ARCHIVES: Excommunication of Seminarian Dennis J. Klinzing

24 JUNE 2014 (ORCNS) - Dennis J. Klinzing, a former seminarian/minor cleric of the Anglican Rite Roman Catholic Church was recently deposed from the clerical state and excommunicated latae sententiae (automatically). Church officials took the unusual step to respond to media queries about Klinzing in response to criticism that such firings are not often made public. According to Church officials, the former student was fired for a series of incidents that violated a seminarian contract and standards of personal conduct.

"While it is not uncommon for some seminarians to honestly renounce their commitment during the intense four-year or more training and screening process, dishonesty of any kind is non-negotiable. The ARRCC maintains high standards and expects its clergy to live up to them," said Msgr. Steinhurst, an official of the seminary.

Allegations were confirmed that Klinzing misrepresented himself as a valid priest (several websites appear to list a "Fr. Dennis Klinzing") while only in the Minor Order of Porter, and that he sought additional ordination in the Old Roman Catholic Church - Latin Rite (ORCLR) without proper excardination from the Patriarchal See. His attempt was confirmed by Boniface Grosvold, an official of the ORCLR. An investigation also found that Klinzing lied to his religious superiors when asked about his intent to seek an ordination from another denomination while already sworn as a seminarian in another church. It was determined by the judicial tribunal that Klinzing lied to avoid the required three and a half or more years of academic and practical study and experience still remaining that he agreed to perform before becoming eligible to take exams required for the priesthood.

"All clerics of the Anglican Rite Roman Catholic Church sign a statement acknowledging that they are subject to the laws and authority of the Patriarchal See of Saint Stephen. The statement is also witnessed by a civil court official, usually a notary. Applicants also take the Clerical Oath and Oath Against Modernism and renew their formal petition at every new level of ordination. As a result of his own deceitful actions, Klinzing is no longer fit be be a cleric of any kind, nor will he in any way be affiliated with the Anglican Rite Roman Catholic Church," said Msgr. Deffenbaugh, Chancellor.

For supplemental information, see these links:

Supplement No. 1

Supplement No. 2

Tevin and Shasta King Wedding

Tevin and Shasta King and
Msgr. Deffenbaugh

Scott AFB 11 JUNE 2014 (ORCNS) - Tevin and Shasta King were united in the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony on May 17th. Msgr. Douglas Deffenbaugh v. Aschaffenburg officiated. Both the bride and groom are U.S. Air Force Senior Airmen stationed at Scott Air Force Base. The bride is assigned to the 126th Air Wing Illinois Air National Guard as an Equipment Manager, and the groom is on active duty with the 375th Air Wing in the Re-Enlistments Section.

The ceremony was well-attended by friends and family. The rites of Matrimony were followed by a Tree Watering Ceremony. The bride and groom were accompanied by the bride's two boys in watering the tree as a family. This ceremony is a custom at many African-American weddings.

THE HOLY FATHER TO PRAY ON 13 SEPTEMBER FOR THOSE WHO HAVE FALLEN IN ALL WARS

VATICAN CITY 6 June 2014 (VIS) – On 13 September Pope Francis will pray at the military monument of Redipuglia, Italy, for those who have fallen in all wars, to commemorate the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War, “an enormous tragedy about which I heard many painful stories from my grandfather, who fought in the Battle of the Piave”. He announced this at the end of his meeting in St. Peter's square with the Carabinieri, Italy's military police corps, celebrating the bicentenary of its foundation.

“Between the Carabinieri and the people there exists a bond of solidarity, trust and dedication to the common good”; said the Pope in his address. “The Carabinieri 'stations', present throughout the national territory, are points of reference for collectivity, even in the most remote and peripheral towns and villages. And this capillary presence requires you to participate in the life of the community to which you belong, seeking to be close to the problems faced by the people, especially the weakest and those in difficulty. Your vocation is service”.

This vocation is made manifest in “the protection of individuals and the environment, in action for security, the respect for the rules for civil co-existence and the common good; it is a concrete and constant commitment to the defence of the rights and duties of individuals and communities. The maintenance of public order and personal safety is an increasingly current issue in a dynamic, open society committed to the protection of civil rights and liberties, such as Italy, where you serve”.

Pope Francis went on to speak about the history of the Carabinieri Corps, mentioning that it numbers among its members the Servant of God Salvo d'Acquisto, who at the age of 23 in Palidoro, near Rome, “offered his young existence to save the lives of innocent people from Nazi brutality”. He also commented on their notable efforts beyond national borders as “peacemakers, to ensure security, respect for human dignity and the defence of human rights in countries racked by conflicts and tensions of every type”. He concluded, “Never cease to give everywhere, in your homeland and elsewhere, a clear and joyful witness of humanity, especially towards the neediest and least fortunate”.

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Priests who were (and are) scientists

21 MAY 2014 (ORCNS) - Mention a priest, and most people will likely think of a parish priest, dispensing the sacraments and tending to the needs of his flock. This isn't surprising, since most priests fall in this category. Some priests, though, have duties that fall outside this trend. For example, some are administrators, some are diplomats, and some are scientists. Some have even made significant contributions to science. Unfortunately far too many people consider the Church to be anti-science, and people so often brush aside the clerical state of many of the great scientists they otherwise laud and praise. This creates a distorted view of the relationship between the Church and the sciences. Let's take a look at just a few of the clerics who have been scientists from the past through today and help to dispel the myth that the Church is against scientific knowledge, enquiry, and advancement.

Note: Living clerics are presented without dates. 

Blessed Nicholas Steno: (1638-1686) A convert from Lutheranism, he was a Dutch Catholic bishop. He made significant contributions in the fields of anatomy, geology, and paleontology. He is often considered the father of the field of geology.

Nicholaus Copernicus: (1473-1543) A cleric in minor orders, he was a mathematician and astronomer. He formulated the heliocentric view of the universe.

Gregor Mendel: (1822-1884)  Born Johann Mendel, he entered the religious life through the Augustinian Order and took the name of Gregor. He was ordained a priest and is considered the founder of the modern science of genetics.

John Zahm: (1851-1921) A Holy Cross priest, he was also an explorer in South America.

Nocholaus Copernicus
Cleric and scientist

Gabriel Costa: Priest and mathematician.

George LaMaitre: (1894-1966)  A Belgian priest and Professor of Physics, he was made a prelate (Monsignor) by Pope John XXIII. He was the first to propose what is now known as Hubble's Law and first proposed the concept of the Big Bang theory for the origin of the universe.

Roger Bacon: (c. 1214-1294)  An English Franciscan Friar who was a strong proponent of the use of empirical methods for the study of nature. He was asked by Pope Clement IV to write on the place of philosophy within theology.

Pierre Gassendi: (1592-1655)  A French priest who published the first data on the transit of Mercury.

Giovanni Antonelli: (1818-1872)  An Italian priest who, along with Nicolò Barsanti and Felice Matteucci (themselves both priests), invented the first internal combustion engine.

Blessed Francesco Faà di Bruno: (1825-1888) An Italian priest, mathematician, and musician.

José Antonio de Alzate y Ramírez: (1737-1799)  A Mexican priest, he made contributions in meteorology, zoology, and botany.

Nicolò Arrighetti: (1709-1767) An Italian Jesuit and professor of natural philosophy, he made contributions in light, heat, and electricity, and on the causes of movement of mercury within barometers.

Thomas Bradwardine (c.1290-1349)  Archbishop of Canterbury. He was a scholar, mathematician, and physicist.

Blessed Nicolas Steno
Father of Geology

Nicolò Barsanti: (1821-1864)   See under Nicolò Arrighetti.

Francis Facione:  Old Roman Catholic archbishop and professor of pharmacology. 

Felice Matteucci: (1808-1887)   See under Nicolò Arrighetti.

Laurent Cassegrain: (1629-1693)  A priest, he was the probable inventor of the Cassegrain telescope.

Heyward Ewart: Old Roman Catholic archbishop and psychologist.

James Curley: (1796-1889)  An Irish Jesuit priest, he was the first director of Georgetown Observatory. Determined the latitude and longitude of Washington, D.C.

Benedetto Castelli: (1578-1643) A Benedictine mathematician, he was a student of Galileo Galilei. He also taught Galileo's son.

Václav Prokop Diviš: (1698-1765) Czech priest. Independent of the experiments of Benjamin Franklin, he studied lightning. He also constructed the first electrified musical instrument.

Franz Liszt: (1811-1886)  Hungarian cleric, musician, and composer.

Keith Steinhurst v.u.z. Westphalia: Old Roman Catholic archbishop and physician.

Gabriele Falloppio: (1523-1562) A religious Canon, anatomists, and physician. The Fallopian tubes are named for him.

Vincent LaRocca:  American priest and lawyer.

Placidus Fixlmillner: (1721-1791) A Benedictine priest and astronomers who was among the first to compute the orbit of Uranus.

Joseph Galien: (1699- c. 1762) A Dominican friar and professor, he wrote on the subjects of aeronautics, hailstorms, and airships. He was an early pioneer in the science behind what would become aviation and aeronautical engineering.

Carlos de Sigüenza y Góngora: (1645-1700) A priest, mathematician, astronomer, and cartographer, he is credited with drawing the first map of the entirety of New Spain.

Robert Grosseteste: (c. 1175-1253)  English Bishop of Lincoln. Considered the father of the Scientific Method. 

Stanley Jaki: (1924–2009) Hungarian Benedictine priest; he contributed to the relationship between science and theology.

Karl Kehrle: (1898-1996)  English Benedictine monk and beekeeper. Considered a leading authority on bee breeding, he developed the Buckfast bee.

Otto Kippes: (1905-1994) A priest and astronomer, he worked on calculations of asteroid orbits. 

Edme Mariotte: (c. 1620-1684)  A French priest and physicist, he recognized Boyle's Law, studied the nature of color, and discovered the eye's blind spot.

Nicholas of Cusa: (1401-1464)  German priest, cardinal, philosopher, jurist, mathematician, astronomer, and polymaths. He also participated in the power conflicts between Rome and the Holy Roman Empire.

Jean-Antoine Nollet: (1700-1770) A French abbot and physicist, he discovered osmosis in natural membranes.

Luca Pacioli: (c. 1446-1517)  An Italian Franciscan friar, he published several works on mathematics. Also often regarded as the Father of Accounting.

Louis Rendu: (1789-1859) A French bishop, he made contributions to understanding the mechanisms of glacial motion. The Rendu Glacier in Alaska and Mount Rendu in Antarctica are named for him.

Johannes Ruysch: (c. 1460-1533) Dutch Priest from Utrecht, explorer, cartographer, and astronomer. He created the second oldest known printed map of the New World.

Anton Maria Schyrleus of Rheita: (1604-1660) A Capuchin astronomer and optician, he built Kepler's telescope.

Francesco Lana de Terzi: (1631-1687)   An Italian Jesuit priest, mathematician, naturalist, physicist, and pioneer in aeronautics. He conceptualized a vacuum airship, developed a theory of aerial navigation verified by mathematical accuracy, and is often considered the Father of Aeronautics. He also created a concept that developed into Braille.

Giovanni Battista Venturi: (1746-1822)  Priest; discovered the Venturi effect.

Rutherford Johnson-Etruria-di Daniell: Old Roman Catholic cardinal, economist, and explorer.

János Vitéz: (c.1405-1472) Archbishop, astronomer, and mathematician.

George Coyne: Jesuit priest and astronomy. Director of the Vatican Observatory.

Martin Waldseemüller: (c. 1470-1520) German priest and cartographer. He is credited, along with Matthias Ringmann, with the first recorded usage of the word "America."

Kevin Fitzgerald: American Jesuit priest and molecular geneticist.

Francesco Zantedeschi: (1797-1873) A priest and physicist, he was among the first to recognize the absorption by the atmosphere of red, yellow, and green light. He also wrote on electromagnetism, which would be followed by Michael Faraday's experiments in 1831.

Robert Frederick Drinan: (1920-2007) Jesuit priest, lawyer, and member of the United States House of Representatives.

In Memoriam Mons. Patrick H. King, SOAR

SAN FRANCISCO 7 April 2014 (ORCNS) - It is with great sadness that we recall the death of the Most Reverend Patrick H. King, SOAR. The Bishop died on January 7th of this year. Mons. King was known as a true priest and dedicated Bishop. He was the Western Regionary Bishop for the Old Roman Catholic Church in North America. Those who knew him spoke of his warmth, compassion, and devotion. He will be greatly missed.

Autism Awareness Fundraising a Success

PATRIARCHAL SEE 2 April 2014 (ACNS) - Blue was the color of the day today across the United States as many people got out to spread the word about autism. This often debilitating disease affects 1 out of every 68 children born in America now. Its causes are still a mystery. Fundraising and awareness efforts like those around the country today are key to improving the lives of the autistic and their families.

The Patriarch of Saint Stephen, Cardinal Johnson, who participated with others in fundraising efforts today, said, "This type of work is part of the very essence of our Patriarchate's mandate of mission, service, and charity. It was a great joy to meet with autistic children and parents and to help those who are working so hard to solve the puzzle of autism." Others interviewed praised the advances made in correctly identifying those with the condition and helping them to transition successfully into productive adult life as much as possible.

Blue balloons sporting the autism logo mark an event site.

Raising Money for Autism Awareness

PATRIARCHAL SEE 2 APRIL 2014 (ORCNS) - Today Cardinal Johnson joins many others in helping to raise money for Austism awareness and research. We rightly spend a lot of effort defending the right to life. However, 1 in 68 people who actually make it into this world in the US are born with some form of Autism. In some cases it is so profound that they cannot function. Some turn their disease into an asset. Programs that need funding are helping to help the autistic get to a point where they can "help themselves" and function in society.