Francis Schuckardt

Early life

Schuckardt was born in Seattle, Washington on July 10, 1937 to Frank and Gertrude Schuckardt. Francis graduated from O'Dea High School in 1954 and from Seattle University in 1959 with a bachelor's degree in education and linguistics. After college, he enrolled in the seminary but dropped out before the year ended due to ill health. He began teaching high school in Seattle and worked as a linguistic research analyst.

The Blue Army of Our Lady of Fatima

In 1958 Schuckardt joined the Blue Army of Our Lady of Fatima, a group devoted to spreading the message of Our Lady of Fátima. In 1961, Schuckardt was stricken with typhoid; this was the beginning of a long succession of illnesses. He was in and out of a coma for eight days. He experienced a remarkable recovery which he attributed to the intercession of the Virgin Mary. In January 1963, he was hospitalized with thrombophlebitis of the legs. The illness reversed itself to which Schuckardt again attributed to a miracle resulting from a promise he made to Our Lady of Fatima, promising her that he would use his legs to travel and spread her message. He gained considerable fame as a charismatic speaker for the Blue Army and was elected to its International Council in 1963 at the age of 26. Schuckardt was the only member of the Council who was not a national chairman. He was subsequently appointed to the position of International Secretary.

Tridentine Latin Rite Catholic Church

About the time of his departure from the Blue Army, Schuckardt began giving lectures throughout the United States, promoting devotion to the Virgin Mary as well as speaking out against the various doctrinal changes that were, he claimed, the result of the Second Vatican Council.

He said that after a long and hard struggle, accompanied by much prayer and research, he concluded that from the Second Vatican Council emerged a "new" religion which was not truly “Catholic” (Open Letter to members of the Fatima Crusade, ca. 1968), and that Paul VI was a false Pope, that is, an illegitimate due to personal heresies. He also criticized the liturgical reforms of Vatican II and the teachings on ecumenism as severe departures of "true" Catholic doctrine.

In 1967, Schuckardt founded a community of nuns, Religious Brothers, and priests known as the Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen (abbreviated as CMRI), initially approved by the Bishop of Boise, Idaho. With his rejection of the reforms and authority of what he considered to be the "new Catholic Church," or the Novus Ordo (New Order), he formed an organization known as the Tridentine Latin Rite Catholic Church (TLRCC). He insisted that this is not a "new church," but the same Catholic Church that existed for almost two millennia prior to the changes imposed by Vatican II. His followers refer to the Church generally recognized as the Roman Catholic Church as the "Modern Catholic Church" or the "Post-Vatican Council II Church". They labelled Paul VI the "arch-heretic of Rome" and referred to the mainstream Church as "the Church of the Beast". "Who would be so bold or so foolish as to call these bishops Catholic or to pretend that they possess any legitimate authority? Including the arch-heretic in Rome?"

Schuckardt and an associate Denis Chicoine began a national lecture circuit advocating a return to traditional Catholicism. Due to their outspoken rejection of the Second Vatican Council and embrace of sedevacantism, Schuckardt and his followers were denounced by the Roman Catholic Church. However several traditional-minded Catholic priests (some Jesuits and diocesan priests) had joined Schuckhardt and would provide the Fatima Crusade with the traditional, Roman Rite of the sacraments and the Mass. In his public discourses (which were preserved on audiotape), then-Brother Schuckardt reminded his followers that, despite the apostasy of Vatican II, Christ would most certainly provide for legitimate apostolic succession in "the Catholic Church." He is on record as saying that he "never expected" himself "to be part of that succession".

Episcopal Consecration

In 1969, Daniel Quilter Brown received episcopal consecration as an Old Catholic (English-line Old Catholic) bishop in the line of Arnold Harris Mathew. Brown had been born and raised a Roman Catholic, but became disenchanted with the reforms of Vatican II, and had chosen to become an Old Roman Catholic bishop in order to perpetuate valid episcopal orders, believing that the Old Catholics still retained valid Orders. Despite the fact that Bishop Brown obtained his consecration in the Old Catholic Church, he and his followers called themselves Roman Catholics and refused to use the title of "Old Catholic." Shortly after his consecration, he broke all ties and communications with the Old Catholics.

Bishop Brown soon became acquainted with Brother Schuckardt and tried to persuade him to accept ordination from him. Later he proposed to consecrate Brother Schuckardt to the episcopacy in addition to ordaining him to the priesthood. After Bishop Brown had repented of having received consecration from the Old Catholics, Brother Schuckardt agreed to receive consecration from Bishop Brown: "[T]hese past months have been spent in intense soul searching and continuous prayer to know and follow God's holy will. Thus I could not give you a reply until I felt fairly certain in my heart and mind. Now, finally, in concluding our novena in honor of the Annunciation, I have come to a decision. It is with holy trepidation that I accept your offer..." Between October 28 and November 1, 1971, Schuckardt was ordained and consecrated a bishop in a rented ballroom in Chicago, as they were not welcome in the churches of the Catholic Church.

At first Bishops Brown and Schuckardt worked peaceably together, but shortly thereafter went their separate ways. The Seattle Times references a letter written in 1973 by Bishop Brown in which he charges: "Your group has become a personal cult of Francis Schuckardt and cannot call itself Catholic."

A Spokesman Review article states that Schuckardt claimed to be the only true Catholic bishop. Schuckardt's officials deny that he ever made such a claim, and point to the fact that he directed his clergy to diligently search for Roman Catholic Bishops that might qualify as legitimate in his eyes.

Between 1974 and 1979 Schuckardt ordained Denis Chicoine and five other clerics to the priesthood, who in turn helped him preserve the traditional Catholic Faith primarily through the continued lecture circuit. The denomination was incorporated in 1978 as the "Tridentine Latin Rite Catholic Church", primarily to distinguish it from the "Vatican II church" ("Tridentine" relates to the 19th Ecumenical Council, the Council of Trent [also called Tridentium], which was held from 1545-63.) By 1977 the group had grown so large that they were able to purchase a former 735-acre (2.97 km²) Jesuit seminary, Mount Saint Michael, just north of Spokane, Washington. The movement continued to grow, eventually sending priests to various parts of the world including Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, and the Holy Land. According to a church publication, by 1981 the group had about 120 Sisters, 6 active priests, 61 Clerics and Brothers, a K - 12th grade boys and girls school, and a variety of organizations for the Church, including a convent for the mentally and neurologically impaired and a guild to aid the elderly and terminally ill. The same publication stated that running the church would be enough for a strong bishop, let alone one who "is so physically ill, maliciously slandered and persecuted, betrayed at every turn, exhausted with work and His solicitude for his flock." In addition to Mount Saint Michael, they also owned over 18 other properties, collectively worth about eight million dollars.

Criticism

Brown consecrated Francis Schuckardt without a pontifical mandate (i.e. permission from the Pope), which is normally required by the Code of Canon Law under penalty of excommunication. However, traditionalists cite over a dozen historical instances where Bishops were legitimately consecrated in a period of sede vacante. Traditionalists also point out the superiority of the essential doctrine of Apostolic Authority over the changeable dictates of ecclesiastical law, and hold that Christ would not leave his flock without shepherds.

Bishop Lawrence Welsh, Bishop of the Diocese of Spokane, wrote of Francis Schuckardt in the Inland Register (a diocesan newspaper): "Bishop Schuckardt has received no mission from the church universal and does not accept the unity of the apostolic office. Yet these are some of the very elements which make the Church Roman Catholic." In another section Bishop Welsh adds "[T]hey deny the teaching authority of the Second Vatican Council and the last four Popes. Implicitly Bishop Schuckardt has set himself up as the final and last arbiter of Catholic tradition."

As related in a Spokesman Review article from 1983, Schuckardt is quoted as saying: "Some of our teachers, studying the French revolution, saw the origins of the red, white, and blue, which was adopted then. The red represented the thousands of bishops and priests who were nailed to the church doors."

Many of Schuckhardt's beliefs and policies drew criticism, including:

Charges

On June 3, 1984, Denis Chicoine made several public charges from the pulpit against Bishop Schuckardt, related in a Spokesman Review article on August 26, 1984.

The newspaper article cited Chicoine's claims: "After we re-obtained possession of the Priory, and started to go through the boxes of mail that had been accumulated over the years and simply stacked in corners we found a large amount of cash and over $15,000 in out-of-date uncashed checks." "For the past several years several things in the Community have been in complete and utter chaos." and that "The vast majority of chaos is caused by Bishop Schuckardt's inability to physically function" due to pain, lack of sleep, and medications.

"Chicoine has also charged that Schuckardt was sexually involved with some of his male assistants. He said he has several sworn statements." The article quotes Chicoine: "I have in my possession sworn statements by several persons whom Bishop Schuckardt told personally that he was the Pope. These persons were told not to tell myself or other priests and clerics since we did not have the grace to accept it."

Schuckardt left his Spokane mansion within days after Chicoine made his accusations public. Chicoine found that he had the backing of the vast majority of the religious and laity alike, and took charge of the Fatima Crusade.

Schuckardt's Response to the Charges

The Schuckardt faction denies they are a cult.

The Schuckardt faction considers the Chicone faction in schism. Since both Bishop Schuckardt and Rev. Chicoine acknowledged no higher Church authority than Bishop Schuckardt himself, there was no lawful means whereby Rev. Chicoine could depose him and take control of the Tridentine Latin Rite Catholic Church as he did. Schuckardt formally excommunicated Chicoine on June 30, 1984. In the August 26 Spokesman Review article, Chicoine is quoted as saying: "We contend that it is not a valid excommunication. If he is incompetent, which we believe we've proved, then his acts are null and void." Chicoine died on August 10, 1995 and is buried at Mount Saint Michael. His excommunication by Bishop Schuckardt was never revoked.

Legal battles between CMRI and Schuckardt

In an article by Tim Hanson that appeared in the Spokesman Review article on August 26, 1984 Schuckardt is quoted as saying: "If there is some way I can just let the people know we didn't run away. We were sent away. We were thrown out of our home. If there was anyway we could have stayed there, we would have. They must know that it was made impossible." The article goes on to state that On June 7, 1984 Chicoine filed a lawsuit in Superior court asking that Schuckardt and 10 of his associates be prohibited from returning to the church property at Mount St. Michael's or Schuckardt's mansion at E2314 South Altamont Blvd. As a result of this lawsuit, a document was served at his mansion. The article states: "Schuckardt said last week he thought the document was an eviction notice rather than an order to appear in court. He also believed an arrest warrant had been issued." Bruce Erickson, a Spokane attorney representing Chicoine stated: "There wasn't any warrant out for his arrest. I or the court or the sheriff's department can't force them to read the documents". Schuckardt left the mansion during the second week of June. The article went on "[N]either Schuckardt nor a legal representative appeared in court. The court therefore issued an order banning the bishop from church property." Spokane County sheriff detectives confirmed that no warrant exists for Schuckardt. The court later ruled that Bishop Schuckardt had never been given proper legal notice of the pending action and overturned its original judgment against him and a handful of his followers.

After leaving Spokane, they moved around and finally settled in Greenville, California. “One of the main reasons we move is because of the harassment we’ve been getting from Chicoine” stated loyal Bishop Schuckardt follower, Brother Mary Fidelis, “They’re trying to do anything they can to destroy us, literally. We fear harm, physical harm, coming to the Bishop. We wouldn’t put anything past them.” As further reported by Jim Sparks in the Spokesman Review "In Greenville, Calif., 102 miles (164 km) northwest of Reno Nevada, Schuckardt appears to be king once again." Schuckardt and his followers continued to operate as the Tridentine Latin Rite Catholic Church while Chicoine reincorporated the group at Mount Saint Michael as the Latin Rite Catholic Church on June 14, 1984. On May 9, 1987 a Plumas County, California Sheriff's Department SWAT team, with support from the California Highway Patrol, conducted a raid on the TLRCC Deputies searched Bishop Schuckardt's house and those of the Brothers and the nuns while a CHP helicopter hovered overhead to look for automatic weapons which the Chicoine faction falsely told them they possessed. They found illegal drugs along with precious metals in quantity, $75,000 in cash and about eight handguns and rifles in the three separate homes. Rather than going through a lengthy and expensive trial, Bishop Schuckardt accepted a plea bargain of attending a one-day drug-diversion class in exchange for all charges being dismissed against him. All charges against the others arrested with Bishop Schuckardt were dismissed without prejudice. They furthermore obtained a “Factual Declaration of Innocence” regarding the same.

The Chicoine faction subsequently filed civil suits in five different states wherein the Schuckardt faction had assets, claiming that these assets belonged to his church, but lost all of these cases. The Schuckardt faction also challenged the civil suit filed by the Chicoine faction in Washington in 1984 and agreed to a settlement before the trial began in 1993. The settlement heavily favored the Chicoine faction. Nine years of legal wrangling finally came to an end, with the Chicoine faction getting the lion’s share of the Fatima Crusade’s assets.

Later life

For the remainder of his life Schuckardt lived in the Seattle area. As reported November 2005, the TLRCC has about 100 members in the area. The article states "At the heart of the mysterious group lies its founder, Francis Konrad Schuckardt, a charismatic leader who considers himself to be the true Pope, according to members of the group." The church has no public address or telephone number.

In 2002 a reporter from The Seattle Times attempted to obtain an interview with Schuckardt for an article, but requests were denied because of health reasons, although the reporter was allowed to conduct an extensive interview with 6 Church members and given access to Church services.

In April 2006, Schuckardt was diagnosed with terminal cancer and died on November 5, 2006.