 |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |
of the
Catholic Church of the Americas
As servants of the children of God, we are entrusted with the spiritual lives
and development of everybody who comes to us in need. This need takes
many forms. Our specific mission is to accept all in their diversity and
celebrate in their uniqueness as we provide sacraments and spiritual
guidance. We, to, at times, seek strength from those around us. Our lives
are enveloped in the centuries old customs and traditions of the Catholic
Church. As members of a newly developed branch of the Catholic Church,
we walk along the path as explorers and innovators with Christ as our Guide
and our brother and sister clergy as our companions. For this voyage, we
need directions to help us along our way. Let this policy handbook serve as
our directions and guideposts.
The following policies are taken from issues raised in the Vox Populi and
resulting from meetings of the Synod of Bishops, National Advisory Synod, or
other advisory bodies within the Catholic Church of the Americas.
Numbers in parentheses indicate the issue of the Vox Populi.
Your humble servant,
The Most Reverend Denis Armand Martel
Presiding Bishop
Catholic Church of the Americas
Diocese of St. Henriette Delille
1 September, 1998
a. Any member of the clergy or laity who chooses to affiliate with the CCA and
a mainline denomination must make that request to the diocesan bishop.
The diocesan bishop's decision is to be made on a case-by-case basis.
b. Members cannot dually affiliate with the CCA and another independent
Catholic Church.
(1) The same applies between the CCA and other independent
Catholic Churches with whom we are in official intercommunion.
2. Board of Trustees. (2) All parishes/ministries will elect and/or appoint a board
of trustees. This board will be primarily legally responsible for the parish. If
any real property is purchased, loans to be made, etc., this will be done by
the board of trustees. It is assumed that the board will be permanent
residents of the parish/ministry whereas clergy may come and go. Members
of the board of trustees must be members in good standing within the
parish/ministry.
3. Parish Councils. (2) All parishes will have parish councils whose primary
responsibility will be to run the parish on a regular basis in cooperation with
the pastor and other clergy. All major parish decisions will be made by this
council in consultation with the pastor. Pastors may veto decisions made by
this council.
4. PFPO. (2) All new diocesan clergy will be held accountable to the Pastoral
Formation Process for Ordination (PFPO).
5. Marriages. (2) Training for marriages must be in accordance with the
"Marriage within the CCA" as found in the CCA Handbook.
a. Marriages will be celebrated using white vestments. (1)
b. Same gender marriages are sanctioned. (1)
(1) These marriages are to be referred to as marriages and not unions.
(22)
6. Divorced clergy. (2) A person who has been legally divorced from one spouse
may still be eligible to become a member of the clergy of the CCA.
7. Monogamy. (1) The CCA clergy - if married or involved in a committed
relationship - are to be monogamous.
8. Tactile apostolic succession. (11) The CCA declares its belief that
Apostolic Succession, vested in the bishops and passed on by them in the
Sacrament of Holy Orders, is necessary for the licit and efficacious
celebrations of the Sacraments.
(2) All new clergy coming to the CCA already ordained in another
denomination but who was not ordained in tactile apostolic succession will
be apostolically received into the CCA by a laying on of hands, thus
conferring the sacrament of Holy Orders. This act will accept the
person's prior ordination into ministry but will sacramentally place that
person in apostolic succession.
9. Byzantine Rite.
a. Byzantine Rite. (1) Establishment of a Byzantine Rite in the diocese. This
rite will be separate from the Western Rite. They will have their own
canons, diocesan divisions, structure, calendar, etc. An apostolic
administrator will first be assigned until sufficient clergy have been
received at which time a bishop will be assigned.
b. Easter. (2) Any established Byzantine rite within the CCA is to celebrate
Easter at the same time as the Western Rite and not one week later as
is common in most Orthodox Churches.
c. Christmas. (2) Any established Byzantine Rite within the CCA is to
celebrate Christmas on December 25 rather than one week later as is
common in most Orthodox Churches.
d. Eastern Rite Name. (2) Any eastern Rite of our Diocese will be known
as the Byzantine Rite of the Diocese of St. Henriette Delille of the
Catholic Church of the Americas.
10. Hispanic Catholics. (2) a member of the diocese is to be appointed as
director for liaison with Hispanic Catholics.
11. Certificates.
a. Sacrament Certificates. (5) Certificates of sacraments should be given
out using the text of the sacrament certificates distributed by the office of
the diocesan bishop and contained in the CCA Handbook.
b. Ordination Certificates. (1) Ordination certificates will contain only the
signature of the primary ordaining bishop.
c. Commissioning certificates. (1) All clergy will receive a certificate
commissioning them to their particular parish/ministry. This certificate
will be signed by the ordinary under whom they will serve.
12. Marion Statement. (11) It is important to understand the development of the
Virgin Mary from a historical perspective, mainly focusing on the Roman
Church. During the Middle Ages, Christology taught that no one was worthy
to be in the presence of the consecrated Christ during Mass; furthermore, all
were unworthy to receive the Body and Blood of Christ unless they were in a
state of sanctifying grace when receiving Holy Communion. This led to the
separation of the action of the clergy from the laity; when altars were turned
from the people, when the people had very little participation in the Mass
other than to attend, when Eucharistic devotion became solely centered on
the consecrated bread and wine, when a language was used that was not the
typical language of the people, and other similar teachings that further
separated the Baptized from the action of the Mass. What happened when
Christ was distanced from the people? The people found another means to
form their salvation -- namely through Mary.
If one were to take many of the litanies dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary,
one would find that many characteristics that once were related to god now
were focused solely on Mary. In fact, as God was made to be more masculine
and powerful, Mary took on the feminine traits of God that were basically
associated with the Holy Spirit. This is how the Roman Church developed
heresies that eventually celebrated Mary as co-redeemer, dispenser of grace,
and other salvific actions that Christians attributed to God. Vatican II
attempted to eradicate some of the false teachings surrounding Mary, but in
recent years the right wing of the Roman Church has attempted to reestablish
Mary as co-redeemer, co-God.
It is important to understand first of all that Mary did have a very significant
role in the salvation of the world by Jesus Christ. Most Christian faiths accept
the fact that Mary is the earthly mother of Jesus, hence she is the first human
to experience the gift of God's presence through Jesus. It is questionable as
to the virginity of Mary after the birth of Christ because even Scripture gives
conflicting information, even with the little information given about Mary. From
a faith perspective, does it matter if Mary remained a virgin after the birth of
Jesus? Also, what is not clear, or has been ignored, is the Pentecost
experience. If the apostles through the faith experience of Pentecost
"understood" their role as priest, was Mary ordained a priest in the same
gathering? Why does Mariology not discuss the possible role of Mary as
priest instead of focusing solely on her role as mother? On Pentecost would
the power of the Spirit only affect the males present and ignore the female
present, especially since Scripture clearly states that Mary was present?
To best understand Mary's role is important to understand Easter. Simply
put, Christ came into the world to suffer, die, and rise so that all might have
new life and have the possibility of attaining everlasting life. Through our own
Baptism we have been called to die to our old selves and rise to become one
with Christ. The cycles of the Church year reflect this solemn mystery we
celebrate year after year which gives us hope in this new life. One of the best
examples of Mary's role in giving Christ to the world is through the icons used
in many Orthodox and Eastern Catholic celebrations. The icons never show
Mary looking directly at the viewer, but gently guiding the viewer to follow her
hands or eyes to the Christ Child or to Heaven. Mary's role is to help all to
find Christ, not to be a goddess herself. Another example of this is the
Roman feast of the Assumption of Mary; put in context with the Easter
celebration, the Assumption of Mary is no more than what we all confess as
part of the Nicene Creed: "we believe in the holy, catholic, apostolic church,
the forgiveness of sins and the resurrection of the body and life everlasting."
The feast of the Assumption of Mary is not meant to be a celebration of
Mary's accomplishments, but again it is a focus on the fulfillment of the Easter
Mystery fulfilled through Jesus Christ, her Son, and our possibility as children
of God to attain the same fulfillment.
To celebrate Mary, the Mother of God, makes sense when put in context of
the Easter Mystery. Outside the Easter Mystery, the celebration of Mary
alone could easily lead to idolatry, or the continuation of heretical teachings in
which the Roman Church historically found itself. Imagine, if Mary's purpose
in life was to focus attention solely to herself, why would she have accepted
the mission to be Mother of God?
The Catholic Church of the Americas regards the Immaculate Conception and
the Assumption of Mary as matters of individual devotion. They are neither
directly supported nor condemned by the Bible or the Ecumenical Creeds.
They are not necessary for salvation and belief in them is not part of what it
means to be Christian. However, unlike many Protestants, we find no reason
to prohibit such belief and often offer celebrations on these festivals for those
to whom they are important. It is left up to each parish/ministry -- through the
local clergy in communion with his/her parishioners -- to decide how these
feasts are celebrated.
13. Retreat. (6) Clergy members should attend one retreat per year.
14. Creedal Statement. (1) Our creedal stand will be that of the Nicene Creed,
Apostles' Creed, and Athanasian Creed.
15. Creed. (6) The following is to be used in the Creed: "We believe in the Holy
Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life, Who proceeds from the Father; who with the
Father and the Son, is worshiped and glorified, and has spoken through the
prophets."
16. Diocesan Patron. (6) St. Henriette Delille is the patron saint of the first
diocese of the CCA.
17 Monsignor. (1) Elimination of the title "canon" and replacement with the title
"Monsignor." Such a title of "Monsignor" is reserved for individuals who hold
offices whose responsibilities cross diocesan lines.
18. Lectionary. (1) The CCA will use the Roman Lectionary as the official
diocesan lectionary.
19. Oils. (1) Three oils will be used: chrism, the oil of the catechumens, and the
oil of the sick.
20. IDs. (1) All clergy will be issued identifications from the office of the bishop
stating that they are a priest or deacon with full faculties.
21. Ordinations.
a. The ordination ceremony will NOT contain the part which asks "If anybody
here knows of any reason why this person should not be ordained ..." (1)
b. Ordinations will be celebrated using white vestments. (1)
22. Diocesan Executive Team. (1) Establishment of a diocesan executive team
made up of all pastors, ministry administrators and one lay representative
from each parish/ministry.
23. Financial.
a. Financial Committee. (1) Establishment of a diocesan financial
committee made up of two clergy and two laity. People will volunteer on
this committee.
b. Assessments. (1) Parish/ministry assessments will be 10% -- 5% going
to the diocese and 5% going to the national church.
c. Monthly donation. (4) All applicants and clergy are to help support the
national church by sending $10.00 per month to the office of the
presiding bishop or his/her appointee.
24. Outdoor liturgies. (3) It is acceptable to offer liturgical services out of doors
(e.g., marriages, Eucharists, etc.).
25. Liturgical Calendar.
a. Advent color. (3) The liturgical color for the season of Advent is blue.
(1) Advent wreaths are to consist of three blue candles and one pink
candle. (4)
b. Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha (4) is declared a saint.
c. The Name of Jesus (4) is commemorated on January 1.
d. The feast celebrated on November 2 is called the Commemoration of All
Faithful Departed. (4)
e. Triumph of the Cross (3) is to be celebrated on Sept. 14.
f. Reformation Sunday (3) is to be maintained on the CCA Liturgical
Calendar.
26. Vox Populi. (4) It is mandatory for all CCA clergy to return and complete the
issue of the Vox Populi.
27. Care of Sick. (4) Until we develop and approve our own, we officially adopt
the use of the Roman Ritual of Pastoral Care of the Sick: Rites of Anointing
and Viaticum. (1983). NY: Catholic Publishing Co.
28. Dress.
a. Clerical collars. (4) Only bishops, priests and deacons are to wear
clerical collars.
b. Cassocks (4) are to be worn as part of a liturgical celebration and should
not be worn outside such events (e.g., traveling, etc.).
(1) (18) This does not apply to religious habits worn by CCA clergy who
belong to religious communities.
c. Maniples (4) are not to be used for vesting for the Mass or for any other
liturgical celebration.
29. Beliefs
a. Evangelization. (9) We see the variety of cultural and ethnic heritage,
and advances of science and technology and the affirmation of human
rights and dignity as fertile ground for the message of Christ, who
instructed the apostles to preach the Gospel to the whole world.
b. Birth control. (9) We recognize a woman's right to make decisions
concerning her own body and a couple's right to plan their families in a
responsible way.
c. Women in Ministry. (9) We affirm women as full and equal partners in
the life of the church.
d. Councils. (11) The CCA declares its beliefs in the normative decrees of
the Seven Ecumenical Councils of the undivided Church: the Council of
Nicea in 325; Constantinople in 381; Ephesus in 431; Chalcedon in 451;
Constantinople II in 533; Constantinople III in 680; and ending with Nicea
II in 787.
e. Identification. (11) Like the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches,
the CCA is an independent or autocephalous part of the "One, Holy,
Catholic, and Apostolic Church." Autocephalous meaning self-governing
and independent of other non-CCA jurisdictions. The CCA is One
because with its founder, Jesus Christ and His Mystical Body, is one with
all believers. The CCA is Holy because Christ is Holy and sanctifies the
Church by His continuing Presence in the sacraments and His Word.
The CCA is Catholic because, as a member of Christ's Mystical Body, it
is universal; and because it consciously links itself to the traditions and
practices of the historic church. The CCA is Apostolic because it is
linked to the faith, teachings and authority of the Apostles, both
sacramentally and historically, through the tactile apostolic succession of
the bishops and clergy.
f. Homosexuality. (11) Homosexuality is neither a sin nor an emotional
disorder and that loving gay unions are blessed with the sacrament of
Matrimony.
30. Meat on Fridays. (9) It is not mandated that members of the Catholic Church
of the Americas abstain from eating meat on Fridays during Lent.
31. Ecumenism. (19) In the spirit of ecumenism, the clergy of the CCA will not
refuse to celebrate the liturgy with any Catholic priest in apostolic succession.
This includes priests of the various independent Catholic communions,
Roman Catholic priests, Episcopal/Anglican priests and/or Orthodox priests.
32. Sainthood. (23) Any member of the CCA can make recommendation to the
Synod of Bishops as to the nomination of a person for sainthood to be added
to the CCA Calendar of Saints. Such nomination shall be accompanied with a
biography of the person. This biography will be distributed to the
church-at-large via the Vox Populi and the church-at-large will be asked to
approve or disapprove to the canonization of the person.
33. Funerals
a. Diocesan clergy. In the event of the death of a member of the clergy of a
particular diocese, the diocesan bishop will preside at the funeral.
b. Diocesan Bishop. In the event of the death of a diocesan bishop, the
presiding bishop will preside at the funeral. Replacement of the
diocesan bishop will be in accordance to CCA statutes.
c. Presiding Bishop. In the event of the death of a presiding bishop, the
acting Presiding Bishop will serve as presider at the funeral.
34. Participation in other denomination's celebrations. No member of the CCA
clergy may engage in any interdenominational celebration until the following
have been done: (1) seek input from the bishop in charge of ecumenical
relations, and (2) received permission from his or her diocesan bishop. CCA
clergy should investigate whether or not the theology and belief statements are
consistent with the CCA and present this information when seeking permission.
To participate in the activities of another denomination may appear to be an
approbation of their theology and belief statements. It is not necessary to go
through this procedure in regards to churches with which we have existing edicts
of intercommunion.
