God's Peace be with You!

Old Catholics are a Community committed to the teachings of Jesus. We accept the testimony of His apostles as eyewitnesses to His life. The Apostles passed on to succeeding generations their own testimony about Jesus. Through proclaiming His teachings and giving of their testimony through what is known as the Apostolic Tradition the Apostles built up the Church.  Old Catholics are a historical part of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church with origins in the Netherlands and Low Countries. We are called Old Catholic because we hold to the tenets of the  early Church and the first 4 truly Ecumenical Councils.  Old Catholic orders and sacramental services are recognized as "valid" by Roman, Orthodox and Anglican Authorities.

How Do We Differ?

In matters of administration, procedure and discipline, Old Catholics differ from the Roman Catholic Church. For example, clerical celibacy is optional.  The local Bishop determines the liturgical expression. Due to the smaller size of Old Catholic Communities we follow an Ignatian Model of Church. The local bishop has discretion in ordaining persons regardless of sex or orientation.  We do not hold to Papal infallibility but we extend respect to the Roman Catholic Holy Father.  On the matter of divorce, Old Catholics may remarry within the Church.  Contraception is a matter of personal conscience.  Old Catholic Communities are usually inclusive by nature, regarding gender, sexual orientation, polity, ethnicity or disability as non-issues.  Old Catholic theology recognizes that the Church's teach magisterium has two objectives:  the formation of conscience and the nurturing of a formed conscience to full maturity.

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