Several things I have heard recently have caused me to reflect more on what it means to be within the Holy Church. Recent news of the Roman-former Anglicans provision for unity touches on the issue. That said, I see two aspects to being within the Church:
Union within the Church and under the Church’s Bishops:
I recently read a post by the Rev. Canon Chandler Holder Jones at Philorthodox in Notes on Holy Orders wherein he says:
Most Continuing Churches follow the historically Augustinian-Western approach to this subject. I should deem the practice of some other Continuing Churches, the Polish National Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodoxy to be Cyprianic in origin.
The whole issue of orders and belonging was covered extremely well, some time ago, in a post on the Cyprianic understanding of Holy Orders at Ad Orientem in Once a Priest , Always a Priest? (Thanks to the Young Fogey for the link to this). I recommend those interested in the theological difference between the Cyprianic and Augustinian understandings of Holy Orders read it.
To have Orders and to be a deacon, priest, or bishop requires that you be within the Church. Simply said, we have to be agnostic about what occurs outside the Church. Certainly we could use the cudgel of “without grace” for those outside the Church, as some online pundits do, but it is really an unnecessary exercise. All we can know for sure is that those within the Church, who have unity with its structure and Bishops, most particularly its priests, are only able to do what they say they are doing while they are in the Church under their Bishop. We are within the Church as long as we are grafted onto the Church — part of Her. If we are deposed and outside we might as well be cave men, satanists, or witch doctors — what we say is void of meaning and affect apart from the Church. Same words and actions as mimicry — no affect.
In the PNCC the issue arises from time to time in those who were formally of the clergy and who have been formally deposed. The case of Mr. Tomasz Rybka, a former priest in Poland is a case-in-point as are folks like Robert Mary Clement of the American Catholic Church or Ramzi Musallam of the Arabic Catholic Church (I won’t link to them, Google if you wish, the same vagante type stuff you see everywhere) and a few others. In the end all we can say is that whatever those outside the Church do, say, or suspect they do — regardless of the ritual used — is of no account.
The first aspect of being within the Church is an outward sign of unity, being part of the Church under the authority of its Bishops. That is a sure guarantee of the Holy Spirit’s outpouring for our lives and the life of the Church.
Unity of belief:
This one is touchier because it requires intellectual and spiritual honesty. You can pull-off of a total lack of belief in what the Church says and believes without any outward sign you are doing so. You can lie to yourself, to your wife, children, Bishop, and to God. To be within the Church however requires that you bring yourself into unity with what the Church believes; that you square your beliefs with the Church’s requirementsBecause the Church is infallible in what it teaches on Faith and Belief..
For those raised in the PNCC this is really no problem. They have had consistent and constant teaching in what the Church believes. That becomes part of them. Lifelong PNCC members have been catechized in accord with the beliefs of the Church. They don’t trip over things like the Pope (most don’t give the issue a second thought), the creed (proceeds from the Father), unheard of dogmas (Immaculate Conception, Assumption, Papal Infallibility), original sin, an understanding of Orders, scholasticism, phony homiletic constructs (every homily has to tie to the Eucharist, to a pro-life message, etc.), how the sacraments are “counted,” heaven, hell, the intermediate state, the Church’s infallibility (not one man’s), or differing Solemnities.
Former Roman Catholics, I am among them, had to trip and fall over these things. Getting there is not an overnight process and it definitely requires a conscious effort at stripping out belief systems pounded into our heads in R.C. schools, confraternity classes, and most particularly Roman seminary. It isn’t easy and takes time, but unless one is focused on being a member of, priest or deacon in, the PNCC you cheat yourself and all the members of the Church. More than that, I believe that you put yourself outside the Church in being less than faithful to It.
The PNCC welcomes everyone with open arms and speaks ill of no one who finds they must follow Jesus in another way, but if you wish to stay — if you wish to be honest with yourself and the Holy Church – with the Holy Spirit — you must purpose yourself to learn about, believe, and profess what the Church professes.
It is a huge fallacy to compare the PNCC to the Roman Church and to say: ‘We are the same except…” I used to do that. I don’t anymore. Former R.C. members of the Church carry in a lifetime of learned beliefs and in many ways they do not match with the PNCC. Can a person transition? Absolutely! I’ve done it and I’ve seen wonderful former Roman Catholics, including priests, who have committed to the honesty that change requires.
For those considering the PNCC, know that through the process of learning, which takes time and patience, you find the beauty and joy lifelong PNCC members know. You can bring yourself into unity of belief. PNCC members are open to teaching you about the PNCC’s beliefs, its prayers, its Solemnities, and Our way of life
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Bringing it together:
What is necessary is honesty on entering the Church. Honestly know that we are not Roman nor a subset of anyone else. Know that we ascribe to no dogmasDogmas are created in response to heresy. None of those dogmas, created in Rome, was a response to any heresy regarding the holy, even blessed Mother Mary. The issue of Papal infallibility was in response to the ever decreasing worldly power of the Pontiffs. invented in the past few hundred years. Know that we have our own way of life which you can be a part of. Honestly know that to be within the Church requires outward unity with your Bishop and inward honesty in believing and professing what THIS Church believes and professes.
