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| In 1870, the proposed dogma of papal infallibility was one of the subjects of the
First Vatican
Council, a meeting of
Roman Catholic bishops called together in Rome by Pope Pius IX. There was considerable dissent among
Roman Catholic bishops to the idea of papal
infallibility, especially among bishops from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The bishops of the
Netherlands Church ("Old Catholic") were not invited to the Council. |
The dissenters held that the Church is infallible
when in General Council (as the early Church believed), but that the Pope,
when acting alone in matters of faith and morals, was not.
Many of the dissenting bishops went on to form communities independent of
Rome. These
took the name "Old Catholic" because they sought to adhere to the beliefs and practices of the Catholic (universal) Church of the Apostolic Era prior to 1054. |
From
the First Vatican Council
(Pope Pius IX, 1870)
"Therefore,
faithfully adhering to the tradition
received from the beginning of the
Christian faith, to the glory of God our
savior, for the exaltation of the
Catholic religion and for the salvation
of the Christian people, with the
approval of the Sacred Council, we teach
and define as a divinely revealed dogma
that when the Roman Pontiff speaks EX
CATHEDRA, that is, when, in the exercise
of his office as shepherd and teacher of
all Christians, in virtue of his supreme
apostolic authority, he defines a
doctrine concerning faith or morals to
be held by the whole Church, he
possesses, by the divine assistance
promised to him in blessed Peter, that
infallibility which the divine Redeemer
willed his Church to enjoy in defining
doctrine concerning faith or morals.
Therefore, such definitions of the Roman
Pontiff are of themselves, and not by
the consent of the Church, irreformable.
"So
then, should anyone, which God forbid,
have the temerity to reject this
definition of ours: let him be
anathema." |
Keys
of the Kingdom and Rock of the Church
(Gospel according to
St. Matthew) Jesus
to Peter:
"And I also say to you that you are
Peter, and on this rock I will build My
church, and the gates of Hades shall not
prevail against it. "And
I will give you the keys of the kingdom
of heaven, and whatever you bind on
earth will be bound in heaven, and
whatever you loose on earth will be
loosed in heaven."
Matthew 16:18-19 Jesus
to the disciples collectively:
"Assuredly, I say to you, whatever
you bind on earth will be bound in
heaven, and whatever you loose on earth
will be loosed in heaven. Again I
say to you that if two of you agree on
earth concerning anything that they ask,
it will be done for them by My Father in
heaven."
Matthew 18:18-19 See
also Acts 15 for a description of
the first council of apostles and elders
(and the role of James) in deciding a
question of faith. At Acts 15:7
Peter says what it was that God had chosen
him from among the other apostles to do. |
Article
I, The Declaration of Utrecht
(Old Catholic, 1889)
"We
adhere faithfully to the Rule of Faith
laid down by St. Vincent of Lérins
in these terms:
[Such
teaching is truly Catholic as has been
believed in all places, at all times,
and by all the faithful.]
"For
this reason we preserve in professing
the faith of the primitive Church, as
formulated in the ecumenical symbols and
specified precisely by the unanimously
accepted decisions of the Ecumenical
Councils held in the undivided Church of
the first thousand
years. "...
By maintaining and professing faithfully the doctrine of Jesus Christ, by refusing to admit those errors which by the
fault of men have crept into the Catholic Church, by laying aside the abuses in ecclesiastical matters, together with the worldly tendencies of the hierarchy, we believe that we shall be able to combat efficaciously the great evils of our day, which are unbelief and indifference in matters of religion." |
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The Archbishop of Utrecht (Netherlands Church)
consecrated bishops for these "new" Old
Catholic communities when vacancies occurred. This maintained the Apostolic Succession of the Old Catholic Church, the line of
consecrated bishops that runs back through history to Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Under the leadership of the Church of the Netherlands, these Old Catholic communities joined together to form the Utrecht Union of Churches. The Old Catholic Church expanded rapidly in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. Old Catholic communities were also established in Poland, France, and elsewhere throughout the world. In 1990 there were about 500,000 Old Catholics in the United States and about 15 million world-wide.
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| Apostolic
Succession |
| Our
Lord ordained each of the Apostles to
spread the Gospel and administer the
sacraments. The Apostles in turn
consecrated bishops to do the same. The
"Apostolic Succession" is the
historic line of bishops that runs
from Our Lord Jesus Christ to all
validly consecrated bishops today. |
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Old Catholic Pioneers
Soon after Old Catholicism's momentous events at the end of the 19th century, Old Catholic missionaries came to the
United States.
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Most Rev. Joseph Rene Vilatte
(1854 - 1929)
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In the area of Green Bay, Wisconsin,
Joseph Rene Vilatte began working with Catholics of Belgian ancestry.
He did so even before he was ordained a priest. Joseph Rene Vilatte was ordained as deacon and priest on June 6 and 7, 1885 by the
Most Rev. Eduard Herzog, Bishop of the Old Catholic Church of Switzerland. After his ordination, Fr. Vilatte worked
diligently on behalf of his congregations in
Wisconsin, providing
the only Catholic presence in his very rural part of
the state.
In time, he petitioned the Old Catholic Bishop of Utrecht to be
consecrated a bishop so
that he might confirm children and perform other
ministrations for his people. His petition was not granted.
Determined to
meet the spiritual needs of his people, Father Vilatte
sought opportunities in the Eastern
Church.
He was consecrated a bishop on May 28, 1892 under the jurisdiction of the Jacobite Patriarch of Antioch. A number of
western orthodox churches such as the African Orthodox Church and the Orthodox Catholic Church of America honor Bishop
Vilatte as founder by virtue of his ordinations and consecrations. |
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Most Rev. Arnold H. Mathew
(1852 - 1919)
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Many Old Catholic bishops in the United States trace their Apostolic Succession to
Arnold Harris Mathew and the Old
Catholic Church of England. Father Mathew was consecrated bishop on April 28, 1908, by Archbishop
Gul, assisted by
Bishops of Deventer and Berne, in St. Gertrude's Cathedral at Utrecht. Bishop Mathew sent pioneers to the United States
including Bishop James Ingall Wedgwood (of the famous Wedgwood china family), and Prince (Bishop) Rudolph de
Landas Berghes et de Rache.
Most Rev. James I. Wedgwood
(1892 - 1950)
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Most Rev. Prince Rudolph
de Landas Berghes
(1873-1920)
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Born to an
Austrian noble family,
Prince Rudolph de Landas Berghes was ordained a priest in
1912 and on June 29, 1913 he was
consecrated a bishop by Archbishop Mathew. Bishop de Landas arrived in the United States on November 7,
1914. He
hoped to bring the various Old Catholic jurisdictions into one church organization under Archbishop Arnold Mathew of
England. Bishop de Landas contributed greatly to the growth and development of the Old Catholic Church during his active years.
He ordained and consecrated other pioneers including William Francis Brothers and Carmel Henry
Cafora. |
There are certainly other Old Catholic pioneers. The intent here is to give the reader a brief and concise statement. We invite
the reader to use the links and sources provided for further study and deliberation.
With the passing of the original organizers from the ecclesiastical scene, the Old Catholic Church in the United States has
evolved from a centralized administration with structured oversight of ministry to a local and regional model of administration
with self-governing dioceses and provinces. This local model more closely follows the ancient tradition of the early Christian
Churches as a communion of communities each laboring together to proclaim the message of the Gospel.
Today, the two largest of these Old Catholic communities in the United States are the Polish National Catholic Church and
the Liberal Catholic Church.
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The Polish National Catholic Church
The Polish National Catholic Church
(PNCC) is undoubtedly the largest Old Catholic church body in the United States. Until
very recently the PNCC was in communion with the Old Catholic See of Utrecht and a member of the Utrecht Union.
Father
Francis Hodur was elected as the first bishop of the church in 1904. He was consecrated a bishop by the Most Rev. Gerard
Gull, Archbishop of Utrecht, on September 29, 1907 in St. Gertrude's Cathedral, Utrecht, Holland.
The PNCC grew by leaps
and bounds under Bishop Hodur, who died in 1953. The present Prime Bishop is the
Most Rev. Robert M. Nemkovich. According to the PNCC web site there are 156 parishes and 136 ordained clergy having charges today.
Membership in the U.S. is 265,870 and 7600 in Canada.
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The Liberal Catholic
Church and the Liberal Catholic Church
International
Another large and well-organized
Old Catholic church group is the Liberal Catholic Church
(LCC).
The Liberal Catholic Church came
into existence as a result of the reorganization of
the Old Catholic Church in England. The LCC was
brought to the United States in 1917 by the Most Rev.
James Ingall Wedgwood. Bishop Wedgwood was of
the famous Wedgwood china family and one of the Old
Catholic pioneers to the United States. He became the
successful missionary bishop of the LCC.
Today the LCC and a later
offshoot, the Liberal
Catholic Church International, list parishes and
missions in some 39 countries, including the U.S.
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Old Catholic monastic life
in the United States
One of the fruits of the Old Catholic movement in the United States has been the growth of monastic communities.
One such community is the White Robed Monks of Saint Benedict. |
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The White Robed Monks of Saint Benedict are an ecumenical Catholic monastic order of the
Benedictine Rule. Based in San Francisco, CA, they have worship centers around California. Rather than retiring from the
world, the White Robed Monks make the world their monastery. They work at jobs like ordinary people and some even raise
families, yet they always strive to help make "the world be a more compassionate place." In the tradition of Thomas Merton,
the Roman Catholic Trappist monk and spiritual writer, the White Robed Monks employ the Zen meditation technique of
sitting "zazen".
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More monastic orders, lay and religious, are
being formed throughout North America. One
of the latest is the New
Order of St. Francis (NOSF), which is being
formed by Christ Catholic Church
International. The NOSF has certain guidelines for the way of
life that is to be practiced by those who have been inducted as Brothers and Sisters in the service of Christ and his Church.
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100 years of Old Catholicism in the
United States
Old Catholicism has been in the United States for only about 100 years. However, its roots stretch back to the earthly
ministry of Jesus. Its fruit is to be found in the faith and works of those who join in its sacramental and social ministries, here in
the United States and around the world.
With its sister Catholic churches (Roman, Anglican/Episcopalian, Orthodox, and Oriental),
the Old Catholic Church is part of the universal Church which labors for the salvation of all
mankind.
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You have just finished reading
Chapter 3,
"The Old Catholic Movement in Modern Times".
This brings you to the end of our history of Old
Catholicism.
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The Declaration of Utrecht (1889)
The statement of principles of the Old Catholic
Church in the modern era
Union
of Utrecht of the Old Catholic Churches
The
Ecumenical Councils of the united Church
Documents
of the early Christian Church
Commonitory
on the Catholic Faith
by Saint Vincent of Lérins
Old Catholics seek identity at the margins
National Catholic Reporter article, 4/23/99
Some
other Old Catholic
Churches
American Apostolic Catholic Church
Minnesota, Michigan, and Georgia
Old
Catholic Parish of St. Peter & St. Paul
Rotterdam, Netherlands (in English)
Old Catholic Church of Germany
(in English)
Old Catholic Church of the Netherlands
(in Dutch: translate)
Christ
Catholic Church International
Headquarters: Denver, Colorado
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