The Particular Church Beyond Rome
By †Gabriel O. Obiano, D.D. When many people hear the word Catholic, their minds immediately travel to Rome. For centuries, Rome has occupied a visible and influential place in Christian history. Yet Catholicity did not begin in Rome, nor is it confined to Rome. To speak honestly about the Church is to recognize a deeper and broader reality: there exists a particular Church beyond Rome, rooted in apostolic faith, sacramental life, and legitimate ecclesial authority. Who Are the Old Catholics? Old Catholics are not a modern invention, nor are they a breakaway movement born of protest. They are communities that consciously preserved the faith, worship, and ecclesial structure of the undivided Church, especially as it existed before later centralizations of authority. Old Catholic traditions stand firmly on Sacred Scripture, Apostolic Tradition, the ancient Creeds, and the sacramental life of the Church. To be Old Catholic is to remain Catholic as the Church originally understood herself:...