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The Liberal Catholic Church neither Roman Catholic nor Protestant but is an Independent Church. The Orders of its Clergy were derived from The Old Catholic Church of Holland which became separate from Rome over two centuries ago. It is a Ceremonial Church which combines the Ancient Form of Sacramental Worship with the utmost Liberality of Thought. It leaves its members Free in Matters of Belief. The Seven Historic Sacraments are administered.
The ancient
Dutch Catholic Church in Holland traces its history back to the seventh century
when two British missionaries, St. Willibroad and St. Boniface, evangelized
Holland, Belgium and Germany, and founded the Archbishopric of Utrecht, which
remained in communion with Rome until its Archbishop Peter Codde was deposed in
1704. Eventually the See of Utrecht received a new Archbishop, Peter John
Meindaarts, who was consecrated in 1739 by Dominicus Marie Varlet, the Roman
Catholic Bishop of Babylon. From that time onward the ancient Dutch Catholic
Church has been independent of Rome and been known as the Old Catholic Church
because it maintained that
the Roman Catholic Church had departed from the faith of the Old Church by
adopting new doctrines.
The Vatican Council of 1870 promulgated the controversial doctrine of Papal Infallibility. The Old Catholics refuse to accept this innovation in church teaching.
True Catholicism is not dependent upon Rome, but upon maintaining the historic organic link to the apostolic tradition. This tradition embodies the fullness of the magisterium of Jesus Christ, "The Deposit of Faith," which Jesus gave to the 12 apostles equally (in collegium). This magisterium embodies teaching, Holy Scripture, reason, and sacred tradition (sacraments).
In
1902 in England a request was made to the Archbishop of Utrecht to establish in
England a branch of the Old Catholic Church. Accordingly after due consideration
and the selection of a leader, Bishop Arnold Harris Matthew was consecrated on
April 28, 1908, in the Cathedral Church of St. Gertrude, Utrecht. Archbishop
Gerardus Gul was the consecrator, assisted by the Bishops of Haarlem, Deventer,
and Germany. Bishop Arnold Harris Matthew was then named Regionary Bishop (with
jurisdiction) of the Old Catholic Church of Great Britain.
In 1914 Bishop Frederick Samuel Willoughby was consecrated to succeed Bishop
Matthew, who then retired from active ministry.
February 16, 1916, Bishop James Ingall Wedgwood was consecrated to succeed
Bishop Willoughby. July 22, 1916, Bishop Charles Webster Leadbeater was
consecrated to assist Bishop Wedgwood. Both Bishops Wedgwood and Leadbeater were
prominent British
Theosophists. With their theosophical insights and spiritual vision, Bishops
Wedgwood and Leadbeater set about to reorganize the British section of the Old
Catholic Church as a non-authoritarian, non-dogmatic, Catholic spiritual home
for all those who because of their peculiar beliefs or lifestyles felt alienated
and unwelcome in the traditional churches.
Thus after extensive revision and reorganization, in 1916, the Old Catholic
Church in Great Britain was renamed the Liberal Catholic Church. Since that time
the Liberal Catholic Church has maintained a distinct identity of it own, no
longer affiliated with the Old Catholics.
Since its inception in 1916, the Liberal Catholic Church has spread all over the
world and now exists in more than 40 countries, yet remains a tiny movement. It
is estimated that there are approximately 45,000 members of the Liberal Catholic
Church worldwide.
As it grew and became a worldwide movement differences of administration and
policy arose within the Church so that today there are 7 distinct autonomous
jurisdictions within the Liberal Catholic Movement.
1. The Liberal Catholic Church, London. England (Mother Jurisdiction)
2. The Liberal Catholic Church International (San Diego, California)
3. The Liberal Catholic Church, Theosophia Synod, (Orlando, Florida)
4. The Liberal Catholic Church, New Synod
5. The Universal Catholic Church (San Diego, California)
6. The Young Rite
7. The Liberal Catholic Apostolic Church, (United Kingdom)
There are also numerous small independent parishes that call themselves "Liberal
Catholic" and are not affiliated with a larger church body.
The spiritual leadership of the church is vested in a General Episcopal Synod
composed of all Bishops in the church.
The synod elects one of their members to serve as the titular leader of the
church, a Presiding Bishop. The Presiding Bishop is not an autocrat or pope. He
serves at the discretion and will of the synod, and is accountable to it.
The practical organizational, business, and administrative duties of the church
are vested in a lay assembly. The Bishops have no hand in the business aspects
of the church.
Each country composes a province for the church. The spiritual leader of the
province is called the Regionary Bishop, (Bishop with jurisdiction). The
Regionary Bishop may have any number of Auxiliary Bishops to assist him. The
business affairs of the province are vested in a triennial provincial assembly
composed of lay members.
Each province has provision in its canons for the creation of local dioceses {we
are yet too small a movement to have many established dioceses}.The Bishop with
jurisdiction within a diocese would be known as the "Ordinary." He would
be subject to the nominal oversight of the Regionary Bishop, and be a full
member of the General Episcopal Synod.
Parishes and missions of the church are established and chartered by the
Regionary Bishop, who may appoint a "priest-in-charge." The Regionary
Bishop
does not assign pastors, nor does he rotate them to various parishes. It is the
duty of the parish vestry to "call" and hire their own rector (pastor). The
Regionary Bishop can only either confirm the call or deny it. If the cleric is
confirmed, the Regionary Bishop will then officially install him. The business
affairs of the parish are the responsibility of the parish vestry. Each parish
within the province elects two representatives to the provincial assembly.
We do not use the clerical titles of "cardinal", "archbishop," "monsignor" or
"archpriest" in the Liberal Catholic rite.
Right Reverend Ernest W. Jackson had been the Regionary Bishop of The
Liberal Catholic Church Province of Canada, (London, England). Without
consultation with or agreement, the General Episcopal Synod attempted to
depose him and dissolve the Province of Canada. Certain members of the
synod subjected him to harsh and un-Christian political maneuvers and
attacks.
Bishop Jackson was a devout, humble, and dedicated man, and wanted no
part of these political machinations. It saddened him to see this, and
other evidences of creeping authoritarianism happening within our
church.
It saddened him to see that the synod had lost the original vision and
purpose of the church as intended by our founding Bishops Wedgwood and
Leadbeater.
Motivated to restore and maintain the "Original Vision and Purpose" of
Bishops Wedgwood and Leadbeater, Bishop Jackson organized the Liberal
Catholic Church Theosophia Synod on Advent, 1982.
Bishop Jackson consecrated Bishop John Schwarz to succeed him. Bishop
Schwarz consecrated Bishops Judson Saas and James Lippert. Bishop
Schwarz retired from leadership of the Church in 2005. Bishop Judson
Saas served as interim Episcopal Vicar General from 2005 to June 2009,
and retired due to health and advanced age.
Sunday July 5, 2009, at the Pro-Cathedral of St.Raphael Archangel,
Tulsa, Oklahoma, on behalf of the General Theosophia Synod, The Most Reverend John R.
Schwarz, Presiding Bishop Emeritus, read the Protocol of Election and
Mandate of Consecration for Bishop-elect William McCabe Delahunt, and
proceeded to Consecrate Bishop Delahunt during a Solemn Pontifical
Eucharist according to the Rite of The Liberal Catholic Church.
On behalf of the General Theosophia Synod Bishop Delahunt was appointed
Presiding Bishop of The Liberal Catholic Church-Theosophia Synod by
Bishop Schwarz.
Saturday August 29, 2009, at Orlando, Florida, during a Solemn
Pontifical Eucharist William McCabe Delahunt was Consecrated ( In Locum
Tenens) to the Episcopacy according to the Rite of The Liberal Catholic
Church by Most Reverend William Howard Fite, Auxiliary Bishop, and Most
Reverend Willard Earl Schultz, Past Presiding Bishop of The Catholic
Apostolic Church In North America (CACINA) (Carlos Duarte-Costa Line).
A Festive Reception hosted by the Vestry of St.Raphael Archangel,
Orlando was held at the Parish hall to accommodate the many friends &
well wishers of our new Bishop.
Bishop Delahunt, 60, a native of St.Louis, Missouri, entered minor
orders in the Liberal Catholic Church in 1971. He was ordained a Deacon
in 1975 at St.Franics LCC in Chicago, Illinois, by Bishop Newton Dahl.
Bishop Delahunt assisted Father Charles Duffy at Our Lady & All Angels
LCC in St.Louis, Mo. for several years.
In 1986 Bishop Delahunt moved to Orlando,Florida, He served as
Deacon-in-Charge of St.Raphael Archangel LCC in Orlando and in December
of 1987 was ordained to the Priesthood by Bishop Joseph LeSage Tisch.
Bishop Tisch appointed Bishop Delahunt as Rector of St.Raphael Archangel
LCC Orlando, a position he has held these many years.
In 2002 the Vestry voted to dis-afiliate with the LCC Province of the
U.S.A. over unresolved administrative and policy issues. The Vestry
applied and was recieved as a constituant Parish of The LCC-Theosophia
Synod.
Bishop Delahunt attended St.Fidelis Capuchin Franciscan Seminary,
Hermann, Pennsylvania, and is a graduate of Maryville College of The
Sacred Heart, St. Louis, Missouri. He has done extensive post-graduate
work in Liberal Catholic Theology, Theosophy, and Interfaith Studies. He
is active in The Interfaith Community in Central Florida, and a noted
advocate for Interfaith Dialogue, Prison reform, and advocacy for the
Homeless.
With the enthronement of Bishop Delahunt as Presiding Bishop, the Liberal
Catholic Church-Theosophia Synod combines the Catholic line of Apostolic
Sucession from the Old Catholic Church through Bishops Wedgwood,Leadbeater,
Jackson, and Schwarz with the Roman Catholic from Bishop Carlos Duarte Costa
through Bishops Fite and Schultz.
Bishop Delahunt, an ardent Theosophist, is dedicated to maintaining the
Original Vision & Purpose of The Liberal Catholic Church as envisioned
by Bishops Wedgwood & Leadbeater and restored by Bishop Jackson.
The Liberal Catholic Church, Theosophia Synod, within the context of Catholic faith and sacramental tradition stands firmly and proudly for
Respect For Individual Choice
Freedom Of Thought And Belief
Rejection ipso facto of all forms of dogmatism and authoritarianism
Integrity of Individual Conscience
Diversity, Inclusiveness and the Affirmation of the Unconditional Love and Acceptance Of All People by Jesus Christ
We
offer the help of the sacraments in their integrity and plentitude to all
sincere people. We do not have rigid canonical barriers that prevent sincere
people from full participation in the sacraments. We welcome all, including the
divorced, remarried, those of no faith, those of other faiths, and those who
thought that participation in the sacramental life of the church could no longer
be theirs. Reverence and sincerity are our only requirements.
"To Come To The Living Waters Of Christ, You Need No Merit, All You Need
Is Thirst."
---Blessed Guerre of Igny, 15th century Trappist monk.
The Holy Orders and Apostolic Succession of the Old Catholic Church, Archiepiscopal See of Utrecht, have always been and still are recognized by Rome as "valid." There is no question as to their validity. The Holy Orders of the Liberal Catholic Church are derived directly from this source and carry the very same validity. We have carefully maintained and documented our Apostolic Succession.
The Parish Church of St. Raphael Archangel has been ministering to Liberal Catholics and those seeking spiritual help since its founding in Central Florida in 1975. Bishop William Delahunt has served as Pastor since 1987. Bishop Delahunt has been associated with the Church since 1971 and has a deep grasp and broad understanding of its purpose and practice, and sensitivity to the pastoral needs of persons either hurt by or not attracted to mainline churches and religiosity.
We are happy to supply more information, much more than the website presents, including historical and research documents. We are always open to discuss your questions and concerns. Contact the Parish Office.