Apostolic Succession
of
Most Reverend Perry R. (Joseph Benedict) Sills,

• It is herewith noted that no Co-consecrators have been listed and that only primary succession is noted in this presentation of Holy Apostolic Orders. Records prior to 1655 are available through the Vatican in Rome.

• Please note that the Apostolic Succession ending in the consecration of the Most Reverend Perry Ronald Sills carries the Co-consecratory Apostolic Lines of:

• The Eastern Orthodox Church, Archdiocese of North and South America (St. Thomas Succession and the Free Serbian Orthodox Church in Exile).

• The Russian Orthodox succession through an Act of Union of the Most Reverend Frederick Littler Pyman with the "Eastern Orthodox Church of Czechoslovakia in Exile" (The Hussite branch that converted to Eastern Orthodoxy, having obtained valid Holy Orders from the Russian Orthodox Church), via the Most Reverend Karl Johann Polivka of the Hussite Orthodox Church of Czechoslovakia in Exile.

• The Roman Catholic Church has ruled many times on the validity of Old Catholic Holy Orders. We refer our readers to what the Roman Catholic Church teaches in it’s official document "DOMINUS IESUS," issued during the reign of Pope John Paul II, June 16, 2000, and signed by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, August 6, 2000, refer to Section IV: Article 17: (Numbered footnote references has been left in for the reader wishing to search this document for themselves if they find it necessary.
  "Therefore, there exists a single Church of Christ*, which subsists in the [Roman] Catholic Church, governed by the Successor of Peter and by the Bishops in communion with him.58 The Churches which, while not existing in perfect communion with the [Roman] Catholic Church, remain united to her by means of the closest bonds, that is, by apostolic succession and a valid Eucharist, are true particular Churches.59 Therefore, the Church of Christ is present and operative also in these Churches*, even though they lack full communion with the [Roman] Catholic Church, since they do not accept the [Roman] Catholic doctrine of the Primacy, which, according to the will of God, the Bishop of Rome objectively has and exercises over the entire Church."60  [*emphasized for clarity]

• "A Practical Commentary On the Code of Canon Law," by the Reverend Stanislaus Woyod, O.F.M., Volume I. Imprimatur: Stephen   J. Donahue, Administrator of New York, January 3, 1939. (See Page: 401)

• "Manual of Dogmatic Theology," by A. Tanguerey, translated by Msgr. J. Byrnes, Volume 2, Imprimetur:  The Most Reverend Henry  J. O'Brien, Archbishop of hartford, Conn. Deaclee Publ. Co., New York, 1959.  See page 362

• "Roman Catholic Dictionary," by Addison Arnold, says: "They have received valid apostolic orders."

• "A Catholic Guide to the New Code of Canon Law, by: Thomas P. Doyle, O.P., page 44. "When a Catholic sacred minister is unavailable and there is urgent spiritual necessity, Catholics may receive the Eucharist, penance, or anointing from sacred ministers of non-Catholic denominations whose holy orders are considered valid by the Catholic Church. This includes all Eastern orthodox priests, as wells as priests of the Old Catholic or Polish National Church."

• "A Catholic Dictionary," by Donald Attwater, bearing the Imprimatur of Cardinal Hayes of New York states: "Their orders and  sacraments are valid."

• "Christian Denominations," published in 1948 by the Reverend Konrad Algermissen, bearing the Imprimetur of John Cardinal Glennon  of St. Louis, Mo., page 363 says: "The Old (Roman) Catholic Church has received valid episcopal consecration."

• "The Far East" magazine of June 1928, published by the St. Columban Fathers of St. Columbans, Nebraska, in reply to an inquiry about  the Old (Roman) Catholic Church, published the replay that "these apostolic orders are valid."

• Recognized also by the Eastern Orthodox Churches as having valid apostolic succession, this same succession was again recognized in 1911 through the labors of Archbishop Arnold Harris Mathew, who signed an Act of Union between the Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and a similar Act of Union was concluded with the Orthodox patriarchate of Alexandria in 1912. These Acts of Union have never been questioned and remain as a solid witness to our historic apostolic foundations.

• CATHOLIC VISITOR, INC. 1978 - Old Catholic-several groups, including: (1) the Church of Utrecht, which severed relations with Rome in 1724; (2) The National Polish Church in the U.S., which has its origin near the end of the 19th century; (3) German, Austrian and Swiss Old Catholics, who broke away from union with Rome following the First Vatican Council in 1870 because they objected to the dogma of papal infallibility. They accept the first seven ecumenical councils and doctrine formulated before 1054, but reject communion with the pope and a number of other Roman Catholic doctrines and practices. They have a valid priesthood and valid sacraments.

• "We have no reason to doubt that the Old Catholic Orders are valid. The Apostolic Succession does not depend on obedience to the See of Peter but rather on the objective line of succession from Apostolic sources, the proper matter and form, and the proper intention ... likewise Old Catholic bishops are bishops in Apostolic Succession ... The Old Catholics, like the Orthodox, posses a valid priesthood."  Separated Brethren, William J. Whalen,  pp. 204, 248.

• "A validly consecrated bishop can validly confer all orders from the minor orders to the episcopate inclusively ... For this reason the ordinations performed by the bishops of the Old Catholics are consider valid."  A Practical Commentary on the Code of Canon Law, revised and enlarged edition, by Rev. Stanislaw Woywod, OFM, LLB. Vol. 1, Sec. 881 P. 558.

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