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The Celtic Orthodox Church (COC; French: Église orthodoxe celtique), formerly called the Orthodox Church of the British Isles, before that the Catholic Apostolic Church (Catholicate of the West), and before that the Ancient British Church, is an autocephalous Christian church founded in the 19th century in Syria for mission in Great Britain.

The Celtic Orthodox Church is represented in France, Switzerland, USA, Australia and the UK. (see www.eoc-coc.org/ou-nous-trouver)

Since 25 December 2007, the Celtic Orthodox Church has been in communion with the French Orthodox Church and the Orthodox Church of the Gauls, forming the Communion of Western Orthodox Churches (CWOC).

History

Origins

In 1866, Fr Jules Ferrette, a French priest, was consecrated Bp Julius by Mar Boutros (Boutros ibn Salmo Mesko) of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch, who later became Patriarch Mor Ignatius Peter IV of Antioch, with the remit to form an indigenous Orthodox church in Western Europe, which was not in any way subject to the Syriac Orthodox Church or the Patriarch of Antioch. The consecration was witnessed by the British Consul at Damascus. Mar Julius was given the title of Bishop of Iona and its Dependencies.

In 1874, Bp Julius consecrated Richard Williams Newman as Mar Pelagius I to be the first Patriarch of Britain.  The subsequent patriarchs are listed below.

List of Patriarchs/Primates

The following are the patriarchs/primates in succession:

·        Mar Pelagius I (Richard Williams Morgan), consecrated in 1874 by Julius Ferrete.

·        Mar Theophilus I (Charles Isaac Stevens), consecrated in 1879 by Mar Pelagius. (1889 to 1917)

·        Mar Jacobus I Antipas (James Martin), consecrated in November 1890 by Leon Chechemian.  (1917 to 1919)

·        Mar Andries I (Andrew Charles Albert McLaglan), consecrated in 1897 by Leon Chechemian and Mar Jacobus I Antipas. (1919 to 1928)

·        Mar Jacobus II (Herbert James Monzani-Heard), consecrated in 1922 by Mar Andries I. (1928 to1945)

·        Mar Georgius I (Hugh George de Willmott Newman), consecrated in 1944 by Mar Basilius (William Bernard Crow). (1945 to 1979)

·        Mar Seraphim I (William Henry Hugo Newman-Norton), consecrated in 1977 by Mar Georgius, (1979 to 1994)

·        Mgr Mael I (Paul-Eduard de Fournier de Brescia), consecrated in 1980 by Mar Seraphim (1994 to 2014)

·        Mgr Marc I (Jean-Claude Scheerens), consecrated in 1998 by Mgr Mael. (2014 to present)

NB The first seven are in common with the British Orthodox Church.

Division

In 1994, most of the UK branch of the Orthodox Church of the British Isles split from the French branch following Mar Seraphim (William Henry Hugo Newman-Norton), and joining the Coptic Orthodox Church, changing its name to the British Orthodox Church. 

On the departure of Mar Seraphim, the Holy Synod of the remaining church elected Mgr Mael (Paul-Eduard de Fournier de Brescia) as primate.  The church was renamed the Celtic Orthodox Church..

Monastery of the Holy Presence, Saint Dolay, Brittany (French: Monastère Sainte-Présence)

In 1955 a French priest of the Orthodox Church of the British Isles, Fr Jean-Pierre Danyel (later Bishop Tugdual), seeking to follow a Celtic monastic way of life, settled in a wooded area near Saint Dolay.  The hermitage he built there was abandoned after his death in 1968, but in 1977, three monks, led by Fr Paul-Edouard de Fournier de Brescia, re-established a monastic presence there. In 1980, the abbot, Fr Paul-Edouard, was consecrated bishop under the name Mael.

In 1996, the Celtic Orthodox Church canonised Bishop Tugdual (Danyel) in recognition of his contribution to the restoration of Celtic monastic spirituality.

Orthodoxy/Doctrine

Notwithstanding its originating from the Syriac Orthodox Church the Celtic Orthodox Church is not an Oriental Orthodox church.  It is Western Orthodox, but not associated with Western Rite Orthodoxy.  The COC accepts the teaching of all seven Ecumenical Councils, whilst acknowledging that only the first three were truly ecumenical.

See also

·        British Orthodox Church

References

External links

• Official website
• www.stgwenns.org
• www.orthodoxie-occidentale.org

1. Seraphim, Metropolitan of Glastonbury (2006). Flesh of our brethren : an historical examination of western episcopal successions originating from the Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch (First edition ed.). London: British Orthodox Press. p. 67. ISBN 978-1-4116-7836-1. OCLC 232364800. {{cite book}}: |edition= has extra text (help)
2. Seraphim, Metropolitan of Glastonbury (2006). Flesh of our brethren : an historical examination of western episcopal successions originating from the Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch (First edition ed.). London: British Orthodox Press. p. 66. ISBN 978-1-4116-7836-1. OCLC 232364800. {{cite book}}: |edition= has extra text (help)
3. ^ Seraphim, Metropolitan of Glastonbury (2006). Flesh of our brethren : an historical examination of western episcopal successions originating from the Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch (First edition ed.). London: British Orthodox Press. p. 85. ISBN 978-1-4116-7836-1. OCLC 232364800. {{cite book}}: |edition= has extra text (help)
4. Hollands, Leonard (2014). An introduction to The Celtic Orthodox Church (Revised edition ed.). Dorset: Lamorna Publications. p. 85. ISBN 978-0-9559832-8-3. OCLC 1064907709. {{cite book}}: |edition= has extra text (help)CS1 maint: date and year (link)
5. Hollands, Leonard (2014). An introduction to The Celtic Orthodox Church (Revised edition ed.). Dorset: Lamorna Publications. p. 37. ISBN 978-0-9559832-8-3. OCLC 1064907709. {{cite book}}: |edition= has extra text (help)
6. {{cite book}}: Empty citation (help)
7. ^ "Naissance au Ciel de notre père, Mgr Mael" (PDF). eoc-coc.org
8. ^ Hollands, Leonard (2014). An introduction to The Celtic Orthodox Church (Revised edition ed.). Dorset: Lamorna Publications. p. 17. ISBN 978-0-9559832-8-3. OCLC 1064907709. {{cite book}}: |edition= has extra text (help)
9. Celtic Orthodox Church (2007). The Spirituality of a Celtic Monk. Saint-Dolay, Brittany: Editions Hol Levenez. p. 5.
10. Seraphim, Metropolitan of Glastonbury (2006). Flesh of our brethren : an historical examination of western episcopal successions originating from the Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch (First edition ed.). London: British Orthodox Press. p. 83. ISBN 978-1-4116-7836-1. OCLC 232364800. {{cite book}}: |edition= has extra text (help)
11. Hollands, Leonard (2014). An introduction to The Celtic Orthodox Church (Revised edition ed.). Dorset: Lamorna Publications. p. 13. ISBN 978-0-9559832-8-3. OCLC 1064907709. {{cite book}}: |edition= has extra text (help)

• Celtic Christianity
• Western Orthodoxy