Liberal Catholic movement

In 1941, there was a schism in the Liberal Catholic Church in the United States, surrounding a controversy involving Bishop Charles Hampton who, while he was himself a Theosophist, wished to keep adherence to Theosophical tenets optional for the clergy. This was in keeping with what was taken to be the original intent of the church's founders who, although they were Theosophists, wanted the church to remain primarily open to everyone.

The controversy surrounding Bishop Hampton led to a legal battle in the United States which eventually split into two different divisions, both of which claimed to be the Liberal Catholic Church. Frank W. Pigott, the church's 3rd Presiding Bishop in England, who held to a more Theosophical ideal for the church, removed Hampton and then ordered the confiscation of certain church property at the regionary headquarters in California and forced the resignation of those clergy under Hampton who refused to support his new episcopal replacement. At the time the majority of Liberal Catholics in the United States supported Hampton and saw his removal from the office of regionary and the other subsequent proceedings as a breach of canon law and a violation of some of the laws of California under which the church had been incorporated in America. These clergy continued on their own and won the right to be called the Liberal Catholic Church in the United States (while being called the Liberal Catholic Church International in the rest of the world). Those who followed Bishop Pigott in England became known in America as The Liberal Catholic Church, Province of the United States of America. Both divisions have similar structures of government and administration.

After Frank W. Pigott retired as the Presiding Bishop, and after attempts at a reconciliation, some of the clergy in the LCCI returned to the Liberal Catholic Church, Province of the United States of America. Bishop Hampton died before the litigation was settled. While some clergy wish for more cooperation between the two divisions, they still exist independently.

In 2003 the issue of the limitation of the right of a bishop to ordain candidates of his choice gave rise to a schism into two groups: a 'conservative' and a more 'liberal' one. The ordination of women was the primary point of conflict.

The 'liberal' parishes in the Dutch, Belgian and Canadian provinces elected their own Episcopal Synod under the presidency of the Right Reverend Tom Degenaars, continuing to use the name 'the Liberal Catholic Church'. In 2003 the new General Episcopal Synod declared that women may be ordained. As of 2007 this Synod was represented in the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, Austria, Denmark, Germany, Cameroon, both Congos, and Sweden.

The 'conservatives' remained under the presidency of the Right Reverent Ian Hooker. In 2002 the 'conservative' wing opened 'The Order of Our Lady' as an alternative for women seeking ordination. Representation of the original Synod continues its presence worldwide.

Since both groups call themselves The Liberal Catholic Church, distinguishing between the two may be confusing. It has been suggested that the 'liberal' synod be known as the 'reform' synod.[2]

Right Reverend Ernest W.Jackson had been the Regionary Bishop of The Liberal Catholic Church Province of Canada. The GES of the LCC deposed Jackson and dissolved the Province of Canada. Jackson then founded the Liberal Catholic Church Theosophia Synod, 1982.

Legacy Coat-of-Arms

Founded by a small autocephalous group of Christians in 1999, it was first called the British Liberal Free Church and then later the Society of the Divine Spirit (SDS). Subsequent developments saw the evolution of the SDS into the English Liberal Free Church (ELFC). In 2006, it underwent a major change. Specifically, those on its ministerial team set in place a reorganization and renewal of its mission. Having used the name Independent Old Catholic Church of the Utrecht Succession (IOCCUS) in the interim period, the Presiding Bishop announced on 1 January 2007 that the denomination would bear the name The Liberal Rite.

In 2008, following a year of significant growth, in which John Kersey was consecrated to the episcopacy for the Apostolic Episcopal Church by Archbishop Bertil Persson and the addition of the orders of the Ancient Catholic Church of Archbishop Harold Percival Nicholson, The Liberal Rite was renamed the Liberal Catholic Apostolic Church (LCAC). In 2010, a major split took place. The more esoteric members formed under the Ecclesia Apostolica Divinorum Mysteriorum, with Archbishop Kersey becoming the Prince-Abbot of the Abbey-Principality of San Luigi. The remaining members of the LCAC continued working in the denomination before changing the name of the church to the Old Catholic Apostolic Church in 2012[3] to reflect its now dominant Old Catholic membership. The current Presiding Bishop is Adrian Glover, consecrated to the episcopacy in 2009 by John Kersey. He was joined in 2015 by Bridget Wilson Hall, consecrated by Adrian Glover and Bishop Louise Lombard. Later Bishop Bridget founded The Liberal Catholic Universalist Church.

The Old Catholic Church of British Columbia was established in 1921 as in independent communion. They use the Liberal Rite in their church. In 2006, the church was granted conditional status as a member of the Utrecht Union. This lasted only a short period, as they withdrew from the Union the following year due to differences of opinion.

In the United Kingdom another Liberal Catholic Jurisdiction exists under the leadership of Bishop Richard Palmer. This Church was founded by mandate in May 1999 and is known as 'The Reformed Liberal Catholic Church (Old Catholic)'. The RLCC does not emphasise theosophy, vegetarianism nor belief in the Masters as it holds that the individual has the right to choose whether to subscribe to these beliefs and practices.

Palmer was consecrated to the episcopate in the 'conservative' wing in 1997 and subsequently consecrated Professor Elizabeth Stuart of the University of Winchester as a bishop in the Open Episcopal Church on 10 April 2003 at the chapel of Royal Holloway, Egham assisted by Bishop Jonathan Blake and Bishop Michael Wilson. Stuart has since left the Open Episcopal Church and has been appointed the regionary bishop for the British Province of the Liberal Catholic Church International.

Another Liberal Catholic Jurisdiction exists under the leadership of Bishop David D.La Rochelle (David Lindley). This Church was founded by mandate in May 2009 and is known as The Church of Saint Thomas Int. (Old Catholic)'. The CSTI does not emphasise theosophy, vegetarianism nor belief in the Masters as it holds that the individual has the right to choose whether to subscribe to these beliefs and practices.

Bishop La Rochelle was consecrated to the episcopate March 7, 2009 in Southampton,UK by Bishop Palmer (RLCC)

Bishop La Rochelle holds the RLCC USA mandate as an ordaining body.

In April 2007, former LCCI Presiding Bishop Dean Bekken, Bishop Alain Miller, several Priests and St Francis Parish of San Diego left the LCCI to form the Liberal Catholic Church of California, later renamed the Universal Catholic Church. In 2008 Bishop Bekken elevated Father Robert Winzens to the Episcopate.

In 2006 another reform resulted in the formation of a new group called the Young Rite. The past Presiding Bishop of the "mother" Liberal Catholic Church, Johannes van Alphen, who had resigned from the LCC in 2002, had consecrated Mario Manuel Herrera (in 2002) who in turn had consecrated Benito Rodriguez Cruz (in 2005). These three bishops consecrated to the episcopacy Marcus van Alphen,[4] a former priest of the Dutch Liberal Catholic Church, in June 2006 in Hilversum, The Netherlands. Bishop Johannes subsequently joined the Young Rite and remained active in it until his death on the 25th of January 2009.[5] In March 2008 the bishops of the Young Rite and bishop (Aristid Havilcek of Slovenia) to the episcopacy.[6] In 2012, Domen Kocevar was consecrated bishop at Celje in Slovenia, by Marcus van Alphen, Aristid Havilcek, Alistair Bate and Bruno Pedrini.

Bishop Marcus started the Young Rite as an autocephalous group operating within the Liberal Catholic tradition, yet separate from any of the Liberal Catholic Church organizations. Although the Young Rite shares many beliefs and customs with the Liberal Catholic Church and derives its apostolic succession from it, they are not affiliated with any of the Liberal Catholic Church organizations. The book[7] expounds further on the doctrine and philosophy regarding this rite. The Young Rite operates in Slovenia,[8] South Africa, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Belgium, Greece, the Netherlands, Canada and the United States of America.[9] The Young Rite USA operates as the Community of St. George and is led by Presiding Bishops David Oliver Kling, Robert Lamoureaux and Kirk Jeffery [10]

In 2014 the Liberal Orthodox Church Universal changed its name to The Ascended Church of Christ. In 2009 Bishop Teklemariam Gezahagne, presiding Patriarch of the Ethiopian Apostolic Church, commissioned and ordained the Rev. Didymos Judas Thomas(W. L. Vincent) as the presiding Patriarch of North American branch of the EAC. The EAC draws its Apostolic succession from a unique line descending from the Apostle Philip and being passed forward in the Ethiopian Churches. As newly appointed Patriarch D. Judas Thomas changed the name of the North American Church to the Liberal Orthodox Church Universal. In 2014 Patriarch Didymos Judas Thomas was appointed as the reigning patriarch of all Churches in the LOCU and forthwith changed the name of the Church to the Ascended Church of Christ. The Church has since focused on establishing communities and training ministers to expand the Church worldwide. Also in 2014 the ACC opened Alpha & Omega Institute, a distance learning Seminary with the mission of training laymen and clergy for service in the Church.

The Liberal Catholic Union is an autocephalous branch of the Liberal Catholic Movement formed after the Consecration of Tau Meinrad(Michael Robert Lawrence) McDonald, OSM/EBOE to the office of Bishop in the old/Liberal Catholic and Gnostic lineages of Apostolic succession held by Tau Michael Bertiaux through Tau Allen H. Greenfield.[11] Along with several Bishops and Clergy the Liberal Catholic Union formed as a vehicle for reintroducing Theosophical context that they felt had been stripped from common Liberal Catholic Practice. The LCU creates a distinct practice through the incorporation and infusion of not only Theosophical but French Gnostic theological concepts.[12] The Church is active in several states with its largest community established in Indiana. The LCU does not have a seminary and instead relies on the "apprentice" method that they believe was originally the model of training used in the early Christian community. The Liberal Catholic Union is seen as a heavily esoteric order and promotes such practices as open communion offered to Christians as well as Non Christians without distinction.[13]

The Holy Celtic Church International is a traditional Liberal Catholic church in the Celtic tradition and a member jurisdiction of the Guild of the Holy Apostles,[14] founded in 2013.  It is also affiliated to the  World Council of Churches through our membership of the International Council of Community Churches.[15] The Primus is the Rt Revd Dom Alistair Bate OSBA (csr), MA Div.  who was raised in Ireland and is now based in Ticino, Switzerland. This jurisdiction emerged from the Liberal Catholic tradition in which the creedal formulas of the past are affirmed, whilst the critical faculties are not left at the church door. Reason is a divine gift and one of four pillars of the Church along with scripture, tradition and experience. Our clergy are theologically educated in the academic sense, which necessarily includes a grasp of modern biblical criticism and liberal theology.[16] The Holy Celtic Church International is a "broad church" in that it allows for various different theological approaches and rites. Nevertheless, the influence of the Liberal Catholic Rite is pervasive throughout the church and the bishops of the Holy Celtic Church International can trace several lines of succession from the Liberal Catholic Church's founding Bishops , Blessed James Ingall Wedgewood , and the Venerable Charles Webster Leadbeater[17].[18]

Lay and clerical members of the Holy Celtic Church International, who have an interest in the more theosophical side of Liberal Catholicism, may petition to be admitted to membership of the Mar Thoma Liberal Catholic Church , which is an inner ecclesia of the HCCI. Select individuals of other churches may be invited to become Associate Members as well. The Mar Thoma Liberal Catholic Church is inspired by both Liberal Catholicism and the St Thomas traditions of India. The Mar Thoma Liberal Catholic Church is committed to the mission and practice of traditional Liberal Catholicism,  bringing together the esoteric and mystical traditions of east and west. The group makes particular use of those sources ascribed to St Thomas, as well as standard Liberal Catholic works by Bishops Wedgwood and Leadbeater.[19]

The International Liberal Catholic Church was founded in 1966 by Bishop Edmund Walter Sheehan and others who left the Liberal Catholic Church branch led by Bishop Edward M. Matthews. He had previously served as an auxiliary bishop under Bishop Charles Hampton. His disagreement with Matthews concerned administrative matters.

Sheehan linked the International Liberal Catholic Church to the Brotherhood of the Blessed Sacrament, a Dutch group which had broken with the British headquarters of the Liberal Catholic Church. The Brotherhood had originally sided with Matthews but had broken relations with him in 1962.

The International Liberal Catholic Church followed the Matthews faction in doctrinal and liturgical matters. While reporting 9 bishops, 25 clergy, and 3,000 members in 1969, the International Church dwindled to only a few parishes during the 1970s, and in the early 1980s was disbanded.

The Independent Catholic Church International was formed in 1981 as both a new jurisdiction out of the Anglican heritage and an ecumenical body which related a variety of independent episcopal bodies, some out of the theosophical Liberal Catholic tradition. The first primate was Peter Wayne Goodrich. Goodrich resigned in 1983 and was succeeded by R. V. Bernard Dawe (b. 1925), who had been consecrated in 1980 and had served as the church's international legate.

As constituted, the small jurisdiction has freely developed interchanges with a variety of Old Catholic and Anglican jurisdictions and has remained open to theosophical currents. It is a member of the Synod of Independent Sacramental Churches.

The Free Liberal Catholic Church was founded in 1975 by a group of Liberal Catholic priests including Bishops Donald M. Berry (1935- ) and John Russell (1920–1985). Bishop Berry was consecrated by Bishop William H. Daw of the Liberal Catholic Church International. Bishop Russell was consecrated by Bishop William A. Henley of the American Orthodox Catholic Church. Archbishop John Shelton Davis, vicar general at the time of the formation of the Free Liberal Catholic Church, is currently the presiding bishop. Davis was consecrated by Berry in 1979.

The Free Liberal Catholic Church follows the Liberal Catholic tradition. The Bible is accepted as the guide and rule of life by members and priests, but no one is required to subscribe to a creedal summary or to a particular formulation of faith. Freedom of inquiry is encouraged. There are seven sacraments that operate by the power of the Holy Spirit and depend for their efficacy on the clear conscience of the supplicant.