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How is it valid Catholic if you're not Roman 

Catholic?

"What is the Old Catholic Church?"


The Old Catholic Church is part of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church as founded by Jesus Christ. The Old Catholic Church broke-off from the Roman Catholic Church after Vatican I in the 1870's. The major reason for the break-off was the Pope at that time centralized all Church authority to himself (dogma of Papal Infallibility -"Causa Finita Est.") instead of the time honored tradition of the "Infallibity of Bishops in General Council" having authority over the Church.

The Old Catholic Church holds and keeps Catholic Tradition as established by the Apostles in the First Century. We are truly 'Apostolic' and therefore truly 'Old' Catholic. We reject man-made political agendas and regulations. We do not come under the direct authority of the Pope in Rome, but under the authority of the Presiding Bishop of our jurisdiction, who 'holds and keeps' Apostolic Succession through both the Holy See of Rome (Roman Catholic Church) and the Holy See of Antioch (Eastern Catholic Church). Both of these Holy Sees were founded by the Apostle Saint Peter (“upon this rock I will build My Church” – Matthew 16:18). So, we as Old Catholic Priests trace our lineage and our ecclesiastical authority to Saint Peter.


The Catholic (universal) Church is made up of sister congregations:

- Roman Catholic

- Old Catholic

- Eastern 'sui iuris'and Eastern Greek Orthodox

- “Oriental” Churches, such as Coptic, Syrian and “Nestorian” Churches.


The term "Old Catholic" is simply an adherence to the beliefs and practices of the post-Apostolic era Church tracing their Apostolic Succession through the Apostles to the Roman Catholic Church, participate in the full sacramental ministry of the Church.


Some of the questions often asked about Old Catholics:

Does the Roman Catholic Church recognize the Sacraments of the Old Catholic Church?


Yes. (Canon. 845 §1,2) The Code of Canon Law of the Roman Catholic Church states: “The sacraments of baptism, confirmation and orders cannot be repeated since they imprint a character."


Is a marriage between a baptized Catholic and a non-Catholic legal and valid?


Yes, a marriage between a Catholic and non-Catholic couple is valid and legal, according to the Code of Canon Law 1118 §3, of the Vatican.

Ancient Recognitions:


+ Utrecht receives Rights of Autonomy from Blessed Pope Eugene III in 1145.

+ This right was confirmed in 1215 at the Fourth Lateran Council (Canons 23 and 24). In 1520, Pope Leo X decreed in his papal bull Debitum Pastoralis that the Bishop of Utrecht, his successors, his clergy, and his laity were exempt from trial by an external tribunal of canon law in perpetuity, and that any such proceedings would be ipso facto null and void. This autonomy became known as Leonine privilege.

+ Privilege subsequently reconfirmed in two Church Councils in 1520 and 1717.


Roman Catholics as well as others will often ask, what is your relationship with the Roman Catholic Church now?


Recent Recognitions:


+ "Dominus Iesus" issued by the Roman Catholic Magisterium in 2000, signed by Pope John Paul II on June 16, and Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger on August 6, states: "The Churches which, while not existing in perfect communion with the [Roman] Catholic Church, remain united to her by means of the closest bonds, that is, by apostolic succession and a valid Eucharist, are true particular Churches".

"Therefore, these separated Churches and communities as such ... have by no means been deprived of significance and importance in the mystery of salvation. For the Spirit of Christ has not refrained from using them as means of salvation which derive their efficacy from the very fullness of grace and truth entrusted to the Catholic Church". IV. Unicity and Unity of the Church, 17

+Pope Francis

(Vatican - October 30, 2014)


Old Catholic Church members met with Pope Francis in the latest of a continuing ecumenical dialogue between the Old Catholic Church and the Roman Catholic Church.


Pope Francis explained that since the Second Vatican Council,

"It has been possible to build new bridges of a more profound mutual understanding and practical co-operation, between the Old Catholic Church and the Roman Catholic Church

".


“There is a thirst for God”, the Pope stated. “There is a profound desire to recover a sense of purpose in life. There is an urgent need for a convincing witness to the truth and values of the Gospel." He suggested that the two communions can “support and encourage one another, especially at the level of parishes and local communities."

* The Catholic Almanac:


"The Roman Church recognizes the validity of Old Catholic Orders and other Sacraments." Felican A. Roy, OFM, 1974; p. 368.


* The Catholic Dictionary by Donald Attwater, bearing the "imprimatur" of Cardinal Hayes of New York:


States of the Old Catholic Church - "Their orders and sacraments are valid."


* Separated Brethren:

"We have no reason to doubt that the Old Catholic Orders are valid. The Apostolic Succession does not depend on the obedience to the See of Peter, but rather on the objective line of succession from Apostolic sources, the proper manner and form, and the proper intention, likewise Old Catholic bishops are bishops in Apostolic Succession. The Old Catholics, like the Orthodox, possess a valid priesthood." William J. Whalens, pp. 204, 248.


The Old Catholic Church administers the Sacraments as one may be very familiar with. We are perhaps 90% the same as one may be used to.

The exceptions that we offer are:


"Open Communion" - Communion is offered to, and encouraged to be received by, all Believing Christians.


"General Absolution" - During the Penitential Rite of Mass, a moment is taken to confess sins silently and personally to God, then the Priest grants General Absolution, or one may choose to confess to a Priest in person.


"Sacraments" - May be administered outside the confines of the Church.


"Holy Orders" - Are open to Married and Single Clergy. Another question often asked is, how can a priest be married? Clerical celibacy is a discipline, not a doctrine. In 305 A.D. the Council of Elvira in Spain, while not forbidding marriage, passed the first decree on celibacy for all bishops, priests and those who served at the altar. The Ecumenical Council of Nicea in 325 decreed that a priest could not marry after ordination. Pope Siricius (who left his wife to become Pope) in 385, commanded celibacy for bishops, priests and deacons. In 1123, the First Lateran Council forbade clergy to marry and decreed that those who had must dissolve their unions.None of these edicts were decisions by an ecumenical council of all the Christian Churches in Apostolic Succession.


In the United States, most people associate Catholic with Roman Catholic. But the Catholic Church is a communion of "23 churches," each recognizing the leadership of the Pope while maintaining their own distinctitive identities and disciplines. The Latin Church, which is commonly known as the Roman Catholic Church, has a discipline of mandatory priestly celibacy, most of the Eastern Catholic Churches do not.


"Holy Matrimony" - Is offered to those who have been previously married, without pre-condition. No Roman Catholic Church Annulment is required. We believe that marriage is a Sacrament, but divorce and remarriage are realities. We do not believe that divorce is the "unforgivable sin," nor do we believe that divorce should bar anyone from the ministry and the Sacraments of the church.


We work with mostly 'displaced Catholics', those who have left the Church for any number of reasons. We are here to serve them when they need a Priest, without question or condition. Ours is a 'Urban/Suburban Missionary Ministry'.

Serving Those in Need


"We are an Independent Catholic Family of Faith"


We in the Old Catholic Church understand that there are many who do not belong to a specific church or denomination, or who feel alienated from a former church that they have belonged, yet are in need of a Priest to perform a Catholic Service, such as a Baptism, Reconciliation, Holy Communion, Marriage, Anointing, Funeral Service, or Home Blessing.

We also understand that not all may be very "religious" and that their needs and requests may differ from the "traditional" Catholic Service. We know that trying to plan for any Service is hard enough without a Priest adding additional requirements or demands. We are flexible and are willing to work with the faithful and to accommodate their individual needs and desires; within the context of Christian worship.

Should the occasion arise when you or a family member are in need of a Priest to perform a Catholic Service, please call and we will be glad to serve those in need.


Please see all the Services available on this site. We are available to serve you by offering Services at your home, a reception or banquet venue, parks or beaches, funeral homes, cemeteries, or other place of your choosing.


All clergy are self-sustaining, not receiving a salary from the church.


If you might be interested in thinking about this further, here is an explanation of how this wedding ministry views denominations and various religions:


Over the two thousand years of Christianity there have been many, many different "rites" (which are simply names for different ways of living and celebrating Christianity within the "One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.")


From the time of the apostle Paul, local "churches" were organized around a "bishop," whose authority was considered to be in service to the people of God rather than dictatorial, and whose designation was passed on from the apostles ("Apostolic Succession").


At the beginning of this third millennium, there are many, many expressions of Christianity - from fundamentalist to progressive.


Within the Catholic portion of Christianity, there are now over 200 different rites. The largest, of course, is the Roman rite, with about 950 million members. The Eastern Orthodox Church has about 300 million members (2 million or so in the United States). The Eastern Orthodox have not been in communion with Rome for the last 900 years, but are as "Catholic" as "Catholics." About half the Catholic rites now in existence (Catholic "rites" are similar to Protestant "denominations") are in communion with Rome, and half are not.

These Christians adhere to the essentials of the Gospels of Jesus, just as do Catholics and Orthodox. The non-essentials that separate the various Christian denominations are relatively unimportant ... they are differences that arose after the time of Christ, of the Apostles, of the New Testament writers and of the Early Church.


They are differences that might have made little difference to the earliest disciples of Christ. For the first several hundred years of the Church's history, the position of the Bishop of Rome (the Pope) was quite secondary in the formation and sustaining of the Church. It still is considered quite secondary among the Eastern Orthodox and the Protestant denominations.


For hundreds of years after that, at least through the 8th century, he was looked at primarily as the "bridge builder" (the Latin word "pontifex," from which the word "pontiff" comes, means "bridge builder"), the one who did not take sides but who was open to all. The temporal and spiritual power of the Pope (in the West only) was solidified beyond first millennium recognition during the last 1,000 years, due to early political threats, church abuse and scandals followed by breakaways and hardened positions, and by simple human predilection.


This marriage ministry was started by Rev. James Burch, who is the coordinating bishop of the Catholic Diocese of One Spirit (www.OneSpiritCatholic.org). 

He is one of literally thousands upon thousands of priests who, beginning with the systematic glutting of Vatican II that took hold in the late 1960s and early 1970s, felt that the beautiful spirituality and liturgies of the Catholic Church had simply acquired too much baggage for a great many people, the church seemed to have become a gatekeeper to keep people out rather than welcome them in. There were too many categories of people who were not welcome, whereas Christ had no barriers to anybody at all.


There were dogmas and doctrines hardened in stone, despite the fact that few thought in the references anymore that those dogmas and doctrines were framed in.


There were too many rules and regulations for what you had to do and what you had to think to avoid going to hell, whereas Christ simply showed that God was Love in which we participate, told stories and asked people what they thought (he respected them wherever they were), and gave ideals to live by, rather than criteria to avoid "hell."


So, we thought, could we do less? It seemed like a pretty good set of principles to return to. This Wedding Ministry follows those principles.


I have a valid and recognized Apostolic Succession from my ordination by Bishop Jim Burch, and a copy of said succession is available by contacting me directly.


This Apostolic Succession is what makes me valid and allows me to be your loophole priest. 

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