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Many have asked us why we have called the group "The Young
Rite". We considered this and many alternative names, such as "The Circle of
Sophia", "The Universal Rite", "Original Christianity", etc.
However, as we operate independently of all the churches already in existence, we thought
it wise to use a new name so that we would not be confused with other organisations, also
for example those from which we derive our Apostolic Succession.
With the name "The Young Rite" we wish to primarily
communicate two aspects:
 | Young, as apposed to
old: The Christianity of the past two odd thousand years has been marred with politics,
structures, organisations, power plays, excesses and seems to have placed attention
especially on keeping the ranks subdued. By young we wish to convey the idea of freedom, a
concentration on that which is important. What is important is not the organisation, nor
the functionaries, but the genuine experience of the people themselves. Of course there is
an organisation, but we attempt to limit the energy spent in keeping the organisation
alive to a bare minimum. This means as few rules as possible and a genuine attempt to
place responsibility where it belongs: With the individual.
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| Rite: We use ceremony as
our working form. We are not about long homilies but about strengthening the individual
experience by working together as a group. We perform a ritual with each other and we
experience the sacraments together. Yes, the social aspect of community building is
important too and our ceremonial work is supported by talking about it with each other.
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We have purposely avoided
names with the words "church" or "catholic", even though we operate as
a church within the catholic tradition. We believe these terms to have become too laden
with adverse connotations. |
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