Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Deathly Hallows vs. Living Hallows

Symbol of the Deathly Hallows
 (Providence) This week, the Harry Potter series released another installment of their movie. This movie is titled "Deathly Hallows." A major element of the movie included the Tale of the Three Brothers. The three brothers escaped death by the use of their intellects to cross a treacherous river. Death, in an attempt to destroy the brothers, offers them each an object which they believe will ultimately allude death. For two out of the three brothers, death comes as a result of the powers. For the last brother, he gives up his life freely in old age, realizing that death is not the enemy of life, but a stage of life. The inspiration from the tale is based on Geoffrey Chaucer's The Pardoner's Tale.

The three objects from the tale are represented within this symbol of Deathly Hallows. The triangle represents an escape from death, the circle inside the triangle symbolizes the earthly return to life from the dead, and the vertical line represents power.

Symbol of Old Catholicism in Germany
The Old Catholic symbol, an older symbol, appears similar in nature. There is a triangle which represents the Trinity. The God who created the world, sanctifies it, and redeems it. Within the triangle lies the cross, our only hope. Through the cross, Jesus redeemed all people and ensured for the created world, a part in the beatific vision. Through the resurrection, there is not an avoidance of death or a temporary coming back to earthly life like what happened at the raising of Lazarus, but instead, the resurrection is a glorification into eternity with God and neighbor.

For more information about the Old Catholic Church of Germany
For more information about the Tale of the Three Brothers

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Anglicans and Old Catholic hold an International Council

Communiqué
Beuggen (Germany)

The Anglican-Old Catholic International Co-ordinating Council (AOCICC) met in Schloss Beuggen, Germany from 8 to 12 November 2010. The Council welcomed Canon Dr Alyson Barnett-Cowan, Director for Unity Faith and Order at the Anglican Communion Office, as Anglican Co-Secretary.

In its most important piece of work, the Council finalized the text of a common statement on ecclesiology and mission ‘Belonging Together in Europe’. This version of the text will be the major focus of the International Old Catholic and Anglican Theological Conference to be held in Neustadt/W. (Germany) from August 29 to September 2, 2011.

The members received reports of developments in the Anglican Communion and in the Old Catholic churches of the Union of Utrecht, and reviewed present ecumenical dialogues in which our churches are engaged. A paper by Bishop Pierre Whalon of the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe, entitled “Should The Episcopal Church Create a Missionary Diocese in Europe?” sparked discussion by members of the Council of their churches’ mission perspectives.

The Council participated in daily prayer with the community in Schloss Beuggen and celebrated the Eucharist together. Bible study was led each morning by members of the Council. The Council attended Vespers presided at by Fr Peter Grüter at St Martin’s Old Catholic church in Rheinfelden, Switzerland, and enjoyed a dinner hosted by Bishop Harald Rein and the church council of the Old Catholic Church of Switzerland.

The next meeting of the Council will take place November 4-8, 2011 in York, England, and will include the annual celebration of the Feast of St Willibrord with the Society of St Willibrord.

For further information, please contact the Revd Professor Dr Angela Berlis, tel +41 (0)31 631 4193, email aocicc@alt-katholisch.de, or Canon Dr Alyson Barnett-Cowan at the Anglican Communion Office, tel +44 (0)20 7313 3930, email alyson.barnett-cowan@anglicancommunion.org. Websites: www.utrechterunion.org and http://www.anglicancommunion.org

Present at this meeting were:
Anglicans: The Rt Revd Jonathan Gledhill, Co-chair, Canon Dr Alyson Barnett-Cowan, Co-secretary, The Rt Revd David Hamid, Mrs Maryon Jägers, The Revd Carola von Wrangel, Consultant, Mr Neil Vigers, Anglican Communion Office

Old Catholics: The Rt Revd Joachim Vobbe, Co-chair, The Revd Professor Dr Angela Berlis, Co-secretary, The Revd Henriette Crüwell, The Revd Professor Dr David R Holeton, The Rt Revd Dr Dick Schoon, The Revd Lars Simpson, Administrative Support and Interpreter

Bishop David Hamid's Blog

Monday, November 22, 2010

Synod: Strong Foundations in the Netherlands

(Amersfoort) "We stand together." This is how the Old Catholic Archbishop Joris Vercammen is feeling after the synod which was held last Saturday. 'Growth' and financial resources were the key of the church meeting.

This keyword, growth has been playing an important role for some time in the Old Catholic Church in the Netherlands (OKKN). The small denomination is struggling with a poor financial situation and is asking for action. The past year was the starting point of a new policy and produced results. "We've learned the last few years," says Vercammen, "that growth is associated with an inner conviction and that growth does not come by itself, it must be worked at."

The financial situation of the church is becoming increasingly better and in more than half the parishes during these recent years, having seen its membership grow.

Friday, November 19, 2010

The Utrecht Cathedral grows as former Old Catholic center declines

(Netherlands) Church News Netherlands Reports: St. Agnes in Egmond,  has the largest concentration of Old Catholics, but it has the lowest Mass attendance out of all Old Catholic parishes in the Netherlands. Utrecht is a more ancient Catholic Mecca than Egmond, evidenced by statistics from the Old Catholic Church (OKKN).

Egmond is a historic center of the OKKN. Nearly one in five people in the North Sea coastal towns of Egmond and Alkmaar are Old Catholics. In 2009, the parish in Egmond had 981 Old Catholics, yet,  only 7% attend weekly Mass, which is the lowest number of all twenty nine Old Catholic parishes in the Netherlands. Nationally, 18% percent of all Old Catholic attend church on a weekly basis.


The loss of members in Egmond is also dramatically high: over the last five years the parish lost 9% of its members. Nationally, Old Catholic parishes lost only 5% of its members. In the last five years, half of the Old Catholic parishes have encountered substantial growth while some smaller parishes are struggling to stay open. 

Egmond is perhaps not the Old Catholic stronghold as of old. Therefore we may look to Utrecht, where the seat of Archbishop Joris Vercammen is located. The parish has 350 members there, but on Sunday there are over one hundred parishioners in the cathedral of St. Gertrude. In no other parish are people so faithful to the church. Parishioners donate on average 262 euros per year to the church. That's a big difference from the situation in Egmond, although some parishes receive even more generous donations.

 
There are 5,500 Old Catholics in the Netherlands. The Synod of the Church is gathering tomorrow, Saturday, November 20  in Hilversum. Let us pray for the success of the Synod.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Annual Festival of Willibrord Society & The Charter for Compassion

(London) Thursday, 18 November, starts this year's annual festival of Willibrord Society in London. The festival begins with a solemn Eucharistic celebration in the Church of St Peter's (Eaton Square).The first Willibrord Society was founded in England in 1908. Its initial aim was to work for closer links between the Church of England and the Old Catholic churches. St Willibrord came from England in the 7th century. He was a missionary to the Frisians, and in 695, he became the first Archbishop of Utrecht. He thus witnesses to the long-standing relationship between the Church of England and the Union of Utrecht, and has been adopted as patron of the relationship between Anglicans and Old Catholics.The Anglican and Old Catholic churches have always been close theologically, and have always enjoyed a good relationship. The Bonn Agreement of 1931 established full intercommunion between the two.The Willibrord Society and its national associations are working for a practical realization of this agreement in the lives of their respective churches.

Old Catholic Bishop Dr. Matthais Ring holds lecture at this year's St. Willibrord Festival in London on the role of the German Old Catholic Church in the Third Reich. I am sure more information about the Bishop's speech will follow. 

On a separate note, across the world people celebrate the one year anniversary of the Charter for Compassion. The Charter for Compassion (2009) is a document which urges the peoples and religions of the world to embrace the core value of compassion. The charter is currently available in thirty languages, and is being translated into more.





Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Belgian Catholics Embrace Alternative Catholicism

 Today, the New York Times released a story about Catholics in Belgium creating Catholic Christian prayer communities. Although they are not Old Catholics in the traditional sense, it is clear that there is an ever growing trend towards alternative forms of Catholicism. 


(Belgium) Willy Delsaert is a retired railroad employee with dyslexia who practiced intensively before facing the suburban Don Bosco Catholic parish to perform the Sunday Mass rituals he grew up with.
“Who takes this bread and eats,” he murmured, cracking a communion wafer with his wife at his side, “declares a desire for a new world.”

With those words, Mr. Delsaert, 60, and his fellow parishioners are discreetly pioneering a grass-roots movement that defies centuries of ancient Roman Catholic Church doctrine by worshiping and sharing communion without benefit of a priest.

Don Bosco is one of about a dozen alternative Catholic churches that have sprouted and grown in the last two years in Dutch-speaking regions of Belgium and the Netherlands. They are an uneasy reaction to a combination of forces: a shortage of priests, the closing of churches, dissatisfaction with Vatican appointments of conservative bishops and, most recently, dismay over cover-ups of priestly sexual abuse.

The churches are called ecclesias, the word derived from the Greek verb for calling together. Five were started last year in the Netherlands by Catholics who broke away from their existing parishes and more are being planned, according to Franck Ploum, who helped start an ecclesia in January in Breda, the Netherlands, and is organizing a network conference for the groups in the two countries.

At this sturdy brick church in a suburb southwest of Brussels, men and women are trained as “conductors.” They preside over Masses and the landmarks of life: weddings and baptisms, funerals and last rites. Church members took charge more than a year ago when their pastor retired without a successor. In Belgium, about two-thirds of clergymen are over 55, and one-third older then 65.

“We are resisting a little bit like Gandhi,” said Johan Veys, a married former priest who performs baptisms and recruits newcomers for other tasks at Don Bosco. “Our intention is not to criticize, but to live correctly. We press onward quietly without a lot of noise. It’s important to have a community where people feel at home and can find peace and inspiration.”

Yet they appear to be on a collision course with the Vatican and the Catholic Church in Belgium. The Belgian church has been staggering from a sexual abuse scandal with 475 victims, and the resignation of the bishop of Bruges, Roger Vangheluwe, who last April admitted to years of molesting a boy who turned out to be his nephew.

In the view of Rome, only ordained priests can celebrate Mass or preside over most sacraments like baptisms and marriage. “If there are persons or groups that do not observe these norms, the competent bishops — who know what really happens — have to see how to intervene and explain what is in order and out of order if someone belongs to the Catholic Church,” the Rev. Federico Lombardi, director of the Vatican press office, said.

The primate of Belgium, Archbishop André-Joseph Léonard of Mechelen-Brussels, has already raised objections to the alternative services, calling them “unacceptable practices.” But he declined to respond to questions, maintaining a pledge to keep silent until December. He was engulfed in controversy this month after he criticized prosecution of elderly priests for pedophile acts as “vengeance” and described AIDS as a “sort of inherent justice” for promiscuous homosexual acts.

For some Catholics in the ecclesia movement and academics at the Catholic University of Louvain, Archbishop Léonard is emblematic of a remote church disconnected from a flock that yearns for more relevant rituals and active participation.

“Something is beginning to crack,” said the Rev. Gabriel Ringlet, a priest and former vice rector at the Catholic University of Louvain, which is considering dropping the “Catholic” from its name. “I think the Belgian Catholic Church is starting to feel something exceptional for the first time in 40 years. A lot of Catholics are waking up and speaking out.”

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Feast of St. Gertrude, November 16th

(1256-1301) Born in Eisleben, Germany, Saint Gertrude was received into the Cistercian convent. She studied literature and philosophy and devoted herself as well to prayer and contemplation. In cooperation with her close friend and fellow mystic Saint Mechtildis, St. Gertrude wrote a compilation of prayers that became very popular. She introduced the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus which, centuries later, would spread throughout the Church.

St Gertrude's Cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of the Old Catholic Church. That Church originated in the 18th century after a conflict with the Church of Rome. Now the Old Catholic Church is associated with churches in other countries, e.g. with the Church of England. The present Cathedral was built between 1912 and 1914. The Neo-Romanesque style was chosen, because the former Collegiate Church of St Mary's, which stood close by, was the most beautiful Romanesque church in Utrecht.
The Chapel of St Gertrude's preceded the Cathedral. This recently renovated chapel is the finest example of a 17th-century clandestine church in Holland. Its restoration was rewarded the Europa Nostra Award for Restoration and Conservation in 1993. In this hidden church was the ordination of Bishop Arnold Harris Matthews who sent missionaries to the United States.

Photos of the Cathedral and Chapel

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Old Catholics: "In baptism, the unity is already there"


[I apologize that I did not translate this, but because of the subtleties and since they are quotes, I didn't want to get something wrong and miss quote Bishop Ring. There is an English translator above. Please enjoy.]

Confessions - A Catholic church without a pope, but with married and women clergy? The Old Catholic Church is a landmark in the confessional diversity of Christianity. It was established in Germany in 1870, after the Vatican dogma of papal infallibility in matters of doctrine had been promulgated. Today, in Germany there are some 15,000 Old Catholic Christians. On the outskirts of the synod in the diocese of Mainz, I interviewed  Bishop Matthias Ring. In it, he explains what makes the Old Catholics, why priests are with them all of course, what distinguishes them theologically by the Protestants - and why they sometimes have a fear of too much ecumenism.

Die Fragen stellte Bernd Buchner 10 October 2010

Bishop, what is "old" to Old Catholics?
Ring: Das Wort "alt" hatte im 19. Jahrhundert eine ganz andere Bedeutung. Es war noch nicht die Zeit des Jugendkults. Männer ließen sich einen Bart wachsen, um möglichst schnell alt auszusehen. Wer alt war, hatte Macht und Einfluss. Das hat sich geändert - heute will jeder jung sein, auch wenn er achtzig ist. Im Jahr 1870 haben die Alt-Katholiken gesagt: Die vatikanischen Dogmen sind eine Neuerung, wir bleiben beim alten katholischen Glauben. Heute ist dieser Name ein riesiges Marketingproblem, denn unter alt-katholisch versteht man die „ganz Strengen“, wie man in Bayern salopp sagt ... Der Rückbezug auf die Alte Kirche, also jene der ersten Jahrhunderte, ist prägend für uns. Wir müssen immer wieder reformieren und verändern, gerade indem wir auf die Anfänge schauen. Kirche hat sich ständig weiterentwickelt. Das darf die Kirche, bitteschön, auch heute.

From other churches, it is often said that Old Catholics are actually Protestants...
Ring: Vom äußeren Erscheinungsbild gibt es bei uns tatsächlich vieles, was an die evangelische Kirche erinnert. Unsere synodale Tradition ist sogar noch älter als bei den meisten protestantischen Landeskirchen. Aber wenn der Weihrauch qualmt, merkt man, dass wir eben doch katholisch sind. Die konfessionelle Zugehörigkeit ist ja auch eine Mentalitätsfrage.

Is it not sometimes difficult to explain that you are Catholic, although you ordain women and there is no requirements for celibacy?
Ring: Was soll daran schwierig sein? Die meisten Menschen finden das toll und wünschen es sich, sofern sie römisch-katholisch sind, auch für die eigene Kirche. Das Verständnis für den Zölibat als geistliche Entscheidung ist fast bei null. Dass Frauen Pfarrerinnen sein können, ist zumindest in Deutschland kein Thema mehr. Über uns sagen viele: Aha, die sind so zwischen evangelisch und römisch-katholisch. Aber ich halte nicht viel vom Bild der Brückenkirche - denn eine Brücke ist etwas, über das man hinübergeht. Aber wir können eine vermittelnde Position zwischen den Konfessionen haben. Es fällt uns relativ einfach, mit der evangelischen Kirche Ökumene zu pflegen, obwohl uns einige Punkte ganz klar trennen. Mit der römisch-katholischen Kirche vereint uns viel, aber da ist die Nähe ein Problem. Neulich sagte ich mal: Wenn ich statt mit Stab und Mitra mit Federschmuck herumlaufen würde, würden sich römisch-katholische Bischöfe leichter mit mir tun, weil dann ein klarer Unterschied da wäre. Natürlich kommen auch viele unserer Gemeindemitglieder und Geistlichen aus der römisch-katholischen Kirche. Wir sind die Kirche des sich stets erneuernden Schismas, denn unsere Zuwächse beruhen auf Beitritten.

How many Old Catholics are there in Germany?
Ring: Am 31. Dezember 2007 waren es, das ist die aktuellste Statistik, 15.291. Vor 20 Jahren lag die Zahl bei 12.000. Wir haben eine Erneuerungsentwicklung, manche Gemeinden haben ein recht starkes Wachstum. In Bonn etwa ist die Zahl der Gläubigen von 250 auf 600 gestiegen. Tendenziell haben wir eine Überalterung, denn jene, die beitreten, sind in der Mitte des Lebens. Auf der anderen Seite gibt es auch junge Gemeinden, und Wachstumszonen im Rheinland und im Rhein-Main-Gebiet. Aber man sieht natürlich, dass wir eine sehr kleine Kirche sind. Für manchen Alt-Katholiken ist das ein Problem. Man möchte gerne viele sein - man ist ja auch lieber Fußballfan vom FC Bayern als vom FC Hinterschlappenreuth. Aber diese 15.000 Menschen leisten sich immerhin 35 hauptamtliche Geistliche. Auch das muss man sehen. Insgesamt haben wir einen Klerus von 90 bis 100 Geistlichen, die zum Teil nebenamtlich tätig sind.

Does the Old Catholic Church pay taxes?
Ring: Ja, rund 2,8 Millionen Euro jährlich.

What would Roman Catholics notice as different if they enter an Old Catholic Church?
Ring: An der Architektur nicht. Wir haben zum Teil historische Kirchen, die uns im 19. Jahrhundert zugesprochen wurden. Um das Jahr 1900 haben wir angefangen, selbst Kirchen zu bauen, etwa in Karlsruhe. Jede Zeit baut anders. In Frankfurt am Main haben wir eine sogenannte Hauskirche, das frühere Titania-Kino. Der ehemalige Kinosaal ist Bürgerzentrum, das Foyer ist Gottesdienstraum. Die Lösung Hauskirche war allerdings eine der 1970, 1980er Jahre. Heute wird wieder klassisch gebaut, etwa in Hannover und bald in Augsburg.

And differently with the service?
Ring: Dort merkt man den Unterschied daran, dass bestimmte Antworten ein bisschen anders sind. Bei uns heißt es "Gott dem Herrn sei Dank" statt "Dank sei Gott dem Herrn", auf "Erhebet Eure Herzen" folgt nicht "Wir haben sie beim Herrn", sondern "Wir erheben sie zum Herrn". Das hängt damit zusammen, dass wir die Liturgie bereits 1884 ins Deutsche übertragen und so beibehalten haben.

Has Vatican II changed the way you have done liturgy, particularly with the altar and chalice?
Ring: Auch bei uns feierte der Priester die Messe bis in die 1960er Jahre mit dem Rücken zum Volk, und es gab keine Kelchkommunion. Man wollte vermeiden, dass man als Protestant gilt und die eigenen Sakramente als ungültig betrachtet werden. Wir haben zwar gewagt, die Messe auf Deutsch zu feiern - aber die Liturgie der Bischofsweihe blieb lateinisch. Dahinter steckt, dass die römisch-katholische Kirche unter Leo XIII. (1878-1903) die anglikanischen Weihen für ungültig erklärte - weil man in England das Weiheformular verändert hatte. So blieb unsere Spendeformel bei der Bischofsweihe lange Zeit lateinisch. Heute würde man sagen: Das ist magisches Denken. Doch die Katholiken waren damals so, die haben so getickt - und die Alt-Katholiken auch.

Does the Roman Catholic Church recognize Old Catholic ordinations as valid?
Ring: Es gibt diese schöne Unterscheidung: gültig, aber unerlaubt. Alles, was ich mache, ist gültig, aber nicht erlaubt - weil es nicht in Gemeinschaft mit Rom geschieht. Das Problem ist aber die Frauenordination. Es gibt römisch-katholische Theologen, die sagen, in dem Moment, in dem wir eine Bischöfin haben, sind alle von ihr gespendeten Weihen ungültig. Andere sind der Meinung, es reiche schon, dass wir die Frauenordination eingeführt haben - damit hätten wir uns vom katholischen Amtsverständnis entfernt. Damit sei unser Amt defekt, so wie das evangelische Amt defekt sei. Diese Theorie hat sich bislang in Rom nicht durchgesetzt.

When will the Old Catholic Church in Germany have their first woman bishop?
Ring: Die Frage ist, wann wir genug Frauen haben. Das ist ein langwieriger Prozess. Wir haben 1996 die ersten Frauen ordiniert und momentan gerade einmal zwei Pfarrerinnen, eine Theologieprofessorin und sieben weitere weibliche Geistliche. Es gibt aber keine Bedenken gegen eine Bischöfin. Die Gemeinden empfinden Frauen im Amt auch nicht als etwas Besonderes. Da ist Normalität eingekehrt, wohl auch weil in der Gesellschaft die Frauenfrage prinzipiell durchgefochten ist. Man muss leider sagen, dass Kirche in all diesen Fragen selten Avantgarde ist.

Does the Eucharist separate Protestants from Old Catholics?
Ring: Es gibt seit 1985 eine gegenseitige Einladung. Die Vereinbarung wurde geschlossen, weil das zuvor bereits viele Jahre lang Praxis war. Auch gemeinsame Gottesdienste gab es schon immer. Diese sogenannte Interzelebration ist durch die Vereinbarung gar nicht gedeckt. Aber in der Ökumene muss die Praxis der Theorie vorausgehen, sonst ändert sich überhaupt nichts.
(Foto: Bischof Ring, rechts, mit dem leitenden Bischof der Vereinigten Evangelisch-Lutherischen Kirche Deutschlands, Johannes Friedrich, beim Jubiläumsgottesdienst der 25-Jahrfeier der Einladungserklärung am 18. September in Bonn)


How do Old Catholics see the Eucharist differently from Protestants?
Ring: Wir Alt-Katholiken gehen von der bleibenden Gegenwart Christi in Brot und Wein aus. Das ist ein Problem in der Praxis. Wenn wir miteinander Abendmahl feiern, geht es eben nicht, dass man hinterher den übriggebliebenen Wein wegschüttet. Die praktischen Dinge, die natürlich auch einen theologischen Hintergrund haben, sind ein ganz heikles Feld. Man muss klare Absprachen treffen, sonst kann es zu Verletzungen kommen.

Is the Pope a stumbling block for ecumenism?
Ring: Wir Alt-Katholiken haben immer gesagt, wir halten am Primat fest, wie er in der Alten Kirche war. Solange man nicht nachfragt, was das konkret heißt, ist das alles schön und gut. Jetzt liegt das römisch-katholisch/alt-katholische Konsenspapier "Kirche und Kirchengemeinschaft" auf dem Tisch - das ist mit Emotionen und Ängsten verbunden. Wenn ein kleiner Partner mit einem sehr großen Partner Gespräche führt, gibt es immer Ängste, geschluckt zu werden. Wenn man das Papier liest, merkt man, dass das an den Haaren herbeigezogen ist. Es legt zum ersten Mal dar, wie wir uns eine Gemeinschaft mit Rom und dem Papst vorstellen können - ohne dabei unsere Selbstständigkeit aufzugeben. Nun muss auch die römisch-katholische Seite die Hand zum Schwur erheben, ob sie sich ein Konzept kirchlicher Gemeinschaft jenseits der Rückkehr-Ökumene vorstellen kann.

What is your view of the Pope?
Ring: Der Papst hat in der Kirche die Rolle des Moderators. Er ist für die Einheit zuständig. Seine Aufgabe ist es, zwischen den einzelnen autonomen Kirchen zu vermitteln und gegebenenfalls zu sagen: Moment, ihr macht jetzt etwas, was für andere ein Problem ist, was die Einheit gefährdet. Man muss ihm dann auch das Recht geben können, in eine Kirche hineinzusprechen - nicht hineinzuregieren. Das hört sich nach wenig an, aber das wäre eine Möglichkeit, wie man das Amt der Einheit verstehen kann.

Evangelische Bischöfe holen sich regelmäßig blaue Augen aus den eigenen Reihen, wenn sie vom Ehrenprimat des Papstes sprechen.
Ring: Wir haben diesen Begriff natürlich auch auf der Agenda. Die Frage ist nur, was man darunter versteht. Der Begriff muss gefüllt werden. Ist der Papst nur Ehrenvorsitzender, oder gesteht man ihm eine gewisse Kompetenz zu? Von einem Ehrenprimat ohne Kompetenzen zu sprechen, ist Etikettenschwindel. Aber diese Kompetenzen muss man klar benennen. Allein schon eine Moderatorenfunktion schließt Kompetenzen ein. Der Vatikan hätte dann aber auch ein viel mühseligeres Geschäft. Es ist einfacher zu sagen: Diskussion verboten, oder das ist jetzt eingeführt.

Ecumenism has a focus on unity. What about this unity are the Old Catholics afraid of?
Ring: Theologisch gesehen, sind wir schon eins in der Taufe. Man muss Abschied nehmen von dem Ökumene-Modell, dass man erst volle Übereinstimmung hat, und dann kommt die große Einheit. Dieses Alles-oder-nichts-Modell ist theologisch nicht sauber und unhistorisch. Kirche war immer ein plurales Gebilde. Die große Einheitskirche wird es nicht geben - spätestens bei der nächsten Frage, die auf dem Tisch liegt, wird es wieder zu einer Abspaltung kommen. Die Frage ist, wie man es schafft, diese verschiedenen pluralen Gebilde in Gemeinschaft zu halten. Vielleicht sollte man sogar vom Begriff der Einheit Abschied nehmen. Wir stellen uns darunter so etwas wie die deutsche Einheit vor - einen äußerlichen Prozess. Aber wir wissen ja, dass das auch eine innere Seite hat. Man kann äußerlich etwas vereinigen, und es ist nicht eins - man kann aber auch innerlich eins sein, ohne die äußeren Strukturen zusammenzuwerfen. Wir brauchen in der Ökumene einen Paradigmenwechsel. Die Konsens-Ökumene führt in die Sackgasse, auch wenn man es differenzierten Konsens nennt. Das bedeutet ja nur, dass man weiß, worin man unterschiedlicher Meinung ist. Wir sagen nicht wie die römisch-katholische Kirche: Erst am Ende wenn alles klar ist, können wir Eucharistie feiern. Eucharistie ist nicht die Belohnung für Einheit, sondern bereits jetzt die Möglichkeit zu erfahren, dass wir eins sind. Vielleicht muss man gerade, wenn man gespalten ist, miteinander Eucharistie feiern.

Ecumenism deals with specific identities. What is the Old Catholic identity?
Ring: Wir sind eine katholische Kirche. Unser geistesgeschichtlicher Auftrag ist, Katholizismus und Moderne zu verbinden. Gerade weil wir eine kleine Kirche sind, können wir dabei auch einmal neue Wege gehen, eher experimentieren. Eine große Kirche ist ein riesiger Tanker - bis der mal wendet und seine Richtung ändert, das dauert. Das heißt aber auch, wir gehen eher einmal einen Irrweg. Natürlich versucht auch die römisch-katholische Kirche, Katholizismus und Moderne zu verbinden. Aber wir haben da ein alternatives Konzept.

God's "Black Sheep"

(Frankfurt) Today, the German television show "Black Sheep" began a focus on God and the world and Old Catholic Parochial Vicar Anja Goller. Anja's mother, Jutta does not believe in God and is completely opposed to the church. Her daughter Anja recently became active in the Catholic church and her mother became suspicious. Time and again there were conflicts because Anja wanted to attend church on Sundays, her mother insisted on a joint family breakfast. Anja studied education, to the delight of her mother, who was previously employed as an educator but this did not meet her calling. She began studying theology, at first secretly, for fear of maternal rejection. Meanwhile, Anja converted to the Old Catholics in order to become a priest and work as a pastor in Frankfurt.Three stories are told within this episode. To watch Mother Goller's story online on the ARD Mediathek visit the website: Parochial Vicar Anja Goller

Friday, November 12, 2010

Suppose you are looking for a church


The Old Catholic Church is unlike other churches, here you aren't just tolerated,  you are accepted. Locate your local Old Catholic and Anglican churches and find out for yourself.
  • Traditional
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  • Inclusive
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  • Universal 
Old Catholic News now has a YouTube Channel: YouTube Channel

    Thursday, November 11, 2010

    Utrecht celebrates St. Martin de Tours

    (Amersfoort) On November 11 the Archdiocese of Utrecht celebrates the feast of the patron saint Martin of Tours. Every year, the Metropolitan Chapter of Utrecht organizes a special meeting of the clergy and partners of the Archdiocese of Utrecht. At the meeting vespers is sung. In various parts of the country, children sing with a lantern along the streets. The children receive a snack as a reward. This evening will not be easy, considering the weather.

    St. Martin, was born in 316/317, the son of a Roman officer. Martin enlisted in the army at 15 years of age and served in Gaul in the Imperial Guard. St. Martin abandoned the Roman military to serve in God's army as a priest and bishop of the early church. Today, America celebrates Veteran's Day and the charism of St. Martin.

    St. Martin's Cathedral, Utrecht, or Dom Church (Dutch: Domkerk) was the cathedral of the diocese of Utrecht during the Middle Ages. Once the country's largest church and only cathedral, dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours.

    The first chapel dedicated to Saint Martin in Utrecht was founded around 600 by Frankish clergy under the patronage of the Merovingian kings but was destroyed during an attack of the Frisians on Utrecht shortly thereafter. The site of this first chapel within Utrecht is unknown. Saint Willibrord (died 739), the Apostle to the Frisians, established a second chapel devoted to Saint Martin on (or close to) the site of the current Dom. This church was destroyed by the Normans in the 9th century during one of their many raids on Utrecht, but was reconstructed by Bishop Balderik in the 10th century. During this period St. Martin's came to be the principal church (or minster) of Utrecht, see of the bishop. The church had its own small territorial close (known as an "immunity") and was led by a chapter of Canons, who generally belonged to the nobility.

    The church was repeatedly destroyed by fires and then rebuilt. A church in Romanesque style was built by Adalbold, Bishop of Utrecht, and consecrated in 1023. This building, also known as Adalbold's Dom, was partially destroyed in the big fire of 1253 which ravaged much of Utrecht, leading Bishop Hendrik van Vianen to initiate the construction of the current Gothic structure in 1254. The construction of the gothic Dom was to continue well into the 16th century. The first part to be built was the choir. The Dom Tower was started in 1321 and finished in 1382. After 1515, steadily diminishing financing prevented completion of this building project, of which an almost complete series of building accounts exists. In 1572, the Iconoclast Fury swept across much of the Low Countries, justified by the Calvinist belief that statues in a house of God were idolatrous images which must be destroyed. As a result, many of the ornaments on both the exterior and interior of the Dom were destroyed.

    In 1580 the city government of Utrecht handed the Dom over to the Calvinists in the city. From then on Protestant services were held in the Dom with one brief exception during the French invasion of the Netherlands in 1672/1673, when Catholic masses were again held in the old cathedral. A year after the French retreat, in August 1674, the still unfinished and insufficiently supported nave collapsed during a thunderstorm. Over the subsequent centuries, much of the enormous building fell into further neglect. The pitiable state of the Dom led to some small restoration activities in the nineteenth century, followed by major renovations in the early twentieth century with the aim of returning the Cathedral to its original state. However, the nave was never rebuilt.

    The Catholic Church of the Netherlands remained strong within Utrecht following the Reformation but was obliged to worship discretely in hidden chapels (schuilkerken). One of these chapels, St. Gertrude's, later became the principal cathedral of the Old Catholic archbishop of Utrecht.

    History of St. Martin's Cathedral

    Tuesday, November 9, 2010

    Bishop Gene Robinson announces his plan to retire in 2013


    (New Hampshire) Bishop Robinson made headlines in 2003, when he became the first non-celibate gay clergyman in the Anglican Communion to become bishop. At his consecration he wore a bulletproof vest under his  vestments because he had received death threats.

    Bishop Robinson said at a local diocesan meeting that he would step down as bishop in January of 2013 but would continue his work with the "unchurched" and "dechurched" on college campuses and public forums, showing no intention of retiring from public life. "I get the opportunity to make the case for God and for God's church - either to those who have never known God's unimaginable love, or to those who have been ill-treated, in the name of a judgmental God, and who have left the church. Recent news brings us the tragic stories of teenagers who have taken their own lives because religion tells them they are an abomination before God and who believe that their lives are doomed to despair and unhappiness."

    He told the convention that being in the eye of the storm had proved too much. He said: "Death threats, and the now-worldwide controversy surrounding your election of me as bishop, have been a constant strain, not just on me, but on my beloved husband, Mark, who has faithfully stood with me every minute of the last seven years, and in some ways, you." 

    Monday, November 8, 2010

    Archbishop Rowan Williams: Communion 'worth working for'

    (London) Five Church of England bishops are to convert to Catholicism under an offer from Pope Benedict XVI to welcome Anglicans disaffected by moves to ordinate women, the Catholic Church said Monday. The Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales said it welcomed the decision by the three serving Anglican bishops and two retired bishops "to enter into full communion with the Catholic Church". The bishops are Andrew Burnham, Keith Newton, John Broadhurst, Edwin Barnes, and David Silk, it said in a statement.Their conversions come less than two months after the pope visited Britain. In 2009, the Roman Catholic Church unveiled a new juridical framework that made it easier for Anglicans unhappy with the Church of England's ordination of female and homosexual clergy to join Catholic ranks.

    In a statement, the five bishops said they had been "dismayed, over the last 30 years, to see Anglicans and Catholics move further apart on some of the issues of the day". "Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, the leader of the world's Anglicans, said in a statement he had accepted the resignations of Burnham and Newton "with regret". "We wish them well in this next stage of their service to the Church and I am grateful to them for their faithful and devoted pastoral labours in the Church of England over many years," he said.

    The Archbishop of Canterbury has insisted that the worldwide Anglican Communion has a secure future despite divisions over issues such as homosexuality and women bishops. Speaking during a question-and-answer session as part of a four-day pastoral visit to the Diocese of Lichfield, Dr Rowan Williams acknowledged that the Communion's divisions would not be "easily healed". But the Archbishop said he believed the association's role in building relationships between different churches was secure.

    Addressing an audience at Telford's International Centre in Shropshire, Dr Williams replied: "I do see the Communion as worth working for because I believe that a model of real international unity by consent is a very precious gift to the Christian world at large.
    "That's what I want to work for."

    Rt. Rev. Andrew Burnham's Interview with the BBC

    Archbishop Desmond Tutu, "Hate has no place in God's house"

    Anglican Archbishop Tutu has been active in the defense of human rights and uses his high profile to campaign for the oppressed. He has campaigned to fight AIDS, tuberculosis, homophobia, poverty and racism.Tutu received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984, the Albert Schweitzer Prize for Humanitarianism in 1986, the Gandhi Peace Prize in 2005, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009. Archbishop Desmond Tutu wrote this commentary:
    (South Africa) Today I pray for people in Africa and throughout the world who long for freedom because they are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.

    It grieves me to be retiring at this crucial moment in history, so I write to you in this open letter, to invite you to pick up the work that remains to be done. More than 70 countries still imprison or execute gay and transgender people, and bullying and murders are all too common. This must change.

    Each of you is called to respond to God's urgency for love and life. So whether you are in South Africa, the United States or anywhere else, humanity needs to accept its own diversity as a gift from our Creator. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are part of our family of God.

    I have always striven for a life of love in action. Many told me to stop. They called me a communist or they told me that I might be killed. Now, I have lived long, and one choice that comes with age is how to deal with our own mortality. Should we be more careful or be more bold? Should we rest on our laurels or respond to the urgency of justice?

    Boldly, I urge all faith leaders and politicians to stop persecuting people based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. Every day people live in fear because of who they love. We are talking about our family members, our flesh and blood, our humanity. LGBT people are in our villages, towns, cities, countries -- and our whole world.

    In South African churches we have sung, "Oh freedom! Freedom is coming, oh yes, I know." We sang this chorus at the lowest points of our journey toward freedom against the racist and colonialist system of apartheid, and we still sing it to this day. Freedom is coming -- and those of us who have freedom must speak out for those whose freedom is under attack. We can and must make a difference.

    Sunday, November 7, 2010

    Feast of St. Willibrord

    November 7th, the universal church celebrates the Feast of St. Willibrord, the Apostle to the Low Lands. Around the world, Old Catholics and Anglicans celebrate this Feast as the founding of the Church of Utrecht, center of Old Catholicism.

    History of St. Willibrord
    In about 678 Willibrord, a 20-year-old monk, left his Yorkshire monastery at Ripon and moved to Ireland. Inspired by the great tradition of Irish missionaries, he set out in 690 for the northwest coast of continental Europe. The region of Frisia, or Friesland, was still pagan but had recently been conquered by Pepin, the founder of the Carolingian dynasty. 
    Willibrord brought with him eleven companions (more modest in its apostolic implication than the twelve companions of the earlier Celtic tradition). After destroying idols, Willibrord and his companions were thrown into jail and their lives were gambled for with the pulling of lots. Only one of the companions was given the martyr's crown. When Willibrord was faced with the pagan King Radbod, he answered his questions so boldly, that the king did not kill Willibrord but returned him to Pepin with great honors. 
    The missionaries rapidly established a foothold in the region. With Pepin's support, Willibrord was in a position by 695 to be consecrated archbishop of a new see in Utrecht.
      
    Willibrord also founded a great monastery at Echternach, where he died in 739. 
      
    For more information about St. Willibrord, read his biography by St. Alucin: Biography of St. Willibrord


    Saturday, November 6, 2010

    Anglican-Old Catholic Mission in Zeeland

    (Amersfoort) Old Catholic Archbishop Joris Vercammen and Anglican Archdeacon John de Wit installed Deacon Ank Muller-Robinson and Rev. Dr. Remco Robinson to the Mission to Seafarers in Vlissingen, Zeeland on 4 November 2010. This Mission is under the direction of both the Anglicans and Old Catholics. The Mass will be half in English and half in Dutch, with the homily in English. The installation, held in the Flying Angel Chapel was an ecumenical event with representatives present from the Salvation Army, Roman Catholic Church, and the Local Council of Churches.

    Thursday, November 4, 2010

    Germany: New Augsburg Church and Old Catholic Women Website

    (Bonn) For some time, the Old Catholic community in Augsburg has had big plans to build a church. On November 1st 2010, the Old Catholic Church of Germany announced construction on the new church building will begin in the spring of 2011 by Sheridan Park.

    On November 2nd 2010 the Old Catholic Church of Germany also announced the launch of the new website, Old Catholic women (BAF).The Women's Association of  Germany will use the site to report on past and future events and information on the work of the BAF. For more information, visit: bund alt-katholischer frauen deutschlands

    Remembering Bishop Alberto Ramento, Old Catholic Martyr

    (Manila) Bishop Ramento was stabbed to death in his house in the early morning of October 3, 2006 in Tarlac, Philippines. Prior to his death, Bishop Ramento had been actively involved in various organizations and movements advocating human rights, social justice especially for the working class, civil liberties and genuine peace. He was co-chair of the Eucumenical Bishops Forum, chaired the Promotion of Church People's Response-Central Luzon and human rights group Karapatan-Tarlac, and various church and cause-oriented organizations. He was an ardent supporter of the Hacienda Luisita strikers. As the chairman of the Workers Assistance Center, Inc., he also supported the struggle of the workers in Cavite, Philippines. He was also a vocal and influential critic of the Gloria Arroyo administration. Rev. Fr. Rex RB Reyes, general secretary recalled, “He was a church leader not so much concerned about creating a name. He was more concerned about what the church could do for the people.” The new Archbishop adds, “All his life, he led a simple life, fully devoted to his vocation as a ‘shepherd of the flock’, ministering and serving the needs of the deprived, oppressed and exploited peasants and workers, the street children and the poor of the earth.”
    The Eucharist looks forward to a global society in God, a city for all the nations, in which the last are first, the humble lifted high, and the powerful repentant, as grace and peace forgive and unite all humanity. The supper should be celebrated as a provocation and inspiration to make that rebellion real in love and a song of reinvigorating hope that the future can break through into the present. Eucharist is the sign and reality of the hope of a just world for all.

    A Eucharistic Vision for a Globalized World