What is the Old Catholic Church?
The term Old Catholic Church has been used since the 1850s by communions separated from the Roman Catholic Church over certain doctrines. Some of these groups, especially in the Netherlands, had already existed long before the term.
These churches are not in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church (RCC). Member churches of the Union of Utrecht of the Old Catholic Churches (UU) are the Old Catholic Church of the Netherlands (OKKN), the Catholic Diocese of the Old Catholics in Germany, the Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland, the Old Catholic Church of Austria, and the Old Catholic Church of the Czech Republic which are in full communion with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden, the Anglican Communion, the Philippine Independent Church, the Spanish Reformed Episcopal Church, and the Lusitanian Catholic Apostolic Evangelical Church.
The formation of the Old Catholic communion (the Union of Utrecht (UU)) began in 1870, following the First Vatican Council bringing together faithful catholic Christian adherents who accept the first seven ecumenical councils and doctrine formulated before the East–West Schism of 1054. These Catholics currently reject full communion with Rome, as they do not recognize universal papal authority or the Roman Catholic dogma of papal infallibility, nor a number of other Roman Catholic doctrines and practices.
Old Catholic theology views the Eucharist as the core of the Christian Church. The church is a community of believers in communion with one another around the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the highest expression of the love of God. The celebration of the Eucharist is understood as the experience of Christ's triumph over sin. The defeat of sin consists in bringing together that which is divided.
Old Catholics believe in unity in diversity and often quote the Church Father Vincent of Lérins's Commonitory: "in the Catholic Church itself, all possible care must be taken, that we hold that faith which has been believed everywhere, always, by all.”
The Old Catholic Communion (OCC) shares much of the liturgy with the Roman Catholic Church (RCC). Old Catholics hold an open view to most issues, including the role of women in the Church, the role of married people within ordained ministry, the morality of same sex relationships, the use of conscience when deciding whether to use artificial contraception, and liturgical reforms such as open communion.
There are seven sacraments of the Old Catholic Church, which are visible rites seen as signs of the grace of God to all those who receive them with the proper disposition. The list of sacraments is often organized into three categories: the sacraments of initiation (into the Church, the body of Christ), consisting of Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist; the sacraments of healing, consisting of Penance and Anointing of the Sick; and the sacraments of service: Holy Orders and Matrimony.
In practice, the Mass and the Sacraments are very similar with the western church, though recent innovations by the RCC are missing while the language that is used is much more inclusive. Sacred Tradition is honored while making the Mass and Sacraments more welcoming, inclusive, and about an individual’s relationship with God, Self, and Community, not arbitrary rules.
Because Old Catholic bishops have been validly ordained, they retain the ability to ordain other bishops and priests. This was confirmed on January 3, 1987, by the (RCC) Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (Prot. no. 795/68). The Roman Catholic Church has recognized the sacraments of the Old Catholic Church as valid and in the same category as the sacraments of the Eastern Orthodox Churches.
The term Old Catholic Church has been used since the 1850s by communions separated from the Roman Catholic Church over certain doctrines. Some of these groups, especially in the Netherlands, had already existed long before the term.
These churches are not in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church (RCC). Member churches of the Union of Utrecht of the Old Catholic Churches (UU) are the Old Catholic Church of the Netherlands (OKKN), the Catholic Diocese of the Old Catholics in Germany, the Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland, the Old Catholic Church of Austria, and the Old Catholic Church of the Czech Republic which are in full communion with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden, the Anglican Communion, the Philippine Independent Church, the Spanish Reformed Episcopal Church, and the Lusitanian Catholic Apostolic Evangelical Church.
The formation of the Old Catholic communion (the Union of Utrecht (UU)) began in 1870, following the First Vatican Council bringing together faithful catholic Christian adherents who accept the first seven ecumenical councils and doctrine formulated before the East–West Schism of 1054. These Catholics currently reject full communion with Rome, as they do not recognize universal papal authority or the Roman Catholic dogma of papal infallibility, nor a number of other Roman Catholic doctrines and practices.
Old Catholic theology views the Eucharist as the core of the Christian Church. The church is a community of believers in communion with one another around the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the highest expression of the love of God. The celebration of the Eucharist is understood as the experience of Christ's triumph over sin. The defeat of sin consists in bringing together that which is divided.
Old Catholics believe in unity in diversity and often quote the Church Father Vincent of Lérins's Commonitory: "in the Catholic Church itself, all possible care must be taken, that we hold that faith which has been believed everywhere, always, by all.”
The Old Catholic Communion (OCC) shares much of the liturgy with the Roman Catholic Church (RCC). Old Catholics hold an open view to most issues, including the role of women in the Church, the role of married people within ordained ministry, the morality of same sex relationships, the use of conscience when deciding whether to use artificial contraception, and liturgical reforms such as open communion.
There are seven sacraments of the Old Catholic Church, which are visible rites seen as signs of the grace of God to all those who receive them with the proper disposition. The list of sacraments is often organized into three categories: the sacraments of initiation (into the Church, the body of Christ), consisting of Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist; the sacraments of healing, consisting of Penance and Anointing of the Sick; and the sacraments of service: Holy Orders and Matrimony.
In practice, the Mass and the Sacraments are very similar with the western church, though recent innovations by the RCC are missing while the language that is used is much more inclusive. Sacred Tradition is honored while making the Mass and Sacraments more welcoming, inclusive, and about an individual’s relationship with God, Self, and Community, not arbitrary rules.
Because Old Catholic bishops have been validly ordained, they retain the ability to ordain other bishops and priests. This was confirmed on January 3, 1987, by the (RCC) Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (Prot. no. 795/68). The Roman Catholic Church has recognized the sacraments of the Old Catholic Church as valid and in the same category as the sacraments of the Eastern Orthodox Churches.