Louis Vezelis
Encyclopedia
Bishop Louis Vezelis, OFM was born in 1930 to Lithuanian immigrants in Rochester, New York
. Originally a Franciscan
, Vezelis became a sedevacantist, believing that the mainstream Catholic Church was illegitimate due to the reforms of Vatican II, and that the papacy was therefore vacant. He was ordained a bishop
without permission of the Vatican by fellow sedevacantist George Musey
, thus incurring latae sententiae
excommunication
. He has declared the Holocaust to be a hoax, and written for the denialist Institute for Historical Review
.
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
. Originally a Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
, Vezelis became a sedevacantist, believing that the mainstream Catholic Church was illegitimate due to the reforms of Vatican II, and that the papacy was therefore vacant. He was ordained a bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
without permission of the Vatican by fellow sedevacantist George Musey
George Musey
George J. Musey was a Traditionalist Catholic bishop from Galveston, Texas.He was ordained a priest on May 22, 1952 by Bishop Wendolin Nold of Galveston. Musey was consecrated to the episcopate on April 1, 1982 in Acapulco, Mexico, by Bishop Moises Carmona assisted by Bishop Adolfo Zamora.From...
, thus incurring latae sententiae
Latae sententiae
Latæ sententiæ is a Latin term used in the canon law of the Catholic Church meaning literally "given sentence".Officially, a latae sententiae penalty follows automatically, by force of the law itself, when the law is contravened....
excommunication
Excommunication
Excommunication is a religious censure used to deprive, suspend or limit membership in a religious community. The word means putting [someone] out of communion. In some religions, excommunication includes spiritual condemnation of the member or group...
. He has declared the Holocaust to be a hoax, and written for the denialist Institute for Historical Review
Institute for Historical Review
The Institute for Historical Review , founded in 1978, is an American organization that describes itself as a "public-interest educational, research and publishing center dedicated to promoting greater public awareness of history." Critics have accused it of being an antisemitic "pseudo-scholarly...
.