Minority Orthodox and Old Catholic Churches
as Part of the Original Church of Christ
United Roman-Ruthenian Church

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from the Prefecture of Faith and Doctrine

22 October 2024

Summary:

Old Catholic and Orthodox churches are legitimate continuations of the original Church of Christ, distinct from Protestantism. They maintain Apostolic succession, core doctrines, and sacramental practices aligned with early Christianity. Their governance promotes unity, contrasting with Protestant fragmentation. They reject sola scriptura, valuing both Scripture and Tradition. Overall, they embody the authentic faith and practices of the early church.


The various minority Orthodox and Old Catholic churches are legitimate, canonical, and part of the original Church of Christ, whether or not they are in any kind of communion with or hold any kind of recognition from any or all other autocephalous Churches. They furthermore are not Protestant or in any way related to the principles of the Protestant movement. This follows from historical, theological, and ecclesiological principles:

1. Apostolic Succession

A key marker of legitimacy in Christian theology is Apostolic Succession, the uninterrupted transmission of spiritual authority from the apostles through successive bishops. Both the Old Catholic and Orthodox autocephalous churches maintain Apostolic succession, meaning their bishops can trace their ordination lineage back to the apostles (Ullmann, 2003). This historical continuity affirms their connection to the early church founded by Christ. In contrast, Protestant churches (excepting some protestant Anglicans) lack such a succession, with claimed authority often based on scriptural interpretation rather than historical lineage (Bireley, 1999).

Premise 1: The original Church of Christ maintained Apostolic succession as a mark of continuity and authority.

Premise 2: Old Catholic and autocephalous Orthodox churches maintain Apostolic succession, tracing their bishops' authority back to the apostles (Ware, 1993).

Conclusion: Therefore, based on valid Apostolic Succession, Old Catholic and autocephalous Orthodox churches are legitimate continuations of the original Church of Christ.

2. Theological and Liturgical Continuity

Old Catholic and Orthodox churches retain the same core doctrines that were established by the undivided Church during the first millennium, such as the belief in the Nicene Creed, the seven sacraments, and the role of the episcopate (bishops) in maintaining the church's unity. They continue to celebrate the sacraments in accordance with ancient traditions (Chadwick, 1993).

In contrast, Protestant churches often diverge in their theological and liturgical practices, frequently excessively simplifying or rejecting sacraments such as the Eucharist or confession. For example, many Protestants view the Eucharist symbolically rather than as the real presence of Christ, which breaks from historic Christian understanding.

Premise 1: The original Church of Christ upheld the sacraments, the Nicene Creed, and episcopal leadership.

Premise 2: Old Catholic and Orthodox churches uphold these same sacraments, creeds, and leadership structures (McGrath, 2016; Congar, 1984)).

Conclusion: Therefore, Old Catholic and Orthodox churches maintain theological and liturgical continuity with the original Church of Christ, distinguishing them from Protestant innovations.

3. Ecclesial Authority and Unity

The Orthodox and Old Catholic churches generally operate with a model of conciliarity, meaning that, while certain decisions are made hierarchically, others decisions are made collectively by bishops in synods or councils, similar to the early church's ecumenical councils (Meyendorff, 1989). This preserves ecclesial unity and coherence. Even when some autocephalous churches operate independently, they share the same faith, sacraments, and traditions (Brown, 1984).

Protestantism, by contrast, has experienced extensive fragmentation, largely because of its emphasis on individual interpretation of Scripture. This has led to thousands of denominations, each often claiming to represent true Christianity based on their readings of the Bible, resulting in theological diversity and disunity.

Premise 1: The original Church of Christ was marked by unity under episcopal authority, as exemplified in early councils.

Premise 2: Old Catholic and Orthodox churches maintain this unity through apostolic bishops and synodal governance.

Conclusion: Therefore, Old Catholic and Orthodox churches continue the original ecclesial unity, unlike Protestant denominations that are characterized by fragmentation.

4. Sacramental Life and Grace

The Old Catholic and Orthodox churches hold to a sacramental view of grace, affirming that sacraments such as the Eucharist, baptism, and confession are real channels of divine grace instituted by Christ Himself (Martos, 2014). This understanding places them in continuity with the ancient church, which saw the sacraments as essential for salvation and spiritual life (Schmemann, 1973).

Protestant denominations, on the other hand, generally adopt a more symbolic or non-sacramental view of these rites. Some Protestants, for example, regard baptism and the Eucharist as merely outward signs, rather than actual means of grace.

Premise 1: The original Church of Christ practiced the sacraments as means of grace (Martos, 2014).

Premise 2: Old Catholic and Orthodox churches continue to administer these sacraments in the same way.

Conclusion: Therefore, these churches maintain the sacramental life of the original Church, whereas most Protestant denominations do not.

5. Non-Protestant Identity

Unlike Protestant churches, which were born out of the Reformation and emphasize sola scriptura (Scripture alone) and individual interpretation of the Bible, the Old Catholic and Orthodox churches continue to hold tradition and Scripture in balance. They reject the Protestant idea that the Bible is the sole source of authority, instead seeing the church's tradition, the teachings of the Church Fathers, and ecumenical councils as also equally authoritative.

Premise 1: The original Church of Christ did not hold to sola scriptura, but to both Scripture and Tradition as authoritative.

Premise 2: Old Catholic and Orthodox churches reject sola scriptura and uphold the authority of both Scripture and Tradition.

Conclusion: Therefore, Old Catholic and Orthodox churches are not Protestant but maintain the ancient Church's method of authority.

Conclusion: Legitimacy and Non-Protestant Identity

Old Catholic and Orthodox churches are legitimate parts of the original Church of Christ due to their preservation of Apostolic succession, sacramental life, liturgical continuity, and ecclesial governance rooted in ancient tradition. Their clear distinctions from Protestant denominations—particularly in their adherence to tradition and unity under apostolic authority—affirm that they are not Protestant but instead part of the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. This continuity in both form and function links them to the early Christian community, making them canonical expressions of the original faith passed down through the centuries.
 
References

Bireley, R. The Refashioning of Catholicism, 1450–1700: A Reassessment of the Counter-Reformation. Macmillan, 1999.
Brown, R. The Churches the Apostles Left Behind. Paulist Press, 1984.
Chadwick, H. The Early Church. Penguin, 1993.
Congar, Y. Tradition and Traditions: The Biblical, Historical, and Theological Evidence for Catholic Teaching on Tradition. Ignatius Press, 1984.
Martos, J. Doors to the Sacred: A Historical Introduction to Sacraments in the Catholic Church. Liguori Publications, 2014.
McGrath, A. Christian Theology: An Introduction. Wiley-Blackwell, 2016.
Meyendorff, J. Imperial Unity and Christian Divisions: The Church 450-680 A.D. St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1989.
Schmemann, A. For the Life of the World: Sacraments and Orthodoxy. St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1973.
Ullmann, W. A Short History of the Papacy in the Middle Ages. Routledge, 2003.
Ware, T. The Orthodox Church. Penguin, 1993.


 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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