Arian Catholic
Sacramental Lore
Ecumenical & Ecclesiastical Law,
Folklore & Philosophy
pertaining to the Sacraments of the Church
This page provides details of
policies, traditions and beliefs of the Arian church. This is in respect to
Society, Religion, Humanism and Environment.
The Seven
Holy Sacraments and Sacramentals
The Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church recognises the following seven sacraments
comprising three obligatory Sacraments and four Sacramentals, there are
also additional services, offering services for these by appointment:
The first four of these are the obligatory
Holy Sacraments:
Dedication of a Baby or Child,
Jesus was presented to the Temple as an infant and we therefore recognise this
as the first sacrament. As we are only permitted one Baptism for the forgiveness
of sins we follow Jesus’ example present Babies and Children to the Church
giving them the opportunity to be Baptised when they come of age. The feast of the presentation of
Christ is celebrated on Candlemass (2nd February).
Baptism, this can be performed at any age although while many people
choose to baptise their children in infancy, others prefer to let their children
decide whether they want to be baptised and at which church. NB We are permitted
only one baptism for the forgiveness of sins and Jesus Christ was not baptised
until after he returned to Israel as an adult, the feast of the baptism of
Christ is celebrated on the first Sunday after Epiphany (6th January). However
Jesus was presented to the Church as an infant We therefore offer a service
for the
Dedication of a Baby or Child.
Confession (Penance), the sacrament of Penance can be performed by
appointment or at pre arranged meetings. In addition to the holy sacrament of penance a Counselling
service is also available.
Holy Eucharist, this service cleanses our souls of sin
through the Body and Blood of Christ represented symbolically using Bread
(or Rice Paper) and Wine (Red Wine and Holy Water). This service is provided in the form
of Holy Communion and can also be served on a one to one basis by
appointment.
The
next three of these are the Holy Sacramentals:
Marriage (Holy Matrimony), the sacrament of marriage can be performed at
locations that have been registered and providing that the couple can produce a
Notice of Intent to Marry issued by their local Registry Office and proof of
Identity is provided. Banns of Marriage must also be posted on our Website and
read at Sunday Services for three consecutive Sundays. The Arian Catholic Church
also advises couples intending to marry to seriously consider making their
marriage vows a legally binding contract. For many reasons people may find that they
wish to renew their marriage vows or they may have been married at a state
ceremony or at a different Church and wish to affirm their marriage vows before
God in a blessing ceremony. We therefore offer services for
Affirmation of Marriage Blessings and Renewal of Marriage
Vows.
Ordination, this sacrament is Apostolic
as it requires the laying on of hands by either three Bishops or a Bishop,
Priest and a Deacon, in
order to pass on the gift of the Holy Spirit, which has been passed on from
clergy to clergy since Christ’s Apostles. The minimum age for ordination is
twenty-three years. NB The Arian Catholic Church Ordains women as
Deaconesses in accordance with the early church and welcomes clergy who are
married or single. People who have already been ordained by another church
tradition (e.g. Anglican, Roman Catholic, Unitarian etc) will Generally
need to have their Ordination Regularised although the Arian Catholic
church will usually recognise Ordinations from the Roman Catholic,
Anglican and
Anglican Catholic churches, those whose Apostolic
Ordination may be in question or who have been Consecrated Pro Ordination
will be required to be “Ordained Sub Conditione” to confirm their
Apostolic
Ordination upon being received into the Arian Catholic Church. Depending
on individual circumstances, background and experience candidates may be
required to complete a suitable bridging course. The Arian Catholic Church also offers a Service of Consecration
for Church workers, and a service of Oblation for Nuns and
Monks (see below).
NB: “Confirmation” (Chrismation). Although Confirmation is seen as a
Sacrament by some churches, it is not specifically referred to or required
in the scriptures nor was it even known to the early Church. Confirmation is not
recognised as a sacrament by the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. It is derived from the
Sacrament of Ordination, it is usually performed from the age of thirteen (and up to
any age) and traditionally
confirms that the person is a follower of the faith and has a basic
understanding of Christianity, the Liturgy and the Sacraments.
Confirmation traditionally involves the laying on of hands of a
Bishop during the ceremony, this passes on the gift of the Holy Spirit and is a form of
Ordination; in Arian Catholicism it is used as a ceremony of “Consecration Pro Ordination” for
the Laity and for the Novitiate beginning their training to be Oblates or Clergy where
formal Ordination (or Ordination Sub Conditione) as a Deacon can be completed
later. Confirmation (Chrismation) in the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church serves the same
traditional purpose but is not regarded as a sacrament and can be performed by a
Priest or Deacon.
Extreme Unction (Last Rites), the last rites are said for the
terminally ill who are near death; this also includes the anointing of the
sick and exorcism for people tormented by demons.
Following death we also offer a funeral service which may also involve the
consecration of the ground chosen for burial and counselling those in
mourning in addition to committing the body to the ground and commending
to soul into heaven.
Additional services are also available including exorcism
and blessing of places (to cast out evil from
wherever its influences are suspected), blessing of Marriage, ceremonies for Buildings and the dedication of
parsonage or Christian home, prayers for healing etc. Further information is provided on the Worship
and Prayer page.
Marriage and Divorce
The policy of the Arian Catholic
Church is quite clear, marriage
before God is for life. Same-sex/homosexual marriage is not permitted nor
recognised by the Church. A couple living together as man and wife who are
not married before God are not united in spirit. A marriage involving
someone who is already married before God, and not widowed, is committing Adultery, even if
that person is divorced. A marriage involving a Widow or Widower is
permitted as is a marriage between divorcees who were not previously
married before God; this is considered a matter for the couple’s own consciences.
The bond between a husband and wife is special, not least because Marriage
is sacred.
According to the scriptures some of the Apostles of
Christ were married and had children of their own. The Arian Catholic Church sees
this as a clear signal that if a Clergyman or Deaconess wishes to marry
then there is no reason why they shouldn’t. Similarly the Arian Catholic
Church has
no objection to married men and women taking Holy Orders (being ordained).
Ordination of Women
The Arian Catholic Church is happy to acknowledge Women
Deaconesses, Nuns, Oblates (See also Arian
Benedictine Oblates & Lay Oblates) and Lay Preachers, as in the rules of the early Christian
Church; but reluctantly has to oppose the ordination
of Women Priests (Presbyters) without the sanction of the Archbishop
Primus Inter Pares under exceptional
circumstances. Moreover the Primus Inter Pares reserves the right to ordain a
woman as a Priestess if it is deemed that God wishes it to happen! Women were accepted by the Early Church as Deaconesses with good reason, and the scriptures tell us that
Mary Magdalene was not only a devoted disciple but also served a ministry as an
Apostle to the Apostles (Mark 16:1-10). In addition, the writings of
Origen and Epiphanius, and the non-canonical texts such as the
Gospel of Philip, Pistis Sophia, and the Gospel of Mary speak of Mary Magdalene’s ministry in the Church.
Epiphanius of Salamis (Against Heresies 78:13 [AD 377]) wrote:
“It is true that in the Church there is an order of deaconesses, but not for being a priestess, nor for any kind of work of administration, but for the sake of the dignity of the female sex, either at the time of baptism or of examining the sick or suffering, so that the naked body of a female may not be seen by men administering sacred rites, but by the deaconess.”
The Apostolic Constitutions 3:16 [AD 400] tell us: “Appoint, [O Bishop], a deaconess, faithful and holy, for the ministering of women. For sometimes, it is not possible to send a deacon into certain houses of women, because of unbelievers. Send a deaconess, because of the thoughts of the petty. A deaconess is of use to us also in many other situations. First of all, in the baptizing of women, a deacon will touch only their forehead with the holy oil, and afterwards the female deacon herself anoints them.” The role of Priests includes that of Counsellor and Confident; hard decisions
often have to be made and an impartial and objective approach is required
when faced with difficult situations that may, at any point in a clergyman’s career, include the unpleasant, the repulsive, the horrifying,
the aggressive and the pure evil. One may be called to give communion and
last rights to a cancer sufferer, a leper or an AIDS victim or give last
rights in the middle of a battlefield, take up arms against an aggressor
in self defence that does not respect the Geneva Convention, provide a funeral service after a
battle or a massacre and give support to friends and relatives, provide
Holy Communion in a top security prison, take confession from a child
murderer and serial rapist, perform an exorcism and confront evil face to face.
The Arian Catholic Church considers that such roles may not be suitable for most women.
In contrast
one may be called to take confessions from, give Spiritual guidance
to or give advice on sensitive issues that require
confidence and objectiveness to
other clergy, which may not be appropriate for clergy of the opposite
sex.
Another point is from the scriptures
of Genesis 3:1 - 13 - 24 known as “the
Temptation and the Fall.”
This is where the serpent tempts Eve to eat the forbidden fruit from the
tree of knowledge and then
Eve tempts Adam to do likewise. We must of course regard the book of
Genesis with caution as it cannot be taken literally as much of this book
is written in metaphors, however there is an underlying logic to Genesis which
is relevant. Given this point, if women are vulnerable to seduction, and
are either intentionally or inadvertently
the temptresses of men, then it is inappropriate for women to take on the
rolls of Priestesses and Bishops.
When the Church of England voted to
allow the ordination of women Priests York Minster (St Peter’s
Cathedral) was struck by lightning and caught fire. Many said at the time
that this was a sign from God that the Church of England had taken the
wrong path (again!) when voting in the General Synod. Then after the General Synod
of the Anglican Church voted to allow the consecration of women Bishops
there was another fire at Windsor Castle, the residence of the Supreme
head of the Anglican Church, the Queen! People began to ask: “How many signs do Christians need?”
Officially Christ’s Apostles were all men, this was in a
time and culture when women were regarded with lower status than men,
although Christ was renowned for breaking with tradition and doing what was
right, therefore perhaps it was God’s will that women were not included among
the Apostles. NB the term “Apostle” was introduced after Christ
died as He himself referred to the Apostles as “The Twelve”
disciples. It is also worth noting that several people changed places at
the time of Christ’s death and several disciples took up their positions
in the inner Twelve. However, there is currently debate over whether Mary Magdalene
(a disciple of Christ) was actually an Apostle of Christ after all (see “The
Apostles of Christ and Mary Magdalene”), and the telling of the account of her life was given little
coverage in the bible, again due to the stigma of traditional beliefs in
the minds of those who wrote the scriptures. It is quite clear in the Apocryphal
book of The Gospel of Mary that Mary
Magdalene was among “The Twelve” Apostles. If Mary Magdalene was
recognised as an Apostle
of Christ then this would give testimony to the right of women to be ordained as
Priests. The early church accepted women as Deaconesses (which was ended
at the Council of Laodacia in 364 AD) which would
suggest that there was a very good reason for this, especially at a time in
history when women were rarely allowed to take up positions of prominence in
society not least at a time when positions of social prominence often
meant almost certain death.
Worship and Prayer
Language of Prayer
Prayers in the Arian Catholic Church can be in Latin and the native
language of the congregation. However, where Latin or a foreign language
is used every effort should be made to provide a transcript of the prayer
and a translation into the congregation’s native language.
Private Prayer
The Arian Church encourages private prayer, The Book of
Matthew 6:5..6 teaches us:
King James’ Authorised Version:
6:5
“And
when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they
love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the
streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have
their reward.”
6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou
hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy
Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.”
Net-Bible
modern English version:
6:5
“Whenever you pray,
do not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray while standing
in synagogues and on street corners so that people can see them.
Truly I say to you, they have their reward.”
6:6
“But whenever you
pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And
your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.”
Worship is normally conducted either in a church or at
home or otherwise privately. We do not advocate public open-air worship,
except for certain ceremonies such as remembrance day at the cenotaph and
the laying of foundation stones for buildings etc, or unless there is nowhere else to go, in which case privacy must still be
maintained so that the service of worship or prayer does not become a
public spectacle. Many Christian prayers, hymns and sacraments
are suitable for use by the Arian Christian faith, however Arians must
always be mindful of the beliefs of the Arian faith and to avoid texts
that have been written or re-written by pro-Nicaeans to include references
to the unity of the Trinity, the divinity of Jesus, the deification of the
Saints or references to ideologies not compatible with the logic and
reason adhered to by modern Arianism. Please refer to our Worship
page.
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