Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church
| Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church | |
|---|---|
| Portuguese: Igreja Católica Apostólica Brasileira | |
Emblem of the Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church | |
| Classification | Western Christian |
| Orientation | Independent Catholic |
| Scripture | Catholic Bible |
| Theology | Catholic theology, Christian socialism, Clerical marriage, Religious pluralism |
| Polity | Episcopal |
| Governance | Episcopal Council |
| President | José Carlos Ferreira Lucas |
| Associations | Worldwide Communion of Catholic Apostolic Churches |
| Region | Brazil |
| Language | Brazilian Portuguese |
| Founder | Carlos Duarte Costa |
| Origin | 1945 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| Separated from | Catholic Church in Brazil |
| Members | 560,781 as of 2010 |
| Official website | https://igrejabrasileira.com.br |
The Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church (Portuguese: Igreja Católica Apostólica Brasileira, pronounced [iˈɡɾeʒɐ kaˈtɔlikaposˈtɔlikɐ bɾaziˈlejɾɐ]; ICAB) is an Independent Catholic Christian church established in 1945 by excommunicated Brazilian Catholic bishop Carlos Duarte Costa. The Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church is the largest Independent Catholic church in Brazil, with 560,781 members as of 2010, and 26 dioceses as of 2021; internationally, it has an additional 6 dioceses and 6 provinces. It is governed by a president bishop and the Episcopal Council. The church's administration is in Brasilia, Brazil.
The Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church is the mother church of an international communion called the Worldwide Communion of Catholic Apostolic Churches, though there is no evidence of any recent activity. It is also a primary source of many claims to apostolic succession and the historic episcopate throughout the independent sacramental movement.