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The Constitution and Canons of the Communion of Conciliar Catholic

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The Constitution and Canons of the Communion of Conciliar Catholic The Constitution and Canons of the Communion of Conciliar Catholic Churches ® The Constitution and Canons of the ® Communion of Conciliar Catholic Churches Table of Contents Article I: The Communion of Conciliar Catholic Churches® 2 Article II: The Conciliar CatholicTM Faith 4 Article III: Liturgy and Sacraments 12 Article IV: Membership 22 Article V: Polity of the Communion 33 Article VI: Ordination and Incardination 40 Appendix A: Founding Member Faith Communities and Signature 43 The Constitution and Canons ® of the Communion of Conciliar Catholic Churches ® ARTICLE I: THE COMMUNION OF CONCILIAR CATHOLIC CHURCHES 1.1 The Communion of Conciliar Catholic Churches® (the “Communion”) is part of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church through the Apostolic Succession of its bishops, its sacramental life, and it upholding of the Catholic Faith and Tradition. It is a duly incorporated non-profit religious denomination, organized and comprised of Foundational Members, Member Jurisdictions, Member Faith Communities as defined herein (collectively referred to as “Member Communities”) and all the People of God who belong to those Member Communities (“Members”) from all nations that agree to unite and covenant themselves to God and each other through the Constitution and the Canons contained herein. The Conciliar Catholic Church® is a permanent and Foundational Member of the Communion. 1.2 The Communion of Conciliar Catholic Churches® is headed and governed by Our Lord and Redeemer Jesus, who we believe to be the Christ, the Messiah, and the Savior of the world. We believe that in Christ’s life, suffering, death, and resurrection, testified to in the Gospels, prefigured and foretold of in the Hebrew Scriptures, and explained pastorally in the Christian Scriptures, we find a Way of living that leads us to our fullest potential as Children of God, full union with God (“divinization”), and wholeness of being, to God’s glory. We believe the Gospels are divinely inspired testimonies to not only the life of Christ, but also to a life in Christ and that they record God’s ultimate commandments to us; to love one another as God has loved us and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Therefore, we believe that all authority, rules, regulations, constitutions and canons must reflect the Gospel in word and deed. 1.3 The Communion of Conciliar Catholic Churches® is governed by this Constitution that is overseen and implemented in a conciliar way by the College of Bishop, the College of Laity, and the College of Clergy, together the Holy Synod and together, comprises the Supreme Authority of this Communion and the Church. This Constitution is an expression of how our denomination is to be organized and sets forth the core statements of the Conciliar CatholicTM Faith. Each Member and Member Community shall comply with the Constitution and execute its rules so as to properly reflect and proclaim the teachings and the Gospel message of Christ to the world as Conciliar CatholicsTM. 1.4 All Constitutional and Canonical interpretation must be done in the light of the Gospel and shall be given the broadest interpretation in order to reflect the broadness of God’s love, mercy, justice, and hospitality found in the expanded arms of Christ on the Cross. The initial agreement to this Constitution shall be made by the signatures of the Foundational Members as set forth in Appendix A. Thereafter and after the initial seating of the members of all three Colleges so as to form the Holy Synod, all changes to this Constitution, will require full unanimous assent by all three Colleges (the College of Bishops, the College of Laity, and the College of Clergy), each College having one vote toward any such Constitutional changes. 1.5 The Communion of Conciliar Catholic Churches® believes that all persons are created in the Divine Image of God and should be loved and valued as God loved and valued humanity by sending Jesus, the Christ, to redeem us and restore us to this image. St. Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, wrote in his letter to the Galatians that “in Christ there is no longer Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female” (Gal 3:28). Every person, therefore, who is baptized in Christ, is an equal member of the Body of Christ, regardless of their sex, race, sexual orientation, or any other label the world has given them for they are now made all One in Christ Jesus. We, therefore, require that all Members and Member Communities shall make the Church and the Sacraments (the outward expressions of divine grace given to us by God) available to all persons, and principally to Members, who are adequately prepared to receive them. 1.6 The Communion of Conciliar Catholic Churches® embraces fully the Catholic Apostolic Tradition with regard to matters of faith as most fully set forth in the Creeds. The Communion believes that the Creeds are the fullest expression of the Catholic faith that was “believed at all places and at all times by all the world.” With regard to the Apostolic Tradition in matters of discipline, the Communion believes that these have been altered over time for various reasons and in response to various historical and socio-political environmental contexts and, therefore, are only applicable if they express the Gospel Mandate. With regard to the Apostolic Traditions around the Sacraments, we agree that there are at least seven that have been practiced over time, if not more, but that these seven are to be practiced within the Communion: Baptism, Holy Eucharist, Reconciliation, Confirmation, Holy Orders, Marriage, and Anointing of the Sick. 1.7 The Communion of Conciliar Catholic Churches® embraces a Trinitarian ecclesiology and a Conciliar polity. The Communion’s governance calls for an integrated relationship and participation among the three voices of laity, clergy, and bishops, all functioning together, though each having authority over their respective roles as delineated herein and in adherence with this Constitution. We adhere to the principle “in essentials unity, in non-essentials diversity, and in all things charity.” We affirm that the “essentials” of our Catholic faith are defined under this Constitution and that they are essential to our unity. As such, no Member Jurisdiction, Member Faith Community, Member, Bishop, Ordinary, clergy, or laity that belong to Members may change, alter, or disregard any of the provisions set forth in this Constitution or any subsequent changes made to it by unanimous decision of the Holy Synod. All Member and Member Faith Communities, agree to accede and to have their respective bylaws, canons, and/or rules accede to this Constitution. 1.8 The Holy Synod will meet once every 6 years unless any one of the Colleges’ requests a Special Synod to be called for extraordinary circumstances to be presented to the other College’s for agreement. If all three Colleges agree to meet earlier, then an extraordinary Synod will be called by the Administrative Bishop within six months of the communication of the unanimous decision. ARTICLE II: THE CONCILIAR CATHOLIC TM FAITH 2.1. STATEMENTS OF FAITH: The following Statements of Faith are binding on all Members and Member Communities of the Communion. 2.2. THE AUTHORITY OF THE CHURCH is fully revealed in the person and teaching of Jesus the Christ, the Incarnate Son of God, through the Apostolic Tradition, the Holy Scriptures, and the Liturgy and Sacraments of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. The Church is the Body of Christ and must follow the Gospel Mandate of the Christ. The Authority of this Church is set forth in this Constitution as entrusted and executed through each College’s areas of authority by way of the Holy Synod. The Holy Synod is the gathering of the College of Bishops, the College of Laity, and the College of Clergy and must exercise its powers within their own parameters, the Gospel Mandate of our Lord, and this Constitution. 2.3 THE CHURCH: The Church is comprised of all followers of Jesus the Christ, joined together with Him and each other through the Sacrament of Baptism, also referred to as the Body of Christ. The Church is entrusted with continuing the saving work of Christ in the world through the proclamation of the Gospel in word and deed and the celebration of the Sacred Mysteries which are called the Sacraments. The Church is found in this Communion and each local community through its Bishops. 2.4 APOSTOLIC TRADITION: a. We believe that the Apostolic Tradition is the unbroken oral and written transmission of the teachings of Christ and the Apostles. b. We believe that the Apostolic Tradition with regard to the Catholic Faith is enunciated fully in the Creeds and is a written memorialization of our faith that was believed “everywhere, always, by all”1 and is the only definitive memorialization of such. c. We believe and accept the Niceno-Constantinopolitan, Athanasian and Apostles’ Creeds as the foundational statements of the Catholic faith. We believe and accept the Trinitarian and Christological dogmas contained therein; that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, and that Jesus was both true God and true human and that God is appropriately referred to in the Trinitarian formula as “Father, Son and Holy Spirit.” (i) These creedal statements are to be understood and taught so that each generation may understand that this is the basis of our Catholic faith. 1 Vincent of Lérins, Commonitory ch. II, §6; NPNF Series II Vol. XI p. 132 (ii) The use of vernacular translations and gender-inclusive language that do not constitute substantive changes to these faith statements of the creed are herein authorized. In liturgy, the communal voice may be used in saying the creed.
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