North American Old Catholic Church

The North American Old Catholic Church (North American Old Catholic Church, NAOCC ) is an independent Catholic Church in the United States. Although they are not part of the Union of Utrecht of the Old Catholic Churches, she shares largely the teaching, Church Constitution and ecclesiology.

Emergence and dissemination

It was founded in January 2007 at a meeting in Louisville (Kentucky). In August 2010, communities across the U.S. were in New Haven ( Connecticut ), Bear ( Delaware), New Port Richey, Port St. Lucie, Kissimmee (All Florida), Baltimore ( Maryland), Somerset ( Massachusetts), Mount Clemens (Michigan), Brookline, Littleton (both New Hampshire), New York City (New York), Providence (Rhode Iceland ), Memphis (Tennessee ) and Dallas (Texas ) and in Washington, DC There is also a community in Ontario ( Canada).

Liturgy

The North American Old Catholic Church uses the old Catholic Eucharist book as the basis of their regular liturgy, but it allows the local communities to use traditional Western liturgy forms, as are common in other churches, such as the Tridentine Mass, the Anglican Book of Common Prayer and of the Roman Missal in the current version.

Theological views

It emphasizes the inclusive nature of the Gospel and opens for the disabled, homosexuals, and people of all walks of life regardless of their political orientation. Married, women and homosexual people in their access to all church ministries.

Organization

The leadership of the church is the General Episcopal Synod ( Episcopal General Synod ) and a Corporate Board of Directors ( church leadership ).

The Episcopal General Synod consists of all active and retired bishops, the rector of St Wolbodo Seminary and the religious superiors who belong to the community, and meets every three years.

The church leadership, consisting of clergy and laity convenes annually and controls the administrative and financial matters, as well as all duties prescribed by law a corporation.

Between meetings of the Synod Executive Committee at bi-monthly meetings notes the ongoing administration tasks. It consists of clerics who exercise administrative functions in the different areas.

Chief representative of the church is the presiding bishop, Archbishop Michael Seneco, who was elected in January 2007 in Louisville this. A vicar general and a coadjutor are doing it to the side.