David Bell's "ordination" is not recognized by the Catholic Church, he and his followers are to be treated as non-Catholics. It was ICAB's superior, the elderly "patriarch" Luis Fernando Castillo Mendez, inappropriately referred to as "cardinal", who consecrated Bishop Bell in 2006 in Brazil.

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The Roman Catholic Society of Pope Leo XIII led by David Bell and all organisations and institutions linked to it, including the Igreja Católica Apostólica Brasileira (ICAB) are schismatic communities that have no status whatsoever in the Catholic Church which does not recognise its Episcopal and priestly ordinations of its members. This is according to a letter (protocol 1177/12) sent by Apostolic Nuncio Giovanni D'Aniello on behalf of the Secretary of State to the President of the Brazilian Bishops' Conference, Cardinal Raymundo Damasceno Assis. Vatican Insider published an article about the strange case of "His Eminence Bell" last August.

But who is David Bell and what is the Roman Catholic Society of Pope Leo XIII really? Bell is a forty two year old Englishman who was ordained priest and then bishop within the Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church (ICAB). ICAB is a group that was created in Brazil during the 30's and was made up of priests and a bishop who did not want to follow the teachings of Pius XI against communism. Over the years, ICAB has adopted certain old Catholic positions, refusing to recognise the dogma of papal infallibility imposed by the Second Vatican Council and opening up to the idea of priests being able to marry. Today in Brazil, the ICAB has a number of bishops and communities which celebrate new marriage ceremonies for divorcees who wish to remarry.

It was ICAB's superior, the elderly "patriarch" Luis Fernando Castillo Mendez, inappropriately referred to as "cardinal", who consecrated Bishop Bell in 2006, proclaiming him "cardinal" in 2009, shortly before he passed away. Mendez had been in contact with the Holy See at the end of the 80's but had not yet accepted John Paul II's outstretched hand.