KEY TENETS OF FAITHFAITH
The Old Catholic Mariavite Church is founded upon the ancient Catholic tenets of faith and morals contained in the canonical books of the Holy Scripture of the Old and New Testament, in the early Tradition of the Universal Church as well as in the dogmas defined by the first seven Ecumenical Councils.The Old Catholic Mariavite Church is likewise founded on the revelations of God’s Mercy, received by the Foundress of Mariavitism, holy Maria Franciszka Kozłowska. The revelations indicate that the worship of the Most Blessed Sacrament and the Perpetual Succor of the Holy Virgin Mary are the last salvation given by God to the world threatened by its sins.
The Old Catholic Mariavite Church neither enacts new dogmas nor accepts dogmas which individual Churches introduced after the separation of Christianity into Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy in the year 1054 since it believes that only an Ecumenical Council (i.e. representing the whole Christianity) may enact a new dogma which obligates all the Christians. In particular, while the Immaculate Conception of the Holy Virgin Mary and Her Assumption are part of the teaching of the Mariavite Church but she does not recognize them as dogmas. The Old Catholic Mariavite Church does not recognise the primacy of any Bishop in the Universal Church as well as the infallibility of an individual in matters of faith and morals.
Therefore, the Old Catholic Mariavite Church pursues two objectives. It propagates the devotion to Jesus Christ concealed in the Most Blessed Sacrament. It also draws attention to the necessity of invoking the Perpetual Succor of the Holy Virgin Mary "since as there are perpetual efforts against God and the Church, thus is necessary the Perpetual Help of Mary".
The Old Catholic Mariavite Church recognises seven Holy Sacraments.
The worship of the Most Blessed Sacrament in the life of the faithful is expressed by the frequent and worthy reception of the Holy Communion that is distributed under both species, according to the words of Christ: "Unless you eat the body of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves" (John 6,53), as well as in the performance of the Eucharistic Adoration of Supplication. Each believer is obliged to say an hour-long adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament once a month and participate in the Holy Mass on Sundays and Church holidays. Priests and nuns are obliged to pray the adoration every day.
The Mariavite clergy are not obliged to observe celibacy. There are both celibate and married priests. However, they must all be devoted to the Franciscan spirit.
Children and youth up to the age of 18 are obliged to confess privately to the priest. Adults (at their own request) may profit from this form of confession but only the general confession to Christ with the absolution of the priest is obligatory for them.
Deriving its name from the Latin words "Mariae vita", which means "the life of Mary", the Old Catholic Mariavite Church indicates the indispensability of imitating the life of the Holy Virgin Mary: Her solitude, humility, spirit of prayer, great love toward neighbours and readiness to fulfil the will of God.
The Old Catholic Mariavite Church believes that God performs miracles in the soul of an individual but she does not recognise the so-called miraculous relics, pictures and so forth. However, it does not reject the great respect with which images of religious content, relics and remembrances of the Saints should be treated.
The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the entire liturgy are celebrated exclusively in the language of the people.
All religious ministrations are free in accordance with the Christ's injunction: "Freely you have received, freely give" (Matthew 10,8). The clergy are permitted to accept voluntary offerings for religious ministrations but they cannot demand them.
Professing the ancient Catholic tenets of faith of the Universal Church and promoting the nesessity of imitating Our Lady's life, the Church bears the name of the Old Catholic Mariavite Church.