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Catholic Eucharist
(Not the church of yesterday;
rather, the church of always)
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RELIGION FOR TODAY IN THE LIBERAL CATHOLIC CHURCH WHY RELIGION TODAY Religion is a means to an end. As such, it may be seen to have a dual purpose. Philosophy of Life FIRST, it should provide a workable and progressively uplifting philosophy of life. The word “philosophy” means love of wisdom. Wisdom may be considered to be the sum total of the experiences and knowledge gained during all of man’s past lives. Knowledge alone is the function of the lower mind. Wisdom reaches far above the lower mind. It involves the whole human being, including that understanding often attributed to man’s “heart-qualities.” Wisdom gives man that true perspective with which to discover the real purpose of life. It makes possible prudent, dispassionate, perfect judgment. Religion, then, must have a place in daily life, building the honest, unselfish, tolerant human being and producing in him the preference for spiritual values over material excesses. While thus raising his awareness to see divine life in all of God’s creation and creatures, it yet aids him to attach proper values to everything in existence in the universe. Seen in this light, material means have their place and are necessary; but their utilization rather than their acquisition deserves primary attention. An obvious expression of such a philosophy of life is found in man’s affinity for all Nature, a sign of a mature love and heartfelt respect for God’s creation. In the effort to understand even more fully Nature’s ways, man is helped by an eager intellect that directs his studies and interests toward the divine. Truth, being what it is to each person, enlightens him in-creasingly as his intuitive faculties unfold. Eventually he will know God “first hand.” Divinity of Man The SECOND purpose of religion is to develop a realization of the divinity in man. The root-meaning of the word “religion”— to bind back—refers to man’s basic oneness with the Deity. Man IS a divine being, ~‘created in the image of God,” the spiritual image, that is! Religion sees in the Deity (God) a universal, all-embracing Being of abstract perfection. To “bind back” to Him implies man’s inner urge, his spiritual quest for his own perfection and resultant return to God. To achieve this he needs the experiences of many lives (incarnations) on earth. The “Laws of Nature,” all of which are divine laws, aid him in his unfoldment toward perfection. Among these laws one principle is fundamental: “Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” (Gal. VI.7) WHY THE LIBERAL CATHOLIC CHURCH Religion does not mean dogma, doctrine, or denominational regulation. It does not require rigid ceremonial or ritual. It does not require institutional churches. HOWEVER, rituals and places where they can be performed are invaluable tools that should be used to aid and strengthen man’s spiritual development. Divine energy permeates the whole universe and is channeled through it like all other forces known to man. An effective tool for its channelling is the Holy Eucharist (Mass) as celebrated in the Liberal Catholic Church. It proves to be a medium most perfectly suited to the flow of spiritual energy, as frequently attested to by those possessing trained clairvoyant sight. The work of the Liberal Catholic Church, while seemingly of the character of institutionalized worship, is free from rigid structuring, except that in their outer forms its services provide the visible chan-nel facilitating the transmission of that spiritual (divine) energy down to the physical level. It is essential that the mind be completely free to participate in the services of the Liberal Catholic Church according to each person’s inclinations and his potential for response. Thus, there can be no authority dictating beliefs, creeds, or dogmas, nor setting up restrictions which inhibit the partaking of any of the Church’s Sacraments. In all, the individual’s conscience commands supreme authority and respect. WHY YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THE SERVICES OF THE LIBERAL CATHOLIC CHURCH Performed by imperfect human beings no ritual can be spiritually perfect in itself. Yet, there IS a great value in per-forming such a ritual or ceremony as the Holy Eucharist. It gives every human be-ing the beautiful opportunity—and, it is hoped, the inner responsibility—to become a dedicated and effective channel through which the Deity can pour out His power and blessing over the universe. Looking at the celebration of the Holy Eucharist with purely physical sight may not reveal any particular worthiness, except perhaps its simple beauty. But exploring and discovering the deep wisdom and tremendous usefulness underlying the purpose of the Holy Eucharist opens one’s “spiritual eyes” to an untold splendor. Thus, the philosophy of life promulgated through the work of the Liberal Catholic Church allows expression of every individual’s inner nature and furthers the steady unfoldment of his divine stature. The one great goal lying before us all is to go forward and rise upward toward a more wholesome, inspired life which will help us to become devoted and productive workers in the divine plan for His (our) world. YOUR participation in this work will always be of great benefit to you, to the community and to mankind as a whole. The Liberal Catholic Church holds its doors open to all who find joy and happiness in reverently partaking of Christ’s Blessings.
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The Liberal Catholic Church is a direct descendant of the Old Catholic Church. This latter movement has its roots in the ancient Catholic Church of Holland which traces its origin back to 690 CE when St. Willibrord, a monk sent by the nascent Catholic Church in England, established his missionary work among the North German tribes. By 696 CE, after achieving missionary success, Willibrord was consecrated to the episcopate by Rome and appointed Bishop to the region, establishing Utrecht as the seat of his see. With the beginning of the Reformation in the 16th century, and the spread of Calvinism throughout the Netherlands, including Utrecht, Dutch Catholics were pressured at various times to move underground to avoid persecution. Despite this, in 1560 Utrecht was made an Archbishopric by the Roman Catholic Church. By the end of the 17th century tension with the Protestants lessened, as the Protestant government became increasingly tolerant, and Dutch Catholics were free to proclaim their faith more openly. Ironically, during this same period, the Dutch Catholics came under attack from the Jesuits because of their alleged association with the Jansenist movement. As a result, the Pope suspended the Archbishop of Utrecht in 1702. The Apostolic Succession and full Sacramental life were returned to the Church in 1739 when Bishop Dominique Marie Varlet, sympathizing with their plight, consecrated Peter John Meindaarts as Archbishop of Utrecht without the Pope’s approval. Although the Dutch Church persisted in considering itself Catholic, Rome’s isolation of the Church also continued. With the declaration of Papal Infallibility at the First Vatican Council of 1870, a number of Roman Catholic Churches predominantly in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria were excommunicated from the Church for rejecting this and other “new” dogmas. From this defiance, the Old Catholic Church was born, its name a statement that this newly formed church would adhere to the original teachings of the Catholic faith. However, because the Old Catholic Church had no Bishops, they approached the independent Dutch Church of Utrecht in order to insure that the Apostolic Succession and a full Sacramental life would continue through the consecration of Bishops within these communities. In the early years of the 20th century the Old Catholic Church began to establish itself in England when a number of former Roman Catholic parishioners and clergy expressed interest in forming congregations. With the consecration to the episcopate of a former Roman Catholic priest, Arnold Harris Mathew, on April 28, 1908 at the Church of St. Gertrude in Utrecht, the Old Catholic Church had migrated to the British Isles, though its membership would remain small for many years. In December of 1910, a disagreement with the see of Utrecht resulted in the Old Catholic Mission becoming an independent movement under Bishop Mathew. Fortunately, a few years later, the Old Catholic Church in Great Britain attracted the attention of James Ingall Wedgwood who had been General Secretary of the Theosophical Society, a school of thought founded to study, among other things, comparative religion, particularly Eastern religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism. A recent discovery by one of their leading members, Charles Webster Leadbeater, had also lead to an increased interest among Theosophists in Christianity and the similarities between the original teachings of Christ, early Christianity, and the “Ancient Wisdom” which forms the background for all the great Eastern and Western religions. Inspired by this, Wedgwood approached Archbishop Mathew to garner more information about the Church. A warm reception and increased interest in the movement resulted in his ordination to the priesthood on July 22, 1913. Shortly thereafter, a number of other Theosophists were also ordained priests. However, after a sudden change of heart, the Archbishop recanted and demanded that the priests withdraw from the Theosophical Society. When they refused, Archbishop Mathew declared the movement dissolved and submitted to the Roman Church. This decision left the Old Catholic Church in Great Britain without a presiding bishop. To remedy this situation Bishop Willoughby, a former Anglican priest who had been elected from among this group and consecrated by Bishop Mathew, although not himself a Theosophist, passed on the Apostolic Succession by consecrating Fr. Wedgwood to the Episcopate as Presiding Bishop of the now autonomous body. This occurred on February 13, 1916, a date that is unofficially considered the “birthday” of the Liberal Catholic Church, the name change becoming official at a meeting of the London Synod on September 6, 1918. Bishop Wedgwood in turn consecrated C. W. Leadbeater, himself an ordained Anglican priest, to the Episcopate in Sydney, Australia in July of 1916. The Church quickly expanded throughout the world, and is active in over forty countries. All services are in the language of the host country and use the Liturgy established by Bishops Wedgwood and Leadbeater. This Liturgy is a translated revision of the Roman Liturgy, the emphasis of worship being joyous and uplifting. Although Bishops Wedgwood, Leadbeater and many others instrumental in establishing the Church were Theosophists, there is no official connection with the Theosophical Society. Clergy and members of the Liberal Catholic Church are free in all matters of thought and conscience. Quite simply, as outlined in the “General Information” of our Liturgy, the Liberal Catholic Church is an independent and self-governing body; neither Roman Catholic nor Protestant—but Catholic. The Church aims at combining the traditional sacramental form of worship—with its stately ritual, its deep mysticism and its abiding witness to the reality of the sacramental grace—with the widest measure of intellectual liberty and respect for the individual conscience.
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Seven Rays: Love, Wisdom, Harmony, Detailed Knowledge, Ordered Service, Adaptability, and Devotion
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