ICAB’s association with “Moonies”

Dom Luis Fernando Castillo Mendez, Patriarch of ICAB, blessing a meeting convened by Moonies 

The conversation lately has kind of blown up all over the place at ON OUR WAY HOME.  Lots of finger pointing about Orthodox, Catholic, Brazil, Anglican, or perhaps even CEC still being the best possible way.  It appears that everyone is piling on our favorite commenter, Klampert.  My guess is because ++Adler hasn’t posted at ON OUR WAY HOME, there’s no one else to beat up on. 

But, one point seems to have been missed here.  One post went like this:

Guest Posted: Jan 2 2008, 02:47 PM
The moonies and the Brazilian church

Can we talk more about this

OK, if no one wants to take this, I will.  On December 9, 2006, a “Convocation of Married Priests” was held in in Parsippany, New Jersey.  It was convened by an official looking “Archbishop Milingo”.  He was a former Roman Catholic Archbishop who was married at a public ceremony to a Korean woman led by the Unification Church (aka “The Moonies”). 

Look through the pics of the event here (pic of Mendez at the top right hand corner of Page 2 of the photo album).  By the time you get to Page 3 of the photo album, it looks like a full on Moonie event!  (Find out more about this legitimate sounding group Married Priests Now here.)

If you look at the Married Priests Now site close enough, you’ll see the connection to Milingo and Rev. Sun Myung Moon.  Or, you can just click here for this article.

This connection isn’t a “smoking gun” or anything like that.  It appears that the kindly looking Patriarch of ICAB was duped into attending a convocation that looked decently legit.  It also appears that Mendez wasn’t the only one who may have been misled. 

This connection between Brazil and the Moonies exists probably from a lack of due diligence on ICAB’s part for not properly investigating what might not be a wise event to attend. 

So, some free advice for bishops, archbishops and patriarchs everywhere:

Even if you get to wear your vestments at a Moonie-funded event, you might want to think twice about showing up.