Celtic Catholics?

[Kaily]

Can someone explain to me who and what are Celtic Catholics? Do they have true apostolic Succession, are they in union with Rome, etc…? Please send me a link or anything you know about them, can they validly consecrate the host, etc…?

God Bless

 

[Roman_Catholic_1]

Did a search and found this:

celtic-catholic-church.org/index2.html

And this from their FAQ:

Is your Church affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church?

No, we are not a part of the Church of Rome at all, and are not under the jurisdiction of the Pope.

But what’s the difference?

We were created among a rural, tribal, family-centered people, not an urbanized, state-centered population. Consequently, we have never had any sort of hierarchy inherited from a imperial bureaucracy. Therefore, there is no solid structure above the local Church with its bishop/abbot and his spiritual family. In other words, no Pope, no Vatican. This has its plus side and its minus side, but it is how God formed us.

We also have never had any illusion that we are the one and only true Church. The Romans naturally felt that they were, since they occupied the entire “known world.” If it wasn’t part of the Empire it just did not matter. A very understandable position. But we, off in our corner of the globe (literally the corner of what was known to exist) never thought that we were anything special: just us, doing our best to obey God’s will, and please just let us do that in peace, thank you very much.

 

[brotherhrolf]

This Catholic of Celtic ancestry (Irish, Scot, and Breton) doesn’t know

 

[brotherhrolf]

This Catholic of Celtic ancestry (Irish, Scot, and Breton) thinks that this group knows little of the sufferings of our Celtic ancestors for HMC and cares even less. They obviously have never heard of the Synod of Whitby which ended the division between the Irish church established by St. Patrick and the Anglo-Saxon church which was in contact with Rome.

Basically what these folks are maintaining is that there was an underground or “hedge” church in Ireland which continued the “traditions” of St. Patrick while the Danes, Normans, English, and Scot Protestants did their due in Ireland. This is nothing less than retro-history - might as soon say you are descended from the Church of Atlantis.

They confuse Celtic spirituality with the idea of a church. There is without a doubt a Celtic spirituality - one need only look at the poetry of the various eras. There are numerous CDs and books available on Celtic spirituality - some are new age “the Anam Chara movement” started by an Irish Catholic priest who later left the priesthood and then there’s a whole bunch of stuff from Scotland which is the Presyterians discovering their Catholic roots.

My ancestors came from County Cork in Ireland and they were firmly Roman Catholic when they came to America. My Scot ancestors came through Glasgow from the highlands and were firmly Roman Catholic (which is quite remarkable). My Breton ancestors came from Brittany and became Acadian (Cajuns) and some came through the port of Bordeaux and they were firmly Roman Catholic. Three countries, three peoples and nary a one EVER said anything about a Celtic Church. This is wishful thinking in the extreme.

 

[scapularkid8]

They’re kind of a sect of their own. Not Catholic (because they’re not in Communion w/ Rome) and not Anglican (since they are in the Anglican area). It’s weird. Debates have been going for centuries as to whether Ireland has it should become it’s own Rite or whether it should stay Latin Rite. There are those, of course, who would like to just make up their own thing and go with that (i.e. the website mentioned above!).

Go to www.catholicireland.net. They are the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland.

 

[FCEGM]

Can someone explain to me who and what are Celtic Catholics? Do they have true apostolic Succession, are they in union with Rome, etc…? Please send me a link or anything you know about them, can they validly consecrate the host, etc…?

God Bless

Kaily, the latest issue (Nov. 2006) of THIS ROCK magazine has a very good article on this - or a varient of it, Celtic Orthodoxy. Unfortunately, it’s not yet available online, but keep checking here:

catholic.com/thisrock/2006/2006_ann.asp

In short, though, the “Celtic Catholics” are only one branch of those who claim some sort of independent Christianity arose in the British Isles and Ireland; there are also “Celtic Anglicans”, and “Celtic Orthodox”. Each is based on the untenable theory of Joseph of Arimethea coming to Britain to establish Christianity. The writer of the article makes the point that “The first Christians in Britain. . .were Roman Christians.”

 

[scapularkid8]

I practice Celtic Christianity, but that’s just a spiritual way of looking at things. I didn’t need to split from the Pope to do it! Those individuals seem sadly mistaken.