The churches are emptying. Yet many people are still sincerely religious, but no longer believe in the Church. The dioceses receive requests for baptism every day! The Liberal Catholic Church as a healthy alternative.
Problems of the Roman Church
The Roman Catholic Church seems to be dying out. On the one hand, there is the central authority in Rome that seems to be out of touch with the world and on the other hand, the believers who no longer feel understood by their Church. Many believers turn their backs on the Church because of a number of contradictions. Frequently heard criticisms are:
- The Church preaches cleanliness and purity, but in her bosom one pedophilia scandal after another arises
- The Church preaches equality for all people, but excludes women from ordination
- The Church preaches Caritas, but accumulates wealth while most of its members live in poverty
Cause of these abnormalities
Some of the causes of these problems are from the past, but could be solved today if there was the will.
- The Church originated in a patriarchal society, where women had a different – read: subordinate role – to men.
- In the past, the Church has accumulated an enormous fortune in real estate, money and goods through conquest, abuse of power, manipulation and legacies.
- The Church has instituted compulsory celibacy for its clergy, requiring the suppression of natural urges, because only a small minority can truly transcend these urges! As a result, the minds of some of its servers have been corrupted into pedophilia and the like.
Catholic Church vs. Catholic Churches
Everyone knows that Protestantism consists of more than 1,000 denominations, which share the Protestant basis, but each place their emphasis in their own way.
What is less known is that Catholicism also consists of more than 100 churches, all of which are in the apostolic succession, so are legal heirs of the church of Christ and Peter and can confer valid sacraments.
The big difference is that the Protestant churches recognize each other and often work well together, while among the Catholics the Roman Catholic Church sees itself as the true church and the others as schisms.
Which church is the good alternative to the Roman Church?
Of course, everyone has to decide that for themselves.
Some of these other Catholic churches are much more progressive than the Roman Church, while others are much more conservative.
The Liberal Catholic Church as the best choice for the 21st century?
The Liberal Catholic Church originated in 1916 through the Independent Old Roman Catholic Church from the Old Catholic Church.
Because we notice the following points when we compare the Liberal Catholic Church with the Roman Catholic Church:
- Man and woman are equal here and both can become priests or bishops.
- Since the Christ is considered the head of the Church, there is no Pope. The only central authority is a Presiding Bishop who is elected by the synod for a period of seven years.
- There is no mandatory celibacy for the clergy. so they usually have a family, which means that the abuses of pedophilia and the like do not occur
- There are no dogmas or compulsory teachings here!
- The confession of faith is formulated positively: everyone is saved; no one is damned.
- Communion is open to anyone who enters the altar with the necessary respect and attitude. So no mandatory confession
The Liberal Catholic Church in the world
Although this church has been active for almost a century, it remains a small church community. According to some counts, there are 300,000 members in the world. The Liberal Catholic Church is mainly found in the Netherlands, England, the US, Belgium, Australia, New Zealand, Africa, France and certain Eastern Bloc countries.