OLD CATHOLICS. A religious communion, found in Germany and Switzerland, which owed its origin to certain Boman Catholics who refused to accept the dogma of infallibility passed by the Vatican Council (q.v.), duly Is, 1570. Before the Council assembled it was known that snob a dogma would be discussed, and a determined opposition to it developed. Foremost among the opponents was the :.\111nich profes sor Ignaz VCID D;Alinger (q.v.). and after the dogma was promulgated lie headed a gathering at Nuremberg, August 27, 1870, of professors from Bonn. Breslau, Bratinsberg, :\funieb, :Minister, Prague, Wiirzburg, and elsewhere, who sent forth a protest. The chief signers '4 the protest were deposed or excommunicated. Nevertheless, they persisted in the advocaey of their belief and found sympathizers. on Septem ber 22-24, 1371, the first Old Catholic Congress met at .Munich, attended by about 300 delegates from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. and friends from Holland, France. Russia, England. and other countries. In the adopted the congress defined its theological status. 1)dl linger was not in favor of forming an ecclesias tical organization, lint the majority determined upon it. A large number of Old Catholic eon gregat huts sprang up in many places in Germany. The seennd congress met. at Cologne, September 20-22, 1872: provision was made for the election of a bishop, interommmnion with the Eastern and Anglican churches was sought, and a claim to recognition by the State. with a share of the Church properly. was asserted. Joseph Hubert Beinkens (q.v.), professor of theology in the University of Breslau. was sleeted bishop in the following June and conseerated in August at Botterdam hy Hoye:imp. dansenist Bishop of Deventer. Ile continued to serve till his death, January 4. 1s911. when he succeeded by Weller. who had been consecrated co adjutor bishop the preceding year. old Catholic bishops have been reeognized by the governments of Baden, Ilesse, and Prussia, and the latter has granted them a share in the ecclesiastical property. The third congress, held at Constanee.
September, 1873. further perfected the organiza tion, and in following year the Church was able to report 132 parishes and soeielies in (:er many, with about 23.000 members. 41 priests, and 12 theological students. the fourth con gress Ott Baden. 18741, a conferenee aiming at Church unity was held at Bonn. Dr. Dellinger presided, and representatives of the Eastern and _1nglican churches participated.
The bishops of the Old Catholic Church in Ger many are chosen by the clergy and people to gether. Its synods Ore representative bodies hav ing the initiative in legislation. It rejects the doctrines of infallibility and the immaeulate con ception. the obligation to confess, and priestly absolution. Indulgences and the veneration of saints are modified. !any ecclesiastical taxes arc abolished, and the mass is recited in the vernacu lar. The priests are allowed to many. for chm•ch improvement and charitable work have been formed. Between 1857 and 1900, S00.000 marks were spent in chm•ch building„. The .1 11 1,•alholiseher Press- and Schriftenrerein had, in 1900, 1476 members in about 200 places. The Alt katholiseher Schtresternrcrein in Bonn maintains a deaconess work. The Amalie root. Lasauls Haus is a training institute for nurses at Essen. The Charitas mutual benevolent or burial soeiety had 1742 members in 1900. An orphans' home was founded at Bonn in 1897. In 1901 there Were 59 ()Id Catholic priests in Germany. and from 50.000 to 60.000 adherents.
The movement early took root in Switzerland, especially in GellOYa. resulted in 1573 in the formation of the Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland. Eduard Herzog (q.v.) was chosen bishop in 1876. 1111901 there were 41 congregations, 56 priests., with Dr.Thiirlings as theological proles son in the University of Bern. and 50,000 adherents.