Worldwide Communion of Catholic Apostolic Churches

The Worldwide Communion of Catholic Apostolic Churches (WCCAC; Spanish: Comunión de Iglesias Católicas Apostólicas Mundiales, CICAM) was a communion of independent Catholic churches connected to the Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church (ICAB). The Worldwide Communion of Catholic Apostolic Churches was founded around 2008 in Guatemala.[1] In spite of its ambitious aims, there is no independent evidence of any recent activity of this organization, which seems to have stalled.[2]

Worldwide Communion of Catholic Apostolic Churches
Comunión de Iglesias Católicas Apostólicas Mundiales
AbbreviationWCCAC, CICAM
ClassificationWestern Christian
OrientationIndependent Catholic
TheologyCatholic theology, Open communion, Theosophy, Gnosticism, Syncretism
PolityEpiscopal
FounderLuis Fernando Castillo Mendez
Origin17 August 2008
San Lucas Sacatepéquez, Guatemala

Organization and beliefs
Dom Luis Fernando Castillo Méndez, founding patriarch of the WCCAC

The Worldwide Communion of Catholic Apostolic Churches adhered to a conventional Catholic Christian faith, though with openness to other beliefs that they perceive do not contradict the Catholic faith.[1][3] Similarly, the WCCAC understanding of church structure and hierarchy, sacraments, and holy orders essentially did not differ from conventional Catholicism, but dissolution of marriage by a bishop was allowed.[4][5] The founding bishops' statement added that "We do not accept any ordination of women into the Holy Orders (...). We do not allow any homosexual clergy in any communion churches."[6] The Worldwide Communion of Catholic Apostolic Churches was intended to be governed by an International Bishops Council. For organizational purposes, the communion had a board of directors, an honorary advisory committee, and an executive secretariat. The International Bishops Council aimed to meet every two years. The council of the communion formed at San Lucas Sacatepéquez, Guatemala, August 12–18, 2008.

Member churches were formed in different countries, presided over by bishops. WCCAC members are thought to have included, or may currently include:

Inactivity

There is no independently verifiable evidence of significant activity of WCCAC in recent years, and it could be presumed to have terminated: "ICAB [WCCAC's mother church] has had difficulty in maintaining the unity and continuity of its worldwide communion of branches. (...) [The] priorities of each branch do not always seem to be in harmony (...) and it becomes difficult at times to see what the point of having an international communion is supposed to be. In ICAB’s defense, perhaps, it cannot be easy to hold breakaway groups in a communion, however loose a communion it may be – it is almost a direct contradiction in terms."[2]

References
  1. "Fundación de CICAM". icergua.org. August 2008. Archived from the original on 2015-10-11. Retrieved 2015-10-21.
  2. Jarvis, Edward. God, Land & Freedom, the true story of ICAB, Apocryphile Press, Berkeley CA, 2018, pp 164-165
  3. Worldwide Communion of Catholic Apostolic Churches (WCCAC) constitution, Article 2
  4. WCCAC Const. Articles 3, 4, 5, 6, 8
  5. "ESTATUTO CONSTITUTIVO DE CICAM". icergua.org. 2009-03-30. Archived from the original on 2009-03-30. Retrieved 2020-12-09.
  6. CICAM-WCCAC, Mexican National Catholic Church http://www.mncc.net/cicam-wccac.html accessed 15 August 2019
  7. "Mexican National Catholic Church". web.archive.org. 2018-07-29. Retrieved 2020-12-09.
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