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3John4
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| Joined: | Tue Feb 13th, 2007 |
| Location: | USA |
| Posts: | 102 |
| First Name: | Dede | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Catholic, Protestant, Catholic |
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Posted: Sat Dec 29th, 2007 05:08 pm |
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My sister, who was raised Catholic but hasn't attended church of any kind since her divorce many years ago, recently began attending a "liberal catholic church". Her long-time boyfriend died suddenly about two months ago, and it has caused her to think maybe she needs to get her own life in order. She believes this liberal catholic church is "basically Catholic--but without all the extra rules." (What scares me the most is that my mother always said this sister was the smartest one of all her kids!) I can tell from the church's website it is definitely NOT Catholic with a capital C since everyone, Christian or not, is invited to take communion.
Does anyone know anything about this group/denomination/cult or whatever it is? One of my other sisters (lifetime Catholic) thinks we should just leave Miss High IQ alone, that she needs to start somewhere, and this church is as good a starting point as any. I, on the other hand, am not sure that starting back with a church whose "doctrine" looks like something out of the 1960s won't ultimately end up turning her off to organized religion once again.
Any thoughts or information would be appreciated.
Dede
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pam
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| Joined: | Sat Nov 11th, 2006 |
| Location: | USA |
| Posts: | 117 |
| First Name: | Pam | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | believer |
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Posted: Sat Dec 29th, 2007 05:12 pm |
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| I'm very curious about this too. Last summer a sign went up at a small office complex in town saying the same--Liberal Catholic Church. What is this??? Last edited on Sat Dec 29th, 2007 05:13 pm by pam
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David W. Emery
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| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Brownsville, Texas USA |
| Posts: | 2427 |
| First Name: | David | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Catholic |
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Posted: Sat Dec 29th, 2007 05:15 pm |
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I believe this link will tell you what you need to know.
David
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CajunRick
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Posted: Sat Dec 29th, 2007 05:28 pm |
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3John4 wrote: "basically Catholic--but without all the extra rules."
Which, of course, means "not Catholic".
(What scares me the most is that my mother always said this sister was the smartest one of all her kids!)
Brains can often be a hindrance to faith, especially when one begins to think he is smarter than all who have gone before. That's what happened to Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, and all the others who knew better than the Catholic Church.
I can tell from the church's website it is definitely NOT Catholic with a capital C since everyone, Christian or not, is invited to take communion.
Then you can' t say they're "basically Catholic-but without all the extra rules". There is nothing Catholic about them. They are "basically Catholic-but without the Catholic". So that makes them about as Catholic as Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses, and "less Catholic" than Anglicans and Lutherans.
One of my other sisters (lifetime Catholic) thinks we should just leave Miss High IQ alone, that she needs to start somewhere, and this church is as good a starting point as any. I, on the other hand, am not sure that starting back with a church whose "doctrine" looks like something out of the 1960s won't ultimately end up turning her off to organized religion once again.
Just let her know that when she's once again ready for "the Real Thing" you'll be ready to bring her Home.
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rbo4u2
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| Joined: | Tue Jan 16th, 2007 |
| Location: | Sunnyvale, California USA |
| Posts: | 518 |
| First Name: | Rich | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Formerly Christian & Missionary Alliance then became Presbyterian |
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Posted: Sun Dec 30th, 2007 12:48 pm |
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I must admit I struggle with these terms also. In my journey of faith, I want to find a church that is true to the mother church, the magisterium and the catechism. I see the terms "liberal", "Orthodox", Conservative, Eastern, Western, etc.
Liberal is pretty clear. I have friends who are liberal Catholics. I teasingly accuse them of being Protestant. For that's what they are. The pick and chose what they want in the church.
Orthodox is confusing. Does Orthodox mean eastern rites or true to the teachings of the church?
Conservative? I know liberals who go to a conservative church. Huh? Sounds like a more political label rather than one that reflects where one stands with the church.
All I want to follow, if I cross the Tiber, is the true church. At this moment, it's the one Mother Angelica, EWTN, Marcus Grodi, Rick, Dave and others of that persuasion. All others seem to be abberations of what I read in the catechism. So...is there an overall "label" if you please, that describes what I think I've said. Huh?
(I think I've added to the confusion) javascript:emoticon(' ',%20'images/emoticons/tongue.gif')
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3John4
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| Joined: | Tue Feb 13th, 2007 |
| Location: | USA |
| Posts: | 102 |
| First Name: | Dede | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Catholic, Protestant, Catholic |
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Posted: Sun Dec 30th, 2007 02:03 pm |
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Just to clarify, Rick, it wasn't me who said the church was "basically Catholic but without all the rules.", it was my sister. The only thing Catholic, as far as I can tell, is the vocabulary they try to use.
From the link David gave, I wonder if this church at least started out with an Episcopal affiliation, and if they would still be considered such.
Truthfully, I don't think this sister has any respect for Catholic doctrine anyway. She was telling me the other day what a great president she thinks Obama would make!
Dede
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BodRod
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| Joined: | Mon Oct 2nd, 2006 |
| Location: | Apple Valley, California USA |
| Posts: | 840 |
| First Name: | Cliff | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Raised an SDA, then Generic Christian, finally at home with ... |
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Posted: Sun Dec 30th, 2007 03:00 pm |
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| Is it possible to check with the diocese to see if a priest has his Articles?
____________________
Gratias agamus Domino Deo nostro.
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CajunRick
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Posted: Sun Dec 30th, 2007 04:57 pm |
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3John4 wrote: Just to clarify, Rick, it wasn't me who said the church was "basically Catholic but without all the rules.", it was my sister.
I did understand that, and that's why I included the quotation marks with the quote. They do claim apostolic succession through the Old Catholics, but they don't have apostolic succession either since they are not in union with their patriarch, the Holy Father. No bishop, on his own authority, can ordain another bishop validly without approval of the patriarch (the Holy Father in the west). That’s why, for example, the "official" Chinese church, the Patriotic Association, can only validly ordain a bishop when the pope consents to the ordination.
So at best, they are "pretend" Catholics, and their mass is just as valid as when I used to "play mass" as a kid with flattened bread and grape juice.
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