Official Record of Apostolic Succession of

AN HISTORICAL BACKGROUND ON THE SUCCESSIONS DERIVED
THROUGH ARCHBISHOP HERMAN ADRIAN SPRUIT
In 1944 and 1945 there were a series of Codicil and Concordat's leading to the formation of the Federation
of Independent Catholic and Orthodox Bishops. The first of these united the major lines of Archbishop
Lowell Paul Wadle (American Catholic Church +Vilatte succession), Patriarch Anthony Aneed (Byzantine
Catholic Church-Greek Melchite succession) and Bishop Verostek (Bishop Commissary for the American
Old Roman Catholic Church)
In 1945 the first codicil to the American Concordat was made adding the lines of Bishop Charles Hampton,
Regionary Bishop of the Liberal Catholic Church (USA) and Archbishop Henry Joseph Kleefisch of the
Byzantine Universal Orthodox Church who held the Primacy of the Russian Orthodox Church.
These agreements made sure each member of FICOB held the same lines of apostolic succession with right
of survivorship in case of untimely death or disablement thus insuring untainted lines of primacy. It was
agreed that no Primate would raise anyone to the episcopate without all members of FICOB agreeing on the
qualifications of the candidate.
In 1957 Herman Adrian Spruit was consecrated a bishop for the first Church Universal by Bishops Charles
Hampton, Archbishop Lowell Paul Wadle and Bishop H. Francis Marshall.
Archbishop Kleefisch had passed away in 1955 leaving his primacy to Archbishop-Patriarch Anthony Aneed.
Bishop Verostek while very active during the mid 1940's later left the organization and continued to
consecrate bishops outside of the Federation.
Archbishop Herman Spruit became the President of the Federation of Independent Catholic and Orthodox
Bishops as his jurisdiction had with time become the largest and most viable of the membership.
On June 27, 1965 Archbishop Robert Raleigh (Boyle) and Archbishop Herman Spruit imposed hands on
each other in a specific ceremony for the purpose of uniting their respective jurisdictions. +Herman was
named coadjutor to the primacies held by Archbishop Robert Raleigh and became his successor. +Robert
Raleigh had consecrated Archbishop Lowell Paul Wadle and held the primacy of the Apostolic Christian
Church. He had also obtained the direct line of succession of Archbishop Samuel Gregory Lines in 1927
when they joined forces to form the Apostolic Christian Church and Archbishop Lines had been consecrated
by +Vilatte. Archbishop Robert Raleigh retired in 1965 shortly after naming Archbishop Herman A. Spruit his
successor.
Upon the untimely death of Archbishop Lowell Paul Wadle no successor had been appointed. The American
Catholic Church was for a time headed by a Priest and later turned over to H. Francis Marshall by the
claimants. Archbishop Herman Spruit elected not to get involved knowing the wreckage of many jurisdictions
historically have caused nothing but bitterness and strife leaving nothing in their wake but antagonists.
Upon the death of Patriarch Anthony Aneed in 1970, the primacy of the Byzantine Catholic Church passed
to Archbishop Herman A. Spruit. Within this jurisdiction were two major primacies. +Aneed's which included
the Greek Melchite lineage and +Kleefisch, which included the primacy of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Since Patriarch Aneed was enthroned Patriarch in 1946 the title of Patriarch then passed to +Herman by the
last will and testament of +Anthony Aneed. Many wonderful artifacts, +Aneed's crozier and records became
the property of the Church of Antioch.
Apostolic Succession from
The Mariavite Catholic Church of Poland
Bishop Johann Michael Kowalski was consecrated in Utrecht, Holland, on 5 October 1909 as Bishop for
the Polish Catholic Church of the Mariavites. Bishop Kowalski consecrated to the Sacred Episcopate:
Bishop Marc Marie (Paul Fatome) on 4 September 1938 as Regionary Bishop for France. Bishop Marc
Marie consecrated to the Sacred Episcopate: