David Ferrie & the Wandering Bishops

The world of the episcopi vagantes is a convoluted and messy affair. It amazes me that no one on this board has delved into the Old Roman Catholic Church and it's connection to occultists and intelligence organizations, as it has some interesting connections to the assassination of JFK.

First, a little history. The wandering bishop culture is generally believed to have been birthed in 1871 when the Dutch Jansenists splintered off from the Roman Catholic Church. This splinter faction came to be known as the Old Roman Catholic Church at the end of the 19th century. The Old Roman Catholics maintained valid apostolic suuccession but were not answerable to the pope.

Another school maintains their lineage comes from the Russian Orthodox Church at a time when the ROC was attempting to broaden it's influence in the U.S.A. after the Russian Revolution. They were accused of being Chekist and of running agents within U.S. borders. This was indeed the case with the ROC's Moscow Patriachate on West 97th Street in Manhattan.

Hoeller article

Link to history

When looking at the lists of succession we see some interesting names appear:

Rev. Fredrick Samuel Willoughby (Theosophist):Link

James Ingall Wedgewood (Theosophist and irregular Freemason)

C.W. Leadbeater (Theosophist): Link

Michael Bertiaux (OTO, proponent of voudoun): Link

RayEllen Russbacher (wife of Iran-Contra pilot, Gunther Russbacher): Link

Here is the JFK connection:

Walter Vladimir Propheta (1912-1972) ran the Cathedral of the Holy Resurrection in the Bronx. His two assistants were Bishop Leonard G. Hill and Bishop John Christian. This church had some strange goings on. There was no congregation, spooks and emigres seemed to be the only visitors. Propheta was deeply involved in anti-communism and had strong links within the FBI (some say to Hoover himself).

Propheta's colleague Carl Stanley consecrated David Ferrie (Link) and Raymond Broshears (Link). Carl Stanley was consecrated by Earl Anglin Lawrence James (Link) , another man with links to the JFK hit. Carl Stanley died in March 1967, Ferrie died in February 1967.

Jack Martin, another Old Catholic, consecrated Thomas Jude Baumler, a New Orleans politician and associate of Guy Bannister.

William Bryan (Link) is another Old Catholic with ties to the RFK hit.

“Similarly, as with CRISMAN, I think that in the course of the memo the periodic necessary references to the OLD CHURCHES have half answered the question. Applying to this subject the available models, I suggest that the most likely rational conclusion is that here, again – except with more particularity – we have a clandestine substructure developed to serve the intelligence community’s concept of national security.

A bizarre structure, to be sure, but its very strangeness … makes it all the more safe from possible investigators who are looking for spies wearing trenchcoats and carrying, like so many James Bonds, gold cigarette cases. The churches – like all churches – are virtually free from official inquiry by virtue of the Constitution, not to mention American custom. The “ministers” and “ bishops” can accumulate money (religious fund raising) without serious inquiry as to the sources. They are free from the 9 to 5 routine expected of normal, patriotic Americans, free to operate in relative seclusion from the expected social involvements, free to engage in obscure crusades or missions and free to travel extensively … as assignments may dictate. And where, as may be the case in some instances, there may actually be a home structure for the particular church, one would have the most natural of safe houses.” -
Link to Peter Levenda's excellent blog on this topic

[edit on 15-5-2006 by Beelzebubba]