The American National Catholic Church (ANCC) is an independent church established in 2009 as a

self-governing __NOTOC__ Self-governance, self-government, or self-rule is the ability of a person or group to exercise all necessary functions of regulation without intervention from an external authority. It may refer to personal conduct or to any form of ...

entity. It is not in communion with the Roman

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

, whose

canon law Canon law (from grc, κανών, , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its members. It is th ...

considers it a schismatic sect. The ANCC was founded with the mission of fully implementing its interpretation of the

Second Vatican Council The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st Catholic ecumenical councils, ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions) ...

and is notably more

liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

than the Roman

in its acceptance of married clergy,

homosexuality Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to peop ...

same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same Legal sex and gender, sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being ...

, the

ordination of women The ordination of women to ministerial or priestly office is an increasingly common practice among some contemporary major religious groups. It remains a controversial issue in certain Christian traditions and most denominations in which "ordina ...

, and use of

contraception Birth control, also known as contraception, anticonception, and fertility control, is the use of methods or devices to prevent unwanted pregnancy. Birth control has been used since ancient times, but effective and safe methods of birth contr ...

History

The American National Catholic Church traces its

apostolic succession Apostolic succession is the method whereby the ministry of the Christian Church is held to be derived from the apostles by a continuous succession, which has usually been associated with a claim that the succession is through a series of bish ...

through Roman Catholic Bishop Carlos Duarte-Costa (1888–1961) of Brazil. Bishop Duarte-Costa was an early proponent of some of the reforms of the Second Vatican Council. As early as 1936, he called for the celebration of the

liturgy Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. ''Liturgy'' can also be used to refer specifically to public worship by Christians. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and partic ...

in the

vernacular A vernacular or vernacular language is in contrast with a "standard language". It refers to the language or dialect that is spoken by people that are inhabiting a particular country or region. The vernacular is typically the native language, n ...

; a greater role for the laity in the liturgy, including service as eucharistic ministers; and the election rather than appointment of bishops. He advocated for allowing clergy to marry and for general absolution at Mass and was a vocal critic during and after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

of the Brazilian government's ties with

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

. In 1945 Duarte-Costa announced plans to form the

Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church , image =Emblema da Igreja Católica Apostólica Brasileira.png , imagewidth = , caption =Emblem of the Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church , main_classification = Western Christian , orientation =Independent Catholic , polity = Episcopa ...

, in which priests would be permitted to marry and hold secular jobs, private confession and praying the

rosaries The Rosary (; la, , in the sense of "crown of roses" or "garland of roses"), also known as the Dominican Rosary, or simply the Rosary, refers to a set of prayers used primarily in the Catholic Church, and to the physical string of knots or b ...

would be abolished, and bishops would be elected by popular vote. Consequently, he was excommunicated. Currently, there are American National Catholic Church parishes in Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Missouri, North Dakota, and Virginia, with others in the process of formation in Illinois, Florida, New Mexico, and New York. ANCC priests and deacons also minister in prisons, homeless shelters, HIV/AIDS residences, psychiatric hospitals, teaching, and media. The first presiding bishop of the ANCC is the Most Reverend George R. Lucey, who is a member of the Franciscan Community of Mercy (FCM).

Polity and beliefs

The ANCC rejects significant parts of the entire Roman Catholic

deposit of faith The deposit of faith ( or ''fidei depositum'') is the body of revealed truth in the scriptures and sacred tradition proposed by the Roman Catholic Church for the belief of the faithful. The phrase has a similar use in the US Episcopal Church. Ca ...

; it diverges from Roman Catholics regarding the

and in the realm of

sexual morality Sexual ethics (also known as sex ethics or sexual morality) is a branch of philosophy that considers the ethics or morality or otherwise in sexual behavior. Sexual ethics seeks to understand, evaluate and critique interpersonal relationships and ...

. It does, however, hold belief in the

Trinity The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the central dogma concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God the F ...

, a form of

, the

salvific Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...

act of Christ, the

Economy of Salvation The Economy of Salvation, also called the Divine Economy, is that part of divine revelation in the Roman Catholic tradition that deals with God’s creation and management of the world, particularly his plan of salvation accomplished through the ...

Mariology Mariology is the theological study of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Mariology seeks to relate doctrine or dogma about Mary to other doctrines of the faith, such as those concerning Jesus and notions about redemption, intercession and grace. Chri ...

, and the number of sacraments. Although regarding itself as a contemporary expression of an ancient faith, it departs in many ways from the Roman Catholic Church. While it respects the Bishop of Rome, considering him "first among equals", it does not acknowledge his

primacy Primacy may refer to: * an office of the Primate (bishop) * the supremacy of one bishop or archbishop over others, most notably: ** Primacy of Peter, ecclesiological doctrine on the primacy of Peter the Apostle ** Primacy of the Roman Pontiff, e ...

infallibility Infallibility refers to an inability to be wrong. It can be applied within a specific domain, or it can be used as a more general adjective. The term has significance in both epistemology and theology, and its meaning and significance in both fi ...

. Since its founding in 2009, the ANCC has embraced a path of intentional growth in recognition that many other Independent Catholic jurisdictions failed because they concentrated on quantity at the expense of quality. The early stages of the Church's development focused, consequently, on establishing a strong foundation and solid infrastructure, both aimed at ensuring the Church's future. The American National Catholic Church states that it measures its growth in terms of four general aims: * to further the work of the Gospel of Jesus Christ by proclaiming the presence of the Kingdom; * to support missionary work; * to be involved in the planting and strengthening of local churches; and * to edify and strengthen believers through Christian fellowship, the liturgical celebrations of the seven sacraments, and the ministry of the Word of God. The ANCC is congregational rather than hierarchical. The ANCC allows qualified women and gay persons to receive holy orders. Believing that the lived experience of married life can be an invaluable gift for ministry, the ANCC also welcomes married clergy. The ANCC recognizes same-sex marriage.

Training of clergy

All clergy receive comprehensive theological training. After providing certificates of baptism and confirmation (and in the case of persons previously ordained, ordination), applicants must submit a detailed personal narrative, provide professional and personal references, and undergo exhaustive interviews with vocation/formation staff. Applicants must attend an ANCC retreat during which they are further evaluated. Applicants previously ordained in other Christian churches must complete a pastoral internship and a diaconate assignment of one year, after which an additional two-year discernment period is imposed before full incorporation into the ANCC. Only two percent of applicants are selected to study for the priesthood or for

incardination Incardination is the formal term in the Catholic Church for a clergyman being under a bishop or other ecclesiastical superior. It is also sometimes used to refer to laity who may transfer to another part of the church. Examples include transfers ...

. The Church's clergy possess numerous degrees from institutions of higher learning as well as degrees from accredited seminary programs from various universities. Candidates for ordination to the diaconate and priesthood receive a rigorous, comprehensive, academic and practical education. Criminal background checks and psychological evaluations are required of all applicants. In 2010 the Church founded its own seminary, St. John the Beloved Seminary, offering non-residential theological studies for those pursuing the priesthood. there were three ANCC seminarians there.

References

External links

* {{Official website, http://www.americannationalcatholicchurch.org/
''The Call''
Independent Catholic denominations Christian organizations established in 2009