House of Hyrcania incorporated into the Pontifical Nobility

Source: Public Domain

By Jean DuBois

FIRENZE-NUOVA ROMA 5 November 2022 (NRom)

Today the Papa-Catholicos of Rome-Ruthenia admitted the Royal House of Hyrcania, headed by H.R.H.  Grand Prince Hernán Alejandro Olano, to the nobility of the Pontifical Imperial State of Rome-Ruthenia. The modern Pontifical Roman State is an ecclesiastical entity that carries on the history and tradition of the original Pontifical States, the Roman Empire, and the various Holy Roman Empire states that form part of the patrimony of the Imperial Roman Church. The head of the House, Grand Prince Hernán Alejandro, is a Knight Commander of the Order of the Pontifical States and is also a Knight of the Order of the Eagle of Georgia, under the House of Bagration, among other honours. 

Enthronement of Gallican Primate at Buenos Aires Liturgy

By Jean DuBois

FIRENZE-NUOVA ROMA 26 October 2022 (NRom)

Videos have been released by the Royal Merovingian Dynasty of the solemn enthronement of His Reverence the Most Reverend Alejandro Rodrigues as Archbishop of Lyons and Primate of the Gallican Rite of the Catholic Church. The Gallican Rite, of Greek and Antiochean origins, is part of the spiritual structure of the Imperial Roman Church (within the Gallo-Russo-Byzantine Catholicate) and the temporal leadership of the Merovingian Dynasty under His Most Christian Majesty Esteve IV (Don Rubén Alberto Gavaldá). The liturgy according to the Gallican Rite was celebrated by His Excellency Monsignor Carlos Vich y Pizarro, Capitular Bishop of the Patriarchal Chapter. 

The enthronement took place on the feast of the Assumption, 15 August, earlier this year, following the formal consecration and coronation of Don Rubén as head of the Merovingian Dynasty. Archbishop Rodrigues is also a Capitular Archbishop of the Patriarchal Chapter of the Pontifical Court. The Gallican Rite is an historic part of the patrimony of the Merovingian Dynasty and is a minority intangible cultural heritage that the dynasty protects and preserves today. Members of the Gallican Rite regularly serve the poor of Buenos Aires and many other locations. 

Pontifical Walsingham Guard Toasts Tenth Anniversary!

By S. di Giardino

FIRENZE-NUOVA ROMA 24 October 2022 (NRom)

This year the Pontifical Walsingham Guard toasts its 10th anniversary of modern service. Though it traces its roots to various militaries in the 10th century and earlier, the modern organization was founded in 2012. As an ecclesiastical, humanitarian, and ceremonial organization, it no longer serves a de facto military purpose. Instead, it seeks to inspire lives of strength, compassion, and peace in its membership. Members of the Guard are almost exclusively drawn from military veterans.

Also, during this anniversary year, the Guard underwent a major reorganization. The complex structure was simplified, and the large number of units were combined. The current units more directly reflect the heritage of the Pontifical and Imperial Household. The current units are the Pontifical Ruthenian Palatine Guard, Noble Guard, Naval Guard, and Air Guard, as well as the Pontifical Airborne Guard of Honour. Together these provide homes of Christian-based humanitarian and benevolent service for veterans with the outward style consistent with each member's service background. Additionally, the Guard maintains an Office of Chaplains, as well as certain other offices as needed – such as medicine. Among the reorganized structure is a highly simplified rank structure in line with both the history and nature of the Guard today.

The membership of the Pontifical Walsingham Guard currently exists on four continents. Although it is part of the Pontifical and Imperial Household of the Imperial Roman Church, its ranks are open to Christians of all denominations. In fact, the Household continuously has preached against denominational snobbery and encouraged broad cooperation among the worldwide Christian population.

For more information about the Pontifical Walsingham Guard, please visit its website at: www.statopontificio.org/wg

The Arrogant Petulance Common among Clergy and Laity

FIRENZE-NUOVA ROMA 23 October 2022 (NRom)

H.H. Rutherford I, Papa-Catholicos of Rome-Ruthenia gave the following sermon earlier today regarding the behavior of clergy and laity causing so many to leave the church. 

Complete transcript of the sermon: 

     As Christians, we are called to try, despite the weakness of human frailty, to be as Christlike as possible. We are called to love our neighbours as ourselves. To facilitate this and more, Christ gave us the Church, which indeed does have the standards of the faith to maintain. However, there are those in the church, both clergy and laity, who choose to exhibit such arrogant petulance and such sanctimonious superiority and condescension that is absolutely no wonder that so many people over the years have either reduced their participation or left the church outright in disgust. There are, of course, various other reasons people leave - including the modernist influence inside various parts of the church and general secularism and antireligious sentiment in society at large. Yet, the church’s own people and even the church’s own leaders at times bear much of the responsibility.

     So often the leadership and laity of a particular division of Christ’s Holy Church are so puffed up with pride believing that they are the single ultimate world authority or the one true division of the church to which all others must bow. From the Vatican to the Eastern monasteries, to Canterbury Cathedral, and various autocephalous apostolic churches, both orthodox and catholic, from large to small, this arrogant attitude exists. Hypocrisy abounds.

     So often there is the belief that this group is legitimate and that group is not. Silly minutia becomes extrapolated into countless pages of meaningless drivel masquerading as academic writing. Do the authors of such nonsense realise that most clergy and certainly almost all laity could not care less about such things and may not even understand them at all? In their confusion, they wonder why people are focused on trivialities rather than important matters such as worship and prayer. The results are often that people either become disgusted with the stupidity and leave religion, or else they decide to follow along and become equally as hateful and harmful to others who are deemed by their leadership to be “outside of the group.” How sad. Christ surely must weep and Satan surely must rejoice as the people of God are split further and further apart by the pomposity of so many in the church. Pitting one Christian against another with a self-righteous attitude is indeed the work of the devil.

     There is but one church, though in the fallen, fractured state of mankind, it is no wonder that it is so divided and divisive today. In the early church, the church was divided among local churches – which were nothing more than parts of the whole, established under Apostolic authority for the better service of Christ’s people. There were disputes, of course, for that is, again, a typical byproduct of the fallen state of mankind. Yet, beginning especially with the Great Schism 1000 years ago, to the Protestant movement, to the secular, modernist movements of today, the church arguably has never been so divided. Why, then, do we seek to attack our brethren under the false label of charitable admonition? Why do we exclude when we should embrace? Why do we engage in vile calumny masquerading as righteousness?

     As the bishop’s so lead, being the shepherds in succession from the Apostles, the clergy follows their example. In turn, as the clergy lead, the laity follows their example. The bishops of the world must set a good example. They must extend their hand in Christian friendship to one and all and close the doors to none. This is not to say that any of us should adopt an “anything goes” policy. We each have the standards of the faith that we are to maintain, but those standards exist to help people get closer to God, not to push them away. The divisions of the church around the world will not be solved or healed overnight. We do not inherently have to compromise on our most sacred beliefs, but we should seek unity and cooperation rather than shutting the doors in someone’s face. I have seen this pathetic, cowardly behaviour among priests and laity alike – from countless jurisdictions. I have witnessed bishops attack each other, I have witnessed famous priests of the Vatican church openly sliming the reputation of others, and I witnessed seen people who claim to be Christians vilifying the faith of others… Why do they do it? For no other reason than it makes them feel good. It fills a void inside and makes them feel better about themselves through the putting down of someone else. Yet that void can never be filled by anything other than Christ, whom they themselves have excluded for whatever reason despite their outward pretenses of faith and religion. And so they continue trying to fill the endless chasm that is within them with more and more vilification of others.

     Indeed, such people may be deserving of condemnation, but much more than that they are in need of compassion and pity. What else can we do but pity someone who has such a low opinion of themselves that they seek to build self-esteem by tearing down others? If they had Christ, they would have no such need – and thus we can be filled with nothing but the greatest pity and compassion for them. Yet we cannot be blind to the great destruction to the church that they have done over the centuries and continue to do now, including being the root cause for many people leaving the church and even the faith altogether. That is a great and immense tragedy. None of us is omnipotent, and so we should each pray and find our own way to improve the situation through our own example.

Imperial Roman Church Promotes Service on World Hunger Day

 

By A. DiNardo

FIRENZE-NUOVA ROMA 16 October 2022 (NRom)

Today is World Hunger Day. This is a call to everyone to serve! 

As a sovereign entity and a church that is both Orthodox and Catholic, the Imperial Roman Church's ecclesiastical territories include some of the world's most impoverished areas. From soup kitchens to disaster relief, our people continue to serve the poor, the marginalised, and the starving on multiple continents. 

Following the call of the Papa-Catholicos of Rome-Ruthenia "...that we may all embrace and serve one another in the example of Christ," please consider contributing to local and world food banks and serving those in need directly. 

Princely House of Riboalte incorporated into the Pontifical Nobility

By Jean DuBois

FIRENZE-NUOVA ROMA 15 October 2022 (NR
om)

Earlier this week, the Papa-Catholicos of Rome-Ruthenia admitted the Most Serene Princely House of Riboalte, headed by H.R.S.H. Prince Joan de Riboalte, to the nobility of the Pontifical Imperial State of Rome-Ruthenia. The modern Pontifical Roman State is an ecclesiastical entity that carries on the history and tradition of the original Pontifical States, the Roman Empire, and the various Holy Roman Empire states that form part of the patrimony of the Imperial Roman Church. 

The House of Riboalte is governed by a system of elective monarchy, which elects the heir and the Head of the House. The head of the House of Riboalte also holds hereditary titles from the House of Piccolomini d'Aragona, including Prince of Modanella. The house also oversee the Sovereign Honorary Order of Riboalte (SOHR) and the Brotherhood Knights and Dames of the Holy True Cross (HCDSVC).

Conquering Hypocrisy and Satan

FIRENZE-NUOVA ROMA 7 October 2022 (NRom)

On the Feast of Our Lady of Victory, His Holiness the Papa-Catholicos of Rome-Ruthenia, Rutherford I released the following pontifical letter entitled Conquering Hypocrisy and Satan.

“O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?” (Luke 12.56). Hypocrisy is a well-known trait – so much so that we perhaps have all become numb to it. We see it on an individual basis, and we see it in organisations and national governments. So often hypocrisy accompanies interfering in someone else’s business – an all-to-common individual and organisational trait. It is often even a national trait. Moral complacency – such as simply saying “hypocrisy is just a fact of life” – is moral complicity. On a societal scale, it is among the signs of a society that has given into satanic influences.

Hypocrisy on an individual scale can certainly cause problems for others. On an organisational, governmental, and global scale, however, the effects can be an humanitarian crisis and prolonged, escalated death and destruction. Conflict is an unfortunate but regular part of life. Between nations, cannon are the last argument of kings. Indeed, there is “…a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.” (Ecclesiastes 3:8).

Yet on both a large and a small scale, there are those who seek to interfere in the business of others, and there are those that, rather than live and let live, insist on trying to force others to live and act according to their rules and according to their permission. Such interference easily makes a difficult situation worse and a tense, dangerous situation even more deadly. As our Lord said, blessed are the peacemakers. Yet some come in the guise of a peacemaker, duplicitously bringing false promises contrary to God.

Interference becomes all the more complex when one party condemns another for doing the very same thing that they themselves have done on a regular basis. The one party says that whatever they do, no matter the cost to others, no matter the merits of the initial argument or the outcome, it is righteous and good. Then they condemn the other party for doing the selfsame thing. It is a double standard in the extreme. However, it is one thing when it is merely a complaint, for the dog barks and the wind carries it away. It is an entirely different thing when interfering actions cause real damage – even more so when the damage is on a very wide scale impacting countless lives.

Now, if a particular nation did something that they have come to believe is wrong, they might potentially be correct in speaking against it when it is done by others. For that to be genuine, however, there must be true contrition – an admission of guilt coupled with acts of reparation and atonement, as well as a strong resolve that such will never be done again. Yet, this is invariably lacking, as much of the world’s leadership climbs on a moral soapbox built on the blood and bones of the victims of their policies while pointing the finger at others.

Indeed, some people claw their way to their position, even through questionable and unethical behaviour. Upon reaching their goal, they say “I have mine, so a pox on you.” They set barriers and barricades to thwart others, create rules to prevent others from making the same achievements, try to rig the system so that their permission is required for advancement, and suddenly and hypocritically condemn in others the same questionable actions that got them to their position. This is not merely an individual phenomenon, but seen in organisations. It is regularly seen in nations.

So often the “developed” nations attempt to force hegemony on other nations, particularly developing nations. A developed nation may have done certain things in its rise to power that it now decides to condemn as wrong, seeking to stop such actions from being done by other nations in their quest for development and national advancement. That is inevitably done under some sort of benevolent-sounding heading, such as environmental protection, human rights, or even peace. Yet, “[the servants of Satan] disguise themselves as servants of righteousness.” (II Corinthians 11). The real purpose is power and control. At least in the age of kings and great empires, there was no pretense in the sense of what we see today. Motivation was arguably far more transparent and honest.

Indeed, in the age of kings and great empires in Christendom, for all its faults (for anything human will be flawed), underlying society was at least the firm footing of the Christian faith. Despite human frailty, laws, policies, diplomacy, and even warfare were built on a foundation of the Christian faith. As the Apostles tell us, works without faith are meaningless, and faith without action is no faith at all. Much of the world today has indeed lost its faith and become guided by satanic influences.

What can we do? First, we must learn to separate those things that we can control from those things that we cannot. Even the most powerful men on earth cannot control everything, no matter how they may try. Then we must seek on an individual basis to build our entire lives on the Christian faith. Everything we do, while still recognising our frailty as humans, must flow from the altar of God. We must encourage this in others, both by words and above all by our own example. Since society is comprised of individuals, individual faith and faith-based action can only serve to remove Satan from power and improve society as a whole. This then can improve government and world events. As our Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.” (Luke 17.6.) Therefore, “put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” (Ephesians 6.11.)