An aged Roman Catholic prelate, allegedly in the lineage of Pope Pius XII, is said to have in the 1990s consecrated as bishop a sedevacantist priest elected Pope Linus II by supporters gathered from around the world.

The identity of this alleged consecrating bishop was for years kept secret, supposedly to protect his life.

For some time, this consecrator was rumored to be a retired Italian bishop, Msgr. Arrigo Pintonello (1908 - 2001), but this was vigoroudly denied both by Msgr Pintonello (during his lifetime) and by many leading sedevacantists skeptical of Linus II.

Following Msgr. Pintonello's death in June 2001, however, Linus II along with some of his suppoerters began claiming that Msgr. Pintonello had indeed consecrated Linus II a bishop.

Here is the history of this lineage. On June 25-29, 1994, a gathering of delegates (calling themselves a "concilium") representing various sedevacantist groups from twelve countries met in an 800-year-old chapel located atop a hill on the grounds of the Hotel Europa, in Assisi, Italy.

Ten times this consilium, by wide margins, elected to be Pope Victor von Pentz, a former student at Archbishop Lefebvre's seminary in Switzerland who allegedly was later ordained a Eastern Rite Roman Catholic priest. Each time, though, Fr. Von Pentz declined the office. On the eleventh ballot, however, after again being elected, and this time unanimously, he accepted and took the name "Linus II."

There followed in that same chapel a Coronation Mass, where the newly elected pontiff was crowned with a papal tiara.

Then, on June 29, 1994, the participants in the concilium drove from Assisi to Rome, with plans to acknowledge Linus II publicly as Pope in the Lateran Basilica. The group, however, was prevented from entering the Basilica by armed Italian policemen.

Linus II, though styling himself Pope, was not yet consecrated a bishop. When exactly, and by whom, he was raised to the episcopacy is therefore disputed.

Some have said that he was consecrated in Assisi or elsewhere in Italy in June 1994 by Msgr. Pintonello.

Others, while agreeing it was by Msgr. Pintonello, say that the consecration did not happen until four years later, in November 1998, at a ceremony in London, England.

Linus II's consecration is, of course, so far unverifiable. One complication is that some sources also report that the bishop who consecrated Linus II also, at the same time, consecrated Emmanuel Korab as a bishop.

Bp. Korab, though, is reported by some as having been consecrated a bishop during the Assisi consilium, but not by any retired Roman Catholic bishop. Instead he is reported to have been consecrated there by José Ramon Lopez-Gaston, an independent bishop in the lineage of Archbishop Pierrre Martin Ngo Dinh Thuc.

Certain other backers of Pope Linus II, however, claim that Bp. Korub was later consecrated a bishop, sub conditione, in 1998 in London, England, by that same un-named retired Roman Catholic bishop who supposedly came to Britain to consecrate Linus II. Still other backers of Linus II deny this and say that what happened in 1998 was only that Linus II, Bp Korub and Bp Richard Bedingfeld (also of the Thuc lineage) came together in London to consecrate Philippe Cochonneaud as a bishop.

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11/30/1953 Arrigo Pintonello (b. in 1908; d. in 2001).
Ordained a Roman Catholic priest on 10/9/1932 at xxxxx, Italy,

1. by Msgr. xxxxx, Roman Catholic Bishop of xxxxx.

Consecrated a Roman Catholic bishop on 11/30/1953 at xxxxx, Italy,

1. by Msgr. Adeodato Cardinal Piazza, Roman Catholkic Bishop of Sabina and Poggio Mirteto,
2. assisted by Msgr. Carlo Confalonieri, Roman Catholic Titular Archbishop of Nicopolis ad Nestum,
3. and by Msgr. Girolamo Bortignon, OFM Cap, Roman Catholic Bishop of Padova.

   Msgr. Pintonello was the Military Vicar for Italy, 1953-65, and Titular Archbishop of Theodosiopolis in Arcadia, 1953-67. He was the Apostolic Administrator for the Diocese of Velletri, Italy, 1965-67; He was the Archbishop of Latina, Terracina, Priverno and Sezze, 1967-71. He resigned his see on June 25, 1971.
   .

   • 1) 06/xx/1994 or 11/05/1998 Immanuel Korab (b. in 19xx; still living).
     Ordained a priest on xx/xx/19xx at xxxx, Czechoslovakia,
     1. by xxxx, a bishop of the Czech Old Catholic Church.

     Later ordained a priest, sub conditione, on 06/xx/1994 in Assisi, Italy,

     1. by José Ramon Lopez-Gaston, a bishop of the xxxxx Church. [See the Thuc lineage]

     Reportedly also later ordained a priest, sub conditione, on 11/xx/1998 in London, England,

     1. by Msgr. Arrigo Pintonello, the resigned Roman Catholic Archbishop of Latina, Terracina, Priverno and Sezze,
   Consecrated a bishop on xx/xx/19xx at xxxxx, Czechoslovakia,
   1. by xxxxx, a bishop of the Czech Old Catholic Catholic Church.
   Later consecrated a bishop, sub conditione, on 06/26/1994 in Assisi, Italy,
   1. by José Ramon Lopez-Gaston, a bishop of the xxxxx Church. [See the Thuc lineage], and possibly also
   2. by Msgr. Arrigo Pintonello, the resigned Roman Catholic Archbishop of Latina, Terracina, Priverno and Sezze,

   Reportedly also later consecrated a bishop, sub conditione, on 11/xx/1998 in London, England,

   1. by Msgr. Arrigo Pintonello, the resigned Roman Catholic Archbishop of Latina, Terracina, Priverno and Sezze,

   He resides at xxxxxx, Czech Republic.

   •  
   • 2) 06/xx/1994 or 1 1/07/1998 Victor von Pentz (b. in 19xx; still living).
     Ordained a priest on xx/xx/19xx at xxxx
     1. by xxxx, the Byzantine Rite Roman Catholic bishop of xxx.

     Later ordained a priest, sub conditione, on xx/xx/19xx at xxxxx,

     1. by Richard F. Bedingfeld, a bishop of the Tridentine Latin-Rite Church. [See the Thuc lineage]
   Consecrated a bishop on 11/07/1998 at London, England,
   1. by Msgr. xxxxx, the resigned Roman Catholic Bishop of xxxxx.

   Bp. von Pentz has since June 1994 acted as Pope Linus II. He resides in Hertfordshire, England..
   In 1999, Dr. Elisabeth Gerstner, his German-language secretary wrote that it would be too dangerous to publish the name of the Roman Catholic bishop who ordained and consecrated Victor von Pentz.  Dr. Gerstner has, however, stated that Linus II was consecrated as "Bishop of Rome" on 7 November 1998 in London, England, by a bishop in apostolic succession through Pope Pius XII. 
   She went on to write that this bishop's name would not be revealed until his death out of concern for his safety.
   The secretary also wrote that Archbishop Arrigo Pintonello is a close friend and "co-fighter", who participated "in writing" in the concilium in Assisi.  She added that Pope Linus II celebrates Mass both in the Byzantine and in Roman (neaning Traditional, not Novus Ordo) rites.

   • xx/xx/1998 Philippe Cochonneaud (b. in 19xx; still living).
     Ordained a priest on xx/xx/19xx at xxxxx by Frederick Gilbert Linale, the bishop of Caer-Glow and the Primate of the Old Roman Catholic Church. Later ordained a priest sub conditione. on xx/xx/19xx at xxxxx by by Richard F. Bedingfeld, a bishop of the xxxx Church.
     Consecrated a bishop on xx/xx/19xx at London, England, by Victor von Pentz (Pope Linus II), by Richard F. Bedingfeld, a bishop of the xxxx Church, and by Emmanuel Korub, a bishop of the xxxx Church.