How the Roman-Ruthenian Pope’s Wave Function Probabilistic Demand Model Transformed Economic Thought

Radislav (Rutherford) of Rome-Ruthenia,
Father of Wave Function Probabilistic
Demand in economics.

Staff Editorial 

ROME-RUTHENIA 20 June 2025 (NRom)

 In the evolving landscape of economics, diplomacy, and behavioral science, one innovative framework stands out for its originality and lasting impact: the Choice Wave (originally known as Wave Function Probabilistic Demand) and its associated probabilistic demand model, developed in 2006 by His Apostolic Highness Prince-Bishop Radislav I, Roman-Ruthenian Pope (known also in academic circles as Dr. Rutherford Johnson, PhD, ALM, MSc, FRGS). The theory was subsequently empirically tested and proven with real-world financial data (see more here). And it formed the basis of his economics textbook used at the University of Minnesota, Practical Economics in an Ever-Changing World. 

A graduate of Harvard, Georgia Tech, and the University of Kentucky with degrees in Sustainability, Applied Physics, Economics, and Applied (Agricultural) Economics, he leads the global United Roman-Ruthenian Church, which holds special consultative status status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. And, he is called the Father of the Wave Function in Economic Demand Theory. Pope Radislav’s groundbreaking work redefined how economists and policymakers approach decision-making. But, he is fundamentally a multidisciplinary behavioral scientist, and his work in wave function probability theory has been presented around the world and influences more than just economics. For example, it formed the mathematical basis for a capstone study he conducted at Harvard on police-public interactions, which also resulted in a policy memo for the United Nations. 

Yet, despite its originality and early contribution, Radislav’s theory has not always received formal recognition in later scholarship — even in studies advancing strikingly similar frameworks. As with many early innovations, the path from foundational insight to academic citation is often uneven. Nonetheless, the growing convergence around these ideas underscores their lasting relevance.

Indeed, Wave Function Probabilistic Demand, i.e., the Choice Wave, represents one of the earliest  known applications of quantum mechanics mathematics — specifically wave functions — to human decision-making in economics, as well as in policy, and beyond. The catchy name "Choice Wave" came from a conversation over coffee he had with one of his former professors while a Visiting Scholar at the Georgia Tech School of Economics, school chair Prof. Patrick McCarthy. 

Radislav (Rutherford) in a light moment in earlier years with
Dr. John Caufield, a pioneering figure in holography
 and a friend since youth. Radislav grew up around
many such international luminaries in the sciences.

Radislav's work, published first as a PhD dissertation in 2007 and then subsequently in multiple peer-reviewed journals, not only predates but in some respects anticipates key features of the better-known “quantum cognition,” "quantum economics," and “quantum decision theory” literature that gained visibility especially after 2011. 

...this theory would revolutionize economic textbooks in 20 years...

Prof. Frank Scott, Gatton Professor of Economics at the University of Kentucky and a member of his PhD committee, said in 2007 that he believed this theory would revolutionize economic textbooks in 20 years. His PhD committee chair, the eminent environmental economist Prof. Angelos Pagoulatos, was also a proponent of the theory. Another committee member Prof. David Debertin wrote, "...on the basis of pure intellect, Rutherford outshines them all." 

Radislav with the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture

And it is not without recognition in the broader economics field. For example, in their 2021 article entitled "Asymmetrical Property of the Subproportionality of Weighting Function in Prospect Theory: Is It Real and How Can It Be Achieved?", Huang, Shen, Yang, Kuang, Li, and Li pointed out that Radislav's foundational work...

"...questioned the classical rationality and proposed that people are indeed different, but this point had been missing from economics."

While formal critiques of Radislav’s Choice Wave model appear rare or even non-existent in published scholarship, the theory’s reception — or lack thereof in some circles — may reflect broader dynamics in academic economics rather than shortcomings in the work itself. The model’s use of quantum mechanics mathematics, though rigorous, introduces a level of complexity that some economists might see as unnecessarily intricate compared to more familiar classical or behavioral approaches. There also appears to be a long-standing skepticism within the field about importing concepts from physics into the social sciences, with critics often wary that such frameworks may be metaphorically appealing but not always empirically essential.

Additionally, the theory’s limited mainstream adoption so far may stem less from flaws in its logic or utility, and more from disciplinary conservatism, branding gaps, and institutional inertia. New paradigms, especially those that challenge core assumptions, can take decades to gain recognition, as seen in the slow rise of behavioral economics. The Choice Wave’s distinctive terminology and its association with an unconventional academic path, including Radislav’s dual role as a religious leader, may have further complicated its integration into the standard canon. Rather than signaling a weakness, this situation presents an opportunity for the field to revisit and rigorously engage with early, innovative contributions that anticipated today’s growing interest in probabilistic and quantum-inspired models of decision-making.

What sets Radislav's contributions apart is their depth and breadth of not only theory, but practical application:

• A rigorous mathematical model adapting Schrödinger’s wave equation to consumer and group choice.
• Concepts like orthogonal Choice Waves representing distinct rationalities, multipoint gravitational models of influence, and the Theory of Parallel Rationality.
• Applications spanning business strategy, diplomacy, marketing, sustainability, and policy.

The theory is more than a mere hypothetical concept, though. It has been both theoretically reviewed for its mathematical rigor and empirically tested with multiple real-world data sets. Building on psychological economics work of Kahneman, Tversky, Rabin, Russell, and Thaler, the Choice Wave model applies mathematical principles derived from wave functions in quantum mechanics to economics, permitting utility-maximizing choices across a range of probabilistically-weighted options rather than a single deterministic path. It recognizes that individuals and groups may operate with distinct yet rational decision strategies, each represented mathematically as an entirely independent wave function. 

Radislav (left) at university commencement exercises
with a Regent, the Chancellor, and Vice Chancellor
of the University of Minnesota Crookston

Long before probabilistic models of demand and behavioral economics gained widespread traction, Pope Radislav’s theory anticipated the need for frameworks that respect the diversity of human rationalities. The Choice Wave helps explain individual and collective behavior in markets, diplomacy, sustainability, and policy. It introduces the concept of natural and artificial “bridges” to align incentives across parallel economic worlds, fostering more optimal outcomes for complex societies.

Notable publications by Radislav (Rutherford) Johnson include:

• The Choice Wave: An Alternative Description of Consumer Behavior (Research in Business and Economics Journal, 2012)
• A Probabilistic Demand Application in the American Cracker Market (International Journal of Food and Agricultural Economics, 2016)
• Choice Waves and Strategic Interaction (Journal of Technology Research, 2017)
• Improving Police-Public Conflict Resolution to Improve Sustainability Decision Strategy (Journal of Human Resource and Sustainability Studies, 2021)
• Implications of Hybrid Courses on Perceived Learning of Undergraduate Students and their Anticipated Benefits in a Post-Pandemic Environment. (with Rachel Lundbohm) (Transnational Journal of Business, 2022)
• A Probabilistic Shortage of Private Land Opened to Hunters in Northwest Minnesota. (Eddie Walker II) (Modern Economy, 2018)

Today, concepts building on the principles promoted by wave function probabilistic demand are visible throughout modern scholarship. From marketing to environmental policy and beyond, the ideas advanced by the Roman-Ruthenian Pope in 2006 continue to shape how experts think about choice, utility, and social alignment. 

Below are just a few examples of more recent articles in this rapidly developing field, many of which reflect ideas and frameworks that appear consistent with the principles Radislav first advanced in 2006.

• Ledenyov, Dimitri O.; Ledenyov, Viktor O.; Viktor Olegovich Ledenyov Sr., and Dimitri O. Ledenyov Sr. Wave function in economics. 2015. 
• David Orrell. Quantum Economics. Economic Thought, 2018
• William Hubbard. Quantum Economics, Newtonian Economics, and Law Coase-Sandor Working Paper Series in Law and Economics. 2017.
• David Orrell. Quantum Economics: The New Science of Money. 
• Matt Swayne. Quantum Economics: Could a New Economic Paradigm Be Guided by Quantum Models? 2024
• Amit Goswami. Quantum Economics: Unleashing the Power of an Economics of Consciousness. 
• Christian Aspalter. Quantum Economics: The New Economics of Communication, Power and Power Relations. 2025.

In addition to ecclesiastical and diplomatic work, Radislav is a long-time academic. At the invitation of Woosong University President Dr. John Endicott, formerly head of the Center for International Strategy, Technology, and Policy at Georgia Tech, Radislav served at Woosong's SolBridge International School of Business in South Korea for three years as professor and university chaplain. He later served almost a decade on the faculty at the University of Minnesota's Crookston campus. Now, despite his many obligations, he teaches and guest lectures at universities around the world, including being on faculty at the London School of Business and Finance. In 2018, he was named a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, in 2022, he received the ACBSP Business Accreditation Council's Distinguished Teaching Award, and in 2023, he was named a Fellow of the Institute on the Environment at the University of Minnesota. 

Radislav (Dr. Rutherford Johnson) addressing the
campus at the University of Minnesota Crookston

As the global community grapples with increasingly intricate challenges, the Choice Wave model offers both a powerful analytic tool and a call to engage more deeply with the origins of the theories that guide modern policy. Indeed, we call on the economic field to give credit where credit is due. This is an invitation in the interest of academic integrity and scholarly thoroughness for authors, journals, and thought leaders to reflect, engage, and strengthen the rigor and inclusivity of economic science. Ultimately, we aim to foster a more complete, interconnected dialogue on innovative approaches to human decision-making. As the field continues to evolve, we encourage ongoing engagement with foundational contributions like those of Radislav, whose early work anticipated many of the developments we see today. Recognizing such origins helps strengthen the field’s intellectual integrity and depth.

We hope this reminder of the model’s origins encourages future work to engage more deeply with these foundational contributions.

What does a Christian Economy look like? New Encyclical points the way.

The following encyclical on the timeless principles of a Christian economy in the world was promulgated by H.A.H. Prince-Bishop Rutherford (Radislav) I of Rome-Ruthenia

 

RADISLAV PP. I

Encyclical: Toward a Christian Economy

4 May 2025

“And they had all things in common... and no one said that any of the things he possessed was his own.” — Acts 4:32

“Give me neither poverty nor riches… lest I be full and deny Thee.” — Proverbs 30:8-9

1. Toward a Christian Economy: The Orthodox Principle of Just Stewardship

The United Roman-Ruthenian Church affirms that the economy is not merely a mechanism of production and consumption, but a field of moral action and spiritual consequence. Economic structures, like all social arrangements, must be judged by whether they uphold the dignity of the human person, serve the common good, and reflect the justice and mercy of God.

The Church rejects both the materialist individualism of unrestrained consumer capitalism and the dehumanizing collectivism of state technocracies, socialism, and communism. These two categories of systems, though in ideological opposition, share a common root in secularism and a disordered view of the human person — either as a mere producer and consumer, or as a cog in an impersonal bureaucratic machine.

2. The Orthodox of Distributism: A Path of Shared Stewardship

Following the wisdom of the Holy Fathers, Orthodox and Catholic practice, and the witness of the early Christian community, we advocate for an Orthodox Distributist Model — an economy in which the means of production (e.g., land, tools, crafts, small businesses) are widely and justly distributed, not concentrated in the hands of the few (whether oligarchs or state planners). This vision:

· Affirms private property as a natural good, when exercised with responsibility and service to others;

· Encourages family and local enterprise, agrarian and artisanal production, and cooperatives;

· Condemns exploitative debt, usury, and monopolistic control, which enslave persons and communities;

· Calls for subsidiarity, wherein decisions and resources remain at the most local and humane level possible;

· Exalts labor, not as a commodity, but as a sacred participation in God’s creative work;

· Demands just wages, not merely for survival, but for a life of dignity and spiritual flourishing;

· Upholds hospitality and almsgiving, not as charity alone, but as justice owed to the poor and stranger.

     This model does not idolize the market nor submit to central planning, but seeks an integrated economy of persons and communities, grounded in the ecclesial vision of communion and stewardship. It recognizes legitimate roles for markets and for governance — so long as both are accountable to moral truth and oriented toward human and spiritual good.

3. On Trade and the Bonds of Neighborly Exchange

Orthodox Old Catholic economic teaching, rooted in the commandment to love one’s neighbor, affirms that international trade is not merely economic but moral. It is a form of extended community between peoples, for we are all joined in Christ, even across ever-fluid political borders.

Healthy trade builds mutual respect, peace, and interdependence rightly ordered. While the Church recognizes that modest tariffs and trade policies may serve as tools of negotiation or protection in rare and specific circumstances, they must never become instruments of vengeance, isolation, nativism, or nationalistic pride. Blanket or erratic tariff regimes harm both producers and consumers, distort the natural bonds of mutual provision, and often punish the poor. Rather than economic warfare, we advocate for ethical and cooperative trade, fair pricing, and solidarity with nations striving to develop their own local economies in dignity and peace. As St. John Chrysostom teaches, “The rich exist for the sake of the poor, and the poor for the salvation of the rich.” So, therefore, must nations relate to one another with humility and justice.

4. Against the Polarization of Economic Discourse

Orthodox Old Catholic social witness calls us away from the false idols of political extremism, whether from the populist right or the technocratic left. The economic life of a nation must not become a battleground for ideological absolutism, but a field of discernment, stewardship, and charity. When political factions weaponize the economy, reducing complex human realities to slogans, tariffs, or central planning, they obscure the deeper truths of justice, community, and personal dignity. The Orthodox vision, grounded in the Incarnation and the life of the Church, calls for economic discourse rooted not in party allegiance, but in the Gospel’s demand for mercy, truth, and the well-being of all, especially the poor and the vulnerable.

5. A Moral Alternative for a Fractured World

In the face of increasing global inequality, ecological degradation, and spiritual alienation, we call upon the Christian faithful around the world, and upon parishes and institutions to:

· Support and invest in local economies, especially Orthodox farmers, tradespeople, and artisans;

· Develop credit unions and cooperative ventures grounded in Christian ethics;

· Advocate for policies that decentralize economic power and property, protect workers, and restore appropriate rest;

· Resist both the idolatry of wealth and the false salvation of state technocracy and socialism.

Our Lord taught us not to store up treasures on earth, but to seek first the Kingdom of God. Yet it is precisely in our daily economic choices — how we work, trade, save, and share — that this Kingdom begins to be made manifest.

Indeed, in Christian tradition, the Righteous Joseph the Betrothed is honored as the humble guardian of the Bogomater and the earthly protector of our Lord Jesus Christ. As a carpenter by trade, he exemplifies the sanctification of daily labor when offered in faith and obedience to God. His life reminds us that honest work, however simple or hidden, can become a means of grace and service when carried out in love, humility, and devotion. Through St. Joseph’s quiet diligence and unwavering care, he fulfilled his vocation with integrity, embodying the dignity of human labor in harmony with God’s providence. Thus Christians may rightly look to the Righteous Joseph as a patron and intercessor for all who work with their hands, provide for their families, and seek to live faithfully in the midst of their vocations.

May Saint Joseph the Righteous, the Holy Wonderworkers and Unmercenaries Cosmas and Damian, and Saint Basil the Great intercede for us, that we may build an economy not of greed or control, but of mercy, order, and truth.

Радислав Пп. I

Papa-Catholicos gives sermon on capitalism, communism, loss of values in society

By Jean DuBois

FIRENZE-NUOVA ROMA 12 November 2022 (NRom)

His Holiness Rutherford I, Papa-Catholicos of Rome-Ruthenia gave a sermon today on the situation in the world. In it Papa Rutherford said that it is not capitalism, but the Christian faith that is the solution to threats of communism and socialism. The Papa-Catholicos also discussed the rise of individualism and loss of Christian values in Western society. The audio record and complete text of the sermon are below.

TRANSCRIPT:

"Some say that capitalism is the solution to fighting communism and socialism. This, however, likewise leads to a treacherous path. Capitalism in its Christian form is often called distributism, in which there is a free market economy, but the means of production are spread as widely as possible instead of concentrated, and market forces and profit are not the only defining factors. In Christian commerce, individual benefit must be balanced against societal benefit and the impact of one's own actions on others.

Modern society continues to find ever-expanding ways to express its inherent selfishness and decline of values. Efforts in the world to destroy traditional society with its culture and values are aimed at the sole purpose of separating individuals from their faith. In that way they can more easily be manipulated by secular government and ultra-capitalist industry, for the people therefore come to lack the moral compass and the anchor that comes from our faith and our heritage.

What we see in particularly the Western world today is a complete abdication of the responsibilities that are inherent to us as human beings. It is the faith and our heritage that teach us that responsibility, so this outcome is no surprise.

There are those in the world who still espouse, feel, live, and promote their faith and traditional Christian heritage, however. There are those who risk all and fight for faith and justice. It is such people and such societies that should serve as an example to those who have lost their faith and should furthermore serve as beacons of hope and encouragement to those Christians around the world who find themselves in the minority, trying to scream the message of Christ into the hurricane of modern Satanic secularism. We know that hurricanes do not last forever, though, and so we must continue to remain strong and fight for the faith. Indeed, our faith tells us that the victory shall be ours in the end!"

One Year Anniversary of "Siamo in Guerra" -- Patriarchate Stands for Worldwide Catholic Tradition, Service to Others

By Jean DuBois

FIRENZE-NUOVA ROMA 13 March 2021 (NRom)

Next month will be the one year anniversary of the papal encyclical Siamo in Guerra, in which His Holiness and Eminence the Archfather laid out a description of global war being waged by modernists, socialists, nationalists, and communists against Holy Mother the Catholic Church. The encyclical detailed mechanisms in which the coronavirus pandemic was being exploited to further that war against the church and against the people, placing countless people at risk. Below you can find the English translation of the encyclical and its original Italian text, and also a link for the recitation of the encyclical by His Holiness and Eminence.

Now that the pandemic appears to be in its final stages, it is clear that the war against the church rages on. The pandemic measures and restrictions, now entering their second year, have conditioned people to a so-called “new normal.” The great reset, as some economists and leaders have called it, is a tremendous shift from the values of traditional society, the values of the Catholic Church. Since the Anglican Patriarchate, Pontifical States (Stato Pontificio) represents not just the fullness of the traditional Catholic Faith, but the worldly side of the church as the sole temporal successor to St. Peter the Apostle, it has been very active and vocal over the past year in policy advice secure the rights of the Holy Church and of people. The modern Pontifical States are the historic representative of over 400 million people worldwide, which is a responsibility that the Stephenian Florentine-Roman Curia takes very seriously. The Patriarchate, its clergy, and its lay leaders are dedicated to service to those in need around the world, especially the most poor and vulnerable. The Patriarchate stands for the Catholic Faith as humanity continues through the second decade of the third millennium and beyond.

Siamo in Guerra

To all the Christian Faithful around the World:

Carissimi:

     We are truly at war, and this war is not against a virus, but it is the gates of hell against the Holy Church and against the ancient traditions of free society. In truth, this war is one of the most important wars in the history of the world, as we fight for the continuation of the freedom of the church over the world and for the continuation of our civilisation. We cannot doubt that this current fight is very difficult and will continue to be very difficult in the near future. How long it will remain, We do not know, and we cannot know. We do not need to think about this. We should only think of the final victory, a victory only possible through our Lord. Truly, dearest sons and daughters, you are soldiers in the Army of Christ. In this struggle, flags of nations are worth nothing, except only the sacred flag of our Lord and of the Holy Church.

     The forces of the devil in the world used the situation of the virus to establish a great confusion among the people of the world. Many people were afraid, and this fear was the instrument of the devil. The diabolical agents have exploited the situation to remove freedom, not only of the people, but also of the Holy Church. People were robbed and continue to be robbed of their dignity, their freedom, in a more forceful and more complete way than that of the Soviets, and also than that of the Nazis. Yes, it is a good work to save lives, but this situation is not in fact a choice of lives versus money, but lives versus lives. But the agents of the devil have caused many people to think that the real reason is to save lives. Those agents have used this to change the entirety of life, to change businesses, to change the whole of society, and also to change the rights of the Holy Church and the religious freedom of the people. The real reason, the only reason for the actions of most governments of the world is radically to change the true heart of the people and of society. They want society to abandon Christ and to abandon the ancient and sacred traditions in favour of a new socio-fascist world.

     In these days, the people are under the hands of the modernist states. Governments have forced companies to close, but for what crime? For none at all. Governments have chosen winners and losers in an arbitrary way. Governments have also forced a large section of the people under house arrest, but also for what crime? For no crime. It is a work still accomplished in a stronger and more complete way than the that of the Soviets, and also than that Enof the Nazis. Governments, I blame you for the diabolical crime. You do not care about the people under your protection.

     The protection of the people is a sacred charge under God, but governments have failed. The modernists against God, under the banner of saving a number of human lives from this new virus, in truth few in comparison with the population of the world, have endangered hundreds of millions of people in all places around the world – in danger of hunger, danger of deprivation, danger of health problems, danger of bankruptcy, lack of ability to provide for their families. How many of these are supposed to die to save others? Governments cannot say that these lives are worth more than those lives, for governments and government officials are not God. But now they play God. In truth these modernist states want to be God, and they want people to genuflect humbly to the civill government and only to the civil government. This is at the heart of this battle, this war. We cannot let governments replace God with themselves.

     The time is now! We must win for the glory of God! Now is the time when Christians must rise up against the modern forces of the devil! They are not new forces, but they are the same forces of all times in the history of the world. Our valiant ancestors fought against the same forces. Now it is our turn!

A tutti i Cristifideli nel Mondo:

Carissimi: 

     Siamo in guerra veramente, e questa guerra non è contro un virus, ma è le porte dell’inferno contro la Santa Chiesa e contro le tradizioni antiche della società libera. In verità questa guerra è una delle guerre le più importanti nella storia del mondo, poichè combattiamo per la continuazione della libertà della chiesa sul mondo e per la continuazione della nostra civiltà. Non possiamo avere dubiti che questa lotta adesso è molto dura e seguirà ad essere durissima nel prossimo futuro. Quanto tempo rimane Noi non sapiamo, e non possiamo saperlo. Di questa cosa non dobbiamo pensare. Solo dovremmo pensare dell’ultima vittoria, una vittoria solo possibile per nostro Signore. Veramente, Carissimi figli, voi siete soldati nell’esercito di Cristo. In questa lotta, le bandiere non valgono niente, eccetto solo la sacra bandiera di nostro Signore e della Santa Chiesa. 

     Le forze del diavolo nel mondo ha usato la situazione del virus stabilire una grande confusione nel popolo del mondo. Molta gente ha avuto paura, e questa paura fu il strumento del diavolo. Gli agenti diabolichi hanno sfruttato la situazione per rimuovere la libertà, non solo del popolo, ma anche della Santa Chiesa. La gente era rubata e continua essere rubata della sua dignità, della sua libertà, in un modo più forte e più completo del modo sovietico, e anche di quello dei nazisti. Sì, è un buon lavoro salvare le vite, ma questa situazione ancora non è una scelta di vite contro danari, ma vite contro vite. Ma gli agenti del diavolo hanno causato che molta gente pensa che la ragione veramente sia salvare le vite. Quelli agenti sfruttano questa per cambiare tutta la vita, tutte le ditte, tutta della società, ed anche i diritti della Santa Chiesa e la libertà religiosa del popolo. La ragione vera, l’unica ragione per gli azioni della maggior parte dei governi del mondo è cambiare radicalmente il vero cuore del popolo e di società. Vogliono che la società abbandone Cristo ed abbandone le tradizioni antiche e sacre e prenda un nuovo modo socio-fascisto. 

     In questi giorni il popolo è sotto la mano degli stati modernisti. I governi hanno forzato a chiudere le ditte, ma per qual delitto? Per niente. I governi hanno sceltato vincitori e perdenti in un modo arbitrario. Anche i governi hanno forzato una grande sezione della gente agli arresti domiciliari, ma anche per qual delitto? Per nessun delitto. È un’opera compita ancora in un modo più forte e più completo del modo sovietico, e anche di quello dei nazisti. Governi, vi accuso del delitto diabolico. Non vi importa la gente sotto la vostra protezione. 

     La protezione del popolo è un sacro incarico sotto Dio, ma i governi sono falliti. Loro modernisti contro Dio, sotto la bandiera del salvtataggio di qualche vite umane di questo nuovo virus, in verità pochi in confronto della populazione del mondo, hanno messo in pericolo al meno di centi di milioni di persone in tutti i luoghi del mondo – pericolo di fame, pericolo di privazione, percicolo di problemmi di salute, pericolo di bancarotta, di mancanza della capacità di provvedere alle loro famiglie. Quante di questi dovrebbero morire per salvare quelli? Non possono i governi dire che queste vite valono più di quelle vite, per i governi e gli ufficiali dei governi non sono Dio. Ma adesso giocano a Dio. In verità questi stati moderni vogliono essere Dio e vogliono che la gente genuflettersi umilmente al governo civile e solo al governo civile. Questa cosa è al cuore di questa battaglia, di questa guerra. Non possiamo lasciare che i governi sostituiscano Dio con loro stessi. 

     Il tempo è adesso. Dobbiamo vincere per la gloria di Dio. Adesso è il tempo nel cui i cristiani devono insorgere contro le forze moderne del diavolo. Non sono forze nuove, ma sono le stesse forze d’ogni tempo nella storia del mondo. Gli nostri antenati valorosi hanno combattuto contro le stesse forze. Adesso è tocca nostra. 

Reflections for the Second Week of Lent by His Holiness and Eminence the Archfather

FIRENZE-NUOVA ROMA 1 March 2021 (NRom)

Reflections for the Second Week of Lent
by 
His Holiness and Eminence the Archfather

Carissimi, 

in the epistle lesson for the second Sunday of Lent, the Apostle Paul gives several admonitions. Among those is that we should not overreach or circumvent our brother in business, for the Lord is the avenger thereof. In this present period in world history, it seems that the notion of leaving everyone alone to provide for themselves and their families has been lost as humanity turns further and further away from God. While it is absolutely true that neither communism or socialism in any form are compatible with the Christian faith, so also is it true that nationalism and excessive, extreme capitalism are likewise incompatible with the Christian faith.

We as Christians must not worship money or at the altar of commerce, for as our Lord tells us, no man may serve two masters. Money is indeed a tool to provide for the needs and even appropriate wants for ourselves and our families, and it is a tool to do good in the world. If we seek money for its own sake, corporate dominance as a purpose to itself, and ever-larger market shares, then we have lost our way as individuals and as a society. While appropriate competition can have many benefits, trying to put one’s competition out of business is plainly wrong. In some cases, survival indeed mandates a legitimate defence in commerce, just as we may legitimately protect our bodies. Yet, if we harm the body of another out of desire and not necessity, and we would not wish harm upon another if we could not find another way, even in defence of ourselves, then we sin against our brethren and against God. Similarly, if we do harm to others in business and in labour when it is not necessary in legitimate defence, or if it is necessary in legitimate defence, but we would not wish to find another way sincerely if it were possible, then we likewise sin against our fellow man and against God.

The rampant excesses of extreme capitalism in the Western world have reached new heights during the pandemic of last year that is now extending into the current year. Particularly due to government measures, massive corporations are making windfall gains, and others are going out of business, with so many people losing their businesses and the jobs, deprived of their rights to provide for their families. Indeed, depriving workers of their just wages is a sin rightly crying out to heaven for vengeance. What is being done to countless people around the world right now is just that. It was happening before, and the pandemic has made it dramatically worse. 

It is often said in excuse for this extreme capitalism that it is that very form of commerce and economic structure that has provided so many material benefits for society and even has furthered the ability to do so much good around the world. While there is indeed some truth to that, such benefits are not an excuse for wrong – and it is hardly true that such tactics are indeed necessary to generate benefits and to do good. Additionally, neither is the cure for extreme excessive forms of capitalism the evils of communism and socialism. These days, society is actually getting whiplash from bouncing back and forth between extremes.

To the Christian faithful who have their eyes open, the answer is very clear. It is only through the application of the faith of Christ that we may reach a free market economy that allows as many people as possible to have as much control as possible over their own financial future. Some may challenge this by saying that we can never achieve full independence in terms of the ability to provide for oneself and one’s family. Yet, that also is not even remotely an excuse for not employing appropriate, ethical, Christian principles to the economy as Christian people. This approach We propose is not another panacea such as those that so many revolutionaries from the 18th century to the present time have promised to justify their intolerable violence and the chaos they cause, only to have a new system that is no better and is even often worse than the one it replaced. Rather, this is the tried-and-true peaceful Way of Christ. That we may not achieve a full realisation of this does not in any way reduce the merit of trying to the best of our abilities.

USCCB Bishops Take Pandemic Funds -- Archfather Comments

FIRENZE-NUOVA ROMA 9 February 2021 (NRom)

Recent reports have shown that Bishops of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops have taken U.S. pandemic relief funds despite substantial financial endowments, thereby taking cash for closing their church doors to those in need. His Holiness and Eminence the Archfather made the following statement earlier today. 

___________________________

Throughout the COVID-19 humanitarian crisis, We have consistently admonished governments against policies that select winners and losers. We have also admonished corporations that are financially well-endowed against seeking or receiving windfall gains and/or public relief support when so many are losing their businesses and livelihoods. However, We never would have expected that this would include the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. According to credible reports, many dioceses of the Roman Communion within the United States took pandemic small business stimulus money due to lost money from closed churches, despite significant financial endowments. Church sovereignty was sold for cash. This is most troubling. 

     Indeed, governments around the world have a moral responsibility to make whole those who are harmed by their pandemic reponse policies. Even a parish or a diocese that is financially precarious and vulnerable can reasonably receive aid. Yet, those who are able to take care of themselves and are even profiting (as in the case of certain corporations) should not seek such funds. We, the Anglican Patriarchate, have neither sought nor taken such funds, instead preferring that they go to help those who are the most vulnerable and most impacted. 

     My brother Catholic Bishops in the United States would have been well-advised not to close their churches during the pandemic. That does not mean that they should not have taken appropriate precautions, but rather that Church sovereignty should have been maintained against the civil government, sacraments should have been entirely accessible by the faithful during this time of great need and suffering, and the clergy should have been completely available. That is our legacy as Catholic clergy. In this case, it was entirely abdicated – and not just abdicated, but abdicated in favour of cash. 

     Therefore, We call upon the Catholic dioceses of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to show in detail what they are doing with the money they have received. They must show how it is being used to benefit the poor, the vulnerable, and the less fortunate. 

www.statopontificio.org

Patriarchal Letter “Come Holy Ghost” to the People of the World on Septuagesima Sunday

FIRENZE-NUOVA ROMA 31 January 2021 (NRom)

Patriarchal Letter “Come Holy Ghost”

to the People of the World

Septuagesima Sunday

31 January 2021 

RVTHERFORDVS PP. I

COME Holy Ghost, and enlighten the people of the world! As the pre-Lent season begins today with Septuagesima Sunday, the people of the world are rightly tired of the continuation of extreme pandemic measures – and they are rightly tired of corporate oligarchy that is making tremendous windfall gains the longer the pandemic measures continue. As oligarchs grow fatter, and more powerful, countless people lose their jobs, see their businesses fail, and cannot find work. Governments around the world who claim to be for the rights and welfare of mankind instead force this outcome that adds to the already swollen moneybags of massive corporations while destroying the lives, mental health, and even physical health of others – all without the promised compensation for their sacrifice. If nothing else, this pandemic has laid bare the true motivations of companies, and it has laid bare true loyalties of government. 

It has been asked “Who will pay for all of this compensation? How can we actually afford to compensate those who have lost?” Yet if it is not the massive oligarchs who have made approximately one trillion dollars since the pandemic began, and if it is not to be spread around proportionately to the entirety of taxpayers, then the only other option is to force the sacrifice upon those very people who have lost their jobs and lost their businesses. What right do governments have to pick winners and losers? That is what they are doing and what they have done during the pandemic. What right do governments have to harm certain people and demand the sacrifice from a subset of the population while others are unscathed or even thrive? It is a complete and utter abdication of their obligations under God as leaders of government. In Italy, the premier maneuvers to avoid being voted out, despite the growing vox populi. In Britain, bishops demand evidence of justification for continued church shutdowns, which has not been forthcoming. In the United States, the physical fence recently installed around the US Capitol and the White House serves as a metaphor for the continued insulation and isolation of government from the people, not just in America, but around the world. It is a sorry state of affairs. 

Yet, Holy Mother the Church was instituted by Christ for all humanity, great and small. Christ hung on the Cross for everyone, regardless of fleeting national borders and deep ethnic and cultural identity. The caring nature of Christ’s Holy Church extends to everyone, even to those who do not believe and do not profess the Christian faith. 

As the governments of the world abdicate their responsibility, for which they will answer to God and for which We earnestly hope for their reconciliation in the love of Christ, the Holy Church instead will continue to speak and advocate and work for the condition of all mankind. We do not measure victory in a popular vote count, in money, or in buildings. Rather, we count our victory as saving what souls we can and helping those whom we can help. When St. Lawrence, that great Roman Deacon and Martyr was asked to show the government officials the true treasure of the Church that they had heard was in his keeping, he agreed and showed them the poor of Rome. 

The problem is so vast, as it has always been in one way or another, that it is tempting to say that our own organisational or individual efforts are in vain. However, to do so is to abandon our faith. It is that very vastness as well that governments exploit, saying that they are the only ones, alongside their oligarch partners, who can have any hope of success. Do not fall into the trap of believing that lie. It is only God that has the power to help us with problems on such an immense scale. Let us not believe that mere human agency is sufficient, for it has never been as history plainly shows. Yes, government has an absolute responsibility to help the people in its borders and even without its borders according to its ability, using the public treasury to do so. However, it is not government that is the dispenser of good, but rather we may only consider it an instrument for helping to do the work of God. Therefore, its legitimacy only comes when it does indeed employ its resources and doing the work of God. 

Each of us likewise has the capacity to be an instrument of God, helping those whom God puts in our path. We cannot and must not be concerned with numbers or other superficialities. Rather, let us each seek every day to attempt to do God’s will in all that we do, taking opportunities to help others as they arise, ever vigilant of those who may be in need.

Rutherfordus Ap. I
Servant of the Servants of Christ

Archfather Predicts Riots: An In-Depth Interview

By Jean DuBois

PATRIARCHAL SEE 3 June 2020 (ORCNS) - The ORCNS interviewed HHE Don Rutherford I, 5th Florentine Archfather about the current riots and protests in the Unites States, as well as lingering effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Several months ago, the Archfather predicted the high likelihood of armed riots if the pandemic global lockdown and related economic problems such as business failures and unemployment continued. Here is that interview: 

ORCNS: Thank you for meeting with us, Your Holy Eminence. Let's get to the main question. I understand several months ago that you predicted a high likelihood of armed riots in the context of the coronavirus pandemic measures. What led you to that conclusion?

Archfather Rutherford: Yes, that is correct. If the pandemic lockdown measures and subsequent economic turmoil, including threats to businesses, extremely high unemployment, and other uncertainties, continued for very long, I believed the conditions were ripe for a significant armed event. 

ORCNS: The riots are happening in the USA. Was your prediction limited to the US? 

AR: Not at all. I was speaking about the entire global situation. With the right conditions, it could happen anywhere. 

ORCNS: Did you believe it was a foregone conclusion that there would be an armed uprising?

AR: No, I did not. There were plenty of opportunities to reduce the likelihood -- many of which I'm afraid were missed. There were also peaceful protests against lockdown procedures and economic hardship in various countries around the world. 

ORCNS: So what do you think triggered the current riots in the US? 

AR: First, let me point out that there are two things going on. First, there are lawless, violent riots. Second, there are peaceful protests against injustice. The two are obviously not the same. Let me focus on the first one, that is, the lawless, violent riots. The US situation, with the coronavirus lockdown and economic shutdown, created a delicate and precarious situation. All that was needed was a trigger, and that happened to come in the form of the unfortunate, brutal, and unjustified killing of a black man at the hands of a white police officer who played judge, jury, and executioner. The racial component further opens long-standing wounds. So, while there have been legal, peaceful protests against excessive use of police force and institutional racism, the tragic situation of a man's brutal murder was exploited as a prompt for violent riots -- which, I might add, have been primarily directed against innocent people. 

ORCNS: But the lockdowns are ending and businesses are opening, right? Why didn't that prevent this outcome? 

AR: Yes, but the effects of those lockdowns are continuing, and even more effects are happening as things start to catch up with society. In short, it takes time to stop the downward momentum and then reverse the trend. Restarting the economy on a societal or personal level is not at all like flipping a magic switch that makes everything better again instantly. 

ORCNS: Do you think the US has a police violence problem? 

AR: Unfortunately yes -- and so do many countries around the world. The militarisation of US police after the September 11 attacks seems to have created a greater culture of violence and domination among police as a whole. The power balance is tilted almost entirely in the direction of the police, and so they must exhibit far more tolerance and be willing to take far more from the public before retaliating. When they do push back, responses must be proportional and not out of anger. That is the responsibility that comes with their power. Right now there is too much of an "us vs them" mentality between the general public and the police. That is extremely counterproductive. Police certainly have a right to self-defence and a responsibility to uphold the law, but it must be done soberly and proportionately. Good officers know that. 

ORCNS: What about institutional racism? 

AR: This is a problem not just in judicial matters. However, in police situations, studies suggest that there is bias against black people, and perhaps most telling is that the bias is shown not just by white officers, but also black officers. 

ORCNS: You mentioned good police officers just a minute ago. Do you believe there are good police officers in the USA?

AR: Of course there are. I hope most of them are. They need to rise up themselves and stand in solidarity against police brutality. They must work to remove those who are a disgrace to their uniform and those who get on power trips. When police get on arrogant power binges, people suffer, often with long-lasting or permanent consequences -- with little or no repercussion to the officer. 

ORCNS: You were trained in statistics at Harvard and Georgia Tech, and your work at Harvard also involved social justice. Has that background helped you gain any insight into these problems? 

AR: Yes it has. Black people in the US have a much higher arrest and conviction rate than white people, and that essentially tracks also with the poverty level in US society by ethnic group. It is a systemic and entrenched problem. Even if you eliminate institutional racism in police departments and the courts, the problem goes much deeper than that. And, of course, it does not only impact black people, but several other ethnic groups as well. Fixing the problem requires much more than simply training police in how to handle bias. And the problem goes well beyond police matters as well. 

ORCNS: And you were involved in statistical work in the coronavirus pandemic as well, correct? 

AR: Yes. Public health policy is driven by statistics. It is not so much the nature of the disease per se, but the likelihood of getting it and/or dying from it that really matters. Drawing on experience, my early calculations suggested infection and death rates much more like what other studies are now showing, unlike the "doom and gloom" predictions that were going on at the same time and led to a lot of the government responses we saw (and experienced) around the world. However, I was not at all the only person who came to similar conclusions from calculations. There were a good number of us saying the same thing. Unfortunately statistics were abused by the media, contributing greatly to societal panic around the world. 

ORCNS: So, what do you think is the ultimate solution to the riots, racial problems, and so on? 

AR: I wish I had a simple answer. First, society today does not respect life. Life is the most basic human right, and it is a necessary condition for all other rights since exercising those rights require one thing -- that you are alive. We cannot really begin to solve the problems of other rights until society learns to respect life. 

ORCNS: Do you have any parting advice? 

AR: Yes. I pray that all people take a moment to look inwardly and examine their own condition before judging others and before judging society. I pray that society will learn to respect life, for that is where healing and progress must begin. Define yourself by what you are for, not by what you are against. 

Patriarchal Letter on Coronavirus Vaccine, Medical Ethics

PATRIARCHAL SEE 24 May 2020 (ORCNS) - The Florentine Archfather released a Patriarchal Letter entitled "Faith Must Guide" that dealt with the issues of potential forced vaccination by governments and/or employers in the context of vaccines for the novel coronavirus currently being developed. His Holy Eminence stated that, although vaccines are generally the domain of medical and professionals and scientists, the Church can and must make determinations pertaining to medical ethics and public health ethics. The Archfather further stated that "...it is absolutely illicit for any state to mandate a vaccine for an adult person without free, individual consent, and for a child without the free consent of the parents." 

The Patriarchal Letter also addressed the presence of a wide variety of conspiracy theories that cause considerable confusion and sew the seeds of doubt since it is difficult to separate fact from fiction. However, based on reliable reports in mainstream media, the broad issue of forced micro-chipping was also covered.

The letter also reiterated the exploitation of the public health situation for increased state control and the suppression of individual religious freedoms and the rights of the Church.

The complete text of the Patriarchal Letter is given below:

_____________________________________

Faith Must Guide

To the Christian Faithful around the World:

Faith must guide decisions of states regarding public health, as faith must guide all things. The state has reasonable right to impose some restrictions in the interest of public health, but only to a point, for it is not the final arbiter and ultimate authority on matters of health. Neither is the medical community the ultimate arbiter, but rather it is God who controls life. 

Recent discussions and movements pertaining to a potential Covid-19 vaccine, the possibility of the use of aborted fetal tissue in vaccine development, and the potential for governments and/or employers to require such a vaccine have raised this question once again, and it is Our sacred right and duty to address it with clarity, humility, and pastoral concern as a shepherd of the Lord. The efficacy of a vaccine is, within the bounds of ethical practices that are consistent with the authentic faith, the primary domain of medical professionals and scientists. However, the ethical framework of such efforts, as well as any state or organisational attempts at imposition of a vaccine all fall completely and entirely within the jurisdiction of Holy Mother the Church.

Let Us first state that We generally believe the concept of vaccines to be positive and overall beneficial. The question here relates specifically to who ethically should and can make the decision regarding whether or not to receive a particular vaccination. Furthermore, regarding the coronavirus vaccines being developed, there is a further concern of the rapid nature of development of said vaccines, which could result in a vaccine rendered problematic. There is also a marked lack of knowledge about the novel coronavirus itself, for much of what was thought to be absolutely true by some scientists several months ago and was used as justification for widespread severe and oppressive government measures against the public has now been revised dramatically. The lack of concrete knowledge is a serious question that must be addressed by the medical and scientific community before any vaccine is released for public use.

To address the issue of vaccine composition, the faithful, as well as governments, must resist the temptation to use aborted fetal tissue in vaccines and vaccine development. This point is not new and is quite clear and absolute.

Next is the movement afoot that promotes the idea that governments ought to mandate that all persons receive a coronavirus vaccine and/or that employers make receiving such vaccination a condition of employment. We are bound by Our duty to point out that such a totalitarian approach by a government requiring a medical procedure – any medical procedure – whether or not it is against the will of the individual, violates the very sanctity of the individual. The human body is a gift from God, placed in the care of the individual. It is for the individual to determine what medical procedures to receive, but only those, naturally, consistent with the laws of God. In the case of children, the law of God is quite clear that it is the parents who are responsible for the care of the body. The state may not mandate anything pertaining to the body except such things that are consistent with the law of God and for which the law of God provides that the state may mandate. It is absolutely illicit for any state to mandate a vaccine for an adult person without free, individual consent, and for a child without the free consent of the parents.

Similarly, it is illicit for any company or organisation to mandate that an employee receive a vaccine or undergo any other medical procedure as a condition of employment, for to do so places the individual’s right to work in the peril. We have spoken on this right of work and threats against it during this pandemic in Our encyclical Intentio Est. Furthermore, such requirements on the part of employers would violate the essential sanctity of medical and health privacy of the individual.

Additionally, We must state in the interest of clarity that We are aware of a plethora of conspiracy theories surrounding the coronavirus vaccine. Conspiracy theories often arise in cases of highly limited public information, with people filling in the gaps with often erroneous material. It is often difficult to separate the truthful content in conspiracy theories from the fanciful and even potentially dangerous content. The faithful are, therefore, cautioned against making decisions precipitously based on conspiracy theories. 

However, one topic of overlap between such theories and reports in mainstream media that bears comment is that of forced micro-chipping. Some companies apparently have considered making micro-chipping a condition of employment. Apparently some laws are being considered in some locations to prevent such a condition of employment. Conspiracy theories often suggest that microchips will be introduced by vaccines, including any potential new vaccine for the novel coronavirus. It is neither Our intention nor Our desire to engage in the debate of such conspiracy theories whatsoever. From a standpoint of Christian ethics, the sole issue is that of any potential for forced micro-chipping. We state that it is entirely and absolutely illicit for any state to mandate micro-chipping or the introduction of any substance, object, or device into the human body or for an employer to make a similar mandate as a condition of employment.

What is patently clear to Us is that the pandemic of the novel coronavirus around the world has resulted in a series of acts by governments and organisations to take outrageously dramatic amounts of control over their populations and employees, even to the point of restricting the freedom of religion and the rights of Holy Mother the Church. We have spoken of this not only in Our encyclical Intentio Est, but also in Our encyclicals Orbis Est and Siamo in Guerra, Our ban of 11 April of this year, and Our Patriarchal Letters Religion is Essential and The Collective Choice of Global Lockdown. There is a cultural war afoot around the world with the forces of the Holy Church of Christ on one side and those who stand against all that is sacred that the Church teaches and represents on the other. This pandemic has been exploited to restrict individual freedom, even of the most sacrosanct decisions. It has been exploited to promote the state over God and government over the Church. Indeed the very issue of public health has been exploited to attempt to bolster a cultural revolution already underway that seeks to change the very fabric of society and the nature of religion. We must, therefore, remain vigilant. Although we must reasonably protect our bodies, it is not ultimately the body that we serve, but Almighty God.

Ego Archipater R. 

Defrauding Workers of Just Wages, the Topic of New Encyclical "Intentio Est"

Jean DuBois

PATRIARCHAL SEE 22 April 2020 (ORCNS) - Archfather Don Rutherford released a Patriarchal Encyclical today entitled Intentio Est ("Intent is") regarding the defrauding of worker wages due to economic shutdown resulting from global government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Archfather stated that this situation is pushing the world toward the serious possibility of one of the greatest humanitarian crises in history. Read the full text below: 

DON RVTHERFORDVS ARCHIPATER I
S. ANIMIAE CARD. COMES ET S. STEFANI EPISCOPVS

Intentio Est

Patriarchal Encyclical on the Defrauding of Worker Wages Due to Economic Shutdown
Resulting from Global Government Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic

22 April A.D. 2020 

To the Christian Faithful Around the World 

Carissimi: 

     Intent is the most essential factor in determining whether an action is right or wrong. An act with a proposed good end that requires an evil act renders that act immoral. We speak in this case of the situation facing workers around the world due to economic shutdown imposed by governments during the COVID-19 pandemic. We spoke earlier regarding the humanitarian impact of such responses, which placed and continue to place hundreds of millions of people in severe peril, including risk to their lives through loss of wages. Indeed, defrauding workers of their just wages is counted among those sins crying to Heaven for vengeance. That is precisely what governments have done by forcefully shutting down large segments of their economies under the supposed justification of saving lives. However, as We have said before, it is not a question of lives versus money, but lives versus lives, for peoples’ lives are being robbed through artificially not being permitted to work. It is a basic right of mankind to provide for himself and for his family. To prevent workers from earning their just wages, particularly over a long period or indefinite period, under the stated purpose of saving lives may have a good stated end purpose, but nevertheless requires doing evil in the process, thereby rendering the overall act immoral. 

     The government responses around the world have divided workers into broad categories called “essential” and “non-essential,” arbitrarily defined by the state. These designations in this case wrongly imply that the right to work is justly held by one set of workers and not another. It wrongly permits one group to work for their daily bread and consigns another group to spend down what savings they may have and/or be dependent upon charity or payments from the public treasury. Such workers are robbed of the dignity of providing for themselves and the ability to carry out their just work in freedom. 

     The government responses around the world have furthermore divided workers into four main groups. The first are the upper-level executives, professionals, and major corporations. They have more resources and are more likely to weather the economic storm. Indeed, they may even profit from it. The second are the essential workers and essential businesses, as arbitrarily defined by the state, whom We have just mentioned previously. They can continue earning their wages and likewise may be able to profit from the situation. The third and fourth groups are small businesses deemed non-essential and workers deemed non-essential. Though all groups could easily be defrauded of just wages, it is the third and fourth groups who are in the most peril. They are the most vulnerable and most likely to suffer from the public choice to shut down the economy. The businesses are in serious risk of bankruptcy, lost of life savings of their owners, and loss of collateral property justly gained through free labour. Even if they are compensated and made reasonably whole by the state, which is highly unlikely and impracticable except perhaps for the shortest of shut downs, such compensation does not render a disordered act morally correct. Truly it is a sin committed against at least hundreds of millions of people around the world, a sin crying out to Heaven for vengeance! 

     Due to this situation as outlined here, the world is heading rapidly towards the strong possibility of the greatest humanitarian crisis in recent history. The time to act morally for good is now. We, therefore, call upon all the faithful of the world to work to encourage governments to end their forced economic shut down, but only through legitimate and moral means, for to do otherwise would likewise be of the same nature of morally disordered act of which We rightly accuse the governments. Similarly, We call upon the governments of the world to consider these matters and end their forced economic shut down, restoring the dignity and freedom to work for daily bread, to work for their very lives, that is the right of all men and women. 

Ego Archipater R.