FAQs
about the ECC+USA
&
the Catholic Faith Traddition in general.
(Click on a question below or page down.)
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[Category:
General Questions about the Ecumenical Catholic Church+USA]
What is the Ecumenical Catholic Church + USA?
How
can you claim to be Catholic if you are not united with the pope?
Are all Christians members of the universal, “catholic” body
of Christ?
OK, so you’re a catholic church, what makes you
different from other churches?
[Category:
Sacraments, Anointing of the Sick]
When
is the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick administered?
[Category: Sacraments, Baptism]
Does the ECC+USA have a rite of initiation for adults
similar to the RCIA? How do adults join the church?
I was reading that your church does not accept sprinkling
as an acceptable form of baptism. Does this mean that the ECC+USA does
not Christen or that the Church Christens in a different manner?
[Category: Sacraments,
Celebration of the Eucharist]
Why
do our priests sometimes use incense at the Celebration of the
Eucharist?
I
understand that your masses are held in the traditional form-
does this mean that they are held in Latin or that they are
held in the same manner as the Roman Catholic church does
currently?
What is the church's position on who is allowed to receive the
Eucharist? Would a person need to be confirmed in the ECC+USA, a confirmed Catholic,
or any baptized Christian?
[Category:
Sacraments, Penance]
Why
does the priest say “I absolve you from your sins” during
the Penitential Rite at the beginning of Mass?
What is the ECC+USA's position on confession? Is it the
same as that of the Roman Catholic Church in that it is required to receive
communion?
[Category: Doctrine,
the Blessed Virgin Mary, Assumption]
In
the Roman Catholic Church, August 15 is the feast of the Assumption
of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven. Is the Assumption a belief
of the Ecumenical Catholic Church+USA?
[Category: Moral
Theology]
What
is the ECC+USA’s official stand on stem cell research?
How does a church decide to perform same sex marriages or unions?
[Category:
Church History]
[Category:
Liturgical Year, Lent]
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[Category: Sacraments, Penance]
Why
does the priest say “I absolve you from your sins” during
the Penitential Rite at the beginning of Mass?
At the beginning of Mass, we prepare ourselves spiritually to listen
to God’s Word in the readings and sermon. We prepare ourselves to receive
Jesus, who is the Word of God, in the Holy Eucharist. During the Penitential
Rite, we place ourselves in the presence of God; we recall our sins against
God and neighbor; we ask God to look upon our sorrow for sins and our resolution
to sin no more; and then we ask God for forgiveness. Jesus instituted the
Sacrament of Penance as the tangible evidence of God’s forgiveness.
At this point in the Penitential Rite, the priest says, “May our
Lord Jesus Christ absolve you and by his authority, I absolve you from
your sins in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” At
that moment, we have sacramental certitude that all of our sins are
forgiven.
Christ instituted the Seven Sacraments as visible signs of his action
in our lives. The Sacrament of Penance makes Christ’s forgiveness present
in our lives. The merits of his sacred death and resurrection are applied
to us to forgive our sinfulness. Then, we can confidently say “Peace” to
our neighbor at the Greeting of Peace and we can begin the litany of prayers
for the whole world with, “Now in peace, let us pray to the
Lord. Lord, hear our prayer.”
As an aside, the Roman Catholic Church calls sacramental absolution
given to a whole congregation “General Absolution”. In
the Roman Catholic Church, General Absolution is administered only
in very special
circumstances when individual and private confession of sins is not
available, and then Roman Catholics must confess the sins forgiven
in General Absolution
the next time they have a chance for private confession. While the
Ecumenical Catholic Church+USA, upon request, provides for individual
and private
confession of sins, General Absolution during the Penitential Rite
of the Mass is the preferred method of administering this sacrament
and
private
confession later is not considered necessary or appropriate.
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[Category: Sacraments,
Anointing of the Sick]
When is the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick administered?
Editor's
Note: While the response to this questions was written specifically
for our Sts. Peter and Paul Church, the answer has general applicability.
Beginning Sunday, June 4, 2006 – the Feast of Pentecost – and
the first Sunday of each quarter, we will be including a brief Service
of Healing with prayers for the sick and an invitation to anointing.
We are placing this rite between the Penitential Rite and the Greeting
of Peace. Participation, of course, is optional.
What is the history of Anointing? Praying for the sick and Anointing
of the Sick are ancient rites in Catholic Faith tradition. In
the Epistle of St. James (5:14), in a list of admonitions and
advice
to his readers,
James writes,
Is anyone among you sick?
Then he must call for the elders of the church
and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the
name of the Lord;
and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick….
The Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, referred to for centuries
as Extreme Unction, is largely based on James 5:14. However,
the limiting
of sacramental anointing to only those in proximate danger of
death seems to be an unwarranted limitation of the graces of
this sacrament.
The Sacrament of the Sick is one of the sacraments of the Roman
Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox and the Oriental Orthodox
Churches, and
is also administered in some Protestant Churches. Anglicans are
divided on the issue, as many consider it a sacrament, but the
rest agree that
it is at least a sacramental.
Why be prayed over and anointed? As the sacrament of Marriage
gives grace for the married state, Anointing gives the grace
needed for
the state into which people enter through sickness. Through the
sacrament
is given a gift of the Holy Spirit that renews confidence and
faith in God and strengthens against temptations to discouragement
and
anguish at the thought of the consequences of our health problems.
It thus
leads to spiritual healing and, sometimes, bodily healing as
well.
How sick do I have to be to receive prayers and anointing? Anyone
who is dealing with a physical, spiritual, or psychological issue
may come
forward to receive prayers and anointing which asks God’s blessing
to help deal with these issues and, if it is God’s will,
to be cured from the affliction.
This Sacrament recognizes the frailties of the human condition
and extends in a special way through the prayers of our Church
community
and the action of Jesus, the assisting graces we need to handle
our issues of physical and spiritual health.
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[Category:
Sacraments, Celebration of the Eucharist]
Editor's
Note: While the response to this questions was written specifically
for our Sts. Peter and Paul Church, the answer has general applicability.
There are some differences between the Mass we see at Sts. Peter and
Paul and Mass when we go to a Roman Catholic Church. Why are there
differences since both are the Mass?
Yes, there are several differences, some in wording and some
in the order of the Mass.
You will notice a difference in the wording because we use
some of Mass texts from the 1964 English translation of the
Latin
Mass while
the RCC
uses the Vatican II version called the Ordo Novus. For example,
we answer the priest’s greeting The Lord be
with you with And
with your spirit instead of And also with you as
you hear in the RCC. Both are fine, but And with your spirit is
more faithful to the Latin, Et cum spiritu tuo.
In the same way, as the priest gives you Holy Communion, he says, May
the body of our Lord Jesus Christ preserve your soul to life
everlasting. That
is closer to the Latin than simply, The Body of Christ. Responding
Amen to
both is meaningful and appropriate.
You will note, too, that the Offertory prayers that our priest
say are longer and more detailed than those presently used
in the RCC. The prayers
we use are from the 1964 translation.
During the Eucharistic Prayer of the Mass (aka, the Canon of
the Mass), our whole congregation recites several of the prayers
along
with the
priest. While it is traditional that the priest alone recite
the prayers of the
Canon, we opt for congregational participation when a prayer
says “we” and
implies that the prayer is intended to be a prayer that includes
all present.
At the beginning of the Mass, instead of the familiar In
the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
our priests say: Blessed
be the kingdom of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Spirit, now and forever, and for ages unto ages. This
is the Sign of the Cross prayer that is used in Orthodox Catholic
Churches
and
it is
a prayer
that we use to show our ecumenical orientation.
There are three versions of the Last Blessing that we use:
the standard Catholic blessing and two blessings that you
often hear
in the Protestant
traditions. Again, we include these for ecumenical purposes.
And, we use the ecumenical version of the Our Father adding,
without inserting another prayer, For the kingdom
and power and glory are yours now and forever. Amen.
Now we will look at the differences in the “order” of
Mass. The Mass as celebrated at Sts. Peter and Paul Church ,and
several of our other congregations, begins with the penitential rite
which includes time for an examination
of conscience,
the “I confess” prayer, and General Absolution,
which is the Sacrament of Reconciliation administered for
all present.
(For
this sacrament
to be effective when administered as General Absolution
or individually in the confessional, a person after their
examination
of conscience
must be truly sorry for his/her sins and have a resolution
to sin no more and
intend to receive absolution.)
On designated Sundays, General Absolution is followed by
offering the Sacrament of the Sick to all through the laying
on of hands and anointing
with Holy
Oil.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation or the Sacrament of the
Sick is then followed by the “Greeting of Peace” where members of the congregation
extend a sign of Christ’s peace and love to each
other.
We place the Greeting of Peace toward the beginning of
Mass for two reasons. The first is that extending peace
to our
neighbor has a
logical flow
after we have made our peace with God. The second is that
the Greeting of Peace,
which is held just before Communion in the Roman Catholic
Church, seems to break the solemnity that should be observed
for Christ’s
Eucharistic presence on the Altar just before we receive
Holy Communion.
After the Greeting of Peace the priest goes to the Altar
and then begins the “Litany of Peace” which
is based on the Orthodox Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom
(+407).
This
litany is
really the
petition prayer
of the congregation and takes the place of the RCC Prayer
of the Faithful which occurs after the Creed.
Other than these few changes, the ECC+USA order of the
Mass is the same as most other liturgical churches which
use the
traditional
Western Rite
Eucharistic liturgy of the Catholic Faith: Roman Catholic,
Anglican, Episcopalian, Lutheran, and many independent
Catholic churches.
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[Category: Doctrine,
the Blessed Virgin Mary, Assumption]
In the Roman Catholic Church, August 15 is the feast of the Assumption
of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven. Is the Assumption a belief of
the Ecumenical Catholic Church+USA?
There is nothing directly stated in Sacred Scriptures about this belief. There
is, however, a long tradition in both the Eastern and Western manifestations
of the Catholic Faith that support this belief. That Mary was taken to Heaven
at the end of her earthly life is a belief based on Catholic Faith Tradition
that has roots in the writings and teachings of the early Church Fathers.
In the Eastern Church, this belief is celebrated as the Feast of
the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos. (Dormition means “sleep”; Theotokos mean “God
bearer”.)
In this tradition, Mary’s earthly passing is referred to as sleep rather
than death. The theology is that the sinless and immaculate Mother of God would
not be subjected to death which is the consequence of Adam and Eve’s sinfulness.
So, Mary went to sleep and was taken up to Heaven. There are several pious stories
in early Church writings which detail the story of Mary’s
passing. The Byzantine Emperor Mauritius (582-602 AD) established
the Feast
of the Dormition
of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Some historians speculate that the
celebration was already widespread before the Council of Ephesus
in 431 AD.
By the end of the sixth century, the Western Church likewise celebrated
the feast under the title of the “Assumption of the Blessed
Virgin Mary.” Given
this long standing and common belief in the East and West, Pope
Pius XII infallibly defined for Roman Catholics on November 1,
1950 that “the
Immaculate Mother of God having completed the course of her earthly
life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.” Note
that Pius nicely avoided the issue between the Eastern and Western
traditions on whether Mary died before being taken up to Heaven
by simply saying after “the
course of her earthly life.”
So what does all of this mean for us? Well, first we (members of
the ECC+USA) are not held by any belief statements or infallible
definitions
of individual
Churches of the Catholic Faith which followed the last Ecumenical
Council of the undivided Catholic Faith. That last council was
the Council
of Nicea II
in 787 AD. So, since the undivided Catholic Faith has not defined
the belief in
the Dormition/Assumption as a Doctrine of Faith, we are not held
to assent to the doctrine. Simply put, we don’t have to believe
it.
However, the fact that Mary’s Dormition/Assumption was held in the early
centuries of the Catholic Faith and has persisted through at least 1,600 years
as a stable traditional belief in both the East and West, should lead us to approach
it with great respect and reverence. Once we accept Mary’s pivotal role
in Christ’s redemption of humankind, it really is not a big leap of faith
to be able to understand Mary’s Dormition/Assumption as a
perk that Jesus has given to his mother, Mary the God-bearer (Mary
the
Theotokos).
The Ecumenical Catholic Church+USA does celebrate the Feast of the Dormition/Assumption
of Mary on the traditional day for both the East and West, August 15.
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[Category: Moral
Theology, Stem Cell Research]
What
is the ECC+USA’s
official stand on stem cell research?
The Ecumenical Catholic Church+USA does not have an “official” position
concerning stem cell research. We believe that standing before God, we
each must arrive at a decision that is congruent with our personal belief
system as formed by the teachings of the Judeo-Christian Tradition, our
own study of Sacred Scripture and science, and openness to God’s
grace as he enables humankind to move into new understandings
of creation and its capabilities.
The reality is that good people of all faith traditions are arriving
at differing positions on this , and indeed, many moral issues,
as scientific
understanding of medical possibilities changes and grows. Some
Christians are finding that the paradigms of past beliefs no
longer exactly fit
the rapid growth of scientific and medical advances and possibilities.
Other
Christians are firmly committed to what they consider immutable
truths.
Our Church has a great deal of respect for the primacy of individual
conscience with the caveat that each of us has the responsibility
to seek out what
is the truth and what is God’s will, both for us personally
and for society in general. We believe that each of us will stand
at the
end of
our life and be accountable for our moral decisions by a God
who understands clearly how we formed our conscience and how
we lived
our lives.
There is a certain simplicity about being a member of a church
that provides all the answers over a plethora of moral issues.
It is much
more difficult
to take on the responsibility of our own conscience. That is
precisely what our Church asks its members to do.
May God’s blessed grace that enables understanding be with
you as you form your conscience on this and other important issues
which
face
our rapidly changing world.
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[Category: Church
History]
In some
of your literature, you talk about
Eastern and Western Catholic Church. What is that all about and
where does
the ECC+USA fit
in?
The answer to this question covers a lot of interesting Church
History. Understand that here I will only be able to
present a sketchy summary – perhaps
a jumping off point for your further study.
Let me start at the beginning. At the first Pentecost, the
Apostles and Disciples of Jesus received the Holy Spirit
and began preaching
about
Jesus locally in Jerusalem and they began to travel around
the known world. According
to church tradition, the Apostle James founded the first
Christian community at Jerusalem and became its first elder – a position we would now
call “bishop”. Bartholemew preached the Gospel
in Lycaonia, India, and Armenia; Andrew visited Russia
as far as
the city of
Kiev; Jude preached in Syria and Edessa; Matthew preached
to the Jews first,
then
traveled to Ethiopia, Macedonia, Syria, and Persia; Peter
preached and was martyred in Rome; and Paul preached
to the Gentiles
eventually ending
up in Rome where he was martyred. The point here is that
each of the Apostles and many of the Disciples of Jesus
went to
various parts of
the world where
they preached and set up Christian communities. Some
of these churches
grew into significantly large communities and became
seats (sees) of Christianity with their own head bishop
who was called
their
Patriarch.
The Patriarchial Sees developed in periods of
persecution and toleration during the first two centuries.
During this time,
Rome was the center of the Roman Empire and the center
of Christianity. Two things
happen in the first quarter of the 4th Century that would
begin the long process of separating the Church that Christ founded
into Eastern
and
Western divisions. In 313 AD, the Emperor Constantine,
following
a
vision of a
cross in the sky with the inscription In this sign conquer,
made the cross the insignia of his military, he defeated
a rival army,
and subsequently
became the first Emperor to embrace Christianity. He
then proclaimed an
official tolerance of the Christian faith. In 324 AD,
the second event occurred, Constantine moved his imperial
capital from
Rome to Byzantium
which he named in his own honor “Constantinople”.
And thus, Constantinople (the East) became the counterpoint
to Rome
(the West)
as the seat of both civil and Church authority.
Constantine called the first ecumenical council of the undivided Church
at Nicea in 325 AD. The Partriarchs and their bishops came to this first
council united in faith and with shared authority over the Church. However,
as the Church developed in future councils, not all the Patriarchs considered
themselves just to be equals.
Well, so much for the first three hundred years of the Catholic
Faith, now we continue with a look at the first seven councils
of the Church as we move toward the political and doctrinal separation
of Christianity
in the East and West.
Strictly speaking, there have only been seven ecumenical
councils of the Catholic Faith. Ecumenical refers to “totality” and
thus an Ecumenical Council is a meeting of the totality
of the Catholic Church.
Well, that has not happened at least since 1054 AD when
the Eastern and Western patriarchs excommunicated each
other and
formed a
Catholic Church
of the East (referred to as Orthodox Catholic Church)
and the Catholic Church of the West (referred to as the
Roman Catholic
Church with
the Bishop
of Rome, also known as the Pope, as its head).
The Council of Jerusalem, as described in the Acts of the Apostles
(Chapter 15), set
the ground work to establishing that in council the members of
the Church can together claim an authority of teaching
and decision-making which individually none of them possess.
The Seven Ecumenical Councils
which met in the period from 325 to 787 AD performed
two basic tasks: 1) They formulated the visible, ecclesiastical
organization of the Church
by establishing the ranking of the five Patriarchates;
and 2) they defined, usually in response to heresy, the teachings
of the Church by formulating
the basic dogmas concerning the Holy Trinity and
the Incarnation
of the Son.
The teachings of the Seven Councils, very briefly:
Nicea I (325 AD)
Doctrine: the Son is one in essence with the Father;
Polity: Rome, Alexandria, and Antioch recognized as the great
Sees.
Constantinople I (381 AD)
Doctrine: the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and is equal
to Father and Son.
Polity: Constantinople should have the place of honor after
Rome.
Ephesus (431 AD)
Doctrine: Mary is mother of Jesus who was both God and man.
Chalcedon (451 AD)
Doctrine: Jesus is truly God and truly man; two natures unconfused,
unchanged, undivided and inseparable.
Polity: The place of Constantinople after Rome was confirmed.
Constantinople II (553 AD)
Doctrine: Jesus, the Son of God, is one of the Holy Trinity.
Constantinople III (681 AD)
Doctrine: Christ has two natures, and two wills – human
and divine.
Nicea II (787 AD)
Doctrine: Veneration of Holy Icons (and by extension statues)
is not idolatry and is useful in prayer and understanding of
the Incarnation.
Next came the Great Schism. The year of the Great Schism,
1054 AD, is a most significant date for independent
Catholics Churches like the Ecumenical Catholic Church+USA.
Firm, undeniable beliefs are set at that date because after
the split of East and West there can
be no truly ecumenical council of the Catholic Faith. So,
the beliefs of our Church are based on the beliefs established
by the undivided Catholic Faith before
that date.
A second major date for us, jumping ahead six centuries,
is 1870 AD when the Old Catholic Church was established.
At the First Vatican Council (which the
RCC erroneously calls an Ecumenical Council) in 1870, the
bishops defined that the Pope of Rome is infallible when
he speaks officially as Pope in matters of
faith and morals. Not all the bishops, particularly the bishops
of Holland, accepted that doctrine. As a result, the Old
Catholic Church was established as a schismatic
church and continues to this day. While not specifically
recognized by the Old Catholic Church of Utrecht, the ECC+USA
is a spiritual descendent of that Church
because our bishops have Apostolic Succession through the
Old Catholic Church.
A third significant date for us, is May 29, 1892. On that
day, Joseph René Vilatte
was consecrated a bishop by the Syrian Jacobite Church in Ceylon. Our bishops
are consecrated in Vilatte’s line of Apostolic Succession.
A fourth important date for us, is the episcopal consecration
of Carlos Duarte-Costa on December 8, 1924. In 1945, Costa
being separated from the Roman Catholic Church
founded the Catholic Apostolic Church of Brazil. Our bishops
are also consecrated in his line of Apostolic Succession.
A final momentous date for us is November 1, 2001. On that
date our Church was founded at a synod of bishops, priests
and laity in Milltown, New Jersey. From
that event we were joined spiritually with the hundreds
of other independent Catholic Faith splinter groups in the United
States and throughout the world.
So, at last, where do we fit in? We are a Church of the Catholic
Faith. We are faithful to the teachings and traditions of
the early Church and the seven Ecumenical
Councils of the undivided Catholic Faith. Our bishops were
consecrated in the lines of Apostolic Succession through
at least three credible sources: Old Catholic,
Vilatte, and Duarte-Costa. So, our Church is ONE with the
Catholic Faith, HOLY because it believes, teaches, and lives
the mercy of Christ, and APOSTOLIC because
its source of authority is Jesus through his Apostles.
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[Category: Sacraments,
Celebration of the Eucharist, Liturgy]
Why
do our priests sometimes use incense at the Celebration of the Eucharist?
Like many of the symbols that surround the Celebration of the Eucharist
(Mass), incense is intended to involve our senses in the ritual. We see
vestments, sacred vessels, and the altar; processions, standing, sitting,
kneeling, involve kinesthetic sense; listening to music, readings and bells
focuses hearing; we taste bread and wine; and, we smell the fragrance of
incense. The liturgy aims to wrap us completely in the worship of Almighty
God.
While incense can be used at every celebration of Mass, it is generally
reserved to add more solemnity to major feasts and major gathering of the
Christian community such as the Sunday Eucharist. The use of incense is
required by ancient Catholic Tradition for certain services, such as Benediction
and blessing the body of the deceased at funerals.
The use of incense at worship services has roots in the Old Testament
accounts of the Levitical priesthood at the Temple in Jerusalem
(see Exodus 30:34-36).
Throughout Sacred Scripture, the presence and glory of God are
represented by a cloud of smoke (see Exodus 14:19 and 16:10).
Even in the time
of Christ the glory of the Lord appeared in a cloud. The account
of the
transfiguration
of Jesus (Luke 9:34-35) speaks of the cloud overshadowing Peter,
James, and John and they were afraid as they entered the cloud.
And from that
cloud came the voice of God proclaiming that Jesus was his son.
Finally, in the Book of Revelation (15:8) the temple of God is
filled with
smoke from the censors as angels worship God’s presence.
So, incense reminds us of the presence of God in our midst. Incense
is also used to represent our prayers; when the priest incenses
the altar,
he prays “Let our prayers rise before you, O Lord, as incense
in your sight.”
“Incensing” is intended to respect the holiness of that which is
incensed. At Mass, the altar is incensed at the beginning of Mass;
the celebrant is incensed; the book of the Gospels is incensed before it is read
to the congregation; the gifts of bread and wine which are symbols of the
work of humankind that will be transformed into the Body and Blood of
Christ are incensed; then the People of God, the congregation, is incensed;
and finally, the Eucharist is incensed as the priest lifts the consecrated
bread and wine immediately after the consecration.
As the priest follows the ancient ritual of incensing the bread
and wine at the offertory, he says, “May this incense ascend
up to you, O Lord, and may your mercy come down upon us.”
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[Category:
Liturgical Year, Lent]
Does
the ECC+USA have any regulations for Lent?
As Christians and members of the Catholic Faith, we should get involved
with the Lenten spirit. First, you need to know that the ECC+USA
has
no
formal
regulations
regarding fasting
and abstaining from meat during Lent. However, as a church of
the Catholic Faith tradition, each of us should take Lent seriously
and fulfill the
purpose of Lent as an important part of our personal spiritual
life.
The purpose of Lent is to prepare our minds, hearts, and spirit to celebrate
again the Resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday. Easter is the cornerstone
feast in the Christian faith because Jesus overcame death and rose to the
fullness of life. Further, it is the guarantee that we too shall have eternal
life with God. Easter is a feast worthy of our spiritual preparation; and
that is the purpose of Lent.
Before they began their public ministry, the Old Testament prophets
went into the desert for 40 days to fast and pray so that they
would have the
strength to endure the problems which they would find as they
preached to call God’s people back from their evil ways.
Jesus spent 40 days in the desert in fasting and prayer preparing
to begin
his mission
of saving
humankind from the effects of sinfulness.
So then, the 40 days of Lent are for us to prepare ourselves to be more
like Jesus and to prepare ourselves to bring Jesus into this world of ours.
The usual Lenten traditions are increased prayer, doing acts of charity,
joining the church community at the Celebration of the Eucharist more frequently,
and not eating (abstaining) from meat on Ash Wednesday and the Fridays
of Lent.
Violet (purple) colored vestments are worn by the priest during the
Masses of Lent. Seeing this color of penance helps us keep in mind
that Lent is
a time of penance for our failings. After a well-spent Lent,
we will be ready symbolically and liturgically to rise to the newness
of life in Jesus
our Risen Savior both on this Easter Sunday and at the end of
our earthly lives.
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[Category:
General Questions about the Ecumenical Catholic Church+USA]
What is the Ecumenical Catholic Church + USA?
It has been said that the ECC+USA is “an ancient church with a
modern perspective.” We share historical roots and a common
appreciation of liturgical rites and religious practices with churches
as the Episcopal
Church, the Anglican Church, the Roman Catholic Church, the Orthodox
Churches and the Old Catholic Churches. We are, however, not in
any way associated with or under any form of jurisdiction by Roman
Catholic
Church.
One might rightly consider our faith community as an "atmosphere
of ecumenical grace", embracing all Christian believers and
the un-churched, aiding them in their journey into the Divine.
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[Category:
General Questions about the Ecumenical Catholic Church+USA]
How
can you claim to be Catholic if you are not united with the
pope?
Those Christians united with the bishop of Rome (the Pope) are what is
commonly referred to as Roman Catholics. However, there is
a much larger Catholic Church. Taken from the Greek katholikos meaning “universal,” the
word catholic was first used by church father St. Ignatius
of Antioch in his
letter to the Smyrneans in the year 110 AD.
"Let no one do anything of concern to the Church without the
bishop. Let that be considered a valid Eucharist which is celebrated
by the
bishop or by one whom he ordains [i.e., a presbyter]. Wherever the
bishop appears,
let the people be there; just as wherever Jesus Christ is, there
is the catholic Church.”
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[Category:
General Questions about the Ecumenical Catholic Church+USA]
Are
all Christians members of the universal, “catholic” body
of Christ?
All Christians are indeed members of the universal “body of Christ.” There
are many manifestations of the Catholic Faith. The Ecumenical Catholic
Church+USA, the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Church, the Eastern
Orthodox Churches, and many other churches who profess the Catholic
Faith in doctrine and liturgy are among the many heirs to the ancient
universal
Church
begun
by Christ
and
his
apostles.
As
a matter
of fact, millions of Roman Catholics and non-Roman Catholics proclaim
their membership to the universal church of Christ each Sunday when
reciting
the Apostle’s
Creed.
"… I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic
church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the
resurrection
of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen."
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[Category:
General Questions about the Ecumenical Catholic Church+USA]
OK,
so you’re a catholic
church, what makes you different from other churches?
Being a theologically open and ecumenical church, we make all sacraments
available to anyone who believes in the divinity and teachings of Jesus
Christ. Specifically, the sacrament of Holy Orders at all levels (deacon,
priest, bishop) is open to both men and women (married or single).
Indeed, women who are ordained as deacons, priests and bishops
serve with the
same rights, privileges, responsibilities, and obligations as our male
deacons, priests, and bishops. Each of our clergy holds a full time
job through which he/she supports his/her family and ministry.
In the ECC+USA considerable decision making responsibilities rest with
the church members themselves. This not only includes direct input
into local parish dealings,
but also with the selection of church pastors and church bishops.
All members of our church have a right and responsibility to answer their individual
vocation. A call to ministry ranges from parent to pastor, and everything in
between!
The ECC+USA is a special place. It is a home where all spiritual gifts are
welcomed and encouraged to fully mature. Each one of us is just as important
and responsible
as the next.
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[Category:
Sacraments, Baptism]
Does the ECC+USA have a rite of initiation for adults similar to the
RCIA? How do adults join the church?
We
do not have a formal RCIA program. Our priests provide instruction
based
on the background and interest of the individual
person and then
the person is simply received, Baptized if necessary, Confirmed
when appropriate. Remember that we are a small Church will only
several
formal congregations — and they are small with the largest
being about 60 people. After a newly baptized person has practice
his/her new faith for awhile, we will offer him/her the Sacrament
of
Confirmation.
Our Church Law states
the following in Chapter 2, Section 1: Membership in the Church.
A necessary and sufficient condition for membership in this church
is to believe in God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and to be configured
to the Son of God, Jesus Christ, through the Sacrament of Baptism.
So, any Baptized Christian is welcomed to membership in this church
and invited to full participation in the sacraments, ministry, and
polity of the church.
Reception into membership in the church is through the local congregation
or,
in its place, through a clergyperson of the church.
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[Category: Sacraments,
Celebration of the Eucharist]
I
understand that your masses are held in the traditional form- does
this mean that they are held in Latin or that they are held in
the same
manner
as the Roman Catholic church does currently?
Sometimes we have some sung parts of the Mass in Latin,
but normally our Mass is in English. Our priests and their congregations
may use
any of
the traditional Catholic liturgies either in the original language
or the vernacular. Several congregations use an adapted version of
the English
translation
of the 1964 Roman Missal (this is the Liturgy of St. Gregory;
also called the Roman Liturgy and sometimes the Trendentine Mass.)
Some
of our
priests use the RCC’s current Mass called the Ordo Novus.
One of our priests uses the Liturgy of St. Basil which is found
in the
Orthodox
tradition; another uses a more modern Eastern Rite Mass (Meronite
Liturgy in the Lebanese Tradition.)
In sum, we can use any Mass liturgy which meets the traditional
standards of the Catholic Faith. Our Church Law, available
on our website, gives
the details about selecting and using liturgies. Practically
speaking, using the liturgy of the RCC, Anglican, and Episcopal
Church are the most
convenient because they all have printed readings, missals and
prayerbooks which we can buy and use with our congregations.
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[Category:
Sacraments, Celebration of the Eucharist]
What
is the church's position on who is allowed to receive the Eucharist?
Would a person need to be confirmed in the ECC+USA, a confirmed Catholic,
or any baptized Christian?
All baptized Christians who believe that Jesus in present in the
Eucharist are invited and welcome to receive Holy Communion at
our altars. While
the RCC requires that Roman Catholics believe that Christ is
present as defined by the doctrine of Transubstantiation, we do
not ask people
to explain “how” they believe that Christ is present.
We believe that Christ is really present, but the “how” is
a “great
mystery” as the Orthodox Church teaches. We do believe that
Christ is really and truly present in the Eucharist and not simply
symbolically
present as some churches believe. Those of us from the RCC tradition
(and we do currently have four former RCC priests and and three
former RCC seminarians
who were ordained in our Church) have been raised in the Transubstantiation
traditional belief so we have no problem accepting it as the “how” Christ
is present in the Eucharist. But, belief that Christ is present
and not dealing with the issue of how, is sufficient to receive
Holy
Communion in our Church. We have never asked anyone to explain
their belief on
how
Christ is present. It is the great mystery of the Catholic Faith.
The Sacrament of Confirmation is not required to receive the Eucharist
in Catholic Faith tradition.
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[Category:
Sacraments, Baptism]
I
was reading that your church does not accept sprinkling as an acceptable
form of baptism. Does this mean that the ECC+USA does not Christen or
that the Church Christens in a different manner?
There are three ways that Christians Churches generally administer
Baptism: sprinkling, pouring, and emersion. The Catholic Faith
has always
required that water flow over the person as the minister says, “I
baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Spirit.” In sprinkling, water may or may not flow over the person;
so it is considered unacceptable within the Catholic Faith Tradition
and consequently, by our Church. When water is poured over a person’s
head, water flows and thus that criterion is met. When a person
is dipped under water as in emersion, water obviously flows and
the criterion
of flowing water is met. Both pouring and emersion are used and
accepted as valid by our Church and by all other churches in
the Catholic Faith
tradition. . A couple
of our clergy from the Orthodox Catholic tradition prefer and
use emersion. Those of us from the RCC tradition generally use
pouring as the more
convenient form of administering the Sacrament of Baptism.
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[Category: Sacraments, Penance]
What
is the ECC+USA's position on confession? Is it the same as that
of the Roman Catholic Church in that it is required to receive communion?
We each need to make our peace with Almighty God before receiving
Holy Communion. However, sacramental Confession is not required (and,
by the
way, it is not required in the RCC unless the person has committed
what the RCC considers a Mortal Sin).
We include the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) as part
of the penitential rite at the beginning of Mass. While the RCC
rarely uses what
is called General Absolution (that is, sacramental absolution without
the individual telling his/her sins to a priest), we administer
General Absolution
as part of the beginning of Mass. While our priests can provide
for the individual confession of sins followed by individual absolution,
it is
not the preferred option in our Church. Also, unlike the RCC we
do not require that a person later make an individual confession
of his/her sins to a priest
after receiving General Absolution.
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[Category: Intercommunion,
Roman Catholics at Old Catholic Churches]
Can
Roman Catholics attend Old Catholic Mass and Receive their Sacraments?
[Note: The question
was asked by one of our priests who serves as a chaplain at a nursing
home in his community. At the nursing home, some of the Eucharistic
ministers from the local Roman Catholic Church who bring communion
once a week have told residents they should not attend this priest's
masses
and
that
he
was not really
an ordained priest and couldn't consecrate the Eucharist. The question
was directed to a Roman Catholic Canon Lawyer and this is his response
on July 26,
2006.]
Thank
you for asking about Eucharistic sharing by Catholic patients at a
Mass celebrated by an Old Catholic priest.
The Code of Canon Law published in 1983 under Pope John Paul II and the
Ecumenical Directory published in 1993 are quite clear on the question
you asked. (This is canon 844 in the new code.) After stating that Catholics
may receive the sacraments of Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick and
Eucharist from Orthodox priests,
“whenever necessity requires or genuine spiritual advantage
suggest, and provided that the danger of error or indifferentism
is avoided, it
is lawful for the faithful for whom it is physically or morally impossible
to approach a Catholic minister to receive the sacraments of penance,
Eucharist, and the anointing of the sick from non-Catholic ministers
in whose churches these sacraments are valid....) (Canon 844# 2).
In the following paragraph (Canon 844#3) the code says: Catholic ministers
may licitly administer the sacraments...to members of the oriental
churches which do not have full communion with the Catholic Church, --- if they
ask on their own for the sacraments and are properly disposed.
This holds also for members of other churches, which in the judgment
of the Apostolic See are in the same condition as the oriental churches
as far as these sacraments are concerned. (Canon 844#3) --- (See also
the Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism
#123 ff.)
The validity of the sacraments of the Old Catholics and their ordination
is clearly found in other documentation, especially in official dialogues
on this question. They would fall under the description in Canon 844#3.
The institution is right in saying they approve of the ministry of
the gentleman in question. The Eucharistic ministers need to consult
appropriate literature on the
matter.
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[Category: Intercommunion,
ECC+USA members receiving Holy Communion in a Roman Catholic Church]
There
is no ECC+USA congregation near where I live. I
would like to continue receiving communion. Would I be
allowed to receive it in a Roman Catholic church? I also would
like to remain active in a local Community of believers.
There is no reason, as far as we are concerned, that you can not receive
Holy Communion in a Roman Catholic Church. I do receive Holy Communion
when I attend an RC Church for a wedding or a funeral. I also receive Holy
Communion in the Episcopal Church when I attend.
Is your concern that the RCC would not want you to receive Holy Communion
in its churches because you are not a Roman Catholic?
If so, two things. First, we believe that no church owns the Sacraments
to the point that it can control who may or may not receive a sacrament.
Jesus gave the sacraments
to all humankind to aid us in our spiritual efforts to configure
our lives to his. So, in our opinion, there is no reason that you
could
not go into
any church in the Catholic Faith tradition to receive the Holy
Eucharist. Just do what all the other worshippers do.
When we receive Holy Communion in an RC church, we do not make a
big deal that we are not Roman Catholic, etc. That
would
be disrespectful
to their traditions and would also cause the priest to tell us
that we are not welcome because that is either his belief or at least
the
directive
from his superiors. There just is no point to make a scene or
cause a problem, that would not reflect reverence for the
Sacrament.
Many other churches of the Catholic Faith welcome visitors and non
members to receive Holy Communion at their services.
There is also no
requirement in our church that you disassociate yourself with the
social and worship aspects of other churches. We value and believe
in the doctrines and traditions of the Catholic Faith, however, we
have a great deal of respect for all other churches and, particularly
in the absence of having one of our congregations available, we would
bless your efforts to stay involved with a local community of believers.
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[Category: Intercommunion,
ECC+USA members receiving Holy Communion in a Roman Catholic Church]
There
is no ECC+USA congregation near where I live. I
would like to continue receiving communion. Would I be
allowed to receive it in a Roman Catholic church? I also would
like to remain active in a local Community of believers.
There is no reason, as far as we are concerned, that you can not receive
Holy Communion in a Roman Catholic Church. I do receive Holy Communion
when I attend an RC Church for a wedding or a funeral. I also receive Holy
Communion in the Episcopal Church when I attend.
Is your concern that the RCC would not want you to receive Holy Communion
in its churches because you are not a Roman Catholic?
If so, two things. First, we believe that no church owns the Sacraments
to the point that it can control who may or may not receive a sacrament.
Jesus gave the sacraments
to all humankind to aid us in our spiritual efforts to configure
our lives to his. So, in our opinion, there is no reason that you
could
not go into
any church in the Catholic Faith tradition to receive the Holy
Eucharist. Just do what all the other worshippers do.
When we receive Holy Communion in an RC church, we do not make a
big deal that we are not Roman Catholic, etc. That
would
be disrespectful
to their traditions and would also cause the priest to tell us
that we are not welcome because that is either his belief or at least
the
directive
from his superiors. There just is no point to make a scene or
cause a problem, that would not reflect reverence for the
Sacrament.
Many other churches of the Catholic Faith welcome visitors and non
members to receive Holy Communion at their services.
There is also no
requirement in our church that you disassociate yourself with the
social and worship aspects of other churches. We value and believe
in the doctrines and traditions of the Catholic Faith, however, we
have a great deal of respect for all other churches and, particularly
in the absence of having one of our congregations available, we would
bless your efforts to stay involved with a local community of believers.
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