he Ecumenical Catholic Church of Christ International Headquarters 5247 Sheridan StreetDetroit, MI 48213 USA
From the Ecumenical Primate
The Holy See of the ECCC The Nativity of our Lord and Savior, A. D. 2025
Peace and greetings, dear sisters and brothers in Christ and all people of good will on the Solemnity of the Nativity of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
As in today's world so much uncertainty and so much division is growing, we need to look toward Bethlehem and relearn the beginning of our Faith, experience a deepening Hope, an everlasting Love, and a new beginning where Heaven and Earth meets in the innocent child born in poverty and total vulnerability, yet surrounded by Love, human and divine. This is Christ that has saved us through his humble life, words and actions, his suffering, and his glorious resurrection. This is our destiny, this is our way of life that will fulfill us more than the riches of this world can ever offer...
Let us all seek the bright and guiding Star in our lives that leads toward the divine Child, not wasting our time with the world's glamour and false promises, but let's gird ourselves and walk in the Holy Spirit, finding this place of humility and everlasting love that our soul is journing for with deep affection for her Creator until it is united again.
As I shared in the past Christmas letters from our bishops, I wanted to share with you the Letter for Christmas of our good brother, ✠ Dom Frei Lucas Macieira da Silva of our Anglican Catholic Diocese, ECCC in Brazil. In English, Spanish, Italian and French.
Wishing you all God's richest blessings, and all the Grace that emanates from the divine Child,
Prayers promised,
Yours,
+Karl
Ecumenical Primate, ECCC
The Anglican Catholic Diocese in Brazil
Dear friends and faithful,
This Christmas, many still look for Christ where He never promised to be:
in palaces, shop windows, perfect images, and easy words.
But the Gospel remains stubborn.
Christ was not born where there was comfort.
He was born where there was need.
He was not born where there was security.
He was born where there was vulnerability.
He was not born where everyone was good.
He was born where everyone was human.
Christ is born in the shack.
He is born in the simple home.
He is born where people struggle to survive.
He is born where hope does not shout — it resists.
This Christmas, we learn something hard and true:
many look at the reality of simple people and see crime, danger, threat.
We look and we see people.
We see faces.
We see stories.
We see wounded dignity — but not lost dignity.
Because anyone can make mistakes.
Anyone can fall.
But no person is reduced to the label imposed on them.
The Child God did not ask who deserved Him.
He simply came.
And He came to remind the world that the greatest sin is not poverty,
but indifference.
Not the slum,
but the gaze that dehumanizes.
Not harsh reality,
but the comfortable lie that tries to hide it.
As the Anglican Catholic Diocese of Brazil, we proclaim clearly and in faith:
✠ Christ is born where hope resists.
✠ Christ is born where the people suffer.
✠ Christ is born where there are still those who love, share, and do not give up.
May this Christmas convert our way of seeing.
May it heal us from prejudice disguised as morality.
May it free us from ideologies that forget people.
May it restore to us the simple, incarnate, true Gospel.
We wish everyone a Christmas without makeup,
but full of presence.
Without illusions,
but full of faith.
Without fear of reality,
but full of hope.
Because God was not afraid to be born among us.
And He continues to be born, every day,
where love insists on staying.
Merry Christmas.
Christ is born where hope resists.
🇪🇸 MENSAJE DE NAVIDAD
Diócesis Anglicana Católica de Brasil
Queridos amigos y fieles:
En esta Navidad, muchos todavía buscan a Cristo donde Él nunca prometió estar:
en palacios, vitrinas, imágenes perfectas y palabras fáciles.
Pero el Evangelio sigue siendo obstinado.
Cristo no nació donde había comodidad.
Nació donde había necesidad.
No nació donde había seguridad.
Nació donde había vulnerabilidad.
No nació donde todos eran buenos.
Nació donde todos eran humanos.
Cristo nace en el rancho.
Nace en la casa sencilla.
Nace donde el pueblo lucha por sobrevivir.
Nace donde la esperanza no grita — resiste.
Esta Navidad aprendemos algo duro y verdadero:
muchos miran la realidad del pueblo sencillo y ven crimen, peligro, amenaza.
Nosotros miramos y vemos personas.
Vemos rostros.
Vemos historias.
Vemos una dignidad herida, pero no perdida.
Porque cualquiera puede equivocarse.
Cualquiera puede caer.
Pero ninguna persona es reducida a la etiqueta que le imponen.
El Niño Dios no preguntó quién merecía.
Simplemente vino.
Y vino para recordarle al mundo que el mayor pecado no es la pobreza,
sino la indiferencia.
No es la favela,
sino la mirada que deshumaniza.
No es la dura realidad,
sino la mentira cómoda que intenta ocultarla.
Como Diócesis Anglicana Católica de Brasil, afirmamos con claridad y fe:
✠ Cristo nace donde la esperanza resiste.
✠ Cristo nace donde el pueblo sufre.
✠ Cristo nace donde todavía hay quienes aman, comparten y no se rinden.
Que esta Navidad convierta nuestra mirada.
Que nos sane del prejuicio disfrazado de moral.
Que nos libere de ideologías que olvidan a las personas.
Que nos devuelva el Evangelio simple, encarnado y verdadero.
Deseamos a todos una Navidad sin maquillaje,
pero llena de presencia.
Sin ilusiones,
pero llena de fe.
Sin miedo a la realidad,
pero llena de esperanza.
Porque Dios no tuvo miedo de nacer entre nosotros.
Y sigue naciendo, todos los días,
donde el amor insiste en quedarse.
Feliz Navidad.
Cristo nace donde la esperanza resiste.
🇮🇹 MESSAGGIO DI NATALE
Diocesi Anglicana Cattolica del Brasile
Cari amici e fedeli,
In questo Natale, molti continuano a cercare Cristo dove Egli non ha mai promesso di essere:
nei palazzi, nelle vetrine, nelle immagini perfette e nelle parole facili.
Ma il Vangelo resta ostinatamente fedele.
Cristo non è nato dove c’era comodità.
È nato dove c’era bisogno.
Non è nato dove c’era sicurezza.
È nato dove c’era vulnerabilità.
Non è nato dove tutti erano buoni.
È nato dove tutti erano umani.
Cristo nasce nella baracca.
Nasce nella casa semplice.
Nasce dove il popolo lotta per sopravvivere.
Nasce dove la speranza non grida — resiste.
Questo Natale impariamo qualcosa di duro e vero:
molti guardano la realtà del popolo semplice e vedono crimine, pericolo, minaccia.
Noi guardiamo e vediamo persone.
Vediamo volti.
Vediamo storie.
Vediamo una dignità ferita, ma non perduta.
Perché chiunque può sbagliare.
Chiunque può cadere.
Ma nessuna persona è ridotta all’etichetta che le viene imposta.
Il Bambino Dio non ha chiesto chi lo meritasse.
È semplicemente venuto.
Ed è venuto per ricordare al mondo che il peccato più grande non è la povertà,
ma l’indifferenza.
Non è la periferia,
ma lo sguardo che disumanizza.
Non è la realtà dura,
ma la menzogna comoda che tenta di nasconderla.
Come Diocesi Anglicana Cattolica del Brasile, affermiamo con chiarezza e fede:
✠ Cristo nasce dove la speranza resiste.
✠ Cristo nasce dove il popolo soffre.
✠ Cristo nasce dove c’è ancora chi ama, condivide e non si arrende.
Che questo Natale converta il nostro sguardo.
Che ci guarisca dal pregiudizio travestito da morale.
Che ci liberi dalle ideologie che dimenticano le persone.
Che ci restituisca il Vangelo semplice, incarnato e vero.
Auguriamo a tutti un Natale senza maschere,
ma pieno di presenza.
Senza illusioni,
ma pieno di fede.
Senza paura della realtà,
ma pieno di speranza.
Perché Dio non ha avuto paura di nascere tra noi.
E continua a nascere, ogni giorno,
dove l’amore insiste a restare.
Buon Natale.
Cristo nasce dove la speranza resiste.
✠ Dom Frei Lucas Macieira da Silva
Diocesi Anglicana Cattolica del Brasile
🇫🇷 MESSAGE DE NOËL
Diocèse Anglicane Catholique du Brésil
Chers amis et fidèles,
En ce Noël, beaucoup cherchent encore le Christ là où Il n’a jamais promis d’être
dans les palais, les vitrines, les images parfaites et les paroles faciles.
Mais l’Évangile demeure obstiné.
Le Christ n’est pas né là où il y avait le confort.
Il est né là où il y avait le besoin.
Il n’est pas né là où il y avait la sécurité.
Il est né là où il y avait la vulnérabilité.
Il n’est pas né là où tous étaient bons.
Il est né là où tous étaient humains.
Le Christ naît dans la cabane.
Il naît dans la maison simple.
Il naît là où le peuple lutte pour survivre.
Il naît là où l’espérance ne crie pas — elle résiste.
En ce Noël, nous apprenons une vérité dure et réelle :
beaucoup regardent la réalité du peuple simple et voient le crime, le danger, la menace.
Nous, nous regardons et nous voyons des personnes.
Nous voyons des visages.
Nous voyons des histoires.
Nous voyons une dignité blessée, mais non perdue.
Car chacun peut se tromper.
Chacun peut tomber.
Mais aucune personne n’est réduite à l’étiquette qu’on lui impose.
L’Enfant-Dieu n’a pas demandé qui méritait.
Il est simplement venu.
Et Il est venu rappeler au monde que le plus grand péché n’est pas la pauvreté,
mais l’indifférence.
Ce n’est pas le bidonville,
mais le regard qui déshumanise.
Ce n’est pas la réalité dure,
mais le mensonge confortable qui cherche à la cacher.
Comme Diocèse Anglicane Catholique du Brésil, nous affirmons avec clarté et foi :
✠ Le Christ naît là où l’espérance résiste.
✠ Le Christ naît là où le peuple souffre.
✠ Le Christ naît là où il y a encore ceux qui aiment, partagent et n’abandonnent pas.
Que ce Noël convertisse notre regard.
Qu’il nous guérisse des préjugés déguisés en morale.
Qu’il nous libère des idéologies qui oublient les personnes.
Qu’il nous rende l’Évangile simple, incarné et vrai.
Nous souhaitons à tous un Noël sans maquillage,
mais plein de présence.
Sans illusions,
mais plein de foi.
Sans peur du réel,
mais plein d’espérance.
Car Dieu n’a pas eu peur de naître parmi nous.
Et Il continue de naître, chaque jour,
là où l’amour insiste pour demeurer.
Joyeux Noël.
Le Christ naît là où l’espérance résiste.
✠ Dom Frei Lucas Macieira da Silva
Diocèse Anglicane Catholique du Brésil
Nativity of our Lord and Savior, A. D. 2024
Hodie Christus Natus est! Alleluja, Alleluja
Peace and greetings on this Holy Day of the Nativity of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Sending you, your loved ones and all whom you serve for the Kingdom of God, a blessed and joyous Christmas Season. May the Joy over the Birth of Christ Jesus bring you all the Grace of God's unending Love.
All of us are called to pray for a more peaceful world as we watch the horrors of ravaging wars in the Ukraine, in Gaza, in Sudan and in so many conflict ridden places around the world. Our thoughts are with so many innocent people who are being slaughtered
in front of our eyes, the powerlessness we feel as the world is responding with reluctance towards the menace of Tyrants and their followers that have no respect for life at all.
The prophecy of old has warned us of all this and yet we live as it is not bothering us. We do need to urge the free world to act in midst of such atrocities being committed and work toward a more peaceful world.
We face the horrendous effects of climate change as storms grow bigger, ocean sea levels rising, people in the Islands are fleeing to higher grounds...We are being reminded to be good stewards of this our temporary earthly home and not destroyers.
The widening of a social egotistic world, the lack of a well formed consciousness, the neglect for a sense of community and the common good brings forth all the negative energy that we see all around us and that we really don't want.
As faith communities we are more than ever called to bring Hope to a world of "no future". The light that shines forth from the Newborn King in Bethlehem brings this hope towards us creating within us the longing for Love, Peace and Justice.
May we see in the humility of the Holy family -who had no place to go as Mary was in labor, and became refugees because of the menace of the selfish king Herod...- our own way of a new calling. "The most powerful weapon to conquer the devil is Humility" wrote St. Vincent de Paul. This is what millions and millions of Christians lived by throughout the centuries.
May we rediscover the same essential Christian attitude, and lay down the destructive weapons of a false pride, the constant wanting of more and not sharing with others who have nothing, the delusion as there is no afterlife, and the list goes on...
I wish you all for the New Year 2025, Peace and Health and your continuous humble and faithful journey with Jesus.
