OLD CATHOLICS. The body known as the Old Catholics (Alt-Katholiken) arose in Germany in protest against the definition of Papal infallibility made by the Vatican Council in 1870. The Council was held under the presidency of Pope Pius IX. The proclamation was as follows: " If, therefore, anyone says that the Roman Pontiff possesses only the office of Inspection or Direction, but not the full and highest power of Jurisdiction over the Universal Church, not only in things pertaining to faith and morals, but also in those pertaining to the discipline and government of the Church spread over the whole world; or that he has only the more important share, but not the fulness of this highest power; or that such his power is not an ordinary and immediate one, as well over all and several Churches as over all and several pastors and faithful, let him be anathema." It was further taught and defined as a dogma divinely revealed that " when the Roman Pontiff speaks ex cathedra, i.e., when in the exercise of his office as the Pastor and Doctor of all Christians, through his supreme apostolic authority, he defines the teaching which is to be received by the Universal Church regarding faith or morals, then, by virtue of the Divine assistance promised to him in St. Peter, he is invested with the infallibility with which it was the will of the Divine Redeemer that His Church should be endowed, in the definition of doctrine touching faith and morals; and that .therefore such definitions of the Roman Pontiff are unalterable in themselves, and not by consent of the Church." This new doctrine met at once with considerable opposition, and was repudiated in particular by forty-two Professors of the University of Munich, the chief of whom was Malinger (1799-1890). In 1870 an assembly was held at Nuremberg at which the Vatican declaration was rejected publicly by a still larger nuirlber of professors. Early in the next year Dellinger made his famous declaration in which he explained that " as a Christian, as a theologian, as an historian, as a citizen," he could not accept the new Vatican doctrine. This declaration came to be regarded in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and France as the authoritative reply of the Old Catholics to the Vatican claim. On the 1Sth of April in the same year DZillinger was excommunicated by the Archbishop of Munich. This of course widened the breach. In
September 1871 a conference of Old Catholics was held in Munich, and was attended by eight hundred delegates. The programme adopted was as follows: " The reten tion of the old Catholic faith; assertion of rights as Catholics; rejection of the new dogmas; retention of the constitution of the ancient Church, with omission of such declarations of the faith as were not in harmony with the actual belief of the Church: reform of the Church, with such co-operation of the laity as was consistent with its constitution; efforts towards the reunion of Christian confessions; reform of the training and posi tion of the clergy; allegiance to the State, in opposition to the attacks of Ultramontanism; rejection of the Jesuits; solemn protest in favour of claims as Catholics upon the endowments of the Church." It was decided also to form Unions and Congregations. When this had been done, it became necessary to elect a bishop. The choice fell upon Joseph Hubert Reinkens (1821-1896), Pro fessor of Theology at Breslau. He was consecrated at Rotterdam by the Jansenist Bishop of Deventer according to the Roman rite. The Old-Roman or Jansenist Church of Holland had been for nearly two hundred years a Catholic Church independent of Rome, but it had pre served the apostolic succession. Addis and Arnold state that the Dutch Jansenists (see JANSENISTS), unlike most other sects, remain just where they were on their separation from Rome. " They have retained valid orders, the celibacy of the clergy, the Mass and other services in Latin." The Old Catholics allow the laity to communicate in both kinds. They have abolished com pulsory celibacy of the clergy, indulgences, the worship of the Blessed Virgin Mary, etc. They have made private confession voluntary. In 1876 the Old Catholics in Switzerland felt the need of a bishop. They elected Professor Eduard Herzog (b. 1841), and he was con secrated at Rheinfelden by Bishop Reinkens. R. S. Oldham points out that there has been an active sympathy between the Old Catholic Churches and the Churches of the Anglican Communion, and that Bishop Reinkens and Bishop Herzog have been welcomed as equals by English prelates at Lambeth, Farnham, and Cambridge. Accord ing to the same writer, the Old Catholics in 1889 num bered about 120,000 or 130.000. See J. H. Blunt; Prot. Diet.; Oath. Dict., 1905; R. S. Oldham, " Old Catholi cism," in R.S.W.