The following is a commentary provided by the Apostolic Synod of Antioch regarding the hypocrisies of the Roman Church against the holy orders within the Orthodox Catholic Apostolic Church.
Recently, the Catholic Church in Rome's diocesan jurisdictions have published news articles deriding the holy orders of those who have their orders from them, as well as others. More specifically, some diocesan prelates have hypocritically criticized the holy orders within the Great and Holy Orthodox Catholic Apostolic Church as a whole (which consists of the Antiochian Catholic Apostolic Church and Latinian Catholic Apostolic Church).
The Church of the Papish Persuasion has specifically, destructively criticized and demeaned our holy orders with sheer hypocrisy as they have seemingly forgotten that our ordinations are recognized as valid according to the principle of "ex opere operato." Even before garnering a restored fullness of apostolic succession through clandestinely upholding the Alexandrian habitude for thousands of years in persecution since our separation after the wrongful deposition of Saint Eustathius the Great of Antioch, our holy orders have been valid in both schools of thought by virtue of Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition.
Through the episcopal ordination of our Great and Holy Church's bishops then and today, our ordinations are valid because they were done according to—in their own Roman Catholic teachings—the proper form, matter, minister, and intent. Our ordinations are also valid because in this, the indelible mark is established according to their and our dogma of sacramental character by the testimonies written in the Acts of the Apostles. Additionally, Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition teach the people of God that the Holy Spirit freely gifts blessings upon all without requesting them back, alongside the eternal callings of God; and all holy mysteries or sacraments are valid according to the proper precepts regardless of an individual's own nature, be they faithful or an apostate. The Holy Spirit does this with those He has freely gifted His blessings toward, in order to serve as a testimony to a clergyman's faithfulness or unfaithfulness at the Judgement Throne of God.
Though our holy orders and tracing of the historic episcopacy in fullness of apostolic succession by restorative measures may derive themselves through individuals who were both part of the Roman Church and other churches in the [Eastern] Orthodox Catholic and Oriental Orthodox patrimonies among others—laboring to assist us in restoring a fullness of apostolic ministry—their ministries were still valid as well according to "The 'Indelible Character' of Holy Orders" which was published in The Catholic Layman, vol. 7, no. 76, 1858, pp. 38-39.
Per the Roman or Augustinian understanding of holy orders; and making use of this against them as the Pharisees have tried to do to the Lord Jesus the Christ who likewise used their own corrupted devices against them; while they deem such holy orders shared with them as illegal, they are nevertheless valid and exemplified by continuity of doctrine and practice in Orthodox, Catholic, and Apostolic Christendom.
Any remarks by Roman Catholic dioceses, prelates, and so forth arguing against our holy orders and historic episcopacy especially, are at risk of blaspheming the Holy Spirit by attributing the Holy Spirit's worth to worthlessness. The same is to be regarded of those in the [Eastern] Orthodox Catholic faith, who so fiercely reject the Holy Spirit's authority over their own so as to censure others in the spirit of the Pharisee by strict adherence to letters of law; these remarks arguing against our holy orders may historically be akin to the Donatists, furthering our defense.
Even, the same must be regarded amongst those various Protestants and others who so contradictorily claim to be in fullness of apostolic succession, yet lack the means by improper liturgies which cannot even be read and followed thoroughly under God's inspiration; by improper dogma and submission to heresy thereby revealing a lack of continuity; by claiming a heritage lasting 3,000 years; and by overriding God's own sovereignty so as to vacate or usurp what He has given through their hands, even to the hilariously foolish measure of stating that the historic episcopacy cannot be passed unless someone is there or without another prelate's permission.
The hypocrisy of Rome and others sets a dangerous precedent, leading to the unfounded harm of innocent clergymen's reputation throughout the world. Whereas the Union of Utrecht of the Old Catholic Churches has valiantly defended their holy orders, even though they come into question with continual divergence from the historic essentiality of Christendom with women's ordination beyond the diaconate and such; and whereas the Union of Scranton of the Old Catholic Churches has valiantly defended their holy orders, which are ecumenically addressed as the orthodox Old Catholics with full continuity; and whereas the Old Roman Catholic Church and its derivatives including the Liberal Catholic Church have done the same, albeit, to the accepted reality of Arnold Harris Mathew's null and void holy orders by bad intent yet continuing on in a more conservative Old Catholic patrimony or theologically liberal Old Catholic understanding; and whereas the Old Catholic Mariavite Church has done the same to their continuity with the faith by rejecting the Catholic Mariavite apostasy while embracing a stronger Marian emphasis; and whereas the Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church has continued to perpetuate its strong holy orders and claims to succession by the controversial Ferraz and Costa; the Orthodox Catholic Apostolic Church submits to the world, its defense of its holy orders by being valid, and doctrinally sound.
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