| Reformed Catholic Church (Venezuela) | |
|---|---|
| Classification | Independent Catholic |
| Orientation | Anglican |
| Polity | Episcopal |
| Associations | Orthodox Anglican Communion |
| Region | Venezuela |
| Origin | 2008 |
The Reformed Catholic Church of Venezuela (Anglican Rite) ( Spanish: Iglesia Católica Reformada de Venezuela) is a member jurisdiction of the Latin-American Anglican Church, a part of the global Orthodox Anglican Communion, and has received recognition from the Conservative Anglican Church of North America, a small United States-based group. [1] It is therefore not a part of the Anglican Communion or the Roman Catholic Church.
History
The jurisdiction was inaugurated in June 2008 by Roman Catholics, Anglicans, and Lutherans who rejected (among other things) the Roman Catholic ban on married priests. News reports claimed church leadership expressed support for some of the policies of President Hugo Chávez. [2] [1]
Several high-ranking prelates in the Roman Catholic Church have criticized the new jurisdiction for attempting to divide the larger Catholic Church, and asked Roman Catholics to avoid the church. [3] [4] [5]
References
- ^ a b Romero, Simon (31 July 2008). "Breakway church in Venezuela is sympathetic to Chávez". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 February 2010.
- ^ "Chávez-linked church decried". Miami Herald. 29 June 2008.[ dead link]
- ^ Ingram, James (5 July 2008). "Pro-Chavez Catholics under fire". British Broadcasting Corporation News. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
- ^ ""Reformed Catholic Church" Not Catholic: Venezuelan Prelates Clarify Status of Group". Innovative Media, Inc. 4 July 2008. Archived from the original on 5 July 2008.
- ^ Johnston, Geoffrey P. (15 December 2009). "Chavez attacks Venezuelan churches". ChristianWeek. Archived from the original on 9 January 2010.