Book excerpt: This book is presented by the Old Catholic Church of the United States. The Old Catholic Church of the United States is a Catholic Family of Faith, based within the United States. As inheritors of Apostolic Succession from the Western Latin (Catholic) Church, the Ancient Oriental Churches and the Eastern Byzantine (Orthodox) Churches, we possess a rich theological heritage. It is a sacramental church, embracing the fullness of Christianity as expressed within Catholic understanding. It stands, holding fast to the teachings of the ancient faith, in a modern society that is often hostile, towards Christians in general and Catholics in particular, and chooses to obey the timeless message of Christ rather than yield to the "Spirit of the Age".