Defining Terms of Separation:
"... a priest forever according to the Order of Melchizedek"
While a priest or deacon are ordained with supernatural marks of holy orders and the powers connected with the sacraments (especially for the priest) the use of such orders, is a privilege granted to them by the bishop which they were ordained by, server under, or gave an oath of allegiance.
For a variety of reasons, priests, deacons and religious find that they are no longer able to continue a public expression of their vocation. Likewise, for another variety of reasons, bishops and religious superiors find that they can no longer permit a priest, deacon or religious to continue with their ministry or other official duties.
The exercise of ministry is the extension of the Office of Bishop, who embodies the fullness of the priesthood of Christ. Thus a priest or deacon must at all times be attached and under the authority of a particular Bishop of the Church so that they may sanctify and guide the portion of the Lord's flock that is assigned to them.
A suspended priest, deacon or religious is an individual who has been relieved of all of their assignments or other official duties by either their bishop of religious superior. A suspended priest, deacon or religious retains their rank, but cannot function in any manner, in public or in private settings. They cannot use their title(s) or dress in any manner that would give the impression that they are in active ministry.
The right to exercise publicly the office of priest or deacon is only suspended by one's bishop for grave reasons, for the safety of the individual, in the event of mental incompetence or instability, for reasons of incapacitation due to illness, if accused and/or arrested for a felonious crime, or for persistent failure to comply with the statutes and constitution of the Ohio Orthodox Catholic Church, and in the event of the resignation of the individual from membership in the Ohio Orthodox Catholic Church.
Administrative Suspension is declared only when extreme pastoral circumstances arise and it is deemed that for the good of the Church such action is taken. Reinstatement of the clerical faculties will be only at the discretion of the Archbishop.
A resigned priest, deacon or religious is an individual who has, of their own choosing, canonically terminated their rank, ministry or other office within the Ohio Orthodox Catholic Church. They have also terminated their membership with the body of the Church. Simply put, a resigned priest, deacon or religious no longer has standing within any clerical or spiritual aspect, nor is a member of the Ohio Orthodox Catholic Church. In effect, the person laicized themselves voluntarily. Clergy or religious cannot function unless under a bishop/religious house recognized by a bishop.
A transferred priest, deacon or religious is an individual who has asked to be transferred out of the Ohio Orthodox Catholic Church to another jurisdiction. In this process, the bishop of another jurisdiction requests on behalf of the clergy/religious to transfer their status to them before any public announcement on incardination. A letter of transfer will be given by the Archbishop of the Ohio Orthodox Catholic Church to the bishop making the request.
A terminated priest, deacon or religious is an individual who had come to the Church already validly ordained or professed to vows and was in the probation and transitional period of Clerical or Religious Incardination, but was deemed unsuitable to complete the process of Incardination. Or is a priest, deacon or religious that has been incardinated or ordained or professed vows within the Ohio Orthodox Catholic Church who no longer has standing within any clerical or spiritual aspect, nor is a member of the Ohio Orthodox Catholic Church.
A laicized priest, deacon or religious is an individual who has had their Ordinations or Solemn Religious Profession declared null and void. Such actions mean that a laicized priest, deacon or religious never held any clerical or religious rank within the Church. The Church can only spiritually laicize those whom it has ordained, incardinated or permitted to profess vows as a religious. The authority to laicize a priest, deacon or religious is reserved to the Archbishop.
Administrative Laicization is not restricted to those individuals ordained within the Ohio Orthodox Catholic Church or who professed vows as a religious within the Ohio Orthodox Catholic Church. Administrative Laicization is declared only when extreme pastoral circumstances arise and it is deemed that for the good of the Church such action is taken.
Any suspended, resigned, transferred, terminated or laicized cleric or religious who attempts to promote themselves as clerics or religious within the Ohio Orthodox Catholic Church after the dates of their suspensions, resignations, transfers, terminations, or laicization, does so fraudulently. No suspended, resigned, transferred, terminated or laicized cleric or religious can promote themselves as legal representatives of the Ohio Orthodox Catholic Church or of any Religious Institute within the Ohio Orthodox Catholic Church. No suspended, resigned, transferred, terminated or laicized clergy or religious can solicit money in the name of the Ohio Orthodox Catholic Church or any Religious Institute within the Ohio Orthodox Catholic Church.
The Ohio Orthodox Catholic Church, the OhioOCC, disavows any responsibilities for any pastoral or civil actions taken or attempted by suspended, resigned, transferred, terminated or laicized clerics or religious.
The Ohio Orthodox Catholic Church, nor any Diocese or Religious Order will not assume financial liability for any purchases or financial contracts made by any suspended, resigned, transferred, terminated or laicized clerics or religious.
If you are unsure of the canonical status of any cleric or religious of the Ohio Orthodox Catholic Church, please contact the Office of the Archbishop for status confirmation by emailing us at the Chancery of Archbishop.