Old Catholic Church in Europe
Encyclopedia
The Old Catholic Church in Europe or OCCE is a traditionalist Church in the Old Roman Catholic
tradition, based in the United Kingdom
. The denomination is also known as the "Old Roman Catholic Church in Europe".
The OCCE is a Eucharistic community in that it has at its core the sacrament of the Eucharist
. Due to the dispersed state of the clergy and laity that the church comprises throughout the United Kingdom, the church sees itself as "a family of believers" and "a fellowship of persons living in charity and the love of Christ". Bishop-Metropolitan, Dennis Beevers OSJV assumed leadership of this profession of faith in March 2008.
The OCCE sees itself as a Catholic church of the Western tradition and follows the Latin rite. The OCCE is also a recognised church enjoying fellowship with other ecclesial bodies internationally through inter-communion agreements and international ecumenical bodies (e.g. the World Council of Churches
through the International Council of Community Churches
) and is related through Apostolic Succession
to the Catholic churches of the East and West (Eastern Orthodox
and Roman Catholic).
The Apostolic Succession
of this Church is both Old Catholic via Arnold Harris Mathew and Independent Catholic via Carlos Duarte Costa and therefore historically traces its lineage back to Roman Catholic Bishops. Roman Catholic commentators and the 1983 Code of Canon Law
have written that sacraments administered by Old Catholics are sacramentally valid and a Roman Catholic may fulfill his Holy Day of Obligation
by attending Mass celebrated by an Old Catholic priest if unable to attend a Roman Catholic Mass. However, these statements have never named or specified any particular Old Catholic denomination.
USA and the Old Catholic Church of Slovakia) in 2004 regarding the new teachings and practice of the Union. Neither has an English language organisation in Europe.
The Old Catholic Church in Europe founded in the year 2000 formed from the “Old Catholic Church of the United States” http://www.catholic-canc.us/ or 'OCCUS'. The OCCE provides an organisation for orthodox Old Catholics to relate to and be cared for on the Western side of the European Continent.
The OCCE does not regard itself as the sole expression of traditional Old Catholicism in Western Europe but is already regarded by some as a representative body through its membership of various ecumenical and interdenominational bodies and relationships with orthodox Old/Independent Catholic Churches internationally. The OCCE has welcomed collaboration from other similar jurisdictions locally to share in this important work and discussions are ongoing.
The Old Catholic Church in Europe has been approached by traditional Anglicans
both within and without the Anglican Communion
seeking cordial relations. The OCCE sees no immediate objections to the formulation of relations with orthodox Anglo-Catholics
in this way.
There is great concern generally by Western and Eastern Catholics for reunion with the Holy See. Remaining true to the stance of the Declaration of Utrecht, the OCCE feels that any such reunion would require discussion and agreement on the understanding and practice of the Petrine Ministry necessarily different from that promulgated as doctrine by the Roman Church during the First Vatican Council
. The OCCE prays for the day when such discussion and agreement can be made that Christ's Church may be united once more on earth.
, English Missal or Mass of Paul VI
may be accommodated without problem.
Resources:The lack of funding available to Old Catholic Churches in the United Kingdom means that the OCCE has no Church buildings and this is true of many denominations. A lack of resources is considered a problem by Old Catholic clergy when larger groups wish to gather although it does lead to positive partnership working arrangements with other Christian groups and community organizations. The positive feature of such innovative partnerships is that resources are not wasted and clergy assert that sharing resources creates a linkage of people with ministry.
Religious services:Services are often held in a private house reflecting the house Church of ancient Rome. Sometimes services are held in a spare room or a garage converted into a small private chapel for the celebration of the sacred mysteries. Such spaces are often beautiful and reflect a wish to give back to God some of his creation.
Geography:The bishops and priests sometimes travel considerable distances to bring worship to small groups. Whilst time consuming and personally exhausting for individual clergy, this ministry demonstrates a real need for a responsive chaplaincy Chaplain
and reflects needs that are not being met by mainstream denominations.
Missions:Despite a lack of state funding and prejudice from the more established denominations, the missions of the OCCE continue to grow slowly over time and. The missions of the OCCE have brought the Gospel to people from very different backgrounds in Sussex http://www.freewebs.com/occesussex, The North, The South, The Midlands and East Anglia. The church grows and flourishes. The web site of the OCCE reports the inclusion of a new ministry in Belgium from December 2007.
Ministry:Priests and bishops within OCCE express their commitment to a real ministry and a ministry working with real people. Clergy have collectively asserted that they will not have relations with those who believe that an Internet ministry is adequate or appropriate as a means of knowing the Risen Christ.
Intercommunion: There is an intercommunion agreement in place between the Catholic Apostolic National Churches in the USA, Columbia, Philippines, Argentina and Zambia. Since August 2008, the OCCE through the umbrella body of the International College of CANC Bishops has been in dialogoue with the Holy See through the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity and inter-communion negotiations with the Old Catholic Church of America
.
The OCCE warmly invites approaches from any others in pursuit of granting Our Lord's prayer for His Church Ut Unum Sint
"that they may be one".
Old Catholic Church
The term Old Catholic Church is commonly used to describe a number of Ultrajectine Christian churches that originated with groups that split from the Roman Catholic Church over certain doctrines, most importantly that of Papal Infallibility...
tradition, based in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The denomination is also known as the "Old Roman Catholic Church in Europe".
The OCCE is a Eucharistic community in that it has at its core the sacrament of the Eucharist
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
. Due to the dispersed state of the clergy and laity that the church comprises throughout the United Kingdom, the church sees itself as "a family of believers" and "a fellowship of persons living in charity and the love of Christ". Bishop-Metropolitan, Dennis Beevers OSJV assumed leadership of this profession of faith in March 2008.
The OCCE sees itself as a Catholic church of the Western tradition and follows the Latin rite. The OCCE is also a recognised church enjoying fellowship with other ecclesial bodies internationally through inter-communion agreements and international ecumenical bodies (e.g. the World Council of Churches
World Council of Churches
The World Council of Churches is a worldwide fellowship of 349 global, regional and sub-regional, national and local churches seeking unity, a common witness and Christian service. It is a Christian ecumenical organization that is based in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland...
through the International Council of Community Churches
International Council of Community Churches
The International Council of Community Churches is a Christian religious association of ecumenically co-operating and Independent Catholics based in Frankfort, Illinois, in the United States. It is the main organization of the Community Church movement...
) and is related through Apostolic Succession
Apostolic Succession
Apostolic succession is a doctrine, held by some Christian denominations, which asserts that the chosen successors of the Twelve Apostles, from the first century to the present day, have inherited the spiritual, ecclesiastical and sacramental authority, power, and responsibility that were...
to the Catholic churches of the East and West (Eastern Orthodox
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
and Roman Catholic).
The Apostolic Succession
Apostolic Succession
Apostolic succession is a doctrine, held by some Christian denominations, which asserts that the chosen successors of the Twelve Apostles, from the first century to the present day, have inherited the spiritual, ecclesiastical and sacramental authority, power, and responsibility that were...
of this Church is both Old Catholic via Arnold Harris Mathew and Independent Catholic via Carlos Duarte Costa and therefore historically traces its lineage back to Roman Catholic Bishops. Roman Catholic commentators and the 1983 Code of Canon Law
Canon law
Canon law is the body of laws & regulations made or adopted by ecclesiastical authority, for the government of the Christian organization and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law governing the Catholic Church , the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, and the Anglican Communion of...
have written that sacraments administered by Old Catholics are sacramentally valid and a Roman Catholic may fulfill his Holy Day of Obligation
Holy Day of Obligation
In the Catholic Church, Holy Days of Obligation or Holidays of Obligation, less commonly called Feasts of Precept, are the days on which, as of the Code of Canon Law states,-Eastern Catholic Churches:...
by attending Mass celebrated by an Old Catholic priest if unable to attend a Roman Catholic Mass. However, these statements have never named or specified any particular Old Catholic denomination.
Mission
The Bishop-Metropolitan The Rt. Rev'd Dennis Beevers conceptualises the mission of the Church as being:- To provide for Old/Independent Catholics unable in conscience to accept the new practices and faith of the Utrecht UnionUtrecht UnionThe Union of Utrecht is a federation of Old Catholic Churches, not in communion with Rome, that seceded from the Roman Catholic Church over the issue of Papal infallibility. The Declaration of Utrecht solidified this movement in 1889...
in Europe. - To provide a point of reference for those individuals and Churches wishing to know more about or communicate with orthodox Old Catholics.
Relations with other churches
Two orthodox Old Catholic Churches retired from the Utrecht Union (Polish National Catholic ChurchPolish National Catholic Church
The Polish National Catholic Church is a Christian church founded and based in the United States by Polish-Americans who were Roman Catholic. The PNCC is a breakaway Catholic Church in dialogue with the Catholic Church; it seeks full communion with the Holy See although it differs theologically...
USA and the Old Catholic Church of Slovakia) in 2004 regarding the new teachings and practice of the Union. Neither has an English language organisation in Europe.
The Old Catholic Church in Europe founded in the year 2000 formed from the “Old Catholic Church of the United States” http://www.catholic-canc.us/ or 'OCCUS'. The OCCE provides an organisation for orthodox Old Catholics to relate to and be cared for on the Western side of the European Continent.
The OCCE does not regard itself as the sole expression of traditional Old Catholicism in Western Europe but is already regarded by some as a representative body through its membership of various ecumenical and interdenominational bodies and relationships with orthodox Old/Independent Catholic Churches internationally. The OCCE has welcomed collaboration from other similar jurisdictions locally to share in this important work and discussions are ongoing.
The Old Catholic Church in Europe has been approached by traditional Anglicans
Traditional Anglican Communion
The Traditional Anglican Communion is an international communion of churches in the continuing Anglican movement independent of the Anglican Communion and the Archbishop of Canterbury. The TAC upholds the theological doctrines of the Affirmation of St. Louis and an Anglo-Catholic interpretation of...
both within and without the Anglican Communion
Anglican Communion
The Anglican Communion is an international association of national and regional Anglican churches in full communion with the Church of England and specifically with its principal primate, the Archbishop of Canterbury...
seeking cordial relations. The OCCE sees no immediate objections to the formulation of relations with orthodox Anglo-Catholics
Anglo-Catholicism
The terms Anglo-Catholic and Anglo-Catholicism describe people, beliefs and practices within Anglicanism that affirm the Catholic, rather than Protestant, heritage and identity of the Anglican churches....
in this way.
There is great concern generally by Western and Eastern Catholics for reunion with the Holy See. Remaining true to the stance of the Declaration of Utrecht, the OCCE feels that any such reunion would require discussion and agreement on the understanding and practice of the Petrine Ministry necessarily different from that promulgated as doctrine by the Roman Church during the First Vatican Council
First Vatican Council
The First Vatican Council was convoked by Pope Pius IX on 29 June 1868, after a period of planning and preparation that began on 6 December 1864. This twentieth ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church, held three centuries after the Council of Trent, opened on 8 December 1869 and adjourned...
. The OCCE prays for the day when such discussion and agreement can be made that Christ's Church may be united once more on earth.
Current state
There is a falling number of adherents to the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Churches. This decline in numbers may indicate that there is a disaffection with what was once considered mainstream religion. Members of OCCE clergy believe that there is a role for ‘niche chaplaincy’ which meets the needs of smaller groups of people who are neglected in their Church of origin. Those who wish for the Latin Mass, the Tridentine MassTridentine Mass
The Tridentine Mass is the form of the Roman Rite Mass contained in the typical editions of the Roman Missal that were published from 1570 to 1962. It was the most widely celebrated Mass liturgy in the world until the introduction of the Mass of Paul VI in December 1969...
, English Missal or Mass of Paul VI
Mass of Paul VI
The Mass of Pope Paul VI is the liturgy of the Catholic Mass of the Roman Rite promulgated by Paul VI in 1969, after the Second Vatican Council...
may be accommodated without problem.
Resources:The lack of funding available to Old Catholic Churches in the United Kingdom means that the OCCE has no Church buildings and this is true of many denominations. A lack of resources is considered a problem by Old Catholic clergy when larger groups wish to gather although it does lead to positive partnership working arrangements with other Christian groups and community organizations. The positive feature of such innovative partnerships is that resources are not wasted and clergy assert that sharing resources creates a linkage of people with ministry.
Religious services:Services are often held in a private house reflecting the house Church of ancient Rome. Sometimes services are held in a spare room or a garage converted into a small private chapel for the celebration of the sacred mysteries. Such spaces are often beautiful and reflect a wish to give back to God some of his creation.
Geography:The bishops and priests sometimes travel considerable distances to bring worship to small groups. Whilst time consuming and personally exhausting for individual clergy, this ministry demonstrates a real need for a responsive chaplaincy Chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
and reflects needs that are not being met by mainstream denominations.
Missions:Despite a lack of state funding and prejudice from the more established denominations, the missions of the OCCE continue to grow slowly over time and. The missions of the OCCE have brought the Gospel to people from very different backgrounds in Sussex http://www.freewebs.com/occesussex, The North, The South, The Midlands and East Anglia. The church grows and flourishes. The web site of the OCCE reports the inclusion of a new ministry in Belgium from December 2007.
Ministry:Priests and bishops within OCCE express their commitment to a real ministry and a ministry working with real people. Clergy have collectively asserted that they will not have relations with those who believe that an Internet ministry is adequate or appropriate as a means of knowing the Risen Christ.
Intercommunion: There is an intercommunion agreement in place between the Catholic Apostolic National Churches in the USA, Columbia, Philippines, Argentina and Zambia. Since August 2008, the OCCE through the umbrella body of the International College of CANC Bishops has been in dialogoue with the Holy See through the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity and inter-communion negotiations with the Old Catholic Church of America
Old Catholic Church of America
The Old Catholic Church of America is an autocephalous Old Catholic Church, founded in the United States of America in 1925 by Bishop Paul Francis Cope...
.
The OCCE warmly invites approaches from any others in pursuit of granting Our Lord's prayer for His Church Ut Unum Sint
Ut Unum Sint
Ut Unum Sint is the incipit of an encyclical by Pope John Paul II of May 25, 1995. Encyclicals are referred to by their "incipit" or first few words...
"that they may be one".