Death of Principessa Donna Giuseppina Sacchi d'Epiro

By Alessandro DiNardo

BADIA PAVESE 18 February 2023 (NRom)

The Royal House of Epirus announced the death of H.R.H. Princess Donna Giuseppina Sacchi, Princess of Nicopolis, Duchess of Epirus, Countess of Lisio on 16 February 2023 after battling a long illness. The Princess was 84 years old and was the mother of H.R.H. Don Davide di S. Sofia, Grand Prince of Epirus. H.H. Papa-Prince Rutherford I, Catholicos of Rome-Ruthenia said, "The pontifical and imperial household joins in sympathy with the Royal House of Epirus in this moment of intense sorrow and mourning. The Princess was a grand lady and distinguished aristocrat of the old order, dedicated to faith and tradition." 

Change in Grand Master of the Noble Company

Pontifical and Imperial Collar
of the Papa-Prince, combining
the collars of the Supreme
Florentine-Roman Order
of Christ and the
Pontifical Order of the Eagle,
and the Patriarchal collars
of the Noble Company.

By Jean DuBois

FIRENZE-NUOVA ROMA 28 January 2023 (NRom)

The Pontifical Court has announced that the office of Grand Master of the Noble Company of St. Mary of Walsingham is permanently vested in the Papa-Prince of Rome-Ruthenia*. Thus, as of Fall 2022, His Holiness Rutherford I* became Grand Master. This brings the Noble Company's practice in line with that of the other orders of the Pontifical Imperial State and Apostolic See of Sts. Stephen and Mark. The Noble Company has been led by several other Grand Masters over the years, each appointed by Apostolic Mandate of the Papa-Prince and Catholicos. 

The Noble Company is an ecumenical Christian nobiliary association. Both by its charter and mandate, under the perpetual spiritual leadership of the Imperial Roman Church. However, Christians, regardless of denominational affiliation, are welcome in its ranks. Membership by heredity is based on descent from a noble family of any country or by descent from a member of the Noble Company. Membership by personal merit is based on a record of professional achievement, community work, and humanitarian service.

The Noble Company's website has also been recently updated, which may be seen here: www.noblecompany.org.

_________________

* Names and identity: This article retains the name used at the time of publication. Radislav Romanovich Johnson is the legally registered name of Pope Radislav I of Rome-Ruthenia. His ecclesiastical and public name, Pope Radislav I of Rome-Ruthenia, is formally documented in his United States passport under the United States Department of State’s “known as” endorsement. He previously published and taught under the name Rutherford Johnson. Further biographical information is available on his official biography.

Royal and Serene House of Chíquiza incorporated into the Pontifical Imperial State

By Alessandro DiNardo

BOGOTA 16 January 2023 (NRom)

His Holiness the Papa-Prince of Rome-Ruthenia recently incorporated the Royal and Serene House of Chíquiza into the nobility of the Pontifical Imperial State of Rome-Ruthenia (Stato Pontificio). The title Prince of Chíquiza is a sovereign subsidiary title, with rights of fons honorium (the right to grant other title and honors). The title was ceded to the Archduke of Alcazar, Pontifical Majordomo, from the Grand Prince Hernán Olano Garcia of Altai and Hyrcânia, whose house is also an incorporated sovereign house within the Pontifical Imperial State. The Grand Prince is also a descendant of the great chief Sugamuxi, within the indigenous nobility of modern-day Columbia. The incorporated houses of the Pontifical Imperial State are sovereign houses, often of formerly-ruling states or dynasties, that are not part of the direct patrimony of the Papa-Prince, but are under his ecclesiastical patronage and spiritual protection.

Sugamuxi, last Chief
and ruler of Suamox

Sugamuxi lived in the 16th century and was the last chief and high priest of the sacred City of the Sun Suamox. Their people lived in the Altiplano Cundiboyacense in the Columbian Andes before the arrival of the Spanish. The incorporation of both the Royal House of Altai and Hyrcânia and the Royal and Serene House of Chíquiza serves to strengthen the ties of the historic Pontifical Imperial State of Rome-Ruthenia to Christian people around the world, and especially to the indigenous people of South America.

Orthodox Old Catholic Apostolic See Canonised Benedict XVI

By Jean DuBois

FIRENZE-NUOVA ROMA 11 January 2022 (NRom)

Earlier today the Gallo-Russo-Byzantine Catholicos in his capacity as Supreme Pontiff of the Imperial Roman Church defined the late Pope Benedict XVI as a saint, adding him to the roll of the saints of the Church. Benedict was canonised for his importance to the autocephalous Orthodox Old Catholic Apostolic See of Saints Stephen and Mark and their efforts to re-unify eastern and western Christian traditions. His feast day was set at the day of his death, 31 December, with the rank of double. The Vatican Church, of which Benedict XVI had been Supreme Pontiff, has not at this time begun a cause for canonisation themselves, despite calls for that to begin.

Death of Pope Benedict XVI - Statement by the Papa-Prince of Rome-Ruthenia

FIRENZE-NUOVA ROMA 31 December 2022 (NRom)

His Holiness the Papa-Prince of Rome-Ruthenia issued the following statement on the death of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI. 

Early this morning, my court officials in the City of Rome informed me of the death of the Bishop Emeritus of Rome and my venerable Apostolic brother His Holiness Benedict XVI (Cardinal Ratzinger). This comes as a great sadness, though is accompanied with joy at the hope of his entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord in Heaven.

Benedict was not only the last Bishop of Rome to date to seek actively to restore the traditions of the Latin Church and of his office, but also was a devoted supporter of the Apostolic See of Sts. Stephen and Mark. He and his curia acting in his name acknowledged and endorsed our Orthodox and Old Catholic See and its legitimate autocephaly (independence of government from the See of Rome and other Sees) and our Patriarchal office, as well as our ecclesiastical monarchy, family dynasty, and their titular patrimony. It was he whom we succeeded as temporal successor of St. Peter the Apostle, and thus it is in part his legacy that we devoutly perpetuate in that office.

Benedict XVI was a Pope-Bishop of Rome who sought to do his duty as a guardian of the faith and tradition. In that regard, he is an example to all -- particularly to those in church leadership. We institute a period of mourning, therefore, in the Imperial Roman Church and the Pontifical Imperial State of Rome-Ruthenia of thirty days.  

Christmas Message of the Papa-Catholicos with Apostolic Blessing

FIRENZE-NUOVA ROMA 25 December 2022 (NRom)

His Holiness Rutherford I, Papa-Catholicos of Rome-Ruthenia gave his customary address with Apostolic Blessing ex Urbe on the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord. The complete video is available below: 

Tackling Anti-Clerical, Anti-Hate Speech

By Staff

FIRENZE-NUOVA ROMA 20 Nov 2022 (NRom)

For a long time, there has been a phrase of hate speech floating around traditional religion that has effected and impacted many good Christian people and clergy. It is no different than a racial slur. We cannot believe this is still tolerated in a time so focused on stamping out hate speech, and so the Apostolic See of Sts. Stephen and Mark has addressed that issue in the form of a Question and Answer.

Q: I have heard the term "Episcopi Vagantes" (Wandering Bishops) about some Orthodox and Old Catholics. What does it mean?

The term episcopi vagantes (Latin for "wandering bishops") is a highly offensive hate term really no different, for example, than using a certain racial slur about people of African descent. It is used as an insult by some who are either ill-informed or who think only their church and churches they approve of are "real." It is very similar to forms of racial, ethnic, and sexual discrimination seen around the world. Fortunately most normal people don't pay much attention to this type of hate speech.