Appointment of the Most Reverend Adrián Guedes as Prefect of the Liturgy, Roman-Ruthenian Curia

His Excellency Bishop Adrián Guedes

By M. Derosiers

BUENOS AIRES 16 October 2025 (NRom)

(La versión castellana se encuentra a continuación.)

His Apostolic Highness the Most Holy Prince-Bishop Radislav I, Roman-Ruthenian Pope has appointed His Excellency Bishop Adrián Guedes to the Curial Office of Prefect of the Liturgy for the United Roman-Ruthenian Church and Pontifical Imperial State. Monsignor Guedes, already a bishop, was also elevated to the rank of Capitular Bishop within the Patriarchal Chapter of the Pontifical Court. 

Prefect of the Liturgy is head of one of the major offices, known as Prefectures, of the Roman-Ruthenian Curia, the central government of the Roman-Ruthenian Church and State. As Prefect of the Liturgy, Bishop Guedes is responsible for ensuring fidelity to the Apostolic tradition in in the liturgy of the Church in its various Western and Eastern usages. His prefecture also includes the Holy Apostolic Office for the Glorification of the Saints, the curial office responsible for evaluating causes for canonization. 

In addition to his curial responsibilities, Monsignor Guedes serves as Chaplain to His Royal Highness Sire Rubén and the Royal Merovingian Household, continuing a long tradition of pastoral ministry to the faithful and to the noble families associated with the Church’s apostolic and imperial heritage.

The United Roman-Ruthenian Church and Pontifical Imperial State stands as the rightful temporal successor of Saint Peter, bearing the historical and documented patrimony of Rome and Russia through Saint Leo X, with full Orthodox and Catholic autocephalous authority — equal in dignity to the Vatican, Constantinople, and the other ancient Patriarchates.

Continuing the unity of the pre-Schism Christian faith, the Church acts as guardian of the theological, liturgical, and cultural treasures of Christendom. It is the true visible Orthodox head of all Latin Christians, in addition to all others under her sacred mantle of care. The Church serves as the Orthodox Old Catholic jurisdiction for the historic lands of the Western Patriarchate and Holy Rus’.

The United Roman-Ruthenian Church remains steadfast in its mission: to safeguard the ancient faith, to proclaim the truth of Christ in all nations, and to uphold the spiritual sovereignty of the Apostolic Church in its fullness.

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La versión castellana:

Su Alteza Apostólica, el Santísimo Príncipe-Obispo Radislav I, Papa Romano-Ruteno, ha nombrado a Su Excelencia Mons. Adrián Guedes para el cargo curial de Prefecto de la Liturgia de la Iglesia Unida Romano-Rutena y del Estado Pontificio Imperial. Monseñor Guedes, ya obispo, fue asimismo elevado al rango de Obispo Capitular dentro del Capítulo Patriarcal de la Corte Pontificia.

El Prefecto de la Liturgia es el jefe de uno de los principales departamentos, conocidos como Prefecturas, de la Curia Romano-Rutena, el órgano central de gobierno de la Iglesia y el Estado Romano-Rutenos. Como Prefecto de la Liturgia, el Obispo Guedes es responsable de garantizar la fidelidad a la tradición apostólica en la liturgia de la Iglesia, tanto en sus usos occidentales como orientales. Su prefectura incluye también la Santa Oficina Apostólica para la Glorificación de los Santos, el organismo curial encargado de evaluar las causas de canonización.

Además de sus responsabilidades curiales, Monseñor Guedes ejerce como Capellán de Su Alteza Real Sire Rubén y de la Casa Real Merovingia, continuando una larga tradición de ministerio pastoral hacia los fieles y las familias nobles vinculadas al patrimonio apostólico e imperial de la Iglesia.

La Iglesia Unida Romano-Rutena y el Estado Pontificio Imperial se erigen como el legítimo sucesor temporal de San Pedro, portando el patrimonio histórico y documentado de Roma y Rusia a través de San León X, con plena autoridad autocéfala ortodoxa y católica, igual en dignidad al Vaticano, Constantinopla y los demás antiguos Patriarcados.

En continuidad con la unidad de la fe cristiana anterior al Cisma, la Iglesia actúa como guardiana de los tesoros teológicos, litúrgicos y culturales de la cristiandad. Es la verdadera cabeza ortodoxa visible de todos los cristianos latinos, además de todos aquellos que están bajo su sagrado manto de cuidado. La Iglesia sirve como jurisdicción ortodoxa Viejo Católica para las tierras históricas del Patriarcado Occidental y de la Santa Rus’.

La Iglesia Unida Romano-Rutena permanece firme en su misión: salvaguardar la fe antigua, proclamar la verdad de Cristo a todas las naciones y defender la soberanía espiritual de la Iglesia Apostólica en toda su plenitud.

United Roman-Ruthenian Church Establishes Province in the Russian Lands

H.E. Metropolitan Augustine
of Irkutsk

By A. DiNardo

IRKUTSK, 15 October 2025 (NRom)

The United Roman-Ruthenian Church (URRC) has announced the formal establishment of its Province in the Russian Lands, marking a significant development in the Church’s mission to serve the faithful across the historic territories of Holy Rus’, marking a significant development in the Church’s mission to serve the faithful across the historic territories of Holy Rus’, in response to growing pastoral needs and the call to deepen Christian unity within the Orthodox-Catholic tradition

The newly created ecclesiastical province is headed by Metropolitan Augustine of Irkutsk, who will oversee several parishes and a growing number of faithful members throughout the region. The province follows the traditional Anglican-Catholic Rite of the United Roman-Ruthenian Church, preserving the Western Orthodox liturgical and theological patrimony within the fullness of the Orthodox-Catholic faith. The local jurisdiction has also been officially registered for several years with the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation, underscoring the Church’s ongoing commitment to its global pastoral mission and the diverse lands of its cultural and spiritual heritage. 

 A facsimile of the first page of the Pontifical Decree of Establishment for the Province in the Russian Lands, rendered in the traditional language and orthography of Old Russian, has been released by the Pontifical Chancery.

According to the Holy Apostolic See, the new province has been affiliated with the United Roman-Ruthenian Church through its pontifical court for several years. The recent transfer of the jurisdiction to direct patriarchal oversight was authorized by His Apostolic Highness the Most Holy Pope Radislav I of Rome-Ruthenia, acting for pastoral and administrative reasons. The province now forms an integral part of the Catholicate of Rome-Ruthenia, the personal patriarchal jurisdiction of the Prince-Bishop of Rome-Ruthenia. 

The United Roman-Ruthenian Church, also known as the Roman-Ruthenian Church and State, continues the temporal and spiritual patrimony of the Apostolic See of St. Peter, united historically with both Rome and Rus’ through the legacy of St. Leo X and his successor. The Church maintains Orthodox and Catholic autocephalous authority, equal in dignity to the ancient Patriarchates of Rome, Constantinople, and others. 

The Holy Apostolic See of the United Roman-Ruthenian Church is the true visible Orthodox head of all Latin Christians, and for all others entrusted to her pastoral care. The Church serves as the Orthodox Old Catholic jurisdiction for the historic lands of the Western Patriarchate and Holy Rus’. The URRC is the Eastern Roman Church with Latin heritage, the continuation of the Apostolic faith in both East and West. Its mission is to preserve and renew the Orthodox-Catholic faith in its full inheritance. 

The establishment of the Province in the Russian Lands signifies not only the continued growth of the URRC’s global mission but also the strengthening of its pastoral presence across the Eurasian region. The United Roman-Ruthenian Church, however, is not a political organization, but rather a religious, cultural, and ethnic body. It does not seek civil rule, but is dedicated to the unity of faith, the preservation of Christian tradition, and the promotion of peace and reconciliation among peoples and cultures. 

In this spirit, the establishment of the Province in the Russian Lands reflects the Church’s ongoing mission to bear witness to the undivided faith of Christ’s One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church — a living bridge of love and tradition uniting East and West in the peace of the Gospel.

Satire Meets the Ivory Tower: “Trying to Sue the U” Exposes Academia’s Dark Underbelly with Wit and Courage

By A. DiNardo 

ROME-RUTHENIA 15 October 2025 (NRom)

Brace yourself for an academic adventure like no other.

Fiction—or not?—the truth
here stings.

Trying to Sue the U, is a satirical epic poem circulating online, now celebrating its one-year anniversary. The epic takes readers on a rollicking journey through the labyrinth of modern higher education. It’s a biting fairy tale for grown-ups—equal parts tragic, comic, and cathartic—that exposes the contradictions, bureaucratic absurdities, and moral compromises within universities today.

At its heart, this is not just literature—it’s a mirror held up to power.

A Brave Lecturer vs. the Ivory Tower

In this grand allegory, readers follow “The Brave Little Lecturer,” a defiant figure who dares to challenge the entrenched hierarchies of academia. When he confronts injustice—wage theft, retaliation, discrimination—he finds himself battling a hydra-headed institution that protects itself at all costs.

The poem’s strength lies in its clear-eyed portrayal of systemic failure wrapped in razor-sharp satire. Each character, from “Sneaky Snake” the campus ruler to “Big Gopher” the cold-hearted HR bureaucrat, embodies a familiar archetype of modern university life. On the surface they may seem exaggerated, but  in fact they are painfully recognizable to anyone who’s spent time in academia’s shadowed halls.

Sneaky Snake, the evil campus administrator
who terrorizes all the faculty

Through rhyme and rhythm, the author transforms what could be a grim exposé into something more powerful: a chorus of protest disguised as play.

A parody that reads like a case file.

Lifting the Lid on Academic Hypocrisy

Universities have long marketed themselves as temples of truth and enlightenment. Yet Trying to Sue the U peels back that glossy veneer to reveal a troubling picture—one of censorship, hypocrisy, and double standards.

"Nokloo," the Not-So-Fearless Campus Leader, ever feckless

From administrators who “bury their heads in the sand” to lawyers who weaponize taxpayer money, the poem skewers the machinery of institutional self-preservation. It’s a “civil rights fairy tale,” yes, but one with real-world implications. 

With Truth and Justice, the Brave
Little Lecture thwarts the greedy lawyers

For many adjuncts, lecturers, and contingent faculty, the Brave Little Lecturer’s plight hits close to home. The satire may be cloaked in whimsy, but its commentary on academic labor conditions is deeply authentic.

They silenced a teacher, but not the story.

The piece asks a burning question: When those who teach justice and ethics fail to practice them, what remains of higher education’s moral authority? Answer: Tyranny. 

A Tradition of Truth Through Humor

In the best tradition of literary satire, from Jonathan Swift to George Orwell, Trying to Sue the U uses humor not to trivialize, but to clarify. Its absurdities illuminate uncomfortable truths about power and privilege within supposedly egalitarian institutions rooted in social justice. 

Chameleon, the diversity officer who pretends to serve and
protect the people, but really protects the university administrators

The poem’s “cast” reads like a fable for the 21st century: “Chameleon,” the diversity officer who protects the powerful; “Big Bark,” the state attorney who defends the machinery of the system; “No-Hope Foryu,” the overworked, hapless, and ineffective federal civil rights officer. Each character highlights how accountability erodes when institutional reputation trumps integrity.

Big Bark, the State Attorney General, whose interest isn't justice,
but protecting the University even when it breaks the law

It’s a clever inversion of the academic epic. Where universities once celebrated intellectual bravery, this poem doesn't just suggest they now punish it, but rather blatantly states it. Yet it does so with a wink and a rhyme, making the medicine go down with a smile.

Art as Accountability

What makes Trying to Sue the U truly significant is its moral courage. In a culture where faculty often fear retaliation for speaking out, this piece breaks the silence through allegory. It invites public engagement in what is too often treated as an internal, untouchable affair.

How the epic satire portrays "Lady Justice,"
a high-priced whore up for sale to the highest bidder

By framing institutional failure as mythic comedy, the author creates distance—enough to laugh, but not enough to look away. The result is a kind of poetic whistleblowing, wielding metaphor instead of lawsuits.

Why It Matters

As academia grapples with crises of integrity, funding, and public trust, Trying to Sue the U feels less like parody and more like prophecy. It reminds us that art can still serve as conscience, that laughter can be resistance, and that even in satire, truth can find its voice.

Behind the humor is a simple demand: fairness, transparency, and the right to speak truth to power without fear.

The satire ends on a happy note, as the Brave Little Lecture refuses to play the
game that has been rigged by the corrupt system, follows his own path, and triumphs over injustice.

And perhaps that’s why the Brave Little Lecturer endures—not as a caricature, but as a symbol of every educator who refuses to give up on the ideal that universities once promised to uphold: that knowledge should serve the public good, not just the powerful few.

In the end, “Trying to Sue the U” may perhaps be fiction (or not?) — but its message is anything but.

New Patriarchal Letter on Christian Duty released by Prince-Bishop of Rome-Ruthenia

By Staff

ROME-RUTHENIA 10 October 2025 (NRom)

In a recently-released patriarchal letter entitled In omni generatione, His Apostolic Highness the Most Holy Prince-Bishop Radislav I, Roman-Ruthenian Pope, Supreme Pontiff of the United Roman-Ruthenian Church, offers a strong and compelling reminder of the Church’s eternal mission amid the shifting sands of politics and national identity. Speaking with the authority of the Apostolic tradition, His Holiness warns against the seductions of nationalism and partisanship that threaten to entangle the Bride of Christ in worldly loyalties. Instead, His Holiness calls clergy and faithful alike to reaffirm their true citizenship in the Kingdom of God, where mercy triumphs over power and truth stands above ideology. This letter serves as both a rebuke and a beacon, urging believers to remain steadfast, compassionate, and unafraid as witnesses to a faith that transcends every earthly empire.

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Complete text of the Patriarchal Letter In Omni Generatione:
(Text in Latin and Old Russian follow)

In every generation, the Church must remind the world that our first allegiance is not to any flag, party, or political philosophy, but to the Kingdom of God. Nations rise and fall, parties change their colors and slogans, yet Christ alone is constant. When the Church forgets this, when she lets herself be caught in the nets of nationalism or ideology, she loses her prophetic voice and becomes merely an echo in the world’s discordant symphony. 

     Clergy especially are called to shun party and partisan politics, for political parties merely seek to use the Church for their own ends. They try to convince the faithful that they alone are the right Chris-tian path, but quickly turn when the Church disagrees, even often suggesting that the party or the nation or a political leader is the true litmus test of religious authority and legitimacy. It is, we must always remember, the Church that proclaims what is Christian, moral, and ethical — and that Church is One, Holy, Apostolic, Orthodox, and Catholic. In some countries, those not of the apostolic faith proclaim to speak for what is Christian, so often creating a bizarre blend of pseudo-Christianity, politics, and nationalism. Stranger still is that often those of the apostolic faith, seeking a Christian society, follow along, ceding their Apostolic birthright to others. This must be al-ways and everywhere avoided, and we must be ever-vigilant against it. This must be always and everywhere avoided, and we must be vig-ilant to keep the Bride of Christ free from worldly entanglements.

     Now, it is not a sin to love one’s homeland, whether it is the place you were born or a land of your ethnic heritage. Love of culture, land, and heritage can be holy in proper measure and when it reflects di-vine charity — in which case it stems from the Christian command to love one's neighbour. But when love becomes pride, and pride be-comes contempt for others, then the nation itself has become an idol. We see it when leaders speak of power more than mercy, and when policy is made without compassion. We see it when people start to think ill on the other side of a border rather than seeing in them the face of Christ. The Gospel does not ask us to make the world in our own image. Rather, it asks us to see Christ in the stranger, the sick, the poor, and the immigrant — for "I was a stranger, and you wel-comed me." 

     Too often, political life today has become a theater of anger, where winning is valued more than wisdom and cruelty is mistaken for strength. The Church must not imitate this spirit, and the faithful must not be drawn into such behavior. Moreover, the faithful must not consider such behavior to be the authentic Christian path. We are not to be the chaplains of any earthly empire, but the conscience of all.

     Our calling is to stand where others fear to stand: between ene-mies, among the suffering, within the storms that always arise. We do not speak with labels such as liberals or conservatives, right-wing or left-wing, but as Christians — Apostolic, Orthodox, Catholic Christians. We are to love truth more than empty, worldly victory, mercy more than comfort, and God more than ever-fleeting nations.

     The Church existed before any kingdom, empire, or republic, and will endure when all have passed away. So many rulers over time have pledged the destruction of the Church on earth, and yet here we stand. We have outlasted every single one of them and will continue to do so. The Church cannot be destroyed, and when it looks dire and the church stands at a precipice, Christ and His Holy Church will conquer. Therefore, let us live as citizens of heaven, faithful, compas-sionate, and unafraid. And let us pray for the conversion of all secular leaders and all people to the Holy Faith of Christ.

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     In omni generatione, Ecclesia mundum admonere debet primam nostram fidelitatem non ad ullam vexilli formam, factionem, aut philosophiam politicam pertinere, sed ad Regnum Dei. Gentes sur-gunt et cadunt, factiones mutant colores ac clamores suos, Christus autem solus manet immutabilis. Cum Ecclesia hoc obliviscitur, cum se ipsam implicari sinit retibus nationalismi aut ideologiae, vocem suam propheticam amittit, et fit tantum echo in symphonia mundi dissonante.

     Praesertim clerici vocantur ut partium politicarum consortia de-vitent, quippe quae Ecclesiam ad suos fines uti tantum velint. Saepe persuadere conantur fidelibus se solos esse veram viam Christianam, sed statim se vertunt, cum Ecclesia dissentit, etiam suadentes fac-tionem, nationem, aut ducem politicorum esse verum criterium aucto-ritatis ac legitimitatis religionis. Meminisse semper oportet Ecclesiam esse quae definit quid sit vere Christianum, morale, et honestum — eamque Ecclesiam unam, sanctam, apostolicam, orthodoxam et ca-tholicam esse.

     In quibusdam nationibus, quae fide apostolica carent, sibi vindicant loqui pro Christiano nomine, saepe monstrum quoddam pseudo-Christianitatis, politicae et nationalismi conficientes. Mirabilius etiam est quod nonnumquam fideles apostolici, Christianam societatem quaerentes, his consentientes nativum suum apostolicum ius aliis tradunt. Hoc semper et ubique vitandum est, atque oportet nos sem-per vigilare, ne Sponsa Christi vinculis mundanis implicetur.

     Non peccatum est patriam diligere, sive sit terra nativitatis, sive gentis originis. Amor culturae, terrae, ac hereditatis sanctus esse potest, si modum servat et caritatem divinam reflectit, ex praecepto Christiano quod iubet nos proximum diligere. Sed cum amor in su-perbiam vertitur, et superbia in contemptum aliorum, tunc ipsa natio idolum facta est. Id cernimus cum duces de potestate plus quam de misericordia loquuntur, et cum consilia sine compassione statuuntur. Id cernimus etiam cum homines trans fines alios suspectos habere incipiunt, nec amplius in eis vultum Christi agnoscunt. Evangelium non mandat ut mundum ad nostram imaginem fingamus, sed ut Christum in peregrino, in aegroto, in paupere, in advena videamus: “Hospes eram, et suscepistis me.”

     Nimis saepe vita politica hodierna facta est theatrum irae, ubi vincere plus valet quam sapientia, et crudelitas pro fortitudine habe-tur. Ecclesia hunc spiritum imitari nequit, nec fideles tali morum ra-tione decipi debent. Quin etiam, tales mores numquam pro via Chris-tiana habendi sunt. Non sumus cappellani cuiuslibet imperii ter-restris, sed conscientia omnium.

     Vocationem habemus stare ubi alii timent stare: inter inimicos, inter dolentes, in mediis tempestatibus quae semper oriuntur. Non loquimur titulis liberalium aut conservativorum, dexterae aut sinis-trae, sed tamquam Christiani — Apostolici, Orthodoxi, Catholici. Veritatem plus quam inanem victoriam, misericordiam plus quam commodum, Deum plus quam caduca regna diligere debemus.

     Ecclesia ante omnia regna, imperia, ac res publicas exstitit, et per-severabit cum omnia haec transierint. Tot principes per tempora in-teritum Ecclesiae minati sunt, et tamen adhuc stamus. Omnes illos superavimus, et superaturi sumus. Ecclesia destrui non potest; et cum omnia desperata videntur, cum ipsa ad praecipitium stare videtur, Christus et Ecclesia eius sancta triumphabunt.

     Ergo vivamus ut cives caeli, fideles, misericordes, et intrepidi. Et oremus pro conversione omnium ducum saecularium ac totius populi ad Sanctam Fidem Christi.

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     Въ каждомъ родѣ и племени Церковь обязана напоминать міру, яко первѣйшее наше послушаніе должно быть не знаме-ни, не партіи, не политическому мудрованію, но Царствію Божію. Царства возстаютъ и падаютъ, партіи изменяютъ свои цвѣта и лозунги, но Христосъ Единъ пребываетъ неизмененъ. Когда же Церковь забываетъ сіе и дозволяетъ себѣ быть уловленною въ сѣти национализма или идеологіи, тогда она утрачиваетъ свой пророческій гласъ и становится токмо от-звукoмъ въ раздвоенномъ гомонѣ міра.

     Особливо же духовенство призывается отвращатися отъ партійности и политическихъ влеченій, понеже партіи ищутъ лишь употребити Церковь въ своихъ тщеславныхъ намѣреніяхъ. Они стараются убѣдити вѣрныхъ, яко только они хранятъ истинный христіанскій путь, но вскоре отвра-щаются, аще Церковь не согласна съ ними, и нередко дерза-ютъ утверждати, яко партія, или народъ, или властелинъ по-литическій — суть мѣрила истинной вѣры и законности. Все-гда же подобаетъ памятовати, яко Церковь есть та, яже воз-вѣщаетъ, что есть христіанское, нравственное и благочести-вое, и та Церковь — Едина, Святая, Соборная и Апостольская. Въ некіихъ странахъ иные, не держащіеся апостольской вѣры, осмѣливаются глаголати отъ имени христіанства, создавая странное смешеніе ложнаго благочестія, политикі и национа-лизма. Еще же страннѣе то, яко иногда и сыны вѣры апо-стольской, желая устроити общество христіанское, следуютъ за ними, уступая свое апостольское достояніе чуждымъ. Сего подобаетъ всегда и всюду избѣгати и бодрствовати, да не бу-детъ Невѣста Христова связана мірскими узами.

     Не есть грѣхъ — любити Отечество, будь то земля, въ коей кто родился, или страна отеческаго рода. Любовь къ куль-турѣ, къ землѣ и къ наследію можетъ быти свята, аще пребу-детъ въ должной мѣрѣ и отражаетъ любовь Божію; ибо тогда она проистекаетъ изъ заповѣди Христовой — любити ближ-няго своего. Но когда любовь обращается въ гордыню, а гор-дыня — въ презрѣніе къ инымъ, тогда народъ самъ становит-ся идоломъ. Мы видимъ сіе, когда вожди глаголютъ болѣе о силѣ, нежели о милосердіи, и когда уставы творятся безъ со-страданія. Мы видимъ сіе, когда человѣцы начинаютъ по-мышляти зло о тѣхъ, что за границею, не видя въ нихъ образа Христова. Євангеліе не заповѣдуетъ намъ творити міръ по своему образу; оно велитъ узревати Христа въ странствую-щемъ, въ болящемъ, въ нищемъ и пришельцѣ, понеже рече-но: «Былъ есмь странникъ, и пріяхосте Мя».

     Слишкомъ часто нынѣшняя политическая жизнь становит-ся позорищемъ гнѣва, идеже побѣда цѣнится болѣе, нежели мудрость, и жестокость почитается силою. Церковь не должна подражати сему духу, и вѣрніи да не увлекаются таковыми нравами. Еще паче — да не почитаютъ сіе истиннымъ путемъ христіанскимъ. Мы не должны быти капелланами какова-либо земнаго царства, но совѣстью всякаго.

     Призваніе наше — стояти тамъ, идеже иные боятся стояти: между врагами, среди страждущихъ, въ мразѣ бурь мірскихъ. Мы не глаголемъ языкомъ партійнымъ — ни либеральныхъ, ни консервативныхъ, ни десныхъ, ни лѣвыхъ, — но яко христіане: Апостольскіе, Православные, Соборные. Мы долж-ны любити Истину болѣе, нежели тщетную побѣду мірскую, милость — болѣе, нежели покой, и Бога — болѣе, нежели су-етныя царства земныя.

     Церковь существовала прежде всякаго царства, имперіи или республики и пребудетъ, когда всѣ они прейдутъ. Многіе властители во времена различныя клялись истребити Цер-ковь на земли, и вотъ — мы стоимъ нынѣ. Мы пережили ихъ всѣхъ и пребудемъ впредь. Церковь не можетъ быть разру-шена, и даже когда видится, яко она стоитъ на краю бездны, Христосъ и Святая Его Церковь восторжествуютъ. Сего ради да живемъ яко граждане Небеснаго Царства — вѣрніи, мило-стивіи и безстрашніи. И да молимся о просвѣщеніи всѣхъ вла-стителей мірскихъ и всѣхъ человѣковъ ко Святѣй Вѣрѣ Хри-стовой.

Accession of the United Roman-Ruthenian Church and State to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961)

His Apostolic Highness the
Most Holy Prince-Bishop Radislav I,
Roman-Ruthenian Pope, signing
the Communiqué on the Accession
to the Vienna Convention
on behalf of the
United Roman-Ruthenian Church

ROME-RUTHENIA 8 September 2025 (NRom)

The Pontifical Secretariat has released the following communiqué on behalf of the Pontifical Household. 

Communiqué of the Holy Apostolic See of Rome-Ruthenia

On the Accession of the United Roman-Ruthenian Church and State to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961)

1. In the exercise of its sovereign rights as an ecclesiastical state, the Holy Apostolic See of Rome-Ruthenia, under the direction of the Supreme Pontiff of the United Roman-Ruthenian Church and the Pontifical Imperial State of Rome-Ruthenia thereof, hereby declares and notifies its formal accession to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961).

2. The Roman-Ruthenian Church and State therefore affirms that, in accordance with customary international law, recognition of sovereignty is declaratory and not constitutive. Therefore, the Roman-Ruthenian Church and State, as a sovereign ecclesiastical entity with apostolic and historic mandate, non-territorial in present nature and non-territorial-seeking, noting that sovereignty of the Church by long-established principal does not derive from control of territory, accepts and applies the Convention as a matter of principle, practice, and good faith, without prejudice to its inherent rights.

3. By this declaration, the Roman-Ruthenian Church and State undertakes:

a. To extend to foreign envoys accredited to the Roman-Ruthenian Church and State the privileges and immunities foreseen under the Vienna Convention, in a spirit of reciprocity and international courtesy.

b. To continue its present practice under its own sovereign ecclesiastical authority to issue credentials to its own diplomatic representatives and officials in conformity with the norms of the Convention.

c. To apply the provisions of the Convention as customary international law, thereby ensuring the protection of diplomatic agents and the proper conduct of international relations.

4. This declaration is made in continuity with the practice of other sovereign ecclesiastical entities, such as the Holy See of Rome and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, which have historically applied international diplomatic law independently of territorial considerations.

5. This declaration is also made in accordance with the statements of canonical status and temporal rights pertaining to the Roman-Ruthenian Church and State and the Constitution Fides Petraque, all hereunto appended. . Sovereignty derives not from territory, but from apostolic foundation and divine mandate.

6. Thus this declaration is not a new assertion but a continuation of existing practice on the part of the Roman-Ruthenian Church and State, which has continually asserted in theory and in practice its right to carry out acts proper to a sovereign ecclesiastical state (Appendix 4).

7. The Roman-Ruthenian Church and State will transmit copies of this declaration to the United Nations and to interested states and institutions, as well as promulgate it publicly. The Roman-Ruthenian Church and State notes that in the absence of objection, such silence shall be understood as acknowledgment of the said Church’s good faith acceptance and application of the Convention.

In witness whereof, this communiqué is issued under the hand and seal of His Apostolic Highness the Most Holy Prince-Bishop Radislav I, Roman-Ruthenian Pope, Supreme Pontiff of the URRC, on this Feast of the Nativity of the Holy Mother of God, 8 September A.D. 2025, at the Holy Apostolic See.

Appendix 1 - Canonical Status

Appendix 2 - Temporal Rights

Appendix 3 - Fides Petraque

Appendix 4 - Sovereign, State, and Diplomatic Immunity

Rev. Jay Scott Newman, JCL

From the Stephenian Archives, Pontifical Apostolic Library.

His Apostolic Highness the Most Holy Pope Radislav I (right), then as a young layman on the occasion of his confirmation/Chrismation in the Roman Church, administered by the Rev. Jay Scott Newman, JCL (left), who would later serve as Chancellor of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston, USA. This sacramental moment remains of enduring significance in the life of the United Roman-Ruthenian Church. Read more here: https://www.statopontificio.org/papal.html

From the Archives: Pope Radislav and the Rt. Rev. James Pollard Clark

His Holiness Pope Radislav I of Rome-Ruthenia, then as a younger layman, with the Right Reverend Bishop James Pollard Clark, who started him in priestly formation. Bishop Clark was Bishop of the Southern States in the Anglican Province of Christ the King.

Read more here: https://www.statopontificio.org/papal.html

(From the Stephenian Archives, Pontifical Apostolic Library.)