Theos-Talk Archives (June 2005 Message tt00300)

In response to the request for details of how Leadbeater became a bishop, the 
following is an extract (without footnotes) from the manuscript of my 
book, "The Origins of the Liberal Catholic Church, 1915-1920":

Within a few months of Wedgwood's consecration as a bishop, he returned to 
Australia to confer with Leadbeater, leaving Bishop King in charge of the work 
in England. Given his Anglican career, his developing interest in a 
Theosophical interpretation of Christianity and his occult investigations into 
the effects of ritual, it was not surprising that when Wedgwood visited Sydney 
Leadbeater was interested to hear of the work of the Old Catholic Church in 
Great Britain. He was most enthusiastic about the possibilities for the new 
church, "and having placed his services unreservedly at [its] disposal", was 
ordained sub conditione to the Priesthood by Wedgwood on July 15, 1916, having 
first received baptism and confirmation, together with all the Minor Orders 
and the Diaconate sub conditione in case the Anglican sacraments he had 
received were later called into question. These ceremonies were performed at 
the residence of the Jonkheer Julian Mazel (1869-1928), a leading Dutch member 
of the TS, "Nandina", in Undercliff Street, Neutral Bay, a suburb of Sydney.

On July 22, 1916, Wedgwood consecrated Leadbeater to the episcopate 
at "Crendon", the home of Mr Wilhelm Gustav Kollerstrom (1864-1927) and Mrs 
Gertrude Kollerstrom, also eminent Theosophists. The Roman Pontifical in an 
English translation was used, and Wedgwood was assisted by two Priests whom he 
had recently ordained, David Morton Tweedie of Adelaide, and John B. McConkey 
of Melbourne. The witnesses who signed the Instrumentum included the two 
Priests, the Kollerstroms, and four of Leadbeater's current boy pupils. 

Three days later, Leadbeater wrote to Mrs Besant:

"Wedgwood has arrived and is in good health. His consecration to the 
Episcopate had the unexpected result of putting him practically at the head of 
the Old Catholic movement as far as the British Empire is concerned, all his 
colleagues (except, I think, one) in it being Theosophists ready to work under 
this direction. This being so, he desires most earnestly to offer the movement 
to the World Teacher as one of the vehicles for His force, and a channel for 
the preparation for His Coming. I took him therefore to the LORD MAITREYA at 
the Festival, and He was graciously pleased to accept the offer, and to say 
that he thought the movement would fill a niche in the scheme and would be 
useful to Him. From what He said I inferred that He Himself had so guided 
events as to produce this curious result, that a branch of the Catholic 
Church, having the Apostolic Succession in a form which cannot be questioned, 
should be entirely in the hands of Theosophists, who are willing and eager to 
do exactly as He wishes. He explained that this was a method of bringing over 
the Holy Orders of the old plan into the new one, and that this Old Catholic 
Church might very likely be the only branch of Christianity which would wholly 
and officially recognize and follow Him when He comes. He does not want it to 
be aggressive in any way, but to go on quite quietly for the present, carrying 
on its services for its small congregation in London (as it is doing), 
gradually drawing around it those who love the Catholic ritual, but want a 
Theosophical interpretation of it and of the doctrine of the Church."

He then passed on the news of his own consecration:

"With His permission Wedgwood has consecrated me as a Bishop on the 
understanding that I am at perfect liberty to wear my ordinary dress, and am 
in no way bound to perform any ecclesiastical ceremonies or to take any 
outward part in the work unless I see it useful to do so, but am to act as 
intermediary between the LORD and this branch of His Church, referring to Him 
any points of action or of doctrine upon which it desires instruction. An 
interesting little glimpse of occult ways came to me the night after my 
consecration. My own Master referred very kindly to it, and spoke of the 
additional power to help that it has given to me; and then He remarked: "You 
thought you had given up all prospect of a bishopric when you left your Church 
work thirty-two years ago to follow Upasika [HPB]; but I tell you that it 
would have been in this very year that you would have reached it had you 
remained in your original work, so you have lost nothing except the emoluments 
and the social position, and have gained enormously in other ways. No one ever 
loses by serving Us!" That struck me as curious, for I had never thought of it 
in that way." 

It may indeed appear curious that an assistant curate in a small village, 
lacking a University degree or any social status, should have aspired to be a 
bishop in the Church of England at a time when its concern with social 
position was so great.

Wedgwood, writing of the consecration, noted:

"His consecration took place in the presence of a very few people; two priests 
I had ordained, Tweedy [sic] and McConkey presenting him (but not imposing 
hands). There were mighty influences present: several Masters came, the Lord 
Maitreya, and the Lord Buddha, and the Star shone out. When he said his first 
Mass afterwards, four Masters came in, and the Master Jesus stood there the 
whole time."

Wedgwood also commented:

"Nothing about his consecration will appear in print, and we think it better 
be known only gradually. Only a few people here know. He was quite emphatic 
that I should remain at the head of the movement and therefore gave me the 
oath of canonical obedience, but he consented to act as the inner link and 
give us any instructions from the Great Ones. The Lord Maitreya accepted the 
movement to be used in His service, and implied that He had engineered the 
whole proceedings, so that the movement should get into the hands of 
Theosophists, and having unquestioned Orders could be used by Him, if He so 
desired when the time came, to hand on His old Orders into the new 
dispensation. The next step was that He blessed three large bottles of oil, 
that I had consecrated by the usual formula. They were taken by Him to the 
fourth dimension, and He held them. This can be used by our priests, as soon 
as I can get any over to England by a reliable messenger."

>From the Lord Maitreya, Leadbeater passed on a message which constituted a 
commission for Wedgwood in beginning his new phase of church work.

"Close and perfect is the communication which I have opened [with my Bishops]; 
it is for them to keep it open, and for this sleepless vigilance is needed. 
This gift I have given to them not for their own enjoyment or advancement, but 
that through them My flock may be fed. They have been many to whom through the 
ages I have offered this yet few have understood it and used it aright. I have 
chosen you to hold it in these last days of this dispensation, and to occupy 
till come... .As I said to those whom I chose twenty centuries ago, so I say 
to you now: Lo I am with you always, even unto the end of the world."