Liberal Rite

The primary liturgical rite used by various denominations within the greater Liberal Catholic movement. Also known as the Mystical Mass and the Wedgwood/Leadbeater Mass, the Liberal Rite is the most widely used liturgical form found within the Liberal Catholic Movement. Like other liturgical rites, the Liberal Rite has grown and evolved over the past century.

The Liberal Rite was composed by Bishop James I. Wedgwood, with Bishop C.W. Leadbeater assisting on the Collects, Psalms, canticles, and readings. They based the Rite on Arnold Harris Mathews The Old Catholic Missal And Ritual first published on August 15, 1909. Mathew's rite was the old Roman Rite in the vernacular. In creating the new Rite, Wedgwood and Leadbeater focused more on the glorification of God, rather than the depravity of man.

In explaining how the Liberal Rite was developed, Bishop Wedgwood states:

"We set to work to eliminate the many features which from our point of view disfigure and weaken the older liturgies. References to fear of God, to His wrath and to everlasting damnation were taken out, also the constant insistence on the sinfulness and worthlessness of man and the frequent appeals for mercy. The services were made as clear and free from repetition in their structural sequence as possible. And every opportunity was given to the congregation to join in the worship with all the resources of mind and will and emotion and self-dedication they were able to command. The sentiments put into the mouth of the worshiper are such as those who are filled with the spirit of devotion and service can honestly and sincerely utter.... It stresses the idea of co-operation with the Divine Father rather than that of supplication, and being outward-turned in the service of God and His world soon enables a man to realize something of the boundless resources of his own being. They are his by right and not simply by grace."(Beginnings of the Liberal Catholic Church, 1937.)

A total of five editions of the Rite exist today.

In 2004 the GES of the LCC (new synod) announced that they would issue a new 6th edition of the Liturgy which would "introduce invocations to Our Lady at the Ordination...of the Holy Orders", and introduce gender inclusive language. Also to be changed will be an invocation to Our Lady at the Healing Service, and the Shorter Form of the Eucharist will be taken from the 1967 edition.

Shorter "pew missals" are available in Dutch, French, German, Latin, and Swedish. The missals generally contain the Full Form Eucharist with Proper Prefaces and Graduals, the Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament, the Healing Service, and Communion from the Reserved Sacrament.

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