OLD CATHOLICS,. those members of the Roman Catholic church in Germany who, in 1870, took the ground that the dogma of the immaculate conception of 1854, the encyclical and syllabus of 1864, and the decree of papal infallibility had so changed the status of the Roman church that no man could continue in its communion and still adhere to the Catholic church of Christ. They disputed the oecumenical character of the Vatican council, and, although the promoters of the movement included before the promulgation of the decree the German and Austrian bishops who had entered a united protest against it, the bishops withdrew and submitted after its proclamation, July 8, 1870. A large number of German theologians and civilians, however, denounced the course of the bishops,.and prof. Michtelis openly charged the pope with heresy and apos tasy. This was followed by a formal declaration and crotest by Dr. Dolling,er and 43 other professors of the university of Munich against papal infallibility and the validity of the Vatican decrees. A conference was held at Nuremberg, Aug., 1870, which, though purely consultative, drew up a united protest against the cecumenical character of the Vatican council, and the binding authority of its acts. Prominent 81110112; the signers appeared the weighty names of Dollinger,Triedrich, Schulte, Michrelis, nod Lutterbeck.
This formal protest induced the bishops forthwith to initiate repressive measures. In a pastoral, Sept. 10, they sounded the alarm and warned all true Catholics to submit; and when it became evident that the movement had not become popular with the and laity, they went further in depriving the protesting theologians of their functions, excommunicated them, and forbade students to frequent their lectures. With the exception of a few lukewarm, timid adherents. the great body of the reformers remained firm in their convictions. DiMlinger,•in a letter to his diocesan, dated Mar. 28, 1871, declared that, " as a Christian, as a theologian, as an historian, and as a citizen," he could not accept the new dogma. He was excommunicated for it April 17, 1871. His excommunication became the starting point of revived energy throughout Germany. In a formal declaration of principles the promoters of the movement said: "Faithful to the inviolable duty of every catholic Christian. which is also a thing not denied by pope or bishop. to hold fast by the ancient faith, and to reject innovations, even if proclaimed by an angel from heaven, we persist in the rejection of the Vatican dogma." The first old Catholic congress met at Munich, Sept. 22. 1871. It was attended by about 300 delegates from Germany'. Austria, and SWitzerland,=and - friends, from France. Russia, England, and'elsewhere. In the Tesoldtielis defined its theological status, and said with regard to its relations to other members of the Catholic church-. " We declare that the reproach of Jansenism against the Utrecht church is causeless; there is no dogmatic difference between her and ourselves. We hope for reunion with the oriental Greek and with the Russian churches, whose separation was without abso lute cause, and is based on no irreconcilable dogmatic difference. We expect, in the assumption of the reforms which we attempt, and in the way of science, and of progress- • ing Christian knowledge, a gradual understanding with the Protestant and Episcopal churches." The disposition of D011inger to stave off a complete ecclesiastical organiza
tion had to yield to the predominant opposite feeling. Meanwhile the old Catholic con gregatious were without episcopal supervision and ministrations, and the Bavarian con gregations secured the friendly of the archbishop of Utrecht in the. administration of confirmation. When the second old Catholic congress met at Cologne, Sept., 1872, the work of organization made progress. The church was to depend for episcopal functions temporarily on the bishops of the old Catholic church of Holland, and of the United Armenian church, whose attitude to Rome was analogous with their own. A. commission was appointed to take order for the election of a bishop by the clergy and laity. Intercommunion with the Eastern and Anglican churches was sought to be estab lished. The claim to by the state. with a share of the church property, was asserted. In the following year (June 4, 1873) Dr. Joseph Hubert Reinkens, professor of theology in the university of Breslau, was elected missionary bishop for Germany, and consecrated Aug. 11, at Rotterdam, by the bishop of Deventer. The third Old Catholic congress was held Sept. 12-14 at Constance, whose crowning act was the adoption of a synodal constitution. which provides for diocesan, provincial, and general synods, com posed of clerical and lay delegates, the latter on the basis of one delegate for every 200 constituents. The first synod,at Bonu, May 27, 1874, was attended by 28 clerical and 60 lay delegates. In the direction of reform its action was marked by conservative caution; confession, fasting and abstinence, and priestly celibacy were retained, the prevailing sentiment being the correction of Roman abuses and corruptions to the purer practice of the early church. The obnoxious features of so-called mixed marriages, i.e., marriages between Roman Catholics and Protestants, were set aside; the drafting of a new ritual and catechism was assigned to committees; a synodal representation or stand ing committee was appointed. The church at that time reported the existence through- outGermany of 132 parishes and societies, numbering about 25,000 souls, 41 priests, and 19 theological students. The 4th congress, at Freiburg. in Baden, Sept. 5-9, 1874, took action to establish an equitable legal status of the Old Catholic church in Germany, and a pro rata share of the church property. The congress was followed by a confer ence aiming at church unity, at Bonn, Sept. 14-16, 1874, at which Dr. Dohhinger pre sided, and in which, besides old Catholics, Easterns and Anglicans participated. It was unanimously agreed that the insertion of the words fiUnque in the Nicene creed was unlawful, and that it was very desirable to have them expunged by the concurrent action of the different churches. Other points of agreement amongst Old Catholics, Anglicans, and orientals were also discussed; e.g., the place of the Apocrypha in the canon; the relation of versions of the Bible to the original text; the proper language (a dead one or the vernacular) for the conduct of divine service; the doctrines of and indulgences, and of the immaculate conception. The prevailing sentiment on these and kindred themes was decidedly anti-papal, and agreement on them was regarded as a possible basis for the unification of Christendom.