Community of St. Ita and St. Fillan: Differences between the Celtic Tradition and other churches

Main Differences In Practice Between the Celtic Church And Other 'Mainstream' Churches

1. At The Heart Of All That Has Life Is The Light Of God

This is a fundamental belief of the Celtic Church! Unlike most Western churches, the Celtic Church follows, and has always followed, the tradition of Saint John,

that beloved disciple who leaned against the breast of Jesus, "listening for the heartbeat of God", at the Last Supper. This 'way of seeing' led to the Celtic Church's stream of spirituality which teaches that God may be found, heard and experienced everywhere and in all things and that a true worship of God, therefore, can neither be contained within the four walls of a sacred building nor restricted to the boundaries of religious tradition. This also led to the Celtic Church's emphasis on worshipping in the open rather than in buildings and also the celebration of the Seasons. Every blade of grass, every sigh of the breeze, every splash of rain, every wave of the sea, every movement of the earth, every flutter of a bird's wing, every twinkle of a star, every ray of sun... and every breath of man contains the very life of God.

(Click image to enlarge)

"And all of creation shall worship Him"

2. 'Original Sin'

The Celtic Church has difficulties with what we consider to be the unbiblical Augustinian doctrine, which most 'mainstream' churches seem to follow in one form or another, that mankind is born inherently evil and deprived of God's Grace and further that only the 'elect' are saved. Rather the Celtic Church believes that within all of creation may be found the essence of God and that humanity is essentially good. This in no way denies the presence of evil and its power over the human. Rather, it means that at the heart of humanity is the image and goodness of God, a goodness that is obscured or covered over by the practicing of wrongdoing and evil. "And God said "Let there be light," and there was light. And God saw that the light was good". Saint John the Beloved spoke of this light as "the light of life" or 'the light that enlightens everyone coming into this world'. John 1:9

We are not born guilty and cut off from God. What mother can look at her newborn and honestly believe "This child is evil and damned to hell!"?

3. Baptism

In general, because the Celtic Church rejects the doctrine of Augustine, (see above) we don't consider it necessary to baptise infants... preferring instead to allow the child to become sufficiently mature to decide for him/herself. Our Lord does not want slaves or unwilling converts! However, in the case of an infant being ill or by special request from the parents, we will most certainly baptise an infant.

4. Women's Role In The Church

The Celtic Church completely accepts the ordaining of suitable female candidates. It was never influenced by Roman social codes that considered women to be property and drew upon the fact that there were many female followers of Jesus; that women served in the role of priests in administering the first house churches and that the New Testament mentions a female deacon, Phoebe. Paul’s letters address many of these women leaders. The Celtic Church was the first church to have female saints in Ita, who served at Killeedy and Brigid in the Irish Church.

5. The Calculation of Easter
The Celtic Church followed the teachings of St. John the Beloved and continued observing Easter at 14 Nisan or at Passover, as recorded in all four Gospels. The Roman Church, from which almost all other subsequent 'mainstream' churches took their lead, for some unfathomable reason, followed the astrological calculation developed at the Council of Nicea, which was presided over by the pagan Emperor Constantine. According to Eusebius’ account of the Council of Nicea, the Bishops from Britain and the churches in Mesopotamia refused to follow the Council’s decree regarding the new calculation of Easter. Their reasons were that all four Gospels recorded Easter occurring at Passover.

6. Real Presence

The Celtic Church doesn't subscribe to the doctrine of transubstantiation and instead holds to the doctrine of Real Presence in the Eucharist. Real Presence is defined as Christ being with us during the Communion and within us after consumption of the elements. John 6:56 supports this, “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him”. This was also the belief of the early church. St. Ignatius of Antioch wrote “the distinguishing mark of heretics was their denial of the real presence.”

7. The Nicene Creed

The Celtic Church follows the Nicene Creed as first adopted at the First Council of Nicea and later modified in the Council of Constantinople, which is sans Filioque. The Filioque clause was added to the Creed in the 9th century by Charlemagne upon the advice of his Saxon advisor, Alcuin, but rejected by the Celtic Bishops, the Gallican Church, the Orthodox Church and the Coptic Church. (Personal Note: this is one of those things that, to me, is unessential. There are many things which are beyond our comprehension as finite human beings. With regards to the Nicene Creed surely it is the end result which matters, not the method by which it came to be?)

8. Structure

The Celtic Church was monastic or community-based in structure - non-diocesan and non-hierarchical. Preferring instead to form associations between the different communities. In conference, no Abbot or Bishop was 'more equal' than another. This followed more closely the earlier (and purer) form of Christianity than did the later rigidly structured power and wealth-hungry diocesan churches.