The Establishment of The Liberal Catholic Church
Arms of The LCC
Established in England in 1916 through a reorganization of the former Old Catholic Church in Great Britain, the new Church quickly spread to other countries, and in 1918 adopted its distinctive name, THE LIBERAL CATHOLIC CHURCH.
The Statement of Principles of The Liberal Catholic Church, eighth edition of 1986, states: "The Liberal Catholic Church came into existence as the result of a complete re-organization in 1915-16 of the Old Catholic Church in Great Britain upon a more liberal basis. That Church derived its Apostolic Orders through the Old Catholic archiepiscopal see of Utrecht in Holland. The LCC is neither Roman Catholic nor Protestant. The Church is called Liberal Catholic because its outlook is both liberal and Catholic.** It aims at combining Catholic forms of worship, stately ritual, deep mysticism and witness to the reality of sacramental grace with the widest measure of intellectual liberty and respect for the individual conscience."
You're Liberal?
The word "liberal" in The LCC's name is the same as the word in Liberal Arts, where it means a broad-based view of the world and an understanding view of the world's great variety of peoples and philosophies. Further, the term "liberal" means to be free from dogma and coercion, to think for one's self, to gather facts and draw conclusions. That is, the "Liberal" in "The Liberal Catholic Church" liberates and is liberating. Quoting Gerald Greenberg: "Thus, the word liberal in liberal arts and liberal education does not refer to the opposite of conservative; it refers to free, the opposite of constrained and subjugated...."
The Statement of Principles of The Liberal Catholic Church, eighth edition of 1986, states: "The Liberal Catholic Church came into existence as the result of a complete re-organization in 1915-16 of the Old Catholic Church in Great Britain upon a more liberal basis. That Church derived its Apostolic Orders through the Old Catholic archiepiscopal see of Utrecht in Holland. The LCC is neither Roman Catholic nor Protestant. The Church is called Liberal Catholic because its outlook is both liberal and Catholic.** It aims at combining Catholic forms of worship, stately ritual, deep mysticism and witness to the reality of sacramental grace with the widest measure of intellectual liberty and respect for the individual conscience."
You're Liberal?
The word "liberal" in The LCC's name is the same as the word in Liberal Arts, where it means a broad-based view of the world and an understanding view of the world's great variety of peoples and philosophies. Further, the term "liberal" means to be free from dogma and coercion, to think for one's self, to gather facts and draw conclusions. That is, the "Liberal" in "The Liberal Catholic Church" liberates and is liberating. Quoting Gerald Greenberg: "Thus, the word liberal in liberal arts and liberal education does not refer to the opposite of conservative; it refers to free, the opposite of constrained and subjugated...."
The Apostolic Succession of The Liberal Catholic Church
Archbishop Mathew
The term Apostolic Succession refers to the linear series of bishops, regardless of See, each consecrated by other bishops, themselves consecrated similarly in a direct and linear succession going back to the apostles who derived their apostolic authority from Christ. The Apostolic Succession of The Liberal Catholic Church is derived from the Old Catholic Church of Holland through Old Catholic Archbishop Arnold Harris Mathew and through his Auxiliary Bishop Frederick Samuel Willoughby, the latter having been elected by the congregation and consecrated by Archibishop Mathew "to safeguard the Succession." That Apostolic Succession, through the Episcopal Synod of The LCC, has been carefully and canonically preserved in unbroken lineal descent from Bishops Mathew, Willoughby, and TLCC Founding Bishop James Ingall Wedgwood, through Second Presiding Bishop Charles W. Leadbeater, to the current Presiding Bishop Graham Wale and all the Bishops of the Episcopal Synod of the authentic and original Liberal Catholic Church.
- For an official list of Provinces of The Liberal Catholic Church, click HERE.
The Liberal Catholic Church Today
Bp. James I. Wedgwood
The Liberal Catholic Church is today, as it always has been, a world-wide Church, with congregations and Clergy in almost every country in the world. The world headquarters of the Church is maintained in London, England, where its archives are kept and under whose authority the official international journal, The Liberal Catholic, has been published for over 50 years under the direction of the Presiding Bishop. The publishing arm of The Liberal Catholic Church, the St. Alban Press, is established in Edinburgh (Scotland), Sydney (Australia) and Ojai, California (U.S.A.).
To overcome numerous language translation difficulties and problems in the many non-English speaking countries where The Liberal Catholic Church is established, the General Episcopal Synod unanimously voted during the Centennial Celebration to change the titles of the Presiding Bishop and the Regionary Bishop. In non-English speaking countries, the "Presiding Bishop" is now known as the translation which best represents the term Archbishop Primate. In English-Speaking countries, the term is "Presiding Archbishop." A Regionary Bishop is now known as Archbishop of [Province].
Important Information
To overcome numerous language translation difficulties and problems in the many non-English speaking countries where The Liberal Catholic Church is established, the General Episcopal Synod unanimously voted during the Centennial Celebration to change the titles of the Presiding Bishop and the Regionary Bishop. In non-English speaking countries, the "Presiding Bishop" is now known as the translation which best represents the term Archbishop Primate. In English-Speaking countries, the term is "Presiding Archbishop." A Regionary Bishop is now known as Archbishop of [Province].
Important Information
**NOTE:
Some groups, especially online, call themselves "Liberal Catholic," but only those churches that recognize the Most Rev. William Downey as Presiding Archbishop (Archbishop Primate) of the world-wide Liberal Catholic Church are part of the authentic and original Liberal Catholic Church as founded by Bp. James Ingall Wedgwood. See, also, "Being Liberal Catholic" at the tab, above.
Some groups, especially online, call themselves "Liberal Catholic," but only those churches that recognize the Most Rev. William Downey as Presiding Archbishop (Archbishop Primate) of the world-wide Liberal Catholic Church are part of the authentic and original Liberal Catholic Church as founded by Bp. James Ingall Wedgwood. See, also, "Being Liberal Catholic" at the tab, above.