The Official Website of
The United Holy Caribbean Apostolic Church
The Patriarchate of The West-Indies

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by the Mercy of God,
Trevor Elihu, the Metropolitan-Archbishop of Port of Spain, Senior Apostle and Patriarch of All Trinidad and Tobago

For a number of years, The Holy Church of Twelve Tribes Apostolic Kingdom has observed with maternal love and concern the development of its jurisdictions which she planted on the American continent. In the last few years, she has sorrowfully witnessed the unfortunate appearance there of an overlapping of ecclesiastical jurisdictions, something to be found to be confusion, and by no means a canonical behavior of properly organized orthodox and catholic Christianity, since it is contrary to the nature of ecclesiastical unity.

The Holy Trinidadian Patriarchate, striving for the good of the Church, has therefore directed our efforts toward seeking the soil which we must establish the patriarchate. With the love and support of the members of the other communion brothers found in Christ, this Church, for the good of the Church in America and the glory of God, has followed the leading of the all-Holy Ghost and planted the Patriarchate in the Caribbean soil of Trinidad and Tobago.

In her striving for the peace of Christ, which has universal significance for the life of man; desiring to build a peaceful and creative church life, and to suppress uncanonical ecclesiastical divisions; hoping that this act would be beneficial to the Holy Orthodox Catholic Church of Christ and would make possible the development among the local parts of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church of such relations which would be founded on the firm ties of the one Faith and the love that the Lord Jesus Christ willed; keeping in mind that this act would serve the welfare of universal, mutual cooperation; taking into consideration the petition of the Bishops’ Council of and the High Apostolic Council which expressed the opinion and desire of all her faithful children; acknowledging as good for Orthodox Catholic Christianity in the Americas and the Caribbean the independent and self-sustaining existence of said Patriarchate in Trinidad and Tobago, a mature ecclesiastical organism possessing all that is necessary for successful further growth. Our Humility together with the Sacred Synod and all the venerable Hierarchs of the Churches we stand in communion with, the aide of which coming from the likes of the Worldwide Communion of Catholic and Apostolic Churches, those who have signified their agreement in word and writing, having examined the said petition, in sincere love plant this autocephalous Patriarchate in Trinidad and Tobago, that is, the right of a fully independent ordering of church life in accordance with the divine and sacred Canons and the ecclesiastical practices and customs of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church inherited from the Fathers; for which purpose this Patriarchal and Synodal Tomos is declared and authorized by His Beatitude and Eminence The Most Godly ELIHU, the new Metropolitan Archbishop of Port-of-Spain, Senior Apostle and Patriarch of Trinidad and Tobago, and Primate of this Autocephalous Orthodox Catholic Church, by which we announce:

1. The Holy Church of Twelve Tribes Apostolic Kingdom-Trinidadian Patriarchate is confirmed and proclaimed an Autocephalous Orthodox Catholic Church;

2. By “autocephaly,” which is confirmed in this decision, it is understood that this The Trinidadian Patriarchate shall:

   1. be independent and self-governing with the right of electing her own Primate and all her bishops, without confirmation or the right of veto over such elections on the part of any other church organization or representative of the holy catholic and apostolic orthodox Church;

   2. firmly and inalterably preserve the divine dogmas, being guided in her life by the sacred Canons of the Holy Orthodox Catholic Church of Christ and governed in accordance with her own Statutes as accepted, augmented or amended from time to time by her own highest legislative and executive organ the High Apostolic Council;

   3. maintain direct relations with all other Churches and confessions, members of the Congress of Apostles and Bishops, Orthodox and non-Orthodox alike;

   4. enjoy all the authority, privileges and rights usually inherent in the term “autocephaly” in the canonical tradition of the historic Church.

3. This Autocephalous Pentecostal, Orthodox, and Catholic Church shall have exclusive spiritual and canonical jurisdiction over all bishops, clerics and laymen of the country of  Trinidad & Tobago, as well as those who are presently part of the Metropolitan-Archdiocese of the United States of America, or who shall later enter the Metropolitanate; and over all parishes which now belong or later shall be accepted into the Metropolitanate of the various surrounding Caribbean Islands, excepting the entire clergy, possessions and parishes enumerated in Paragraph 3, points a, b, c. 

4. Our Sister Churches in full communion with us shall not receive into their care any clerics without written release or any parishes except parishes from uncanonical ecclesiastical organizations; and shall not canonically permit clergy and parishes remaining in its care to enter any jurisdictions in the Caribbean but the jurisdiction of the Orthodox Catholic Church of Trinidad & Tobago. 

5. The Patriarchate assures the parishes remaining in its care of its readiness to defend their status as canonical parishes, just as the Moscow Patriarchate, the Ambassadors For Christ Holy Ministries of America, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Constantinople, the Mexican National Catholic Church, and all others also defend their own.

 

Confirming the Autocephaly of this new Pentecostal Orthodox Catholic Church in the year of our acceptance of Apostolic Succession, we are blessed to be called The Holy Church of Twelve Tribes Apostolic Kingdom-Trinidadian Patriarchate. Also as parallel names, “The Trinidadian National Catholic Church”, “The Trinidadian Patriarchate”, “The Holy Apostolic Catholic Trinidadian Church”, and “The Orthodox Catholic Church of Trinidad and Tobago”; we proclaim to our Sister Churches, and request all local Christian Churches of like faith and their Primates and their faithful children to acknowledge us as such and to include us in their Diptychs in accordance with the Canons of the Church, the traditions of the Fathers and ecclesiastical practice.

The Orthodox Catholic Church in Trinidad and Tobago should abide in and determine to build up brotherly love and special relations with all true and like minded Primates of the Catholic Churches of Christianity as well as with their bishops, clergy and pious flock.

With profound, sincere joy, We announce this to the Fullness of the Church and We do not cease thanking the All-Gracious Almighty God, who directs all in the world by His right hand for the good and the salvation of mankind, for the successful and final formation of Autocephaly, and we entreat the all-powerful blessing of God upon this, The Holy Church of Twelve Tribes Apostolic Kingdom-Trinidadian Patriarchate.

May the Consubstantial and Life-creating and Undivided Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, acting on Its own wondrous providence, send down on the Arch-pastors, Pastors and Faithful Children of The Holy Church of Twelve Tribes Apostolic Kingdom-Trinidadian Patriarchate Its heavenly, unfailing help, and may God bless with success all her future endeavors for the good of the Holy Church.

Being established on this, August 1st, 2015, which will be followed by a ratification and recognition by our communion brethren on September 8th, 2015, and beginning to flow in full and open effect on December 9th, 2015.

Members of The Holy Church of Twelve Tribes Apostolic Kingdom-Trinidadian Patriarchate:

1. His Beatitude and Eminence The Most Godly Reverend TREVOR-ELIHU, J.C.D. Currently Metropolitan Archbishop of New York and All-USA, now recognized canonically as “Metropolitan-Archbishop of Port-of-Spain, Senior Apostle, Patriarch and Primate of All-Trinidad and Tobago”

2. Her Eminence The Most Reverend LASHONDA-THEODORA, Metropolitan of New Jersey

3. The Reverend Fr MICHAEL, Priest of the Diocese of the Bronx, New York

4. The Reverend Fr JEROME-EPHRIAM, Priest of the Diocese of Detroit, Michigan

5. The Reverend Sister SHERRESE-PHOEBE, Deaconess of the Archbishop of Trinidad

6. The Reverend Sister PATRICIA-MARY, Deaconess of the Diocese of the Bronx

 

Members of Sister Catholic Churches in Full Communion with Our Beloved Church:
 

+JOHN PARNELL, (former) Archbishop and Primate of the Mexican National Catholic Church, (former) President of the Worldwide Communion of Catholic and Apostolic Churches

+DANIEL CLAY, (former) Chancellor of the Mexican National Catholic Church, and Chancellor (emeritus) of the Worldwide Communion of Catholic and Apostolic Churches

+CHARLES HILL, Patriarch (Emeritus) of Ambassadors For Christ Ministries of America, and Cardinal-Patriarch and Pontiff (Emeritus) of the Apostolic Catholic Church (Original Granter of Autocephaly)

+GEORGE BOOTY, Presiding Bishop, World Provincial and Metropolitan Archbishop of the World Communion of Christian Celtic Convergence Churches