Old Roman Catholic Church LATIN RITE PROVINCE OF EUROPE

Feast of Pope St Gregory the Great 12th March 2013 A.M.D.G. Carissimi, beloved in Christ, May God our Father, our Lord Jesus Christ and the power of His most holy Name and the comfort, wisdom and strength of the Holy Ghost be with you all and most particularly with their Eminences the Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church! Today, on this feast commemorating one of the greatest Bishops of Rome and Doctors of the Church, St Gregory the Great, the Cardinal Electors enter into Conclave to elect the new Bishop of Rome after the retirement of Pope Benedict XVI. Many may wonder why we, as Old Roman Catholics are interested in this election? In the first instance, let us appreciate the influence as a worldwide religious leader the Pope of Rome has; it is folly for anyone to negate this fact. Secondly, as leader of the world's largest denomination of Christianity, when the Pope speaks almost two thirds of the world's Christian population listens! More importantly however, for us as Old Roman Catholics, the Holy Father is historically and spiritually our Patriarch. It is important for us to remember the fundamental claim of Old Roman Catholicism, we are Old Roman Catholics. We are old simply because we are a continuation of the original Roman Catholic profession of Faith extant in 1853 when were detached by Rome; we are Roman because we are historically Catholics of the Western Patriarchate whose Patriarch is the Bishop of Rome; we are Catholic because we preach, teach and live the same Faith once delivered by Jesus Christ to the Apostles. Remember, that we are not directly in communion with Rome is through no fault of our forefathers in the ancient See of Utrecht who ever expressed a desire to remain so with successive Popes from 1723 until 1853 when Blessed Pius IX took his unilateral decision to ignore the extant canonical complaint and due process. That does not alter the fact, no matter what various commentators may say, that we are still Roman Catholics and we hope and pray by God's grace, that one day a successor of St Peter will yet reoncile us to the Holy See. So, let us pray and that most fervently for the Cardinal Electors that the Holy Ghost may select one from among them who will be the embodiment of Apostolic charity and zeal. With this intention in mind, we decree as Ordinary of the Archdiocese of Great Britain that on Wednesday, 13 th March 2013, the votive Mass Pro eligendo summo Pontifice (For the election of a Pope) Missa Suscitabo be offered by ALL priests of our jurisdiction and we commend the same action to our Suffragan Ordinaries and their Sees in our Province. In Christo Iesu Domino nostro

++Jerome Lloyd OSJV Metropolitan Archbishop