The Catholic Apostolic National Church
Who We Are…
The Catholic
Apostolic National
Church is a community of
Christians committed to Jesus Christ and His teaching. We accept and believe the
testimony of His Apostles, eyewitnesses of His life, death and resurrection
from among the dead. They passed on, to succeeding generations, their own
testimony about Jesus Christ and His life. By the proclaiming of His Gospel,
and the giving of their own testimony (called the Apostolic Tradition), the
Church, which the Lord instituted, was built up. The Catholic
Apostolic National
Church is a historic part of the One,
Holy, Catholic and Apostolic
Church.
The Birth of the Catholic Apostolic National Church
of Brazil…
Bishop
Carlos Duarte Costa was consecrated as the
Roman Catholic Diocesan Bishop of Botucatu, Brazil,
on December 8, 1924, functioning as such uneventfully, until certain concerns
he expressed about collaboration with Nazi War criminal in World War II, the
inequitable distribution of wealth in the country, and the terrible treatment
of the Brazil's poor, by both the civil government and the Roman Catholic
Church in Brazil, caused his removal from the Diocese of Botucatu.
In the 1930s Bishop Costa was the most outspoken Brazilian bishop in defending
the poor. In 1937, at the insistence of the dictatorial Getúlio Vargas régime in Brazil, the Vatican forced Bishop Costa to
retire as Bishop of Botucatu, and he was appointed as
Titular Bishop of Maura. Nonetheless, he continued in speaking out on behalf of
the poor and, in 1944, was even imprisoned for several months, but his resolve
did not falter. He was branded a communist, which of course he was not, and he
did not quit. Finally, in 1945, after protesting the Vatican's
having assisted several Nazis and Nazi sympethizers
find refuge in Brazil,
Bishop Costa broke with Rome.
Bishop Carlos Duarte
Costa went on to found the “Igreja
Catolica Apostolica Brasileira” (ICAB), a church which
spawned a movement of Catholic Apostolic National Churches around the world.
Bishop Carlos Duarte Costa fell asleep in the Lord, on March 26, 1967, after
service to the people for over forty-two years as bishop. He is revered by the Brazilian Church
and her daughter churches around the world, including this church, as
“St. Carlos of Brazil”.
The Brazilian Church
suffered much persecution at the hands of hostile governments, tyrants and,
unfortunately, even fellow Christians. Many of the early deacons, priests and
bishops were persecuted for many, many years, and many are alive today, giving
their accounts of arrest, imprisonment and even torture. The grey cassocks and soutanes worn by clergy, a result of that early
persecution, are now worn as a symbol of honor, in faithfulness and
steadfastness, as modern-day confessors of the faith. The Catholic Apostolic
National Church of Brazil has helped millions of people worldwide, established
educational and social programs designed to feed, clothe, house and educate
those in need. The Catholic Apostolic National Church of Brazil recently
celebrated its 60th anniversary, in concert with its daughter
churches throughout the world, represented by their bishops, under the
fraternal and loving care of DOM Luis Fernando Castillo Mendez, Patriarch of
the Worldwide Communion of Catholic Apostolic National Churches. The
dedication, courage and love of service to Christ, through service to His
people, of “St. Carlos of Brazil”
are part of the Catholic
Apostolic National
Church, as are his lines
of Apostolic Succession.
ICAB Comes to the United States…
Bishop Stephen Corradi-Scarella was consecrated Bishop in 1949, by (now
Patriarch) Dom Fernando Castillo Mendez and Dom Carlos Duarte Costa. He was
given the mission to build an Exarchate of ICAB in the United States, and began his missionary work in Albuquerque, New
Mexico. There he established the first Diocese in America, “Igreja Catolica Apostolica Brasileira-USA”
(ICANUSA), of what later would develop into the Western Orthodox Church
in America
(WOCA). During the 1960’s communication with the Mother
Church in Brazil broke down, and the American
Diocese became essentially autonomous and no longer attached to the mission of
ICAB. It is important to note that WOCA later ceased to enjoy the Patriarch's
blessing when it was apparent that it could no longer be considered canonically
Catholic.
Bishop Stephen guaranteed
the continued viability of the work by consecrating additional bishops for the
United States before retiring from the active ministry in December, 1974.
Bishop Stephen reposed in Christ in 1979, but his mission continued in a
variety of smaller independent jurisdictions. In 2005 Patriarch Luis named
Bishop Andre Queen, SCR of Chicago, as his
Apostolic Delegate to the United
States, and charged him with the mission of
reuniting these children of the Church with their common identity. Many have
rejoined their brothers and sisters under their mother church of Brazil,
and again the ministry of Bishop Stephen bears fruit. Notably the WOCA has
joyfully been received back into the communion, thereby honoring and continuing
Dom Carlos's mission of 1949.
A concise history
of the development of ICAB’s mission in the United States
is provided graciously by Archbishop Randolph Brown, following the
years and changes seen. The initial mission, called “Igreja
Catolica Apostolica Brasileira-USA”
(ICANUSA), which later gave birth to the “Western Orthodox Church
in America” (WOCA) and
other jurisdictions, would later experiences what few divided churches have:
reunion and renewal, into the Catholic
Apostolic National
Church. Both ICANUSA and
WOCA have been reunited and incorporated into the CANC. Thus the Catholic Apostolic
National Church,
both through direct “Duarte-Costa” Apostolic Succession and through
direct historic lineage, is today, in faith, fact and application, the church
that Bishop Stephen Corradi-Scarella was mandated to
establish by Bishop Carlos Duarte-Costa in the United States.
What
The Catholic Apostolic National
Church Professes…
The faith of the Catholic Apostolic National
Church is simply that as
taught by the Church from Apostolic times to the present day. The Oecumenical Councils clearly express what we believe
without the need for apology or excuse.
We affirm the ancient creeds of faith, the “Athanasian
Creed”, the “Apostles’ Creed” and the “Nicene
Creed”. Thus, we, tracing our Apostolic Succession through the ancient
churches back to the Apostles, participate in the full sacramental ministry.
The Rule of Faith of the Catholic
Apostolic National
Church is faithful
adherence to Sacred Scripture and Apostolic Tradition, as protected by the
teaching Magisterium of the Church.
How
Do We, As Catholics, Differ From Roman Catholics?
In matters of discipline,
administration and procedure, we differ from the Roman Catholic Church. For
example, clerical celibacy (which is a matter of discipline) is optional in the
Catholic Apostolic National
Church. Married men may
be ordained, as in the Eastern Orthodox Churches, and in many of our dioceses
clergy may, with prior Episcopal consent, enter into Holy Matrimony after
ordination. Liturgical expression is also a matter of discipline determined by
the local bishop. Consequently, many communities have adopted the liturgical
renewal promulgated following the Second Vatican Council while still
maintaining Tridentine liturgy, in Latin or direct translation into classical
or modern English, in those parishes that desire it. Eastern Rite parishes
exist as well, which follow the ancient liturgies of that rich tradition.
Because communities are small, they are able to success fully implement the Ignatian
model of the Church referred to earlier. This concept views the faithful with
their clergy and bishop as a community or family in loving concern for each
other and each working together to live the Scriptural commands in their daily
lives as Christians bringing the love of Christ to others. The communities
utilize their size and lack of highly detailed structure to the very best
advantage organizationally by their ability to expedite decisions affecting the
sacramental and community life of the faithful, within the revelation and
authority of Holy Scripture and Apostolic Tradition.
Other
Distinctions…
There are other
differences by which Catholic
Apostolic National
Church communities are
differentiated from Roman Catholic parishes. The matter of papal infallibility
defined by Vatican Council I is a non-issue
for us, since we are not under papal jurisdiction. All Catholic Apostolic
National Church
communities accord the Holy Father that respect due him as Successor of St.
Peter, Prince of the Apostles and Patriarch of the West. We likewise respect
the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, and the Patriarch of the Syrian
Orthodox Church of Antioch.
We adhere to the teaching from apostolic times that the Church in General
Council is infallible. Our theology recognizes that the Church's teaching magisterium
has no less than two objects: the formation of conscience, in which case
authority has an instructive quality; and the nurturing of a properly formed
conscience to full maturity, in which case authority is guiding and directive.
The
Catholic Apostolic National
Church Today…
In recognition of this
Church’s unity of faith, familial lines of succession, and as a result of
full communion with the Igreja
Catolica Apostolica Brasileira (ICAB), and the “Igrejas Católicas Apostólicas Nacionais” (ICAN Communion), in August of 2005 the church
changed its name to the “Catholic
Apostolic National
Church”. Today, the Church stands as an independent
but participating member of the Worldwide Communion of Catholic Apostolic
Churches (WCCAC), and enjoys permanent communion with the Patriarch, His
Beatitude, Dom Luis Fernando Castillo-Mendez.
The church welcomes those
individuals who have broken ties over the years, into our family of faith. Our church’s official catechism, “Credo”,
offers a solid, understandable explanation of our faith and practices. Our
history is rooted in solid practice and orthodox doctrine.
By developing new methods
and ideas with an emphasis on community, and Catholicism, which expresses a
warmth and interest in the total person, Our communities are able to address
the needs of today's society in the beginning years of the Twenty-First
Century. The Catholic
Apostolic National
Church is an
understanding of the Western and Eastern traditions in one complete tradition.
For the contemporary Catholic searching to maintain his/her Faith but desiring
to do so without excessive institutionalism that often loses contact with the
individual; for those with a Catholic background who feel impeded from full
participation in the life and Sacraments of the Church; for the many unchurched who desire the joy and peace of Our Lord's Word
and His Holy Sacraments, our communities provide a viable alternative and allow
a person to be a part of Christ's Church, and be at peace with his/her
conscience. Our communities, because of their size, can give individual
attention to the individual spiritual needs of the faithful and, where
necessary, develop unique ministries to meet those needs. Come to the Catholic Apostolic National
Church this Sunday and
worship with us!
The Patriarch, Dom Luis Fernando Castillo Mendez, gives his
Patriarchal Blessing at the end of Mass, at the 3rd International
Bishop’s Council of Catholic Apostolic National Churches in July 2005, in
Brasilia, Brazil.
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– Catholic Apostolic National Church
ESBN: 82730-060126-999870-78
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