Old Catholicism
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The Old Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht
The Old Catholic Churches in Europe came into being as a result of the Pope's claim to
authority beyond his own diocese of Rome – a claim which their existence effectively denies.
Each Old Catholic Church is autonomous, and the local Church in each country is the
continuation of the Catholic Church as it was before the Bishop of Rome asserted his supreme
authority, by divine right, over the life of the Catholic Church.
In The Netherlands, in 1702 the Pope deposed Archbishop Petrus Codde and installed an
Apostolic Vicar. As a consequence, in 1723 the Metropolitan Chapter of Utrecht decided to
elect a new Archbishop. After his election, Cornelius Steenoven was consecrated by Bishop
Dominique Maria Varlet. The Archbishop and the Metropolitan Chapter were excommunicated
by the Pope, so it was necessary to reorganize the life of the Church without links to Rome.
The ancient sees of Haarlem and Deventer were re-established (in 1742 and 1758
respectively) and for 150 years the Church of Utrecht had to persevere in isolation.
In Austria, Germany, and Switzerland, the organization of the Old Catholic Dioceses came
about in response to the dogmas of papal infallibility and supreme jurisdiction, pronounced at
the First Vatican Council in 1870. Catholics who could not in their conscience accept these
dogmas raised a protest against their lack of historicity, the implicit fault in ecclesiology and
the inevitably schismatic results. In consequence of this protest – and their resulting
excommunication by bishops still subject to Rome – they formed parishes so that they could
continue to live as Catholic Christians. Synods were called and a bishop was elected and
consecrated from among the priests who had joined the movement. Each local Church then
established its own canon law. Through these steps, the regular church life of "the same
Catholics as before the Council" was ensured.
According to Ignaz von Doellinger, the most prominent scholar and protagonist of the Old
Catholic movement, the Old Catholics had to fulfil a triple mission: (a) to give witness to the
truth of the Church and against the heresies of papal supreme jurisdiction and infallibility; (b)
to represent the Church cleansed from error and superstition, and more in conformity with
the ancient Church; and (c) to be the instrument and mediator of a future great reunion of
the separated Christians and Churches.
In 1874–75, two Union Conferences were held in Bonn, with the participation of Orthodox,
Anglican and Protestant theologians, resulting in surprising agreements on theological
principles. Unfortunately, nothing more concrete came about.
The Old Catholic Bishops joined in 1889 to form the "Union of Utrecht". They established a
Bishops' Conference which meets once a year, and laid down the principles guiding
communion among their Churches. At present, the Old Catholic Bishops of The Netherlands,
Austria, Germany, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, the United States of America and Canada
(the Polish National Catholic Church), and Poland (the Polish Catholic Church, founded by the
PNCC but now independent) are members of the International Bishops' Conference. The
Archbishop of Utrecht is the ex officio chairman of the Conference but does not have any
jurisdiction beyond his own diocese.
There are two other instruments of communion besides the International Bishops'
Conference: the Old Catholic Congress, which meets every four years, and the annual
International Theological Conference.
On 2 July 1931 the Bonn Agreement was signed, establishing intercommunion (now known
as""full communion") between the Old Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht and the
Church of England. This full communion has since been extended to all the member Churches
of the Anglican Communion, by action of the synods. This agreement reads, "(1) Each
Communion recognizes the catholicity and independence of the other and maintains its own.
(2) Each Communion agrees to admit members of the other Communion to participate in the
Sacraments. (3) Intercommunion [in 1958 changed to Full Communion] does not require from
either communion the acceptance of all doctrinal opinion, sacramental devotion, or liturgical
practice characteristic of the other, but implies that each believes the other to hold all the
essentials of the Christian Faith."
To monitor the progressive growing together of the two Communions, the Anglican/Old
Catholic International Co-ordinating Council was established by the International Bishops'
Conference and the Lambeth Conference. Its first official meeting took place in 1999.
Thaddeus A. Schnitker
Chaplain to the Bishop
Old Catholic Co-Secretary of the Anglican/Old Catholic International Co-ordinating Council
July 1999
The Old Catholic Churches in Europe came into being as a result of the Pope's claim to
authority beyond his own diocese of Rome – a claim which their existence effectively denies.
Each Old Catholic Church is autonomous, and the local Church in each country is the
continuation of the Catholic Church as it was before the Bishop of Rome asserted his supreme
authority, by divine right, over the life of the Catholic Church.
In The Netherlands, in 1702 the Pope deposed Archbishop Petrus Codde and installed an
Apostolic Vicar. As a consequence, in 1723 the Metropolitan Chapter of Utrecht decided to
elect a new Archbishop. After his election, Cornelius Steenoven was consecrated by Bishop
Dominique Maria Varlet. The Archbishop and the Metropolitan Chapter were excommunicated
by the Pope, so it was necessary to reorganize the life of the Church without links to Rome.
The ancient sees of Haarlem and Deventer were re-established (in 1742 and 1758
respectively) and for 150 years the Church of Utrecht had to persevere in isolation.
In Austria, Germany, and Switzerland, the organization of the Old Catholic Dioceses came
about in response to the dogmas of papal infallibility and supreme jurisdiction, pronounced at
the First Vatican Council in 1870. Catholics who could not in their conscience accept these
dogmas raised a protest against their lack of historicity, the implicit fault in ecclesiology and
the inevitably schismatic results. In consequence of this protest – and their resulting
excommunication by bishops still subject to Rome – they formed parishes so that they could
continue to live as Catholic Christians. Synods were called and a bishop was elected and
consecrated from among the priests who had joined the movement. Each local Church then
established its own canon law. Through these steps, the regular church life of "the same
Catholics as before the Council" was ensured.
According to Ignaz von Doellinger, the most prominent scholar and protagonist of the Old
Catholic movement, the Old Catholics had to fulfil a triple mission: (a) to give witness to the
truth of the Church and against the heresies of papal supreme jurisdiction and infallibility; (b)
to represent the Church cleansed from error and superstition, and more in conformity with
the ancient Church; and (c) to be the instrument and mediator of a future great reunion of
the separated Christians and Churches.
In 1874–75, two Union Conferences were held in Bonn, with the participation of Orthodox,
Anglican and Protestant theologians, resulting in surprising agreements on theological
principles. Unfortunately, nothing more concrete came about.
The Old Catholic Bishops joined in 1889 to form the "Union of Utrecht". They established a
Bishops' Conference which meets once a year, and laid down the principles guiding
communion among their Churches. At present, the Old Catholic Bishops of The Netherlands,
Austria, Germany, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, the United States of America and Canada
(the Polish National Catholic Church), and Poland (the Polish Catholic Church, founded by the
PNCC but now independent) are members of the International Bishops' Conference. The
Archbishop of Utrecht is the ex officio chairman of the Conference but does not have any
jurisdiction beyond his own diocese.
There are two other instruments of communion besides the International Bishops'
Conference: the Old Catholic Congress, which meets every four years, and the annual
International Theological Conference.
On 2 July 1931 the Bonn Agreement was signed, establishing intercommunion (now known
as""full communion") between the Old Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht and the
Church of England. This full communion has since been extended to all the member Churches
of the Anglican Communion, by action of the synods. This agreement reads, "(1) Each
Communion recognizes the catholicity and independence of the other and maintains its own.
(2) Each Communion agrees to admit members of the other Communion to participate in the
Sacraments. (3) Intercommunion [in 1958 changed to Full Communion] does not require from
either communion the acceptance of all doctrinal opinion, sacramental devotion, or liturgical
practice characteristic of the other, but implies that each believes the other to hold all the
essentials of the Christian Faith."
To monitor the progressive growing together of the two Communions, the Anglican/Old
Catholic International Co-ordinating Council was established by the International Bishops'
Conference and the Lambeth Conference. Its first official meeting took place in 1999.
Thaddeus A. Schnitker
Chaplain to the Bishop
Old Catholic Co-Secretary of the Anglican/Old Catholic International Co-ordinating Council
July 1999
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