Old Catholic Church in Europe

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.

Mission

The Bishop-Metropolitan The Rt. Rev'd Dennis Beevers conceptualises the mission of the Church as being:

1. To provide for Old/Independent Catholics unable in conscience to accept the new practices and faith of the Utrecht Union in Europe.
2. 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 Church 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” [1] 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.

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 Mass, English Missal or Mass of Paul VI may be accommodated without problem.

Beauty in worship

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 [2], 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".

See also

• Old Catholic Ministry

External links

• Fr. Fleurinck (Belgium)
• Parish of Saint Benedict (Hampshire)
• Parish of Saint Cuthman
• Parish of Saint Maria Goretti
• Catholic Apostolic National Church (USA)
• Catholic Apostolic National Church (Columbia)
• The OCCE home page

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