when he was consecrated by the the Latin Rite [[Church of Antioch (Syriac)|Jacobite]] Bishop Mar Julious I ([[w:Antonio Francisco Xavier Alvares|Antonio Francisco Xavier Alvares]]) and by two other Jacobite bishops, with the permission of the Jacobite Patriarch of Antioch ([[w:Ignatius Peter IV|Ignatius Peter IV (III)]]). His long time goal had been to be recognized as the ''"Old Catholic Archbishop of North America."'' The Jacobites consecrated him as: ''"Mar Timotheous I, Jacobite Old Catholic Bishop of North America."'' (See: '''[[Episcopi vagantes]]''')<br>The Episcopal Church subsequently [[Excommunication|excommunicated]] him. And the Roman Catholic Church excommunicated him both in 1900 and in 1907 (although he was reconciled to Rome from 1925 up to his death in 1929). Rene Vilatte as bishop made more than twenty subsequent consecrations of new bishops and of new churches. These consecrations became doubtful because they were made outside the authority of the Church. This prompted '''the Syro-Jacobite Church to officially withdraw recognition of the secession churches in 1938'''. Further, Vilatte was accused of not upholding the canons, nor did he remain within the jurisdiction of the Church of Antioch.<br>Some of the Old Catholic sects descended from Vilatte claim that, despite the fact that he had, in practical fact, abandoned any connection with the Jacobites, some of the Jacobite sects in India consider him a "Saint". And while the validity of Vilatte's Orders in the Roman Catholic Church was never finally settled, though personal opinions tend to the negative, most non-Roman Old Catholics maintain that his Orders were valid.</ref> assisted by bishop Carl A. Nybladh who had been consecrated by Vilatte.<ref>Right Rev. Philippe L. De Coster (B.Th., D.D. (Belgium), Latin Old Roman Catholic Church of Flanders). ''[http://www.scribd.com/doc/2199133/African-Orthodox African Orthodox Church: Its General History]''. 1st Ed. Publ. Eucharist and Devotion, 1993-2008. p.3.)</ref><ref group="note">In the issues, especially the earlier ones, of ''The Negro Churchman'', the official organ of the AOC, there were frequent references to the validity of McGuire's consecration. On at least four occasions, a chart was printed on the cover page which traced the apostolic succession from the [[Church of Antioch (Syriac)|See of Antioch]] to McGuire:<br>1. Ignatius Peter III, Syro-Jacobite Patriarch of Antioch and successor to S. Peter consecrated2. Paul Athanasius in 1877 consecrated 3. Archbishop Alvarez of Ceylon in 1879 consecrated 4. Archbishop Vilatte in 1892 consecrated 5. Bishop McGuire in 1921<br>(Theodore Natsoulas. ''Patriarch McGuire and the Spread of the African Orthodox Church to Africa.'' '''Journal of Religion in Africa''', Vol. 12, Fasc. 2 (1981), pp. 81-104.)</ref>
===Consolidation and Growth 1924-1934===
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