Separated from Mount Athos Synod | ||
Region New York, Florida, Colorado, Texas, Virginia, Nevada Founder The Most Rev. Joseph J. Raffaele Origin December, 1976
Suffolk County, New York | ||
The American Orthodox Catholic Church is a religious group which claims to be part of "the Universal Catholic Church". It is an independent denomination that originated from the Old Catholic Ultrajectine tradition.
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The American Orthodox Catholic Church claims to be "Orthodox, but not Eastern in teaching the Faith, Catholic but not Papal in liturgy and government." This means, essentially, that they incorporate parts of both Orthodox and Catholic aesthetics while denying the dogma of both.
Ordination history
Its first Bishop, Archbishop Joseph René Vilatte was consecrated for the Americas on May 29, 1892 by Archbishop Alvarez, acting under mandate of the Syrian Patriarch of Antioch, assisted by two bishops of the Church of Malabar (India). Since this consecration, there has been an unbroken succession of Bishops. In addition to its Syrian Roots, the American Orthodox Catholic Church enjoys episcopal (meaning bishop) lineage from Greco-Russian-Ukrainian legacy of Archbishop Walter Myron Propheta. As late as July 21, 1952, Cardinal Mercati of the Vatican Library declared, "All consecrations of the Syrian Jocobite Church are valid."
Female ordinations
In the 1999, the AOCCW ordained Theresa Margaret Wilson, a nun and founder of the Benedictine Order of St. Michael the Archangel, to the diaconate. Wilson, the first female ordained in the denomination would then go on to be ordained as a priest and finally, in 2005, became bishop of the Diocese of Colorado. The Roman Catholic Church does not recognize the validity of ordination of women.
Denominational facts
Many of the clergy in these churches are part of the Worker-Priest system; this is, they work for a living [secularly], rather than depend on the congregation for support – thus giving their share of support to the church also.
The AOCC allows remarriage and admits those who are divorced to receive communion.
Priests are permitted to be married or shall freely embrace celibacy as they choose. The AOCC also welcomes women to all roles of ordination (deacon, priest and bishop). Ordination is not limited on the basis of denominational background, gender, gender identity, affectional orientation, marital status. There are certain age limitations. Because of this most of their ordinations are considered invalid by the Catholic Church.
On December 18, 1966, clergy of the American Orthodox Catholic Church in New York City, under the leadership of Propheta, were present at an ecumenical service in St. Raymond's Church, Bronx, NY. Also invited were the Catholic, Protestant, and Anglican clergy. Bishop Terrence Cooke, then Vicar General to Cardinal Spellman of the Roman Church was present. All of the AOCC Clergy present were vested in Eastern Vestments. This was, of course, before the AOCC began to ordain women.
The Diocese celebrates the Mass via the Tridentine Rite in Latin, and in the vernacular which has always been the case since the latter half of the 19th Century when the first bishop, Archbishop Timetheos began his missionary endeavors in mid-America. In 1986, the Rite instituted a new Mass called "Worthy is the Lamb: The American Mass."