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A Liberal Catholic Perspective...


LORD, FORGIVE THEM, FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO.

The unfortunate recent pronouncements by the Roman Church, which have torpedoed
ecumenical relations back to the stone age point up the vital importance of
keeping politics out of The Church.

Whenever and wherever politics and spirituality mix, spirituality is compromised
and greatly degraded.

There is Great Wisdom in the complete separation of Church and State.

The original degradation of The Church occurred around 325 when Constantine rose
to power and made Christianity the "Official" religion of the State.

While political uniformity is efficient for running a government it is not the
same with the organization of The Church.

He imposed the Roman model of government on the Church, a type of structure
heretofore alien and unknown to the Christian Community.

From this autocratic structure there eventually evolved an Imperialistic and
Monarchial Church heirarchy.

Before 325 and Constantines' usurpation of Christianity there were many many
different expressions of The Faith all equally accepted.

The Twelve Apostles were all unique personalities and each gave the Teachings
and Message he recieved from Jesus Christ according to his unique understanding
of it.

So different expressions of the One Faith were existing side by side.

The Apostle Mark went to Egypt and from His work there, the Coptic Church arose.

The Apostle Thomas went to India and from His work there, the Mar Thoma
Christian Church arose.

Origin and Clement of Alexandria gave yet another expression of Christian
teaching, as did John Scotius Erigina and many other learned Doctors of The
Church.

The Apostles were consecrated and commissioned by Jesus Christ "In Collegiam."
that is ALL WERE EQUAL.

The term that Jesus used "Thou Art Petros"did NOT refer to and single out the
individual Apostle Peter as the Leader.

Jesus was using the plural term meaning that the Teaching and the Message which
He gave to the Apostles was to be the Rock, the bedrock or foundation upon which
His Church was to be built.

These Teachings are referred to as The Christian Deposit of Faith, or the
Magisterium of Jesus Christ.

We can see how politically convenient it was for Constantine and his political
henchmen to distort this for their political advantage, making the Apostle Peter
as the "Supreme Apostle."

This is a distortion and delusion that the Roman Church has been compounding for
centuries to their advantage. We all know how egoistic power mongering does not
want to recognize and let go of obvious errors.

One distortion of Truth must also lead to others in order to attempt to justify
the original untruth.

So when the Roman Church refers to "The Magisterium." it is NOT referring to the
True Magisterium of Jesus Christ, they are referring to a blind loyalty to the
Institution of The Roman Church.

The Original and True Magisterium of Jesus Christ, ( The Christian
Deposit of Faith ) deals with...

The Special Spiritual Power of the Apostles (Bishops) and Special Teachings
regarding the Origin, Nature, and Destiny of Humankind, and of the Cosmos.

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The Teaching is divided into two sections.

Section I

The Incarnation

The Passion

The Crucifixion

The Resurrection

The Ascension

The Redemption

Section II

God

Christ

The Incarnation & The Church

Sin

Atonement

Ethics

The Communion Of Saints

The End (The Finality)

Death

Revelation & Authority

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The "Original and True Magisterium" which Jesus Christ bequeathed to the Twelve
Apostles centered on these basic themes only. 

There was no dogma, no intellectualism, no rules and regulations, no
politicization or party line to follow.

At their consecration and commissioning by Jesus Christ, the Apostles received
directly from Jesus spiritual powers and a direct and implicit intuitive insight
and understanding, a gnosis of these teachings. 

There was no intellectualizing, rationalizing or theology, but a Direct
Theosophia, a "KNOWING."

Many things regarding the teachings of the Apostles cannot be verbalized or
adequately articulated in words.The "knowing" itself cannot be verbalized.

St. Paul makes continual reference in his writings to "things of which I cannot
speak." Not that he was under any prohibition from speaking, but simply because
the gnosis of the teachings cannot be adequately verbalized. 

Other means of communication must be used to deploy the understanding,
i.e.ritual, ceremony, symbols, signs, and enactment.

This is a very brief overview of the true and original magisterium of Jesus
Christ.

It is very important that we understand this because the term "Magisterium of
The Church" as it is used in the Roman Church today has deviated from this
understanding. 

Their use of this term refers to a loyalty to the institution of the Roman
Church and not to the "True Teachings" or "Deposit of Faith" of Jesus Christ.

It is also very unfair and NOT accurate to say that the Protestant Churches are
"not churches." Who can cast blame on People of Integrity attempting to reform a
corrupt and distorted church?

While it is unfortunate that many Protestant Churches have lost the Apostolic
Succession and hence the Catholic Sacramental Powers, they do have legitimate
claim to be heirs of and part of Christian Tradition.

There has never been a time or place in recorded history since the historical
time of Jesus where people have not been "Meeting In Christs' Name".

The Protestant Churches carry on and forward this Christian Tradition. From a
Catholic standpoint they just do not have the Fullness of Christian Tradition.

The Orthodox Churches may be justly proud of having maintained their integrity
and independence from Constantine and Roman domination, and their Fidelity to
the True Magisterium of Jesus Christ.

Beginning with the unfortunate denigration of Islam to the recent pronouncements
This Pope is determined to demonstrate that he is no John the 23rd, or John Paul
2nd. He has cast a dark cloud which is looming over the Church intending to
plummet the Church into the abysmal dark ages before Vatican II. Anyone who does
not see this must either be blind or in denial.

We have respect and deep empathy for our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters to
which all of this must be very bewildering and confusing. They have no option
but to blindly follow these dictatorial pronouncements if they are to maintain
"Good Faith."

What many people do not understand, and of course the Roman Church will never
freely admit is that there IS AUTHENTIC & LEGITIMATE CATHOLICISM outside of
Rome.

There is documented evidence, not just heresay. When confronted with documented
facts the Roman Lawyers are very clever and adept at rhetorical doublespeak and
dancing the "twostep."

I mean, really, who actually believes that the current Roman Pontiff is at all
concerned with Ecumenical Relations? Anyone who looks honestly and clearly at
these issues is bound to agree with the Dane,Hans Christian Anderson when he
says:

"The Emperor Has No Clothes" (1).


(1)Ref

http://
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Emperor's_New_Clothes


+ Father Bill Delahunt


[ Father Delahunt has been a part of the Liberal Catholic Movement for the past
35 years and actively involved in Interfaith & Ecumenical Affairs for the past
20 years. He is currently Rector of Church of St.Raphael Archangel,
Liberal Catholic, Orlando, Florida]


LiberalCatholicChurch@...
http://www.lcc-orlando.org


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