The
Liberal Catholic Apostolic ChurchAn independent Catholic church in the liberal tradition
Liturgies of the Liberal Catholic
Apostolic Church
The
Church has approved the following Liturgies for use in its worship:
The Church permits the use of other liturgies, including experimental liturgies, on a case by case basis by approval of a Primate.
- Services of Love and Blessing of the Ancient Catholic Churches
- All Liturgies of the Liberal Catholic Church and Liberal Catholic Church International
- The Old Catholic Missal and Ritual (+Gul/+Mathew)
- The Roman Catholic Mass according to the form prescribed by the Council of Trent, in Latin or in English
- The Liturgies of the Catholic Apostolic Church, commonly called Irvingites
- The Glastonbury Rite
- The 1549 and 1928 Books of Common Prayer of the Church of England (only)
- (In cases of necessity only) The Roman Catholic "Novus Ordo" Mass
The Church permits the use of other liturgies, including experimental liturgies, on a case by case basis by approval of a Primate.
Services of Love and Blessing
Services
of Love and Blessing was prepared under the supervision of Mar Joannes
I and privately published by him in 1950. It became, and remains, the
standard liturgy of the Ancient Catholic Church. Mar Joannes I drew particularly on the Liturgy of the Liberal Catholic Church in compiling Services of Love and Blessing, but added a number of notable individual touches to produce a very beautiful and effective means of worship. He also compiled a musical setting of the relevant parts which used the works of existing composers. This remains unpublished and the only manuscript copy known to exist was housed at the Cathedral.
We are grateful to Leslie Grout for providing his copy of this work for reproduction.
The Mass according to Services of Love and Blessing
Following
the order of the Liberal Catholic Church for the first part, we find
the Lord's Prayer displaced to introduce the Liturgy of the Word and
the usage of familiar hymns at moments such as the Gradual and the Act
of Consecration. The Apostles' Creed replaces the Nicene Creed usual in
the LCC (a reflection of Mar Joannes I's greater liberalism) and the
Cherubikon is inserted at the Offertory. The identification of the Body and Blood of Christ is made explicit by the words at the Administration: the "Bread of Heaven" and the "Wine of Life". This identification serves to establish the Christ-force as a direct link between this world and the next; Mar Joannes I of course emphasised this link in his theology, declaring that death itself did not exist.
Other services, Solemn Benediction, Complin and Divine Healing, follow.
Text of Services of Love and Blessing
Click on each page to open a large scan in a new window:pages 1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7; 8; 9; 10; 11; 12; 13; 14; 15; 16; 17
The Eucharist according to the Liturgy of the Catholic Apostolic Church, commonly called Irvingites
This liturgy is given here in a form set by Mar Alexei.Click here to open in a new window.







