Dinner in Honor of Bishop Rifan
Saturday, June 20 at 6:30 PM
Grand Hyatt New York
(42nd Street and Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan)

Menu
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Keynote Address by
Bishop Rifan

His Excellency Fernando Arêas Rifan is a bishop of the Roman Catholic Church from Campos, Brazil, but not bishop of the Diocese of Campos.  He is Apostolic Administrator of the Personal Apostolic Administration of St. John Mary Vianney located in Campos, Brazil.

Bishop Rifan was born in São Fidélis in the diocese of Campos, Brazil on October 25, 1950, and ordained a priest of that diocese on December 8, 1974.  He joined the Priestly Union of St. John Mary Vianney, founded by Bishop Antônio de Castro Mayer.  Bishop de Castro Mayer had been Bishop of Campos from January 3, 1949 until his retirement on August 29, 1981.  He established the Priestly Union for those priests and members of the faithful of Campos with a strong preference for the form of the Roman Rite prior to the revisions made under Pope Paul VI. 

Following Bishop de Castro Mayer’s death on 25 April 1991, the Priestly Union chose Licínio Rangel as its leader and he was ordained bishop by bishops of the then closely-associated Society of St. Pius X.  However, as a result of contacts initiated in 2000 by Cardinal Castrillón Hoyos, President of the Ecclesia Dei Commission, the Priestly Union formally requested full reconciliation with the Holy See on August 15, 2001.  Because of the reconciliation, the Personal Apostolic Administration of Saint John Mary Vianney was established as of January 18, 2002, with Bishop Rangel as Apostolic Administrator.

For health reasons, Bishop Rangel asked Pope John Paul II for an auxiliary bishop, but the Pope recommended a coadjutor bishop.  The Pope had promised to ensure Episcopal succession for the Apostolic Administration, and a coadjutor would have automatic right of succession.  Accordingly, Rifan, who was Bishop Rangel’s vicar general, was appointed Titular Bishop of Cedamusa and Coadjutor to the Apostolic Administrator on June 28, 2002.  His was consecrated bishop on August 18, 2002, with Cardinal Castrillón Hoyos as principal consecrator, assisted by Bishop Rangel and Archbishop Alano Maria Pena of Niterói.  On Bishop Rangel's death on December 16, 2002, Bishop Rifan immediately became head of the Apostolic Administration.  The Apostolic Administration of St. John Mary Vianney is the only Particular Church within the Roman Catholic Church that is authorized to use the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite as its exclusive rite.

Bishop Rifan with Pope Benedict XVI