Celtic Orthodox Church


The Celtic Orthodox Church is a small autocephalous church which derives from the church formerly known as the Catholic Apostolic Church and, before that, as the Ancient British Church and the Orthodox Church of the British Isles, which was constituted by the Syriac Orthodox Church to develop an Orthodox church in the Western tradition without recourse to its Oriental roots.
The Ancient British Church was canonically established with the consecration of Mar Julius in 1866 by Mar Boutros who later became Patriarch Mar Ignatius Peter IV of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch.
However, as an autocephalous church, the Celtic Orthodox Church is not, and never has been, subject to the Syriac Orthodox Church nor is it in any way part of the Oriental Orthodox Church. It is Western Orthodox.
The Celtic Orthodox Church is neither Monophysite nor Miaphysite in theology. Its position with regard to the Ecumenical Councils might best be described as Pro-Chalcedonian, that is to say it accepts the teaching of all seven councils, but acknowledges that only the first three were truly ecumenical. The Celtic Orthodox Church, therefore, shares the Eastern Orthodox doctrine that Christ, the second Person of the Holy Trinity, is one Person with two Natures as defined at the Council of Chalcedon.
Since 25 December 2007, the Celtic Orthodox Church has been united with the French Orthodox Church and the Orthodox Church of the Gauls, forming the Communion of Western Orthodox Churches.
NB There are other groups who use the words 'Celtic' and 'Orthodox' in their titles. These are not the subject of this article.

History

Origins

In 1866, with the sanction of Patriarch Ignatius Ya'qub II of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch, Mar Julius who later became Patriarch Mor Ignatius Peter IV of Antioch, and dispatched to form an indigenous Orthodox church in Western Europe, which was not in any way subject to the Syriac Orthodox Church or the Patriarch of Antioch. The consecration was witnessed by the British Consul at Damascus. Mar Julius was given the title of Bishop of Iona and its Dependencies.

The Early Years 1866 to 1897 "Ancient British Church"

An early leader was Richard Williams Morgan during the earliest centuries of the Christian era. Morgan was consecrated a bishop by Jules Ferrette on 6 March 1874. Morgan was designated as first patriarch of the newly formed church.

Merger in 1897 "Free Protestant Episcopal Church"

On 2 November 1897, three jurisdictions merged to form the Free Protestant Episcopal Church. The three were the Ancient British Church, the Free Protestant Church and the Nazarene Episcopal Church. Leon Chechemian was appointed first primus of the new church and he served in this capacity for three years until 30 December 1900, at which point he was succeeded by Patriarch Stevens.
The patriarch of the Ancient British Church and the primus of the Free Protestant Episcopal Church then coincided in Stevens and his successors until 18 May 1939 when Bishop Monzani-Heard appointed William Hall as primus of the Free Protestant Episcopal Church, but retained the role of patriarch.

Merger in 1944 "Catholicate of the West"

On 23 March 1944, a deed of declaration under Monzani-Heard united the Ancient British Church, the Old Catholic Orthodox Church, the British Orthodox Catholic Church and the Independent Catholic Church into a single organization, to be called the "Catholicate of the West". On 28 March 1944, Hugh George de Willmott Newman was chosen as "Catholicos". He was consecrated and enthroned on 10 April 1944 as "Mar Georgius". Newman's family background had been within the Catholic Apostolic Church and he was influenced by that movement.
At Christmas 1944, the newly formed Catholicate resolved to bring its ministry, organization, usages and worship into general agreement with the pattern and model of the Catholic Apostolic Church, and the catholicate adopted the new name "Catholic Apostolic Church " with a sub-title "Western Orthodox Catholic Church". The liturgy of the Catholic Apostolic Church was adopted, with a supplement. However, the Catholicate was fairly short-lived and was dissolved in 1953.
On 29 January 1945, Monzani-Heard resigned the office of British patriarch to Newman. An attempt was made in 1959 to revive the Catholicate of the West but this did not survive beyond January 1969.

List of Patriarchs

The following are the patriarchs in succession:
In 1994, Abba Seraphim, following negotiations with Pope Shenouda III, took the UK branch of the Catholic Apostolic Church into union with the Coptic Orthodox Church, taking the name British Orthodox Church.
The Breton members of the Catholic Apostolic Church, who, under Bishop-Abbot Mael, had been made party to the negotiations with the Coptic Church, decided against joining in the 1994 alliance with the Copts, considering that their mission to promote and develop Western Orthodoxy was better served in its independence.
Interestingly, BOC's alliance with the Coptic Church continued for 21 years until October 2015, at which time the BOC withdrew from the alliance, considering that in the light of changed circumstances its objective would now be better served by its independence.

The French Eparchy becomes autocephalous as "L' Eglise Orthodoxe Celtique" ("Celtic Orthodox Church")

Accordingly, the remaining bishops of the Holy Synod elected Mgr Mael, consecrated in 1980 by Mar Seraphim, to be primate of the former French eparchy, assuming the name L'Église Orthodoxe Celtique to indicate that its jurisdiction covered the area of the former Celtic missions.
In 2014, following the death of HB Metropolitan Mael, Mgr Marc, consecrated in 1998 by Mgr Mael, was enthroned as primate of the Celtic Orthodox Church, having been elected by the Holy Synod.

The Celtic Orthodox Church in Britain

When, in 1998, some of the UK clergy who had followed Abba Seraphim into the Coptic Patriarchate subsequently asked to join the Celtic Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Mael received them and the Celtic Orthodox Church in Britain was given the status of an eparchy or province.
In 1999, a new bishop/eparch, Stephen Robson, was elected and consecrated for Britain; he had been one of the British priests who had chosen to leave the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate.
In early 2007, the administration of the British eparchy came under the direct care of the primate when Bishop Stephen resigned.

Nations in which the Celtic Orthodox Church is present

The Celtic Orthodox Church has parishes in France, Switzerland and the United States, including a monastery at Toms Brook, Virginia. Since the end of 2017 the Celtic Orthodox Church is now represented once more in Australia. In the United Kingdom, following deaths, retirements and secessions, the Celtic Orthodox Church now has one parish.