Worldwide Communion of Catholic Apostolic National Churches
Encyclopedia
The Worldwide Communion of Catholic Apostolic Churches (WCCAC) is a communion of 14 Christian Church
bodies. The Communion was born at the VI Worldwide Council held in Guatemala. WCCAC is the result of a long path, started by Dom Carlos Duarte Costa who in 1945 organized the Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church
. The communion has as Symbols of its unity Dom Luis Fernando Castillo Méndez
, who served until his death in October of 2009 as Patriarch
of ICAB and WCCAC, and Dom Moreas, President of the largest Brazilian Church within ICAB.The President of the Board of Directors of WCCAC is Bishop Jerry King, USA
WCCAC professes steadfastly and wholly the Catholic faith as it is witnessed in the Holy Scriptures, in the Apostles and Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creeds, in the first seven Ecumenical Councils and in the Tradition of the undivided Church.
For that reason, with Vincent of Lérins, we affirm and embrace “that which has been believed everywhere, always, and by all people; it is truly and properly Catholic.”[1]
All other doctrinal postulates, beliefs and practices, so long as they are not contrary to Catholic faith can be accepted by local churches and by the faithful on the understanding that these are not binding for anyone and for that reason should be considered as matters of private belief and devotions.
We recognize that the Local Church is the visible and sacramental reality in which is made present the totality of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church
, established by Jesus Christ.
By “Local Church” we understand the people of God organized as a communion of communities that:
Professes the faith in accordance with the witness of the Holy Scriptures and the Ecumenical Creeds and Confessions.
Observes the liturgy through prayer and the sacramental life, reaching its culmination in the celebration of the Eucharist.
Gives evidence of the reality of the Gospel such as fruit of the experience of the gifts of the Spirit that give new life and the capacity to love.
Recognizes, as the visible sign of its unity, the bishop who in synodical form presides over it, with the participation of the presbytery and of all the people of God.
Through the bishop is in communion with other local churches.
We accept and administer the sacraments of Baptism, of Confirmation, of the Eucharist, of Reconciliation, of the Extreme Unction, of Holy Orders, and of Marriage.
We believe, consonant with the tradition of the undivided Church, that the validity and efficacy of each of the sacraments participates in and expresses the sacramentality of the whole Church.
Given that the Local Church is where this sacramentality is expressed, the sacraments find their true significance and efficacy solely when they are administered within and for the edification of the Local Church.
Each Ecclesiastical Province is able to determine its own ritual for the celebration of the sacraments in accordance with the situation and cultural context in which it lives, provided that:
All the elements believed to be essential for the valid celebration of the same are maintained in their entirety, in accord with the Catholic tradition, Orthodox as well as Latin.
The introduction of ambiguous elements is carefully avoided in order not to fall into any form of syncretism and to maintain the Christian tradition in its purity.
The following are recognized as ministers who may validly administer the sacraments:
For the Sacrament of Baptism: the bishop, the priest and the deacon are the ordinary ministers; the extraordinary minister, in case of grave necessity, is any baptized Christian.
For the Sacrament of Confirmation: ordinarily the minister is the bishop. By exception, it can be delegated to a priest so that it may be carried out.
For the Sacrament of Reconciliation or Penance: only the bishop and priest are the authorized and competent ministers.
For the Sacrament of the Eucharist: only the bishop and priest are the authorized and competent ministers.
For the Sacrament of Extreme Unction: only the bishop and priest are the authorized and competent ministers.
For the Sacrament of Ordination: only the bishop is the authorized and competent minister.
For the Sacrament of Marriage: the ministers are the bride and the bridegroom who publicly express their consent. In order to express the consent validly, there is the need for qualified witnesses. Official witnesses are the bishop, the priest and the deacon. In extraordinary cases, when the presence of an ordained minister is impossible for a prolonged period of time, two faithful members of the Church can be witnesses so that matrimonial consent may be validly expressed.
We acknowledge the Eucharist to be the center and culmination of the Church’s worship.
In celebrating it, the local church becomes actual and concrete as the sacramental presence of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.
We steadfastly believe that by the action of the Holy Spirit within the Eucharistic celebration, presided by the bishop or a priest, the bread and wine are, through the Anamnesis and the Epiclesis, sacramentally transformed, in reality and in efficacy, into the body and blood of Jesus Christ.
We confess that although Christ was offered once for all time as the expiatory sacrifice for all humanity on the altar of the cross, nevertheless the Eucharist is a true sacrifice because in it the one sacrifice of Christ not only is commemorated but also is actualized and, by the action of the Holy Spirit, the Kingdom of God is made present, and the new creation of love and communion continues to manifest itself in the history and the life of our communities.
The sacrament of Holy Orders has three levels: as deacon, as priest, and as bishop.
It is indispensable that one be ordained on the lower level in order to be able validly to receive a higher level of the sacrament of Holy Orders.
Consonant with the ancient tradition of the undivided Church, WCCAC acknowledges that only Christians of the male gender can be validly ordained as deacons, priests and bishops.
WCCAC acknowledges that the sacrament of marriage is the public and solemn covenant that is brought about between a man and a woman.
The matrimonial covenant has the purpose of establishing the exclusive and permanent communion of life for the spouses, with the view of forming a family. Like the Orthodox, the Church recognizes that the Sacrament of Marriage is administered by the Priest and not the couple. Hence, the Church is also able to allow for divorce and remarriage.
The sacrament of marriage takes place through the mutual consent of the couple, lawfully manifested and confirmed by the pouring out of the Holy Spirit with the Church ministering the Sacrament as expressed in a more Orthodox theology.
The council of the communion met at San Lucas Sacatepequez, Guatemala on August 12–18, 2008. In 2009, after ICAB broke into 2 churches, one under Dom Moreas and one under Dom Josivaldo,a second meeting was held June 10, 2009 at Fort Worth, Texas, USA where Archbishop Jerry King was elected President of the Bishop's Council.
In the WCCAC, all the Churches are recognized as equal, but because of historical reasons, an honorary precedence is recognized to the Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church under the leadership of Dom Moreas. His Excellency Bishop Dom Luis Castillo Mendez who was the Patriarch of ICAB until 2009 maintained the unity of the Church in Brazil.
Every Ecclesiastical Body is formed by several local Churches, presided by a Bishop.
The WCCAC member bodies are:
Christian Church
The Christian Church is the assembly or association of followers of Jesus Christ. The Greek term ἐκκλησία that in its appearances in the New Testament is usually translated as "church" basically means "assembly"...
bodies. The Communion was born at the VI Worldwide Council held in Guatemala. WCCAC is the result of a long path, started by Dom Carlos Duarte Costa who in 1945 organized the Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church
Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church
The Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church is an independent Catholic church established in 1945 by Brazilian bishop Dom Carlos Duarte Costa, a former Roman Catholic Bishop of Botucatu.The ICAB has 58 dioceses and claims five million members in 17 countries...
. The communion has as Symbols of its unity Dom Luis Fernando Castillo Méndez
Luis Fernando Castillo Mendez
Dom Luis Fernando Castillo Méndez was patriarch of the Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church , an independent catholic church...
, who served until his death in October of 2009 as Patriarch
Patriarch
Originally a patriarch was a man who exercised autocratic authority as a pater familias over an extended family. The system of such rule of families by senior males is called patriarchy. This is a Greek word, a compound of πατριά , "lineage, descent", esp...
of ICAB and WCCAC, and Dom Moreas, President of the largest Brazilian Church within ICAB.The President of the Board of Directors of WCCAC is Bishop Jerry King, USA
On the Catholic Faith in General
(WCCAC Const. Art.2)WCCAC professes steadfastly and wholly the Catholic faith as it is witnessed in the Holy Scriptures, in the Apostles and Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creeds, in the first seven Ecumenical Councils and in the Tradition of the undivided Church.
For that reason, with Vincent of Lérins, we affirm and embrace “that which has been believed everywhere, always, and by all people; it is truly and properly Catholic.”[1]
All other doctrinal postulates, beliefs and practices, so long as they are not contrary to Catholic faith can be accepted by local churches and by the faithful on the understanding that these are not binding for anyone and for that reason should be considered as matters of private belief and devotions.
On the Church
(WCCAC Const.Art.3)We recognize that the Local Church is the visible and sacramental reality in which is made present the totality of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church
Four Marks of the Church
The Four Marks of the Church is a term describing four specific adjectives—one, holy, catholic and apostolic—indicating four major distinctive marks or distinguishing characteristics of the Christian Church...
, established by Jesus Christ.
By “Local Church” we understand the people of God organized as a communion of communities that:
Professes the faith in accordance with the witness of the Holy Scriptures and the Ecumenical Creeds and Confessions.
Observes the liturgy through prayer and the sacramental life, reaching its culmination in the celebration of the Eucharist.
Gives evidence of the reality of the Gospel such as fruit of the experience of the gifts of the Spirit that give new life and the capacity to love.
Recognizes, as the visible sign of its unity, the bishop who in synodical form presides over it, with the participation of the presbytery and of all the people of God.
Through the bishop is in communion with other local churches.
On the Sacramentality of the Church in General and the Administration of the Sacraments
(WCCAC Const.Art. 4)We accept and administer the sacraments of Baptism, of Confirmation, of the Eucharist, of Reconciliation, of the Extreme Unction, of Holy Orders, and of Marriage.
We believe, consonant with the tradition of the undivided Church, that the validity and efficacy of each of the sacraments participates in and expresses the sacramentality of the whole Church.
Given that the Local Church is where this sacramentality is expressed, the sacraments find their true significance and efficacy solely when they are administered within and for the edification of the Local Church.
Each Ecclesiastical Province is able to determine its own ritual for the celebration of the sacraments in accordance with the situation and cultural context in which it lives, provided that:
All the elements believed to be essential for the valid celebration of the same are maintained in their entirety, in accord with the Catholic tradition, Orthodox as well as Latin.
The introduction of ambiguous elements is carefully avoided in order not to fall into any form of syncretism and to maintain the Christian tradition in its purity.
The following are recognized as ministers who may validly administer the sacraments:
For the Sacrament of Baptism: the bishop, the priest and the deacon are the ordinary ministers; the extraordinary minister, in case of grave necessity, is any baptized Christian.
For the Sacrament of Confirmation: ordinarily the minister is the bishop. By exception, it can be delegated to a priest so that it may be carried out.
For the Sacrament of Reconciliation or Penance: only the bishop and priest are the authorized and competent ministers.
For the Sacrament of the Eucharist: only the bishop and priest are the authorized and competent ministers.
For the Sacrament of Extreme Unction: only the bishop and priest are the authorized and competent ministers.
For the Sacrament of Ordination: only the bishop is the authorized and competent minister.
For the Sacrament of Marriage: the ministers are the bride and the bridegroom who publicly express their consent. In order to express the consent validly, there is the need for qualified witnesses. Official witnesses are the bishop, the priest and the deacon. In extraordinary cases, when the presence of an ordained minister is impossible for a prolonged period of time, two faithful members of the Church can be witnesses so that matrimonial consent may be validly expressed.
On the Eucharist
(WCCAC Const. Art. 5)We acknowledge the Eucharist to be the center and culmination of the Church’s worship.
In celebrating it, the local church becomes actual and concrete as the sacramental presence of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.
We steadfastly believe that by the action of the Holy Spirit within the Eucharistic celebration, presided by the bishop or a priest, the bread and wine are, through the Anamnesis and the Epiclesis, sacramentally transformed, in reality and in efficacy, into the body and blood of Jesus Christ.
We confess that although Christ was offered once for all time as the expiatory sacrifice for all humanity on the altar of the cross, nevertheless the Eucharist is a true sacrifice because in it the one sacrifice of Christ not only is commemorated but also is actualized and, by the action of the Holy Spirit, the Kingdom of God is made present, and the new creation of love and communion continues to manifest itself in the history and the life of our communities.
On the Sacrament of Holy Orders
(WCCAC Const. Art. 6)The sacrament of Holy Orders has three levels: as deacon, as priest, and as bishop.
It is indispensable that one be ordained on the lower level in order to be able validly to receive a higher level of the sacrament of Holy Orders.
Consonant with the ancient tradition of the undivided Church, WCCAC acknowledges that only Christians of the male gender can be validly ordained as deacons, priests and bishops.
On the Sacrament of Marriage
(WCCAC Const. Art. 8)WCCAC acknowledges that the sacrament of marriage is the public and solemn covenant that is brought about between a man and a woman.
The matrimonial covenant has the purpose of establishing the exclusive and permanent communion of life for the spouses, with the view of forming a family. Like the Orthodox, the Church recognizes that the Sacrament of Marriage is administered by the Priest and not the couple. Hence, the Church is also able to allow for divorce and remarriage.
The sacrament of marriage takes place through the mutual consent of the couple, lawfully manifested and confirmed by the pouring out of the Holy Spirit with the Church ministering the Sacrament as expressed in a more Orthodox theology.
Organization
The Communion is governed by the International Bishops Council. For organizational purposes the Communion has a Board of Directors, an Honarary Advisory Committee and an Executive Secretariat. The International Bishops Council meets every two years.The council of the communion met at San Lucas Sacatepequez, Guatemala on August 12–18, 2008. In 2009, after ICAB broke into 2 churches, one under Dom Moreas and one under Dom Josivaldo,a second meeting was held June 10, 2009 at Fort Worth, Texas, USA where Archbishop Jerry King was elected President of the Bishop's Council.
In the WCCAC, all the Churches are recognized as equal, but because of historical reasons, an honorary precedence is recognized to the Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church under the leadership of Dom Moreas. His Excellency Bishop Dom Luis Castillo Mendez who was the Patriarch of ICAB until 2009 maintained the unity of the Church in Brazil.
Every Ecclesiastical Body is formed by several local Churches, presided by a Bishop.
The WCCAC member bodies are:
- Igreja Católica Apostólica Brasileira - founded 1945. Brazil.
- Argentina: Provincia Eclesial de la Exaltación de la Cruz
- Argentina: Iglesia Católica Apostólica Argentina
- Australia: Catholic Apostolic Church of Australia
- France: Église Catholique, Apostolique et Française|Église Catholique Apostolique du France - Archbishop Pierre Pascal
- Colombia: Iglesia Católica Apostólica Nacional de Colombia, Archbishop Guillermo Pacheco Bornacelli
- Egypt: The Holys Synod of St. Athanasious for the Christian in the Middle East and USA.
- Mexico: Iglesia Católica Apostólica Mexicana
- México: Provincia Eclesial Santa María de Guadalupe.
- España: Iglesia Católica Apostólica - Diócesis de Tarsis.
- USA: Mexican National Catholic Church - Bishop Dr. John Parnell
- USA: Evangelical Charismatic Catholic Church - Archbishop Dr. Jerry King
- USA: Opus Apostolorum - Bishop Michael Scotto