As one might expect from the label “free,” the communities of the Free Catholic Church do not come under the authority of the Pope or the Roman Catholic Church nor any eartly government.
However, Free Catholic communities are truly Catholic, which comes from a Greek word, katholikos. This word means ‘universal’ and describes any community that takes part in the universal church under Jesus Christ.
In faithfulness to the idea of Catholic Christianity, the Free Catholic Church seeks to be an all-inclusive community of communties. Because our faith is universal, our fellowship and relationships must be as well.
The term Catholic also often suggests a particular approach to Christianity:
sacramental, ecclesial, served by bishops, and concerned with reason and tradition in addition to Scripture.
There are several precedents for this kind of autonomous Catholicism, not least of which being Eastern Orthodoxy.
The Orthodox claim to be (part of) the “one holy catholic and apostolic church” by confessing the Nicene Creed, and they are self-governed, looking to several significant Patriarchs (especially the Patriarch of Constantinople) for guidance.
The Anglican Church, which formally began as the Church of England under Henry VIII, is also part of the Catholic tradition and has a long history of independence from any one governing authority.
Many churches in the Free Catholic movement trace their history to the Utrecht Union of Roman Catholic Bishops in the Netherlands. This community continued following the ancient traditions of the Church when Rome, in the 18th century, demanded authority over the election of bishops, which previous Popes had allowed the communities to choose themselves. The disagreement became final during the years leading up to Vatican I in the 19th century, and many free churches were formed by the Old Catholics of Utrecht or obtained episcopal consecrations from that church.
Christian unity is an important concern to Free Catholic communities and Eucharistic fellowship with Roman Catholics is something those communities hope for.
The Free Catholic Church welcomes all baptized Christians, regardless of denomination or tradition, to receive the Holy Eucharist in all its parishes.
However, Free Catholic communities are truly Catholic, which comes from a Greek word, katholikos. This word means ‘universal’ and describes any community that takes part in the universal church under Jesus Christ.
In faithfulness to the idea of Catholic Christianity, the Free Catholic Church seeks to be an all-inclusive community of communties. Because our faith is universal, our fellowship and relationships must be as well.
The term Catholic also often suggests a particular approach to Christianity:
sacramental, ecclesial, served by bishops, and concerned with reason and tradition in addition to Scripture.
There are several precedents for this kind of autonomous Catholicism, not least of which being Eastern Orthodoxy.
The Orthodox claim to be (part of) the “one holy catholic and apostolic church” by confessing the Nicene Creed, and they are self-governed, looking to several significant Patriarchs (especially the Patriarch of Constantinople) for guidance.
The Anglican Church, which formally began as the Church of England under Henry VIII, is also part of the Catholic tradition and has a long history of independence from any one governing authority.
Many churches in the Free Catholic movement trace their history to the Utrecht Union of Roman Catholic Bishops in the Netherlands. This community continued following the ancient traditions of the Church when Rome, in the 18th century, demanded authority over the election of bishops, which previous Popes had allowed the communities to choose themselves. The disagreement became final during the years leading up to Vatican I in the 19th century, and many free churches were formed by the Old Catholics of Utrecht or obtained episcopal consecrations from that church.
Christian unity is an important concern to Free Catholic communities and Eucharistic fellowship with Roman Catholics is something those communities hope for.
The Free Catholic Church welcomes all baptized Christians, regardless of denomination or tradition, to receive the Holy Eucharist in all its parishes.
THE UNITED FREE CATHOLIC CHURCH