I was wondering if anyone could provide an explanation of the differences between Roman Catholic and American Catholic priests, weddings they perform, validity, etc. Thanks for the help!

-- Shawn Burgwald (volyblmn@yahoo.com), June 04, 2003

Answers

unless the american catholics are a schism i havent heard of before, there shouldnt be any difference, they are all to follow the same canon, GIRM, etc.

-- paul (dontsendmemail@notanaddress.com), June 04, 2003.

Jmj

Hello, Shawn.
I'm a little puzzled about why you didn't bother to explain your question better. Why did you assume that people would know what you meant by "American Catholic priests"? Let me clarify what I'm saying ...

The one true Church founded by Jesus is the "Catholic Church," the church which has Jesus as its invisible head and the pope as its chief visible pastor. Although I myself (for good reasons) do not use the term, "Roman Catholic ... priests," I believe that you have used it as a synonym for "Catholic priests." We can be sure that every man ordained by a Catholic bishop in union with the pope -- i.e., every "Catholic priest" -- is validly ordained, celebrates Mass and the sacraments, and should be teaching the authentic doctrines of the Church, as detailed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church."

What about others who call themselves "priests"?
(1) Any of these who is a woman is not a priest.
(2) Any of these who is a member of an ancient, apostolic, schismatic Eastern church [e.g., the Orthodox] is a true priest.
(3) Any of these who is a member of a Protestant ecclesial community [e.g., the Anglican communion] is almost certainly not a true priest.
(4) Any of these who is a member of a schismatic ecclesial community may be a validly ordained priest. It depends on (1) whether or not the "bishop" who ordained him was himself validly ordained and (2) whether or not the rite of priestly ordination was of a form that truly conveyed the sacrament of Orders to the "priest."

This brings me to what you, Shawn, called "American Catholic priests." Many average Catholics will assume that, in using this term, you are referring to priests of the (true) Catholic Church who happen to be working in "America." However, I am going to assume that you do not mean this. Rather, I am going to assume that you are referring to the clergy of an entity called the "American Catholic Church."

Unfortunately, at this point in history (as an Internet search will reveal) there is more than one entity that has illegitimately adopted that name -- "American Catholic Church." Here is a site of one of these entities.

At one Internet site, I read that one entity calling itself the "American Catholic Church" is "an American offshoot of the European sect of Old Catholics." The so-called "Old Catholic Church" is an entity that formed in the 19th century in Holland, as a schism from the true Catholic Church (i.e., preserving almost all Catholic doctrine, but rejecting the infallibility and headship of the pope). I believe that I have read that some or all Old Catholics -- now after more than 100 years of deterioration -- have slipped from schism into dissent and possibly into heresy. Nevertheless, I also believe that the Vatican recognizes as valid the sacraments celebrated in Old Catholic churches. Therefore, it is just possible that "priests" of the "American Catholic Church" (an offshoot of "Old Catholicism") are validly ordained -- according to my item #4, above.

Shawn, in light of all this, can you please ask a more precise question or two -- pertaining to your concerns about these "priests," weddings at which they officiate, etc.? Although I invite you to ask these questions, I cannot guarantee that I can answer any of them.

God bless you.
John

-- J. F. Gecik (jfgecik@hotmail.com), June 19, 2003.

The short answer to your question is that if you want your "Catholic" wedding to be valid, it has to take place in a Roman Catholic Church (it is nearly if not impossible to find a Roman Catholic priest that will go to your home, the beach, etc.) by a priest ordained in the Roman Catholic Church. The reason for this is that marriage is one of the seven sacraments. An Orthodox Catholic priest is not what most people consider a Catholic priest even if his beliefs are similar, and is often referred by reception sites because they marry you wherever you choose. Your marriage will not be recorded in the Church if the priest is not ordained and recognized by your local archdiocese. No matter where you live, I am assuming that you are looking for the Catholic Church that is the Roman Catholic Church and is headed by the Pope.

-- Mercedes Rosado (mbz51773@aol.com), July 02, 2003.