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.

_________________________

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.