Anglican-Catholic
Church
Commentary
on
the ACC
by The Most Reverend M. Dean Stephens, Archbishop Ordinary of the
Diocese
of New Orleans and Metropolitan of the Anglican Catholic Church. This
article
is reprinted from the February 1998 edition of The Trinitarian, the
newspaper
of the Anglican Catholic Church.
Let me review
briefly
with you what the Anglican Catholic Church believes.
We believe in
the
One,
Holy, Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We believe that
“there
is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be
saved,”
and that most holy name is Jesus, Lord of heaven and earth. “We believe
that only through Him is the full revelation of God given to man” and
that
we have the awesome responsibility to reach the Good News of salvation
to all nations and tongues.
We believe
that
the Holy
Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the authentic record
of
God’s revelation to man and is a revelation valid for all men and all
time.”
In the Bible we have God’s revelation of Himself, His saving activity,
and moral demands. We believe that “all scripture is given by
inspiration
of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect,
throughly
furnished unto all good works” [II Tim. 3:16].
We believe
the
Catholic
Faith as set forth in the three recognized Creeds of Christendom,
namely
the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene
Creed and that known as the Creed of St.
Athanasius. “We receive and believe them in the sense they have had
always in the Catholic Church.”
We believe
in
the holy
Tradition of the Church as set forth by “the ancient catholic
bishops
and doctors, and especially as defined by the Seven Ecumenical Councils
of the undivided Church.”
We hold
dear the
seven
Sacraments of Grace, namely, the Sacraments of Baptism,
Confirmation,
and the Holy Eucharist, Holy Matrimony, Holy Orders, Penance, and
Unction
of the Sick. We believe them to be objective signs of Christ’s
continued
presence and saving activity among us. We believe in the holy sacrifice
of the Mass and that the body and blood of Christ is truly and really
present
in the Holy Eucharist.
We believe
in
God’s gift
of the apostolic ministry to His Church, “asserting the necessity
of
a bishop in apostolic succession (or a priest ordained by such) as the
celebrant of the Eucharist.”
Furthermore,
we
hold that
the Holy Orders of Bishops, Priests and Deacons “consist
exclusively
of men in accordance with Christ’s Will and institution.”
We believe
in
the sanctity
of human life, that life begins at the moment of conception and
that
the willful taking of that life in the womb by abortion to be a grave
sin
[Title XV, Canon I, 1.01 of the Canons of the Anglican Catholic Church].
We believe
in
the family,
in the God-given sacramental bond in marriage between one man and one
woman.
We profess “that sexual activity is to be practiced only within the
bonds
of Holy Matrimony.”
We believe
that
man is
“very far gone from original righteousness,” is in rebellion
against
God’s authority and is liable to His righteous judgment. We believe
“that
all people, individually and collectively, are responsible to their
Creator
for their acts, motives, thoughts and words, since ‘we must all appear
before the judgment seat of Christ.’”
We believe
it is
the duty
of the Church and her members to bear witness to Christian Morality,
to follow it in their lives, and to reject the false standards of the
world.”
Lastly, the
Anglican Catholic
Church acknowledges that rule of faith laid down by St. Vincent of
Lerins:
“Let us hold that which has been believed everywhere, always and by
all,
for that is truly and properly Catholic.”
The
Bishops of
this Church
are committed to seeing that the Faith of Christ is kept entire as it
was
given to this Church. Any assertion to the contrary has no basis in
fact.
We call upon all the communicants of this church to believe without
reservation
that deposit of Faith that has been given to the Anglican Catholic
Church
and to “Earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints”
[Jude
3].
