What are FREE CATHOLICS?*

We are Christians   We acknowledge Jesus Christ as our Lord, Founder and Eternal High Priest.   

Catholic   The International Free Catholic Communion* is an independent rite of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church and is not Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox or Protestant. Our priests, men and women, married and single, are ordained to Holy Orders by bishops who trace their ministry in an unbroken line through the laying on of hands to the original apostles and, through them, to Jesus Christ himself.

Sacramental   We hold that the sacraments are outward signs that confer the very grace they signify. These Mysteries ordained by Christ are seven in number: Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Eucharist, Reconciliation, Matrimony, Holy Orders, and Anointing the Sick. We practice open Communion, welcoming to the Lord’s Table all who approach it with reverence, regardless of religious affiliation.

Charismatic   We believe in the Release or "Baptism" of the Holy Spirit and the free exercise of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit described by St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 12.

Evangelical   We seek to lead all creatures to the direct personal experience and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Free   We believe that the Church must seek to cultivate and to protect individual freedom of thought, conscience and choice. While gently offering guidance, it is her duty to help God’s People develop the faculty of discernment and take personal responsibility for their choices in life. Free Catholics are encouraged to think, to explore and to be true to their own conscience. We are non-dogmatic, emphasizing instead the life of the Spirit and the law of love. We do not condemn those whose ideas differ from our own, but seek to be tolerant, respectful and open to the beliefs and values of others.  

"You have been called to freedom, brothers and sisters, only do not use your freedom for self-indulgence, but through love serve one another."

—St. Paul

Ecumenical   We respect all parts of the one Body of Christ, whether Catholic Orthodox or Protestant; and we desire, insofar as it is possible, to be in loving communion with all, while humbly receiving what each one has to teach us. Furthermore, we believe that the Church must remain open to recognize the wisdom of the other great spiritual traditions of the world. With humility, we honor the holy people of all times and places. Recognizing the unity of God’s family on earth, we welcome to our altars all who reverently approach them, erecting no barriers based upon dogma or religious affiliation.

Mystical   We believe that every person is invited to know God directly and to experience the joy of abiding divine union in this life. St. Paul said that we may “know the love of Christ which passes knowledge and be filled with all the fullness of God.“ Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is within you.” And the psalmist writes, “Be still and know that I am God.” With this in mind, we give particular emphasis to the cultivation of contemplative prayer and the discovery of God within.

Alternative  Free Catholicism offers an attractive alternative for Catholic and Orthodox Christians who seek a truly sacramental church which is open to the message and movement of the Holy Spirit for our times. Many sincere people have given up on the mainstream due to its inertia, rigidity, and dogmatism, They feel at home in the Catholic tradition, with its deep spirituality and sacramental worship, but they can no longer accept many of the things that go with it. For example, there are men who are called to the priesthood but do not want to be celibate, and there are women who desire to serve the Church but are told that there is no place for them. Others seek a Catholic Church: which recognizes the importance of free thought, conscience, and expression, instead of one that offers in its place the pronouncements of an “infallible” hierarchy. Free Catholicism also provides an alternative for Protestants and others not from a traditional Catholic background who are attracted to Catholic spirituality, sacramental worship and apostolic tradition but could never join one of the more conservative mainline sacramental churches.

Mission   Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. This is the whole of the law...”  We are called to reach out to the world with the unconditional love of Christ. True Christian love must be concerned not only with reconciling souls to God, but also with meeting the needs of the poor and oppressed, healing the sick in soul and body, working for peace and social justice, protecting the environment, and promoting dialogue and understanding between people of different denominations, religions, cultures and ideologies throughout the world.  Thus, we may proclaim by our actions the good news of a salvation that offers not only eternal welfare for our souls, but also wholeness and liberation on every level. Christ deeply desires to alleviate the sufferings of this present world, and ultimately to liberate and transform all of creation as heaven and earth unite in Him who is truly the Alpha and Omega.    

Jesus called his disciples together and said, "You know those who exercise authority among the Gentiles lord it over them, their great ones make their importance felt, it cannot be like that with you. Anyone among you who aspires to greatness must serve the rest, and anyone who wants to rank first among you must serve the needs of all. Such is the case with Son of Man who has come, not to be served by others but to serve, and to give his own life as a ransom for the many." ---St. Matthew 20:25-28

"Come you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me... Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you did it to me".  ---St. Matthew 25:34-36, 40.