Jules Ferrette, also spelled Julius Ferrette (22 April 1828 – 10 October 1904 or in 1903), was allegedly

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

Iona Iona (; gd, Ì Chaluim Chille (IPA: �iːˈxaɫ̪ɯimˈçiʎə, sometimes simply ''Ì''; sco, Iona) is a small island in the Inner Hebrides, off the Ross of Mull on the western coast of Scotland. It is mainly known for Iona Abbey, though there ...

; he is allegedly the founder of the

Ancient British Church The Ancient British Church was a British religious movement supposedly founded in the 19th century by Jules Ferrette (Mar Julius) and Richard Williams Morgan (Mar Pelagius). The Ancient British Church ceased to exist in 1944. Foundation Jules Fer ...

Biography

Ferrette was born in

Épinal Épinal (; german: Spinal) is a commune in northeastern France and the prefecture of the Vosges department. Geography The commune has a land area of . It is situated on the river Moselle, south of Nancy. Épinal station has rail connection ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, possibly of

Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

parents. Ferret joined the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

during his youth, then joined the Flavigny province of the

Dominican Order The Order of Preachers ( la, Ordo Praedicatorum) abbreviated OP, also known as the Dominicans, is a Catholic mendicant order of Pontifical Right for men founded in Toulouse, France, by the Spanish priest, saint and mystic Dominic of Cal ...

in 1851, where he was given the

religious name A religious name is a type of given name bestowed for a religious purposes, and which is generally used in such contexts. Christianity Catholic Church Baptismal name In baptism, Catholic Church, Catholics are given a Christian name, which should ...

Raymond. He thereafter studied philosophy and theology at

Grenoble lat, Gratianopolis , commune status = Prefecture and commune , image = Panorama grenoble.png , image size = , caption = From upper left: Panorama of the city, Grenoble’s cable cars, place Saint- ...

and

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, and was ordained a

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...

on 2 June 1855. He was a Dominican missionary in Mesopotamia and

Kurdistan Kurdistan ( ku, کوردستان ,Kurdistan ; lit. "land of the Kurds") or Greater Kurdistan is a roughly defined geo-cultural territory in Western Asia wherein the Kurds form a prominent majority population and the Kurdish culture, Kurdish la ...

from September to June 1856, but then apostasized from the Catholic Church. Ferrette became a

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

minister and

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...

. He worked with the

Irish Presbyterian Mission The Irish Presbyterian Mission was an Irish Presbyterian missionary society. Activities China It was involved in sending workers to countries such as China during the late Qing Dynasty. India It also sent missionaries to Kathiawar peninsula of G ...

Damascus )), is an adjective which means "spacious". , motto = , image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg , image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg , seal_type = Seal , map_caption = , ...

from 1858 to 1865, and assisted Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood's Mission to the poor Christians of

Mount Lebanon Mount Lebanon ( ar, جَبَل لُبْنَان, ''jabal lubnān'', ; syr, ܛܘܪ ܠܒ݂ܢܢ, ', , ''ṭūr lewnōn'' french: Mont Liban) is a mountain range in Lebanon. It averages above in elevation, with its peak at . Geography The Mount Le ...

from 1860 to 1862. Ferrette claims he was consecrated as the Bishop of

and its dependencies by Mutran Boutros (later the

Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch The Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch ܦܛܪܝܪܟܐ ܕܐܢܛܝܘܟܝܐ is the bishop of Antioch, and head of the Syriac Orthodox Church ( Syriac: ܥܺܕܬܳܐ ܣܽܘ̣ܪܝܳܝܬܳܐ ܬܪܺܝܨܰܬ ܫܽܘ̣ܒ̣ܚܳܐ). He is the Head of the Hol ...

) at

Homs Homs ( , , , ; ar, حِمْص / ALA-LC: ; Levantine Arabic: / ''Ḥomṣ'' ), known in pre-Islamic Syria as Emesa ( ; grc, Ἔμεσα, Émesa), is a city in western Syria and the capital of the Homs Governorate. It is Metres above sea level ...

(

Emesa Homs ( , , , ; ar, حِمْص / ALA-LC: ; Levantine Arabic: / ''Ḥomṣ'' ), known in pre-Islamic Syria as Emesa ( ; grc, Ἔμεσα, Émesa), is a city in western Syria and the capital of the Homs Governorate. It is Metres above sea level ...

) on 2 June 1866 who was allegedly acting ''solus'' and would have given Ferrette a mission to introduce

Oriental Orthodoxy The Oriental Orthodox Churches are Eastern Christian churches adhering to Miaphysite Christology, with approximately 60 million members worldwide. The Oriental Orthodox Churches are part of the Nicene Christian tradition, and represent ...

to the

West West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sunset, Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic languages, German ...

. No original document of this alleged consecration is known to exist; Ferrette published what he claimed was an English translation of his Syrian consecration document after he arrived in London. Allegedly, in

Oxfordshire Oxfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the north west of South East England. It is a mainly rural county, with its largest settlement being the city of Oxford. The county is a centre of research and development, primarily ...

in 1858,

Richard Williams Morgan Richard Williams Morgan (1815–1889), also known by his bardic name Môr Meirion, was a Welsh Anglican priest, Welsh nationalist, campaigner for the use of the Welsh language and author. Morgan's outspoken criticism of English bishops in Wales w ...

, an

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...

priest, was conditionally "baptised, confirmed, ordained and consecrated"

Patriarch The highest-ranking bishops in Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, the Catholic Church (above major archbishop and primate), the Hussite Church, Church of the East, and some Independent Catholic Churches are termed patriarchs (and in certai ...

of the

by Ferrette, and given by Ferrette the following

name A name is a term used for identification by an external observer. They can identify a class or category of things, or a single thing, either uniquely, or within a given context. The entity identified by a name is called its referent. A personal ...

and full title: Mar Pelagius I,

Hierarch An ordinary (from Latin ''ordinarius'') is an officer of a church or civic authority who by reason of office has ordinary power to execute laws. Such officers are found in hierarchically organised churches of Western Christianity which have an ...

Caerleon-on-Usk Caerleon (; cy, Caerllion) is a town and community in Newport, Wales. Situated on the River Usk, it lies northeast of Newport city centre, and southeast of Cwmbran. Caerleon is of archaeological importance, being the site of a notable Roma ...

. Ferrette died in

Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...

in 1904 or in 1903.

Apostolic succession claims

The following churches and bishops are the main ones which claim, have claimed or are believed to be descending from Ferrette's

apostolic succession Apostolic succession is the method whereby the ministry of the Christian Church is held to be derived from the apostles by a continuous succession, which has usually been associated with a claim that the succession is through a series of bish ...

through alleged episcopal consecrations received from Ferrette or from bishops who claim their consecration line goes back to Ferrette: *Jules Ferrette **

allegedly consecrated bishop by Ferrette. ***

Charles Isaac Stevens Charles Isaac Stevens (1835–1917) was allegedly the second patriarch of the Ancient British Church from 1889 to 1917 and also was ''primus'' of the Free Protestant Episcopal Church of England from 1900 to 1917. He was born on 28 November ...

, allegedly consecrated by

in 1879; Stevens was allegedly re-consecrated bishop by

Leon Chechemian Leon Chechemian (Mar Leon) (1848–1920) was an Armenian Christian cleric. In 1897, he was a founder of the Free Protestant Episcopal Church (full name: Free Protestant Episcopal Church of England), and that church's first primus. He is also co ...

sometimes after Stevens with Richardson had consecrated Chechemian (see below). ****

, allegedly consecrated in 1890 by

and A. S. Richardson (the latter was from the Reformed Episcopal Church in the United States). *****James Martin, allegedly consecrated bishop in 1897 by Leon Chechemian. ******Charles Albert McLaglen, consecrated bishop in 1897 by James Martin, Leon Chechemian, G.W.L. Maaers, and F. Boucher. *******Mar Jacobus II (Herbert James Monzani Heard), consecrated bishop by McLaglen. ********

William Bernard Crow William is a masculine given name of Norman French origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conques ...

, founder of the

esoteric Western esotericism, also known as esotericism, esoterism, and sometimes the Western mystery tradition, is a term scholars use to categorise a wide range of loosely related ideas and movements that developed within Western society. These ideas a ...

Order of Holy Wisdom; ordained bishop in 1943 by Mar Jacobus II under the name Mar Bernard, then took the name Abdullah III. *********

Hugh George de Willmott Newman Hugh George de Willmott Newman (17 January 1905 – 28 February 1979) was an Independent Catholic or independent Old Catholic bishop. He was known religiously as Mar Georgius I and bore the titles, among others, of Patriarch of Glastonbury, ...

, ordained bishop in 1944 by Abdullah III. **********

British Orthodox Church The British Orthodox Church (BOC), formerly the Orthodox Church of the British Isles, is an independent Oriental Orthodox church. The British Orthodox Church has not been in communion with any of the Oriental Orthodox churches since a 2015 de ...

and abba Seraphim ***********

Celtic Orthodox Church The Celtic Orthodox Church (COC; ), also called the Holy Celtic Church, is an autocephalous Christian church founded in the 20th century in France. Since 25 December 2007, the Celtic Orthodox Church has been in communion with the French Orthodox ...

********Mar Frederic (Harrington), consecrated bishop under condition by Jacobus II. *********The line of succession also continued at least into the late 1950s in Britain under Dorian A. F. Herbert of

Newport, Wales Newport ( cy, Casnewydd; ) is a city and Local government in Wales#Principal areas, county borough in Wales, situated on the River Usk close to its confluence with the Severn Estuary, northeast of Cardiff. With a population of 145,700 at the 2 ...

, who was the head of . Herbert founded the Jesuene Church, also called the Free Orthodox-Catholic Church, in 1937. Thereafter, Herbert was consecrated bishop of

Caerleon Caerleon (; cy, Caerllion) is a town and community in Newport, Wales. Situated on the River Usk, it lies northeast of Newport city centre, and southeast of Cwmbran. Caerleon is of archaeological importance, being the site of a notable Roman ...

in 1937 by the primate of the Orthodox-Keltic Church of the

British Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations, simply referred to as the Commonwealth, is a political association of 56 member states, the vast majority of which are former territories of the British Empire. The chief institutions of the organisation are the Co ...

, Mar Frederic (Harrington). On 3 December 1944, Herbert was re-consecrated bishop by Willmott Newman. After this, Herbert "later syling himself Mar Doreo and regarding himself as the successor of Mar Pelagius (Morgan) ..revived the ..Ancient British Church" which had ceased to exist as it had merged into the

Catholicate of the West The Catholicate of the West was a Christian denomination established in 1944 and which ceased to exist in 1994 to become the British Orthodox Church. The denomination was also known as the Catholic Apostolic Church, the Catholicate of the West ( ...

. In 1957, the name of Herbert's church was changed to "Ancient British Church (Agnostic)", with "(Agnostic)" meaning his church did not follow any

dogma Dogma is a belief or set of beliefs that is accepted by the members of a group without being questioned or doubted. It may be in the form of an official system of principles or doctrines of a religion, such as Roman Catholicism, Judaism, Islam ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ferrette, Jules 1828 births 1904 deaths People from Épinal French Oriental Orthodox Christians Converts to Oriental Orthodoxy from Roman Catholicism British Oriental Orthodox Christians Dominican missionaries French Roman Catholic missionaries French Dominicans Roman Catholic missionaries in Iraq Converts to Roman Catholicism from Protestantism