Union of Utrecht (Old Catholic) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Union of Utrecht of the Old Catholic Churches |
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| Utrecher Union der Altkatholischen Kirchen | |
St. Gertrude's Cathedral is the mother church of the Union, located in Utrecht, Netherlands.
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| Abbreviation | UU |
| Classification | Old Catholic |
| Governance | Episcopal |
| Metropolitan of Utrecht | Bernd Wallet |
| Associations | World Council of Churches |
| Full Communion | Anglican Communion Church of Sweden Philippine Independent Church Mar Thoma Syrian Church |
| Region | Europe |
| Headquarters | Utrecht, Netherlands |
| Origin | 1889 Utrecht, Netherlands |
| Separated from | Roman Catholic Church |
| Separations | Union of Scranton Old Roman Catholic Churches |
| Members | c. 63.000 |
The Union of Utrecht of the Old Catholic Churches is a group of Christian churches. They are often called the Union of Utrecht for short. These churches are "Old Catholic" because they separated from the Roman Catholic Church in 1870. This happened because they disagreed with some new beliefs, like the idea of papal infallibility.
The Union of Utrecht was officially formed in 1889 with the Declaration of Utrecht. Many churches in the Union are also part of the World Council of Churches. The Union of Utrecht is in a special partnership called "full communion" with several other churches. This means they share beliefs and can worship together. These churches include the Anglican Communion and the Church of Sweden.
As of 2016, the Union of Utrecht has six main member churches. These are located in the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic, and Poland.
Contents
History of the Union
How the Union Started
The first Old Catholic Church, the Old Catholic Church of the Netherlands, began in the 1700s. This was due to disagreements between local church leaders and the main Roman Catholic Church. Other churches, like those in Germany and Switzerland, joined later. They separated after the First Vatican Council in 1870. This council made the belief in papal infallibility an official rule. Papal infallibility means the Pope cannot be wrong when speaking on matters of faith and morals.
Changes and New Churches
Over time, the Union of Utrecht grew and changed. Some Old Catholic churches were formed in places like the former Yugoslavia. However, these churches later stopped being part of the Union.
The Polish National Catholic Church in the United States was once a member of the Union. But they had different views on some church practices. For example, they did not agree with the idea of allowing women to become priests. Because of these differences, the Polish National Catholic Church left the Union of Utrecht in 2003. They later formed their own group called the Union of Scranton.
Another church, the Old Catholic Church of Slovakia, was a member for a few years. But they were removed from the Union in 2004.
How the Union is Organized
Each church in the Union of Utrecht can make many of its own decisions. This is similar to how the Anglican Communion works. Each church has its own bishop. If a country has more than one church, one bishop is chosen to lead them.
The main leader of the entire Union is the Archbishop of Utrecht. This leader is seen as the "first among equals." From 2000 to 2020, Joris Vercammen was the Archbishop. In 2020, Bernd Wallet became the new Archbishop.
What Old Catholics Believe
Old Catholic churches do not believe the Pope has power over all churches. They also reject the Roman Catholic belief of papal infallibility. They also do not agree with the Roman Catholic belief about the Assumption of Mary.
Old Catholics believe that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist (Holy Communion). However, they do not insist on one specific way to explain this presence. They also do not use certain phrases in the Nicene Creed that are common in Roman Catholic churches. While they do not have a strict belief in Purgatory, they do believe in a purification after death. They also pray for those who have died.
Old Catholic churches keep many traditional Christian practices. These include baptism by pouring water and using unleavened bread for the Eucharist. They also share some practices with Orthodox, Lutheran, and Anglican churches. For example, priests in Old Catholic churches do not have to be celibate (unmarried). The churches in the Union of Utrecht follow the Christian teachings that existed before the Great Schism of 1054.
See also
In Spanish: Unión de Utrecht (Iglesias) para niños
- Willibrord Society
