Statement of Faith

Statement of Faith

What we believe as a catholic and apostolic church

The faith of the Church begins and ends in Jesus Christ. He is our Lord, our Savior, and the one through whom we are brought into new life. In Him we receive mercy, truth, reconciliation, and hope.

Old Catholic Churches International stands within the life of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. We believe in the Holy Trinity, profess the Nicene Creed, cherish the Scriptures, and live our common life through worship, sacrament, prayer, and pastoral care.

This statement expresses the faith we confess, the sacramental life we share, and the kind of Church we strive to be in the world.

Our confession of faith

We believe that Jesus is the Christ and our personal Savior. We believe in the Holy Trinity. We believe in and profess the Nicene Creed. We believe that Jesus loves us all unconditionally and that through His death and resurrection we are brought to new life.

We believe in the seven sacraments of the Church: Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Eucharist, Anointing and the Sacrament of the Sick, Confession and Reconciliation, Marriage, and Holy Orders. We believe and hold apostolic succession, and we accept the doctrines of the seven early ecumenical councils. We also value the wisdom and guidance of the early Church Fathers.

We believe in the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, and we seek to live that faith in a way that is reverent, faithful, and pastorally alive.

The sacramental life of the Church

The sacraments stand at the heart of our life together. Through them the grace of God is given, the faithful are formed, and the Church is sustained in holiness, worship, and mission. The Holy Eucharist especially remains central to our common life, for it is there that the Church gathers most visibly as the Body of Christ.

Our faith is therefore not merely intellectual. It is sacramental, prayerful, embodied, and lived within the communion of the Church.

Holy Orders and ministry

We believe that Holy Orders are open to both men and women, and we hold that celibacy for those in Holy Orders is a personal decision rather than a universal obligation. We believe that the Church is enriched by the gifts of those called to serve, and that vocation should be discerned according to faithfulness, character, and suitability for ministry.

Through the Church, opportunities for lay and ordained ministry are given in order that the gospel may be preached, the sacraments celebrated, and the people of God shepherded with wisdom and compassion.

Welcome, mercy, and pastoral care

We affirm the dignity of every human person and reject doctrines that exclude people from the life of the Church on the basis of sexual orientation, race, gender, marital status, age, or ethnicity. We welcome culturally diverse people and all those who seek spiritual comfort, grace, and belonging in Christ.

We believe that everyone is welcome at the Table of Christ, and we reject teachings that deny the sacraments to those who sincerely seek Him. We also believe that Jesus is merciful, and for that reason divorced and remarried persons are not cut off from sacramental life. Marriage is holy, commitment matters, and mercy belongs at the center of pastoral care.

The Church must therefore be both faithful and generous: faithful in doctrine, generous in welcome, and merciful in practice.

Moral life and Christian responsibility

We believe that human life is sacred and that difficult moral questions must be approached with seriousness, prayer, compassion, and humility. We believe that abortion and euthanasia involve the taking of human life and should be avoided, yet we do not respond to those affected by such matters with condemnation. Rather, we seek to comfort, understand, and pray for those who are in pain or in need of help.

We believe in the responsible stewardship of our planet. We believe that family planning is a personal decision. We believe that Christian discipleship must touch real life and call the Church to act with both conviction and mercy.

In all such matters, we seek not harshness, but holiness; not indifference, but pastoral wisdom.

Scripture, tradition, and the Church

We believe in the scriptural teachings of Jesus Christ and hold Holy Scripture in deep reverence. We read the Scriptures within the life of the Church, with theological seriousness and with awareness of their historical setting. We do not separate Scripture from the worshiping and believing community through which it has been received, proclaimed, and interpreted.

For that reason, our faith is shaped not only by the biblical text, but by the wider inheritance of the Church: creed, council, sacrament, prayer, and apostolic continuity.

A final word

This Statement of Faith is meant to be read not as a slogan, but as a confession. It tells plainly what this Church believes about Christ, the sacraments, the Church, the moral life, and the welcome of God.

It is the faith we proclaim, the faith we worship, and the faith by which we seek to live.