When Anglo-Catholics are asked about their beliefs, they frequently begin with what is known as the Vincentian Canon. Writing in 434 AD St. Vincent of Lerins defined Christian orthodoxy, or correct belief, in the following terms: "Let us hold that which has been believed everywhere, always and by all, for that is truly and properly catholic." But the term "catholic" is itself confusing to many people. In its full and correct meaning the word "catholic" is an adjective describing anything related to the unified early Christian Church. Although many people today use the word "catholic" to refer specifically to the Roman Catholic Church, that is not what the word catholic really means. The Roman Catholic Church is certainly a very important part of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ, but it does not, by itself, fully comprise the "Church catholic," that is, the universal Church. Other parts of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church have historically included the Eastern Orthodox, the Anglican, and what are known as the Old Catholic churches.
So what then exactly do we believe? To put it concisely, we hold to the historic faith and doctrine of the early Christian Church before it became divided. That faith was determined by the Seven Ecumenical Councils of the undivided Church (held between 325 and 787 AD), and is expressed in the Apostle's Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed. The 1977 Affirmation of St. Louis (discussed in greater detail on our page about Anglo-Catholicism), offers a good summary of what the catholic faith entails. In the words of that affirmation, we hold:
1. The Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments and the authentic record of God's revelation of Himself, His saving activity, and moral demands -- a revelation valid for all men and all time.
2. The Nicene Creed as the authoritative summary of the chief articles of the Christian Faith, together with the "Apostles' Creed, and that known as the Creed of St. Athanasius to be "thoroughly received and believed" in the sense they have had always in the Catholic Church.
3. The received Tradition of the Church and its preachings as set forth by "the ancient catholic bishops and doctors," and especially as defined by the Seven Ecumenical Councils of the undivided Church, to the exclusion of all errors, ancient and modern.
4. The Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, the Holy Eucharist, Holy Matrimony, Holy Orders, Penance and Unction of the Sick, as objective and effective signs of the continued presence and saving activity of Christ our Lord among His people and as His covenanted means for conveying His grace. In particular, we affirm the necessity of Baptism and the Holy Eucharist (where they may be had) -- Baptism as incorporating us into Christ (with its completion in Confirmation as the "seal of the Holy Spirit"), and the Eucharist as the sacrifice which unites us to the all-sufficient Sacrifice of Christ on the Cross and the Sacrament in which He feeds us with His Body and Blood.
5. The Holy Orders of bishops, priests and deacons as the perpetuation of Christ's gift of apostolic ministry to His Church, asserting the necessity of a bishop of apostolic succession (or priest ordained by such) as the celebrant of the Eucharist -- these Orders consisting exclusively of men in accordance with Christ's Will and institution (as evidenced by the Scriptures), and the universal practice of the Catholic Church. The ancient office and ministry of Deaconesses as a lay vocation for women, affirming the need for proper encouragement of that office.
In seeking to understand our beliefs in greater detail, many people are curious about how we are similar to or different from Roman Catholics, Protestants, or Eastern Orthodox Christians. Although the form of our liturgy most closely resembles the liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church, at least before the liturgical changes introduced in the Roman Catholic Church under Vatican II (1962-65), in many respects our understandings of Church order are closer to those of the Eastern Orthodox Church. We accept the Bishop of Rome, the successor of St. Peter, the "Prince of the Apostles," as the titular head of the Church, but we understand the meaning of that headship in the context of traditional orthodox Christian understanding. That is to say, we see the Bishop of Rome as primus inter pares, or "first among equals" in the councils of the Church. In keeping with historic Orthodox and Anglican positions on this matter, we cannot accept certain later Roman assertions of papal prerogatives not accepted by the early Church. Specifically, we cannot accept the claim of the Pope to speak ex cathedra (meaning with exclusive authority) on behalf of the entire Church in matters of doctrine.
Examples of the exercise of this supposed power by the Roman pontiff include the doctrines of transubstantiation, the immaculate conception of the Blessed Virgin, and the doctrine of Papal infallibility. Like Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Christians, we too believe that the bread and wine consecrated at the altar during the Eucharist is really and truly the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Furthermore, we all believe that through the sacrament of Holy Communion God's grace is mediated to us. What separates Roman Catholics from both ourselves and Eastern Orthodox Christians in this matter is the doctrine of transubstantiation itself. This Roman Catholic dogma offers an explanation of the mechanics of how specifically the elements of bread and wine are transformed into the body and blood of Christ during the Eucharist. We do not believe that Scripture, as interpreted by the great Ecumenical Councils of the unified Church, reveals the details of this process, only that the bread and wine become for us the body and blood of Christ during the Eucharist. Thus, whereas the Roman Catholic Church offers a specific doctrine of transubstantiation to explain this holy mystery, we, like the Eastern Orthodox, simply accept it as a divine mystery.
Similarly, the Roman Catholic Church saw a need to set out exactly how it happened that the Blessed Virgin was without the stain of sin. In 1854 Pope Pius IX articulated the doctrine of the immaculate conception to explain this mystery. We agree that the Blessed Virgin, the Theotokos ("Mother of God") was without sin, but we simply accept this mystery as fact without explaining the precise details of how she came to be sinless. We certainly accept the right of individuals to believe in the doctrine of the immaculate conception of the Blessed Virgin as a matter of pious belief, but we cannot accept it as a doctrine of the Church essential to Salvation, because it is neither supported in Scripture nor affirmed and taught by the Councils of the universal Church.
Protestant detractions from the doctrines of the undivided Church are equally unacceptable in our view. For example, the Protestant notion that Scripture alone (sola scriptura), is the primary authority of the Church we do not accept. We see Scripture as the primary witness to God's Truth, but not its judge. The interpreter of God's Truth is the Holy Spirit, who dwells within the Church, the mystical Body of Jesus Christ. The proof of this is the fact that the canon of Scripture was not determined by the Church until the fourth century AD. Before that time Christians were guided by the Apostles and their successors. Thus, the apostolic testimony, guided by the Holy Spirit, is the primary source of faith, which is certainly confirmed by Holy Scripture.
We are a sacramental church, which also makes us unlike most Protestant churches. A sacrament is an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace bestowed upon us by God. We believe that God's grace is mediated to us through the sacraments of the Church. So, for example, the Eucharist is not simply, as many Protestants believe, a symbolic reenactment of the Last Supper of our Lord. The Eucharist for us, as for all catholic Christians, is instead the action which links us directly to the redemptive sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross and makes that sacrifice actively effective in our own lives. Like all catholic Christians, we believe that what happens in the Eucharist is that the priest, acting through the authority of Christ (passed directly from him through the apostles and an unbroken line of bishops) and in the persona of Christ, offers up to God the same sacrifice of his body and blood that was offered for our redemption on Calvary. As we take Holy Communion, therefore, our earnest prayer to God is: "Grant us therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ, and to drink his blood, that our sinful bodies may be made clean by his body, and our souls washed through his most precious blood, and that we may evermore dwell in him, and he in us." The seven historic sacraments of the catholic Church include:
1. Baptism
2. Holy Eucharist
3. Penance (Confession)
4. Confirmation
5. Holy Orders
6. Unction of the Sick (anointing with holy oil)
7. Holy Matrimony (as with the Eastern Orthodox churches, priests may marry in Anglican tradition).
Finally, many people also want to know how our beliefs shape our ethical and moral understandings. While we cannot address this issue comprehensively here, some examples may provide helpful insight. We hold that all people are individually and collectively responsible for their actions, thoughts, and words, and that they will be held accountable by God for such on the Day of Judgment. We also believe in the sanctity of human life, from the moment of conception until the moment of death. Thus, the taking of innocent human life is always sinful. We believe that marriage is a sacramental bond between one man and one woman, provided by God for their mutual love and support and for the procreation of life. Sexual activity, therefore, only rightfully takes place within the bonds of marriage. We also believe that the Church is the living body of Jesus Christ in the world. It is only in and through the Church, therefore, that Christian life may be fully and completely lived.
We understand that these ethical understandings are currently unpopular and "out of fashion" in many parts of modern American society. However, we would point out that being ethically out of step with what the surrounding society teaches us about morality has been a defining reality for Christians in every age. We embrace the world, but we do so to change it, not to be changed by it. This is why our church seeks to be in this world, but not of this world. Moral values originating in any human society, like clothing fashions, come and go. The values we embrace are enduring precisely because they are not of this world.