Western Orthodoxy

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The Patriarchate of The Old Catholic Church (TOCC), together with its affiliated jurisdictions, stands as a fully Catholic—though not Roman—expression of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. We are autonomous and autocephalous, not subject to any external prelature or patriarchate. Our legitimacy is founded on valid apostolic succession, the orthodox celebration of the sacraments, and unwavering fidelity to the faith of the early Church. Our legality is upheld through formal registration in every nation where we serve.

As a Catholic body, TOCC exercises jurisdiction solely over individuals and communities in communion with us through shared faith and sacramental life. We do not contest the claims of other Churches but offer pastoral care to those seeking a renewed encounter with Christ within the fullness of Catholic tradition and faith.

Our mission is clear and sacred: to proclaim the Gospel, administer the holy sacraments as channels of grace, and shepherd souls toward salvation through mercy, truth, and reconciliation. We are guided by the model of the primitive Church, where the apostles gathered in simplicity—celebrating the Eucharist in homes and guiding their flocks with humility, holiness, and love.

In today’s world, many faithful feel wounded, marginalized, or excluded—not by the Gospel, but by institutions that have failed to reflect Christ’s compassion. We respond not with judgment, but with welcome, offering a true Catholic home to those who seek Christ without institutional burdens. 

Our motto is: "The Perfect Church—for Imperfect People."
 

We are a Church that opens its arms to all who seek Christ, especially those who have felt forgotten or cast aside. We do not ask you to renounce your Catholic identity; rather, we invite you to reclaim it in its fullness, rooted in Scripture, Tradition, and the mercy of Christ.

“A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not extinguish.” (Isaiah 42:3) 

Governed by the College of Bishops, under the presidency of the Patriarch, we uphold the seven sacraments, preserve apostolic tradition, and remain in full communion with the Church of the first millennium.

Wherever you are on your journey of faith—returning, searching, or yearning—TOCC offers a spiritual home: a place to rediscover the beauty of Catholic worship and to encounter Christ anew in sacramental grace.

✠ Ut Unum Sint – That They May Be One (John 17:21)

Catholic but not Roman · Orthodox but not Eastern · Western in Tradition · Apostolic in Faith

The Patriarchate of The Old Catholic Church (TOCC) is a historic, apostolic, autocephalous and autonomous jurisdiction within the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, founded by our Lord Jesus Christ over two thousand years ago. Our Church traces its spiritual roots and canonical identity to the missionary labors of Saints Willibrord and Boniface, who were commissioned by Pope Sergius I in A.D. 696 to evangelize the region of Frisia (modern-day Netherlands) under the Rule of Saint Benedict.

Following the Great Schism of 1054, the Church in the Netherlands retained fidelity to the Orthodox Catholic faith for 18 centuries, even while remaining administratively tied to Rome. Over time, the Church asserted increasing independence, particularly in defense of local autonomy and apostolic tradition.

The historical autocephaly of the Church in the Netherlands was affirmed over several centuries:

• Second Lateran Council (1139), Canon 28: confirmed the right of local Churches to elect their own bishops.
   
• Papal Decree by Pope Eugene III (1145): recognized the Church’s autocephalous status.
   
• Fourth Lateran Council (1215), Canons 23 and 24: reaffirmed the Church’s jurisdictional autonomy.
   
• Bull Debitum Pastoralis by Pope Leo X (1520): removed all external oversight, affirming that no bishop or cleric could be judged by any authority outside his own Church.
   

The Old Catholic Church of the Netherlands remained in union with Rome until 1827, when a formal break occurred. In 1853, Pope Pius IX recognized freedom of religion in the Netherlands, a decree accepted by King William II, after which the Church became known as the Old Catholic Church of the Netherlands—a name acknowledging its historic continuity.

In 1908, Archbishop Arnold Harris Mathew was consecrated by the Old Catholic Church of the Netherlands to serve in the United Kingdom. In 1910, he formally reestablished the Old Roman Catholic Church (Traditional), separating from the Union of Utrecht, which had begun embracing theological liberalism.

The Church of Antioch was established by the Holy Apostles Paul and Barnabas in A.D. 42 and is historically honored as one of the most ancient sees of apostolic Christianity. The Apostle Peter—Prince of the Apostles—served as its first bishop, ministering for eight years before his martyrdom in Rome1. Alongside Alexandria, Constantinople, Jerusalem, and Rome, Antioch forms part of the Pentarchy—the original five patriarchates that safeguarded the unity of the undivided Church2.

From the Church of Antioch arose many saints and theological giants of early Christianity, among them Saint Ignatius of Antioch, the martyr-bishop who first referred to the Church as “Catholic”3, and Saint John Chrysostom, whose liturgy continues to inspire the Christian East4. Antioch remains a cradle of Orthodox doctrine, conciliar governance, and sacramental life.

In keeping with this sacred lineage, on August 5th, 1911, Archbishop Arnold Harris Mathew was solemnly received into ecclesial communion by Archbishop Gerassimos Messarra, Metropolitan of Beirut, acting on behalf of His Beatitude Gregory IV (Haddad), the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch (1906–1928)5. This recognition affirmed Mathew’s jurisdiction as a canonical and autocephalous Catholic body, in communion with the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Antioch.

This union was further ratified on February 26th, 1912, by His Holiness Photius, Greek Orthodox Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria (1900–1925), who likewise acknowledged the apostolic legitimacy of this jurisdiction and its place within the broader Orthodox Catholic tradition6.

Through this recognition, the ecclesial continuity of our jurisdiction was strengthened by direct ties to two of the five ancient patriarchates, affirming both our apostolic succession and our orthodox ecclesiology.

In 1911, Archbishop Mathew consecrated Prince Rudolph de Landas Berghes et de Rache, who established the Old Catholic Church in America, later incorporated legally in the State of Illinois in 1916.

The first Archbishop of America, Henry Carmel Carfora (1916–1958), shepherded the Church’s growth across the United States. His apostolic lineage has been faithfully preserved through successors, including Archbishops Resch, Brown, Bostwick, and Angarita (2013–present).

In July 2015, Bishop Andrew Angarita was elected Archbishop Primate for the Americas by the College of Bishops. The Church was recognized under IRS 501(c)(3) as a religious organization and remains legally registered in all jurisdictions where it serves.

On June 1, 2019, Archbishop Arnold Harris Mathew D.D. was canonized as Saint Matthew of South Mimms, and Enthronized as Patriarch of The Old Catholic Church by the College of Bishops from both the United Kingdom, the United States of America and representatives from the Old Catholic Church in Africa, at the Cathedral of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Rugeley, England. Archbishop Andrew Angarita was unanimously elected as Patriarch of The Old Catholic Church, and successor of Patriarch Arnold Harris Matthew. Patriarch Andrew Angarita CJ. D.D. assumed the religious name of Andrew Matthew in honor of his predecessor.

This election was ratified on March 7, 2020, through a document titled The Episcopal Covenant, signed by the College of Bishops of the United Kingdom and all the ecclesial officers unifying the Patriarchate. 

Today, the Patriarchate of TOCC is present across multiple continents, faithfully proclaiming the Gospel and celebrating the sacred mysteries of the Church.

THE CREEDS, SACRED SCRIPTURE AND SACRED TRADITION 

Rooted in the Undivided Church of the First Millennium

Our ecclesial identity and doctrinal integrity conform fully to the Catholic Church as it existed in the first millennium, before the great divisions of East and West. We profess the ancient Symbol of Faith, the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed, formulated by the First Council of Nicaea (A.D. 325) and completed by the First Council of Constantinople (A.D. 381). This Creed remains the foundational and unifying expression of the universal faith, transmitted from the Apostles and safeguarded by the Fathers of the Church.

The content of this Catholic faith, as expressed in the Creed, is drawn from two inseparable sources: Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition. Together, they constitute the deposit of divine revelation, entrusted to the Church for all generations.

The Patriarchate of The Old Catholic Church affirms that Sacred Scripture—comprising both the Old Testament (including the deuterocanonical or apocryphal books) and the New Testament—contains the inspired and authoritative revelation of God, with a particular focus on the mystery of His Incarnate Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In all that pertains to our salvation, the Scriptures are inerrant, revealing with certainty the truths necessary for faith, conversion, and eternal life.

However, the Holy Bible was not given as a manual on science, economics, or other secular disciplines. Rather, it speaks to us of God, of His redemptive plan, and of our participation in the divine life. It communicates these truths through human authors, within specific historical and cultural contexts—thus requiring faithful study, reverent interpretation, and spiritual discernment guided by the Church.

We hold that Sacred Scripture is itself a vital part of Sacred Tradition—that living transmission by which the Word of God, once spoken by Christ and His Apostles, continues to be handed down by the Church, through the writings of the Fathers, the liturgy, the ecumenical councils, and most visibly, through the unbroken succession of bishops. It is through this sacred continuity that the Church remains united in the truth and safeguarded from error.

In fidelity to this apostolic and patristic inheritance, The Old Catholic Church seeks not to innovate, but to preserve, proclaim, and live the ancient faith—ever new, ever life-giving, and ever centered on Christ.

This handing on occurs through the prayers and liturgy of the Church, through preaching, teaching, catechesis, devotions, doctrines, and the Bible itself. Church Tradition is a collection of orthodox practices and beliefs, from the earliest of days, which makes Sacred Tradition an inerrant source of God’s revelation in matters essential to our faith and our Christian life. A very important part of Sacred Tradition is the teaching of the Ecumenical Councils. The Old Catholic Church believes that the doctrinal definitions of the first seven Ecumenical Councils, that is, those which took place within the undivided Catholic Church, were guided by the Holy Spirit, and it accepts them as part of its faith. Those seven Ecumenical Councils are the Councils of Nicaea in 325 AD, Constantinople in 381 AD, Ephesus in 431 AD, Chalcedon in 451 AD, Constantinople II in 533 AD, Constantinople III in 680 AD, and Nicaea II in 787 AD.

These Councils were concerned essentially with defining the true Catholic faith, in the Holy Trinity and in Jesus Christ the Son of God made man: God is triune, a single God in three Persons, Whom the Saviour Himself named as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is the Son of God, uniting in His single Person both the divine and the human natures.

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Equally important in Sacred Tradition are the seven Sacraments. The Old Catholic Church believes that these Sacraments, which are Baptism and Eucharist, both of which are particularly attested to in Sacred Scripture; and Confirmation (or Chrismation), Penance (or Reconciliation), Matrimony, Holy Orders and Unction (or Anointing of the Sick and dying), are effective signs of the Lord’s continuing presence and action within His Church and efficacious channels of his Grace. Among the Sacraments, the Holy Eucharist holds a prominent place. The Old Catholic Church  believes that the Lord Jesus Christ is really and truly present, in His humanity and in His Divinity, in the species of bread and wine that have been consecrated in the Eucharistic Liturgy of the Holy Mass, and that in Holy Communion we receive Him into ourselves to nourish the very life of the soul: 

‘Those who eat My Flesh and drink My Blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day’, (John 6:54).

In the Lord Jesus’ plan for his Church, the Apostles and the Bishops hold a special place. The Old Catholic Church believes that the Bishops, duly consecrated in the unbroken line of Apostolic Succession, which the Old Catholic Church possesses, are the successors of the Apostles and that they are responsible, as were the Apostles, for the ministry of service to the Church, consisting of preaching and teaching, of sanctifying and of governing, but most of all, for the safeguarding and the handing-on intact, of the Deposit of Faith and Sacred Tradition of the Church under the divine command. Under the leadership and direction of the College Bishops headed by the Archbishop Primate, Priests and Deacons, empowered by the Sacrament of Holy Orders, and with the assistance and prayers of the Religious Congregations, minister to all those who approach The Old Catholic Church for Sacramental ministry.

THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY AND THE SAINTS
Mary, the Mother of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Mother of God, the Mother of the Church and the Queen of Heaven and Earth, holds a special place in the faith, the lives and the liturgy of The Old Catholic Church,. The doctrines (teachings) of the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption of Our Blessed Lady into Heaven are held by The Old Catholic Church in accord with Sacred Tradition, the Church Fathers and the Sacred Liturgy from the earliest of times; and in oneness with the Orthodox Church of the East. The Saints are also, honored in a special way within the Liturgy and in the Church’s Calendar. Both of these beliefs and devotions form part of the reason for the historical split with the Union of Utrecht and our specific denomination of Old Catholic Churches.
The Old Catholic Church believes in the Communion of Saints, and the fellowship of the whole Church in Glory, the Church Militant, and the Church Suffering. It holds to the honoring of Saints, and the prayers for their intercession for both the Church Militant and Suffering.

PURGATION
The Old Catholic Church believes in the doctrine of purgation in line with the Early and Undivided Church.  

THE POSITION OF THE POPE AND THE INFALLIBILITY OF THE CHURCH
Another historical reason for the Old Catholic Church declaring independence from the Union of Utrecht in 1910, was the continued acknowledgement of the Old Catholic Church that the Pope, the Bishop of Rome, remains the Patriarch of the West, and is considered, and honored as, Primus inter Pares; as such he always continued (and continues) to be remembered, and prayed for, within the Canon of the Mass.
Regarding the doctrines and dogmas of Infallibility, The Old Catholic Church holds that the inerrancy of dogma and doctrine rests with:

1. Sacred Scripture (actual historical texts, and/or faithful and accurate translations)

2. Sacred Tradition (in the spirit of the teachings of St. John Chrysostom’s wisdom: ‘Is it Tradition? Ask no more’)

3. The declarations/dogmas of a validly held General Ecumenical Council of the whole Catholic Church.

4. To a substantial degree, with the ancient Augustine doctrine of Lex Orandi Lex Credendi concerning, the most Ancient of Sacred Liturgies, which form part of the above-mentioned Sacred Tradition.

5. The Patriarchs of the West (Rome) and East (Constantinople): should they declare Ex Cathedra upon faith and morals, speaking as the mouthpiece and arbiter of the whole Catholic Church, having consulted fully with the Bishops of the whole Church, and when what is declared upon is already firmly established (explicitly or implicitly) within Sacred Scripture and/or Sacred Tradition, and does not contradict, or is confirmed (either explicitly or implicitly) by, Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition.

6. The Filioque position: The Old Catholic Church maintains, as does the whole Eastern Orthodox Catholic Church, the solid and unquestioning beliefs as set out in the Creed of Nicaea/Constantinople of 381. We maintain that, whilst theological debate may continue regarding the Filioque clause, no Church and no Bishop or Bishops, nor successive Synods or Councils may change, alter, add to, or take away from, a Creed once it is proclaimed by a legitimate General Ecumenical Council, and that such Sacred Tradition is held as absolute by The Old Catholic Church.

THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS OF THE CHURCH AND DIVINE LITURGY
The authorized Eucharistic liturgies used in TOCC are:  

In the administration of the Sacraments The Old Catholic Church uses exclusively the rites authorized, and of universal acceptance, as The Old Catholic Missal also known as the "Mathew Rite", that is, Archbishop Arnold Mathew’s 1909 English translation of the Tridentine Rite; a Rite which goes as far back as the early 4th Century, and which traces its history to the ancient Eastern Rites of Ss. Basil, Gregory the Great and John Chrysostom; and which is rightly termed The Immemorial Mass of Ages, and the Liturgy used by the Latin Church, contained in the liturgical works known, and the Rituale Romanum, the Missale Romanum, and the Pontificale Romanum. TOCC permits the use of accurate translations of these works, where the vernacular is preferred and held to be desirable.

The Seven Sacraments:
TOCC recognizes and affirms the seven Mysteries or Sacraments of the Church: Baptism, Chrismation (Confirmation), Communion (the Holy Eucharist), Holy Orders, Penance, Anointing of the sick (Holy Unction of the sick and Extreme Unction of the dying), and Marriage.

The Eucharist:,
This central mystery of the Church, Holy Mass, is seen as being performed by the Prayer of the Church, and through: the Offering, the Invocation of the Holy Spirit (epiclesis) and the Words of Consecration. An ultimate mystery and miracle occurs in the bread and wine, which produces sacramental change, thus leaving upon the altar, the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, verily and indeed. This mystery, this miracle, is accepted without the necessity to produce explanations or terms, rather, we follow the wisdom of St. John Damascene (c. 675 - 749): ‘It is truly that Body, united with the Godhead, which had its origin from the Holy Virgin; not as though that Body which Ascended came down from Heaven, but because the bread and wine themselves are changed into the Body and Blood of God. But if thou seekest after the manner how this is, let it suffice thee to be told that it is by the Holy Spirit; in like manner as, by the same Holy Spirit, the Lord formed flesh to Himself, and in Himself, from the Mother of God; nor know I aught more than this, that the Word of God is true, powerful, and almighty, but its manner of operation unsearchable’.

Holy Orders:
TOCC recognizes three sacred major Orders: the Diaconate, the Priesthood, and the Episcopate (Bishop), as well as the minor orders of the Lectorate and the Subdiaconate. All ordinations are performed by a Bishop and always during the Eucharistic liturgy. The consecration of a Bishop requires the participation of at least two or three other Bishops.

Penance:
The Sacrament of Penance in the early Church was a solemn and public act of reconciliation, through which an excommunicated sinner was readmitted into Church membership. It has evolved into a private act of confession and absolution through which every Christian's membership in the Church is periodically renewed. This Sacrament may also be performed as General Absolution to a group following a General Confession (eg. the Confiteor), as within the Mathew Rite of Holy Mass.

Anointing of the Sick:
Anointing of the Sick is a biblical form of healing by prayer and anointing with Holy Oil, and traces its history back to the earliest days of the Church.

Marriage:
Marriage is celebrated through a rite performed (usually within the Mass) with great solemnity, and signifies an eternal, sacramental union between a man and a woman. TOCC theology of marriage insists on its sacramental eternity rather than its legal indissolubility. Thus, second marriages, in certain cases, are celebrated through a more subdued and penitential rite. Remarriage after divorce is tolerated based on the possibility that the Sacrament of Marriage was not originally received with the consciousness and responsibility that would have made it fully effective; accordingly, remarriage can be a second chance and is granted as part of the Church’s mercy. In all cases of second marriage, there is a specific recognition of, and lamentation for, the ending of the first marriage. The Order of the Second or Third Marriage is somewhat different than that celebrated as a first marriage, and it bears a penitential character. Second or third marriages are performed by economy, that is, out of concern for the spiritual well-being of the parties involved and as an exception to the rule rather than the norm. Divorced and re-married men may still be considered for Holy Orders at the discretion of the Sacred College of Bishops.

THE SACRED COLLEGE OF BISHOPS AND GOVERNANCE
TOCC is governed by Its Synod College of Bishops presided by the Patriarch, and, with the assistance of their various advisors, maintains an open and transparent means of governing the Church.

DISCIPLINES WITHIN THE PRIESTHOOD
TOCC does not impose the discipline of Priestly Celibacy upon its clergy, and both Priests and Bishops are at liberty to marry before Ordination or remain celibate if they choose to do so.  However, the already-married may voluntarily choose to practice continence after Ordination. All Deacons, Priests and Bishops, and Religious are bound by a strict Code of Conduct which is set within the Church’s Canons,.

THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN THE CHURCH
TOCC maintains the ancient beliefs and Sacred Tradition of the Church for an all-male clergy. In the Celebration of Holy Mass, Christ is the real Priest and Sacrifice, but He makes His Sacrifice through the visible, that is, the Ordained human Priest. In his Priesthood, the human Priest embodies no other Priesthood than the Priesthood of Christ Himself; he visibly executes Christ's invisible Priesthood, being completely and fully dependent on the High Priest, whose instrument and surrogate he is. The priesthood is not viewed by TOCC  as ‘right’ or a ‘privilege’; it does not see the clergy as a caste apart from the People of God. It does not understand Ordination to the Priesthood as a matter of justice, equality, political correctness, or human rights. No one, not even males, have the ‘right’ to Ordination, and no one ‘chooses’ Ordination; we believe that it is God Who does the choosing, even if His Will in this instance seems completely contrary to the understanding of the world, the culture or the era. The clergy do not stand above the People of God; rather, they stand in their midst, just as Christ stands in the midst of His People. Those who carry out essential ministries without being ordained, either as Religious or as lay-folk, also stand in the midst of God’s People, for the ministries they pursue in the Name of Our Lord also share in His work.