Introduction and Background
In 2011, the Reverend Professor Gunter Esser, Director of Old Catholic Studies at the University of Bonn, Germany gave a series of theological lectures during the Second National Assembly of The Old Catholic Church. The lectures, collectively titled, “To Life: The Old Catholic Way of the Church,” address the mission, vision, and beliefs of the Old Catholic Church. During the Reformation period, the national church in the Netherlands was experiencing significant difficulties. The Catholic Church of the Netherlands wanted to remain a part of the Roman Church, but Rome was simply unwilling to accept the Church’s history and their unique way of being a Catholic Church. Therefore, the two inevitably broke apart. From its very inception, the Old Catholic Church has been struggling for freedom. Following this break, the Union of Utrecht was founded in 1889 by five bishops who came from various theological backgrounds. Although these bishops were very different from one another, they found unity and common ground in the essentials of their faith. The ecclesiological foundation of the Old Catholic Church, and where these essentials can be found, is the Declaration of Utrecht. Among the essentials agreed upon include the beliefs that the Church is one, holy, catholic and apostolic, and that it is a communion of people —as shown in the New Testament, the Gospels, the Epistles, and the Book of Acts. Additionally, there are three basics of church life: the proclamation of faith, the celebration of liturgy, especially the Eucharist, and concern for the poor and the marginalized. Although the Old Catholic Church in the U.S. does not claim to be the same Church as that of the Netherlands, it retains the Old Catholic tradition of freedom, unity, diversity, and life as established by the Union of Utrecht. Having established the background of the Old Catholic tradition, there is much to be explored regarding the practical theological implications.
Synodal Structure
Perhaps one of the most important reforms brought forth by the Old Catholic traditions is their reformed synodal structure. Not only did the Old Catholic tradition do away with the Roman dogma of papal infallibility, they also rejected the idea of the diocesan bishop acting as the “sole ruler” of a diocese. There are several theological implications to this, the first being that it means the church is always in communion. Practically speaking, this means that the bishop acts not as a “ruler” but serves alongside others in their church. This particular attitude, one of serving alongside rather than from strictly above, could have broader implications for other clergy beyond only bishops, and on the life of individual churches. For example, with regards to missions work and the mission of the church. The Old Catholic way of doing missions work should reject the “white savior” model that some churches perpetuate, where there is an obvious and strict distinction between those who are serving and those who are being served. All clergy participate in the life of the church, and the relationship between bishop and individual churches is a dialectical one. Additionally, the Old Catholic synodal structure allows bishops to empower their churches at the local level, as they lead from within and alongside, rather than from a distance.
Ecumenism and Diversity of Worship
The five bishops who founded the Union of Utrecht in 1889 were unified in their belief in the essentials of the Catholic faith and in the structure of the Church. Yet, these five bishops all brought their own cultures and their diverse understandings of theology, worship, and spirituality. They recognized the need for a firm foundation in the essentials, but recognized the need for freedom and autonomy. Today, there are numerous real-life examples of unnecessary restrictions on worship within the Roman church that do more harm than good. One example is the decision made in 2020 by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops regarding the use of music during the Mass. The conference’s Committee on Doctrine created a list of songs that could no longer be used—many of them used in predominantly black churches. “Let Us Break Bread Together,” a humble communion hymn, was one of the songs banned by the committee. This particular hymn is hymn No. 135 in “Lead Me, Guide Me,” the first hymnal commissioned for use specifically for predominantly black Catholic churches. To many black Catholics, the publishing of this hymnal felt like an important step in moving beyond the Eurocentric model of worship and embraced their rich and life-giving traditions. To quote Servant of God Sr. Thea Bowman, who helped create the hymnal, “African Americans for 400 years have used symbol and song to express a faith and yearning too high, too low, too wide, too deep for words, too passionate to be confined by concepts.” The USCCB’s objection to the song was that it never explicitly mentioned the transubstantiation, at least not in a way that fit into their strict, dogmatic, and Eurocentric understanding of the correct way to sing about the Eucharist. A song with a long and profound history in the black Catholic tradition was, it seemed, too high, too low, too wide, too deep for words, and too passionate for the USCCB to understand.
It is this kind of dogmatism that drives people away from the Church instead of drawing them into it. As it says in The Old Catholic Way, lay Catholics do not understand why the music they’ve used for generations is suddenly forbidden, or why no one apart from cisgender men can be ordained, or why queer people can not be married in the Church. These tenets and others do nothing but “obscure God’s good News of freedom and life.” Of course, the Church needs structure, regulations, and church law, but none of these should obscure the mission of the Church, the foundation of our faith, or the proclamation of the gospel.
In my own Catholic faith journey, I have had many experiences that reflect the points Esser has made in this section. One of my clearest memories of being in a Catholic Church for the first time was the time I was scolded by a parishioner after mass for receiving communion. I had already had a spiritual conversion, I believed that the Eucharist was the true body and blood of Christ, but in my ignorance as a brand new convert, I hadn’t known that this was forbidden. Before I even walked through the doors to the church that day, I was a mess of nerves. I was worried that they would not accept me as a queer person, or judge me for coming as an adult convert from an unchurched background. There was so much I didn’t understand, so much to keep up with. I had come genuinely seeking God, for the first time in my entire life, and I left feeling as though I had gravely sinned for my earnest participation in what I thought God wanted me to do. In the bulletin of that church, there was a “support group” for “those who struggle with same-sex attraction.” I left that day feeling even further away from God than I’d ever felt. Fortunately, I persevered in my faith journey. Even then, I believe I had a vision of what the Church could be, even though I had not yet seen it for myself. It is clear to me now, though, that more had been done to push me away from Christ than draw me in, which is the unfortunate reality for too many churches today.
Life and Freedom
As referenced in earlier sections of this paper, the Old Catholic traditions have found unity in the essentials of the Catholic faith, but also give a lot of freedom and autonomy. Freedom is one of the cornerstones of the Old Catholic tradition. There are multiple, practical ways this theology can come into play in the daily lives of Christians, a notable example being freedom of conscience. As Joseph Hubert Reinkens, the first German Old Catholic bishop, took as his motto: “whatever does not proceed from conviction is sin” (Rom 14:23). In the United States specifically, the Church exists in a particularly contentious political environment where issues of morality and freedom of conscience—abortion, LGBTQ rights, religious freedom—are spoken about (increasingly, it seems) on news channels, in classrooms, at dinner tables, and elsewhere. Therefore, the Church is doing nothing but a disservice when it fails to provide a space for questions and conversations regarding conscience, as it is only human to exercise freedom of conscience. If it is indeed true that God has designed human beings with freedom and free will, then, as the Old Catholic position clearly states, no human being has the right to restrict this design or restrict an individual’s freedom of conscience. If a person has, through contemplative, prayerful, prudent, and conscientious thought, reached a firmly held conviction, this is a human dignity that should not be infringed upon by the Church.
Freedom and the critical role it plays in the Old Catholic tradition sets it apart from the Roman Church in many practical ways. Old Catholic clergy may choose to marry, or remain celibate. Compulsory Sunday mass attendance was replaced with voluntary mass attendance, and auricular confession before receiving the Eucharist is no longer mandatory. In all ways, the Old Catholic tradition shows that it is more than possible for Catholicism to exist, and thrive, without restricting structures. The mission of the Old Catholic Church is one of freedom—freedom of conscience and freedom from physical and psychological bondage. This freedom coincides with “life,” the other cornerstone of the Old Catholic faith, as it says in John 10:10, “I have come that they may have life and have it abundantly.” This is the Good News; this is the Gospel and the Gospel is life. As Esser reminds us, “our God is a living God!” Jesus died so that we may have life and have it abundantly, and our responsibility as Old Catholics is to proclaim this message.
Apostolic Tradition
The Church is one, holy, Catholic and apostolic. As evidenced by our creed, it is essential for the Church to maintain its apostolic faith. The Old Catholic understanding of the Apostolic Tradition is multifaceted. Firstly, it means that apostolic succession, or the succession of the holy orders, is maintained. However, the Old Catholics maintain more than apostolic succession, but also maintain apostolic tradition, which encompasses much more than holy orders. Everything that the Church does, its mission, its proclamation of the gospel, is part of the apostolic succession. While the Apostolic Faith is unchangeable, our interpretation of it changes from generation to generation. As stated, our God is a living God and our faith is a living faith. Therefore, the way that we live out our faith has changed in the 2000 years or so since the Church was founded. This is why having a strong theological foundation is integral to our faith. We cannot rely on dogma, or give simple answers to difficult questions. Clergy must work continually, using their education and the tools they have available, to “translate God’s message into our context of life and faith.”
The Church as Eucharistic Communion
The Eucharist is the center of the Catholic faith, and as mentioned in earlier sections, the Church is a communion of people. But how does the Church act as a Eucharistic communion? Firstly, the Eucharist is a sacrament, but it is also ecclesial. From an ecclesiastical, Catholic perspective, the Eucharist is what brings people together, gathers them into a communion, and unites them with Christ and each other. As it says in 1 Cor 12, “We are all one Body in Christ.” By partaking in the Body of Christ they become the Body of Christ. Our understanding of the liturgical function of the Eucharist is what informs our understanding of ministry. The Eucharist, along with the rest of the liturgy, is not “an isolated act of worship, but is an inclusive event of being the Church together.” In other words, we cannot live out our faith alone. On the local church level, this means that the faithful meet in congregations to worship together, praise God, remember Christ’s teachings, his life, death, and resurrection, and to break bread together. However, there are challenges to living in community, even small ones as Old Catholic communities sometimes are. Communities, after all, are made up of individuals, who have individual needs, questions, opinions, and ways of participating in the life of the church. Yet, despite the challenges, the communion of local churches is made possible by the reconciliation of Christ. Our mission, fulfilled through the local church, is to offer reconciliation. Where people have been harmed, marginalized, or rejected, our churches ought to be there to provide a space of hope, love, and pastoral care. The example that Esser uses, which is as poignant today as it was when he wrote in 2011, is how LGBTQ people have suffered for so long because of the hurt and rejection caused by the Church. Through small Old Catholic communities, we can accomplish a spectacular vision—offering, giving, and working to create reconciliation on Earth.
The Importance of the Holy Spirit
Throughout history, the Catholic Church (Roman Catholic, moser specifically) has had a complex relationship with the Holy Spirit. Esser states that for hundreds of years, the Holy Spirit was an “unknown” and “forgotten” person in the Trinity, pointing out the lack of theological interest among the medieval theologians. In the evangelical and charismatic church traditions, as well as the black church tradition (specifically the black evangelical church tradition) in the U.S., corporate worship is viewed as an authentic encounter with the Holy Spirit. There is a true recognition, one that can be seen, heard, and felt, that the Holy Spirit is present among the communion of believers and that God is living, breathing, and working through them. Just as was the case with the banning of “Let Us Break Bread Together,” many Roman Catholic Churches in the U.S. are loyal to a white, Eurocentric understanding of the role of the Holy Spirit in worship. These churches have imprisoned the Holy Spirit “in a golden cage of structure and law.” Unfortunately, this means that Catholic worship often lacks the spiritual power of the other traditions mentioned. More broadly, the lack of awareness of the Holy Spirit affects the way the ministry of the local church. Esser states that the local church is “constituted by the outpouring and the continuous work of the Holy Spirit.”
In practice, this means that those in the local church, clergy and parishioners alike, recognize that God uses them as tools and servants to help build up the Kingdom on Earth. We should listen to the Spirit, approach all things with great humility, and be willing to do the work. Esser points to the Gospel of John and the Prophet Elijah as inspiration for what he calls a “new spirituality of listening.” In the midst of a fast-paced, chaotic, and consumerist world, we ought to be willing to meet God in silence. If we truly hope to be God’s tools, we must be able to hear God’s voice whispering in the wind.
Conclusion
Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Old Catholic churches create liberating and life-giving communities with Christ at their center. Our hope as Old Catholics is to strengthen and empower churches on the local level to create communities that are both Eucharistic and ecumenical. As Fr. James Mallon wrote, “the priority of any parish, and any priest, ought to be about preparing for and celebrating the Sunday Eucharist to make it the best possible experience for the maximum number of people.” This is why, as Esser concludes, it is so important for the Old Catholic Church to present a Eucharistic (and ecumenical) ecclesiology, as it is truly the correct way of understanding the theology of the local church and how it works in practice.
Bibliography
Cunningham, Vinson. “The Songs That Made Church a Home.” The New Yorker. July 15, 2022, https://www.newyorker.com/culture/dept-of-heirlooms/the-songs-that-made-church-a- home.
Esser, Gunter. Ed. Robert T. Fuentes. “To Life: The Old Catholic Way of the Church.” Lecture series, University of Bonn, Germany, September, 2011.
Mallon, James. Divine Renovation: From a Maintenance to a Missional Parish. New London, CT: Twenty-Third Publications, 2014.
Peterson, William O. “The Spirit in the Black Church.” Bible.org. December 14, 2005. https:// bible.org/seriespage/9-spirit-black-church.
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