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OPEN COMMUNION
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The Liberal Catholic Church came into being in order that people, who insist upon complete freedom of belief in their search for truth, could have free access to the traditional Catholic Sacraments, without having to pay lip service to creeds or dogmas to which they could not honestly and wholeheartedly subscribe. It was the only Church having the valid Apostolic Succession of Holy Orders, and therefore dispensing valid Catholic Sacraments, which welcomed to Holy Communion all reverent people of whatever denomination or religion - or of none.
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PHILOSOPHY
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The Liberal Catholic Church makes no specific demands as to belief on the part of any of its members - simply a willingness to worship together, with use of a common Liturgy, in a spirit of brotherhood. This does not imply that the Church has no philosophy which it holds to be true. It has a definite Doctrine, which it teaches, but it does not insist on the acceptance of this Doctrine, holding that since it is true, all men will one day come to see its truth, thereby ordering their lives accordingly. It advocates that "a truth is not a truth for a man, nor revelation until he sees it to be true for himself." Candidates for the Priesthood are selected from among men who have, through their own study and intuition, arrived at a general acceptance of its philosophy as expressed in its official Summary of Doctrine.
This philosophy postulates the existence of God manifesting as the creative Trinity - of man sharing the divine life and nature, therefore himself eternal, destined to attain a glorious state of godlike perfection. Man evolves through repeated earthly experiences (reincarnation) under the perfect divine law of absolute justice (karma) whereby each individual inevitably reaps the fruits of all his thoughts, feelings and actions, good or bad, life after life. Death is followed by a time of readjustment during which the soul frees itself from any attachment to evil and reaps the reward of its good deeds in a heaven of happiness. Realising at length the need for more earthly experience, in order to evolve further towards its goal of perfection, the soul reincarnates. Its new body and life circumstances reflect both what it has earned and what it has learned in preceding lives.
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RELIGIOUS OUTLOOK
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The Liberal Catholic Church holds that Christ established the Christian religion, not to condemn earlier religions as erroneous, but to give it new impetus to evolving humanity, in particular to inculcate a greater realisation of human brotherhood and mutual responsibility. He established His sacramental system in order that He might be able to give fuller and more direct personal help and inspiration to mankind. The Liberal Catholic Church maintains that He wants the widest use to be made of His gifts - hence our open Communion. The Church further advocates that through the celebration of the Eucharist in a spirit of joy and gladness, and with the wholehearted participation of both priest and congregation, aided by the Angelic Host, a tremendous wave of quickening and spiritual inspiration can be spread abroad, over the whole community. Believing that this aspect of the Eucharist is one which the Lord wishes emphasised for his wider work, it is one of the primary facets of Liberal Catholic worship.
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THE HOLY EUCHARIST
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To this end the Liturgy of the Eucharist was revised to eliminate all expressions of fear, of supposed divine wrath, as well as any ideas of God that are contrary to the loving Father taught by Jesus.
The Liberal Catholic service is one of joy, of hope and gladness, expressed by both priest and people in a highly congregational form of worship. The Church maintains that people in a highly congregational form of worship. The Church maintains that transubstantiation is a fact; that in the act of Consecration the natural inner life or dubstance of the bread and wine is swept aside and replaced by the living vitality of Christ Himself - though the outward physical matter of bread and wine remains unchanged. This Christ Life present in the Host enters each communicant, quickening his spiritual nature and making him for the time being a shining spiritual sun among men. Wherever the Blessed Sacrament is reserved, that radiance continues to shine over the world around, and may be called upon for help and blessing by anyone. Many feel this influence when entering a church where the Host is reserved.
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CHURCH GOVERNMENT
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The government of the Church is hierarchical, but it is a government by the consent of the governed. Spiritual authority, in matters spiritual rests with the whole body of bishops acting as a college, known as the General Episcopal Synod. This includes the administration of the Sacraments, the promulgation of Liturgy and Ritual, Statement of Principles and Summary of Doctrine, and also the Canon Law. As far as practical, all maters of business, finance and property are placed in the hands of elected representatives of the membership. The Synod operates under the chairmanship of its elected Presiding Bishop, whose actions are always subject to its approval. New bishops are selected and consecrated by the Synod. Appointments of bishops to Provincial or Diocesan authority are made by the Synod with the approval of the subordinate clergy. Appointment of clergy to a parish is by mutual agreement between the parish and the responsible bishop. The Synod is the final Court of Appeal in all matters concerning the Church and its clergy.
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