An open and affirming community of faith
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Our History
We are a growing community of faith which finds unity in the recognition and celebration of the diversity we have. We are an eclectic group of believers who know we will never have all the answers, but take great delight in asking the questions. Our ministries include both parishes as well as individual ministries so typical of members in Religious Orders. These individual ministries include: Hospice Care, Ethic Ministries, Street Ministries - Homeless persons, as well as those involved in Counseling and Physiological Therapy activities. Our parish locations serve as the spiritual centers, not only for worship, but for many active ministries, not only enriching our common lives together, but also reach out to the surrounding community. We reach out to the GLBT community and those who are divorced and remarried particularly those with a Roman Catholic (Western - Latin Rite) tradition of faith, the unchurched and all in search of God.
The second major epoch commenced from the time of the First Vatican Council during the 1860's. Pope Pius IX had previously proclaimed as "dogma", the opinion that the Blessed Virgin Mary had never been stained by Original Sin; hence her Immaculate Conception. Furthermore, Pope Pius IX advocated the promulgation of the "dogma" of Papal Infallibility, which was officially proclaimed in 1869, at that Council.
Our Succession The American Catholic Church Diocese of California's understanding of the Church is based upon the principle, attested to in the Canons and Tradition of the Primitive Church, that each local community of the Faithful, gathered around Her Bishop and celebrating the Eucharist, is the local realization of the whole Body of Christ. "Where Christ is, there is the Catholic Church," (Ignatius of Antioch, c. AD 100). In the office of the Bishop is the fullness of the priesthood; the presbyter (priest) and deacon have the right to exercise only a portion of the Bishop's responsibilities and duties--they cannot function at all unless they are canonically subject to a Catholic and Orthodox Bishop (from whom they derive their rights, powers and responsibilities and to whom they are accountable). Regarding sacramental validity of the Holy Orders of Churches not in communion with the Roman Catholic Pontiff, it is to be noted that Pope Leo XIII, in the Bull Apostolicae Curae (1896), stated that, where an appropriate Sacramental minister performs the sacramental ritual using the correct matter and form, with no appearance of jest or simulation, he is presumed with moral certainty to have acted validly. It is also to be noted that proper matter of the Sacrament of Holy Orders is considered to be "a properly disposed person" and we employ the ritual of the Roman Church in her ordinations thereby ensuring proper form. We therefore share the same Apostolic Succession and Catholicity in essentials, albeit in some areas, dissenting concerning matters of conscience. If it is important to you, be assured that the Rome Catholic Church and the Orthodox Churches recognize the validity of our Sacraments. This is clearly oblivious from the citations below: At the Vatican on 16 June 2000, Pope John Paul II ratified and ordered the publication of "Dominus Iesus." This Declaration of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith was signed and published by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) in August of the same year. In "Dominus Iesus" the Vatican states in part, "The Churches which, while not existing in perfect communion with the [Roman] Catholic Church, remain united to her by means of the closest bonds, that is, by Apostolic Succession and a valid Eucharist, are true particular Churches. "Therefore, these separated Churches and communities as such ... have by no means been deprived of significance and importance in the mystery of salvation. For the Spirit of Christ has not refrained from using them as means of salvation which derive their efficacy from the very fullness of grace and truth entrusted to the Catholic Church. "Therefore, the Church of Christ is present and operative also in these Churches, even though they lack full communion with the [Roman] Catholic Church..." IV. Unicity and Unity of the Church, 17 We therefore share the same Apostolic Succession and Catholicity in essentials, albeit in some areas, dissenting concerning matters of conscience. If it is important to you, be assured that Rome and the Orthodox Church recognizes the validity of our Sacraments. For a full detail of our Apostolic Succession, please follow this link.
Purpose The church reaches out to believers in Christ and those who are searching for the truth through knowing Christ. We actively seek out and are open to people called by God to be part of his church. There are no limits placed on the members of our church except to accept Christ and follow the beliefs of our church found in the Creed and as explained in the church councils through the ages. Revealed truths are found in Cannon law as well and the great writers of theology. We stress the personal responsibility of each person in knowing God and acting according to God's will as has been revealed to the church through the ages. Our members are to understand it is their personal responsibility to know God and for their own action throughout life. We know we are all sinners but we also know that Jesus came to earth and became man to save us from our sins and give us the promise of heaven. If any or all of this appeals to you, please come and visit us at your convenience, or call us with any questions at (619) 295-4198. |
Toward the end of the 16th Century, a
conflict between sovereign states in Europe and the Roman See;
the Vatican erupted, thus creating two opposing views with
reference to the relationship between bishops and the Papacy.
The first position stated that national churches have certain
rights within the framework of the Papacy, such as electing of
Bishops with approval of the Vatican. The second view maintained
that the Pope is supreme in all local churches since he the
Vicar of Christ on earth; local bishops are but the vicars of
the Pope in each diocese. Chief advisors to the Pope began to
question the loyalty of the Church of Utrecht, Holland, which
had always elected its own Archbishop. The real issue was the
right of national churches to administer their own affairs
without hindrance from the Vatican. Pope Benedict XIII
eventually deposed Archbishop Codde of Utrecht and replaced him.
As a result, the Dutch Church broke communion with Rome and has
maintained a separate existence since1727. It is from the Church
of Utrecht that the American Catholic Church Diocese of
California derives her
apostolic succession.