Richard Smoley - Richard Smoley's Blog

“Are you a bishop?” I said to Dan, the man who picked me up at the Albuquerque airport. He was wearing a purple fleece windbreaker.

“Me? No, I’m an acolyte,” he replied.

Thus began my immersion into the world of the Liberal Catholic Church (LCC), which was celebrating its hundredth anniversary on February 13, 2016, Read More

13 Comments

Comments

Feb 17, 2016 3:13 PM EST

Looking forward to the book. If your talk doesn't contain too many spoilers, it might provide some additional publicity.

- Tom Hutcheson

Feb 17, 2016 8:36 PM EST

A nice little article, direct and concise in its history of the LCC, and insightful.

- Steve Schweizer

Feb 18, 2016 2:19 AM EST

Thanks, Richard. Beautifully lucid, as always! I am still puzzling though over the difference between the Reformed Catholic Church and the Liberal Catholic Church? Any enlightenment?

- Cherry Gilchrist

Mar 22, 2016 3:26 PM EDT

The Reformed Catholic Church is independent from the Roman Catholic Church and was formed primarily to address the Roman Church's practice of withholding the sacraments from the faithful based one's marital status, sexual orientation or state of mortal sin. From its website (www.reformedcatholic.org): "We reclaim Jesus Christ, the Bible and the Church. We include everyone in our ministry of Jesus Christ because that is what Jesus would do. We read the scriptures through the lens of the present and from a multicultural point-of-view. We celebrate the sacraments with anyone who wishes to receive them, because these are the gifts of God for the people of God." The Liberal Catholic Church also makes use of an open communion but was formed specifically to allow a traditional Catholic liturgy while allowing the faithful to explore other religious traditions. From their website (http://www.thelccusa.org/about/doctrine.html): "The Liberal Catholic Church believes that there is body of doctrine and mystical experience common to all the great religions of the world and which cannot be claimed as the exclusive possession of any. Moving within the orbit of Christianity and regarding itself as a distinctively Christian church it nevertheless holds that the other great religions of the world are divinely inspired and that all proceed from a common source, though different religions stress different aspects of this teaching and some aspects may even temporarily drop out of recognition. These teachings, as facts in nature, rest in their own intrinsic merit. They form that true Catholic faith, which is Catholic because it is the statement of universal principles in nature.” — from The Statement of Principles.

- Chris Sedlmeyer

Apr 08, 2016 6:37 AM EDT

Very helpful article - a concise history.

- Janet Kerschner

Apr 27, 2016 8:07 AM EDT

It's time for them to ramp up and come on back, they are sorely needed. Some of the best esotericists like Paul Case and W. E. Butler have been Liberal Catholic priests. They must be doing something right, but no one knows about them. Like, no one. And those who do think they're a relic of yesteryear. Come on back, you are needed! Those of us with extensive liturgical experience can help you freshen and tighten up a bit...

- Clint

May 17, 2016 4:57 AM EDT

What a beautiful article to read. I only recently found the Liberal Catholic Church here in Perth, two years ago. I have been consecrated a Religious Franciscan Brother by our Bishop, Bishop James White. A wonderful man in every way and a very generous and kind Bishop. I now have many Programs which aim to be of service to our local Fremantle Community. All of our work is supported and part of our LCC Perth. We also run Multifaith Programs here which bring people together, all sort of men and women with different faith path and traditions. All this sits very well within LCC theology, Free Thought. I am very content now, I am welcomed, I am accepted and loved. I value deeply our LCC and am doing my best to bring it to the attention of many others who are excluded for any number of reasons. Blessings. Br Francis Mary (Franicscan's of the Cross) LCC. St John the Divine, Perth. WA.

- cledwyn Stafford

May 17, 2016 4:59 AM EDT

Dear Richard, you can read more about me if you look at my Blogg, brothercledwy.weebly.com. I would love to keep in touch with you, and share with you all of the wonderful Programs that we do here in Fremantle.

- cledwyn Stafford

Apr 22, 2017 9:50 PM EDT

This article that Richard has written and explained the LCC in great detail is most interesting and enlightening. Secondly I was fortunate to be one Priest present amongst many including Bishops at the Centennial dinner where Richard gave his very polished Presentation to all present. May I personally thank him for that presentation which contained much factual evidence he brought forth and which he argued well for his case! I have enjoyed reading Richard's book and am most pleased to post this testimonial of his profound knowledge of his subject matter. I look forward to his forthcoming next book, and would urge any organisation seeking a speaker on religion to seriously consider requesting Richard. With all blessings from the UK Richard. +David Bennett. OSJ.

- David Bennett

Jun 26, 2017 5:30 AM EDT

Hi again, it has been a year since I first made my initial comment on this page. I am still within the LCC and still doing the work that I had initially started. What I am now beginning to see, feel and experience, is the separation between those who are more traditional in there thinking and practice and those who are esoteric. This seems to be the dividing line within our Church. We draw into our Clery, x Roman Catholics, Anglicans, you name it, they end up here becoming our Priests and bringing with them all of there history and practice. It makes for some interesting Homilies. Our challenge, applying the Freedom of Thought, is to still, at some level be on the same page. We are going to Ordain a man into the Priesthood who does not even believe that Jesus was ever born, lived or died. As you can imagine, this is a big one for those of us who do. Freedom of Thought, I don't think so, there is some question as to whether he will be Ordained or not. Anyway, its all interesting. BFM

- Brother Francis Mary ( Cledwyn Stafford )

Nov 15, 2017 1:56 AM EST

This article is not completely accurate. The author states:
While a priest can be unfrocked for lapses in faith or morals, a bishop, once consecrated, can never be unconsecrated. (You ordain a priest, but you consecrate a bishop.)
To begin with, there is one Sacrament of Holy Orders, Deacons, Priests and Bishops are all ordained in this sacrament. It is common in some jurisdictions to talk about the consecration of a bishop,there is nothing wrong with this, the bishop is however ordained, it is known as an episcopal ordination. Of course, priests and deacons are also consecrated to the service of the Church.
The article gives the impression that a bishop cannot lose his ‘bishopness’, but a priest can lose his ordination through being unfrocked. This is not so.
Traditional western theology states that three sacraments leave an indelible mark on the soul. Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Orders. You cannot therefore be un-baptised, neither can you be un-ordained.
A priest (or deacon or bishop) can be laicised, unfrocked, suspended, excommunicate or even become schismatic , but he still remains a priest. He can still validly celebrate the sacraments. As a schismatic bishop can validly impart the Sacrament of Holy Orders.

- Dom Edward

Nov 15, 2017 5:07 AM EST

Thanks for the clarification, Dom Edward.

- Richard Smoley

Nov 27, 2023 11:09 PM EST

Sadly, the Liberal Catholic Church, Province of the country it is in, has lost much of its vitality. Perhaps its cycle is ending, with more closed minded clergy (male and female) seeking to attract a larger congregation by retreating into more traditional catholicism i.e. to be more like the Roman Cathoilc Church as told to my by the presiding bishop. The churches vitality has traditionally come from its open minded orientation toward belief and teachings, within a christian framework, offering sacraments to both members and non-members. In america it is very apparent that there is a lack of open-mindedness since the centenary celebration. "Open-mindedness is the willingness to search actively for evidence against one’s favored beliefs, plans, or goals, and to weigh such evidence fairly when it is available. Being open-minded does not imply that one is indecisive, wishy-washy, or incapable of thinking for one’s self." https://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/newsletters/authentichappinesscoaching/open-mindedness#:~:text=Definition,of%20thinking%20for%20one%27s%20self.
Many of the past clergy were students of Theosophy, and incorporated aspects of its teachings into their own luves as they understood it. Congregations were larger then. Current clergy seem to avoid to any ideas that challenge the dogma of christianity, for fear of losing what congregation still remains. It is true that in america, the thoughtful generations since the baby boomers are less inclined to attend a church, and many churches of all denominations have been forced to shutter their buildings for lack of participants. All the more reason to continue to provide the platform as outlined by Bishops Wedgwood and Leadbeater to benefit the individual, as opposed to throwing the baby out with the bath water being done now by retreating into a more narrow minded traditional catholic world view. I can but wonder if the doctrine of reincarnation will be erased from its stated doctrine.

- A Brother in Christs Teachings