Christ the King
Christ the King OCC: a Mission of the North American Catholic Ecumenical Church
FAQ’s for the North American Catholic Ecumenical Church
1. Why do you call yourselves “Catholic” if you’re not under the Roman Catholic Pope?
The tradition of Independent Catholicism, although not well known especially in North America, extends back to the earliest Christian Church. The Church, after the deaths of the Apostles was composed of autocephalous Bishops; that is, independent Bishops each with his own Church buildings and geographical jurisdiction in his locality. Deacons were the bishop’s primary assistant ministers at this time. Later, toward the close of the second century, the diocesan church came into being where the Bishop had under his authority several dependent parish churches, each of which was headed by a Presbyter [Priest]. Yet even during this period the bishops remained independent of each other both in doctrine and liturgy. The only tie between these independent bishops was their participation in Church Councils, which were regional or international meetings of bishops to discuss matters of faith and morals, the most important of which have become known as the Great or Ecumenical Councils.
Over time, these councils gave rise to a more unified Church structure under the leadership of bishops in the five major Christian cities: Alexandria, Antioch, Constantinople, Jerusalem, and Rome. The Church began in the East and spread west, and over time split along the lines of Western Latin culture, and Eastern Greek culture. The bishops of these five cities were given the honorific title of “Patriarch” or Old Father, out of respect and to show ecclesial authority and jurisdiction. The most influential Patriarchs were Rome in the West, and Constantinople in the East. Rome was the original Capitol of the Roman Empire and the city where both St. Peter St. Paul went, but in AD 338 the Emperor Constantine moved his capitol to a new city, the old fishing village Byzantium, newly renamed Constantinople in his own honor! The other three ancient patriarchies, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Alexandria, gradually passed their jurisdiction to Constantinople as these localities were absorbed by Islam. However not all validly consecrated Bishops accepted the claims of supremacy of the Bishop of Rome or the Patriarch of Constantinople, or agreed with all of the doctrines proclaimed by the various Councils. Consequently there have always been Independent Rite Catholic Bishops and clergy; who, although holding valid Apostolic Succession and Holy Orders are not a part of the Western Roman Catholic or Eastern Greek Orthodox Churches.
The great majority of contemporary Independent Catholic bishops and clergy in the West derive their valid succession from the Old Catholic Churches of Europe. These Churches derive their succession from the "Oud Katholieke" or Jansenist Church of Utrecht in the Netherlands, which separated from Rome in AD 1724. The Old Catholic Churches came into being at the time of the First Vatican Council in AD 1870. The primary issue that precipitated the foundation of these Churches was opposition to the doctrine of “papal infallibility” promulgated by the aforementioned Council. This doctrine asserts that the Bishop of Rome, when speaking as supreme teacher and lawgiver of the Roman Catholic Church on a matter of faith or morals is preserved by the Holy Spirit from the possibility of error. After its proclamation, some bishops, a considerable number of Roman Catholic theologians, priests and lay persons formed independent Catholic Churches in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and France; and in 1897 the Polish National Catholic Church was established in the United States and Canada. Collectively, these Catholic Churches outside of the jurisdiction of Rome have become known as the "Old Catholic Churches."
Together with most major Independent Catholic Churches, the North American Catholic Ecumenical Church has a strong and valid Apostolic Succession derived from the Roman Catholic Church and various Eastern Orthodox bishops thus allowing a valid Catholic celebration of the traditional seven sacraments. The NACEC, as well as most other Independent and Old Catholic Churches acknowledges seven Great or Ecumenical Councils. These are: Nicaea I, AD 325, Constantinople I, AD 381, Ephesus, AD 431, Chalcedon, AD 451, Constantinople II, AD 553, Constantinople III, AD 680, Nicaea II, AD 787. The NACEC also acknowledges the doctrinal teachings of the undivided Church prior to the Great Schism of AD 1054. We acknowledge the Pope as the Bishop of Rome and Patriarch of the West, but he does not have jurisdiction over this Church or its bishops, priests, clergy, or people.
2. But doesn’t being Catholic mean being Roman Catholic?
No, not always. Catholic comes from two Greek words: kata (concerning) and houlos (whole). Together we get “katholikos” or in Latin, catholicus: universal, or concerning the whole or concerning all things. The word Catholic was first used by St. Ignatius of Antioch (+107) in his letter to the Smyrneans, describing members of the Christian Church in the Roman Empire. Commonly the name Catholic refers to those Christians who live a continued tradition of faith and worship, and who hold apostolic succession in their bishops and priests since Christ and His Apostles. The North American Catholic Ecumenical Church maintains all three characteristics of a common faith, common worship in Sacraments and prayers, and apostolic succession in our bishops and priests.
We like to use an image to describe the Universal Catholic Faith as if it were a diamond, brilliant and beautiful, and multi-faceted. Some facets are big and obvious like the Roman Catholic Church or the Greek Catholics of the Orthodox Church, even Episcopalians and some Lutherans, and some facets are small like our NACEC and other Independent Catholic or Old Catholic Churches; but we are all part of the One Diamond that is our Catholic faith. We all just show it differently, that’s all.
3. What makes the North American Catholic Ecumenical Church different from the Roman Catholic Church?
The Head of the Church is Jesus Christ, but his representative here in an administrative manner is the Presiding Bishop. The Presiding Bishop and his/her advisors govern the NACEC, in conference with the annual Synod. The bishop and clergy of the NACEC strive to fulfill the three-fold Mission of the Church: Proclaim the Message (Kerygma) or Good News (the “good spiel” or Gospel) that Jesus Christ died and rose and now lives among us; Fellowship (Koinonia) that demonstrates by our Lord’s followers the building of a faith community in the bonds of faith, hope, and love; and Service (Diakonia) acts of healing and serving others in the community by way of time, witness, volunteerism, and assisting those less fortunate than ourselves as did Christ Himself.
As part of our pastoral reform efforts, the NACEC supports and affirms all men and women who wish to worship our Lord in their Catholic faith and practice. When Mass is celebrated it is always an open Communion Table, because Jesus tells us: “Take this all of you and eat…This is my Body. This is the cup of my Blood…” What part of “take this ALL of you” don’t other churches understand?! We priests set the Table, but it is Jesus who issues the invitation. How do we dare withhold someone from the Table of the Lord and receiving the Blessed Sacrament. Sometimes we just have to trust the Lord.
Bishops, priests and deacons who have opted out of celibacy can exercise the option to enter into the Sacrament of Marriage, or are free to pursue personal relationships. Our Sacraments, including Holy Orders are open to all qualified persons regardless of age, gender, orientation, marital status or racial/ethnic background. Our clergy do are not paid by their ministries or parishes, but usually have jobs or are retired. Our ministries and vocations are therefore usually ones of love and commitment rather than paid church jobs.
The North American Catholic Ecumenical Church has implemented pastoral reforms affecting the celebration of the Sacrament of Marriage. Our Catholic Church welcomes all couples wishing to enter into the Sacrament of Marriage. The NACEC does not see divorce and re-marriage an impediment to the celebration of Marriage. Our Church also recognizes and celebrates same-sex marriages, treating all couples the same in preparation for marriage. We do not discriminate in marriage or any of our Sacraments by gender or orientation, but rejoice when any couple wishes to commit to each other in front of their family and friends with the blessing of Christ and His Church.
The intentions of the pastoral reforms of the Catholic Ecumenical Church are very simple: we wish to bring to the Lord's Table ALL persons who have been denied their rightful place as the Children of God and brothers and sisters of Christ.
4. So if you are not under the Pope, why didn’t you just join the Episcopalians or Lutherans? They seem liberal enough.
From the very beginning the NACEC established our Church Laws, or Canon Laws, to be a faith community that does not discriminate due to age, sexual orientation, gender, etc. The Roman Catholic Church still refuses to let women become priests or clergy, the Episcopalians have torn their church apart trying to decide how to allow gays and lesbians become clergy or to even bless same-sex unions. Lutherans and Methodists are going through much the same as the Episcopal Church. Many ancient and traditional churches have trouble accepting new understandings of the Bible and what it says AND WHAT IT DOESN’T SAY! Why would we leave one dysfunctional historical church for another dysfunctional historical church? We thought it better to start anew with our Lord’s aid… like “new wine in new wine skins”
5. Why do your priests and bishops work for a living and the Roman priests don’t?
It keeps us human. By working daily just as our parishioners do, we are reminded of the sacrifices they make with their donations of time, energy, and money. We don’t force people to come to church lest they sin, we want them to come because they want to and it means a lot to them to worship together. We know what it is like to work for the week and then have to still get ready for Sunday Mass! We are in the tradition of “worker priests” of the 1940’s and 1950’s who spend their days in factories and offices. Those priests were among their people day in and day out. This was discontinued by the Roman hierarchy when they found that as more the priests worked “in the real world” the less control over them they had, the worker priests always took the side of the people and not the bishops’. The worker priests found that the bishops and Roman hierarchy had grown distant from every day life and real people and their cares, worries, hardships, concerns, and fears, almost forgetting what it was like in the daily world of work. Because we work everyday, we don’t forget financial concerns of bills or not enough time for the kids. Our NACEC clergy live that daily, and we are honored to do so.
6. What is the NACEC’s position on Marriage and divorce (or really, divorce and remarriage)?
The NACEC’s pastoral position on divorce and remarriage differs from that of the Roman Catholic Church, but is clearly in step with the Episcopalians and Lutherans. The NACEC accepts the reality that many if not half of modern marriages end in divorce. For Catholic parties that meant that they could not have a Catholic wedding or marriage blessed by the Church if they did not follow the Roman rules of filing for an annulment, paying the taxes, waiting for developments, and finally hopefully getting the official letter declaring the previous marriage null and void, which often left a hole in their hearts not the least due to comments now about the legitimacy of any children.
To clear up the last point, the Roman Declaration of Nullity does not de-legitimize (make them bastards) any children as it doesn’t address the legality of the previous marriage (the civil divorce decree says that the marriage was legal but now it has ended so Yes: the kids are legal!) but simply states that the couple was not married “sacramentally.” The NACEC is happy to work with couples who have been married and are divorced, and preparing for an upcoming wedding. We provide wedding officiant services and pre-marriage counseling when asked for by the couple. The NACEC encourages but does not demand Pre-Cana or marriage preparation counseling. We work with the couple as they come to us, and not as we wish them to be.
7. What is the North American Catholic Ecumenical Church’s position of human sexuality?
The pastoral position of the NACEC on human sexuality is that our sexuality is a gift from God, and everybody’s sexuality is unique to themselves. Most men and women are heterosexual, meaning that they are sexually and romantically attracted to people of the opposite sex. Many heterosexuals have crushes on people of their same sex early in life, and may try “or experiment” with physical or romantic attachments to the object of their attraction. If they are straight, these experiments come of nothing and both parties move on. There ought to be no regret or shame as these are normal decisions and choices in peoples’ lives; this is how people find out if they are straight or gay. Since the Church is the People of God, we as Christians try to follow our Lord’s example in our lives and we don’t use people as objects or toys to be thrown away when we are finished with them. We see Christ Jesus in every person we meet. Every person is a child of God and deserves to have their human dignity recognized and supported. Every person has the right to be respected and be happy.
8. What is the North American Catholic Ecumenical Church’s position of homosexuality?
The pastoral position of the NACEC on homosexuality is that our sexuality is a gift from God, and everybody’s sexuality is unique to themselves. While most men and women are heterosexual in nature, there are estimates that as many as 10% of our human population is homosexual or bi-sexual in nature. We in the NACEC see homosexuality as part of our human condition and for homosexuals as normal as being straight is for heterosexuals. We do not discriminate in Sacraments, ministry, or vocation according to sexual orientation. Churches are being torn apart because of infighting regarding how to work with/acknowledge/accept gays and lesbians in their congregations; society has not made up its mind on the “naturalness” of being gay, and the military was tying itself in knots with “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” when it knew there were gays and lesbians already serving proudly and with valor in our Armed Forces. The NACEC sees our gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, and transgendered brothers and sisters as heirs of the Kingdom of God as much as anyone, and hope we are seen as a welcoming and affirming Catholic Community of faith. We support the healthy and safe expression of human sexuality, and do not affirm the misuse of that sexuality, either heterosexual or homosexual in nature. No person, gay or straight, should be harmed or discriminated with because of their sexual orientation or sexual practices, and no person’s freedom of expression of their sexuality should be infringed. The NACEC does not condone abusive behavior by one sexual partner over another, whether sexual, physical, or emotional in nature.
The Bible does have parts that express homosexuality (simply: sex between men, since sex between women was never addressed!) as a sin, or abomination, but the NACEC accepts a modern reading of these Scriptures in that the authors, including St. Paul, did not know of the sexual differences that modern psychology, psychiatry, and biology have shown us. For the ancients, there was no understanding of our modern “gay sensibility:” homosexuals were men who chose to go against (the presumed universally straight) nature and have sex with other men. Traditional Judeo-Christian sexuality in Scriptures has sex as between man and woman (or a man and many women) for procreation and population of the lands God gave them. With this in mind, any deviation from that norm must be seen as ungodly and anti-communal in nature. So sex acts like masturbation and homosexuality which don’t “bear fruit” are unnatural and must be forbidden. The modern Church as moved on in its understanding of Sacred Scriptures. That was then, this is now. As a side note: the word "homosexuality" did not exist before the late 1800's. It was invented in the new science of psychology and pscychiatry. So any Bible that uses the word homosexuality in its text is wrong; it is a bad translations and should not be used in Scripture study or prayer.
9. What is the North American Catholic Ecumenical Church's position on women priests?
Easy: we already answered that one in Questions 3 and 4. The NACEC imposes NO impediment to any woman being ordained. She must follow the process for application and study, as anyone else does. The NACEC does not discriminate on gender. Women were the first to find Jesus resurrected. Women were the first to carry the news of the resurrection to the apostles. Mary Magdalene was the Apostle to the Apostles.
10. What is the North American Catholic Ecumenical Church's position on abortion and birth control?
The North American Catholic Ecumenical Church upholds and celebrates the gift of life, for we believe that all life comes from God.
We hold that the gift of life must be celebrated and treasured. We are a pro-life and a pro-quality of life Catholic faith community. Science has not told us when life becomes human, and we do not immediately dictate that human life exists from the moment of conception. We take as our guidepost the common practice of reviewing the end-stage of human life when medical decisions are made to allow life to cease when brain waves are undetectable. If a human body is alive and organs functioning, even with artificial aid, but the brain has ceased functioning and this is one sign of a decision to allow extraordinary mechanisms to be removed, how can the same review not be allowed at the beginning of life? This Catholic Faith Community does not automatically accept the Aristotelian philosophical concept of Potentiality that because a zygote will become nothing else than a human being it is, therefore, already a human being. It is this concept of “potentiality” that forms the image that abortion is killing a human being inside the mother’s womb.
We also believe that all individuals have the right to plan the size of their families and the timing of each new member to their families; We support responsible family planning and encourage those who wish to have children to give serious consideration to and have an honest understanding of the responsibilities they will undertake.
The North American Catholic Ecumenical Church does not endorse the practice of abortion, neither do we condemn and excommunicate any woman having an abortion Having said this, this Catholic Faith Community also understands that individuals will ultimately make their own personal moral decisions regarding abortion. Because the woman carries the fetus, we encourage her to consult with her doctor, clergyperson, and spouse or significant other before she makes this serious decision. Irrespective of their decisions, this Catholic Faith Community will not turn our back on nor abandon any person who ends their pregnancy, but will welcome and embrace them in healing ministry and service. The NACEC is called to be a community of love, forgiveness, and healing, not judgment or abandonment.
FAQ’s Part 2:
And now other questions and things Catholic…
11. What is our position on the death penalty?
Currently there is no single NACEC position of the Death Penalty. Our clergy are free to make up their own minds and to act upon that personal spiritual resolution. We all acknowledge that some people by their actions and decisions are unable to live in society, that they have irreporblay broken the contact with society, and that for the good of society they must be separated from our larger society.
12. What would I get from the NORTH AMERICAN CATHOLIC ECUMENICAL CHURCH that I don’t get from my Bible-based church now?
If you are happy with your current church then by all means you should not change churches. If your current church susports your spiritual appetite and brings you closer to Our Lord then you should enjoy your church activities and worship, and not worry about going to a new church. If however, you are dissatisfied with your current church, then it is time to “vote with your feet” and visit other churches and faith traditions and find out what you are missing in your spiritual life so that you can find it in another church or ministry.
13. I think the Mass is boring. I don’t like to flip or turn pages. What makes you different from other Catholic churches?
For a Church to call itself Catholic is to accept the historical and spiritual reality of the Catholic Faith and Catholic Tradition. This includes but is not limited to veneration of the saints and Mary, belief in the Real Presence in the Eucharist or Holy Communion, apostolic succession in our clergy: bishops, priests, and deacons, and rituals like the Mass, which can be historically traced back to apostolic times and practices. This is not to say that the Mass you attend this Sunday is the same celebration as it was 1800 years ago, but the belief of what the Mass is and what it does is pretty much the same: our taking part in Our Lord’s Sacrifice on the Cross and His resurrection, and who is with us still through the power of the Holy Spirit.
14. My church has child care, a coffee shop, and a band! What does your church have that compares to this?
Our churches and ministries are all separate and unique to themselves, but may not all the amenities that you describe as existing in your current church. Every ministry worships according to its means, and some are just not able to meet those ancillary supports of a church site: coffee shop (which is a really great idea!), child care during services, “contemporary band worship” and other things. We may have those some day but we don’t have the physical plants or group sizes to support those now. But then, I have to ask if you are satisfied with your worship and your faith supported in the ups and downs in your life, or is your worship and faith message a “feel good” church generic message that God loves you, you are ok, things will get better, and God will bless you financially if you let Him? There is more to the Gospel message than those previous trite phrases and immediate spiritual gratifications.
15. In my non-denominational church I don’t have to join. Do I have to join your church to come to your church?
No, no one has to join our Church to join us for worship or community. Everyone is invited to come and share our Altar and worship if they wish. We do practice an open Communion Table and anyone present is invited to share our Holy Communion, but there is no test of membership to be with us in our activities, either sacramental or social or ministerial.
16. My church believes that God doesn’t need intermediaries like priests and saints, or Mary. Do you still pray to priests, saints, Mary, and isn’t this idolatry and condemned in the Bible?
So many questions and ways of answering these very valid and honest questions. To take one at a time: NO, we Catholics do not practice idolatry because idolatry is giving to things or gods the worship due only to the One True God. Some people think that a statue or picture is the object of a Catholic’s worship and they are wrong, God is our object and center of worship. Nothing human made can be truly worshipped but only God. We believe that statues and pictures of saints and angels allow us to focus our minds on the good they did in their lives and their work with God. Saints are seen by Catholics as members of our extended spiritual family, our very large and extended human family, who because of their great love for God and Our Lord showed it in their lives and works, even prayers or writings. All Catholics see saints who have died and we still alive as being brothers and sisters in a very real and spiritual sense. Do we pray to them? In a sense, Yes. But those prayers are for their assistance to add their prayers to ours for our intentions we put before God in our own prayers. Why not? I can ask my brother Los Angeles or another family member in Chicago to pray for me and my intentions (better job, healing and health for myself or a loved one, and so forth) so why can’t I ask my brother St. Francis or sister Mother Theresa to add their prayers to mine?
We do not pray to saints or angels in and of themselves as having power to change lives or perform miracles on their own account. Any power they have is from God alone, and shown for the good of God’s people and benefit of our souls. Sometimes miracles happen and the credit is given to a certain saint or through the work of Angels. Sometimes there are “patron saints” of causes that we need and call on those saints to help us: St. Jude is the Patron of the impossible and “Lost Causes,” St. Anthony is the Patron of Lost Things. These titles and traditions go back hundreds of years and are part of our Catholic heritage. Saints are NOT necessary for salvation. All good comes from God, and that is what we need to remember. The Triune God alone, God the Father, and his Son Jesus the Christ, and the Holy Spirit are worthy of our worship and awe. Catholics show respect to a certain saint or sacred mystery by naming a mission or church after one: the Church of Saints Peter and Paul, or the Church of the Holy Rosary, or Blessed Sacrament Church.
Mary is the mother of Jesus as we know from the New Testament, and so is the “first of all the blessed.” The blessed, or holy ones, are the saints. Mary bore Jesus and was his first follower, as we see at the Wedding Feast at Cana and Jesus’ first public miracle. She was with him at the foot of the Cross and with the disciples in the locked Room after His Resurrection. These are all examples that we can follow on our own to Jesus. Mary shows us in her life that following Jesus is not always easy and may include much pain (seeing her son crucified). She was a human being who was born of human parents; she was married (to Joseph, a worker) and had a son, Jesus who is true God and true human. Because of her relationship with her son we believe that she continues to have a special relationship with Jesus and we can call upon her for aid as we do with other saints.
The NACEC does not declare Mary to be born without sin (the Immaculate Conception), perpetual virgin though with child (the Virgin Mary), to be taken and soul into heaven upon her death (the Assumption, or “Dormition of Mary” to our Eastern Orthodox brothers and sisters), or shares the redeeming act with her son Jesus the Christ (the Co-Redemptrix). These are later traditions and honors that developed out of great veneration of Mary in the church, but none of them are necessary for redemption and many of them biblically elusive. Belief in Mary’s powers through her historical and religious titles is not necessary for salvation, though because of tradition we may dedicate missions to her or use these titles and honoraries on special days called feast days to remind ourselves of Mary as a powerful role model.
Now as to priests as intermediaries… Priests are both priests and ministers: a priest is one who offers sacrifice, and a minister is one who serves others. It is the sacrificial nature of Catholic clergy that is part of our question here. A Catholic priest serves at the Alter and offers Jesus, i.e. sacrifices him, as He Himself offers himself to God. Jesus does not die at every Mass but the priest “ties in” to the one eternal sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross as the Jews “tie in” to the original Passover with Moses. A Catholic priest is both priest (the one who sacrifices on behalf of others) and the Victim, (the one who is sacrificed) imaging Jesus who offers Himself in the role of High Priest and Victim.
Not all Christians are given the same responsibility or role in the church (Rom 4:12). While all baptized Christians share in the Priesthood of Believers, the functions of the ministerial priesthood is the role of the Catholic priest, serving all in the community of believers. The priesthood of believers begins through the grace of Baptism with the individual while the ministerial priesthood is attained through stages of preparation and reception of grace just as Jesus gave his chosen apostles and disciples: He commissioned them, gave them his own authority to teach and sanctify, and sent them out into the world. The ministerial priesthood is attained only by a man or woman who is baptized and a Believer.
A priest has no power in and of him or herself. They act in the name of Our Lord only, and proclaim the Message of the Church, Teach our Lord’s truths, and sanctify through Mass and the Sacraments and other prayers and blessings.
17. Are you Catholic or Christian?
To be Catholic is to be Christian, because we Catholics believe that Jesus Christ (or better, Jesus the Christ, since “Christ” is a title and not a name) is the living Son of God and the fulfillment of the promises of God in the Hebrew Scriptures, or the Christian Old Testament. “Christ” comes from the Greek work “christos” meaning anointed. Jesus is the Anointed One of God, as Lord and Savior who died and rose and frees us all from our sins. All men and women who follow Jesus and believe he is the Son of God are called Christians.
18. Why don’t you read the Bible?
We do read the Bible, and encourage everyone to read the Bible. We even use it during our Mass in the Liturgy of the Word, in all of our different Services, and in many of our prayers (the Hail Mary is taken from the angel’s greeting, Lk 1:28, the Our Father is from Jesus Himself) . We believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, though not totally inerrant as many Protestants do. The NACEC believes that the Bible is True, but not always factual, as it is the story of God’s revelation throughout history and peoples’ cultures. At the times when people experienced God and the Scriptures written down they used their own vocabulary and words to tell their story of God. Human language is limited and defined by a culture in which it developed. They used images that were important to them at the time and to the people with whom they shared their story. So we read a lot of nature images and military images as God’s people in the world and their move to lands God promised them. Creation is a story of WHY the world was made, not how it was made; invading other lands with God’s commands of killing and mating made sure that the Israelites won the population wars; Scripture moving from a very “human” and accessible God (where we read of Him walking in the Garden with his creatures Adam and Eve) to a very distant and numinous God of Moses being called by the burning bush.
Instead of reading the Bible literally, where every word is true and factual as the day it was written down millennia ago, we read it for the Truths it offers us as Believers and followers of Jesus Christ, God-In-The-World, or Emmanuel. By reading the Bible this way we are not bound by the problems of “picking and choosing” what we like and don’t like and enforce what we like and ignore what we don’t like, but we look for the meaning of the Word and not the words themselves. For example, do we really want to kill our children for talking back to their parents (Lev 20:9) or kill those who commit adultery (Lev. 20:10)? On the positive side, do we treat resident aliens in our country as though they are native-born “and love them as yourself, because you were once aliens in a foreign country…” (Lev.19:34)?!
19. What do you believe about Jesus as Lord and Savior?
The North American Catholic Ecumenical Church believes as all true Christians do: Jesus is true God and true man, he is the Son of God and Son of Mary, He is the Word made flesh who dwells among us (Emmanuel: God With Us), He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus is our Redeemer who died once dies no more, Jesus is the Second Person of the Holy Trinity.
1. Why do you call yourselves “Catholic” if you’re not under the Roman Catholic Pope?
The tradition of Independent Catholicism, although not well known especially in North America, extends back to the earliest Christian Church. The Church, after the deaths of the Apostles was composed of autocephalous Bishops; that is, independent Bishops each with his own Church buildings and geographical jurisdiction in his locality. Deacons were the bishop’s primary assistant ministers at this time. Later, toward the close of the second century, the diocesan church came into being where the Bishop had under his authority several dependent parish churches, each of which was headed by a Presbyter [Priest]. Yet even during this period the bishops remained independent of each other both in doctrine and liturgy. The only tie between these independent bishops was their participation in Church Councils, which were regional or international meetings of bishops to discuss matters of faith and morals, the most important of which have become known as the Great or Ecumenical Councils.
Over time, these councils gave rise to a more unified Church structure under the leadership of bishops in the five major Christian cities: Alexandria, Antioch, Constantinople, Jerusalem, and Rome. The Church began in the East and spread west, and over time split along the lines of Western Latin culture, and Eastern Greek culture. The bishops of these five cities were given the honorific title of “Patriarch” or Old Father, out of respect and to show ecclesial authority and jurisdiction. The most influential Patriarchs were Rome in the West, and Constantinople in the East. Rome was the original Capitol of the Roman Empire and the city where both St. Peter St. Paul went, but in AD 338 the Emperor Constantine moved his capitol to a new city, the old fishing village Byzantium, newly renamed Constantinople in his own honor! The other three ancient patriarchies, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Alexandria, gradually passed their jurisdiction to Constantinople as these localities were absorbed by Islam. However not all validly consecrated Bishops accepted the claims of supremacy of the Bishop of Rome or the Patriarch of Constantinople, or agreed with all of the doctrines proclaimed by the various Councils. Consequently there have always been Independent Rite Catholic Bishops and clergy; who, although holding valid Apostolic Succession and Holy Orders are not a part of the Western Roman Catholic or Eastern Greek Orthodox Churches.
The great majority of contemporary Independent Catholic bishops and clergy in the West derive their valid succession from the Old Catholic Churches of Europe. These Churches derive their succession from the "Oud Katholieke" or Jansenist Church of Utrecht in the Netherlands, which separated from Rome in AD 1724. The Old Catholic Churches came into being at the time of the First Vatican Council in AD 1870. The primary issue that precipitated the foundation of these Churches was opposition to the doctrine of “papal infallibility” promulgated by the aforementioned Council. This doctrine asserts that the Bishop of Rome, when speaking as supreme teacher and lawgiver of the Roman Catholic Church on a matter of faith or morals is preserved by the Holy Spirit from the possibility of error. After its proclamation, some bishops, a considerable number of Roman Catholic theologians, priests and lay persons formed independent Catholic Churches in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and France; and in 1897 the Polish National Catholic Church was established in the United States and Canada. Collectively, these Catholic Churches outside of the jurisdiction of Rome have become known as the "Old Catholic Churches."
Together with most major Independent Catholic Churches, the North American Catholic Ecumenical Church has a strong and valid Apostolic Succession derived from the Roman Catholic Church and various Eastern Orthodox bishops thus allowing a valid Catholic celebration of the traditional seven sacraments. The NACEC, as well as most other Independent and Old Catholic Churches acknowledges seven Great or Ecumenical Councils. These are: Nicaea I, AD 325, Constantinople I, AD 381, Ephesus, AD 431, Chalcedon, AD 451, Constantinople II, AD 553, Constantinople III, AD 680, Nicaea II, AD 787. The NACEC also acknowledges the doctrinal teachings of the undivided Church prior to the Great Schism of AD 1054. We acknowledge the Pope as the Bishop of Rome and Patriarch of the West, but he does not have jurisdiction over this Church or its bishops, priests, clergy, or people.
2. But doesn’t being Catholic mean being Roman Catholic?
No, not always. Catholic comes from two Greek words: kata (concerning) and houlos (whole). Together we get “katholikos” or in Latin, catholicus: universal, or concerning the whole or concerning all things. The word Catholic was first used by St. Ignatius of Antioch (+107) in his letter to the Smyrneans, describing members of the Christian Church in the Roman Empire. Commonly the name Catholic refers to those Christians who live a continued tradition of faith and worship, and who hold apostolic succession in their bishops and priests since Christ and His Apostles. The North American Catholic Ecumenical Church maintains all three characteristics of a common faith, common worship in Sacraments and prayers, and apostolic succession in our bishops and priests.
We like to use an image to describe the Universal Catholic Faith as if it were a diamond, brilliant and beautiful, and multi-faceted. Some facets are big and obvious like the Roman Catholic Church or the Greek Catholics of the Orthodox Church, even Episcopalians and some Lutherans, and some facets are small like our NACEC and other Independent Catholic or Old Catholic Churches; but we are all part of the One Diamond that is our Catholic faith. We all just show it differently, that’s all.
3. What makes the North American Catholic Ecumenical Church different from the Roman Catholic Church?
The Head of the Church is Jesus Christ, but his representative here in an administrative manner is the Presiding Bishop. The Presiding Bishop and his/her advisors govern the NACEC, in conference with the annual Synod. The bishop and clergy of the NACEC strive to fulfill the three-fold Mission of the Church: Proclaim the Message (Kerygma) or Good News (the “good spiel” or Gospel) that Jesus Christ died and rose and now lives among us; Fellowship (Koinonia) that demonstrates by our Lord’s followers the building of a faith community in the bonds of faith, hope, and love; and Service (Diakonia) acts of healing and serving others in the community by way of time, witness, volunteerism, and assisting those less fortunate than ourselves as did Christ Himself.
As part of our pastoral reform efforts, the NACEC supports and affirms all men and women who wish to worship our Lord in their Catholic faith and practice. When Mass is celebrated it is always an open Communion Table, because Jesus tells us: “Take this all of you and eat…This is my Body. This is the cup of my Blood…” What part of “take this ALL of you” don’t other churches understand?! We priests set the Table, but it is Jesus who issues the invitation. How do we dare withhold someone from the Table of the Lord and receiving the Blessed Sacrament. Sometimes we just have to trust the Lord.
Bishops, priests and deacons who have opted out of celibacy can exercise the option to enter into the Sacrament of Marriage, or are free to pursue personal relationships. Our Sacraments, including Holy Orders are open to all qualified persons regardless of age, gender, orientation, marital status or racial/ethnic background. Our clergy do are not paid by their ministries or parishes, but usually have jobs or are retired. Our ministries and vocations are therefore usually ones of love and commitment rather than paid church jobs.
The North American Catholic Ecumenical Church has implemented pastoral reforms affecting the celebration of the Sacrament of Marriage. Our Catholic Church welcomes all couples wishing to enter into the Sacrament of Marriage. The NACEC does not see divorce and re-marriage an impediment to the celebration of Marriage. Our Church also recognizes and celebrates same-sex marriages, treating all couples the same in preparation for marriage. We do not discriminate in marriage or any of our Sacraments by gender or orientation, but rejoice when any couple wishes to commit to each other in front of their family and friends with the blessing of Christ and His Church.
The intentions of the pastoral reforms of the Catholic Ecumenical Church are very simple: we wish to bring to the Lord's Table ALL persons who have been denied their rightful place as the Children of God and brothers and sisters of Christ.
4. So if you are not under the Pope, why didn’t you just join the Episcopalians or Lutherans? They seem liberal enough.
From the very beginning the NACEC established our Church Laws, or Canon Laws, to be a faith community that does not discriminate due to age, sexual orientation, gender, etc. The Roman Catholic Church still refuses to let women become priests or clergy, the Episcopalians have torn their church apart trying to decide how to allow gays and lesbians become clergy or to even bless same-sex unions. Lutherans and Methodists are going through much the same as the Episcopal Church. Many ancient and traditional churches have trouble accepting new understandings of the Bible and what it says AND WHAT IT DOESN’T SAY! Why would we leave one dysfunctional historical church for another dysfunctional historical church? We thought it better to start anew with our Lord’s aid… like “new wine in new wine skins”
5. Why do your priests and bishops work for a living and the Roman priests don’t?
It keeps us human. By working daily just as our parishioners do, we are reminded of the sacrifices they make with their donations of time, energy, and money. We don’t force people to come to church lest they sin, we want them to come because they want to and it means a lot to them to worship together. We know what it is like to work for the week and then have to still get ready for Sunday Mass! We are in the tradition of “worker priests” of the 1940’s and 1950’s who spend their days in factories and offices. Those priests were among their people day in and day out. This was discontinued by the Roman hierarchy when they found that as more the priests worked “in the real world” the less control over them they had, the worker priests always took the side of the people and not the bishops’. The worker priests found that the bishops and Roman hierarchy had grown distant from every day life and real people and their cares, worries, hardships, concerns, and fears, almost forgetting what it was like in the daily world of work. Because we work everyday, we don’t forget financial concerns of bills or not enough time for the kids. Our NACEC clergy live that daily, and we are honored to do so.
6. What is the NACEC’s position on Marriage and divorce (or really, divorce and remarriage)?
The NACEC’s pastoral position on divorce and remarriage differs from that of the Roman Catholic Church, but is clearly in step with the Episcopalians and Lutherans. The NACEC accepts the reality that many if not half of modern marriages end in divorce. For Catholic parties that meant that they could not have a Catholic wedding or marriage blessed by the Church if they did not follow the Roman rules of filing for an annulment, paying the taxes, waiting for developments, and finally hopefully getting the official letter declaring the previous marriage null and void, which often left a hole in their hearts not the least due to comments now about the legitimacy of any children.
To clear up the last point, the Roman Declaration of Nullity does not de-legitimize (make them bastards) any children as it doesn’t address the legality of the previous marriage (the civil divorce decree says that the marriage was legal but now it has ended so Yes: the kids are legal!) but simply states that the couple was not married “sacramentally.” The NACEC is happy to work with couples who have been married and are divorced, and preparing for an upcoming wedding. We provide wedding officiant services and pre-marriage counseling when asked for by the couple. The NACEC encourages but does not demand Pre-Cana or marriage preparation counseling. We work with the couple as they come to us, and not as we wish them to be.
7. What is the North American Catholic Ecumenical Church’s position of human sexuality?
The pastoral position of the NACEC on human sexuality is that our sexuality is a gift from God, and everybody’s sexuality is unique to themselves. Most men and women are heterosexual, meaning that they are sexually and romantically attracted to people of the opposite sex. Many heterosexuals have crushes on people of their same sex early in life, and may try “or experiment” with physical or romantic attachments to the object of their attraction. If they are straight, these experiments come of nothing and both parties move on. There ought to be no regret or shame as these are normal decisions and choices in peoples’ lives; this is how people find out if they are straight or gay. Since the Church is the People of God, we as Christians try to follow our Lord’s example in our lives and we don’t use people as objects or toys to be thrown away when we are finished with them. We see Christ Jesus in every person we meet. Every person is a child of God and deserves to have their human dignity recognized and supported. Every person has the right to be respected and be happy.
8. What is the North American Catholic Ecumenical Church’s position of homosexuality?
The pastoral position of the NACEC on homosexuality is that our sexuality is a gift from God, and everybody’s sexuality is unique to themselves. While most men and women are heterosexual in nature, there are estimates that as many as 10% of our human population is homosexual or bi-sexual in nature. We in the NACEC see homosexuality as part of our human condition and for homosexuals as normal as being straight is for heterosexuals. We do not discriminate in Sacraments, ministry, or vocation according to sexual orientation. Churches are being torn apart because of infighting regarding how to work with/acknowledge/accept gays and lesbians in their congregations; society has not made up its mind on the “naturalness” of being gay, and the military was tying itself in knots with “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” when it knew there were gays and lesbians already serving proudly and with valor in our Armed Forces. The NACEC sees our gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, and transgendered brothers and sisters as heirs of the Kingdom of God as much as anyone, and hope we are seen as a welcoming and affirming Catholic Community of faith. We support the healthy and safe expression of human sexuality, and do not affirm the misuse of that sexuality, either heterosexual or homosexual in nature. No person, gay or straight, should be harmed or discriminated with because of their sexual orientation or sexual practices, and no person’s freedom of expression of their sexuality should be infringed. The NACEC does not condone abusive behavior by one sexual partner over another, whether sexual, physical, or emotional in nature.
The Bible does have parts that express homosexuality (simply: sex between men, since sex between women was never addressed!) as a sin, or abomination, but the NACEC accepts a modern reading of these Scriptures in that the authors, including St. Paul, did not know of the sexual differences that modern psychology, psychiatry, and biology have shown us. For the ancients, there was no understanding of our modern “gay sensibility:” homosexuals were men who chose to go against (the presumed universally straight) nature and have sex with other men. Traditional Judeo-Christian sexuality in Scriptures has sex as between man and woman (or a man and many women) for procreation and population of the lands God gave them. With this in mind, any deviation from that norm must be seen as ungodly and anti-communal in nature. So sex acts like masturbation and homosexuality which don’t “bear fruit” are unnatural and must be forbidden. The modern Church as moved on in its understanding of Sacred Scriptures. That was then, this is now. As a side note: the word "homosexuality" did not exist before the late 1800's. It was invented in the new science of psychology and pscychiatry. So any Bible that uses the word homosexuality in its text is wrong; it is a bad translations and should not be used in Scripture study or prayer.
9. What is the North American Catholic Ecumenical Church's position on women priests?
Easy: we already answered that one in Questions 3 and 4. The NACEC imposes NO impediment to any woman being ordained. She must follow the process for application and study, as anyone else does. The NACEC does not discriminate on gender. Women were the first to find Jesus resurrected. Women were the first to carry the news of the resurrection to the apostles. Mary Magdalene was the Apostle to the Apostles.
10. What is the North American Catholic Ecumenical Church's position on abortion and birth control?
The North American Catholic Ecumenical Church upholds and celebrates the gift of life, for we believe that all life comes from God.
We hold that the gift of life must be celebrated and treasured. We are a pro-life and a pro-quality of life Catholic faith community. Science has not told us when life becomes human, and we do not immediately dictate that human life exists from the moment of conception. We take as our guidepost the common practice of reviewing the end-stage of human life when medical decisions are made to allow life to cease when brain waves are undetectable. If a human body is alive and organs functioning, even with artificial aid, but the brain has ceased functioning and this is one sign of a decision to allow extraordinary mechanisms to be removed, how can the same review not be allowed at the beginning of life? This Catholic Faith Community does not automatically accept the Aristotelian philosophical concept of Potentiality that because a zygote will become nothing else than a human being it is, therefore, already a human being. It is this concept of “potentiality” that forms the image that abortion is killing a human being inside the mother’s womb.
We also believe that all individuals have the right to plan the size of their families and the timing of each new member to their families; We support responsible family planning and encourage those who wish to have children to give serious consideration to and have an honest understanding of the responsibilities they will undertake.
The North American Catholic Ecumenical Church does not endorse the practice of abortion, neither do we condemn and excommunicate any woman having an abortion Having said this, this Catholic Faith Community also understands that individuals will ultimately make their own personal moral decisions regarding abortion. Because the woman carries the fetus, we encourage her to consult with her doctor, clergyperson, and spouse or significant other before she makes this serious decision. Irrespective of their decisions, this Catholic Faith Community will not turn our back on nor abandon any person who ends their pregnancy, but will welcome and embrace them in healing ministry and service. The NACEC is called to be a community of love, forgiveness, and healing, not judgment or abandonment.
FAQ’s Part 2:
And now other questions and things Catholic…
11. What is our position on the death penalty?
Currently there is no single NACEC position of the Death Penalty. Our clergy are free to make up their own minds and to act upon that personal spiritual resolution. We all acknowledge that some people by their actions and decisions are unable to live in society, that they have irreporblay broken the contact with society, and that for the good of society they must be separated from our larger society.
12. What would I get from the NORTH AMERICAN CATHOLIC ECUMENICAL CHURCH that I don’t get from my Bible-based church now?
If you are happy with your current church then by all means you should not change churches. If your current church susports your spiritual appetite and brings you closer to Our Lord then you should enjoy your church activities and worship, and not worry about going to a new church. If however, you are dissatisfied with your current church, then it is time to “vote with your feet” and visit other churches and faith traditions and find out what you are missing in your spiritual life so that you can find it in another church or ministry.
13. I think the Mass is boring. I don’t like to flip or turn pages. What makes you different from other Catholic churches?
For a Church to call itself Catholic is to accept the historical and spiritual reality of the Catholic Faith and Catholic Tradition. This includes but is not limited to veneration of the saints and Mary, belief in the Real Presence in the Eucharist or Holy Communion, apostolic succession in our clergy: bishops, priests, and deacons, and rituals like the Mass, which can be historically traced back to apostolic times and practices. This is not to say that the Mass you attend this Sunday is the same celebration as it was 1800 years ago, but the belief of what the Mass is and what it does is pretty much the same: our taking part in Our Lord’s Sacrifice on the Cross and His resurrection, and who is with us still through the power of the Holy Spirit.
14. My church has child care, a coffee shop, and a band! What does your church have that compares to this?
Our churches and ministries are all separate and unique to themselves, but may not all the amenities that you describe as existing in your current church. Every ministry worships according to its means, and some are just not able to meet those ancillary supports of a church site: coffee shop (which is a really great idea!), child care during services, “contemporary band worship” and other things. We may have those some day but we don’t have the physical plants or group sizes to support those now. But then, I have to ask if you are satisfied with your worship and your faith supported in the ups and downs in your life, or is your worship and faith message a “feel good” church generic message that God loves you, you are ok, things will get better, and God will bless you financially if you let Him? There is more to the Gospel message than those previous trite phrases and immediate spiritual gratifications.
15. In my non-denominational church I don’t have to join. Do I have to join your church to come to your church?
No, no one has to join our Church to join us for worship or community. Everyone is invited to come and share our Altar and worship if they wish. We do practice an open Communion Table and anyone present is invited to share our Holy Communion, but there is no test of membership to be with us in our activities, either sacramental or social or ministerial.
16. My church believes that God doesn’t need intermediaries like priests and saints, or Mary. Do you still pray to priests, saints, Mary, and isn’t this idolatry and condemned in the Bible?
So many questions and ways of answering these very valid and honest questions. To take one at a time: NO, we Catholics do not practice idolatry because idolatry is giving to things or gods the worship due only to the One True God. Some people think that a statue or picture is the object of a Catholic’s worship and they are wrong, God is our object and center of worship. Nothing human made can be truly worshipped but only God. We believe that statues and pictures of saints and angels allow us to focus our minds on the good they did in their lives and their work with God. Saints are seen by Catholics as members of our extended spiritual family, our very large and extended human family, who because of their great love for God and Our Lord showed it in their lives and works, even prayers or writings. All Catholics see saints who have died and we still alive as being brothers and sisters in a very real and spiritual sense. Do we pray to them? In a sense, Yes. But those prayers are for their assistance to add their prayers to ours for our intentions we put before God in our own prayers. Why not? I can ask my brother Los Angeles or another family member in Chicago to pray for me and my intentions (better job, healing and health for myself or a loved one, and so forth) so why can’t I ask my brother St. Francis or sister Mother Theresa to add their prayers to mine?
We do not pray to saints or angels in and of themselves as having power to change lives or perform miracles on their own account. Any power they have is from God alone, and shown for the good of God’s people and benefit of our souls. Sometimes miracles happen and the credit is given to a certain saint or through the work of Angels. Sometimes there are “patron saints” of causes that we need and call on those saints to help us: St. Jude is the Patron of the impossible and “Lost Causes,” St. Anthony is the Patron of Lost Things. These titles and traditions go back hundreds of years and are part of our Catholic heritage. Saints are NOT necessary for salvation. All good comes from God, and that is what we need to remember. The Triune God alone, God the Father, and his Son Jesus the Christ, and the Holy Spirit are worthy of our worship and awe. Catholics show respect to a certain saint or sacred mystery by naming a mission or church after one: the Church of Saints Peter and Paul, or the Church of the Holy Rosary, or Blessed Sacrament Church.
Mary is the mother of Jesus as we know from the New Testament, and so is the “first of all the blessed.” The blessed, or holy ones, are the saints. Mary bore Jesus and was his first follower, as we see at the Wedding Feast at Cana and Jesus’ first public miracle. She was with him at the foot of the Cross and with the disciples in the locked Room after His Resurrection. These are all examples that we can follow on our own to Jesus. Mary shows us in her life that following Jesus is not always easy and may include much pain (seeing her son crucified). She was a human being who was born of human parents; she was married (to Joseph, a worker) and had a son, Jesus who is true God and true human. Because of her relationship with her son we believe that she continues to have a special relationship with Jesus and we can call upon her for aid as we do with other saints.
The NACEC does not declare Mary to be born without sin (the Immaculate Conception), perpetual virgin though with child (the Virgin Mary), to be taken and soul into heaven upon her death (the Assumption, or “Dormition of Mary” to our Eastern Orthodox brothers and sisters), or shares the redeeming act with her son Jesus the Christ (the Co-Redemptrix). These are later traditions and honors that developed out of great veneration of Mary in the church, but none of them are necessary for redemption and many of them biblically elusive. Belief in Mary’s powers through her historical and religious titles is not necessary for salvation, though because of tradition we may dedicate missions to her or use these titles and honoraries on special days called feast days to remind ourselves of Mary as a powerful role model.
Now as to priests as intermediaries… Priests are both priests and ministers: a priest is one who offers sacrifice, and a minister is one who serves others. It is the sacrificial nature of Catholic clergy that is part of our question here. A Catholic priest serves at the Alter and offers Jesus, i.e. sacrifices him, as He Himself offers himself to God. Jesus does not die at every Mass but the priest “ties in” to the one eternal sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross as the Jews “tie in” to the original Passover with Moses. A Catholic priest is both priest (the one who sacrifices on behalf of others) and the Victim, (the one who is sacrificed) imaging Jesus who offers Himself in the role of High Priest and Victim.
Not all Christians are given the same responsibility or role in the church (Rom 4:12). While all baptized Christians share in the Priesthood of Believers, the functions of the ministerial priesthood is the role of the Catholic priest, serving all in the community of believers. The priesthood of believers begins through the grace of Baptism with the individual while the ministerial priesthood is attained through stages of preparation and reception of grace just as Jesus gave his chosen apostles and disciples: He commissioned them, gave them his own authority to teach and sanctify, and sent them out into the world. The ministerial priesthood is attained only by a man or woman who is baptized and a Believer.
A priest has no power in and of him or herself. They act in the name of Our Lord only, and proclaim the Message of the Church, Teach our Lord’s truths, and sanctify through Mass and the Sacraments and other prayers and blessings.
17. Are you Catholic or Christian?
To be Catholic is to be Christian, because we Catholics believe that Jesus Christ (or better, Jesus the Christ, since “Christ” is a title and not a name) is the living Son of God and the fulfillment of the promises of God in the Hebrew Scriptures, or the Christian Old Testament. “Christ” comes from the Greek work “christos” meaning anointed. Jesus is the Anointed One of God, as Lord and Savior who died and rose and frees us all from our sins. All men and women who follow Jesus and believe he is the Son of God are called Christians.
18. Why don’t you read the Bible?
We do read the Bible, and encourage everyone to read the Bible. We even use it during our Mass in the Liturgy of the Word, in all of our different Services, and in many of our prayers (the Hail Mary is taken from the angel’s greeting, Lk 1:28, the Our Father is from Jesus Himself) . We believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, though not totally inerrant as many Protestants do. The NACEC believes that the Bible is True, but not always factual, as it is the story of God’s revelation throughout history and peoples’ cultures. At the times when people experienced God and the Scriptures written down they used their own vocabulary and words to tell their story of God. Human language is limited and defined by a culture in which it developed. They used images that were important to them at the time and to the people with whom they shared their story. So we read a lot of nature images and military images as God’s people in the world and their move to lands God promised them. Creation is a story of WHY the world was made, not how it was made; invading other lands with God’s commands of killing and mating made sure that the Israelites won the population wars; Scripture moving from a very “human” and accessible God (where we read of Him walking in the Garden with his creatures Adam and Eve) to a very distant and numinous God of Moses being called by the burning bush.
Instead of reading the Bible literally, where every word is true and factual as the day it was written down millennia ago, we read it for the Truths it offers us as Believers and followers of Jesus Christ, God-In-The-World, or Emmanuel. By reading the Bible this way we are not bound by the problems of “picking and choosing” what we like and don’t like and enforce what we like and ignore what we don’t like, but we look for the meaning of the Word and not the words themselves. For example, do we really want to kill our children for talking back to their parents (Lev 20:9) or kill those who commit adultery (Lev. 20:10)? On the positive side, do we treat resident aliens in our country as though they are native-born “and love them as yourself, because you were once aliens in a foreign country…” (Lev.19:34)?!
19. What do you believe about Jesus as Lord and Savior?
The North American Catholic Ecumenical Church believes as all true Christians do: Jesus is true God and true man, he is the Son of God and Son of Mary, He is the Word made flesh who dwells among us (Emmanuel: God With Us), He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus is our Redeemer who died once dies no more, Jesus is the Second Person of the Holy Trinity.