Frequently Asked Questions
When members of the Roman Catholic Church first encounter Independent Catholicism—Catholicism that is free from the structures and strictures of the Roman church—they are often surprised to learn that there are several valid expressions of Catholicism in our world. Understandably, questions arise with respect to the history, teachings, and sacraments of Independent Catholicism.
The following Frequently Asked Questions have been formulated as a primer for better understanding Independent Catholicism. Though we present here a brief summary of an extensive body of literature, we certainly invite you to perform your own research of these questions and to follow your conscience with respect to the answers with which you feel most comfortable.
Is Independent Catholicism even Catholic?
Yes, definitely. There are several expressions of Catholicism, and many Catholic churches comprise the "one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church" that is professed by all.
In the Western world, the largest and most well-known expression of Catholicism is the Roman Catholic Church. In Asia and Eastern Europe, however, the most well-known expression of Catholicism is the Orthodox Catholic Church, which possesses over 300 million adherents and which excommunicated the Roman Catholic Church in 1054 A.D. for its deviance from the ancient creed of the Church, its insistence on unleavened bread, and its imposition of the novelty of clerical celibacy.
What do all Catholic churches have in common?
All Catholic churches, and indeed most Christian churches, profess faith in the "one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church."
Relating with one another as sister churches, these members of the universal Church believe that by baptism, we become members of the one Body of Christ and are nourished by the eucharist. The apostolic faith that has been handed down to us also teaches that there are other sacraments that we celebrate during important moments in life.
Like sisters in the same family, these churches share various similarities, and yet they are all different. As sister churches, most of our differences are administrative and disciplinary, but some of our differences are ecclesiological and theological. Differences are to be expected; not all sisters are the same.
Still, we are united by those bonds that we all hold dear: baptism, eucharist, and apostolic succession.
What does it mean to be one?
We often use a capital "C" when we refer to the universal Church (viz., the Body of Christ, which is composed of all sister churches), and with humility we use a lowercase "c" to refer to the many, particular churches to which we belong (unless used as a proper noun).
Despite any divisions that might exist, we recognize that all our sister churches belong to the one, universal Catholic Church. As such, despite our differences, we all form part of the People of God. Christ is the vine, and we are the branches (Jn 15:5). Christ is the head of the body, the Church (Col 1:18), of which we are all members (1Cor 12:12-27). We celebrate our unity (Gal 3:28), and we recognize our diversity (Rom 12:4-8).
What does it mean to be holy?
As individuals, we are simultaneously sinners and saints. We know that in our history, the same can be said of the institutions that are comprised of human beings. In the name of supposed good, our institutions have historically upheld narrow views, hosted inquisitions, waged crusades, advocated for slavery and the repression of various voices, and eliminated entire cultures. Despite this, we know that the work of redemption is somehow being carried out in us. Even though we sometimes stumble and get off track (Lk 15:13-17), we ultimately desire to keep turning toward that loving and compassionate mystery, which is God (Lk 15:20-24).
What does it mean to be catholic?
According to the Greek root of the word, to be "καθολιχοζ" is to be "whole" and "complete.” Yes, as St. Irenaeus suggested, every Catholic community is whole and complete in itself! In a cosmological sense, we also interpret this word as meaning "universal." We use the word "catholic" of our Church because we believe that it is completely and wholly that which God intends for God's Holy People.
No single branch (or church) within the universal Church can claim exclusive rights to the name "catholic," and no single branch can pretend to be the Vine, from which other branches have been "cut off" (Jn 15:5-6). Christ alone is the Vine; all authentic branches partake of the meaning and challenge of being part of the Vine, and all bear great fruit (Jn 15:7-8).
Humility demands that we continually reflect on the deep significance of Christ's words: "I have other sheep that are not of this flock. Them, too, I must bring, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd" (Jn 10:16).
What does it mean to be apostolic?
By word and deed, we cling to and stir into flame the faith handed down to us by the apostles (2Tim 1:6). These apostles planted various churches as they preached the gospel throughout the world. Though these churches have varied in expression throughout the ages, depending on the context in which they sprang up, they all trace their lineage to the apostles. Some of these local churches eventually yielded to Roman Catholic or Orthodox Catholic authority, while others continued to strive to live out the authentic message of Christ in their own way. By tracing their apostolic succession--their lineage back to the apostles--these churches confirm that they continue to pass on the gift of the Spirit that was received by validly consecrated ministers who, in turn, share the gift of that Spirit with other ministers.
How have divisions affected this one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church?
Despite St. Paul's vision that we are "all one in Christ Jesus" (Gal 3:28), a split within the Church occurred in 1054 A.D. Though the five patriarchs of the Church historically worked together to formulate doctrine, the Patriarch of Rome (now known as the pope) tampered with the Church's creed, thus changing the Church's Trinitarian theology. In what is now known as the East-West Schism, the Patriarch of Constantinople excommunicated the Patriarch of Rome, and the Patriarch of Rome excommunicated the Patriarch of Constantinople, leading to the creation of the Orthodox Catholic Church (i.e., the church perceived to be orthodox and in communion with tradition and with the four patriarchs of the East) and the Roman Catholic Church (the church that aligned itself with the independently-acting Patriarch of Rome). Interestingly, no one thought of the nascent Roman Catholic Church as a new "church." Rather, beginning with that split, the universal Church now had two valid expressions of apostolic Catholicism.
After 1054, the next great divide within the Church occurred in 1517-1521, when a Catholic priest, Father Martin Luther, began raising questions about the sale of indulgences (viz., time out of purgatory, a concept that was made doctrine in 1274). Recall that indulgences were being used to finance the construction of the largest church in the world, St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. This difference in perspective on such issues as indulgences led to a division between "Roman Catholics" and "Reformers" (or "Protestants," as they would come to be called by adherents of the Roman church).
Three centuries later, another significant split occurred when the Patriarch of the West (now known as the pope) pushed for the declaration of his own infallibility (1870). He had split the Roman church with his proclamation of the Immaculate Conception (1854) and believed that the solution lay in declaring himself…infallible! More recently, divisions in the Church have occurred over such issues as contraception (1968) and the place of women within the Roman church (1994).
Despite these events, bishops who were validly consecrated through apostolic succession have continued to share the gift of the Spirit with others, and the ministry of the Body of Christ has continued. The Church is comprised of individuals who are at once saints and sinners. They are human beings who, like Peter, the Rock upon which the Church was built, have at times denied Christ (Mt 26:74-75), and/or who, like James and John, have sometimes jockeyed for positions of supposed power (Mt 20:20-28). Fortunately, the love of Christ continues to unite us all and lead us as the sinners-and-saints we are!
How can Independent Catholic churches claim to be apostolic churches?
The litmus test of any Catholic church is apostolic succession. Most Independent Catholic bishops are validly consecrated by other bishops possessing valid lines of succession from the apostles, including the lines of apostolic succession from the Roman Catholic Church, the Old Catholic Church, the Malankara/Syrian/Jacobite Churches, and various Orthodox Churches.
What is the Old Catholic Church and what is its place in Independent Catholicism?
The Old Catholic Church is the branch of the Church that traces itself back to the act of a Roman Catholic bishop, Dominique-Marie Varlet, who validly consecrated other bishops without the permission of the Vatican, beginning in 1724. It solidified nearly 165 years later various bishops questioned the pope's attribution of infallibility to himself in 1870.
Many people today are familiar with the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), which greatly reformed our views of the Church. Less people are familiar with the First Vatican Council of 1870, when Pope Pius IX convinced his brother bishops to approve for him a doctrine of "papal infallibility" (viz., that the pope, acting alone in matters of faith and morals, might be "infallible"). For many bishops, this Gnostic heresy compounded the problem previously caused by Pius IX when he declared in 1854--more than 1,800 years after the fact--that the Blessed Virgin Mary was conceived without sin. Ironically, "papal infallibility" was intended to heal the division in the Roman church that resulted from the proclamation of this "dogma"; instead, it further divided an already divided church!
In the tradition of the Church, the statements of one man [in the case of the Roman church], regardless of who he was, were never to be held with the same esteem as the statements of an ecumenical council, when all the bishops met together to discuss matters of faith and morals. Those who could not accept this novel teaching on "infallibility” separated themselves from the Roman church and self-identified as Old Catholics, a term to capture their belief that they were being faithful to the traditional beliefs of the ancient Church (viz., that the bishops were to act together in deciding matters of faith and morals).
The Union of Utrecht of Old Catholic Churches was officially formed in 1889, when the Old Catholic Congress produced the Declaration of Utrecht, a document explaining the issues that caused the bishops' separation from Rome. The Diocese of Utrecht possessed the right of electing and consecrating its own bishops without the pope's approval (first, through a privilege extended by Pope Eugene III in 1215, then confirmed by the Fourth Lateran Council in 1225, and later affirmed by Pope Leo X in 1520). The bishops and priests who signed the Declaration of Utrecht were now de facto independent from the Roman church. The Old Catholic Church quickly grew to 15 million members worldwide by 1900. In the U.S., those of the Old Catholics tradition of Western Christianity often refer to themselves as Independent Catholics, so as not to confuse people who might otherwise think that they belong to the Union of Utrecht of Old Catholic Churches. Technically, there are no Old Catholic clergy in the U.S. at present: The Union of Utrecht of Old Catholic Churches possesses no clergy or congregations in the U.S. There are, however, a number of Independent Catholic clergy who self-identify, for whatever reason, as “Old Catholic."
While some critics have blamed Independent Catholics for "fracturing" the Church, others see them as faithfully attempting to unite the Church by laying aside the false pretences that demand rigid conformity to one man's beliefs or opinions. Regardless of one's views on this, the Old Catholic Church and the Independent Catholic tradition continued to share valid lines of apostolic succession from the Roman church and other Catholic churches.
I've never studied Church history so deeply. This is all new to me. So, how do we view the pope today?
We esteem the pope, and we give him the respect due him as the Bishop of Rome, the Successor of St. Peter, the Prince of the Apostles, and the Patriarch of the West. In the college of bishops, he is considered the "first among equals."
It's simply the case that we understand history, and we view him as being on par with the other four traditional patriarchs of the Church (in Alexandria, Antioch, Constantinople, and Jerusalem). We understand that, historically, the Patriarch of Rome was the first of the five patriarchs to amass sufficient power and wealth to "support" his positions, create his own city-state, and enter into diplomatic relations with innumerable nations.
Regardless, we continue to believe in the age-old tradition of the Church, that there is greater wisdom in the collective action of bishops who work together to resolve issues of faith and morals, rather than allow one man, regardless of how informed he believes himself to be, to work alone in such matters.
We believe that sadly the doctrine of papal "infallibility" has reinforced the authoritarianism, the misuse of power, and the demand for blind "obedience" that can run contrary to the teachings of Christ. Though the notion was initially an effort to create unity within the Church, the doctrine of "infallibility" had the opposite effect, which is evident in such papal pronouncements as the supposed evil of contraceptives and the non-debatable matter of the ordination of women within the Roman church. In this sense, the words of one man (viz., the pope) have been more sectarian and divisive, than unitive and catholic.
What does St Sebastian’s Independent Catholic Church believe?
Squarely within this tradition of Independent Catholicism, Our Lady & Saint Sebastian’s Catholic Church in the UK affirms traditional Catholic beliefs of faith and love, spirituality, community, and prayer. We celebrate the seven sacraments and adhere to essential Catholic doctrine and practice, as expressed in the statements of the Second Vatican Council and the best of contemporary thought.
We proclaim the unconditional love and compassion of God, which embraces every human person regardless of his/her condition in life. We acknowledge the primacy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit to speak in our day through the sensus fidelium ("sense of the faithful"), leading to a world of justice and peace.
As our parish mission suggests, we seek to be "Loving. Catholic. Inclusive. Doing It Jesus' Way!"
How is Our Lady's & St Sebastian’s CC different from Roman Catholic parishes?
We share many of the theological and moral teachings of the Roman church, with a few important differences:
Christ's law of love for God and neighbour (Lk 10:27) is our supreme command. For this reason, we do not judge, especially with respect to complex moral questions. Rather, we affirm the dignity of all human persons regardless of race, national origin, religious affiliation, gender, or sexual orientation. We strive for justice within the universal Church and the world. We work together to build community as faithful, clergy and bishops, united as family in loving concern for each other, working together to live the scriptural command of love in our daily lives, and bringing the love of Christ to others. In all, we recall the ancient wisdom of the Church as expressed in the words of St. Augustine: "In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity."
A Post-Vatican II theology, ecclesiology, and liturgy. We believe that the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), the last ecumenical council of the Roman church, was a great source of wisdom and inspiration, at which the Holy Spirit was very active and present. We are heirs of the legacy of that ecumenical council, and we commit ourselves to the ongoing implementation of its teachings. Saint John XXIII, who convened the council, wisely observed that the Church is a garden and not a museum. We believe that the Spirit is very much alive and active among all the members of God's Holy People.
The nobility of the laity and the recognition of the priesthood of all believers. Many people are familiar with the oppressive structures and strictures of the top-down papacracy of the Roman church. In contrast, Our Lady's & St Sebastain’s CC fosters a congregational or shared model of leadership, where all God's Holy People join together to discern the movement of the Holy Spirit. As the bishops at the Second Vatican Council affirmed, "Upon all the laity, therefore, rests the noble duty of working to extend the divine plan of salvation to all [persons] of each epoch and in every land. Consequently, may every opportunity be given [to the laity] so that, according to their abilities and the needs of the times, they may zealously participate in the saving work of the Church" (LG 33).
Support through difficult life decisions. We reject legalistic moral pronouncements, often dictated by those in power for the purpose of maintaining power and control. Difficult decisions in life are always harder to make alone; at such times, the compassionate support of a community of faith can be crucial. Yet such support can be difficult to find in the face of moral pronouncements regarding such issues as divorce and re-marriage, birth control, sexual orientation, and complex medical issues. One case in point is the divisive issue of contraception. In the Roman church, artificial means of birth control have been banned by celibate, male bishops, but, according to the Guttmacher Institute, are currently used by 98% of Roman Catholic women ages 15-44 who are sexually active. We believe that members of the laity are endowed with great wisdom and that the responsible limiting of the size of one's family is an issue of conscience to be decided by couples. We believe that artificial contraception, if used responsibly, can be a positive good, a means of increasing the frequency of the gift of sexual union, reducing the incidence of abortion for unwanted pregnancies, and limiting the spread of sexually-transmitted disease.
Our spirit of inclusivity includes the sacraments of the Church. We do not see it as our role to judge and exclude others from Christ's sacraments. We wage no "wafer wars," contemplating from whom we should keep the eucharist. We do not refuse the sacraments of the Church to people based on marital status, living condition or sexuality. We recognize that Christ sat down to eat with sinners (Mk 2:16), and that all are welcome at the table of the Lord. Finally, we recognize that imposing excessive requirements in order to receive the sacraments of the Church is a heresy, condemned by the early Church as semi-pelagianism.
Our spirit of inclusivity includes women, and we embrace the wonderful gifts of women. We are aware of the scriptural tradition of deaconesses in the Church (Rom 16:1), the role of women in ordained ministry in several contemporary Catholic churches, and of the women who have been ordained as priests within the Roman Catholic Church, even as late as 1970 with the ordination of Ludmila Javorova and 2002 with the ordination of the “Danube Seven” seven Roman Catholic women who were ordained by a Roman Catholic bishop. Far from prohibiting conversation on the possibility of ordaining women for ministry in the Church, we recognize this as an injustice which unfairly diminishes women within our Church and our world. Instead, we openly welcome the movement of God in the ordained ministry of women.
Our spirit of inclusivity includes a non-celibate clergy. Like most Catholic and non-Catholic traditions, we recognize the invaluable gifts possessed by married clergy. We know that a celibate clergy is not a divine mandate, but a recent innovation in the Roman church. Our sisters and brothers of the Orthodox Catholic Church (which excommunicated the Roman church in 1054) have always allowed priests and bishops to be married. Likewise, following the longer and larger tradition of the Church, our clergy are not required to be celibate. Rather, we welcome clergy who are married, in domestic partnerships, divorced or widowed. Christ built his Church on the foundation of Peter, a married man (Mk 1:30). Such life states allow our clergy to be more attuned to the real issues of family life.
Our spirit of inclusivity includes sexual matters. Whereas Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI) derided homosexuality as an objectively disordered inclination toward an intrinsic moral evil, we are open to the findings of contemporary psychology with respect to persons who self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered. We affirm the dignity and worth of our LGBTQ members, recognizing in them unique gifts particular to our time. In states that allow same-sex marriage, we are honoured to celebrate the Church's sacrament of marriage. We acknowledge that this idea can be especially challenging in cultures of high machismo, where many men may find themselves in roles where they feel they need to act contrary to their nature and/or where their identity as men is threatened by those more comfortable with varying sexual orientations.
Our spirit of inclusivity includes divorce and remarriage.
We empathize with the pain of a failed marriage, and we recognize our divorced and remarried sisters and brothers as members of Christ's Body. Divorce is a traumatic experience for all, including spouses, children, and extended family. Yet, in many circumstances, divorce is the best and most faithful response to a permanently broken relationship. For those whose marriages have failed and yet still feel the call to married life, the co-joining in intimate love with another person created in God's image and likeness is a way in which one can fulfil one's vocation. We join our sisters and brothers of the Orthodox Catholic Church in recognizing the tradition of divorce and remarriage that comes to us from the first thousand years of our common history with the Roman church. We counsel the remarried to reflect upon all they have experienced and to grow in all that will come, and we believe that their new union can best be nourished by the sacramental life of the Church.
Notwithstanding the list above, because we are an inclusive community, we would never want any of these differences to overshadow the fact that we are sisters and brothers with all God's Holy People in the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church that we all together profess. Says St. Paul: "You are all one in Christ Jesus" (Gal 3:28). Even recent polls indicate that the majority of Roman Catholics in the U.k. believe these principles that we openly profess. As sisters and brothers, we have more in common than that which will ever be able to divide us.
Are the sacraments shared by the clergy of Our Lady's & St Sebastain's Catholic Church valid?
Of course, they are. They are administered by validly-consecrated bishops and validly-ordained priests and deacons. specifically cites the validity of baptisms performed in Old Catholic and Independent Catholic churches like Our Lady's & St Sebastian’s CC. Document, DOMINUS IESUS VATICAN DECLARATION ON THE UNICITY AND SALVIFIC UNIVERSALITY OF JESUS CHRIST AND THE CHURCH
DECLARATION OF THE CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH
Rome, August 6, 2000 "In each of these churches, the Church of God is built up and grows in stature and, although separated from us, these churches possess true sacraments, above all (by apostolic succession) the priesthood and Eucharist. This offers ecclesiological and sacramental grounds for allowing and even encouraging some sharing in liturgical worship (even Eucharistic) with these churches" (M-17).
More globally, Pope John Paul II mentioned Old Catholic and Independent Catholic churches in his 2000 encyclical letter Dominus Iesus, saying, "The Churches which, while not existing in perfect communion with the [Roman] Church, remain united to her by means of the closest bonds, that is, by Apostolic Succession and a valid Eucharist, are true particular Churches. Therefore, these separated Churches and communities as such...have by no means been deprived of significance and importance in the mystery of salvation. For the Spirit of Christ has not refrained from using them as means of salvation which derive their efficacy from the very fullness of grace and truth entrusted to the Catholic Church. Therefore, the Church of Christ is present and operative also in these Churches, even though they lack full communion with the [Roman] Church."
In his Pastoral Companion: A Canon Law Handbook for [Roman] Catholic Ministry, Fr. John Huels similarly shares, "The principal condition is that these sacraments can be received only from validly ordained ministers. These are ministers who belong to 'churches that have preserved the substance of the Eucharistic teaching, the sacraments of orders, and apostolic succession.' This would include all Eastern non-Catholic churches, the Polish National Church, Old Catholic, and Old Roman Catholic."
Religious scholar William J. Whalan concurs: "We have no reason to doubt that the Old Catholic Orders are valid. The Apostolic Succession does not depend on obedience to the See of Peter, but rather on the objective line of succession from Apostolic sources, the proper matter and form, and the proper intention....Likewise Old Catholic bishops are bishops in Apostolic Succession [and]...the Old Catholics, like the Orthodox, possess a valid priesthood."
In his commentary on canon law, Father Thomas Doyle, a Roman Catholic Dominican priest, writes, "Catholics may receive the Eucharist, penance, or anointing from sacred ministers of non-Catholic denominations whose Holy Orders are considered valid by the Catholic Church. This includes all Eastern Orthodox priests, as well as priests of the Old Catholic or Polish National Church."
Thus, there is no reason to doubt that we share the same apostolic succession and Catholicity in essentials, even if we dissent concerning matters of conscience. If it is important to you, be assured that the Roman church and the Orthodox church recognize the validity of our sacraments (even if individual bishops and priests may beg to differ), and that all sacraments performed with good intention by validly-consecrated bishops and validly-ordained priests and deacons are valid in the eyes of God.
Is Our Lady's & St Sebastain’s CC stealing people from the Roman Catholic Church?
That's certainly not our intention! Instead, we're happy to minister to the six billion people in our world who don't feel at home in the Roman church.
- Around 5.2 million Catholics live in England and Wales, or around 9.6 percent of the population there, and nearly 700,000 in Scotland, or around 14 percent.13 Sept 2010
Statistically, 44% of the total population) regard themselves as some form of Christian. 3 One in every five people identifies as Anglican: the most popular of the Christian denominations. Meanwhile, one in every thirteen people in England and Wales identifies as Catholic.
Admittedly, Our Lady's & St Sebastain’s CC provides a spiritual home for many of our sisters and brothers, family members, and friends who no longer feel at home in what used to be their church.
The story is told that Roman Catholic Archbishop Patrick Flores of San Antonio once responded to a woman who lamented that her son had left the Roman church to minister in a non-Roman church. Flores asked her to choose what she thought was best for her son: "Remain Catholic by name and never live the faith? Be a drunkard? A criminal? A drug addict? Take advantage of others or abuse them? Or [is it best for him to be] where he is now, bringing others closer to God? God knows the heart. That's what counts most." The mother understood the archbishop's wise words and was at peace.
Why don't we use the new translation of the Roman Missal approved by the Vatican in 2011?
Our Lady's & St Sebastain’s CC uses both the second edition of the Novus Ordo, which was used by the Roman church for forty years, until November 2011. Though we are not under the jurisdiction of the bishop of Rome, we do have several issues with the new translation of the Roman Missal. In an act of great collegiality, all the Roman Catholic bishops of the English-speaking bishop’s conferences. had approved one translation, only to have the bishop of Rome demand their conformity to another translation. This action subverted the authority of national conferences of bishops, with whom authority rests for such translations. It also resulted in a stilted and very awkward English translation and yet more division within the Body of Christ.
Do we follow the rules of the Roman Catholic Church?
Thankfully, no. We are not under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome, and therefore we are not subject to the same rules and regulations.
During his life, Jesus rebelled against a slavish adherence to the 613 laws established by his own religious tradition. The Code of Canon Law of the Roman Catholic Church now contains three times more rules and regulations than the codex possessed by the Jews during Jesus' day! Very few of these laws are rooted in scripture, and some of them admittedly contradict the spirit of Jesus' teachings.
Jesus esteemed two commandments above all others: Love of God and love of neighbour (Lk 10:27). While canon law is subject to change, Jesus' command of love is immutable.
The story comes to mind of the young girl who asked her mother why she always cut the ends off her pork roast. Not knowing how to respond, the woman asked her mother, who taught her the practice, who in turn asked her own mother. As it turned out, the woman's grandmother cut the ends off her pork roast so that it would fit in her pan, and nearly three generations later, under very different circumstances, the practice of cutting the ends off the pork roast was carried on without a great deal of thought. One can easily think of examples of rules in various churches that have sprung up over the generations and which have been passed down to us today, despite the fact that they have lost much of their original meaning.
Why do some Roman Catholic bishops speak ill of Independent Catholic churches, like Our Lady's & St Sebastian’s Ccatholic Church?
While most Roman Catholic bishops see us all as sisters and brothers, others are admittedly threatened by what they perceive to be "the competition." Traditional wisdom suggests that fear of losing power corrupts those who possess it.
This is sad, but we also recognize that these are three exceptions in a world of otherwise selfless leaders who share the loving compassion of Christ the Good Shepherd.
With whom can I share the questions I still have about Our Lady's & St Sebastian’s Catholic church?
It depends on what answers you're looking for. If you're looking for "orthodox" Roman Catholic teaching, the words you use veritably hint of a close-mindedness that suggests you might do best to search for answers in other places. If you're looking for someone who can detail in 30 pages all the supposed "errors" contained in a work like this, countless persons who style themselves as "theologians" and/or as defenders of the "true faith" doubtless exist. If you feel more at home among their likes, seek them out.
If, on the other hand, you're looking for the perspective of an intelligent, well-read and critical mind, heavily steeped in the Roman tradition, but unafraid to consider the complexity of important life issues, you shouldn't at all hesitate to speak with our clergy.
Better yet, don't ever hesitate to invite our clergy and other members of the clergy from other Catholic churches, so that you can hear a variety of perspectives on the same issues!
In the meantime, we thank you for taking the time to learn about Our Lady's & St Sebastian’s Catholic Church.
The following Frequently Asked Questions have been formulated as a primer for better understanding Independent Catholicism. Though we present here a brief summary of an extensive body of literature, we certainly invite you to perform your own research of these questions and to follow your conscience with respect to the answers with which you feel most comfortable.
Is Independent Catholicism even Catholic?
Yes, definitely. There are several expressions of Catholicism, and many Catholic churches comprise the "one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church" that is professed by all.
In the Western world, the largest and most well-known expression of Catholicism is the Roman Catholic Church. In Asia and Eastern Europe, however, the most well-known expression of Catholicism is the Orthodox Catholic Church, which possesses over 300 million adherents and which excommunicated the Roman Catholic Church in 1054 A.D. for its deviance from the ancient creed of the Church, its insistence on unleavened bread, and its imposition of the novelty of clerical celibacy.
What do all Catholic churches have in common?
All Catholic churches, and indeed most Christian churches, profess faith in the "one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church."
Relating with one another as sister churches, these members of the universal Church believe that by baptism, we become members of the one Body of Christ and are nourished by the eucharist. The apostolic faith that has been handed down to us also teaches that there are other sacraments that we celebrate during important moments in life.
Like sisters in the same family, these churches share various similarities, and yet they are all different. As sister churches, most of our differences are administrative and disciplinary, but some of our differences are ecclesiological and theological. Differences are to be expected; not all sisters are the same.
Still, we are united by those bonds that we all hold dear: baptism, eucharist, and apostolic succession.
What does it mean to be one?
We often use a capital "C" when we refer to the universal Church (viz., the Body of Christ, which is composed of all sister churches), and with humility we use a lowercase "c" to refer to the many, particular churches to which we belong (unless used as a proper noun).
Despite any divisions that might exist, we recognize that all our sister churches belong to the one, universal Catholic Church. As such, despite our differences, we all form part of the People of God. Christ is the vine, and we are the branches (Jn 15:5). Christ is the head of the body, the Church (Col 1:18), of which we are all members (1Cor 12:12-27). We celebrate our unity (Gal 3:28), and we recognize our diversity (Rom 12:4-8).
What does it mean to be holy?
As individuals, we are simultaneously sinners and saints. We know that in our history, the same can be said of the institutions that are comprised of human beings. In the name of supposed good, our institutions have historically upheld narrow views, hosted inquisitions, waged crusades, advocated for slavery and the repression of various voices, and eliminated entire cultures. Despite this, we know that the work of redemption is somehow being carried out in us. Even though we sometimes stumble and get off track (Lk 15:13-17), we ultimately desire to keep turning toward that loving and compassionate mystery, which is God (Lk 15:20-24).
What does it mean to be catholic?
According to the Greek root of the word, to be "καθολιχοζ" is to be "whole" and "complete.” Yes, as St. Irenaeus suggested, every Catholic community is whole and complete in itself! In a cosmological sense, we also interpret this word as meaning "universal." We use the word "catholic" of our Church because we believe that it is completely and wholly that which God intends for God's Holy People.
No single branch (or church) within the universal Church can claim exclusive rights to the name "catholic," and no single branch can pretend to be the Vine, from which other branches have been "cut off" (Jn 15:5-6). Christ alone is the Vine; all authentic branches partake of the meaning and challenge of being part of the Vine, and all bear great fruit (Jn 15:7-8).
Humility demands that we continually reflect on the deep significance of Christ's words: "I have other sheep that are not of this flock. Them, too, I must bring, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd" (Jn 10:16).
What does it mean to be apostolic?
By word and deed, we cling to and stir into flame the faith handed down to us by the apostles (2Tim 1:6). These apostles planted various churches as they preached the gospel throughout the world. Though these churches have varied in expression throughout the ages, depending on the context in which they sprang up, they all trace their lineage to the apostles. Some of these local churches eventually yielded to Roman Catholic or Orthodox Catholic authority, while others continued to strive to live out the authentic message of Christ in their own way. By tracing their apostolic succession--their lineage back to the apostles--these churches confirm that they continue to pass on the gift of the Spirit that was received by validly consecrated ministers who, in turn, share the gift of that Spirit with other ministers.
How have divisions affected this one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church?
Despite St. Paul's vision that we are "all one in Christ Jesus" (Gal 3:28), a split within the Church occurred in 1054 A.D. Though the five patriarchs of the Church historically worked together to formulate doctrine, the Patriarch of Rome (now known as the pope) tampered with the Church's creed, thus changing the Church's Trinitarian theology. In what is now known as the East-West Schism, the Patriarch of Constantinople excommunicated the Patriarch of Rome, and the Patriarch of Rome excommunicated the Patriarch of Constantinople, leading to the creation of the Orthodox Catholic Church (i.e., the church perceived to be orthodox and in communion with tradition and with the four patriarchs of the East) and the Roman Catholic Church (the church that aligned itself with the independently-acting Patriarch of Rome). Interestingly, no one thought of the nascent Roman Catholic Church as a new "church." Rather, beginning with that split, the universal Church now had two valid expressions of apostolic Catholicism.
After 1054, the next great divide within the Church occurred in 1517-1521, when a Catholic priest, Father Martin Luther, began raising questions about the sale of indulgences (viz., time out of purgatory, a concept that was made doctrine in 1274). Recall that indulgences were being used to finance the construction of the largest church in the world, St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. This difference in perspective on such issues as indulgences led to a division between "Roman Catholics" and "Reformers" (or "Protestants," as they would come to be called by adherents of the Roman church).
Three centuries later, another significant split occurred when the Patriarch of the West (now known as the pope) pushed for the declaration of his own infallibility (1870). He had split the Roman church with his proclamation of the Immaculate Conception (1854) and believed that the solution lay in declaring himself…infallible! More recently, divisions in the Church have occurred over such issues as contraception (1968) and the place of women within the Roman church (1994).
Despite these events, bishops who were validly consecrated through apostolic succession have continued to share the gift of the Spirit with others, and the ministry of the Body of Christ has continued. The Church is comprised of individuals who are at once saints and sinners. They are human beings who, like Peter, the Rock upon which the Church was built, have at times denied Christ (Mt 26:74-75), and/or who, like James and John, have sometimes jockeyed for positions of supposed power (Mt 20:20-28). Fortunately, the love of Christ continues to unite us all and lead us as the sinners-and-saints we are!
How can Independent Catholic churches claim to be apostolic churches?
The litmus test of any Catholic church is apostolic succession. Most Independent Catholic bishops are validly consecrated by other bishops possessing valid lines of succession from the apostles, including the lines of apostolic succession from the Roman Catholic Church, the Old Catholic Church, the Malankara/Syrian/Jacobite Churches, and various Orthodox Churches.
What is the Old Catholic Church and what is its place in Independent Catholicism?
The Old Catholic Church is the branch of the Church that traces itself back to the act of a Roman Catholic bishop, Dominique-Marie Varlet, who validly consecrated other bishops without the permission of the Vatican, beginning in 1724. It solidified nearly 165 years later various bishops questioned the pope's attribution of infallibility to himself in 1870.
Many people today are familiar with the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), which greatly reformed our views of the Church. Less people are familiar with the First Vatican Council of 1870, when Pope Pius IX convinced his brother bishops to approve for him a doctrine of "papal infallibility" (viz., that the pope, acting alone in matters of faith and morals, might be "infallible"). For many bishops, this Gnostic heresy compounded the problem previously caused by Pius IX when he declared in 1854--more than 1,800 years after the fact--that the Blessed Virgin Mary was conceived without sin. Ironically, "papal infallibility" was intended to heal the division in the Roman church that resulted from the proclamation of this "dogma"; instead, it further divided an already divided church!
In the tradition of the Church, the statements of one man [in the case of the Roman church], regardless of who he was, were never to be held with the same esteem as the statements of an ecumenical council, when all the bishops met together to discuss matters of faith and morals. Those who could not accept this novel teaching on "infallibility” separated themselves from the Roman church and self-identified as Old Catholics, a term to capture their belief that they were being faithful to the traditional beliefs of the ancient Church (viz., that the bishops were to act together in deciding matters of faith and morals).
The Union of Utrecht of Old Catholic Churches was officially formed in 1889, when the Old Catholic Congress produced the Declaration of Utrecht, a document explaining the issues that caused the bishops' separation from Rome. The Diocese of Utrecht possessed the right of electing and consecrating its own bishops without the pope's approval (first, through a privilege extended by Pope Eugene III in 1215, then confirmed by the Fourth Lateran Council in 1225, and later affirmed by Pope Leo X in 1520). The bishops and priests who signed the Declaration of Utrecht were now de facto independent from the Roman church. The Old Catholic Church quickly grew to 15 million members worldwide by 1900. In the U.S., those of the Old Catholics tradition of Western Christianity often refer to themselves as Independent Catholics, so as not to confuse people who might otherwise think that they belong to the Union of Utrecht of Old Catholic Churches. Technically, there are no Old Catholic clergy in the U.S. at present: The Union of Utrecht of Old Catholic Churches possesses no clergy or congregations in the U.S. There are, however, a number of Independent Catholic clergy who self-identify, for whatever reason, as “Old Catholic."
While some critics have blamed Independent Catholics for "fracturing" the Church, others see them as faithfully attempting to unite the Church by laying aside the false pretences that demand rigid conformity to one man's beliefs or opinions. Regardless of one's views on this, the Old Catholic Church and the Independent Catholic tradition continued to share valid lines of apostolic succession from the Roman church and other Catholic churches.
I've never studied Church history so deeply. This is all new to me. So, how do we view the pope today?
We esteem the pope, and we give him the respect due him as the Bishop of Rome, the Successor of St. Peter, the Prince of the Apostles, and the Patriarch of the West. In the college of bishops, he is considered the "first among equals."
It's simply the case that we understand history, and we view him as being on par with the other four traditional patriarchs of the Church (in Alexandria, Antioch, Constantinople, and Jerusalem). We understand that, historically, the Patriarch of Rome was the first of the five patriarchs to amass sufficient power and wealth to "support" his positions, create his own city-state, and enter into diplomatic relations with innumerable nations.
Regardless, we continue to believe in the age-old tradition of the Church, that there is greater wisdom in the collective action of bishops who work together to resolve issues of faith and morals, rather than allow one man, regardless of how informed he believes himself to be, to work alone in such matters.
We believe that sadly the doctrine of papal "infallibility" has reinforced the authoritarianism, the misuse of power, and the demand for blind "obedience" that can run contrary to the teachings of Christ. Though the notion was initially an effort to create unity within the Church, the doctrine of "infallibility" had the opposite effect, which is evident in such papal pronouncements as the supposed evil of contraceptives and the non-debatable matter of the ordination of women within the Roman church. In this sense, the words of one man (viz., the pope) have been more sectarian and divisive, than unitive and catholic.
What does St Sebastian’s Independent Catholic Church believe?
Squarely within this tradition of Independent Catholicism, Our Lady & Saint Sebastian’s Catholic Church in the UK affirms traditional Catholic beliefs of faith and love, spirituality, community, and prayer. We celebrate the seven sacraments and adhere to essential Catholic doctrine and practice, as expressed in the statements of the Second Vatican Council and the best of contemporary thought.
We proclaim the unconditional love and compassion of God, which embraces every human person regardless of his/her condition in life. We acknowledge the primacy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit to speak in our day through the sensus fidelium ("sense of the faithful"), leading to a world of justice and peace.
As our parish mission suggests, we seek to be "Loving. Catholic. Inclusive. Doing It Jesus' Way!"
How is Our Lady's & St Sebastian’s CC different from Roman Catholic parishes?
We share many of the theological and moral teachings of the Roman church, with a few important differences:
Christ's law of love for God and neighbour (Lk 10:27) is our supreme command. For this reason, we do not judge, especially with respect to complex moral questions. Rather, we affirm the dignity of all human persons regardless of race, national origin, religious affiliation, gender, or sexual orientation. We strive for justice within the universal Church and the world. We work together to build community as faithful, clergy and bishops, united as family in loving concern for each other, working together to live the scriptural command of love in our daily lives, and bringing the love of Christ to others. In all, we recall the ancient wisdom of the Church as expressed in the words of St. Augustine: "In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity."
A Post-Vatican II theology, ecclesiology, and liturgy. We believe that the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), the last ecumenical council of the Roman church, was a great source of wisdom and inspiration, at which the Holy Spirit was very active and present. We are heirs of the legacy of that ecumenical council, and we commit ourselves to the ongoing implementation of its teachings. Saint John XXIII, who convened the council, wisely observed that the Church is a garden and not a museum. We believe that the Spirit is very much alive and active among all the members of God's Holy People.
The nobility of the laity and the recognition of the priesthood of all believers. Many people are familiar with the oppressive structures and strictures of the top-down papacracy of the Roman church. In contrast, Our Lady's & St Sebastain’s CC fosters a congregational or shared model of leadership, where all God's Holy People join together to discern the movement of the Holy Spirit. As the bishops at the Second Vatican Council affirmed, "Upon all the laity, therefore, rests the noble duty of working to extend the divine plan of salvation to all [persons] of each epoch and in every land. Consequently, may every opportunity be given [to the laity] so that, according to their abilities and the needs of the times, they may zealously participate in the saving work of the Church" (LG 33).
Support through difficult life decisions. We reject legalistic moral pronouncements, often dictated by those in power for the purpose of maintaining power and control. Difficult decisions in life are always harder to make alone; at such times, the compassionate support of a community of faith can be crucial. Yet such support can be difficult to find in the face of moral pronouncements regarding such issues as divorce and re-marriage, birth control, sexual orientation, and complex medical issues. One case in point is the divisive issue of contraception. In the Roman church, artificial means of birth control have been banned by celibate, male bishops, but, according to the Guttmacher Institute, are currently used by 98% of Roman Catholic women ages 15-44 who are sexually active. We believe that members of the laity are endowed with great wisdom and that the responsible limiting of the size of one's family is an issue of conscience to be decided by couples. We believe that artificial contraception, if used responsibly, can be a positive good, a means of increasing the frequency of the gift of sexual union, reducing the incidence of abortion for unwanted pregnancies, and limiting the spread of sexually-transmitted disease.
Our spirit of inclusivity includes the sacraments of the Church. We do not see it as our role to judge and exclude others from Christ's sacraments. We wage no "wafer wars," contemplating from whom we should keep the eucharist. We do not refuse the sacraments of the Church to people based on marital status, living condition or sexuality. We recognize that Christ sat down to eat with sinners (Mk 2:16), and that all are welcome at the table of the Lord. Finally, we recognize that imposing excessive requirements in order to receive the sacraments of the Church is a heresy, condemned by the early Church as semi-pelagianism.
Our spirit of inclusivity includes women, and we embrace the wonderful gifts of women. We are aware of the scriptural tradition of deaconesses in the Church (Rom 16:1), the role of women in ordained ministry in several contemporary Catholic churches, and of the women who have been ordained as priests within the Roman Catholic Church, even as late as 1970 with the ordination of Ludmila Javorova and 2002 with the ordination of the “Danube Seven” seven Roman Catholic women who were ordained by a Roman Catholic bishop. Far from prohibiting conversation on the possibility of ordaining women for ministry in the Church, we recognize this as an injustice which unfairly diminishes women within our Church and our world. Instead, we openly welcome the movement of God in the ordained ministry of women.
Our spirit of inclusivity includes a non-celibate clergy. Like most Catholic and non-Catholic traditions, we recognize the invaluable gifts possessed by married clergy. We know that a celibate clergy is not a divine mandate, but a recent innovation in the Roman church. Our sisters and brothers of the Orthodox Catholic Church (which excommunicated the Roman church in 1054) have always allowed priests and bishops to be married. Likewise, following the longer and larger tradition of the Church, our clergy are not required to be celibate. Rather, we welcome clergy who are married, in domestic partnerships, divorced or widowed. Christ built his Church on the foundation of Peter, a married man (Mk 1:30). Such life states allow our clergy to be more attuned to the real issues of family life.
Our spirit of inclusivity includes sexual matters. Whereas Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI) derided homosexuality as an objectively disordered inclination toward an intrinsic moral evil, we are open to the findings of contemporary psychology with respect to persons who self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered. We affirm the dignity and worth of our LGBTQ members, recognizing in them unique gifts particular to our time. In states that allow same-sex marriage, we are honoured to celebrate the Church's sacrament of marriage. We acknowledge that this idea can be especially challenging in cultures of high machismo, where many men may find themselves in roles where they feel they need to act contrary to their nature and/or where their identity as men is threatened by those more comfortable with varying sexual orientations.
Our spirit of inclusivity includes divorce and remarriage.
We empathize with the pain of a failed marriage, and we recognize our divorced and remarried sisters and brothers as members of Christ's Body. Divorce is a traumatic experience for all, including spouses, children, and extended family. Yet, in many circumstances, divorce is the best and most faithful response to a permanently broken relationship. For those whose marriages have failed and yet still feel the call to married life, the co-joining in intimate love with another person created in God's image and likeness is a way in which one can fulfil one's vocation. We join our sisters and brothers of the Orthodox Catholic Church in recognizing the tradition of divorce and remarriage that comes to us from the first thousand years of our common history with the Roman church. We counsel the remarried to reflect upon all they have experienced and to grow in all that will come, and we believe that their new union can best be nourished by the sacramental life of the Church.
Notwithstanding the list above, because we are an inclusive community, we would never want any of these differences to overshadow the fact that we are sisters and brothers with all God's Holy People in the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church that we all together profess. Says St. Paul: "You are all one in Christ Jesus" (Gal 3:28). Even recent polls indicate that the majority of Roman Catholics in the U.k. believe these principles that we openly profess. As sisters and brothers, we have more in common than that which will ever be able to divide us.
Are the sacraments shared by the clergy of Our Lady's & St Sebastain's Catholic Church valid?
Of course, they are. They are administered by validly-consecrated bishops and validly-ordained priests and deacons. specifically cites the validity of baptisms performed in Old Catholic and Independent Catholic churches like Our Lady's & St Sebastian’s CC. Document, DOMINUS IESUS VATICAN DECLARATION ON THE UNICITY AND SALVIFIC UNIVERSALITY OF JESUS CHRIST AND THE CHURCH
DECLARATION OF THE CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH
Rome, August 6, 2000 "In each of these churches, the Church of God is built up and grows in stature and, although separated from us, these churches possess true sacraments, above all (by apostolic succession) the priesthood and Eucharist. This offers ecclesiological and sacramental grounds for allowing and even encouraging some sharing in liturgical worship (even Eucharistic) with these churches" (M-17).
More globally, Pope John Paul II mentioned Old Catholic and Independent Catholic churches in his 2000 encyclical letter Dominus Iesus, saying, "The Churches which, while not existing in perfect communion with the [Roman] Church, remain united to her by means of the closest bonds, that is, by Apostolic Succession and a valid Eucharist, are true particular Churches. Therefore, these separated Churches and communities as such...have by no means been deprived of significance and importance in the mystery of salvation. For the Spirit of Christ has not refrained from using them as means of salvation which derive their efficacy from the very fullness of grace and truth entrusted to the Catholic Church. Therefore, the Church of Christ is present and operative also in these Churches, even though they lack full communion with the [Roman] Church."
In his Pastoral Companion: A Canon Law Handbook for [Roman] Catholic Ministry, Fr. John Huels similarly shares, "The principal condition is that these sacraments can be received only from validly ordained ministers. These are ministers who belong to 'churches that have preserved the substance of the Eucharistic teaching, the sacraments of orders, and apostolic succession.' This would include all Eastern non-Catholic churches, the Polish National Church, Old Catholic, and Old Roman Catholic."
Religious scholar William J. Whalan concurs: "We have no reason to doubt that the Old Catholic Orders are valid. The Apostolic Succession does not depend on obedience to the See of Peter, but rather on the objective line of succession from Apostolic sources, the proper matter and form, and the proper intention....Likewise Old Catholic bishops are bishops in Apostolic Succession [and]...the Old Catholics, like the Orthodox, possess a valid priesthood."
In his commentary on canon law, Father Thomas Doyle, a Roman Catholic Dominican priest, writes, "Catholics may receive the Eucharist, penance, or anointing from sacred ministers of non-Catholic denominations whose Holy Orders are considered valid by the Catholic Church. This includes all Eastern Orthodox priests, as well as priests of the Old Catholic or Polish National Church."
Thus, there is no reason to doubt that we share the same apostolic succession and Catholicity in essentials, even if we dissent concerning matters of conscience. If it is important to you, be assured that the Roman church and the Orthodox church recognize the validity of our sacraments (even if individual bishops and priests may beg to differ), and that all sacraments performed with good intention by validly-consecrated bishops and validly-ordained priests and deacons are valid in the eyes of God.
Is Our Lady's & St Sebastain’s CC stealing people from the Roman Catholic Church?
That's certainly not our intention! Instead, we're happy to minister to the six billion people in our world who don't feel at home in the Roman church.
- Around 5.2 million Catholics live in England and Wales, or around 9.6 percent of the population there, and nearly 700,000 in Scotland, or around 14 percent.13 Sept 2010
Statistically, 44% of the total population) regard themselves as some form of Christian. 3 One in every five people identifies as Anglican: the most popular of the Christian denominations. Meanwhile, one in every thirteen people in England and Wales identifies as Catholic.
Admittedly, Our Lady's & St Sebastain’s CC provides a spiritual home for many of our sisters and brothers, family members, and friends who no longer feel at home in what used to be their church.
The story is told that Roman Catholic Archbishop Patrick Flores of San Antonio once responded to a woman who lamented that her son had left the Roman church to minister in a non-Roman church. Flores asked her to choose what she thought was best for her son: "Remain Catholic by name and never live the faith? Be a drunkard? A criminal? A drug addict? Take advantage of others or abuse them? Or [is it best for him to be] where he is now, bringing others closer to God? God knows the heart. That's what counts most." The mother understood the archbishop's wise words and was at peace.
Why don't we use the new translation of the Roman Missal approved by the Vatican in 2011?
Our Lady's & St Sebastain’s CC uses both the second edition of the Novus Ordo, which was used by the Roman church for forty years, until November 2011. Though we are not under the jurisdiction of the bishop of Rome, we do have several issues with the new translation of the Roman Missal. In an act of great collegiality, all the Roman Catholic bishops of the English-speaking bishop’s conferences. had approved one translation, only to have the bishop of Rome demand their conformity to another translation. This action subverted the authority of national conferences of bishops, with whom authority rests for such translations. It also resulted in a stilted and very awkward English translation and yet more division within the Body of Christ.
Do we follow the rules of the Roman Catholic Church?
Thankfully, no. We are not under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome, and therefore we are not subject to the same rules and regulations.
During his life, Jesus rebelled against a slavish adherence to the 613 laws established by his own religious tradition. The Code of Canon Law of the Roman Catholic Church now contains three times more rules and regulations than the codex possessed by the Jews during Jesus' day! Very few of these laws are rooted in scripture, and some of them admittedly contradict the spirit of Jesus' teachings.
Jesus esteemed two commandments above all others: Love of God and love of neighbour (Lk 10:27). While canon law is subject to change, Jesus' command of love is immutable.
The story comes to mind of the young girl who asked her mother why she always cut the ends off her pork roast. Not knowing how to respond, the woman asked her mother, who taught her the practice, who in turn asked her own mother. As it turned out, the woman's grandmother cut the ends off her pork roast so that it would fit in her pan, and nearly three generations later, under very different circumstances, the practice of cutting the ends off the pork roast was carried on without a great deal of thought. One can easily think of examples of rules in various churches that have sprung up over the generations and which have been passed down to us today, despite the fact that they have lost much of their original meaning.
Why do some Roman Catholic bishops speak ill of Independent Catholic churches, like Our Lady's & St Sebastian’s Ccatholic Church?
While most Roman Catholic bishops see us all as sisters and brothers, others are admittedly threatened by what they perceive to be "the competition." Traditional wisdom suggests that fear of losing power corrupts those who possess it.
This is sad, but we also recognize that these are three exceptions in a world of otherwise selfless leaders who share the loving compassion of Christ the Good Shepherd.
With whom can I share the questions I still have about Our Lady's & St Sebastian’s Catholic church?
It depends on what answers you're looking for. If you're looking for "orthodox" Roman Catholic teaching, the words you use veritably hint of a close-mindedness that suggests you might do best to search for answers in other places. If you're looking for someone who can detail in 30 pages all the supposed "errors" contained in a work like this, countless persons who style themselves as "theologians" and/or as defenders of the "true faith" doubtless exist. If you feel more at home among their likes, seek them out.
If, on the other hand, you're looking for the perspective of an intelligent, well-read and critical mind, heavily steeped in the Roman tradition, but unafraid to consider the complexity of important life issues, you shouldn't at all hesitate to speak with our clergy.
Better yet, don't ever hesitate to invite our clergy and other members of the clergy from other Catholic churches, so that you can hear a variety of perspectives on the same issues!
In the meantime, we thank you for taking the time to learn about Our Lady's & St Sebastian’s Catholic Church.
