Liberal Catholic Church

Short description: Christian groups

The terms Liberal Catholic Church (LCC) and Liberal Catholic movement are used by a number of separate Independent Catholic denominations throughout the world descending from Bishop James I. Wedgwood.[1][2] Liberal Catholic denominations are usually open to esoteric beliefs in Theosophy, Christian theosophy, and co-Freemasonry, though some also reject esoteric Christianity.

Although the term Liberal Catholic might suggest otherwise, it does not refer to liberal groups within the Roman Catholic Church but to groups within this Independent Catholic movement, unrecognised by and not in communion with the Holy See, nor the Old Catholics of Utrecht or Scranton.

## Contents

* 1 History
* 1.1 Formation of the Liberal Catholic Church
* 1.2 1941 schism and formation of the LCCI
* 1.3 Young Rite and Old Catholic Apostolic Church
* 2 Beliefs
* 3 See also
* 4 References
* 5 Further reading

## History

### Formation of the Liberal Catholic Church

After James I. Wedgwood's consecration in 1916 by Frederick Samuel Willoughby, a former Old Catholic bishop accused of homosexuality, Wedgwood established the Liberal Catholic Church while being a practicing Theosophist and co-Mason. During the existence of the unified Liberal Catholic Church, Wedgwood created the Liberal Rite in cooperation with Charles Webster Leadbeater, his successor.

Following accusations of sexual misconduct with juveniles, in 1919, Wedgwood resigned from the Theosophical Society and Liberal Catholic Church.[3]

### 1941 schism and formation of the LCCI

In 1941, a schism occurred in the church due to disputes of canon law and the laws of the U.S. state of California on the part of the presiding bishop, which led in 1959 to the church known abroad as the Liberal Catholic Church International earning the legal right to be known as the "Liberal Catholic Church in the United States." In the U.S., the entity originally known as the Liberal Catholic Church is known as "The Liberal Catholic Church, Province of the United States of America."[4]

### Young Rite and Old Catholic Apostolic Church

In 2006, former LCC Presiding Bishop Johannes van Alphen consecrated Markus van Alphen who, in turn, established the Young Rite. Bishop Johannes himself eventually joined the Young Rite, serving until his death. Among the tenets of the Young Rite was the belief that all possessed a path to the priesthood, and anyone requesting ordination should receive it.[5] This practice was abandoned in the United States after Markus van Alphen's retirement and with the establishment of the Community of Saint George, a Young Rite jurisdiction and the only recognized one in the United States. Young Rite USA now requires a multi-year formation program for its clergy.[6]

In 2008, the Old Catholic Apostolic Church was established.[7]

## Beliefs

Churches of the movement allow individual conscience, not requiring members to adhere to statements of faith. Many in the movement accept the concept of purgatory, and in the liturgy of the mass the priest prays for the dead. Some churches in the movement are also open to reincarnation.[8][9] Theosophy and spiritualism, Hinduism and Buddhism have been explored and practiced.[10]

## See also

* Free Church of Antioch
* Warren Prall Watters
* Old Catholic

## References

1. ↑ "Liberal Catholic Church" (in en). https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803100103801.
2. ↑ Whalen, William J., Separated Brethren: A Survey Of Protestant, Anglican, Eastern Orthodox and Other Denominations in the United States, 1979, p. 153
3. ↑ Gregory Tillet, The Elder Brother, 192-193.
4. ↑ Deceptio, Falsum, et Dissimulatio. Matthews, Edward M. St. Alban Press, San Diego. 1998.
5. ↑ Bate, Alistair (2009). A Strange Vocation: Independent Bishops Tell Their Stories. Berkeley, CA: The Apocryphile Press. ISBN 978-1933993751.
6. ↑ "Education (Celebrants)" (in en). https://www.youngriteusa.org/education-celebrants.html.
7. ↑ "Old Catholic Apostolic Church". https://www.liberalcatholics.uk/history.html.
8. ↑ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Christianity and reincarnation, Kristendomen och reinkarnation". YouTube. 2010-09-29. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnC6KSp1LBM.
9. ↑ [1]
10. ↑ "The Mystical Catholics" (in en). https://www.thelccusa.org/the-mystical-catholics.

## Further reading

* Liberal Catholic Church (1926). The Liberal Catholic Church: statement of principles, summary of doctrine and table of apostolic succession. St. Alban Press. https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-52798877/view?partId=nla.obj-95618322.

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