“Old Catholic” doesn’t sound like an open, open-minded and reform-oriented church, admittedly. Because when you think of “old”, most people immediately think of “extremely conservative”, “reactionary” or “out of date”.
Old Catholic views are anything but that. Our suggestion: Give us five minutes, just 300 seconds, to change any first “old-fashioned” impression.

We are a young church with ancient roots.

We are independent but maintain close relationships with other churches.

The celebration of the Eucharist is at the center of our spiritual life.

We are welcoming and inclusive and do not exclude anyone.

We acknowledge the fallibility of the church and its members – because all of us, including the leading church members, are human beings and therefore need forgiveness.

We are an episcopal church: the bishop directs the church directly and independently; he or she is supported by the synodal council elected by the synod.

We maintain the synodal council elected by the synod.

We think progressively, contemporary and reform-oriented: Church remarriage of divorced people, the opening of the ministry for women and the marriage of same-sex couples are reforms that we have already implemented.

BUT WHAT IS THE OLD CATHOLIC CHURCH ALL ABOUT?

The beginnings go back to the first millennium of church history. In the past, the individual regional churches and their bishops were independent. The Old Catholic Communion is still in the tradition of the independent Catholic churches.

The reasons for independence were the resolutions of the First Vatican Council on the infallibility of the Pope and his supreme legal authority. From our point of view, decisions were made in those days that are inconsistent with the Bible and Catholic tradition.

Many Catholics therefore clung to the “Old” Catholic and Apostolic faith. These Catholics, who for reasons of conscience could not accept the new dogmas as beliefs, were excluded from receiving the sacraments and had to organize themselves as an independent Catholic Church: the Old Catholic Church came into being. The name can therefore be traced back to the “old teaching” of the undivided Catholic and Apostolic Church.

Our guiding principle, then as now, is clinging to the faith and the order of the old and one united Church. Its center and head is Jesus Christ.

OUR CHURCH IS EPISCOPAL-SYNODAL.

This means that the bishop leads the church, but in principle all members of the church are involved in decision-making processes. Pastors and bishops are elected, not appointed or assigned; the spiritual offices of deacon, priest and bishop are open to women; and church leadership tasks are also carried out by lay people. The “church people” are involved in all members, no one is excluded. And not only is the bishop elected as in the past, but the community and diocese are structured synodally today: at the parish level, the parish assembly meeting is the highest decision-making body (it elects, for example, the pastor and the synod delegates); at the diocesan level the decision-making body is the synod, about 2/3 of which consists of elected lay members of the communities.

“Synodal” does not mean that beliefs can be formulated, or questions of faith can be negotiated. For this, only a general council of the entire Church has competence. Rather, synodal denotes that the challenge and sometimes the struggle is to find a common path as Catholic Church. So, it touches on the question of how we do this to be able to implement and live the Catholic apostolic faith as a Church.

OUR CHURCH IS OPEN.

Biblical statements and dynamic church life combine with worldly life. For example, celibacy has been abolished for the clergy as a church law that cannot be justified from the biblical point of view, because the celibate way of life is not a condition for assuming church office, ministry, and tasks. Rather, it remains a possible form of Christian life and part of the personal vocation story in the decision of the individual.

Whoever feels called to a life in voluntary celibacy, alone or in a (religious) community, should and can of course life this calling in the Old Catholic Church.

Women can also receive the sacraments of
ecclesiastical office—diaconal, priestly, episcopal. Divorced and remarried people were not and will not be excluded from receiving the sacraments. If a marriage has been divorced by the state, there may be the possibility of another church marriage.

OUR CHURCH IS FALLIBLE.

We acknowledge human fallibility of the Church and its members, including those who hold a leadership position in, called and appointed by, for the Church. We try to live from the knowledge that every single person as well as the church as a whole is always in need of reform and in need of forgiveness.

OUR CHURCH IS ECUMENICALLY ORIENTED.

We are open to the fellowship of all Christians, also at the Lord’s Table.

The Old Catholic Church of the Union of Utrecht has been in full church fellowship with the Anglican Communion since 1931 (Bonn Agreement), with the Independent Philippine church, the Lusitan Church of Portugal and the Reformed Episcopal Church of Spain since 1965 and with the Lutheran Church of Sweden since 2017. Old Catholics are also in conversation with other churches, such as the Indian Mar Thoma Church, the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church.

Our attitude towards Holy Communion of the Lord’s Supper at Mass: All people who take part in an Old Catholic Eucharistic celebration and believe with us that Jesus is actually present in the gifts of bread and wine are warmly welcome to holy communion, to fellowship through Christ, with Christ and in Christ.

Peace and every blessing!