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Old-Catholics? What are they?

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Is it possible? Can a catholic priest have a "civil job", and can he have a family?
Of course! For there doesn't exist one catholic church only, like many people think.

Introduction: Churches and Dioceses

There is only one Christian church, but it is comprised of many local churches, which are also called "dioceses", "Landeskirche" etc., in short "churches".
Most churches have a bishop at their head, stand alone and independently of one another, as for example the Protestant, Anglican and Orthodox churches.
The bishops of the Roman catholic dioceses, however, recognise the leadership of the pope in Rome.
Most catholic dioceses in Germany are named after the town where the bishop has his seat, as for example Magdeburg, Berlin, Erfurt. - It is less well known that besides these, there exists a diocese of Old-Catholics in Germany as well.

1. Origin.

The catholic diocese of the Old-Catholics has existed in Germany since 1873.
It was created as a result of two decisions of the First Vatican Council (1869-70), namely, those concerning the infallibility and the universal jurisdiction of the pope. These were innovations which should strengthen the position of the pope in a manner unknown in the ancient church. Many dedicated Catholics, including professors of theology, especially in German-speaking countries, publicly refused to accept these decisions of the Council, because they could not reconcile them with conscience. They were forthwith excluded from the Roman Catholic Church, that is to say, excommunicated. Accordingly, they had to establish their own parishes and have their own bishop. Since the foundation of the catholic diocese of Old-Catholics in Germany in 1873, its bishops have resided in Bonn.

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2. Name.

Because they denounced the above mentioned Council decisions as an unlawful innovation, the German opponents called themselves "Old-Catholics".
Today this name gives occasion for misunderstanding, but it cannot yet be changed. Actually we should be called "Reformed Catholics".

  • We are not ancient in the sense of "especially conservative", "fanatical", but in the sense of the original, the ancient church.
  • We are catholic, for the source of our faith is the Holy Scripture (Bible) and the tradition of the church of the first Christian millennium.

3. Spreading.

In Germany there are about 15,000 Old-Catholics, increasing trend! Parishes are to be found mainly along the Rhine and in Bavaria, earlier also in the Sudetenland, but in northern and eastern Germany there are very few. Independent catholic churches exist also in some other countries: Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Poland.

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4. Features.

Because of independence from Rome a number of aberrations which occurred in the Western Church during the Middle Ages could be corrected. To state it first of all concisely: the Old-Catholics stand between the Roman Catholic Church and the Protestant churches. In hierarchical structure they are similar to the Protestants (episcopal, synodal). In the celebration of the divine service they scarcely differ from the Roman Catholic Church (Eucharistic service).

4.1. Leadership Service.

Our church is lead by the Synod, an assembly of representatives chosen from all parishes, in which only about one third are clergy. Between meetings of the Synod, over a period of several years, the leadership of the church is in the hands of the bishop and representatives chosen by the Synod, the so called "Synodalvertretung".

4.2. Divine service.

The main service on Sundays and festive days is always a sacramental service, called "Holy Eucharist", equivalent to the service which in other churches is called "Holy Mass", "Communion Service", "Divine Liturgy" respectively. To the Holy Communion (Lord's Supper) all are invited who are baptised and who believe in the presence of the Lord in his holy Meal. In response to his word, "Drink this, all of you ...", all participants are given the cup as well as the Host. Left over Hosts are treasured in the tabernacle in order to bring the Holy Communion to invalids. Veneration of the sacrament outside the eucharistic service is not usual, at least in Germany.
Photo: 2005-02-19, old-cath. Hl.-Geist-Kapelle Köthen

4.3. Auricular confession.

Our priests are, of course, always available for pastoral dialogue, and if so desired, for individual confession. But nobody is obliged to make individual confession, since remission of sins is also possible in the general penitential prayer of the divine service.

4.4. Office and celibacy.

We have the threefold office: deacon, priest, bishop.
Each office is conferred through its respective ordination rite.
The ministry of deacons and priests may be practised by nonstipendiaries, who are also engaged in a civil occupation.
Since the decision of the Synod in 1994, women have had equal legal status with men in the Old-Catholic Church in Germany. They have the same access to clerical office as men. The first two women priests were ordained in 1996.
Our clergy are not obliged to celibacy. There is no rule concerning the sequence of marriage and ordination.

4.5. Marriage and family

With us remarried divorcees are not excommunicated. For a new marriage in our church, the agreement both of the parish priest and of the bishop is required.
We have a natural relation to sexuality. There are no regulations regarding contraception.
Alone decisive is the decision of conscience before God.

4.6. Ecumenism

On the international level, the Old-catholic dioceses created the "Utrecht Union" in 1889. The bishops meet regularly in the international Old-catholic bishops conference (IBC). President of the bishops conference, without jurisdictional authority, is always the archbishop of Utrecht.
Good ecumenical relations with all churches are a special concern for us.
We have been in full ecclesial communion with the Anglican community since 1931.
We could reach extensive accord with the orthodox churches in matters of dogma.
There were ecumenical discussions with the Roman Catholic Church during and after the Second Vatican Council. In spite of extensive agreement in dogmatic questions, an arrangement concerning pastoral aid failed, due to lack of papal approval in 1972.
The Old-Catholic Churches have been members of the ecumenical Council of churches (ECC) since its foundation in 1948. At the lower level, we are everywhere represented as members of the regional ACK ("Arbeitsgemeinschaft christlicher Kirchen" = working community of Christian churches).


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