THE INDEPENDENTS: Father Eric Martinez, right, greets Lorenzo Portales at the Little Havana church, which has attracted about 400 parishioners, many from Cuba and Central America.
The rise of independent Catholic communities that reject the authority of the Vatican raises new questions about what constitutes a Catholic. Many Catholic groups have formed outside of the authority of Rome but still maintain some elements of Catholic spirituality such as the liturgy, Eucharist and much of the catechism.
''Technically, they're not Catholic in the sense of belonging to the church, but they're Catholic in terms of spirituality,'' said Ed Sunshine, a professor of theology at Barry University.
``Catholic spirituality goes a lot further than the organized Catholic Church.''
Some Catholic denominations have formed their own clerical hierarchies and rites but are still in communion with Rome. Sacraments in those churches are regarded as valid by Roman Catholics. They include the Armenian Catholic Church, the Syrian Catholic Church and the Maronite Catholic Church, among others.
Several schismatic Catholic groups have rejected the Vatican's authority but maintain they have valid ordination lineages tracing to the Old Catholic Church -- which broke from Rome in the 1870s over the issue of papal infallibility -- and other lineages.
I'm not a praticing Catholic, nor a good Catholic, but I know that these folks AREN'T Catholic. Roman Catholicism isn't a Horn and Hardart or cafeteria, where you walk through the line and take what you want and leave the rest.And these people can delude themselves all they want. But if it walks like a duck, and talks like a duck, it's an Episcopalean.
So9
OK, enlighten me. Why wouldn't this group be considered another "protestant" group?
Their praying that in the end will be The Last Non-Judgement where all the sheep and goats can get together.
Should read "relative conscience".
We've been firsthand witnesses to these types of imposters right here on FR.
''Most of us were born and raised as Catholics, and in good conscience I still see myself as Catholic,'' said Villaire... Bishop Villaire, who was raised Roman Catholic in Bay City, Mich., said he felt called to the priesthood at a young age. But shortly after being ordained in 1965, he started to feel uncomfortable with church teachings condemning divorce and birth control, he said.
His father, a grocer, and his mother, a beautician, had raised him to believe ''the customer is always right,'' he said. Denying communion to divorced Catholics made him uncomfortable, he said.
''We had people in parishes who were in a second marriage and they felt that they were on the outside looking in,'' he said. ``I encouraged them to come to communion. That put me at odds with the church.''
*Typical fraud. "...love without judgement.." for him is a demostrable LIE. He judges the Church guilty in its Doctrine and Orthopraxis and judges himself innocent in his priestly perfidy and heterodoxy.
But, he does it with a smile...ot it's ok, I guess.
John 7 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge just judgment.
1 John 3 18 My little children, let us not love in word, nor in tongue, but in deed, and in truth. 19 In this we know that we are of the truth: and in his sight shall persuade our hearts. 20 For if our heart reprehend us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
21 Dearly beloved, if our heart do not reprehend us, we have confidence towards God: 22 And whatsoever we shall ask, we shall receive of him: because we keep his commandments, and do those things which are pleasing in his sight. 23 And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ: and love one another, as he hath given commandment unto us. 24 And he that keepeth his commandments, abideth in him, and he in him. And in this we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.
The unasked question here is WHY? Why is the Miami Herald reporting this non-story?
Could it be to lend credibility to those who are in schism with the Catholic churches?
Naturally, an objective mainstream newspaper such as the Miami Herald wouldn't allow it's editorial perspective to bleed over into it's reporting. (/sarcasm)
''I felt more of an understanding of the way that Bishop Villaire interprets the Catholic teaching,'' she said.
Never mind the way the Catholic teachings have been interpreted for centuries, this guy got it right.
''I felt more of an understanding of the way that Bishop Villaire interprets the Catholic teaching,'' she said.
Never mind the way the Catholic teachings have been interpreted for centuries, this guy got it right.
"His father, a grocer, and his mother, a beautician, had raised him to believe ''the customer is always right,'' he said. Denying communion to divorced Catholics made him uncomfortable, he said."
Poor thing, he doesn't want to hurt anyone's feelings.