AcsChurch.org Apostolic Catholic and Spiritual Church
Title
An Independent Old Catholic Church of the Utrecht Succession ACSCHURCH.ORG
Description
Excerpted from the website description:
- an online place for spirituality, prayer, meditation and congregation with a weekly online mass, daily prayer and weekly meditations.
Additional Information
The Apostolic Catholic and Spiritual Church (ACSC) is an Old Catholic Christian denomination. ACSC being an Old Catholic denomination largely holds similar theological beliefs and practices of the Roman Church. However like Anglicans and Old Catholics it is not in communion with the Roman Catholic Church. Along with Anglicans/Episcopalians and Old Catholic denominations, the groups were regarded as schismatic by the Vatican until John Paul II recognized the similarities and granted acceptance by his decree. (See The Historical Documents of Importance section on this website)
While the Apostolic Catholic and Spiritual Church shares many theological and moral teachings with the Roman Catholic Church, there are some key differences. The Church teaches that compassion and nonjudgementalism take precedence in regard to more difficult moral questions such as abortion, sexual orientation, divorce and remarriage, birth control and complex medical issues. The Church rejects what it deems ‘legalistic moral pronouncements’ regarding such issues. The Church strongly believes that issues are personal and must be dealt with by those involved and one must come to their own decisions through conscience effort and in union with God.
It teaches that one's faith in Jesus Christ along with an informed and enlightened conscience, molded on the Gospel principles of truth, justice, compassion and love, should be the ultimate motivating force in one's life. The Church teaches these principles with the individual person in mind and with respect for one's free will and dignity. That if one is living in the spirit of truth, one will be capable in deciding what is moral and what isn't, both in one's personal life and within society as a whole.
The Apostolic Catholic and Spiritual Church celebrates all seven Sacraments and adheres to essential Catholic doctrine as promulgated by the Second Vatican Council. The Church does not require its priests to be celibate, nor is the priesthood closed to women. Allowing the ordination of women, gays and lesbians along with both married/domestically partnered couples. All members of the clergy are required to support themselves through outside employment, although the church does provide small stipends for services as it can.
This church is fully Apostolic, Catholic, Gnostic as well as Spiritual and it belongs to the tradition of the Old Catholic Churches. It is in communion with many other Old Catholic and Anglican/Episcopalian Churches. Founded by Bishop Matthew A. Grimms, as the Old Catholic Church of India in 1890 in Southern India, the church is now based in the State of Washington, with affiliated member Churches in California, Nevada and New Mexico, as well as World Wide via the Internet. The Church is currently under the direction of its fifth Apostolic Bishop in succession from Bishop Grimms, to the presiding Arch-Bishop W. E. Haley, Ph.D., Th.D..
