CELTIC = ORTHODOXY

THE=20 ORTHODOX FAMILY

THE=20 ORTHODOX FAMILY OF CHURCHES AND THE RESTORATION OF THE CELTIC ORTHODOX=20 CHURCH

THE=20 RENAISSANCE OF ORTHODOXY IN THE WEST

Archpriest=20 Father John Ross
=A91998
Third Printing - Revised Edition. = Pentecost=20 1999

Published=20 by:

The=20 Scottish Orthodox Mission
Columcille
10 Ferguson=20 Street
FETTERANGUS
Aberdeenshire
Scotland
AB42=20 8HD

Telephone:=20 01771 622740

PREFACE

This=20 little book reviews the revival of the ancient Celtic Orthodox Christian = faith=20 of our forefathers in Western Europe - and its spread to the USA and = Australia.=20 It is based largely on my personal experience of endeavouring to be an = Orthodox=20 Christian as a Westerner. Therefore any opinions expressed in it are = entirely my=20 own - unless otherwise stated.

I=20 would like to dedicate, with thanks, this work to those wise souls who = have=20 guided me in my lengthy pilgrimage to Orthodoxy. First, I thank God for = the=20 old Scottish Episcopal = Church=20 which, before it was undermined by modernism, provided a spiritual = milieu within=20 which I could discover and savour the ancient Orthodox Catholic heritage = of=20 Scotland. In this respect I am grateful to the memory of the late Father = Martin=20 Reith who was perhaps eventually only "peripherally Anglican" as he = lived his=20 eremitical life at Scotlandwell and inspired me with his vision of the = Celtic=20 Church of old Scotland. I am especially grateful to the late = Archimandrite=20 Barnabas of St Elias Orthodox Monastery in Wales who acted as my = Spiritual=20 Father for over twenty years and who taught me nearly everything I know = about=20 the Orthodox Faith and its worship.

I=20 am grateful to Monseigneur Germain, Bishop of St Denys in L'=C9glise = Catholique=20 Orthodoxe de France, who received me into the Orthodox Church after I = left the=20 Episcopal Church in 1989 and who subsequently ordained me into the = Orthodox=20 Ministry and Priesthood. At that time ECOF was still within the Romanian = Orthodox jurisdiction.

I=20 must thank His Grace Abba Seraphim, Metropolitan of Glastonbury, for his = generosity and great kindness in giving me a home in the OCBI at a time = when I=20 was rendered, as it were, "homeless" when the French Church was disowned = by the=20 Romanians and I was made "uncanonical" and isolated. My debt to Abba = Seraphim is=20 in no way diminished by my being unable to follow him in his policy of=20 "Copticisation" of the British Orthodox = Church.

I=20 have to render hearty thanks to the Lord for the prompt response of His = Serenity=20 Metropolitan Mael of the =C9glise Orthodoxe Celtique in Brittany, for = "coming to=20 the rescue" of those clergy and laity like myself who were temporarily = "in the=20 wilderness" after we left the Copto-British Orthodox Church. It is = within the=20 communion of this Western Church - the Celtic Orthodox Church, that I = now live=20 and worship and carry on my priesthood.

FATHER=20 JOHN ROSS, Archpriest.

Columcille,=20 Fetterangus, Feast of The Nativity of the Theotokos 1998=20

INTRODUCTION

With=20 the disappearance of the Celtic Church, the indigenous Orthodox Catholic = Church=20 of Britain and Western Europe, the Christianity of the West suffered a = great=20 loss. At one time there were three great Traditions in the undivided = Church -=20 the Byzantine, the Roman, and the Celtic. (Further to the East there = were, of=20 course, the semi-Byzantine Coptic and Syrian Traditions of the = non-Chalcedonian=20 Orthodox Churches.) The Celtic Tradition was to be found in the Western=20 extremities of Europe although some of its missions and influence = extended well=20 into central and Northern Europe also, and even into areas close to Rome = itself.

However,=20 when the Emperor Charlemagne re-created a Western Roman Empire, he = sought to=20 impose the usages and theology of the Roman Church upon all the Churches = of his=20 dominions. Naturally, since he was the greatest political power in = Western=20 Europe, his influence and ecclesiastical policy made itself felt well = beyond the=20 bounds of his empire and so the spread of the Roman Tradition, which was = already=20 beginning to eclipse the Celtic Churches, gained impetus until it was = supreme=20 throughout the West.

It=20 is only in this century that we see a tremendous upsurge of interest in = Celtic=20 culture, and naturally, amongst Christians, this has created a desire to = know=20 more about their Celtic Christian forefathers. Recent researches and = studies=20 have revealed more about the nature of the Celtic Church, its = spirituality,=20 liturgies, and structures than was hitherto thought to exist. Much = resource=20 material on the Celtic Churches has been made available to scholars = through the=20 indefatigable efforts of an American Orthodox priest, Father Maelruain = Dowling,=20 thus opening new avenues of study and rediscovery. The recent conference = on=20 "Christianity in North East Scotland", held at the newly inaugurated = Elphinstone=20 Institute at Aberdeen University, dealing with many aspects of the = Celtic Church=20 opened the eyes of many to the possibilities of fresh study of Celtic=20 Christianity.

It=20 is significant that this revival of the Celtic spirit has coincided with = growing=20 interest in the Eastern Orthodox Churches of the Byzantine Tradition = amongst=20 Western people. As Western knowledge and experience of Byzantine = Orthodoxy=20 increases, it is becoming obvious that the Celtic Churches (which we = know=20 received influence from the East) were truly Orthodox in Faith and Order = and had=20 more in common with Eastern Christianity than that of=20 Rome.

The=20 Celtic Orthodox Church has come about through the coming together of = Western=20 Orthodox Christians who wish to see the recovery of their Western = spiritual=20 heritage. This Church as yet small, but growing, admits to being heavily = indebted to the Byzantine Orthodox Tradition - which is a universal Tradition and of = universal application. = However, the=20 Celtic Orthodox Church, having renewed its life by drinking deeply of = the=20 wellsprings of Byzantine Orthodoxy, is working to bring about a credible = synthesis of the Byzantine and Celtic Traditions without prejudice to = the=20 integrity of the Orthodox Catholic Faith.

Even=20 the most casual and disinterested observer cannot remain unaware that = the=20 Western Churches are undergoing a grave crisis of Faith. The Anglican = Communion=20 is in considerable disarray with no doctrinal or liturgical cohesion. = The=20 departure from Dominical and Apostolic Tradition by the innovation of=20 Bishopesses and Priestesses has already rent the fragile fabric of = Anglican=20 unity whilst Bishops and other clergy openly preach their unbelief = regarding the=20 nature of Christ's Resurrection and Virgin Birth. Presbyterians and = others=20 continue their flight from Apostolic Tradition and the last vestiges of = any=20 liturgical worship among them fast disappear. Even Rome, which has = hitherto=20 remained apparently impregnable to the advance of modernism, is infected = with=20 the spirit of dissent and rebellion. It is not surprising, therefore, = that those=20 Western Christians who still want to be part of a truly believing = community,=20 look towards the Orthodox Church which alone has withstood the assaults = of=20 heresy, modernism and secularism. This should not surprise us, because = the=20 Orthodox Church is the True Church founded by Christ and His Holy = Apostles=20 against which the Gates of Hell will not = prevail.

We=20 Celtic Orthodox Christians appeal to all Christians in the West who are = seeking=20 a new home where they may practice their Faith in a Traditional manner. = We offer=20 them the spiritual security and loving welcome of the Celtic Orthodox = Church -=20 secure in the knowledge that we follow in the Faith and footsteps of our = Fathers=20 in the Faith - St Ninian, St Kentigern, St Columba, St Aidan, St = Cuthbert and=20 countless other great Saints of the Celtic = Church.

A=20 final note of caution about the use of the term "Celtic". As is noted in = this=20 little book, many so-called "New Age" people have jumped on the = bandwagon of=20 "Revived Celticism" and much of what they promote is based on sheer = speculation,=20 wishful thinking' and phantasy. Our Church uses the title "Celtic" to = identify=20 itself as a Non-Roman Western Christian Church holding the Orthodox = Faith.=20 Celtic civilisation and culture was every bit as much an authentic part = of the=20 development of Western Europe as the Roman civilisation. It was, = however,=20 different in ethos and expression from the Roman culture and it has = never been=20 entirely suppressed in the West of Europe and the British Isles. The old = ethos=20 remains just below the surface and in many places is breaking out afresh = today.

Therefore=20 it is important that we see our Celtic identity as a positive thing and = not a=20 mere antiquarian exercise. The Orthodox Christian Faith is of paramount=20 importance in our lives and we express that Faith in our Western, = Celtic,=20 manner.

THE=20 ORTHODOX FAMILY OF CHURCHES

"Behold, how good and joyful a = thing it is:=20 brethren, to dwell together in unity!" (Psalm=20 133:1)

The=20 Orthodox Church is a FAMILY of=20 Churches. This family consists of many different national Churches - = Russian,=20 Greek, Ukrainian, Syrian, Egyptian (Coptic), Indian, Japanese, American, = Finnish, French, British, and many others. These Churches vary in size. = The=20 Russian Orthodox Church has several million communicants, whilst the = smallest is=20 the Church of Sinai centred on St Catherine's Monastery in Sinai, Egypt. = Equally=20 small is the Celtic Orthodox Church looking to the monastery of La Saint = Presence in Brittany, France, as its focus and primacy. This ethnically = varied=20 family of Churches is UNITED = IN=20 FAITH. The concept of a family of Churches is not unknown and = indeed, the=20 Anglican Communion is such a family. However, unlike the Anglican = Communion,=20 where considerable differences of belief (or unbelief) are tolerated, = the=20 Orthodox family of Churches is united in confessing ONE ORTHODOX FAITH. Anyone = who departs=20 from that Orthodox Faith puts himself or herself outside the communion = of the=20 Orthodox Church.

The=20 Orthodox Church believes in ONE=20 GOD Who has revealed Himself to us through the mouths of the = Prophets and=20 in the words of Holy Scripture. In this way we learn that God is = revealed as one=20 God in a Trinity of Three Persons - God the Father, God the Son, and God = the=20 Holy Spirit, Three in One and One in Three, indivisible and co-eternal = Jesus=20 Christ, the Son of God, being the perfect revelation of=20 God.

The=20 Orthodox Church venerates and respects the BIBLE as the INSPIRED WORD OF GOD and it = deplores=20 and forbids any attempts to tamper with, or alter or modify, the text of = Holy=20 Scripture to please those who hold to the passing fashions in = contemporary=20 thought. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the Bible was arranged, = edited,=20 and written by the Church and is, therefore, the CHURCH'S BOOK. Thus, since = it is the=20 Church's Book, in can be interpreted only by the Church. HOLY TRADITION is the key to = interpreting the Scriptures.

Furthermore,=20 unlike other confessions, the Orthodox Church does not hold Tradition as = being=20 separate from the Bible. THE = BIBLE AND=20 HOLY TRADITION ARE ONE. There is no dichotomy between them. = Indeed, the=20 Bible arose out of Tradition for Tradition is THE VOICE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT = speaking=20 in the Church throughout the ages - even to this very=20 day.

The=20 Orthodox Church is the ORIGINAL CHURCH=20 FOUNDED BY OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST AND HIS HOLY APOSTLES, and = direct=20 continuity with the original Church has been maintained by the Orthodox = down=20 through the centuries. Rome has left the unity of the Church; the = Protestants=20 have left it and scattered and divided over and over again, but the = Orthodox=20 Church has continued holding fast to the FAITH AND ORDER OF THE UNDIVIDED=20 CHURCH as revealed to us in the Scriptures, Tradition, and = defined by the=20 Oecumenical Councils of the Church, and the teaching and witness of the = great=20 FATHERS of the Church. = The=20 Orthodox Church is the faithful guardian of that ancient, yet ever new, = Faith=20 and her mission is to spread that Faith far and wide throughout the = world to all=20 men and women.

Naturally,=20 within this nationally and ethnically varied Orthodox Church family = there are=20 differences of expression of the same Faith and Worship. These = variations can be=20 seen in the worship of the various Orthodox Churches. Most Orthodox = Churches use=20 the Liturgy of St John Chrysostom, the Liturgy of St Basil, the Liturgy = of St=20 James of Jerusalem, the Liturgy of St Gregory (Presanctified) and in the = West=20 several restored ancient Western (Gallican/Celtic) Liturgies are being=20 re-introduced. For instance, the Scottish Orthodox Mission which is part = of the=20 Celtic Orthodox Church, uses in common with the rest of the Celtic = Orthodox=20 Church in the United Kingdom, the Liturgy of St James and occasionally = the=20 restored Celto-Gallic Liturgy following the version as used at the = Monastery at=20 La Sainte Presence. (Note: These Celtic and Gallican rites were very = strongly=20 influenced from Eastern sources and have much more in common with the = Eastern=20 Liturgies than with the Roman Rite.) Just as the Russian Orthodox Church = expresses its faith in a Russian manner and has developed a distinct = Russian=20 ethos, so has the Greek Church developed its own ethnic ethos, and = similarly the=20 Celtic Orthodox Church is a community of WESTERN ORTHODOX CHURCHES = which seek=20 to express the Orthodox Faith and worship with a Celtic emphasis and=20 ethos.

THE=20 CLERGY OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH

The=20 living guardians of the Orthodox Faith are the BISHOPS AND THEIR CLERGY = with the=20 prayerful support of all the Orthodox Faithful. Orthodox Bishops are = ordained in=20 the TRUE APOSTOLIC = SUCCESSION=20 and only those Bishops, Priests, and Deacons who are ordained within = that=20 Succession may exercise authority in the Church and celebrate authentic=20 Sacraments. In the Orthodox Church, IN=20 KEEPING WITH THE APOSTOLIC AND DOMINICAL TRADITION OF THE CHURCH, ONLY = MEN MAY=20 BE ORDAINED TO THE EPISCOPATE AND THE PRIESTHOOD. There is, = however, an=20 Order of DEACONESSES = in some=20 parts of the Orthodox Church - but it must be noted that the Deaconess = does not=20 have a liturgical function and her ministry is in many respects = different from=20 that of the Deacon.

Candidates=20 for ordination must decide whether or not they wish to be married. = Married men=20 may be ordained, but once ordained, an unmarried cleric may not marry. = (Within=20 the Celtic Orthodox Church the canons permit a deacon to get married, = but=20 priests must decide before ordination regarding marriage.) Usually = unmarried=20 clergy become monks although the majority of parish clergy are married = priests.=20 This is, of course, the ancient discipline of the undivided Church and = it could=20 be argued that Rome's departure from that discipline has resulted in = many=20 difficulties and scandals with respect to the enforced celibacy=20 rule.

Note:=20 It is interesting to observe that the historian Sozomen tells us that a = monastic Bishop, Paphnutios = of the=20 Upper Thebaid, Egypt, spoke at the Council of Nicea (325 AD) against a = proposed=20 canon calling for clergy to "put away" their wives. In the famous Apostolic Canons for the = early Church,=20 in Canon V it says, "Let not = a Bishop,=20 Presbyter, or Deacon, put away his wife under the pretext of religion; = but if he=20 put her away, let him be excommunicated; and if he persists, let him be=20 deposed." Canons XL and LXXXVI take care to distinguish between = what is=20 the Bishop's personal property and that which belongs to the Church in = the event=20 of his demise, thus presuming that a bishop may be married with children = so=20 ensuring that they will only inherit that which does not belong to the = Church.=20 As late as the 12^th century, in the St Cuthbert Community at = Durham=20 Cathedral, before the Norman-Roman system was enforced, there were = married=20 canons.

In=20 the Orthodox Church the Deacon has a very important role. He is = prominent in the=20 Liturgy where he leads many of the intercessions and other prayers and = ritually=20 exhorts the people to attend to the readings and to profess the Faith in = the=20 creed. The Deacon is closely attached to the Bishop and in many = instances is his=20 "right hand man". He is often responsible for many administrative duties = and in=20 teaching the Faithful. He assists the Bishop or Priest in the = celebration of the=20 Liturgy and other Sacraments. Some Deacons opt to remain Deacons = permanently and=20 the Dianconate in the Orthodox Church is not regarded as an = "apprenticeship" or=20 "stepping stone" to the Priesthood as it is in most non-Orthodox Western = Churches.

The=20 Clergy of the Celtic Orthodox Church - Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, do = not=20 receive any salary or stipend for their services, although where = possible local=20 communities endeavour to meet their expenses, e.g., for travelling etc. = This is=20 the case in many of the Orthodox communities of various jurisdictions in = Western=20 countries. Perhaps, when Western Orthodox Churches are numerically = stronger, it=20 may be possible to create stipend funds to pay our clergy for their work = and=20 upkeep. Our monasteries are supported, as far as possible, by donations = from the=20 Faithful, but monastic poverty is very real in the Orthodox=20 Churches.

THE=20 CELTIC CREDAL POSITION

The=20 basic credal formula of the Orthodox Church is the NICENO-CONSTANTINOPOLITAN = CREED (known=20 in the Western Churches as the "Nicene Creed"). The Orthodox hold this = creed=20 unaltered by addition or omission. In the Western, non-Orthodox = Churches,=20 following the error of Roman ways, an addition was unauthorisedly made = in the=20 Creed by the introduction of the famous (or infamous) "FILIOQUE CLAUSE" where the = words=20 "Who proceedeth from the = Father AND THE=20 SON" make a departure from the Creed agreed on by the undivided = Church.=20 The words "AND THE = SON" are not=20 in the original text of the Creed and so the Orthodox Church rejects = them. In=20 fact, we Orthodox see this view of the Holy Spirit as depersonalising = the Third=20 Person of the Holy Trinity making Him a mere emanation or spiritual = force. We=20 prefer to abide by the words of the Holy Apostle and Theologian Saint = John who=20 spells out the true concept in his Gospel. This unilateral and arrogant = decision=20 to alter the universally accepted Creed marks the beginning of Rome's = drift away=20 from the unity of the Church.

Like=20 the rest of the Orthodox Church, the Celtic Orthodox Church is a SACRAMENTAL Church. The = Orthodox=20 Church's life is centred on the EUCHARISTIC LITURGY. The = Orthodox=20 Church believes and teaches that when the Holy Spirit is invoked (the = Epiklesis)=20 by an authentically ordained Bishop or Priest upon the Bread and Wine in = the=20 Liturgy they become TRULY THE = BODY AND=20 BLOOD OF CHRIST. We Orthodox believe that in the Sacred Gifts it = is the=20 Crucified, Risen, Ascended, and Glorified Christ Who is present upon the = Altar.=20 The Orthodox Church often refers to the Liturgy as "The Holy Mysteries" = and=20 regards it as a "HOLY=20 SACRIFICE". It is indeed a sacrifice but only insofar as it is = one with=20 the Sacrifice of Christ upon the Cross. Thus when we are assisting in = the=20 Liturgy we are in Bethlehem, at the foot of the Cross, witnesses of the=20 Resurrection and Ascension of Christ, and blessed by the descent of the = Holy=20 Spirit as at Pentecost.

The=20 way into the Orthodox Church is through BAPTISM AND CHRISMATION = after making a=20 full confession of the Orthodox Faith. The norm for Baptism is by total=20 immersion in water and this applies to adult converts as well as to = children. If=20 it can be shown that non-Orthodox Christian Baptism has been previously = validly=20 administered to a convert, he or she may be admitted by Chrismation. = Where there=20 is doubt, then the convert is received by the full rite of Baptism and=20 Chrismation. Immediately after Baptism, in the same rite, the Baptised = person is=20 anointed with the HOLY = CHRISM=20 (which has been consecrated by the Patriarch or Primate of the local = Church) and=20 this roughly corresponds to the Western Churches' "Confirmation". Thus = in doing=20 this, the Orthodox Church retains the ancient tradition - and so the = newly=20 Baptised and Chrismated Christian (adult or infant) is admitted to Holy=20 Communion. (The Orthodox can never understand why in the Western = Churches a=20 child is Baptised and then, in effect, immediately excommunicated and = barred=20 from Communion until it is a teenager when it is then confirmed and then = admitted for the first time, rather belatedly, to=20 Communion!)

In=20 the Celtic Orthodox Church, as in other Orthodox Churches, there are = other=20 Sacraments - THE EUCHARIST, = ORDINATION,=20 MARRIAGE, ABSOLUTION, UNCTION and many other actions and = blessings which=20 possess a sacramental meaning or character. Although the Orthodox Church = commonly tends to speak of seven Sacraments, she is reluctant to limit = the=20 actual number of sacramental rites. This accords well with the Celtic = view of=20 God's creation where every object can have a sacramental or sacred = significance=20 for those who see with the eyes of faith.

The=20 Orthodox Church is a thoroughly BIBLICAL CHURCH. All her = services and=20 rites are composed of material drawn directly from the Bible. In the = prayers=20 there are many allusions to Holy Scripture, and in the Offices of Matins = and=20 Lauds there are lengthy Canons which contain amounts of Scriptural = material,=20 sometimes paraphrased, suited to the period of the Church's year or the = actual=20 Feast Day. Some critics of Orthodox services have complained that = sometimes=20 there is no sermon by the priest. For the Orthodox this can often be = quite=20 superfluous since the texts of the services are saturated through and = through=20 with explicit Biblical teaching.

In=20 her Sacramental theology, the Orthodox Church is not afraid to declare = that the=20 material order of creation can be used as vehicles of God's Presence - = the water=20 in Baptism, the oil in Chrismation, the Bread and Wine in Liturgy, and = the very=20 wood and paint of the icons can be consecrated, transmuted so to speak, = to=20 become means of intimate communion with God. ICONS, which are so = prominent in=20 Orthodox Churches, become WINDOWS INTO=20 ETERNITY, whereby we may glimpse the reality, or rather the=20 "super-reality" of the Kingdom of Heaven. This intimacy with the Kingdom = of=20 Heaven is a feature of the Orthodox Liturgy.

All=20 our Liturgies begin with the words "Blessed is the Kingdom of the = Father, and of=20 the Son, and of the Holy Spirit" (or very similar wording) = because we=20 believe that in the Divine Liturgy the very laws of time and space are = abrogated=20 and we are verily "in the=20 Kingdom". Thus, because of our view of space, time, and eternity, = Orthodox services tend to be much longer than Western non-Orthodox = services=20 where brevity seems to be the order of the day. A true Orthodox = worshipper is in=20 no haste to flee from the Holy Temple where the Divine Mysteries are = being=20 celebrated and the fragrance of Christ's Presence permeates the whole = service.=20 We enjoy the timelessness of the Liturgy and our experience of the = Kingdom.=20 Also, our rites contain a strong penitential element (which is fast = disappearing=20 in modern Western rites) and at the same time a strong sense of awe and = joyful=20 communion.

We=20 Orthodox love our worship and we are aware that we use the words and = rituals=20 which have been handed down unchanged for countless generations. Not for = us the=20 extempore "made up as you go along" type of services, where the = worshipper is at=20 the mercy of the whim of the minister. Our worship is common worship - = that is=20 the worship of the WHOLE Church,=20 not the idiosyncratic invention of individual clergy. Orthodox Liturgy = enables=20 the worshipper to join fully and knowingly into worship. Ludicrous = stunts and=20 idiotic innovations (in the name of so-called "popularisation") and wild = secular=20 music turn much of Protestant worship into some kind of Pop Concert or=20 music-hall scene with many elements bordering on farce. Orthodox worship = is=20 dignified, serene, and full of a sense of the numinous wherein we are = encouraged=20 to increase the depths of our spirituality. Thus from an early age our = children=20 are introduced to the sacred realm and they sense, even if they may not = fully=20 understand, the Holy character of our Orthodox=20 worship.

In=20 the Orthodox Church worship is for the WHOLE PERSON. Thus we use = elements=20 which engage all our senses and bodies. We stand for prayer, which is = the=20 ancient Christian Tradition, and we make signs of the cross frequently,=20 identifying us with certain prayers or petitions. We may even prostrate=20 ourselves at some sacred moments of the Liturgy. We use candles, = vestments,=20 incense, and icons of the Christ, the Mother of God, the Saints and the = Gospel=20 events. All our actions are carried out against the background of the = ongoing=20 ritual of the Liturgy. There is freedom in Orthodox worship and an = absence of=20 rigidity for each worshipper is free to make any of these ritual and = devotional=20 actions when he or she feels moved so to do.

A=20 Western non-Orthodox Christian may find the interior of an Orthodox = Church or=20 Chapel totally different from anything he or she has experienced before. = The=20 walls are usually hung with icons or painted with frescos and murals - = sometimes=20 extending to the ceiling. There is an absence of pews - except along the = side=20 walls or at the back of the church. The most prominent feature of the = church=20 interior, and one which immediately catches the eye of a non-Orthodox = Christian,=20 is the large screen covered with icons which stretches across the width = of the=20 church in front of the sanctuary. This is the ICONOSTASIS and it is = pierced with=20 (usually) three doors. The middle door or gates are called the "Royal = Gates" or=20 the "Holy Doors". Beyond the gates stands the Holy Table, or Altar, upon = which=20 the Holy Mysteries are celebrated. This is the "Holy of Holies" and is = strongly=20 reminiscent of the layout of the ancient Temple of the Old Israel at = Jerusalem.=20 It is one reminder that the Church, the New Israel is in continuity = with the=20 Old Israel. At various stages in the Liturgy, the Priest and the Deacon = make=20 "entrances" via these doors and this has a certain mystical and symbolic = meaning=20 for the worshippers. In the centre of the nave there is usually an icon = stand=20 (proskynetarion) upon which the icon of the Feast Day, or Saint who is = to be=20 commemorated, is placed for veneration by the worshippers. Unlike = non-Orthodox=20 worship - Roman or Protestant - there is much movement in the Orthodox = Liturgy.=20 It is not static.

A=20 MYSTICAL CHURCH

Like=20 her sister Orthodox Churches, the Celtic Orthodox Church is imbued with = a=20 mystical theology. In fact, it could be said that all Orthodox theology = is MYSTICAL THEOLOGY. This = approach=20 commends itself to the Celtic spirit and temperament. There is a strong = emphasis=20 on the Christian ascesis and upon what is termed "THE ACQUISITION OF THE HOLY = SPIRIT".=20 Orthodox spirituality is "experiential=20 spirituality" where the Faith and our relationship with God is an = "affair=20 of the heart" and a matter of personal experience. This direct personal=20 experience of the Holy Spirit is brought about through constant = repentance. One=20 of the great Fathers of the Orthodox Church, Saint Symeon the New = Theologian=20 (949 AD - 1022 AD), had this to say in one of his discourses delivered = to his=20 community:

"Display a worthy penitence by all = sorts of=20 deeds and words, that you may draw yourselves the grace of the All-Holy = Spirit.=20 For this Spirit, when He descends on you, becomes like a pool of light = to you,=20 which encompasses you completely in an unutterable manner. As it = regenerates=20 you, it changes you from corruptible to incorruptible, from mortal to = immortal,=20 from the sons of men into Sons of God and gods by adoption and grace - = that is,=20 if you desire to appear as kinsmen and fellow-heirs of the Saints and = enter with=20 all of them into the Kingdom of = Heaven."

(Discourses=20 XXXIII, 78 - 86)

This=20 would be readily understood by the Celtic Christians who placed great = value and=20 emphasis on penitence. Also they did not regard the faith as purely an=20 intellectual matter. In the Orthodox Church great stress is placed on = prayer,=20 both in worship and as private prayer - especially on what has come to = be known=20 as "Prayer of the Heart" and there is a very strong tradition within the = Orthodox Church of the use of the "Jesus Prayer". This is a prayer = centred on=20 the Holy Name of Jesus and its full wording is "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have = mercy on=20 me, a sinner". It is at one a prayer and a credal statement. (We = will=20 deal with this area of prayer in a separate = essay).

Many=20 Orthodox Christians have recourse to a "Spiritual Father" or "Staretz" which, of course, = reminds us=20 at once of the Celtic Christian tradition of having an "Anamchara" or "Soul Friend". The Spiritual = Father (or=20 Mother) guides and directs us in our spiritual pilgrimage. Indeed, = "Pilgrimage"=20 is the best way to describe our spiritual progress, for the concept of=20 pilgrimage was very much part of Celtic spirituality. Also, again and = again, in=20 what we know of Celtic spirituality, there is the constant emphasis on = purity of heart. This is = also a=20 feature of Orthodox spirituality and the writing of the Desert Fathers and later = Patristic=20 writers are full of exhortations and advice on keeping the heart pure. = It was=20 said amongst Celtic Churchmen that "a=20 person without a soul-friend is a body without a head". Yet there = was no=20 rigidity or absolute uniformity in the way in which Celtic spiritual = discipline=20 was applied. Today, the Celtic Orthodox Church follows in the footsteps = of our=20 glorious Celtic Saints and Fathers in the = Faith.

It=20 has often been said that the Eastern Churches are Johanine in their = spirituality - that=20 is, they have drawn much of their inspiration from the Gospel of St John = and his=20 other writings. The Western Churches are regarded as "Pauline" in their=20 spirituality basing their outlook on St Paul's Epistles. Whatever the = truth of=20 this suggestion may be, and one must beware of generalisations, the = Celtic=20 Churches always seem to have preserved a balance between the Johanine = and=20 Pauline thinking.

THE=20 RISE AND FALL OF THE CELTIC CHURCH
AND ITS=20 RESURRECTION

Centuries=20 ago before the incoming mission of Augustine, sent by Pope Gregory of = Rome, in=20 the sixth century, the Christian Church had been planted in these = Islands. It=20 had arrived here in Roman times and Holy Tradition tells us that St = Joseph of=20 Arimathea came to Britain in the years immediately after that first = Pentecost.=20 He is said to have established a Christian community at what is now = Glastonbury.=20 That Faith spread throughout Romanised Britain and at times British = Christians=20 suffered in the same waves of persecution which periodically swept the = Roman=20 Empire until the Emperor Constantine (who had raised his standard at = York)=20 decreed in 312 AD that the Christian Church should not only be free from = persecution, but set in motion the process that made it the official = religion of=20 the Roman Empire.

Christianity=20 spread from Southern Britain to Ireland with the vigorous missionary = activity of=20 St Patrick. Eventually the Celtic Christians of Ireland crossed over to = Scotland=20 and joined forces with the Christians of South West Scotland and = evangelised the=20 Northern Picts through the work of Scotland's greatest Saint - = Columcille, St=20 Columba, who made his base at Iona.

Unfortunately=20 due to Barbarian invasions and sociological upheavals on the continent = of=20 Europe, plus the invasions of Britain itself, the Celtic Churches were=20 temporarily cut off from regular communication with the main body of the = Church.=20 This led to the Celtic Church becoming somewhat "old-fashioned" in its=20 observances and out of touch with newer developments in the Church at = large.=20 This became a serious source of friction when the Roman Church's = missionaries=20 came to Britain and met the Celtic Church face to=20 face.

Not=20 unnaturally, the British Bishops resented the intrusion of the Roman = Church's=20 missionaries into their domain. Though it must be conceded that their = hatred of=20 the Anglo-Saxon invaders (who had conquered much of the eastern side of = what is=20 now England) prevented them from carrying out any significant missionary = activity amongst the new settlers. Augustine asked for their = co-operation, but=20 the British Church remained aloof and, to a great extent, withdrew into = itself=20 and thereafter its strength lay in the far west of Britain - Wales, = Cornwall,=20 and further north in Strathclyde.

Of=20 course, the Picts and the Scots of Ireland and Scotland were largely = unaffected,=20 as yet, by the Roman mission and so continued their Celtic=20 ways.

It=20 is perhaps significant that at no time were the Roman Church authorities = able to=20 find the Celtic Church heretical. Indeed, it must be admitted that from = time to=20 time zealots in the Roman party would castigate the Celtic Churchmen as = heretics=20 -but this was a blanket term to denigrate anyone with whom one = disagreed, or one=20 who did not conform to the canons and disciplines of the Roman Church. = Bishop=20 Wilfrid in his fanatical hatred of the Celtic Church denounced St = Columba as=20 being "no true saint" because he did not conform to the canons and = usages of the=20 Roman Church! We should bear in mind that the term "heresy" was used in = a=20 somewhat different manner to its later meaning. (However, later on we = know that=20 Charlemagne regarded the Greeks and other Eastern Orthodox as heretics = because=20 they did not include the infamous "filioque" clause in the Creed.) = Nowadays,=20 most reputable theologians would describe only departures from the = Faith, and=20 not canonical or ritual differences, as being=20 heretical.

Whatever=20 the root causes of the disagreements between the Roman Church and the = Celtic=20 Churchmen, the whole matter came to a head when in 664 AD a Synod was = held at=20 Whitby where the two factions debated the problems. The Celtic Church = was=20 defeated and many of the Celtic monks and clergy were forced to conform = to Roman=20 ways, including the date for Easter and such external matters like the = form of=20 tonsure and certain ritual observances in the = Liturgy.

This=20 was by no means the end of the Celtic Church, because it continued in = its own=20 customs and traditions in Scotland, Wales, and Cornwall for several = centuries=20 more. It seems that a Culdee corporation was tolerated and allowed to = continue=20 in a small church just outside the walls of the great Abbey at Saint = Andrews in=20 Fife, Scotland until the Reformation. This was perhaps a permitted = survival=20 rather like the permitted Mozarabic Rite at Toledo and the Ambrosian = Rite at=20 Milan.

We=20 shall never know for sure, since the Culdee Church and its library were = swept=20 away along with the Roman Catholic Church in the Scottish Reformation of = the=20 16^th century.

And=20 so, all over the ancient Celtic lands of the West - Brittany, Cornwall, = Wales,=20 Ireland, Northern England, and Scotland, the old Celtic Church was = eclipsed and=20 relegated to the shadows of history. Thus a Church which had much in = common with=20 the Eastern Church and holding the Orthodox Catholic Faith passed out of = sight.=20 Yet despite this apparent extinction of the Celtic Church, the Celtic = religious=20 spirit lingered on until, in the last century, the first signs of a = revival=20 appeared.

In=20 1866, a Bishop was consecrated by the Old Syrian (non-Chalcedonian) = Orthodox=20 Church and he arrived in Britain assuming the title "Bishop Julius of = Iona" thus=20 affirming, at the start of his Orthodox mission, his spiritual affinity = with the=20 historic centre of Celtic Christianity, Iona, where St Columba had his=20 monastery. And so, a tiny British Orthodox Church came into being which = sought=20 to recover the ancient Celtic/British heritage of the old Church.=20

This=20 action of the Syrian Patriarchate of Antioch did not establish Britain = as a=20 diocese of the Syrian Church, but Bishop Julius, following his = consecration, was=20 left with independent status thus making the British Church canonical = and=20 autocephalous.

Unfortunately,=20 the times were far from propitious for such an enterprise and Bishop = Julius'=20 mission did not flourish. However, it did continue, though in relative=20 obscurity, into the twentieth century when, despite calumny and ridicule = from=20 without, and ill-judged moves from within, it began to grow and take on = a=20 regular parish life in various centres throughout the British Isles.=20

The=20 British Church maintained its Apostolic Succession of Bishops, and even = added to=20 its succession from other Apostolic lines, thus securing an authentic = and valid=20 episcopal and priestly mission, which continues to this day.=20

Quite=20 independently of the quiet revival in Britain, in the 1950's, an = Orthodox priest=20 in Brittany, Father Tugdual, established a little monastery on the = Celtic model=20 near Saint-Dolay. Gradually this monastic settlement grew and the = surrounding=20 area was evangelised by the monks of the monastery. All this was in the = Celtic=20 spirit. Some years later, the British Orthodox Church, now centred on = the=20 ancient Celtic See of Glastonbury, under its Primate Mar Georgius, made = contact=20 with the Breton community and under Mar Georgius' successor, Mar = Seraphim, links=20 with the Breton Church were forged more strongly. As other similar = communities=20 came into union with the British Church, then known as the Orthodox = Church of=20 the British Isles (OCBI), there came into being what some would term = "the=20 Glastonbury Union of Churches".

Unfortunately=20 an ill-fated union with the Coptic Orthodox Church and the OCBI (made=20 unilaterally by Mar Seraphim) led to the OCBI leaving the "Glastonbury = Union".=20 At first this union with the Copts was welcomed, but as time went by it = became=20 increasingly obvious that the British Church was rapidly losing its own=20 distinctive ethos and identity as a policy of "Copticisation" was = enforced upon=20 it. Firmly believing that this was not how union with the Copts was = meant to be,=20 several priests and laity became very disillusioned and decided to leave = the=20 jurisdiction of Metropolitan Seraphim.

In=20 effect, by rejoining the former "Glastonbury Union of Churches", which = survived=20 in the Breton Eparchy, the present parishes and monastic houses of the = Celtic=20 Orthodox Church are the "Continuing=20 Orthodox Church of the British Isles" and have a moral claim to = being its=20 true representative, remaining faithful to the original aim of restoring = an=20 indigenous British Orthodox Church.

To=20 maintain traditional Orthodox discipline and to conform to Orthodox=20 ecclesiology, this group of clergy and laity were accepted under the = omophorion=20 of Metropolitan Mael of the Celtic Orthodox Church in=20 Brittany.

It=20 is sad that the Coptic vision turned sour and that it led to the loss of = the=20 original vision of a restored British Orthodox Church. It is especially = tragic=20 when one sees all around a strong tide of Celtic revival in every aspect = of=20 society. The tragedy is compounded when one sees that this Celtic = revival has=20 led to the so-called revival of Pagan Celtic religions and other "New = Age"=20 phantasy, for a vigorous Celtic Orthodox Church could have helped to = correct=20 some of these trends by pointing people in the direction of the recovery = of=20 their Christian Celtic heritage. Nevertheless, small and obscure as it = may be,=20 the Celtic Orthodox Church in Britain (and in Europe and beyond) is = endeavouring=20 to bear witness to the Orthodox Faith and expressing it in a gradually=20 recovering Celtic ethos.

It=20 might be argued that the way to restore British Orthodoxy is to join the = existing Greek, Russian and Coptic Orthodox Churches which are = represented in=20 this country. Yet as we see these Churches wrapped up in their own = cultural and=20 ethnic packaging, it seems unlikely that they will commend themselves to = British=20 people in any significant numbers. British converts they do have, but = many of=20 these converts seem to struggle to become "more Greek than the Greeks" = or "more=20 Russian than the Russians". The present writer has even known some = native=20 British converts to Russian Orthodoxy who have put on a pseudo-Russian = accent to=20 seem more Orthodox! Some have adopted foreign names to sound more = Orthodox -=20 such as Pancratios Macpherson, Stavros McKay, Barnsanuphios Smith, or = Xenia=20 Brown, and so on. Such ludicrous gestures will impress no one. (What is = wrong=20 with good old Celtic Christian saints' names?) These ridiculous antics = only=20 serve to reinforce the British suspicion that Orthodoxy is something = foreign and=20 alien.

Orthodoxy=20 in Britain must be unpackaged from its foreign wrappings and allowed to = adopt a=20 native expression with its own Celtic ethnicity. After all, Orthodoxy in = Greece=20 has its own cultural expression, Orthodoxy in Russia has developed its = own=20 distinctive Slavic ethos, and other national Orthodox Churches have = similarly=20 developed in their own distinctive way. Now is the time for an Orthodoxy = suited=20 to Britain and Western European countries to emerge. This is the = vocation and=20 witness of the Celtic Orthodox Church in Britain today. Remaining true = to the=20 Holy Orthodox Faith, retaining the authentic Apostolic Succession and = Ministry,=20 faithfully celebrating the Sacraments and teaching the Gospel, the = Celtic Church=20 calls on all those in the West who have become sickened and = disillusioned by the=20 erosion of the true Faith within many Western Churches by the forces of=20 secularist-humanism. For those who value and desire the Traditional = Christian=20 Faith of the undivided Church, the Celtic Orthodox Church is their true=20 home.

THE=20 PRESENT SITUATION

The=20 Orthodox Church, as we have said, is a family of Churches. Like most = families=20 there are sometimes occasions of bickerings and disagreements when a = sister or=20 brother fall out over seemingly unimportant maters - yet despite their=20 differences of opinion, they remain members of the same family forever = related=20 to each other. So it is at times within the Orthodox family = of Churches=20 and even today we find cases of estrangement between different = jurisdictions of=20 Orthodox sometimes brought about by political circumstances (e.g. the=20 disagreement between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Orthodox = Church=20 Outside Russia). Due to a whole variety of problems, mostly brought = about by=20 political circumstances, warfare, or other upheavals, many new Orthodox=20 jurisdictions have come into being. There is the Macedonian Orthodox = Church, the=20 Autocephalous Ukranian Orthodox Church, the two Greek Orthodox Old = Calendarist=20 groups, the =C9glise Catholique Orthodoxe de France, and our own Celtic = Orthodox=20 Church all of which are regarded by some Orthodox Churches as being=20 "uncanonical". However, this does not affect our unity of belief and our = Apostolic continuity. Such = "canonical"=20 problems have a way of sorting themselves out, as for instance, in the = case of=20 the Bulgarian Orthodox Church which was "uncanonical" for nearly eighty = years=20 until Constantinople finally recognised and regularised the position. = The=20 Ugandan Orthodox Church is another example of a Western Orthodox Church = which=20 began after obtaining Apostolic Orders from an uncanonical source in the = USA,=20 and was then eventually accepted by the Greek Orthodox Alexandrian=20 Patriarchate.

This=20 state of affairs, which is purely a "temporal matter", does not affect = the=20 spirituality of our Church as we simply get on with the great task of = fulfilling=20 our calling as Orthodox Christians. As we have already mentioned, the = Orthodox=20 Faith is an experiential=20 religion and we know from our spiritual experience of our = Church's life=20 that the Holy Spirit blesses our endeavours.

As=20 the late Archimandrite Father Sophrony, of Tolleshunt Knights Monastery = in=20 Essex, wrote in his book "His Life is=20 Mine": "The habitation of the Holy Spirit = is the=20 Church, which through centuries of tempest and violence has watched over = the=20 precious treasure of Truth as revealed by God. (We need not be concerned = at this=20 point with zealots who value framework rather than content) The Lord is that Spirit: and where = the=20 Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty beholding the glory of the Lord, = we are=20 changed into the same image from glory to glory'. (2 Corinthians = 3:17-18)=20 The Church's function is to lead the faithful to the luminous sphere of = Divine=20 Being. The Church is the spiritual centre of our world, encompassing the = whole=20 history of man. Those who through long ascetic struggle to abide in the = Gospel=20 precepts have become conscious of their liberty as sons of God and no = longer=20 feel impeded by formal traditions - they can take general customs and = ordinances=20 in their stride. They have the example Christ Who kept His Father's = commandments=20 without transgressing the law of Moses with all its burdens grievous to be = borne' (St=20 Luke 11:46)"

Firm=20 in our conviction that we hold to the Orthodox Faith as revealed in the = Holy=20 Scriptures interpreted to us by the teachings of the Sprit-guided Holy=20 Oecumenical Councils of the Church, the teaching and Tradition of the = Fathers=20 throughout the ages, and confirmed in this by our awareness of the Holy = Spirit=20 abiding in our midst - in the sacraments and life of the Church, we = proceed=20 unworried by suggestions that we are "uncanonical". Our stance here does = not=20 mean that we are indifferent to the Canons of the Church, and for that = matter=20 our internal Church constitutions are basically formulated on the = Traditional=20 Canons of the Orthodox Church. Thus our Church life is properly=20 "canonical".

NOTE:=20 The attitude of the various Eastern Orthodox Hierarchies towards the = restoration=20 of indigenous Orthodox Churches, with their own cultural and ethnic = expression,=20 in the Western countries can be understood to a certain extent when we = remember=20 that many Eastern Orthodox (Russian, Greek, etc.) came to the West as = refugees=20 fleeing from revolution and political upheaval. In their refuge in the = West they=20 tried, often in difficult and reduced circumstances, to preserve = something of=20 their own national cultural identity. Vital in this identity was their = Orthodox=20 Faith and so we find many communities and congregations of Russian, = Greek, or=20 Serbian Orthodox still maintaining their Orthodox worship just as it was = in=20 their homelands - and in the Old Slavonic or Greek=20 languages.

Almost=20 inevitably they attracted Western converts. Alas! All too often Western = converts=20 were treated as "second class citizens of Orthodoxy" unless they adopted = Russian, Greek or other alien cultural manners and learned to worship in = a=20 foreign tongue. Desperate to preserve at all costs their ethnic = identity, the=20 Eastern Orthodox were highly suspicious and nervous of any attempts to = render=20 Orthodoxy in Western languages. Indeed, many Easterners were fearful = lest the=20 Western converts might "contaminate" the Orthodox Church by bringing = with them=20 the heresies which so beset many Western Churches today. Therefore, when = the=20 Western converts to Orthodoxy set up parishes and jurisdictions using = the=20 English or other Western European languages and expressed the Orthodox = Faith in=20 a Western ethos, the Eastern Hierarchies tended to reject them and brand = them as=20 "uncanonical". Happily, wiser and more imaginative Bishops and = theologians in=20 the Eastern Churches are coming to see the value of the Western Orthodox = Communities and perhaps it may not be long before they give us active=20 support.

MEANWHILE:=20 WHAT WE DO

Throughout=20 the West, here and there, scattered individuals, groups, and little = communities=20 of Christians endeavouring to live the Orthodox Faith maintain a hidden = and=20 forgotten existence. Some have left the denomination of their origin - = perhaps=20 out of disgust at the escalating apostasy which affects many of the = Western=20 Churches; others continue in their parent bodies forming little cells of = Orthodoxy even to the extent of being a "Church within a Church". This = is most=20 evident amongst Orthodox-minded Anglicans who persevere in their = Orthodox=20 beliefs whilst remaining in a body which is fast abandoning any = semblance of=20 Traditional Christian Orthodoxy. Yet such groups are unsatisfactory for = like=20 most Anglicans of whatever shade of Churchmanship or none, they are = deeply=20 infected with the chronic Anglican disease of absolute fidelity to the = institution=20 at the cost of truth and Orthodoxy. Thus they will continue, believing=20 themselves to be Orthodox, yet all the while remaining in full communion = with=20 heretics of every shade and opinion. This is not an Orthodox=20 solution!

Outside=20 the Anglican and other Western Communions small groups and communities = have come=20 into being. Some of them are fully Orthodox in faith and by one source = or=20 another they have often managed to secure a valid and authentic = Apostolic=20 Succession of Orders. Nevertheless, the scattered and fragmented nature = of these=20 groups inhibits true and vigorous Orthodox mission. In such = circumstances there=20 is no united Western Orthodox witness. As for the major Orthodox = Churches and=20 jurisdictions, they simply ignore the small Orthodox groups, regarding = them as=20 heterodox and of no consequence whatsoever.

Yet=20 as we examine the history of Orthodox mission in the West it can be seen = at once=20 that the most significant advances have been made by little Western = Orthodox=20 Churches or communities outwith the=20 bounds of so-called "canonical" Orthodoxy". Only later, when = their=20 success has become overwhelmingly evident and impossible to ignore, have = the=20 major Patriarchate acknowledged them and received them into full = canonical=20 union. Examples of this are, for instance, the Ugandan Orthodox Church = which=20 began by what might be termed "spontaneous combustion" through the = efforts of=20 two African Christians disillusioned by the Anglican mission and who = brought=20 into being a local indigenous Orthodox Church after obtaining Apostolic = Orders=20 from a source in America. The Ugandan Orthodox Church was received into=20 canonical union with the Patriarchate of Alexandria in the 1940's. = Another=20 example is the =C9glise Catholique Orthodoxe de France, presently under = the=20 leadership of Bishop Germain of St Denys. This church (ECOF) had its = origins in=20 a small group of parishes organised by Bishop Louis Winnaert who had = been=20 consecrated in the Old Catholic Succession. His Church was received into = union=20 with the Moscow Patriarchate before World War II and continues to this = day a=20 lively Church life with many parishes and one or two monasteries and = retreat=20 centres. ECOF is a Western Rite Orthodox Church using the restored = Gallican=20 Liturgy and occasional use of the Liturgy of St John=20 Chrysostom.

Another=20 Western Rite community in the USA, under Archbishop Alexander Tyler = Turner - who=20 had received his episcopal succession stemming from Russian Orthodox = sources -=20 was eventually received into canonical union with the Antiochian = Orthodox=20 jurisdiction in North America with permission to continue using a = modified=20 version of the old Roman Liturgy. The most recent reception of a Western = Orthodox Group was the reception of the "Evangelical Orthodox" = communities into=20 canonical union with the Antiochian Archdiocese in the USA. The = Evangelical=20 Orthodox were a group of American Protestants who had found their way to = Orthodoxy by a careful study of the Scriptures, Church history, and by = observing=20 the various Orthodox Churches in America and=20 elsewhere.

However,=20 such unions with major Orthodox Churches do not always have happy = consequences=20 and a certain uneasiness remains. Some Western Orthodox would argue that = the=20 time is not yet ripe for nascent Western Orthodox communities to seek = union with=20 Eastern Orthodox Churches. They would argue that Western Orthodox = communities=20 need time to develop more spiritual self-confidence and to strengthen = their=20 Orthodox ethos. Perhaps this may be true, and therefore Western Orthodox = communities need to strengthen their position by active missionary work = and by=20 gathering together Traditionalist Christian believers in the West who = have=20 become alienated from their original denominations. When they become=20 sufficiently strong, they would run less risk of being submerged in the = cultural=20 ethos of a foreign Church.

In=20 the British Isles, the Celtic Orthodox Church is well positioned to take = up this=20 missionary work. As the late Winston Churchill once said, "Give us the tools and we will = finish the=20 job!" Our little Church has the tools. It has all the apparatus = of the=20 Church - the Apostolic Succession, the Sacraments, the Faith as given to = us in=20 the Bible, the Oecumenical Councils, the Tradition of the Fathers, and = the=20 knowledge that we are doing the Lord's work. Unlike some foreign = Orthodox =E9migr=E9=20 jurisdictions in this country, our Church always uses the English = language in=20 her services and we present the Orthodox Faith in a British idiom and = ethos.=20 With these God-given means of grace, the Celtic Orthodox Church invites = all=20 those who seek for a Church where the True Faith can be preached, lived = and=20 experienced, to join with us. Come and worship and savour the fullness = of=20 Orthodoxy!

We=20 may not have grand church buildings in Britain, but wherever possible we = have=20 set up altars and chapels - in private houses, in converted stables, = barns or=20 garages, and even wooden huts in gardens. Once set up, the Lord God does = the=20 rest and He blesses such humble little places of worship with His = abiding Divine=20 Presence. In such a way we are simply following in the footsteps of the = Early=20 Christians, or the refugee Russian Orthodox groups, who made do with = rooms in=20 private houses, or converted secular premises into=20 churches.

What=20 do we do? First of all there must be a coalescing of most of the = scattered=20 Western Orthodox communities into one coherent Orthodox Church. Petty = rivalries=20 and jealousies must be discarded and laid aside in the interests of = Orthodox=20 unity. Secondly, those Orthodox-believing Christians who cling = desperately to=20 membership of increasingly heretical communions must re-examine their = position=20 and take the step of leaving such heterodox Churches. Having done this, = they=20 should seek to be joined to similar-minded Orthodox groups and work for = the=20 establishment of a strong witnessing Western Orthodox=20 Church.

http://www.celticorthodoxchu= rch.us/