Official Record of Apostolic Succession of

Official Record of Apostolic Succession of
‡Michael Vincent Seneco, SPSA
Questions of Apostolic Succession arise normally in the desire by Roman Catholics, Anglicans, and Eastern
Catholics to ensure that the Church they are attending is recognized as being “validly Catholic”.
Often, poorly formed and uneducated, but well-meaning Roman Catholic clergy will attempt to dissuade
someone from becoming involved in the autocephalous Catholic Movement, by falsely claiming that our
Church is not recognised as having valid sacraments and orders. This contradicts the teaching of the
Roman Catholic Church, and such clergy ought to know better.
In Dominus Iesus, the declaration on the unicity and salvific universality of Jesus Christ and the Church,
Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI), who was then prefect of the Roman Catholic Congregation
for the Doctrine of the Faith states, “Therefore, there exists a single Church of Christ, which subsists in the
Catholic Church, governed by the Successor of Peter and by the Bishops in communion with him. The
Churches which, while not existing in perfect communion with the Catholic Church, remain united to her by
means of the closest bonds, that is, by apostolic succession and a valid Eucharist, are true particular
Churches. Therefore, the Church of Christ is present and operative also in these Churches, even though
they lack full communion with the Catholic Church, since they do not accept the Catholic doctrine of the
Primacy, which, according to the will of God, the Bishop of Rome objectively has and exercises over the
entire Church." (See also: Second Vatican Council, Decree Unitatis redintegratio, 3.; Congregation for the
Doctrine of the Faith, Declaration Mysterium Ecclesiae, 1: AAS 65 (1973), 396-398.; Second Vatican
Council, Decree Unitatis redintegratio, 14 and 15; Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Letter
Communionis notio, 17: AAS 85 (1993), 848.; First Vatican Council, Constitution Pastor aeternus: DS 3053-
3064; Second Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution Lumen gentium, 22.)
Through ordination and the laying on of hands, in accordance with Eastern (Marionite) Rite, the Apostolic
Succession of Michael Vincent Seneco can be traced back to St. Peter, St. Andrew, St. James the Lesser
(Bishop of Jerusalem), St. Thomas, St. Augustine and St. Gregorius.
On March 1, 2006, before the people of God and in the Name of the Consubstantial and Most Blessed
Trinity, Archbishop Michael Seneco was consecrated by Archbishop F. Francis-Maria Salvato and assisted
by Bishop Steven Delaney, according to the Eastern (Maronite) Rite.
On July 26, 2006 the Archbishop formed the Society of Pope Saint Anacletus.
On September 7 , 2006 in keeping with the ancient traditions of the church, the Archbishop assumed the
Titular See of Cesarea in Cappadocia, giving him the title Archepiscopus Titularis Caesariensis in
Cappadocia.
Documented herein, we recognize His Excellency ‡Michael Vincent Seneco, SPSA, as being:
252 nd in succession from St. Peter the Apostle
171 st in succession from St. Andrew the Apostle
162 nd in succession from St. James the Apostle
150 th in succession from St. Thaddaeus the Disciple
130 th in succession from St. John the Apostle
126 th in succession from St. Thomas the Apostle
122 nd in succession from St. Agai of the Seventy
120 th in succession from St. Abris, cousin of the Blessed Virgin Mary
97 th in succession from St. Augustine of Canterbury
72 nd in succession from St. Anselm
68 th in succession from St. Thomas Beckett
23 rd in succession from Dominicus Marie Varlet
17 th in succession from the Orthodox Patriarch, St. Tikhon
11 th in succession from Joseph Rene Vilatte
10 th in succession from Arnold Harris Matthew
9 th in succession from Henry Carmel Carfora, OFM
6 th in succession from St. Carlos Duarte-Costa of Brazil