Through the years there have been those who have questioned the canonical authenticity and origin of the Old Roman Catholic Church. This question was settled years ago by the Holy See in Papal dispensations and fully reinforced by Canon Law. The only problem has been those individuals in today’s society who refuse to accept the truth as it exists.
It is shown from Vatican records that in 1145, Pope Eugene III granted the cathedral chapter in Utrecht the right to elect successors to the See without requesting permission to do so from Rome, after such had been requested by the Holy Roman Emperor Conrad III and Bishop Heribert of Utrecht. The Fourth Lateran Council confirmed this again in 1215. This special autonomy became known as the Leonine privilege. Later Pope Leo X issued the papal bull Debitum Pastoralis in 1520 giving extraordinary powers to Philip of Burgundy, 57th Bishop of Utrecht, essentially removing the ability of any external authority to "in the first instance, have his cause evoked to any external tribunal, not even under pretense of any apostolic letters whatever; and that all such proceedings should be, ipso facto, null and void".
These two special dispensations by succeeding popes placed the Archdiocese in a most enviable position. Utrecht was no longer required to ask permission from Rome to consecrate their own bishops and no outside entity, including Rome herself, could initiate proceedings against the Archdiocese. The Archdiocese of Utrecht had, by Papal edict, become a self-sufficient catholic body yet faithfully continuing on in full communion with and obedient to the Holy See.
By being the unique autonomous church in Holland there were those within the Catholic Church unquestionably who wished her harm? It was the intrusion of the Jesuits bringing false charges against Archbishop Peter Codde and the subsequent non canonical trial that followed causing the Archdiocese of Utrecht to break communion with Rome. Archbishop Peter Codde was tried in absentia; these charges were never revealed, nor was he permitted to offer any defense to said charges as required by cannon law. The History of the So-Called Jansenist Church of Holland says of the event "...the head of a great national Church suspended by the mere will of the Pope, his accusers never named, their charges never communicated, his faults not even specified in the instrument of his disgrace. It was a stet pro ratione voluntas which appears to have staggered the most thorough-paced advocates of Papal supremacy."
Due to the actions of Pope Clement XI formal communion with Rome was severed in 1711 yet the Archdiocese of Utrecht continued faithfully on, undisturbed and unchallenged, for two hundred and sixty years as the Catholic church of Holland until 1853 when Pope Pius IX established a parallel archdiocese in direct contradiction to Roman Canon Law. This unwarranted action caused much public distress among the Catholic faithful. The Archbishop of Utrecht and the Bishop of Haarlem, as the lawful canonical occupants of those sees, issued a formal protest against the new Hierarchy. They pointed out to Rome, with little avail that it was contrary to the rights of the Churches of Utrecht and Haarlem to set up rival Bishops for sees that were already occupied.
But the die was cast and the great Catholic conundrum had been created.
Now we have two canonically valid Roman Catholic Archdioceses in direct parallel to each other. What the Church of Rome chose to do was to ignore the Archdiocese of Utrecht as if it simply did not exist. The attitude appeared to be, perhaps if we can do this shunning over several hundred years they will simply fade away. Much to Rome’s displeasure the faithful heirs of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Utrecht continue to survive.
Today we hear distractors from the Church of Rome and other sources saying; they are not a Catholic church, their priests may be apostolically ordained but their ordination is illicit, they are not in communion with Rome so they are not a recognized Catholic Church.
But the die was cast and the great Catholic conundrum had been created.
Now we have two canonically valid Roman Catholic Archdioceses in direct parallel to each other. What the Church of Rome chose to do was to ignore the Archdiocese of Utrecht as if it simply did not exist. The attitude appeared to be, perhaps if we can do this shunning over several hundred years they will simply fade away. Much to Rome’s displeasure the faithful heirs of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Utrecht continue to survive.
Today we hear distractors from the Church of Rome and other sources saying; they are not a Catholic church, their priests may be apostolically ordained but their ordination is illicit, they are not in communion with Rome so they are not a recognized Catholic Church.
Let us address each of these misconceptions:
- They are not a Catholic Church:
The Old Roman Catholic Church is a direct linear descendant of the historic Archdiocese of Utrecht. In doing so it has faithfully maintained its Roman Catholic roots being by Rome’s own canon law apostolically and liturgically intact. For two hundred and sixty years there had never a question concerning the Catholic heritage of the Archdiocese of Utrecht nor has there been a recorded challenge since the unprecedented action of 1853. Unfortunately within the Old Roman Catholic Church over years there have been those who have fallen by the wayside in reference to the priesthood such as the ordination of women and accepting individuals with a questionable backgrounds who would not qualify for acceptance into the seminary. Additionally there have been others who have sought elevation to the episcopacy only to drop to the wayside by creating non-canonical entities that are not in communion with other accepted Old Roman Catholic Jurisdictions. The Holy See, throughout the years, has also been plagued with such non canonical groups splitting from the mother church.
- Their priests may be apostolically ordained but their ordinations are illicit:
Within the Roman Catholic Church one must have approval of Rome for the consecration of bishops. The Papal dispensation of 1145 that was granted by Pope Eugene III to the Archdiocese of Utrecht removed forever the requirement of Rome having to approve all Archdiocesan successors. Therefore any ordination or consecration within the Old Roman Catholic Church is by Rome’s own Papal dispensation and by canon law completely correct in their creation.
- They are not in communion with Rome so they are not a recognized Church:
We believe and continue to maintain, as we have always done since 1691, that these irregular proceedings against the Church of Utrecht, based, as they were, upon charges which were proved at the time to have been groundless, were therefore null and void and in direct contravention of the privileged rights of the See of Utrecht for immunity from prosecution outside her territory.
Add to all of this the uncanonical actions of Pope Pius IX in 1853, again contravening the ancient historic canons, as well as the privilege granted the See of Utrecht in 1145 regarding the election and appointment of her own Bishops and despite the majority opinion of the vast number of Catholic canon lawyers and academics being in favor of the Church of Utrecht, the actions of the See of Rome can be viewed in no other light than to declare them patently unjust, uncanonical and utterly null and void. Thus it is that we have faithfully remained, and are still in actual technical canonical fact, and not according to any fanciful or far-fetched theory, part and parcel of the Roman Catholic Church, despite her refusal to acknowledge or honor our historic and canonically proven position as true Roman Catholics.
Additionally since the great schism of 1154 there have been churches within the Christian world that have remained apostolically correct in their linage and sacraments. Following the upheaval of Vatican II a number of dissenting jurisdictions were created breaking communion from Rome. A prime example is The Priestly Society of St Pius X formed immediately after Vatican II They certainly are from the very fabric and heart of the Catholic Church, yet continue not in communion with her. The Old Roman Catholic Church is considered by Rome as a “particular church” since we faithfully retain the historic unbroken Apostolic Succession. As a result of this on August 6, 2000, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, while serving a prefect of the, Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, issued the document Dominus Jesus which states in part:
“…[chapter] IV. Unicity and Unity of the Church…[paragraph number] 17. Therefore, there exists a single Church of Christ, which subsists in the Catholic Church, governed by the successor of Peter and by the Bishops in communion with him. The Churches which, while not existing in perfect communion with the [Roman] Catholic Church, remain united to her by means of the closest bonds, that is, by apostolic succession and a valid Eucharist, are true particular Churches. Therefore, the Church of Christ is present and operative also in these Churches, even though they lack full communion with the [Roman] Catholic Church, since they do not accept the [Roman] Catholic doctrine of the Primacy [of the Pope].”
This far reaching document was published during the reign of Blessed John Paul II and most certainly with his expressed blessing.
So to answer the time honored question, The Old Roman Catholic Church is neither Fish nor Fowl.
Therefore it is by Roman Canon law and the Papal dispensation of 1145 undeniably Apostolically and Liturgically fully Roman Catholic.
So to answer the time honored question, The Old Roman Catholic Church is neither Fish nor Fowl.
Therefore it is by Roman Canon law and the Papal dispensation of 1145 undeniably Apostolically and Liturgically fully Roman Catholic.
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