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Frequently Asked Questions
Is the AHC an Official Organization in the Church?
What is often meant by this is, is the AHC a kind of ordinariate or religious order. The answer is no. We do not have our own congregations or regular masses. The AHC is not a religious order, does not train priests, and does not constitute a jurisdiction within the Church in the way that a vicariate or prelature would, despite the support we receive from various leaders in the Church. The AHC is a lay apostolate that does not attempt to constitute a parallel organization or compete with any jurisdiction in the Church. In Israel, the Hebrew-language ecclesial home is the St James Vicariate for Hebrew-speaking Catholics, and our goal is not to set up an alternative to them, but to assist the Church in preserving the identity and heritage of its flock who came from a Jewish background.
Who May Join the AHC?
Anyone who shares our goals is welcome to join. We have Catholic Jews and non-Jews in our ranks, and sometimes even Jews who are not Christians or Messianics at all. We do not restrict anyone from associating with us or consuming our content.
Who is a Jew according to the AHC?
We do not scrutinise anyone's life or ancestry. Especially abroad, there are people in our ranks whose Jewish family background is quite distant, but whose Jewish heritage is important to them and has become a significant part of their identity. We also have non-Jewish Christians among us who are intrigued by their Jewish heritage or who are interested in learning more about the Jewish heritage of their own faith.
Why "Hebrews"?
The use of the term "Hebrews" originates from the book of the late Fr Elias Friedman, "Jewish Identity." He divided the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob into different categories along ethnic and theological lines. It should be noted that the New Testament and the writings of the early church also seem to have widely used the term "Hebrews" for Israelites who had accepted the faith. Additionally, we do not want to create confusion or a false impression that we are trying to be accepted as a legitimate branch of Judaism. We are Catholic Christians of Jewish stock. In everyday life, many of us may refer to ourselves as Hebrew, Jewish, or something else altogether.
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