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The Communion
Agreement
To be considered for membership in the
communion a bishop or Church must be of good standing in both the faith
and the local community. Each bishop or Church must be able to demonstrate
that said diocese or Church has in place valid and actual ministries
proclaiming the Gospel and providing the sacraments to the laity.
Any Old Catholic Church or Bishop
seeking to be part of the Old Catholic Communion of North America (OCCNA) is
expected to accept and follow a communion Concordat which each bishop will
be asked to sign. The communion Concordat
used by the OCCNA is directly patterned after the Bonn Agreement of 1931 which
is the document that established full communion between the Church of England
and the Old Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht.
We may be contacted via email at
occna@aol.com.
Blessings,
Bishops of the Old Catholic
Communion of North America
The Communion Concordat
What does this mean in practice?
Regarding the interpretation of Declaration of
Utrecht and the Fourteen Theses of Bonn:
The Declaration of Utrecht and the Fourteen
Theses of Bonn serve as the compass with which each communion formulates their
individual doctrinal positions. Each communion will accept and the honor the
discernment of the others as long as such discernment complies with spirit in
which these documents were penned. Examples of such discernment
are:
- Whether or not to include the Filioque clause in the Nicene Creed.
- Whether or not to accept or reject the beliefs of the Assumption and the
Immaculate Conception as the local or individual level yet rejecting Rome's
authority to make any such discipline into a binding dogma.
- Which rites to use.
- Which doctrines of the
council of Trent are harmonious to their respective Church.
- In the
spirit of these documents no one Church or bishop may attempt to impose
“primacy” on the others.
Regarding revisionist and post modern theology:
It is the position of the Churches of the Old Catholic Communion of North
America that the spirit of the Declaration of Utrecht and the Fourteen Theses of
Bonn require one to stand fast against such doctrines. Specifically those such
as:
- Ordination of noncelibate homosexual clergy.
- Providing same sex
marriages or blessing of same sex unions.
- Rejection of any part of the Nicene
Creed.
- Use of rites or practices of non-Christian religions.
Regarding the Lay people:
The members of each
Church may participate in each other's pastoral, congregational and
sacramental life.
Regarding Holy Orders:
Clergy: The Holy Orders of each Church
are recognized by all other Churches in the communion. Clergy can fully
participate in each other's ministries. Bishops may participate in the consecrations
of bishops of both churches and have regular consultations at many levels.
Female clergy: It
is the position of the Churches of the Old Catholic Communion of North
America that the spirit of the Declaration of Utrecht and the Fourteen Theses of
Bonn allows that such a decision is to be determined by each Church. While each
Church has the right to deny female ordination each Church will
accept the validity of females ordained in another Church.
Regarding non-compliance with the Concordat
agreement:
Any bishop or Church having agreed
to the Communion Concordat and then found to be not abiding by the
Concordat Statements will be notified and asked to comply. Any Bishop or
Church failing to accept and the honor the terms of the Concordat
will be considered as willing severing the agreement and as such the name of
the Bishop, and or Church will be removed from the role of the
Communion.
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