William Bernard Crow

(Revision as of 01:21, 27 Oct 2005)

William Bernard Crow (b. Sept. 11, 1895, d. June 26, 1976), was a biology teacher, a Bishop of the Liberal Catholic Church.

In August 1944, he wrote two documents. One was the Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica manifesto:

The world has entered the New Æon, the Age of the Crowned and Conquering Child. The predominance of the Mother (Æon of Isis) and of the Father (Æon of Osiris) are of the past. Many people have not completely fulfilled these formulæ, and they are still valid in their limited spheres; but the Masters have decided that the time has come for the administration of the Sacraments of the Æon of Horus to those capable of comprehension. The sexes are equal and complementary. "Every man and every woman is a star."-AL 1:3. The priestess must now function as well as the priest.

The expression of the above thesis in public ritual has begun with the establishment of the Gnostic Mass which, while adhering to the vital elements of the most ancient and true tradition, fixes its attention on, and aims most firmly in, the Future.

The organizational vehicle of the Gnostic Mass is the Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica, or Gnostic Catholic Church. The E.G.C. is a component of the O.T.O.

Crowley signed this document and it became the official manifesto of EGC.

The other document is called "Sovereign Patriarch of the Gnostic Catholic Church and Vicar of Salomon". It does not exist in the OTO archives and is mentioned nowhere in Crowley's personal or official writings. It is assumed that either he never saw it or he refused to sign it (as he did the Manifesto). The document states:

Whereas the Gnostic Catholic Church, adhering to the vital elements of the most ancient true tradition, fixes its intentions and its aims most firmly on the future. And whereas the world has entered the New Aeon, the Age of the Crowned and Conquering Child, and the Masters have decided that the time has come for High Initiates to administer the Sacraments of the Age of Horus. Now, therefore, We, by virtue of the Supreme authority vested in us do hereby nominate and appoint our very dear brother and most reverend father in God William Bernard Crow by the name and title of [Mahoran Mar] Basilius Abdullah [III.] a Sovereign Patriarch of the Gnostic Catholic Church and Vicar of Salomon with full right, power and authority to administer the said Church and to consecrate, ordein, appoint hyrarchs, priests, priestesses, deacons and other necessary Officers therein, to work the Gnostic Catholic Mass, and to take charge of all ceremonials, organisational, and financial affairs in connection therewith.

He later consecrated the following as Bishops:

Henry George Brook: Sept. 3, 1944.
Kermit William Poling: April 4, 1972. Also known as Mar Titus, Patriarch of the Orthodox Catholic Church of America.

Crow died on June 26, 1976.

References

Sabazius. (2005). The Manifesto of the Gnostic Catholic Church (http://www.hermetic.com/sabazius/mfstnotes.htm#manifesto).
Free Encyclopedia of Thelema. William Bernard Crow (http://www.egnu.org/thelema/index.php/William_Bernard_Crow). Retrieved June 12, 2005.
- Koenig, Peter. Stranded Bishops (http://user.cyberlink.ch/~koenig/bishops.htm). Retrieved June 12, 2005.

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