Independent Catholic Churches are Christian denominations (or congregations) claiming valid apostolic succession of their bishops but are not a part of the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Churches, the Old Catholic Churches under the Archbishop of Utrect or the Anglican Communion. Independent Catholic bishops are sometimes referred to as episcopi vagantes ("wandering bishops") because of their lack of affiliation with a larger communion of churches. Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      A denomination, in the... A congregation is the group of members who make up a local Christian church, Jewish synagogue, Mosque or other religious assembly. ... In Christianity, the doctrine of Apostolic Succession (or the belief that the Church is apostolic) maintains that the Christian Church today is the spiritual successor to the original body of believers in Christ, composed of the Apostles. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      This article... Catholic Church redirects here. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Coptic Orthodox Pope · Roman Catholic Pope Archbishop of Canterbury · Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      Faith... The Old Catholic Church is a community of Christian churches. ... Main article: Anglicanism The Anglican Communion is a world-wide affiliation of Anglican Churches. ... Episcopi vagantes (Episcopus vagans, singular) (Latin for wandering bishops) are persons who have been consecrated as bishops in a Christian church in some irregular fashion, especially those claiming to have valid Roman Catholic orders although their consecrations were not authorized by that church, or those having orders that the Roman...

History

Bishop Arnold Mathew being ordained a bishop by Old Catholic Archbishop of Utrecht Gerardus Gul at St. Getrude's Cathedral, in the city of Utrecht, on 28 April 1908.

Although the term Old Catholics was first used in 1853 to describe those Catholics belonging to Utrecht in the Netherlands, most scholars date the "modern" Old Catholic movement to the 1870s when the Old Catholic Churches broke with the Roman Catholic Church in Europe. After the First Vatican Council in 1870 considerable groups of Austrian, German and Swiss Catholics rejected the declaration on papal infallibility and left to form their own churches independent of Rome. These churches were supported by the Old Catholic Archbishop of Utrecht who ordained their priests and bishops. Later these groups united more formally under the name Utrecht Union of Churches^[1]. Image File history File links Arnold_Harris_Mathew_Consecration_Principal_Gerardus_Gul. ... Image File history File links Arnold_Harris_Mathew_Consecration_Principal_Gerardus_Gul. ... Bishop Arnold Harris Mathew Arnold Harris Mathew (1852–1919) was the first Old Catholic bishop in the United Kingdom. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Catholic deacon... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      This article... The Diocese of Utrecht was established in 695 when Saint Willibrord was consecrated bishop of the Frisians at Rome by Pope Sergius I, and with the consent of the Frankish ruler, Pippin of Herstal, settled at the market-town of Utrecht. ... Utrecht ( (help· info)) is a municipality and the capital city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. ... is the 118th day of the year (119th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1908 (MCMVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... The Old Catholic Church is not so much a religious denomination, as a community, part of whose member churches split from the Roman Catholic church in 1870. ... The Old Catholic Church is not so much a religious denomination, as a community, part of whose member churches split from the Roman Catholic church in 1870. ... The Old Catholic Church is a community of Christian churches. ... The First Vatican Council was summoned by Pope Pius IX by the bull Aeterni Patris of June 29, 1868. ... In Catholic theology, papal infallibility is the dogma that, by action of the Holy Spirit, the Pope is preserved from even the possibility of error[1] when he solemnly declares or promulgates to the Church a dogmatic teaching on faith or morals as being contained in divine revelation, or at... The Diocese of Utrecht was established in 695 when Saint Willibrord was consecrated bishop of the Frisians at Rome by Pope Sergius I, and with the consent of the Frankish ruler, Pippin of Herstal, settled at the market-town of Utrecht. ... The Union of Utrecht is a federation of Old Catholic Churches, not in communion with Rome, that seceded from the Roman Catholic Church over the issue of Papal infallibility. ...

Independent Catholicism came to Great Britain in 1908 when Arnold Harris Mathew was consecrated a bishop in the Old Catholic Church of Utrecht. Bishop Mathew ordained several individuals to the episcopacy and priesthood, some of whom went on to found new groups such as the Liberal Catholic Church.^[2] Bishop Arnold Harris Mathew Arnold Harris Mathew (1852–1919) was the first Old Catholic bishop in the United Kingdom. ... The Liberal Catholic Church is a form of Christianity open to theosophical ideas. ...

Joseph René Vilatte is credited with being the first person to bring Independent Old Catholicism to North America.^[3] An Old Catholic priest, in 1892 Vilatte travelled to Ceylon where he obtained ordination to the episcopacy by Archbishop Alvarez of the Independent Catholic Church of Ceylon. Over the following twenty-eight years Vilatte consecrated a number of men to the episcopacy; these bishops, or their successors, went on to found many different jurisdictions in the United States, including the American Catholic Church, the African Orthodox Church, the Apostolic Christian Church, the Free Church of Antioch and the Catholic Apostolic Church of Antioch, Malabar Rite^[4]. Joseph René Vilatte Joseph René Vilatte (January 24, 1854 - July 8, 1929) was, at different times, a Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Episcopalian, Russian Orthodox and Jacobite. ... American Catholic Church can mean several things: The Roman Catholic Church in the United States of America. ... The African Orthodox Church owes its Episcopate and Apostolic Authority to the Syrian Church of Antioch where there disciples were first called Christians, and of which the Chair (See) of St. ... The Apostolic Christian Church is a religious body in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Japan that originates from the anabaptist movement. ... Archbishop Warren Prall Watters and Bishop Ellen Watters of the Free Church of Antioch. ...

Independent Catholic groups

Many, but not all, independent Catholic churches claim descent from the Old Catholics of Utrecht, though Utrecht would not accept their orders as valid. Mainly, this is for two reasons: like Orthodoxy, Utrecht holds that ordinations can only be done within the Church as a whole and with appropriate permission; secondly there were numerous occasions when people purchased their ordination, something which (according to Roman Catholics, Orthodox and Old Catholics) would nullify any ceremony. Some North American Independent Old Catholic groups began life as Protestant and/or Charismatic congregations. For example, the Charismatic Episcopal Church came into being when charismatic fellowships rediscovered both sacramentalism and the historical apostolic succession. One group, the former Evangelical Orthodox Church, found its way into mainstream Eastern Orthodoxy: one part joined the Antiochan Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America in 1987, another section entered the Orthodox Church in America, whilst a remnant kept the name EOC. Reception into mainstream Orthodoxy was always accompanied by ordination. Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... The charismatic movement began with the adoption of certain Pentecostal beliefs—specifically what are known as the biblical charisms of Christianity: speaking in tongues, prophesying, etc. ... Mass at the Cathedral of the King in Manila The International Communion of the Charismatic Episcopal Church (also known as the ICCEC or CEC) is an international Christian communion established as an Autocephalous Patriarchate in 1992. ... In Christian belief and practice, a sacrament is a rite that mediates divine grace, constituting a sacred mystery. ... The Evangelical Orthodox Church is an Eastern Orthodox Christian movement with its origins in Evangelical Protestantism, particularly in the Campus Crusade for Christ student missionary organization, that came to embrace an Eastern tradition of Christianity. ... The Orthodox Church in America (OCA) is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Church in North America. ...

The Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church was founded in the 1940s as Bishop Carlos Duarte Costa withdrew from the Roman Catholic Church in protest over the Church's perceived support of fleeing Nazis and right-wing governments in Latin America. Duarte Costa went on to consecrate other bishops in Europe as well as North and South America. Several independent Catholic bodies today claim to trace their apostolic succession through Duarte Costa. The Begining of the Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church Bishop Carlos Duarte Costa was consecrated as the Roman Catholic Diocesan Bishop of Botucatu, Brazil, on December 8, 1924, until certain views he expressed about treatment of the Brazils poor, by both the civil government and the Roman Catholic Church in... Dom Carlos Duarte Costa Carlos Duarte Costa or Saint Carlos of Brazil (1888-1961) was a bishop of the Roman Catholic Church; after being excommunicated by Pope Pius XII, he established the Catholic Apostolic Church of Brazil. ... The Nazi party used a right-facing swastika as their symbol and the red and black colors were said to represent Blut und Boden (blood and soil). ...

A number of liturgical churches are sometimes regarded as Independent Catholic Churches, but do not fit neatly in this category. Continuing Anglican Churches are sometimes included in this grouping, but this is controversial, especially with regard to the larger Continuing Anglican bodies. Traditionalist Catholic groups are sometimes regarded as Independent Catholics (i.e. not in communion with the Holy See), but many of these bodies would not see themselves that way, rather believing that it is the pope who has fallen into error. The same could be said of Evangelical Catholic groups such as the Evangelical Community Church-Lutheran, which accept certain Roman Catholic doctrines but consider themselves to be Lutheran, rather than Independent Catholic. Similar controversy exists regarding the Old Calendar Eastern Orthodox jurisdictions, including the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church and bodies which split from mainstream Orthodoxy specifically in order to maintain the Old Calendar. The Continuing Anglican Movement is a group of Christian churches which follow the Anglican tradition but which split from the Episcopal Church in the USA (ECUSA) and the Anglican Church of Canada because of what they viewed as a rejection of orthodoxy by those North American provinces of the Anglican... A traditionalist Catholic is a Roman Catholic who believes that there should be a restoration of the liturgical forms, public and private devotions, and presentation of Catholic teachings that prevailed in the Catholic Church just before the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). ... The terms catholic evangelical and evangelical catholic combine two descriptive words that often seem contradictory to post-Reformational ears. ... The Evangelical Community Church-Lutheran (ECCL) is a small Church in the Lutheran Evangelical Catholic tradition. ... The Lutheran movement is a group of denominations of Protestant Christianity by the original definition. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Eastern Orthodoxy (also called Greek Orthodoxy and Russian Orthodoxy) is a Christian tradition which represents the majority of Eastern Christianity. ... In 1921 a Synod created the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAOC) in Kiev and ordained Metropolitan Vasyl (Lypkivsky) as its head. ...

The Polish National Catholic Church is sometimes considered as being an independent Catholic Church; however, the PNCC itself would reject this designation. The PNCC derives its orders from the Old Catholic Union of Utrecht, but is no longer in communion with Utrecht nor with the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. These relationships were ended because the PNCC rejects the ordination of both women and sexually active gay men. Whilst no longer in communion with any other body, it remains a relatively substantial denomination in its own right, maintaining active dialogue with the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches, and is a member of the World Council of Churches. The Polish National Catholic Church (PNCC) is a Christian church founded and based in the United States by Polish-Americans who were Roman Catholic. ... This article is about the Episcopal Church in the United States. ... The World Council of Churches (WCC) is an international Christian ecumenical organization. ...

A very few independent Catholic groups have grown to a decent size (e.g. The Ecumenical Catholic Communion) but the majority consist of one or two bishops, a few priests and deacons, and a small number of adherents. Indeed, often there are more people in the sanctuary than in the body of the church during services. There are many cases of people being ordained as bishops without having any priests under their jurisdiction, and of bishops undergoing several consecrations in an attempt to secure apostolic succession. As mentioned, mainstream Orthodoxy rejects the validity of such ordinations as they have been done outside of the Church i.e. Orthodoxy. Utrecht maintains a similar position. Roman Catholicism, which has tended to hold a more mechanistic view of ordination, would still be hesitant to accept the validity of the orders of Independent Old Catholic clergy. This is for several reasons: the proliferation of ordinations makes it difficult to ensure validity, women have been consecrated and others ordained by them, the theology of many in the Independent Old Catholic Movement is (to Roman Catholicism) somewhat suspect e.g. some believe in reincarnation, some reject the Trinity, some believe sacred crystals from which power emanates as the Mass is celebrated. Some, such as the Liberal Catholic Church believe in theosophy which is repugnant to Roman Catholicism, Orthodoxy, Utrecht and Anglicanism, as theosophy teaches that there is a sacred knoweledge available only to a select group. It is highly significant that those Independent Catholic clergy who petition Rome for reconciliation are invariably met with silence. In Christianity, the doctrine of Apostolic Succession (or the belief that the Church is apostolic) maintains that the Christian Church today is the spiritual successor to the original body of believers in Christ, composed of the Apostles. ... This article is about the theological concept. ... This article is about the Christian Trinity. ... The Liberal Catholic Church is a form of Christianity open to theosophical ideas. ... Theosophy is a word and a concept known anciently, commonly understood in the modern era to describe the studies of religious philosophy and metaphysics originating with Helena Petrovna Blavatsky from the 1870s. ... A monument to reconciliation in Ottawa. ...

Within the Independent Old Catholic Movement, fractions occur frequently and new groups are formed as people fall out with one another, issuing grandly wordeed excommunications and condemnations. In 1996, Dr. Gregory Singleton, concluded, "Decentralization of religious organisations in the US is a likely trend in the future (we can see some signs of it now). It may be that these independent movements may provide us with models, both of what has not worked, and what might work."^[5].

Faith and practice

Virtually all independent Catholic Churches worship according to a set liturgy, usually derived from a mainstream historical Christian rite, such as the Syriac, Byzantine, or Roman. Sometimes they use a liturgy that is some combination of two or more of these historical liturgies or one that is unique to the Church in question. By definition, all such groups are episcopal in polity, being led by bishops and priests who are assisted by deacons. Virtually all hold to some type of sacramental understanding of the Christian faith closely related to that broadly held in common by the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Assyrian, and Anglican Churches. Virtually all also affirm the text of the Nicene Creed, usually with the filioque, but interpretations vary widely. A liturgy is the customary public worship of a religious group, according to their particular traditions. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... It has been suggested that episcopal be merged into this article or section. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      This article... This article is about religious workers. ... Deacon is a role in the Christian Church which is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. ... A sacrament is a Christian rite that mediates divine grace. ... For other uses, see Christian (disambiguation). ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Coptic Orthodox Pope · Roman Catholic Pope Archbishop of Canterbury · Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      Faith... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      The term Oriental Orthodoxy refers to... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      The Assyrian Church of the East... The term Anglican describes those people and churches following the religious traditions of the Church of England, especially following the Reformation. ... Icon depicting the Holy Fathers of the First Council of Nicaea holding the Nicene Creed. ... In Christian theology the filioque clause (and the Son) is a disputed part of the Nicene Creed. ...

However, they disagree on the ordination of women, the ordination of sexually active gays and lesbians, the acceptability of same-sex marital unions, abortion, contraception, divorce, and other issues that are controversial also in more mainstream sections of Christianity, whether Roman Catholic, Protestant, Anglican, or Orthodox. However, unlike most of their more conventional counterparts, these groups, usually being quite small, tend to be internally fairly homogeneous on these and other issues; in other words, divisions on these and other questions are between these Churches, not so much within them. In general religious use, ordination is the process by which one is consecrated (set apart for the undivided administration of various religious rites). ... Ordination is the process in which clergy become authorized by their religious denomination and/or seminary to perform religious rituals and ceremonies. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ...

These Independent Catholic groups represent a variety of doctrines. Some, such as the Liberal Catholic Church,the Free Church of Antioch, the Catholic Apostolic Church of Antioch – Malabar Rite (the "Church of Antioch"), and the recently formed Young Rite are characterised by a theosophical or New Age orientation, and can ultimately end up contradicting traditional orthodox Christian beliefs such as the Trinity and the uniqueness of Christ as Saviour. Others are quite conservative, following extremely traditionalist Catholic or Old Calendar Orthodox positions. Others describe themselves as "Evangelical Catholic" and are High Church Lutherans. The Liberal Catholic Church is a form of Christianity open to theosophical ideas. ... Archbishop Warren Prall Watters and Bishop Ellen Watters of the Free Church of Antioch. ... Theosophy is a word and a concept known anciently, commonly understood in the modern era to describe the studies of religious philosophy and metaphysics originating with Helena Petrovna Blavatsky from the 1870s. ... New Age describes a broad movement characterized by alternative approaches to traditional Western culture. ... This article is about the Christian Trinity. ... This page is about the title, office or what is known in Christian theology as the Divine Person. ... The terms catholic evangelical and evangelical catholic combine two descriptive words that often seem contradictory to post-Reformational ears. ... High Church Lutheranism is a form of Lutheranism which emphasizes worship practices and doctrine that are similar to those of the high church movement within Anglicanism, and therefore also to those of the Roman Catholic Church. ...

Many groups, possibly turning necessity into virtue, have intentionally embraced an "Ignatian" model of parish organisation, in which a bishop, not a priest, is the pastor of a parish and is assisted by a group of priests, an intraparish presbyterium, as well as by one or more deacons. This model was prevalent during the first centuries of the Christian Church. Saint Ignatius of Antioch (also known as Theophorus)(c. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      A pastor is an... A parish is a type of administrative subdivision. ... The presbyterium of the Archdiocese of Chicago processed into Holy Name Cathedral to concelebrate the funeral Mass of Joseph Cardinal Bernardin. ...

Given this, it is rare to find Independent clergy who are supported financially in their work. In the United Kingdom there are several who make a substantial income by conducting funerals, from High Church to humanist in character. However, most Independent clergy pursue their ministry as a part-time, volunteer calling, whilst engaging in some other occupation in order to support themselves and their families.

Ecclesiology

In the past, independent Catholic bishops often received multiple consecrations to assure that their apostolic succession is considered technically valid (though illicit) by the Roman Catholic Church. Though perhaps less prevalent than in the past, the practice still persists. Thus Archbishop Peter Paul Brennan of the African Orthodox Church, one of four who were conditionally (sub-conditione) reconsecrated as bishops by Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo on 24 September 2006, was first consecrated a bishop on 10 June 1978, and subsequently conditionally reconsecrated in October 1979 and twice more in March 1987.[1] In Christianity, the doctrine of Apostolic Succession (or the belief that the Church is apostolic) maintains that the Christian Church today is the spiritual successor to the original body of believers in Christ, composed of the Apostles. ... The African Orthodox Church owes its Episcopate and Apostolic Authority to the Syrian Church of Antioch where there disciples were first called Christians, and of which the Chair (See) of St. ... Emmanuel Milingo (born June 13, 1930) was a Zambian Roman Catholic archbishop. ...

This situation has created the phenomenon of bishops who claim to be legitimate bishops of the Christian Church, but who have little or no organisational connections to any communion, historical or newly-formed, although modernly, there is a movement amongst various groups of bishops toward unification.

Their claim is based on an understanding of the "validity" of apostolic succession that has been commonly accepted in Roman Catholicism at least since the time of the Donatist controversy. According to this understanding, a bishop is a true bishop if consecrated in a valid rite by a bishop even outside the boundaries and against the wishes of the Pope. However, many theologians, within the Roman Catholic Church and elsewhere, question whether such consecrations have effect, on the grounds that an ordination is for service within a concrete Christian Church. Therefore an ordination ceremony that concerns only the individual himself does not, they say, correspond to the definition of an ordination and is without effect. The Old Catholics of the Union of Utrecht and Eastern Orthodox theologians apply this also to an ordination for a heretic or schismatic, and thus do not recognise the validity of the orders of those within the Independent Catholic movement. The Donatists (founded by the Berber Christian Donatus Magnus) were followers of a belief considered a heresy by the broader Catholic community. ... The Union of Utrecht (Dutch: Unie van Utrecht) is a treaty signed on January 23, 1579 in Utrecht, the Netherlands, unifying the northern provinces of the Netherlands, until then under control of Spain. ... Eastern Orthodoxy (also called Greek Orthodoxy and Russian Orthodoxy) is a Christian tradition which represents the majority of Eastern Christianity. ...

The Holy See itself has made no declaration about the correctness or erroneousness of the theory of the need to be ordained within and for an existing Christian Church. Whilst it has more than once declared that certain episcopal consecrations have no canonical effect, it has explicitly stated that it was not thereby expressing a judgement on the validity, in itself, of those consecrations, but merely on their canonical efficacy.

Thus, when it declared devoid of canonical effect the consecration ceremony conducted by Archbishop Pierre Martin Ngô Đình Thục for the Carmelite Order of the Holy Face group at midnight of 31 December 1975, it refrained from pronouncing on its validity. It made the same statement with regard also to later ordinations by those bishops, saying that, "as for those who have already thus unlawfully received ordination or any who may yet accept ordination from these, whatever may be the validity of the orders (quidquid sit de ordinum validitate), the Church does not and will not recognise their ordination (ipsorum ordinationem), and will consider them, for all legal effects, as still in the state in which they were before, except that the ... penalties remain until they repent" (Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Decree Episcopi qui alios of 17 September 1976 - Acta Apostolicae Sedis 1976, page 623). Archbishop Ngô Đình Thuc Pierre Martin Ngô Đình Thục (approximately pronounced Ngoh Din Took ) (October 6, 1897–December 13, 1984), Roman Catholic Archbishop of Huế, Vietnam, was born in Huế, on October 6, 1897, of affluent Catholic parents. ... The cathedral of Palmar de Troya The Palmarian Catholic Church (One Holy Catholic Apostolic and Palmarian Church) is a schismatic Catholic sect with its own pope, Peter II. He is a rival pope, or antipope, to Pope Benedict XVI. Pope Benedict XVI is the leader of the Roman Catholic Church. ... is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) (Congregatio pro Doctrina Fidei) is the oldest of the nine congregations of the Roman Curia. ... is the 260th day of the year (261st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1976 Pick up sticks(MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

A similar declaration was issued with regard to Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo's conferring of episcopal ordination on four men - all of whom, by virtue of previous Independent Catholic consecrations, claimed already to be bishops - on 24 September 2006: the Holy See, as well as stating that, in accordance with Canon 1382 of the Code of Canon Law, all five men involved incurred automatic ("latae sententiae") excommunication through their actions, declared that "the Church does not recognise and does not intend in the future to recognise these ordinations or any ordinations derived from them, and she holds that the canonical state of the four alleged bishops is the same as it was prior to the ordination."^[6] Emmanuel Milingo (born June 13, 1930) was a Zambian Roman Catholic archbishop. ... is the 267th day of the year (268th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In contrast, the Holy See questioned neither the validity nor the canonical effect of the consecrations that the late Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre performed in 1988 for the service of the relatively numerous followers of the traditionalist Roman Catholic Society of St. Pius X that he had founded. The Ecône Consecrations are those by which Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre consecrated four Catholic bishops on 30 June 1988, notwithstanding the express prohibition of the Pope. ... The Most Reverend Dr. Marcel-François Lefebvre (November 29, 1905–March 25, 1991), better known as Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, was a French Roman Catholic bishop. ... Traditionalist Catholic and Traditional Catholic are broad terms used to denote Roman Catholics who reject some or all of the reforms that were instituted after the Second Vatican Council, in particular the revised rite of Mass, which was promulgated in 1969 by Pope Paul VI as part of the process... The Society of St. ...

However, there is no proof that the numerical size or the ecclesiological attitude of the group was the reason for the different evaluations: other hypotheses could be put forward to explain them, including the fact that Lefebvre was obviously capable of forming the necessary intention. Some have questioned the mental capacity of Archbishops Ngô and Milingo to form the requisite intention to consecrate. Ngô was advanced in age and was reportedly experiencing a dementia at the time of his actions in question.Also, Milingo had undergone a marriage within the Unification Church, a group which regards its founder as being Christ on Earth; thus Milingo's theology would be highly suspect to Catholic minds. Therefore, it would be difficult to obtain a definitive objective judgement in the case of Milingo.

Milingo, Lefebvre and Ngô, were all ordained within Roman Catholicism and not the Independent Catholic movement; the validity of their own ordinations are not in question. However, it is worth noting that those Independent Catholic clergy who petition Rome for reconciliation are invariably met with silence. On the rare occasions when reconciliation is granted, it involves someone who was raised within Roman Catholicism. Also, those involved are welcomed back as laity rather than clergy; this would strongly indicate that Rome does not regard their ordinations as valid. A monument to reconciliation in Ottawa. ...

The official view of the Eastern Orthodox Church has been summarised as follows: "While accepting the canonical possibility of recognising the existence (υποστατόν) of sacraments performed outside herself, (the Eastern Orthodox Church) questions their validity (έγκυρον) and certainly rejects their efficacy (ενεργόν)."^[7] It sees "the canonical recognition (αναγνώρισις) of the validity of sacraments performed outside the Orthodox Church (as referring) to the validity of the sacraments only of those who join the Orthodox Church (individually or as a body)."^[8] This applies to the validity and efficacy of the ordination of bishops and the other sacraments, not only of the Independent Catholic Churches, but also of all other Christian Churches, including the Roman Catholic Church, Oriental Orthodoxy, and the Assyrian Church of the East. Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Coptic Orthodox Pope · Roman Catholic Pope Archbishop of Canterbury · Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      Faith... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Coptic Orthodox Pope · Roman Catholic Pope Archbishop of Canterbury · Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      Faith... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      The term Oriental Orthodoxy refers to... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      The Assyrian Church of the East...

The above-mentioned declarations by the Holy See that certain ordinations may have seemed to concern essentially only the individuals themselves and not an existing Church lacked "canonical effect" are in harmony with the Eastern Orthodox view, with this essential difference: the Roman Catholic Church recognises the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental and Utrecht Churches as real Churches, even if schism occasioned the separation, and it therefore recognises ordinations within these Churches as both valid and efficacious.

References

Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU) is a public state university located in the North Park community area of Chicago, Illinois. ...

See also

• Alexandrian Gnostic Church
• Antiochian Catholic Church in America
• Catholic Charismatic Church of Canada
• Evangelical Catholic Church
• The Evangelical Old Catholic Communion
• Free Church of Antioch
• Liberal Catholic Church
• Old Catholic Church
• Orthodox-Catholic Church of America
• Reformed Catholic Church
• Sedevacantist antipope

The Alexandrian Gnostic Church is a modern sacramental gnostic community. ... The Antiochian Catholic Church in America or the ACCA, is one of the Independent Catholic Churches. ... The Catholic Charismatic Church of Canada traces their heritage and apostolic succession through the Old Catholic Church, which cut communion with Rome in 1870 (1723). ... The Evangelical Catholic Church is a small Lutheran body that appears Catholic in its liturgy, but accepts the Augsburg Confession. ... The Evangelical Old Catholic Communion traces its heritage through the Old Catholic Church, which cut communion with Rome in 1870 (1723). ... Archbishop Warren Prall Watters and Bishop Ellen Watters of the Free Church of Antioch. ... The Liberal Catholic Church is a form of Christianity open to theosophical ideas. ... The Old Catholic Church is a community of Christian churches. ... The Orthodox-Catholic Church of America (OCCA) is an independent, self-governing Orthodox jurisdiction active primarily in the United States, but with clergy in the United Kingdom and Australia as well. ... The Reformed Catholic Church is an Independent Catholic church with roots in the Old Catholic Church of Utrecht. ... Sedevacantist antipopes (more specifically but less commonly, conclavist antipopes), are religous leaders of breakaway Catholics, called sedevacantists. ...

External links

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Umbrella organizations

• Independent Catholic Churches International
• Independent Liberal Catholic Fellowship An ecumenical, independent fellowship of clergy and denominations in the liberal Catholic tradition
• The World of Autocephalous Churches Go-to site for information and links regarding independent Catholic Churches, especially those in North America.
• Independent Movement Database - A database of information on the Independent Movement.
• The Sophia Circle Non prescriptive circle of esoterically-minded bishops