𝕾𝖙𝖆𝖙𝖚𝖙𝖊𝖘 𝖔𝖋 𝕱𝖆𝖎𝖙𝖍
The Creeds
It is not only important to know what we believe, but why we believe what we do, and from whence those beliefs come. Holy Cross Catholic Church’s beliefs may be summed up in the 3 historic creeds of the Church: The Apostle’s Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed.
The earliest known versions of the Apostle’s Creed is believed to have first been penned by St. Ambrose. The version of the Apostles Creed as we know it today appeared between 701 and 714 B.C.E. This, the earliest of the three creeds is based on various texts from the New Testament.
The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son Our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into Hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy * catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. Amen.
* catholic means “universal” and is not a reference to the Roman Catholic Church.
The Nicene Creed
We believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, begotten from the Father before all ages, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made; of the same essence as the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven; he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and was made human. He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate; he suffered and was buried. The third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead. His kingdom will never end. And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life. He proceeds from the Father and the Son, and with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified. He spoke through the prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church. We affirm one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look forward to the resurrection of the dead, and to life in the world to come. Amen.
The second creed from which our faith is derived is called the Nicene Creed, because it was adopted by the Second Ecumenical Council in the year 325 in the city of Nicaea (present day Iznik), in Turkey.
The third of our creeds is the lesser known, but very important, Athanasian Creed, which church legend and tradition tells us was written by St. Athanasius to declare the Trinitarian faith. Scholars now believe that this creed was authored approximately 100 years after St. Athanasius lived. Its true authorship is unknown.
The Athanasian Creed
Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic faith. Which faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled; without doubt he shall perish everlastingly. And the catholic faith is this: That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; Neither confounding the Persons; nor dividing the Essence. For there is one Person of the Father; another of the Son; and another of the Holy Ghost. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, is all one; the Glory equal, the Majesty coeternal. Such as the Father is; such is the Son; and such is the Holy Ghost. The Father uncreated; the Son uncreated; and the Holy Ghost uncreated. The Father unlimited; the Son unlimited; and the Holy Ghost unlimited. The Father eternal; the Son eternal; and the Holy Ghost eternal. And yet they are not three eternals; but one eternal. As also there are not three uncreated; nor three infinites, but one uncreated; and one infinite. So likewise the Father is Almighty; the Son Almighty; and the Holy Ghost Almighty. And yet they are not three Almighties; but one Almighty. So the Father is God; the Son is God; and the Holy Ghost is God. And yet they are not three Gods; but one God. So likewise the Father is Lord; the Son Lord; and the Holy Ghost Lord. And yet not three Lords; but one Lord. For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity; to acknowledge every Person by himself to be God and Lord; So are we forbidden by the catholic religion; to say, There are three Gods, or three Lords. The Father is made of none; neither created, nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone; not made, nor created; but begotten. The Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son; neither made, nor created, nor begotten; but proceeding. So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts. And in this Trinity none is before, or after another; none is greater, or less than another. But the whole three Persons are coeternal, and coequal. So that in all things, as aforesaid; the Unity in Trinity, and the Trinity in Unity, is to be worshipped. He therefore that will be saved, let him thus think of the Trinity.
Furthermore it is necessary to everlasting salvation; that he also believe faithfully the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the right Faith is, that we believe and confess; that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man; God, of the Essence of the Father; begotten before the worlds; and Man, of the Essence of his Mother, born in the world. Perfect God; and perfect Man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting. Equal to the Father, as touching his Godhead; and inferior to the Father as touching his Manhood. Who although he is God and Man; yet he is not two, but one Christ. One; not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh; but by assumption of the Manhood by God. One altogether; not by confusion of Essence; but by unity of Person. For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man; so God and Man is one Christ; Who suffered for our salvation; descended into hell; rose again the third day from the dead. He ascended into heaven, he sitteth on the right hand of the God the Father Almighty, from whence he will come to judge the living and the dead. At whose coming all men will rise again with their bodies; And shall give account for their own works. And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting; and they that have done evil, into everlasting fire. This is the catholic faith; which except a man believe truly and firmly, he cannot be saved.
A Place to Stand
The mission of the Church, according to Jesus’ Great Commission, is to: "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:19-20). In a fresh commitment to that mission, we join together in common confession of the Gospel and in a radical commitment to support one another in accordance of the Catholic teachings.
A Common Confession of the Gospel
The Gospel and the Triune God: We rejoice in the grace of the Triune God, who has forgiven our sins and given us redemption in Jesus Christ. We proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ, fully human and fully divine, who became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, lived a life of perfect obedience to his heavenly Father, died on the cross to atone for the sins of the world, and rose bodily in accordance with the Scriptures. God the Holy Spirit draws us to faith in Jesus Christ, through whom alone we are justified and found acceptable by God the Father.
Christian Obedience: We confess Jesus as the Lord to whom all authority in heaven and earth has been given by the Father. We commit ourselves to follow him and love him above all else and to conform our lives to his example and teaching by the grace of the Holy Spirit.
Holy Scripture: We believe all Scriptures were "written for our learning" (Romans 15:4), that they are "God’s Word written," and that we are to "hear, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them." We commit ourselves to regular Bible study and to preach and teach only that which is in accordance with Holy Scripture.
Congregational Life: We hold corporate worship, discipleship, and mission to be interconnected and indispensable aspects of our response to God as he revealed himself to us in Jesus Christ. We are committed to being sacrificially involved in all three aspects of congregational life. A Christian needs to be in communion with the mother church and stay in a state of righteousness in order to participate freely in community life.
Mission and Missions: The Risen Lord commissioned his disciples to preach the gospel and to follow his commandments. The mission of the Church includes both evangelistic proclamation and deeds of love and service. We commit ourselves and our resources to this mission, both locally and to the uttermost parts of the earth. We affirm our particular responsibility to know, love, and serve the Lord in our local settings and contexts. Since the biblical pattern of witness moves from the local to the global, we will endeavour to be well-informed about our local communities and active in church planting, evangelism, service, social justice, and cross-cultural, international mission, with particular concern for the poor and the unreached peoples of the world.
Contemporary Implications of the Gospel
Christian mission is rooted in unchanging biblical revelation. At particular times, however, specific challenges to authentic faith and holiness arise which require thoughtful and vigorous response. We therefore speak to the following issues of our time and culture. The Uniqueness of Jesus Christ: While religions and philosophies of the world are not without elements of truth, Jesus Christ alone is the full revelation of God. In and through the Gospel, Jesus judges and corrects all views and doctrines. All persons everywhere need to learn of him, come to know and believe in him, and receive forgiveness and new life in him, as there is no other name given under heaven by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12).
Church and State: Biblical social commandments and Christian ethical principles are foundational to the well-being of every society. Recognizing the call of Christians to be faithful witnesses and a challenging presence in society, we are committed to seek ways to express these commandments and principles in all spheres of life, including the public life of the nation.
Sanctity of Life: All human life is a sacred gift from God and is to be protected and defended from conception to natural death. We will uphold the sanctity of life and bring the grace and compassion and offer pastoral support to those of Christ to those who face the realities of previous abortion, unwanted pregnancy, and end-of-life illness.
* Here in Switzerland we do not accept or support legal euthanasia called EXIT.
Marriage, Family, and the Single Life: God has instituted marriage to be a life-long union of husband and wife (woman born female and man born male) , intended for their mutual joy, help, and comfort, and, when it is God’s will, for the procreation and nurture of children. Divorce is always contrary to God’s original intention, though in a fallen world it is sometimes a tragic necessity. The roles of father and mother, exercised in a variety of ways, are God-given and profoundly important since they are the chief providers of moral instruction and godly living. The single life, either by call or by circumstance, is honoured by God. It is therefore important for unmarried persons to embrace and be embraced by the Christian family.
Human Sexuality: Sexuality is inherent in God’s creation of every human person in his image as male and female. All Christians are called to chastity: husbands and wives by exclusive sexual fidelity to one another and single persons by abstinence from sexual intercourse. God intends and enables all people to live within these boundaries, with the help and in the fellowship of the Church.
MINISTRY IN All Saints Anglo-Catholic Mission
We desire to be supportive of congregations, dioceses, and structures as an expression of the one holy, catholic and apostolic Church. However, when there arise within the Church at any level tendencies, pronouncements, and practices contrary to biblical, doctrine and moral standards, we must not and will not support them. Councils can err and have erred, and the Church has no authority to embrace any doctrine or practice contrary to the clear teaching of Holy Scripture and the historic faith. When teachings and practices contrary to Scripture and to this orthodox catholic perspective are permitted within the Church - or even authorized by conventions or synods- we, in obedience to God, will disassociate ourselves from those specific teachings and practices and will resist them in every way possible.
Anglo-Catholicism
Anglo-Catholicism is a tradition within the Anglican Church that emphasises the Catholic heritage and practices of the church, including a strong devotion to the sacraments, liturgical rites, and the authority of tradition. It seeks to preserve the theological and ritual aspects of the pre-Reformation Church while remaining part of the Anglican Communion. This movement arose in the 19th century, particularly in response to the rise of Protestantism and the Oxford Movement, which aimed to restore the church's Catholic identity. Anglo-Catholics often stress the importance of apostolic succession, the Eucharist, and the veneration of saints.
The 39 Articles of Religion and Anglo-Catholicism
The 39 Articles of Religion, while foundational to the Anglican tradition, should be understood more as a historical document than as a binding canonical standard for modern Anglo-Catholic belief. Originally crafted during the Elizabethan era, these Articles were intended to clarify Anglican doctrine in the context of Reformation debates and to distinguish the Church of England from Roman Catholicism and radical Protestantism. However, as a theological and historical artifact, their relevance to contemporary Anglican worship and belief has evolved.
For the Anglo-Catholic tradition, the Articles are often seen as a product of their time—reflecting the theological concerns and political compromises of the 16th century. While they do provide a certain framework for Anglican identity, they are not necessarily a comprehensive or exhaustive statement of faith. Anglo-Catholics, who emphasize the importance of the sacraments, apostolic succession, and the continuity of the Church, may regard some of the Articles as too influenced by Reformation-era polemics and not fully representative of the Church's deeper Catholic heritage.
Thus, rather than adhering to the Articles as a strict canon, Anglo-Catholics tend to read them with an understanding of their historical context, while giving priority to the living tradition of the Church and the authority of Scripture and the Sacraments. The Articles serve as a starting point for historical understanding, but the richness of Anglican spirituality lies in its ongoing engagement with the broader Catholic tradition and its openness to the mystery and depth of Christian faith.
Invitations to Association
We invite all Christians worldwide who concur in this Catholic perspective to stand with us for mutual enlightenment, encouragement, mission, and ministry, and, where necessary, for protection of the right to live and minister in obedience to Scripture, Catholic faith and tradition, and conscience. We further invite all persons who share this faith to stand with us. We do not enter intercommunion agreements with other ministries but encourage Christian unity when the focus, faith and mission is the same in a prayerful autonomous way. All Saints Anglo-Catholic Mission is based in Switzerland and has been founded to offer missionary service in Europe due to the declining of Christianity here in Europe.
RECEIVING THE SACRAMENTS FROM ALL SAINTS ANGLO-CATHOLIC MISSION AND CLERGY-MEMBER
Before any Sacrament is offered such as Baptism, Holy Communion, Confession, Holy Matrimony, Last Rites the missionary priest and needs to be informed unless it is a situation of emergency or thereafter and the person(s) receiving should be informed beforehand about the faith and our ecclesiastical stand. Holy Communion will not be given unless the person(s) have went to confession. If the person(s) is a frequent communicant communion can be given. We should encourage all to go to frequent confession including for our clergy. The missionary priest has the right to deny communion or absolution by ecclesiastical law and officiates all ceremonies with sound conscience. Our priests are trained for emergency situations and are aware of consequences when going against the statutes of the society. Communion will not be given in the hand only by kneeling and receiving directly and under one species. If you are not Catholic and do not believe in transubstantiation then you will be advised to go to catechism before and receiving of communion in the catholic faith.
EPISCOPACY AND APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION
The missionary priest is also an ordained missionary bishop with valid Apostolic Succession and oversees all religious matters. All Saints Anglo-Catholic Mission is part of the Independent Sacramental Movement and has valid apostolic succession through multiple lines. Catholic, Old Catholic and Orthodox lineages.
VOCATIONS
At All Saints Anglo-Catholic Mission, we uphold the traditional ordination of both minor and major orders within the Catholic and Anglo-Catholic traditions. Vocations to the priesthood are not our primary focus unless a candidate comes with genuine intentions and solid experience. We require candidates to have been practising the Catholic and Anglo-Catholic faith for at least three years, with active involvement in the parish or mission. We will not accept anyone into the seminary whom we do not know personally. We prefer to welcome already ordained priests into our ministry, offering one-on-one training, with the understanding that there will be a fee or donation request. The ministry in the Independent Sacramental Movement is challenging, and self-sufficiency is essential. We are not an internet church.
* We are currently not accepting vocation requests!
ALL SAINTS ANGLO-CATHOLIC MISSION
Statement on Marriage, Gender, & Sexuality
(Statement on August 3, 2022)
We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God (Gen. 1:26-27). Rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person. We believe that the term “marriage” has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman (man born male and woman born female) in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture (Gen. 2:18-25).
We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other (1 Cor. 6:18; 7:2-5; Heb. 13-4). We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged outside of a marriage between a man and a woman.
We believe that any form of sexual immorality (including adultery, fornication, homosexual behaviour, bisexual conduct, gender dysphoria (transsexuality) bestiality, incest, and use of pornography) is sinful and offensive to God, thus not acceptable (Matt. 15:18-20; 1 Cor. 6:9-10).
We believe that in order to preserve the function and integrity of All Saints Anglo-Catholic Mission as the local Body of Christ, and to provide a biblical role model to the clergy and the community, it is imperative that all persons reperesenting in any capacity, or who serve as volunteers, submit to and abide by this Statement on Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality (Matt. 5:16; Phil. 2:14-16; 1 Thes. 5:22).
We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ (Acts 3:19-21; Rom. 10:9-10; 1 Cor. 6:9-11).
We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity by also showing consequences and direct guidance (Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31.). Hateful and harassing attitudes against our faith statement and rights of practising our faith by abiding with our canons will be excommunicated. Harassment behaviour or attitudes directed toward any individual or against our priests are to be avoided. Any behaviour and life choice repudiated that are not in accord with Scripture nor the doctrines of this mission one must be in communion with the church and not live in mortal sin in order to participate in receiving the sacraments. A life Confession must take place with the bishop before being a full member of the church and reconciliation taken seriously. The bishop can decide if the confession has its serious or not and can act according to the laws of God and church. Our approach is pastorally but we firstly adhere obedience to the canons of the church.
