Old Catholic churches are a group of self-governing catholic churches. In this case, the word catholic refers to the whole Christian Church, meaning all Christians, rather than just the Roman Catholic Church. Most of the Old Catholic Churches were formed by Roman Catholics who opposed the teachings of papal infallibility and universal jurisdiction proclaimed at the first Vatican Council in 1870. These teachings state that the pope is free from error when he speaks as head of the church on matters of faith and morals, and that he has universal authority in the church.
The Catholics who withdrew from the Roman Catholic Church at that time established independent churches. Most of them lived in Germany, Switzerland, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In 1889, the independent churches of Germany and Switzerland formed a communion—that is, a group of churches with the same religious beliefs—with the Old Catholic Church of the Netherlands. The Dutch church is a self-governing church that has been in disagreement with Rome since the 1720’s. This communion, called the Union of Utrecht, has its own statement of doctrine (teachings and beliefs) and organization.
Lay people participate in the government of the Old Catholic churches—for example, in synods (general assemblies). Members of the clergy may marry, and women may be ordained as priests. The churches encourage Bible study.
