Catholic Apologetics Online

Choose a topic from Vol 2:

God

Man

Religion

The Religion of the Bible

The Christian Faith

A Definite Christian Faith

The Protestant Reformation

The Truth of Catholicism

The Church and the Bible

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The Church and Her Moral Teachings

The Church in Her Worship

The Church and Social Welfare

Comparative Study of Non-Catholic Denominations

To and From Rome

Liberal Catholics

1346. Was the lapse of the Liberal Catholics from Roman Catholic unity a recent event?

The so-called "Liberal Catholic Church" never lapsed from unity with Rome for the simple reason that it never was in union with Rome. Its origin was as follows:In 1875 a Colonel Olcott and a Madame Blavatsky founded a Theosophical Society in New York. Later this society was joined by a Mrs. Annie Besant, and still later by a Mr. Leadbeater, an ex-Anglican clergyman. The doctrine of these Theosophists at first was very nebulous, and incorporated much from ancient Indian philosophies. In the beginning Theosophy claimed to be outside and above all religions, and to be the key to the whole mystery of existence. Yet all must remain mystery, so that whilst members might believe what they liked, they ought not to maintain that they have the truth, nor to admit that anyone else has it. But Mr. Leadbeater, who had been expelled from the society in 1906 but was readmitted later on, decided to "religionize" Theosophy; and it was he who commenced the Liberal Catholic Church. He chose this name because he grafted on to his Theosophical ideas forms of worship which he borrowed from the Catholic liturgy. From this you can see that the "Liberal Catholic Church" has no more connection with the true Catholic Church than the king of Siam would have with the king of England, were he to model his coronation robes on those worn by the English king.

1347. Have not the Liberal Catholics valid Holy Orders derived from the Roman Catholic Church?

They claim a succession of valid Orders ultimately traced back to Rome. In 1870, at the time of the Vatican Council, a few Bishops left the Catholic Church and became schismatics. They set up what they called "The Old Catholic Church" in Holland. By these an Anglican minister got himself consecrated as a Bishop. This reverend gentleman, a Mr. Willoughby, in turn consecrated a Mr. Wedgewood, who styled himself the first "Presiding Bishop of the Old Catholics" in Great Britain. In 1916 this "Presiding Bishop Wedgewood" consecrated Mr. Charles Leadbeater as "Regionary Bishop of Australia," presumably with the idea of founding the "Old Catholic Church" in that country. But Bishop Leadbeater was not true to his trust. He was a dreamer of weird dreams, and envisaged a new religion altogether. He invented a blend of Theosophy, Spiritism, and an incredible number of superstitions, merged with Catholic forms of worship derived from the Roman liturgy. In 1918 the title "Liberal Catholic Church" was adopted for this new cult of astral, etheric, and from the Catholic point of view, blasphemous nonsense.

1348. Do you deny that the Liberal Catholic priesthood is valid?

I do. It is certain that Christ never intended His priesthood to be transmitted for such purposes as these Liberal Catholics have in mind. Bishop Leadbeater, of course, wanted to say that he had incorporated the very essentials of Catholic liturgy in his religious services—and above all, that he possessed a valid Eucharist. There is scarcely need to remark that, whilst Theosophists regard Bishop Leadbeater's Liberal Catholicism as a wholesale corruption of Theosophy, we ourselves regard it as a still more serious corruption of the Catholic liturgy.

1349. Liberal Catholics say that Rome itself recognizes their Orders as valid.

That is not true. No declaration or document from Rome acknowledging the Orders of these Theosophical Liberal Catholics as valid has ever been given. If a Liberal Catholic Bishop became a convert to the Catholic Church, he would find himself unacceptable either as a Bishop or as a priest to the Catholic authorities. Were he otherwise eligible, and wished to be a priest, he would find himself compelled to submit to ordination at the hands of a Catholic Bishop. If the Liberal Catholics dispute this verdict, let them submit their case to Rome, and ask for a Decree acknowledging their Orders as valid. In the absence of such a decision they have no right to say that Rome recognizes their Orders.

1350. What Catholic articles of belief are rejected by the Liberal Catholics?

All of them. Whatever Christian ideas the Liberal Catholics may profess to accept, it is certain that they do not accept them as orthodox Christians understand them. Mr. Leadbeater denied the divine inspiration of the Bible, declaring that science has rendered it incredible. But he asserts that there is an underlying element of truth in Christianity which can be understood only by a special gift of clairvoyance. His writings give us an extraordinary mixture of Indian philosophy, modern Theosophy, Spiritualism, and distorted Christian teachings. Liberal Catholics deny the absolute, final, and unique validity of Christianity, and claim to find in it a weird and mysterious significance which all genuine Christians must repudiate.

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MORE FROM VOLUME 2

• About the Author
• Introduction
  - Rev. Charles Mortimer Carty
• Preface
  - John Gregory Murray
  Archbishop of Saint Paul
• Forward
  - Dr Leslie Rumble, MSC

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