Message of welcome
Priest reaching out to disaffected
Roman Catholics
By Rosa Salter Rodriguez The Journal
Gazette
A New
Testament verse might apply to the worship services the Rev. Michel-Paul
Holland has been conducting since November in Fort Wayne.
It’s Matthew
18:20 – “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I
in the midst of them,” as the King James Version words it.
Often, no more
than four or five are gathered when Holland, 50, leads what he and members
of Holy Redeemer Reformed Catholic Church call Mass at Grace St. John’s
United Church of Christ, 4120 Webster St.
But Holland
hopes that will change as more people hear about the young denomination, one
that seeks to shepherd primarily disaffected Roman Catholics with a liberal
bent to a church similar to and unlike the one they left.
Liturgically
speaking, Holland says, there are few differences between a Roman Catholic
worship service and one at a Reformed Catholic church.
“You probably
wouldn’t notice them unless you were really looking,” he says.
But one
difference speaks volumes. Everyone who is a baptized Christian is invited
to join in the Eucharist.
Reformed
Catholicism, Holland says, “isn’t in the business of denying Communion to
anyone” – including those not in full communion with the Roman Catholic
Church, such as divorced and remarried Catholics without church-granted
annulments.
Other
differences underscore the church’s breaks with Roman Catholic tradition and
teaching.
Reformed
Catholicism ordains not only women and married men but also homosexuals as
priests. Holy union services are conducted for same-sex couples.
“We look at it
as an open sacramentality to all, that we aren’t denying anyone because of
gender or sexual orientation or any of the things that have been used to
divide or exclude people,” says Holland, who teaches French in Southwest
Allen County Schools and was ordained a Reformed Catholic priest in October.
All of that is
enough for some Roman Catholic theologians to use strong words to describe
Reformed Catholics.
“Those people
are from the perspective of the Catholic church, schismatic and probably
some of their teachings are heretical,” says Lawrence Cunningham, professor
of theology at the University of Notre Dame.
Cunningham
says the church’s priests and bishops “would certainly be breaking unity,”
referring to the Roman Catholic principle that all bishops “are in communion
with each other and the bishop of Rome, which is the pope.”
And he would
not be surprised if a local Roman Catholic bishop would warn members away
from Reformed congregations.
“If a person
is a practicing Catholic, the person should respond with benign neglect.
They ought not go to that church because the church is in schism, and they
ought not receive the sacraments there,” he says.
Bishop John M.
D’Arcy of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend could not be reached for
comment.
David
Fleischacker, chairman of the department of philosophy and theology at the
University of Saint Francis, says the Reformed Catholic Church is one of
many small, independent offshoots of Catholicism with varying beliefs and
practices.
He thinks the
congregation might appeal to some area Catholics, especially non-practicing
Catholics who disagree with church positions on hot-button issues.
“If somebody
is upset with the hot-topic issues like women’s ordination and
contraception, and they don’t want to adhere to the church’s teachings, but
they want to keep the Mass that they’re familiar with growing up, … that’s
probably what would attract them to this church,” he said.
As for the
Reformed Catholic Church’s stance on homosexuality, he added: “I don’t know
if around here, in comparison to some other places, that would be as
appealing.”
Established in
2000, the Reformed Catholic Church became official in 2004. The church has
roots in the Old Catholic Church of Utrecht in the Netherlands, Holland
says. That body split from Roman Catholicism over the issue of papal
infallibility and supremacy after Vatican I in the 1870s. Its association
with the Old Catholic Church is what allows Reformed Catholicism to claim
apostolic succession for its priests – that they are in a direct line from
St. Peter, Holland says.
The church’s
founders include Roman Catholic clerics, and it is now headed by the Rev.
Phillip Zimmerman, a former priest who holds the title of archbishop.
The Reformed
Catholic Church, based in Columbus, Ohio, claims 26,000 members worldwide.
According to its Web site (www.reformedcatholicchurch.org)
, there are about 35 parishes or religious communities in 23 states.
Holy Redeemer
is the only one in Indiana.
A divorced
father of three sons, one of whom is deceased, Holland was raised Roman
Catholic in Wisconsin and has lived in Fort Wayne for 10 years. He says he
came to his new faith after spending about 20 years in the Orthodox church,
coming close to ordination as a deacon.
But he says he
never felt completely comfortable there because the churches were highly
oriented to specific nationalities, such as Greek or Russian. He returned to
his Roman Catholic roots after moving to Fort Wayne.
Holland was a
musician and sanctuary custodian in two Roman Catholic parishes in Fort
Wayne, positions he was asked to leave after he began a serious study of
Reformed Catholicism last year.
He traveled to
the organization’s headquarters in Columbus and was ordained after church
leaders were satisfied with his personal convictions and academic
background, which includes college-level courses in religious studies.
Holland says
he felt called to be a priest for many years, “but a divorced man who will
not apply for an annulment on principle has a distinct disadvantage.” He
says he was unwilling to say that he entered marriage with less than
honorable intentions to obtain the church-granted annulment.
He also says
that for many years he felt uncomfortable with “20 percent of Catholicism,”
as well as “seeing people hurting for reasons that were just absurd,” such
as not being allowed Communion because they would not give up practicing
unapproved methods of birth control.
“What struck
me (about the Reformed Catholic Church) was the overall sincerity and love
of the people,” Holland says. “These people were clearly walking the talk.”
Though one of
Holy Redeemer’s first major events was a healing service last month for
people with AIDS and their loved ones, Holland says he’s resisted making the
congregation “a gay church.”
The
congregation promotes an “open and affirming” atmosphere regardless of
sexual orientation or gender identity.
Holland sees
its mission as a broader appeal to anyone who feels spiritually wounded and
believes a church should serve those whom other churches might view as
outcasts, such as the poor and homeless. “That’s what Jesus did,” he says.
Reformed
Catholic priests are not paid, he says, and many see themselves as carrying
forward their reforms in the spirit of Vatican II.
The Rev. Julia
Goodall, pastor of Grace St. John’s, says that congregation was happy to
allow the Reformed Catholics to rent its building for services.
“The United
Church of Christ is open and affirming,” she says, adding that while her own
congregation is “kind of split on the issue, they are very accepting of
everybody.”
Before the
arrangement was approved by the council and congregation, she says members
were concerned whether they would be able to receive Communion at Reformed
Catholic services.
“We were
assured they had an open (Communion) table,” Goodall says. “I’m looking
forward to having our first Ash Wednesday service with them.”
Reformed Catholic Church Making Strides
Archbishop Phillip Zimmerman, RSJ,
presiding bishop of the Reformed Catholic Church, named Fr. Michel Holland
as Director of Clergy Formation for the Reformed Catholic Church. The
honorary title of monsignor was given to Fr. Holland in recognition of his
efforts on behalf of Holy Cross seminary and his founding of the new parish
of Holy Redeemer. Msgr. Holland also serves as personal chaplain to His
Excellency, the Archbishop as well as personal nuncio.
Columbus, Ohio: Reverend Scott Anthony Davis has joined the parish
of St. Sebastian and has requested to learn the cathecism of The Reformed
Catholic Church and to pursue Holy Orders of the church. We welcome our new
family member and ask for your prayers for him as he prayerfully discerns a
vocation in this Denomination.
Reconciliation
Catholic Church has been working on many projects over the last 2 years. 
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