Q. What does your church believe in?
A. The Celtic Church believes the Holy Bible to be the inspired word of God and the living word of God. Our teachings are orthodox, which simply means the correct worship or correct thinking, in that it neither adds nor subtracts from the faith given by Christ to His Apostles.
Celtic Christianity is best described then as Catholic, Apostolic and Orthodox, for it preserves the Apostolic Succession, honours and accepts the teachings of the Ecumenical Councils and reached its fully developed form in the first millenenium, prior to the separation of Rome and Eastern Orthodoxy.
The Apostles Creed
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy Catholic Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. AMEN.
Q. How is the Celtic Church different from other mainline denominations?
A. The Celtic Church is an expression of the early faith that was given to the Apostles by our Savior. The early Celtic Church was flourishing in the Celtic lands early by the second century and a part of the larger western Orthodox church. The Celtic Church is a part of the ancient heritage and rich tradition of the early Christian (Catholic) church. The Celtic Church has existed In one form or another from within a decade of Christ's death and ressurection, it existed as an established church until the reformation, at which point it retreated into small Highland communities, until the 1800's when it was driven underground. We are now seeing a renwed interst in Celtic Christianity.
Q. Do you believe like the rest of the church?
A. We are essentially a Celtic Catholic expression of the faith. We believe in the Seven Sacraments and the Apostle's and Nicene Creeds, but our services range from traditional mass settings to contemporary Christian worship services. We are essentially "Catholic" in the truest sense and meaning of the word.
Q. What does Catholic mean?
A. The word Catholic comes from Greek, and means universal, whole, complete. In the beginning of Christianity, for the first 1400 years or so, all the Church was called Catholic. It meant that the Church preached the entire doctrine of Christ to all people all over the world for all time. We identify as Catholic through Apostolic Sucession. Apostolic Succession is the “historic unbroken connection with Christ and His Apostles,” by the “laying-on of hands”- transferring Christ’s Apostolic authority and ministry from Jesus Himself, through His succeeding Bishops of every proceeding generation, up until our current day. It was through this “Apostolic Succession” that the early Church maintained their “genuine and authentic” membership in the ONE holy catholic (universal not Roman but pre-Roman), Church.
Having an “approved” Bishop, within (not over), the Community, guaranteed they were a “genuine” Christian Community being historically (not only spiritually), connected to the universal body of Christ – Independence was not something to be cherished in the early Church of Christ, but rather Inter-dependence, sharing one another’s burdens! …it is to this humble holy dependence, we as a Community desire to return to.
We recognize the “gift” of apostolic succession to the Church, and therefore desire to be celebrants of this ancient tradition (not doctrine), followed by our brothers and sisters of the past. We feel safe being in submission to those who have walked ahead of us!
Q. What's the difference between Celtic and Roman Catholic?
A. The Celtic Church developed differently from the Roman Catholic Church and was more like the Eastern Orthodox churches in its dating of the church calendar and its view of women’s place within the church hierarchy. In addition, Celtic monks wore a tonsure that was distinctively different from that of their Roman brethren. Catholic is, therefore, the name given to the original geographical divisions of the Church, before the Protestant Reformation. In the east, the Catholic Churches are generally called Orthodox. The Celtic Church is that part of the original Catholic Church founded among the Celts. The Roman Catholic Church is the same, founded among the Roman (Italian) people and the territories they controlled in the Empire.
Q. Isn't Celtic a New Age spirituality?
A. Not at all. Most spiritualities that describe themselves as New Age involve a kind of syncretism, taking elements from a number of religious sources. The Celtic Christians were exclusive in their loyalty to Jesus Christ. Saints like Patrick, Columbanus and Gall put their lives at risk by denying the local deities and proclaiming Jesus as Lord.
Q. What are your churches views on the Virgin Mary?
A. In paragraph 149 of the Roman Catholic Catechism it says, “The Church venerates in Mary the purest realization of faith.” Some Catholics view Mary as a co-redemptrix or a mediatrix who plays a key role in the salvation of mankind. (The suffix -trix is a feminine word ending in Latin, so a redemptrix is a female redeemer, and a mediatrix is a female mediator.)
The FCCCI hold that Jesus Christ is the purest realization of the faith. He is the one and only Mediator between man and God. (1 Tim. 2:5) That is why we have no altar to Mary. The only altar in our church is dedicated to Jesus Christ.
Neither do we teach the “Immaculate Conception”, the belief that Mary was born without sin. Although we do hold to the virgin birth of Jesus as told in the Gospels, there is nothing in scripture which supports that Mary too was born without sin. What we are told in the scriptures is that Mary was a woman of faith whom God chose for an extraordinary purpose and she was obedient to God.
We also do not teach that Mary was a “perpetual virgin” as do the Romans. It is clear that the Scripture speaks of Jesus’ brothers and sisters, (Luke 8:19, Matt. 13:35, Mark 6:1).
These beliefs were forced upon the Roman church at the Vatican 1 and were not a part of original Catholic teaching.
Jesus identifies with humans fully because He lived a fully human life in a family of brothers and sisters, with parents who had a fully human marriage.
Q. Are Celtic priests and bishops allowed to marry?
A. We do not require priests or bishops to be celibate as the Roman Catholic Church does. There is no prohibition of marriage in the scriptures. We know for certain that Peter was married (Matt. 8:14), that Paul, though unmarried, taught all should be free to marry or remain single as the Lord led them (1 Cor. 7:28, 1 Tim. 4:1-5), and that the requirements of a bishop in the early church was that he was to have only one wife (1 Tim. 3:2).
Q. What is your view on the Eucharist?
A. Our view of the Eucharist comes from Christ’s words in John 6:56 where He said “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him”. We believe in the "Real Presence" of Christ in the Eucharist. We believe what happens in the Eucharist is a mystery that cannot be fully understood. But it is clear from scripture that whenever two or three are present Christ will be among us. And in the Eucharist we are told in John 6 that Christ will be in us and we in Him. When we eat the bread and drink the wine we are reminded of the crucified body and shed blood of the Lord whereby we are granted forgiveness off our sins. We believe our Eucharist is not a meaningless exercise or some symbolic act that we do. Rather it is a reminder of the sacrifice Christ made for us. It is a reminder that our sins were bought and paid for by the blood of our Savior. When we come to the table we are reminded that we are cleansed by our confession and through His forgiveness we have been restored to God.
Q. What is the role of women in the Celtic Church?
A. The Celtic Church completely accepts the ordaining of suitable female candidates. It was never influenced by Roman social codes that considered women to be property and drew upon the fact that there were many female followers of Jesus; that women served in the role of priests in administering the first house churches and that the New Testament mentions a female deacon, Phoebe. Paul’s letters address many of these women leaders. The Celtic Church was the first church to have female saints in Ita, who served at Killeedy and Brigid who was ordained as a bishop in the Irish Church. Please click here for more information about women leaders in the Church.
Q. What is the eccliesiastical structure of the Celtic Church?
A. The Celtic Church was monastic or community-based in structure and non-hierarchical. Preferring instead to form associations between the different communities. In conference, no Abbot or Bishop was 'more equal' than another. This followed more closely the earlier form of Christianity .
Q. How do we view other Christian Churches?
A. We welcome all who come to us in the Name of the Lord. We believe that all communities of faith honor and worship the one God. We extend to them the warmest of bonds of Love and Fellowship. They are our brothers and sisters in our common God. (cf. Mark 9:40) each Celtic Church is an independent, autocephalous Church; neither Roman Catholic nor Protestant, but simply Celtic Christian. We are self governing and are subordinate to no leadership but our own bishops, and ultimately accountable to God. We welcome to the Lord's Table ALL baptized Christians who approach it reverently, regardless of their current ecclesiastical affiliation. Divorce and remarriage are not impediments to the reception of the Holy Eucharist (see Matthew 10:8).
Q. What is your view on sin?
A. All people sin. Sin separates us from God, but inherent part of a human nature which has yet to fully align itself with the Will of God. As sinners we recognize the need for repentance and reordering of our lives; but also trust in the infinite love and forgiveness of our Lord. Reconciliation is the great Sacrament by which those who have wandered on paths which lead astray are reunited and reconciled to the Lord and His People.
Q. Do you include everyone?
A. We do not condemn nor exclude anyone for any reason. Jesus died on the cross for EVERYONE. Jesus broke down barriers of race, gender and nationality. Jesus was radically inclusive of everyone. All people are at a different place in their spiritual walk and life and we are certain that not one of us is perfect. EVERYONE is welcome!
Q. How do we view other Christian Churches?
A. We welcome all who come to us in the Name of the Lord. We believe that all communities of faith honor and worship the one God. We extend to them the warmest of bonds of Love and Fellowship. They are our brothers and sisters in our common God. (cf. Mark 9:40) each Celtic Church is an independent, autocephalous Church; neither Roman Catholic nor Protestant, but simply Celtic Christian. We are self governing and are subordinate to no leadership but our own bishops, and ultimately accountable to God. We welcome to the Lord's Table all baptized Christians who approach it reverently, regardless of their current ecclesiastical affiliation. Divorce and remarriage are not impediments to the reception of the Holy Eucharist (see Matthew 10:8).
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