The Cubiculum of the Veiled Woman. Fresco found in the Catacombs of Priscilla, Rome, Italy and dated to 250 CE. It shows a woman wearing a rich purple garment and a veil, with her hands raised in the position used by priests for public worship. Some say this is an orant figure - meaning a figure with hands raised in prayer and not a priest. Of course there were some who would not want it known that there were indeed female clergy, hence the term orant.
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The Australian Church of Antioch
An Independent Catholic Church
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ACoA is an Independent Catholic Church. We follow the traditions of the Catholic Church with an open mind. Esoteric Teachings and Gnostic values also apply. We are a "Universal" Church that accepts any Faith as valid. We do not judge anyone for their beliefs, race, creed or colour. We are all from the same source, we all share the same water, air, planet and God. We can coexist peacefully and also with nature ...... it has been done before.
"It was at Antioch that they were first called Christians"
Presiding Archbishop Frank Bugge
We Seek Better Things
Presiding Archbishop Frank Bugge
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The Australian Church of Antioch is an Independent Catholic style Church, registered by the Government of Australia as a fully recognised religion. Although we are of a Liberal Catholic style, we are accepting of mystic and gnostic investigation into the truths of Spiritual life, still retaining all the old traditional and beautiful rituals and with genuine Apostolic Succession of Clergy. As has been stated --- our lines were obtained in 1987 via Church of Antioch U.S.A. at the hands of Archbishop Patriarch Herman Spruit, who passed on his seventeen lines of direct succession, and also bestowed upon us the right to be fully autonomous so that we are self governing and owe no allegiance to anyone but God. At the consecration of Presiding Archbishop Frank Bugge and Archbishop Chearle Bugge, a further two lines of succession were introduced into the Australian Church of Antioch via Archdruid Cluthin of the Druidic Christian and Celtic Christian lines. These two lines have an exceedingly strong female lineage.
ACoA is also a Mystical and Gnostic Church in that we will accept that there are many different roads leading to God's mansion. To this end we try to always seek the things we have in common with all of the other religions and philosophies. For those who feel they are drawn to a more monastic style of worship, we can recommend the choice of Franciscan, and/or Celtic Christian orders. We are in full communion with Antioch in Argentina, Ascension Alliance, Reformed Old Catholic Church, and we hope to become harmonious with other independent churches along the way. We welcome all people to our Mass, and we do not think we have the right to refuse any of the comfort of our Lord if they approach our Altar with dignity and reverence. All are welcome to receive the Holy Sacraments. We do not ask or care if you are married, divorced, de-facto, gay, or any other state of being. We would not dare to think we have the right to Judge anyone, when Jesus felt even he had not that right. To this end it is clearly written in the good book that the Lord Jesus said openly to his disciples --- "JUDGE NOT LEST YE BE JUDGED" Mathew 7:1. |
The Church's Christian Origins
For the beginnings of The Australian Church of Antioch, we must go back to Antioch in Syria to the year 503BC. It was at this time that some of the followers of Zoroaster who were more enlightened than most, were instructed by Darius, (the Persian ruler at that time), to start The Temple of Antioch, which at that time was part of Syria. This temple was to be a place of learning, you could even call it by modern day standards a University. The wise "Professors" of this temple knew of the coming of the next avatar (Jesus The Christed One), and they accordingly taught those who were interested to prepare for this event. Some of those who showed interest were the men that we now know as the three wise men at Jesus' birth. They also knew a place was necessary to act as a base for the work of God be propagated on earth, and thus was Antioch constructed. Around this Temple eventually grew the City of Antioch. As the ordinary folk did not realise that there would be a connection between Jesus The Christ and Antioch, the temple was literally left in peace to be there when it was necessary for it to become the birthplace of Christianity. Jesus was quite aware of all of this and he visited every one of the places that would start up a church in his name, and quite a few other places as well. This accounts for all those years between his boyhood and the beginning of his ministry.
In early 38AD, the Apostles Peter, Paul and Thomas went to Antioch and there they started the first church to in actual fact be a Christian Church. Thomas is credited with starting the Antioch Church simply because the hierarchy of the temple would not recognise Peter as a disciple of Jesus because he was first a disciple of John the Baptist before he followed Jesus. Paul, being a student of one of the most famous scholars of the day, was relegated to the status of highly esteemed scholar in preference of disciple of Jesus. This left Thomas who they did recognise as a genuine disciple of Jesus. It was thus that the first Christian Church was created and the line of succession given is derived from Thomas. In actual fact the trio of Peter, Paul and Thomas performed the first consecration of three Bishops of Antioch.
In late 38AD, Joseph of Arimithea, (the uncle of Jesus and one of the 72 further disciples Jesus created) went to Glastenbury in England. Near the site of the future Church he drove his wooden staff into the ground, according to historians this staff took root and grew into a tree. A cutting from this tree was planted nearby which still stands today. (It is said that to this day the British Queen received a sprig of this tree every year on the day after Christmas, as she is the perceived head of the Anglican Church). This was the true beginning of the Original Anglican Church from which the Culdees, Irish, Welsh Celtic Churches are derived.
It was some years later that Peter, Paul and Thomas went to Rome and started the Roman Church. It is perfectly obvious that Antioch was the first Christian Church, Anglican the second, and the Roman Church the last. The Roman Church denies this, claiming to be the original Church, but the Romans ruling the Church came only with the might of the Roman Army to enforce it when the Roman Caesar decided to become Christian.
When the Roman emperor Constantine declared Rome to be Christian, it was with the backing of the Roman Army that all were forced into subjection under the Roman Pope and acknowledge him as head of their Churches. The Culdees (a mixture of Joseph of Arimithea's followers and Druids) resisted the Romans successfully by going into hiding and meeting in secret. The Coptic Church of Egypt that was started by the Apostle Mark approx 40-60AD was also ground down by the Roman Army until they eventually fled into the Egyptian desert and with the passage of time asserted their independence once again. Things changed after the Roman Army lost its power, when the Orthodox, and most of the other churches once again asserted their independence, but by this time the Roman Church has instituted many changes, not all being for the better. Some of these changes over time included recommending celibacy, (but not actually forcibly introduced until the 10th century) no women clergy, and many other minor changes. Previously to this time, women were in the clergy, and to be a Priest you HAD to be married. The Anglicans however blundered on until the time Henry the VIII, and then by Royal decree they were literally ordered to once again become independent.
The Australian Church of Antioch has unbroken lineage from all of these sources as well as other lines which mainly emanate from these origins.
The Australian Church of Antioch derives additional lines of succession from Archbishop Spruit and Archbishop Frank and Chearle Bugge's co-consecrators. These lines include Syrian Jacobite Patriarch of Antioch, Patriarch of Moscow, Armenian Catholicate-Patriarch of Cilicia, The Metropolitan Archbishops of Albania, The Coptic Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria, The Non-Juring Anglican Bishops, Celtic Christian lines, Druid Christian Kanasi lines, Anglican, Roman Catholic.
The Irish and the Welsh Celtic Churches were an offshoot of the original Anglican Church, which at that time were called the Culdees, and they resisted successfully the Roman domination by hiding and meeting in secret for many years.
It is from the main lines of succession (Antioch, Anglican and Roman) plus the Coptic Church that all Apostolic lines are derived. The Australian Church of Antioch has 19 avenues of genuine, provable succession through these original sources.
In early 38AD, the Apostles Peter, Paul and Thomas went to Antioch and there they started the first church to in actual fact be a Christian Church. Thomas is credited with starting the Antioch Church simply because the hierarchy of the temple would not recognise Peter as a disciple of Jesus because he was first a disciple of John the Baptist before he followed Jesus. Paul, being a student of one of the most famous scholars of the day, was relegated to the status of highly esteemed scholar in preference of disciple of Jesus. This left Thomas who they did recognise as a genuine disciple of Jesus. It was thus that the first Christian Church was created and the line of succession given is derived from Thomas. In actual fact the trio of Peter, Paul and Thomas performed the first consecration of three Bishops of Antioch.
In late 38AD, Joseph of Arimithea, (the uncle of Jesus and one of the 72 further disciples Jesus created) went to Glastenbury in England. Near the site of the future Church he drove his wooden staff into the ground, according to historians this staff took root and grew into a tree. A cutting from this tree was planted nearby which still stands today. (It is said that to this day the British Queen received a sprig of this tree every year on the day after Christmas, as she is the perceived head of the Anglican Church). This was the true beginning of the Original Anglican Church from which the Culdees, Irish, Welsh Celtic Churches are derived.
It was some years later that Peter, Paul and Thomas went to Rome and started the Roman Church. It is perfectly obvious that Antioch was the first Christian Church, Anglican the second, and the Roman Church the last. The Roman Church denies this, claiming to be the original Church, but the Romans ruling the Church came only with the might of the Roman Army to enforce it when the Roman Caesar decided to become Christian.
When the Roman emperor Constantine declared Rome to be Christian, it was with the backing of the Roman Army that all were forced into subjection under the Roman Pope and acknowledge him as head of their Churches. The Culdees (a mixture of Joseph of Arimithea's followers and Druids) resisted the Romans successfully by going into hiding and meeting in secret. The Coptic Church of Egypt that was started by the Apostle Mark approx 40-60AD was also ground down by the Roman Army until they eventually fled into the Egyptian desert and with the passage of time asserted their independence once again. Things changed after the Roman Army lost its power, when the Orthodox, and most of the other churches once again asserted their independence, but by this time the Roman Church has instituted many changes, not all being for the better. Some of these changes over time included recommending celibacy, (but not actually forcibly introduced until the 10th century) no women clergy, and many other minor changes. Previously to this time, women were in the clergy, and to be a Priest you HAD to be married. The Anglicans however blundered on until the time Henry the VIII, and then by Royal decree they were literally ordered to once again become independent.
The Australian Church of Antioch has unbroken lineage from all of these sources as well as other lines which mainly emanate from these origins.
The Australian Church of Antioch derives additional lines of succession from Archbishop Spruit and Archbishop Frank and Chearle Bugge's co-consecrators. These lines include Syrian Jacobite Patriarch of Antioch, Patriarch of Moscow, Armenian Catholicate-Patriarch of Cilicia, The Metropolitan Archbishops of Albania, The Coptic Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria, The Non-Juring Anglican Bishops, Celtic Christian lines, Druid Christian Kanasi lines, Anglican, Roman Catholic.
The Irish and the Welsh Celtic Churches were an offshoot of the original Anglican Church, which at that time were called the Culdees, and they resisted successfully the Roman domination by hiding and meeting in secret for many years.
It is from the main lines of succession (Antioch, Anglican and Roman) plus the Coptic Church that all Apostolic lines are derived. The Australian Church of Antioch has 19 avenues of genuine, provable succession through these original sources.
Founding Patriarch +++Herman Adrian Spruit and Matriarch +++Meri Louise Spruit.
Abp Herman Adrian Spruit & Abp Meri Louise Spruit
Patriarch +++Herman Adrian Spruit, the founding Archbishop of the Church of Antioch had 17 lines of direct lineage of true Apostolic succession when he started the Church of Antioch, in the U.S.A.
When Archbishops +++Herman and +++Meri visited Australia in 1987, they were both endowed with two more genuine lines of succession from Archdruid Cluthin from Druidic Christian and Celtic Christian lines. This lineage is mentioned in Leadbeater's book "The Science of the Sacraments" as the source of strong female lines brought into the Christian Church. Leadbeater sought these lines, and knew they would be bestowed upon the Christian Church in Australia. This is the true reason why Leadbeater originally came to Australia, but it was the Spruit's and the Bugge's that finally got them intertwined into the Christian Church lineage via the Church of Antioch USA, and the Australian Church of Antioch. While +++Herman Spruit already had good lines of female succession, this action ensured no sensible valid argument could ever be given against the claim of the authentic strong female line of the Church of Antioch. These were very strong lines of unbroken female succession. It is from all these wonderful people that the Apostolic succession of Australian lines descend form. The Spruits vision was thus --- that the Church should be open to all people, regardless of any other fact of life, and in this The Australian Church of Antioch heartily agrees and follows these principles. The Patriarch once said:
"The Catholic Church of Antioch is a spiritual community that celebrated the oneness and divinity of all creation. Our mission is to assist in raising the consciousness of all humanity, transform lives, and to assist in the healing of ourselves and the planet through service."
Abp Meri Louise Spruit
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(Pictured Left) The crosier that Abp Meri Louise holds was made by Abp Frank Bugge after her visit to Australia in 1987 along with Abp Herman Spruit, to Consecrate both Abp Frank Bugge and Abp Chearle Bugge, to begin the journey of The Australian Church of Antioch.
The M stands for Mother Mary Matriarch. In each point of the M are set 5 green stones on either side making 10 in total. Also 4 garnets are set into the top section, approximately 6 inches above the staff where the M connects to it, to represent N.S.E.W & Earth Air Fire & Water. The metal work is heavily gold plated. |
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We wish to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land and the diverse nature of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across Australia. We pay respect to the Elders, past, present and future, and celebrate their stories, culture and traditions, and especially their Kadaisha men and women who carry the esoteric knowledge of the Ages.
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