Igreja Catolica Apostolica Brasileira

Archbishop David Bell holds the most responsible position in the United Kingdom/ Australian, United States of America and Italian Church; he is the appointed primate by Patriarchal Bull and also Archbishop of the London Diocese also appointed as Secretary of Doctrine and Faith of the World Patriarchate of Brazil .His ministry is basically very practical and hands on, and he is personally heavily involved within the community. Pastoral care and the simplicity of a call to servant-hood are of a high priority for him. In his spare time he personally finds time to be involved with the Pool field Playgroup in Stoke, whilst also conducting regular worship and administering communion to the sick and housebound.

Coat of Arms of the Archbishop of London.

Motto says Miles Christi which means Soldier of Christ

Archbishop David Bell has been leading the London Archdiocese for just several years, but previously he led the Diocese of Cambridge. It is hard work, but he is assisted by a small but invaluable team, which consists of several Auxiliary Bishop’s. The workload is high because it is also the largest diocese geographically, containing many counties, large cities and towns. As primate his works takes him to other countries such as Australia, United States of America and Italy and he often open dialogue with many other Catholic churches that are not in communion.

Archbishop Bell calling is a “hands on” priest; there is nothing that he would refuse to do. He believes that Jesus himself did what ever was needed, no matter what the task, and as a servant of Christ’s people, He does try to be willing and available to those who need him.

Many people as why is the Archbishop a Catholic / Christian, his personal faith is the now the bedrock of his life, although as a teenager this would have been an extremely difficult question to answer for himself. Like so many youngsters, He found religion and especially Christianity to be of no interest to him. From the age of sixteen, he began to be attracted to the church, and felt strongly his need for love and forgiveness; there was a great emptiness within his heart and soul that the love of Christ soon came to fill.

Reverend Father David Bell during ordination to the priesthood by Archbisop Simmons at the Cathedral Church in London, Tridentine Mass.

One late evening a few years later whilst he was a member of his local Catholic Church in Wiltshire. He suddenly felt a great desire to become a priest. Putting these thoughts to the back of his mind, because he was happy to remain as laity. He had to make sure that his calling was really a vocation.

It was much later, which he found that he could no longer ignore the desire to follow the calling of God in his life, and after moving to Nottinghamshire, he spoke to the local priest on the telephone. After a while, he was placed in touch with two priests in Nottingham.

Deacon David Bell after Mass at London Cathedral Church of Our Lady and the Good Shepherd.

In time he was accepted as a cleric in training, and began a course of intensive Theological and canon law study, he began training as a (Minor Orders) Sub Deaconand then years later as a Deacon, he was ordained a priest many years later by Archbishop Simmons in the Cathedral Church of Our lady and the Good Shepherd in London, he felt very tested but also honoured to be given this wonderful opportunity. The training within Nottingham and London, by the end, that is many years later naturally took some time, he found that he was responsible for two small churches.

It was about this time that he was called by the Metropolitan to be attached to the Pro-Cathedral in London. He was trained as a lawyer, and was pressed to accept the position of Legal Chancellor and Vicar Judicial for the Church. He enjoyed a very good working relationship with the archbishop, who he considered to be a friend as well as a pastor and tutor, and was totally unprepared, when the archbishop suddenly passed away!

Fr David Bell after his Ordination with Archbishop Simmons. Archbishop of Caerleon.

Upon the death of the Archbishop, the church suffered a great deal of sifting and unrest, he was elected to become a Bishop and was consecrated in the Cathedral Church in Brasilia, Brazil by His Beatitude, Patriarch Luis Fernando Castillo Mendez, Diocesan Bishop of Brasilia, Brazil, Patriarch of all Igreja Catolica Apostolica Brasileira’s in some 17 countries, his consecration was assisted by two fellow bishops, Bishop Josivaldo and Bishop Olinto of the Diocese of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Bishop David Bell with Bishop Josivaldo, Archbishop Castillo Mendez and Bishop Olinto at the Cathedral Church in Brasilia, after the Consecration of Bishop Bell during Mass.

Eventually, Archbishop David Bell was appointed by His Beatitude as the first non Brazilian ever to be appointed part of the Patriarchate Curia to the position as the Secretary of Doctrine and Faith.

Yet within his heart, he is still the same priest as he always was, we don’t think that this has ever changed and he hopes it never will. He believes that in order to understand people’s needs; one needs to be with them, in their situation and be accessible.

He often find’s himself very busy and his time seems very limited but he still enjoys his role as a parish priest the best. Celebrating the Mass is the high point of his day, visiting the sick and housebound, and seeing a smile on people’s faces is wonderful. Being a Christian to him does not just mean reading the Gospel; it is far more, because to him the Gospel touches every aspect of all our life and society.

Many people. Why is Archbishop Bell a Catholic Bishop?

Archbishop Bell could say many reasons, it is truly a mystery of faith, but this is where his Lord has brought him, being raised a Catholic, he believes in Jesus Christ and the out working of Catholicism seems to make the best sense. He has studied various other denominations and can certainly see their merits, but his own faith has always been Catholic. He can see no reason to change!

He has have heard it said that the Catholic ceremony is pompous, but perhaps they misunderstand that it is the years of timeless history that has brought Catholicism to what it is today. It does not change because we want it to, nor for our own personal gain. It is the unity of the Christian Church united in Christ.

The Rites of the Catholic Church, has its beauty and timeless elegance, its dignity and ethics.

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