Independent Catholic Churches

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Independent Catholic Churches are, by and large, extremely small Churches which assert their legitimacy based upon the Apostolic Succession putatively held by their bishops. With a few exceptions these Independent Catholic bodies rarely consist or more than a bishop or two and a few associates. The bishops and their organizations are usually dismissed in mainstream Christian circles as "vagantes" or "wandering bishops." However, at least according to Roman Catholic theology, this situation in no way compromises their status as bishops per se.

Virtually all Independent Catholic Churches worship according to a set liturgy, one either derived from a mainstream historic Christian rite, such as the Syriac, Byzantine, or Roman, one that is some combination of these, or one that is unique to the Church in question. All are episcopal in polity, being led by bishops and priests, who are assisted by deacons. Most hold to some type of sacramental understanding of the Christian faith, closely related to those of the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Assyrian, or the Anglican Churches. Most also hold to the Nicene Creed, but interpretations vary.

However, these Churches are divided with regard to the ordination of women, the ordination of sexually active gays and lesbians, the acceptability of same-sex marital unions, abortion, contraception, divorce, and other issues which are also controversial in more mainstream sections of Christianity, whether Roman Catholic, Protestant, Anglican, or Orthodox. However, unlike most of their more conventional counterparts, these Churches, usually being quite small, tend to be fairly internally homogenous with regard to these issues; in other words, divisions on these and other questions are between these Churches, not so much within them.

Additionally, some Independent Catholic Churches, such as the Liberal Catholic Church and the Catholic Apostolic Church of Antioch - Malabar Rite (the "Church of Antioch") are characterized by a theosophical or New Age orientation. Some, often describing themselves as "Evangelical Catholic" are High Church Lutheran.

Many of these Churches are offshoots of either the Old Catholic Movement, the Indian Orthodox Church, or both, tiny bodies rarely consisting of one or two congregations with a vastly larger clergy/laity ratio than found in mainstream Churches. Most of these Churches, possibly turning necessity into virtue, have intentionally embraced an "Ignatian" model of parish organization, in which a bishop, not a priest, is the pastor of a parish and is assisted by a group of priests, an intraparish "presbyterate", as well as by one or more deacons. It can justly be argued this model often prevailed during the first centuries of the Christian Church. It is almost unheard of for an Independent Catholic clergyman to be supported in their work. Most Independent Catholic clergy are "tentmakers," pursuing their ministry as a part-time, volunteer calling while engaging in some other occupation in order to support themselves and their familes.

Some Independent Catholic Churches split off from or were expelled directly from the Roman Catholic Church or one of the Eastern Orthodox Churches. Others began life as Protestant Charismatic congregations that rediscovered both sacramentalism and the historic apostolic succession. Still others are offshoots of the Theosophical movement. Indeed the oldest more or less stable Independent Catholic Church is the closely Theosophically allied Liberal Catholic Church. Another of the larger Independent Catholic churches is the African Orthodox Church, founded by former Epsicopalians to directly serve within the African American community. Perhaps the largest Independent Catholic body today is the conservative Charismatic Episcopal Church which derives its ministry through a Brazilian Roman Catholic bishop.

Continuing Anglican Churches are sometimes included in this grouping, but this is controversial, especially among the larger Continuing Anglican bodies, as is the inclusion of traditional Roman Catholic groups. The same could be said of the larger Old Calendar Eastern Orthodox and Ukranian Orthodox jurisdictions as well.

While the vast majority of Independent Catholic/Old Catholic clergy lack even under-graduate degrees, there are notable exceptions including a few highly educated and/or successful persons (published authors, composers, college professors, seasoned resigned Roman Catholic priests, and former Roman Catholic women religious and lay parish administrators) now number among the clergy of these Churches.

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