Message from His Holiness and Eminence the Archfather

Sub Tuum.

What does it mean to be Christian?

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

What does it mean to be truly Christian? Is it about music, buildings, or even service to others? Our Lord gave the answer. We must take up our own cross and follow Him. Without that, our worship is empty. Without that, the most splendid choir is mere entertainment, and the greatest service means absolutely nothing. Taking up our own cross and following the Lord, however, does not mean merely sitting in the pews on Sunday. Singing in the choir is insufficient, too. Giving money to the work of the Church is not enough, even in our commercialized society. Our worship on Sundays and Holy Days must be active. Christ must be the center of all that we do each and every day of the week.

You can experience the ultimate closeness to Christ first and foremost through the mass, for it is there that we witness and join with the true and living Sacrifice of our Lord upon the Cross. This is the most magnificent thing the Church has to offer. The entire ministry of the Church begins at the altar. Nothing in the world can take the place of the mass. No other sacrament means anything without it. Baptism does not, for without Christ on the Cross, there would be no Church to join. Matrimony does not, for there is no Christian sacrament of marriage without our Lord's Passion. Ordination does not, for without the Cross, there would be no Sacrifice to live, no Church and no Christian ministry. Holy Unction and Penance would not, for without the Cross, there would be no Resurrection and no hope for the remission of sins and victory over the grave.

By taking up our own cross, by being willing to hang right there alongside Christ, we begin to live in Christ and for Christ. From there and only from there we may live the Great Commandment of our Lord, that we love one another. What greater love can anyone have than God the Father, who sent our Lord and Savior to the world as a man? What greater love can anyone have than our Lord, who suffered and died for the remission of our sins? This is true love and the kind of pure love that can only be expressed by one who is willing to hang on the Cross with our Lord. Mere human emotion is insufficient and will always leave a void.

Why do we maintain with great determination the traditions of the Anglican Patriarchate and the Stato Pontificio? It is, first, in our blood and our faith. Yet, the majority of the world, for better or worse, is no longer as it once was. In Christian tolerance and charity, we do not actively seek others to change to suit us. Our goal is not to achieve any particular temporal outcome, for ultimately the kingdom we represent on earth is not of this world. Nonetheless, by perpetuating the great and glorious legacy that is our sacred duty to maintain, of a society flawed in humanity, but centred on Christ and His Holy Church, we serve as an example to all people and all governments of the world today, no matter their form. In that way we serve in the best way we possibly can.

To achieve purpose, all things in your life must originate from the Cross of Christ, and you must be there alongside our Lord. To achieve true joy, you must be willing to suffer alongside Christ. This is the plain and simple essence of the Christian Faith. May your life be enriched greatly through it that you may attain to the eternal reward.

Yours in Christ,

Rutherfordus Ap. I
Servant of the Servants of Christ