In Austria the Old Catholic Church has 24 parishes and upward of 16,001) members. Dr. Amandus Czech of Warnsdorf bias been chosen bishop, but not consecrated. the Government withholding its consent until adequate provision for an episcopal fund shall have been made. • The Old Catholic Union of Austria has been or ganized to promote the work of the Church, and has local branches in some of the larger towns. A sisters' home was established at Warnsdorf in 1899. The progress of the Old Catholic Church in the Austrian Empire has been assisted in late years. particularly in Bohemia and Styria, by a popular movement whose battle-cry is 'Los von Rom.' It began with the publication in 1898 of a tract by an Old Catholic priest. Anton Mittel of Warnsdorf. At first political motives influenced the movement. but it has assumed more of a religious character as it has gone on. At the international Old Catholic congress in 1002 Bishop-elect Czech said that 7000 members had been added to the Church through the 'Los von Rom' movement. A report published in 1902 gave the entire number of new members in the Old Catholic churches in Bohemia. Moravia, Styria, Upper Austria. and Vienna as 8114. as eompared with 18,082 who had joined the Lutheran and Reformed churehes.
In Holland the Jansenist Church (see JAN sExt8m) , which is affiliated with the movement, has 3 bishops, 8000 adherents, and 30 priests. In Italy there are S congregations and 10 priests: in Spain. 3000 adherents and 11 priests. In Franee the `Galliean Church' at Paris, founded by Pere Hyacinthe (see Lovsox, CuAntEs). now under the charge of the Bishop of Utrecht, is in sympathy with the movement. There are also a few of the communion in Portugal and Mexico. The so-called Independent Catholic Church in the States (q.v.). founded by the Rey. Anthony Koszlowski among the Polish immigrants in Chicago, has been generally re garded as representing „the movement in _1 leer iea. There have also been a few congregations in Wisconsin. They have a bishop, Ren6 Vilatte.
International Old Catholic congresses have been held at Cologne (in 1S00), Lucerne (1592), Rot terdam (1594), Vienna (1597), and Bonn (1902).
A number of Old Catholic periodicals m•e published: the Internationale theologische Zcit schrift (Peru(' internatitmalc (le th(Mogie), quarterly, Bern : altkalholisches Kirchenblutr, occasional. Bonn; Deutsche>. Mer kur, weekly, ib.; Altkutholisches l'olksblatt, weekly. ib.: Dcr Katholik, weekly, Bern; Lc Catholique Natimial, weekly, ib.; LIe Dad Katho lick, monthly, Rotterdam; Le Catholigne Fran cais, monthly, Paris; I/ La bare. monthly, San Remo: Girolumo Saronarola, weekly, Piacenza; La Luz, Madrid.
The literature is voluminous. The reports of the congresses, synods, etc., the pastoral letters, addresses, and other publications of the bishops and leaders. and the periodicals, particularly the Deutsche,. Merkur, give detailed information of the progress of the work. For its origin, consult Friedberg, Xaumlung der .1klenstitekc ersten. ratikanischot Konzil (Tiibingen, 1872), and Aktcasiiickc, die altkatholisehe Deu'cguny betreffend, »tit einem, Grundriss der Gcsehichto derselben (lb., 1876). Consult, also, Ilcrzog, Beat-age zur l'orycschich to der christkaiholisehen Kirchc der tiehweiz (Bern. 1896.) ; Nippold, Die Anfiingo der christkatholischen Itewcyung in der Schweiz. and dear Los-.'on-Mom lieu-Irian!' in Hes icrr( ich (Bern, 1901). For the history of the movement. consult von Schulte. Altkatholi ,:ismus ?ies,en, 1887), and the article olizismus" by the same author in the Hauek Herzog Rcaleneyeb1plidic, which is VOMpiete and authoritative for Germany to 1896. Hergenr;ith er, Handbuch (ler allgemeinen Kirchengeschiehte, ed., Freiburg. 1854). treats the move ment from the Roman Catholic standpoint. A popular account in English may be fonnd in an article by hieyschlag, "The Origin and Develop ment of the Old Catholic :Movement." in the American Journal of Theology, von. ii. (ISOS).