Our founding Bishops, The Right Reverend James Ingall Wedgwood and CW Leadbeater, founded our church in 1915. Historically, we link to the wider Liberal Catholic movement, and importantly, take our part in the Apostolic Succession, a chain of blessing that is said to stretch back as far as the early church, through and into which our Bishops are Consecrated. The Liberal Catholic Church International is a branch of the Independent Liberal Catholic Church that accepts women into the priesthood and the episcopacy.
The Apostolic Succession below shows the line of the Province of Great Britain from the medieval church.
The Apostolic Succession below shows the line of the Province of Great Britain from the medieval church.
Duc Charles Maurice le Tellier
As his Perpetual Coadjutor cum jure successionis
who on 21st September 1670 Consecrated:
Jacques Benigne Bossuet
Bishop of Meaux
who on 1671 Consecrated:
Jacques Goyon de Matignon
Bishop of Condom
who on 19th February 1719 Consecrated:
Dominique Marie Varlet
Bishop of Ascalon
(in partibus infidelium)
who on 18th October 1739 Consecrated:
(The See of Utrecht ceased to be under papal jurisdiction in 1724)
Peter Johann Meindaerts
Archbishop of Utrecht
who on 11th July 1745 Consecrated:
Johann van Stiphout
Bishop of Haarlem
who on 7th February 1768 Consecrated:
Walter Michael van Niewenhuizen
Archbishop of Utrecht
who on 21st June 1778 Consecrated:
Adrian Johann Broekman
Bishop of Haarlem
who on 5th July 1797 Consecrated:
Johann Jacob van Rhijn
Archbishop of Utrecht
who on 7th November 1805 Consecrated:
Gisbert de Jong
Bishop of Deventer
who on 24th April 1814 Consecrated:
Willibrord van Os
Archbishop of Utrecht
who on 25th April 1819 Consecrated:
Johann Bon
Bishop of Haarlem
who on 13th November 1825 Consecrated:
Johann van Santem
Archbishop of Utrecht
who on 17th July 1854 Consecrated:
Hermen Heykamp
Bishop of Deventer
who on Uth August 1873 Consecrated:
Gaspard Johann Rinkel
Bishop of Haarlem
who on 11th May 1892 Consecrated:
Gerardus Gul
Archbishop of Utrecht
who on 28th April 1908 Consecrated:
Arnold Harris Mathew
4th Earl of Landaff: Regionary Old Catholic Bishop for Great Britain and Ireland
(afterwards Archbishop of London)
who on 28th October 1914 Consecrated:
Fredreick Samuel Willoughby
Bishop of St Pancras and Auxiliary
who on 13th February 1916 Consecrated:
James Ingall Wedgwood
1st Presiding Bishop of The Liberal Catholic Church
(Consecrated as The Regionary Bishop of The Old Catholic in England)
who on 22nd July 1916 Consecrated:
Charles Webster Leadbeater
Regionary Bishop for Australia
who on 9th March 1924 Consecrated:
Frank Waters Pigott
Regionary Bishop for Gt Britain
who on 1st September 1946 Consecrated:
Charles Dunbar Tatham Shores
Auxiliary Bishop in India
who, on 14th April 1963 Consecrated:
Thomas Patrick Watson
Regionary Bishop for South Africa
who on 6th January 1980 Consecrated:
Johannes Cornells van Alphen
Auxiliary Bishop in South Africa
who As Presiding Bishop, on 20th September 1997 Consecrated:
Richard Arthur Palmer
Auxiliary Bishop in Gt Britain resigned on 25th April 1999
and appointed Diocesan Bishop of The Reformed Liberal Catholic Church (Old Catholic) on 23rd May, 1999.
Bishop in The Province for Open Episcopal Ministry and Jurisdiction
who on 10th December, 2000 Consecrated:
Jonathan Clive Blake
Titular Bishop of Rochester and Bishop
within the said Jurisdiction
► And similarly on 10th November 2001 Consecrated:
Charles Michael Wilson
Titular Bishop of Lindisfarne and Bishop
within the said Jurisdiction
► And similarly on 10th April 2003 Consecrated:
Dr Elizabeth Bridget Augustine Stuart SSB
Titular Bishop of Romsey and Bishop
within the said Jurisdiction
and appointed Archbishop of The Liberal Catholic Church International: Province of Great Britain and Ireland in 2006
who on 23rd September 2016 Consecrated:
Marianne Angela Julian Frances McLachlan SSB
Bishop in the Province
and appointed Archbishop of The Liberal Catholic Church International: Province of Great Britain and Ireland in 2016
The Most Rev. Maria Celia Jose
LCCI Presiding Bishop
Bishop for the province October 2021
As his Perpetual Coadjutor cum jure successionis
who on 21st September 1670 Consecrated:
Jacques Benigne Bossuet
Bishop of Meaux
who on 1671 Consecrated:
Jacques Goyon de Matignon
Bishop of Condom
who on 19th February 1719 Consecrated:
Dominique Marie Varlet
Bishop of Ascalon
(in partibus infidelium)
who on 18th October 1739 Consecrated:
(The See of Utrecht ceased to be under papal jurisdiction in 1724)
Peter Johann Meindaerts
Archbishop of Utrecht
who on 11th July 1745 Consecrated:
Johann van Stiphout
Bishop of Haarlem
who on 7th February 1768 Consecrated:
Walter Michael van Niewenhuizen
Archbishop of Utrecht
who on 21st June 1778 Consecrated:
Adrian Johann Broekman
Bishop of Haarlem
who on 5th July 1797 Consecrated:
Johann Jacob van Rhijn
Archbishop of Utrecht
who on 7th November 1805 Consecrated:
Gisbert de Jong
Bishop of Deventer
who on 24th April 1814 Consecrated:
Willibrord van Os
Archbishop of Utrecht
who on 25th April 1819 Consecrated:
Johann Bon
Bishop of Haarlem
who on 13th November 1825 Consecrated:
Johann van Santem
Archbishop of Utrecht
who on 17th July 1854 Consecrated:
Hermen Heykamp
Bishop of Deventer
who on Uth August 1873 Consecrated:
Gaspard Johann Rinkel
Bishop of Haarlem
who on 11th May 1892 Consecrated:
Gerardus Gul
Archbishop of Utrecht
who on 28th April 1908 Consecrated:
Arnold Harris Mathew
4th Earl of Landaff: Regionary Old Catholic Bishop for Great Britain and Ireland
(afterwards Archbishop of London)
who on 28th October 1914 Consecrated:
Fredreick Samuel Willoughby
Bishop of St Pancras and Auxiliary
who on 13th February 1916 Consecrated:
James Ingall Wedgwood
1st Presiding Bishop of The Liberal Catholic Church
(Consecrated as The Regionary Bishop of The Old Catholic in England)
who on 22nd July 1916 Consecrated:
Charles Webster Leadbeater
Regionary Bishop for Australia
who on 9th March 1924 Consecrated:
Frank Waters Pigott
Regionary Bishop for Gt Britain
who on 1st September 1946 Consecrated:
Charles Dunbar Tatham Shores
Auxiliary Bishop in India
who, on 14th April 1963 Consecrated:
Thomas Patrick Watson
Regionary Bishop for South Africa
who on 6th January 1980 Consecrated:
Johannes Cornells van Alphen
Auxiliary Bishop in South Africa
who As Presiding Bishop, on 20th September 1997 Consecrated:
Richard Arthur Palmer
Auxiliary Bishop in Gt Britain resigned on 25th April 1999
and appointed Diocesan Bishop of The Reformed Liberal Catholic Church (Old Catholic) on 23rd May, 1999.
Bishop in The Province for Open Episcopal Ministry and Jurisdiction
who on 10th December, 2000 Consecrated:
Jonathan Clive Blake
Titular Bishop of Rochester and Bishop
within the said Jurisdiction
► And similarly on 10th November 2001 Consecrated:
Charles Michael Wilson
Titular Bishop of Lindisfarne and Bishop
within the said Jurisdiction
► And similarly on 10th April 2003 Consecrated:
Dr Elizabeth Bridget Augustine Stuart SSB
Titular Bishop of Romsey and Bishop
within the said Jurisdiction
and appointed Archbishop of The Liberal Catholic Church International: Province of Great Britain and Ireland in 2006
who on 23rd September 2016 Consecrated:
Marianne Angela Julian Frances McLachlan SSB
Bishop in the Province
and appointed Archbishop of The Liberal Catholic Church International: Province of Great Britain and Ireland in 2016
The Most Rev. Maria Celia Jose
LCCI Presiding Bishop
Bishop for the province October 2021