| Ecumenical Catholic Church of Christ | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | ECCC |
| Classification | Western Christian |
| Orientation | Independent Catholic |
| Polity | Episcopal |
| Archbishop | Karl Rodig |
| Headquarters | Detroit, Michigan |
| Founder | Karl Rodig |
| Origin | 1998 Florida,United States |
| Official website | ecumenicalccc.org |
TheEcumenical Catholic Church of Christ (ECCC) is anIndependent Catholicdenomination founded by Archbishop Karl Rodig asThe Reformed Roman Catholic and Apostolic Church.[1] Headquartered inDetroit, Michigan, the ECCC uses a formerRoman Catholicparish as its Cathedral of Saint Anthony.[2] The Ecumenical Catholic Church of Christ aims to minister to disaffected Roman Catholics and others.[3]
The Ecumenical Catholic Church of Christ was originally founded in 1998 asThe Reformed Roman Catholic and Apostolic Church after Karl Rodig left theCatholic Church, initially disagreeing withclerical celibacy.[1] In 1999, Rodig was consecrated by Archbishop Maurice McCormick of theOld Catholic Church in North America and was thereforeexcommunicatedlatae sententiae by the Catholic Church.[4]
In 2007, the church changed its name to theEcumenical Catholic Church of Christ. The church also merged with Christ Catholic Church International inNiagara Falls,Ontario,Canada.[5]
By 2010, Rodig purchased the shuttered Catholic parish of Saint Anthony Cathedral inDetroit, Michigan; the church was closed between 2006 and 2007 by theRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit.[2][4] Following this purchase, Rodig and the Ecumenical Catholic Church of Christ were considered invalidly ordained by the Archdiocese of Detroit,[4] although clergy in the ECCCvalidate themselves through thedogma ofsacramental character.[6]
With the death of Bishop Mark Steven Shirilau in the similarly namedEcumenical Catholic Church—and the appointment of David John Kalke in 2014—some churches realigned themselves to the Ecumenical Catholic Church of Christ.[7]
Between 2020 and 2022, the church's founding archbishop ordained and consecrated clergy in and forEurope,Kenya,[8] and theMiddle East. In May 2022 Primate Abp Karl Rodig, with other bishops of Ecumenical Catholic Church of Christ in the United States, consecrated Fr. Edik Baroni as a Bishop in charge of the communities in the Middle East for Persian and other communities worldwide.[9] In 2021, it has also built a presence inIndia, to the derision of theRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Bombay.[10][11][12]
The ECCC affirmsmarried clergy andwomen's ordination. The church also affirms and ordainsLGBTQ+ clergy.[3]