Liberal Catholic movement

The neutrality of this article is disputed. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. Please do not remove this message until conditions to do so are met. (May 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

Part of a series on the
Liberal Catholic Movement
Background
Christianity Western Christianity English Reformation Anglicanism Old Catholicism
People
Arnold Harris Mathew James I. Wedgwood Charles Webster Leadbeater
Rites
Liberal Rite
Churches
Liberal Catholic Church Liberal Catholic Church International Liberal Catholic Church Theosophia Synod Old Catholic Apostolic Church The Young Rite
v t

The Liberal Catholic movement refers to those churches whose foundation traces back to the founding bishops of the Liberal Catholic Church. It is different from the Roman Catholic Church. The Liberal Catholic Movement is one of the most recognized Old Catholic groups in the United States.^[1]

Movement background[]

The founding bishop of the Liberal Catholic Church was J. I. Wedgwood who was ordained as a priest in the Old Catholic movement on July 22, 1913 by Arnold Harris Mathew (whose membership in the Union of Utrecht was terminated in 1910).

Differences of Opinion[]

First schism and the LCCI[]

Some of the clergy in the Liberal Catholic Church International returned to the Liberal Catholic Church, Province of the United States of America.

LCC Schism[]

Since both groups call themselves The Liberal Catholic Church, distinguishing between the two may be confusing. It has been suggested that the 'liberal' synod be known as the 'reform' synod.^[2]

LCC Theosophia Synod[]

Right Reverend Ernest W.Jackson had been the Regionary Bishop of The Liberal Catholic Church Province of Canada. The GES of the LCC deposed Jackson and dissolved the Province of Canada. Jackson then founded the Liberal Catholic Church Theosophia Synod, 1982.

Old Catholic Apostolic Church[]

The current Presiding Bishop is Adrian Glover, consecrated to the episcopacy in 2009 by John Kersey.^[3]

Old Catholic Church of British Columbia[]

The Old Catholic Church of British Columbia was established in 1921 as in independent communion. They use the Liberal Rite in their church. In 2006, the church was granted conditional status as a member of the Utrecht Union. This lasted only a short period, as they withdrew from the Union the following year due to differences of opinion.

Reformed LCC[]

In the United Kingdom another Liberal Catholic Jurisdiction exists under the leadership of Bishop Richard Palmer. This Church was founded by mandate in May 1999 and is known as 'The Reformed Liberal Catholic Church (Old Catholic)'.

The Church of Saint Thomas Int[]

Another Liberal Catholic Jurisdiction exists under the leadership of Bishop David D. La Rochelle (David Lindley). This Church was founded by mandate in May 2009 and is known as ' (Old Catholic)'.

Universal Catholic Church[]

In April 2007, former LCCI Presiding Bishop Dean Bekken, Bishop Alain Miller, several Priests and St Francis Parish of San Diego left the LCCI to form the Liberal Catholic Church of California, later renamed the Universal Catholic Church. In 2008 Bishop Bekken elevated Father Robert Winzens to the Episcopate.

The Young Rite[]

In 2006 another reform resulted in the formation of a new group called the Young Rite. The past Presiding Bishop of the "mother" Liberal Catholic Church, Johannes van Alphen, who had resigned from the LCC in 2002, had consecrated Mario Manuel Herrera (in 2002) who in turn had consecrated Benito Rodriguez Cruz (in 2005). These three bishops consecrated to the episcopacy Marcus van Alphen,^[4] a former priest of the Dutch Liberal Catholic Church, in June 2006 in Hilversum, The Netherlands. Bishop Johannes subsequently joined the Young Rite and remained active in it until his death on the 25th of January 2009.^[5] In March 2008 the bishops of the Young Rite and bishop (Aristid Havilcek of Slovenia) to the episcopacy.^[6]

Bishop Marcus started the Young Rite as an autocephalous group operating within the Liberal Catholic tradition, yet separate from any of the Liberal Catholic Church organizations. Although the Young Rite shares many beliefs and customs with the Liberal Catholic Church and derives its apostolic succession from it, they are not affiliated with any of the Liberal Catholic Church organizations. The book^[7] expounds further on the doctrine and philosophy regarding this rite. The Young Rite operates in Slovenia,^[8] South Africa, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Belgium, Greece, the Netherlands, Canada and the United States of America.^[9] The Young Rite USA operates as the Community of St. George and is led by Presiding Bishops David Oliver Kling, Robert Lamoureaux and Bishop-elect Timothy Olivieri ^[10]

The Ascended Church of Christ[]

In 2014 the Liberal Orthodox Church Universal changed its name to The Ascended Church of Christ. In 2009 Bishop Teklemariam Gezahagne, presiding Patriarch of the Ethiopian Apostolic Church, commissioned and ordained the Rev. Didymos Judas Thomas (W. L. Vincent) as the presiding Patriarch of North American branch of the EAC.

The Liberal Catholic Union[]

Along with several Bishops and Clergy the Liberal Catholic Union formed as a vehicle for reintroducing Theosophical context that they felt had been stripped from common Liberal Catholic Practice. The LCU creates a distinct practice through the incorporation and infusion of not only Theosophical but French Gnostic theological concepts.^[11] The Church is active in several states with its largest community established in Indiana. The LCU does not have a seminary and instead relies on the "apprentice" method that they believe was originally the model of training used in the early Christian community. The Liberal Catholic Union is seen as a heavily esoteric order and promotes such practices as open communion offered to Christians as well as Non Christians without distinction.^[12]

Disbanded and inactive churches[]

International Liberal Catholic Church[]

The International Liberal Catholic Church was founded in 1966 by Bishop Edmund Walter Sheehan and others who left the Liberal Catholic Church branch led by Bishop Edward M. Matthews. He had previously served as an auxiliary bishop under Bishop Charles Hampton. His disagreement with Matthews concerned administrative matters.

The International Liberal Catholic Church followed the Matthews faction in doctrinal and liturgical matters. While reporting 9 bishops, 25 clergy, and 3,000 members in 1969, the International Church dwindled to only a few parishes during the 1970s, and in the early 1980s was disbanded.

Independent Catholic Church International[]

The Independent Catholic Church International was formed in 1981 as both a new jurisdiction out of the Anglican heritage and an ecumenical body which related a variety of independent episcopal bodies, some out of the theosophical Liberal Catholic tradition. The first primate was Peter Wayne Goodrich. Goodrich resigned in 1983 and was succeeded by R. V. Bernard Dawe (b. 1925), who had been consecrated in 1980 and had served as the church's international legate.

Free Liberal Catholic Church[]

The Free Liberal Catholic Church was founded in 1975 by a group of Liberal Catholic priests including Bishops Donald M. Berry (1935- ) and John Russell (1920–1985). Bishop Berry was consecrated by Bishop William H. Daw of the Liberal Catholic Church International. Bishop Russell was consecrated by Bishop William A. Henley of the American Orthodox Catholic Church. Archbishop John Shelton Davis, vicar general at the time of the formation of the Free Liberal Catholic Church, is currently the presiding bishop. Davis was consecrated by Berry in 1979.

See also[]

• Warren Prall Watters
• Free Church of Antioch
• Old Catholic

References[]

External links[]

• Liberal Catholic Church LCC Conservative Branch
• Liberal Catholic Church This website provides information about the Progressive Branch of the Liberal Catholic Church
• Liberal Catholic Church International The church in which theosophical tenets are allowed but not emphasized
• Liberal Catholic Church International, Province of Great Britain and Ireland
• The Liberal Catholic Union
• Universal Catholic Church
• The Liberal Catholic Church – Theosophia Synod
• Old Catholic Apostolic Church
• Liberal Catholic Universalist Church Liberal, Catholic, Universalist, Inclusive
• The Young Rite USA