Celtic catholic church

tomaskennedy

Up to the Synod of Cashel there was a celtic catholic church in Ireland - in communion with the catholic church in other countries, including Italy (Rome), but led by it's own Gaelic bishops.

I believe that's the way the catholic church in Ireland should go - back to it's freedom. We were once a British colony, and we have done very well on our with good relationships with the UK.

Rome also has us as a spiritual colony, we should put an end to that - and continue free and with good relationships.

Tomás

Lukin Black

I've heard about this before, but am not really sure what was the difference/significance? Any links, or recommended reading?

tomaskennedy

"How the Irish Saved Civilisation" is a great book on this subject.

There are some similarities between the Roman church and the Celtic church - with some big differences.

The celtic was community and not institutional, based on relationships and not a command structure, for example.

Priests were married as well as celebate.

Tomás:cool:

Lukin Black

Oh the irony! I was given a copy of that book, but never got round to reading it. I'll have to give it a read then

I did a quick google and was a bit shocked at the third link down :eek:

There's a brief synopsis here too.

tomaskennedy

Yes, Dr. Ian does put his spin on it!!

The Roman church insists that the celtic church was always roman, and Dr. Ian insists that there was no connection at all.

Between is the truth! Of course there was a connection between the church in Ireland and the church in Rome, fellowship, but not domination as there is now (weakening... as we know).

Tomás+

Manach

Whilst the Celtic Church has a romantic aura painted about it, this would still not fail to disguise the fact that left unchecked this would have the nucleus for a schismatic movement. The basic aim of the Church is to keep a vibrant complete faith, for it to fail to allow this centre to hold would produce numerous fragmentary groups to emerge, each promoting it’s own sliver of truth.

tomaskennedy

I agree with Manach that division is not desirable. The celtic catholic church was and is in communion with the rest of the church, and is loyal to the historic teaching of the church. The main differences are that it is celtic in culture, and not roman - why would it be as it's not roman?

Yoda

One nice thing about the Catholic Churches (Roman, Anglican, and the various Orthodox varieties) is that they maintain a tradition of ordination and confirmation by laying on of hands by bishops in the apostolic succession.

Of course it is possible to do that without having to give alliegence and taxes to the Bishop of Rome and his rather unprogressive agenda.

In the absence of a Celtic Catholic church here it seems that a great many Roman Catholics are defecting to Anglican Catholicism. Or so I have heard.

watty

Originally posted by Yoda
One nice thing about the Catholic Churches (Roman, Anglican, and the various Orthodox varieties) is that they maintain a tradition of ordination and confirmation by laying on of hands by bishops in the apostolic succession.

Of course it is possible to do that without having to give alliegence and taxes to the Bishop of Rome and his rather unprogressive agenda.

In the absence of a Celtic Catholic church here it seems that a great many Roman Catholics are defecting to Anglican Catholicism. Or so I have heard.

Not that I have noticed..

Just last night someone was telling me of a Anglican service specially for Limerick City.... "Of course the RCs never come" he said.


It's probabily the case though that St. Patrick was sent, not to "bring Christianity to Ireland" (ireland already had churches), but to bring Papal / Roman authority. Wasn't he actually Welsh?

1500 years ago is probabily too long and too much revision since of History to really know much about the "Pre-Roman See" Church in Ireland.

Certianally even in Rome at once stage Celibacy was optional as is still in Eastern Orthodox (I think only Bishops etc have to be celibate).

Certinaly long after Patrick the Church in Ireland still had a very Celtic flavor.

Wasn't there a much later council at Lindisfarne or someplace else nr Yorkshire that finally "papered over" the division between practices in "Celtic" and "Roman" Church in the British Isles. I forget the date.

Might have been as late as 1100s?