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Catholic Charismatic Church of Canada

The Catholic Charismatic Church of Canada traces their heritage and apostolic succession through the Old Catholic Church, which cut communion with Rome in 1870 (1723). They are also a part of the Charismatic movement which is open to the movement of the Holy Spirit in one's life. This is not to be confused with contemporary usage of the words charismatic or pentecostal. The Catholic Charismatic Church of Canada believes in the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed.

History

The apostolic lineage of the Catholic Charismatic Church of Canada, also called the Catholic Charismatic Rite (founded on August 15, 1968), began under the mandate of Pope Clement XI, Bishop of Rome and Patriarch of the West, in 1693 when James Goyon de Matignon, Bishop of Condon consecrated Dominique Marie Varlet as Bishop of Ascalon (in partibus) and Coadjutor to the Bishop of Babylon, Persia. Bishop Varlet in turn consecrated Peter John Meindaerts to Archbishop of Utrecht without a papal mandate, which created a rift with Rome and an end to full communion with the Roman Church. Meindaerts was one of the primary founders of the Old Catholic Church of the Netherlands, independent from and considered excommunicated by Rome.

From 1693 (legendary date, historically since 1723) to the present day the Union of Utrecht Church survives throughout Western Europe, North America, Central America, and South America. The historical lineage includes the Old Catholic Church, the Polish National Catholic Church, the Catholic Church of Brazil, the Liberal Catholic Church, and the Catholic Charismatic Church of Canada, among others. Collectively these churches enjoy an open association and retain independent jurisdiction.

The Catholic Charismatic Church of Canada was established and organized by Patriarch Andre Barbeau in 1968. Barbeau was ordained a Roman Catholic priest on November 21, 1940 and served in that capacity for 28 years in the Archdiocese of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. In 1968 Barbeau left the Roman Catholic Church and was consecrated a bishop and first autonomously appointed patriarch of the new Catholic Charismatic Church of Canada by pro-uniate Old Catholic Bishop Charles Brearley of the Old Holy Catholic Church of England. Barbeau served in this capacity until his death on February 14, 1994. Succeeding Barbeau is Archbishop Andre Letellier, who was installed shortly after Barbeau's death in the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in Cité de Marie.

The Catholic Charismatic Church of Canada immediately erected faith churches and faith communities in Canada and in several northeastern states in the United States; by the early 1990s the church's jurisdiction had spread as far south as Florida and later into the southwest including Arizona, New Mexico, and west Texas.

Practices

The Catholic Charismatic Church of Canada is more conservative than some other branches of the Old Catholic Church. They accept the Seven Ecumenical Councils as binding upon all Christians and strive towards the unity of an undivided Church as it was experienced in the first 1,000 years of Christianity, that time before the Great Schism of 1054 AD. They further accept the teaching and doctrine of the Council of Trent. They believe in the Seven Sacraments as defined by the Council of Trent. They reject the ordination of women to the offices of deacon, priest or bishop, because this has not "been believed everywhere, always, and by all" (The Declaration of Utrecht of 19th century). They however do allow their clergy to marry and adapt other liberalisations.

They refer to their rite as Charismatic, believing in the spiritual gifts and in the moving of the Holy Spirit. Although they follow a set liturgy for both the Eucharist and the Sacraments they are not rigid and allow the movement of the Holy Spirit to enliven, enlighten, and sustain. They use traditional hymns and contemporary praise and modern worship songs. Their sermons are Bible based. One could describe them as Orthodox in belief, Catholic in practice, and Charismatic in worship.