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#1
04-27-2006, 10:48 AM
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Blessings to All
Hi Everyone!
I am an Independent Catholic priest living and ministering in the suburbs of Philadelphia, PA. I'm so grateful for Soulforce and for this community! As Independent Catholics, we share in the rich customs and tradition of Catholicism without being under the authority of Rome. Because of that, we can be fully welcoming and inclusive of our LGBT sisters and brothers. We are convinced that there is a place at the Table for everyone! Our tiny parish and Augustinian community will surely never compare in size to the Church of Rome, but we hope to create a welcoming home for all who have ever felt excluded from their faith community. Wish us luck and please, more than anything, remember us in your prayers! Your brother, Christopher FrChristopher@AugustiniansIHM.net http://www.VaticanFreeCatholics.net http://www.AugustiniansIHM.net 
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#6
04-29-2006, 10:12 AM
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Welcome, Christopher. I've heard of Independant Catholic clergy before, but know very little about them. Are you affiliated or familiar with that (Vancouver woman who became Canada's first female Roman Catholic Priest?
__________________
"Am I late? Did I miss any exposition? "- Willow
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#7
04-30-2006, 03:21 PM
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Welcome friend!
I've never heard of Independent Catholics before, but I like what I'm hearing! I'm happy to welcome you and very happy to hear you welcome us.
  Hope to hear more from you on the forums!
__________________
No government has the right to tell its citizens when or whom to love. The only queer people are those who don't love anybody. - Rita Mae Brown
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#8
05-01-2006, 11:20 AM
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Thank you!
Hi Everyone,
Thank you so much for the warm welcome! I'm very happy to help spread the word that not all Catholics are Roman, and that many branches of Catholicism embrace our LGBT sisters and brothers as full and equal members of the Church. Lydia, we have heard about and fully support Michele Birch-Conery's ordination in July on the St. Lawrence River. Although she will share in Apostolic Succession - which makes her ordination absolutely valid - she will most likely not find any Roman bishop willing to grant her faculties (authority to minister in the name of the Church). I know many Independent Catholic bishops, though, who would be overjoyed to welcome her to the priesthood and provide her with opportunities for ministry. One of the blessings of not being under the authority of Rome is that we can welcome women and LGBT Catholics to the priesthood. Independent Catholics represent only a small percentage of the total Catholic population in the world, but the Internet and organizations like Soulforce are helping us to spread the news that there is room at God's Table for everyone! Thank you again and know that I hold you all close to my heart every day in prayer! Your brother, Christopher
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#9
05-02-2006, 12:56 AM
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Welcome!
Welcome Christopher. It's great to have you here. I just joined last week and I find these folks to be a warm and friendly bunch. I'm sure you will too. I'm looking forward to hearing more about you and your church in the forums.
Rick
__________________
Out of the closet and into the streets!
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#11
05-03-2006, 07:22 PM
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Christopher-- now that's a name I could get used to
Christopher, welcome to our community. We have seen the Protestant
Reformation, with mixed results. I for one am awaiting the first fruits of the Catholic Reformation
__________________
"Christianity is not about what you believe, it is about how you treat other people; - with God's love"
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#12
05-05-2006, 03:29 PM
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Independent Catholics and Anglicans/Orthodox
Quote:
For instance, some Independent Catholics are very traditional and reject the reforms of the Second Vatican Council. Others, like us, are very liberal and fully inclusive of our LGBT brothers and sisters, ordain women, and give clergy the option to marry. We also celebrate the Sacrament of Matrimony for same-sex couples. Our particular church follows the exact same liturgy as the Roman Catholic Church, so a visitor probably wouldn't notice any difference. Again, there is diversity, with some other congregations celebrating Mass only in Latin. So, to answer your question, each Independent Catholic church is a separate body within Catholicism, similar to but not the same as the Anglicans or the Orthodox. We remain fully Catholic in belief and worship, and we are able to be fully inclusive now. We pray that other denominations, like the Anglicans and Orthodox (and even the Church of Rome!) will someday reach that point, but so far, it is an unfulfilled dream. Thanks for the welcome and God bless you! Christopher
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Hey Christopher
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