Our Patriarch
His
Beatitude, the late Dom Luis Fernando Castillo Mendez
Patriarch of the Worldwide Communion
Early life and ministry
Castillo Méndez was born in Caracas, Venezuela on December 4, 1922. After studying in the Roman Catholic archdiocesan seminary in Caracas, he was ordained a priest at Solsona in Catalonia (Spain) on Thursday, August 10, 1944, by Bishop Valentín Comellas y Santamaría. Upon returning to Venezuela, at a time of massive upheaval in the country, Castillo Méndez became involved in a movement called the "Curas Criollos" (Native Priests or literally 'Creole Priests'). Having learned through periodicals about the church reform movement led by Dom Carlos Duarte Costa in Brazil, and the founding of the Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church in 1945, Castillo Méndez entered into correspondence with Duarte Costa.
Separation from the Catholic Church
In 1947 Castillo Méndez and three other clergy formally established the "Venezuelan Apostolic Church." Like the Brazilian church led by Duarte Costa, the Venezuelan church was to be independent of the Vatican, would use Spanish instead of Latin in the liturgy, and would permit its clergy to marry. Castillo Méndez filed the new church's organizational papers with the Interior Ministry in early 1947, stating that 250 fellow priests had elected him Bishop of Caracas. The Minister of Interior immediately ordered the Federal police to ensure that Castillo Méndez not wear the vestments or insignia of the office of Bishop. However, the new church did receive public approval from the Democratic Action and Communist Parties.
On March 8, 1947 Castillo Méndez and the other three founders of the Venezuelan church were formally excommunicated from the Catholic Church. Catholic Archbishop Lucas Guillermo Castillo stated in the excommunication directive that the four priests had "violated fundamental dogma of the Roman Catholic Church and held concepts blasphemous and offensive to the person and authority of Pope Pius XII." The notice further stated that any Catholics who supported the new church would also be excommunicated.
Entry into the Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church
In 1947 Castillo Méndez was serving as pastor of St. Teresa's parish in Caracas. Having been elected leader by his fellow priests in the nascent national church, he sought to go to Brazil to receive episcopal consecration from Duarte Costa. However, the Venezuelan government did not consent to this trip, nor would it allow Duarte Costa to enter Venezuela. In the end, Castillo Méndez and Duarte Costa made arrangements to meet in the Panama Canal Zone, a territory under the jurisdiction of the United States, which did not have formal diplomatic relations with the Vatican. On May 3, 1948, Duarte Costa consecrated Castillo Méndez as a bishop, with the title of Bishop of Caracas and Primate of Venezuela.
Castillo Méndez's consecration led to his official banishment from Venezuela. He arrived in Brazil on June 21, 1950, where he was installed by Duarte Costa as parish vicar and diocesan bishop of Uberlandia in the state of Minas Gerais. In 1957 he was moved to Rio de Janeiro where he served as auxiliary bishop. He was reassigned to Brasilia in 1960 or 1961, where he served as bishop of the state of Goias. In 1961 he acquired Brazilian citizenship.
The fourth Bishop that Dom Carlos Duarte Costa gave the Apostolic Succession to was Bishop Dom Luis Fernando Castillo Mendez, in the Balboa Republic of Panama on May 3, 1948, with the title of “Patriarch of Caracas” and Primate of Venezuela, for having founded the Venezuelan Catholic Apostolic National Church. Later in June 1950, Dom Luis Fernando Castillo Mendez was pursued by the government of Venezuela, by order of the Roman Catholic Church. He escaped to Brazil, where he was nominated by Dom Carlos Duarte Costa to be the Diocesan Bishop of Brasilia, and later acquired Brazilian citizenship. Upon the death of Duarte Costa, he became the Patriarch of Brazil and the Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church. The PAtriarch passed on to his eternal reward in 2009.
Consecration photo of Roman Catholic Archbishop Duarte Costa
after consecrating Bishop Luis Fernando Castillo Mendez in 1948.
The Patriarch is helped into Church by Dom Josivaldo on his right,
attended by a crowd of well wishers.
ICAB grows
A recent census of ICAB revealed that the Church has has 58 dioceses and claims five million members in 17 countries. A new President of the Bishop's Council was elected in late 2007 namely Dom Josivaldo Pereira de Oliveira. The Patriarch does however retain his title and place of honor within ICAB as its second Patriarch. Shortly after, ICAB broke into 2 parts. Dom Josivaldo retained the smaller part with the internet presence and Dom Moreas retained the larger portion of the Church. We are in communion with Dom Moreas at the present and not with Dom Josivaldo.