NOTE: We do not intend to or defame any individual or group intentionally. We offer herein the truth as we know it about our canonically established Church and those who make false claims that they are us in some way or that they have our lines, which we deny generally esp. when the lines are traced back to our Church from Ignatius Nichols and from non-orthodox lines.
Note: Our short name "American Orthodox Catholic Church" is being used by numerous independent groups who claim to be us. By using our name either directly or indirectly they are claiming to be this Church. These individuals are not associated with this Church and are part of what is called the independent movement. We have also found some Antiochian Churches using our short name or part of it claiming to be the American Orthodox (Catholic) Church. They are not and none have any sacramental authority from this Church.
Due to all the false and misleading claims by members of the independent movement who state they are us, are us under a different name, claim our history and lines of Apostolic succession in an unorthodox manner or just use our name but admit directly or indirectly to being old catholic we have had to put together a list of as many as we have located who make these claims.
You might also note that in these independent groups some are homosexual, some ordain women while others are accused or convicted of sexual abuse (registered sexual offenders). You must be very careful in dealing with these groups.
I feel that any group who:
a. Claims to be us under a different name
b. Uses one of our names to claim they are us
c. or infringes any of our Service Marks or Copyrights
are unchristian and not Christian clergy.
Their claims of our lines are old catholic
since in orthodoxy they could not obtain our lines in any manner.
We do not state that any one group is not who or what they claim except when they claim to be us or use one of our names and history. We state that;
1. they are not in any way canonical Orthodox (to the best of our
knowledge),
2. their lines do not trace to us - The Holy Eastern Orthodox
Catholic and Apostolic Church in North America (inc.), and many use our short
name since 1927 - "American Orthodox Catholic Church" and
We are the one and only canonically established American Orthodox Catholic
Church (THEOCACNA) and all those not part of this Church who use this name are
misleading the public.
Following is a list of groups who have claimed in the past or still claim to be us by using one of our names, either the corporate name of THEOCACNA, the short name (American Orthodox Catholic Church) or both. You should understand that the name
For the most part these groups are part of the Independent Movement.
Many claim to have lines of Apostolic Succession from Bishop
From our Church Constitution dated December 1, 1927.
The religious body organized hereunder shall be known both ecclesiastically and in civil law (by incorporation) as "THE HOLY EASTERN ORTHODOX CATHOLIC AND APOSTOLIC CHURCH IN NORTH AMERICA" ("THE AMERICAN ORTHODOX CATHOLIC CHURCH"). Either the first part of this legal title or the shorter second part exclosed in parentheses shall be deemed sufficient designation to point out this body to the exclusion of any other in all cases except where the full corporate title is required for purposes of civil legal documents.
Since US Code states that use of a trade name for 5 years makes it the owners name and ownership is incontestable. We declare that based on Article 1 shown above from our 1927 Constitution that this is proof of our ownership. All who use either name are infringing this Chuch and that is a violation of the law. We clearly own our names shown above.
We, the lawful owners of the name, "The American Orthodox Catholic Church" state as follows;
Any group using our name and not part of The Holy Eastern Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church in North America (chartered 1927) and (bishops) not shown on the Synod Directory on our website are not part of the True American Orthodox Catholic Church - THEOCACNA and have no sacramental authority from this Church.
The 2 links below go to the pages listing those claiming to be us using our legal name or claiming they changed our name, those claiming our lines of Apostolic Succession, Church Charter or history.
Claims made are documented in our files, from their own statements and claims as well as from independent sources.