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.
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 ICAN Communion, and enjoys
permanent communion with the Patriarch of the ICAN Communion, 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
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