In our own words

What is the Celtic Catholic Church?
by Christopher White

I. What does "What is the Celtic Catholic Church" mean?

Before I answer this question, I would like to look at the question itself. I believe that the Church is One. But there are different people in the Church. These different people group together and have different traditions, means of worship, and beliefs on non-central matters of faith. The Celtic Catholic Church is one, particular cell in the Body of Christ. When I answer, "What is the Celtic Catholic Church," I am answering what it is to me in relation to these other cells (Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Protestant, etc.)

II. What does the Church look like to me?

Before I do that, however, I would like to tell you what the Church as a whole looks like to me in relation to what I think the Church looks like to other people. Some view the Church as a castle. The walls are built with traditions, doctrines, dogmas, beliefs, and other such important parts of the Christian faith. However, these important parts make an impenetrable wall into which none may come save by the drawbridge of baptism. Once there, one knows clearly where Church ends and Error begins because of the Wall. It is a "safe place" to be saved.

I see the Church as a body. The bones, the structure, of the Church are made up of the essential beliefs common to all Christians. These are outlined in the Three Creeds. One is part of the Body when one is joined to that structure, grafted on through Baptism. We are individual cells that make larger biological communities that make larger muscle groups and organs and digits and skin. Some parts of this Body are more healthy and productive than others, but "where two or more are gathered in [His] name," there the Body is.

The Celtic Catholic Church is not a branch or a denomination. It is a small part of that Body, a cell grouping among a much larger whole. We are two or more gathered in His name, and thus we are Church. Taking this analogy to a ludicrous extreme, we are probably located somewhere just outside of the pancreas in a section so out of the way that no one would miss us if we were gone, but we are there nonetheless.

III. So, what does it mean to me?

So what does it mean to be to be part of that Body, the Church, located in a remote section behind the pancreas? What does out little cell grouping look like? And why did I not skip to this part instead of including all the former? Actually, our conception of ourselves directly affects how we view the Church. Or perhaps our conception of the Church affects how we view ourselves. We don’t believe that we are the only Christian Church, or even the only Celtic Church. We do believe that we have a different “focus” than other parts of the Church. One Church might say that their main focus is Unity. Another will say that their main focus is Truth. Another might be characterized by not being like one of the former two. They all have in common the same core of belief (the Creeds) and a common Baptism in the name of the Trinity, but they focus on different things.

Our focus is Relationship. First, we hope to promote our relationship with God. "Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul and strength." Second, we hope to promote relationships with each other. “Love thy Neighbor as thyself." Is Truth important? Absolutely! Is Unity important? Absolutely! Is Salvation, Justification, Theosis, Sanctification, Justice and all those other big words important? Absolutely! But they all fall in line behind Relationship with God and with Man.

And when the focus is right, all these other things come as well. A right Relationship with God leads to Salvation/Justification (although that should not be our concern or focus.) It leads to Theosis/Sanctification, for as we are with Him we become more like Him. It leads to Truth, for as we live in Him we learn from Him. It leads to Unity for as we build relationships with Him together, we simultaneously build them with each other.

A right Relationship with Man does the same. We don’t have to seek Equality for women, Justice for the poor, Rights for the downtrodden, etc, etc, etc. They all come as part of the package when we Love our Neighbors. Our right Relationship with Man leads us to serve, to teach, to heal, to visit, to comfort, to Love, to Love and to Love. All these other things fall into place with the right focus.

There are other “distinctives” about the CCC. Our conception of Saining, thoughts about Imperialism and our all-around Grooviness are worth mention. But this one thing, I believe, is most important. The rest can come later