Lineage of Apostolic Succession


Hon. Most Rev. Dr. Cesidio Tallini, O.S.M. (8 July 2011)

The Hon. Most Rev. Dr. Cesidio Tallini, already an ordained non-denominational Minister (Rose Ministries, 12 December 2005), who was later appointed the title of Bishop of the Cesidian Church (Saint Luke Evangelical Christian Ministries, 17 April 2007)

Cesidian Church

was ordained an Independent Catholic Priest, and was appointed the title of Bishop of the Universal Life Church World Headquarters, Inc. on 8 July 2011 by The Most Reverend Michael Jordan Francis, O.S.M., Ordaining Officer of the Universal Life Church World Headquarters, Inc.

ULCWHQ

Churches that claim the historic episcopate include the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Assyrian, Independent Catholic, the Anglican Communion, and several Lutheran Churches. The same applies to the Universal Life Church World Headquarters, Inc., but does not apply to all Universal Life Churches (ULCs).

It should be noted here, however, that the other Universal Life Churches (ULCs) are not different just because of a lack of verifiable apostolic succession, but for a more fundamental reason. They are simply not real faith-based ministries, real in the sense their doctrine comes from Christ, with full Christian consistency, and thus their ordinations do not enjoy worldwide validity. Many ULCs, in fact, have even ordained satanists, pagans, and atheists, so their "We Are One" philosophy stems not from Christ, or even from alternative positive non-Christian beliefs which may include belief in a Messiah, Imam Mahdi (or son of Mary), Maitreya Buddha, Kalki Avatara, Saoshyant, Baha'u'llah, True Man, Pahana, or in another similar Messianic figure which can be found in all true religions.

Roman Catholics recognise the validity of the apostolic successions of the bishops, and therefore the rest of the clergy of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Assyrian, Old Catholic, and some Independent Catholic Churches. Rome does not fully recognise all Anglican orders as valid. This conflict stems over the Anglican Church's revision of its rite of ordination for its bishops during the 16th century. Most of today's Anglican bishops would trace their succession back through a bishop who was ordained with the revised form, and thus would be viewed as invalid. However, all Anglican bishops in Europe today can claim a line of succession through bishops who had only been ordained through the old rite. This was achieved through several different means: ordinations by the schismatic Catholic bishops of the Old Catholic and Independent Catholic Churches who converted to Anglicanism.

In Scandinavia, most Lutheran churches participating in the Porvoo Communion, those of Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, and Lithuania, believe that they ordain their bishops in the apostolic succession in lines stemming from the original apostles. This view is not supported by the Roman Catholic Church, nor by all of Orthodoxy. Two other Lutheran churches of Scandinavia, those of Denmark and Latvia, were observers at Porvoo.

Negotiated at Järvenpää, Finland, and inaugurated with a celebration of the eucharist at Porvoo Cathedral in 1992, the Porvoo Communion agreement of unity includes the mutual recognition of the traditional apostolic succession among the following Churches:

It should be noted that one of the Scandinavian Lutheran Churches in the Porvoo Communion, the Church of Denmark, has bishops, but strictly speaking they were not in the historic apostolic succession prior to their entry into the Porvoo Communion, since their Episcopate and Holy Orders derived from Dr. Johannes Bugenhagen, who was a pastor, not a bishop. In 2010, the Church of Denmark joined the Porvoo Communion of Churches.


Notes
  1. The records of episcopal consecration for all Roman Catholic bishops in Bishop Cesidio Tallini's Line of Succession prior to Scipione Cardinale Rebiba are located in the Archives of the Vatican. Apostolic Succession above and inclusive of Scipione Cardinale Rebiba is verifiable. More than 90% of all living Catholic bishops can trace their episcopal lineage back to H.E. Rebiba, including H.H. Pope Benedict XVI and Blessed Pope John Paul II. It is widely believed that H.E. Rebiba was consecrated by Gian Pietro Carafa, the cardinal who became Pope Paul IV, but supporting documentation has not been found.
  2. These cannot be verified.
  3. Year of election; no information concerning this bishop's consecration has been found.