Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland

In Switzerland, about 13,600 people are members of the Christian Catholic Church (HKTSSH), united in 36 communities. HKTSSH is a member of the Association of Old Catholic Churches, united by the Utrecht Union . The largest number of believers lives in northern Switzerland, in the cities of Basel , Zurich , Reinfelden , Olten , Aarau . The largest communities were generally created in cities, rural communities of the HKCC exist only in the cantons of Argau and Solothurn .

At the head of the church is a bishop located in Bern , the bishop covers all of Switzerland. In most cantons of the country, the HKCC, along with the two churches dominating in Switzerland - Roman Catholic and Evangelical , is recognized as Landeskirche - that is, it has the right to use the funds collected by the state as a church tax.

The executive power in the church belongs to the Synodal Council, consisting of 10 members, 4 of which are clergymen and 6 lay people. The President of the Synodal Council must be a layman. The synod of the Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland consists of approximately 100 people, of which 2/3 are lay people.

At the University of Bern there is the only Christian Catholic faculty that prepares clergy for the HKCC. Theological and scientific publications by the church are published in the International Church Journal ( Internationale Kirchliche Zeitschrift , IKZ). The official body of the HKCC is - in the German-speaking Switzerland " Christkatholische Kirchenblatt ", in French-speaking Switzerland - " Presence Catholique Chretienne ".

In the HKCC, among the faithful there are the Women's Union, the Men's Association, the youth organization, the choral association, as well as the Brotherhood of St. John the Baptist.

The Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland was formed after the First Vatican Council in 1870 as a protest of some Catholic believers against the decisions adopted there on the infallibility of the Pope and the unlimited power granted to him over the church. Due to the protest expressed by this Catholic minority, it was expelled from the Roman Catholic Church. In this regard, the "dissenting" believers were forced to create their own church organization, headed by the bishop and synod, in which they, however, saw the continuation of the "old" Catholic church. Therefore, in other countries, the Christian Catholic Church is also called the "Old Catholic".

The decision to create their own church organization was made in 1872 at the so-called "Olten bottom". In 1875, the Constitution was approved. Her first bishop was Professor of Theology Eduard Herzog, who held this post until 1924 .

In order to preserve the spirit of early Christianity and the “old church”, several reforms were carried out in the KCTSS — synodal, restrictions on clerical privileges, the abolition of compulsory celibacy , and the introduction of local languages ​​in worship. Some of them were subsequently adopted by the Roman Catholic Church and approved at the 2nd Vatican Council.

In 1889, the Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland teamed up with the Old Catholic churches of the Netherlands and Germany to form Utrecht Union . To date, this union includes 8 old Catholic churches in the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Austria , the Czech Republic , the USA and Canada , Croatia and Poland . The bishops of these churches constantly meet to resolve common issues and to consult at inter-local Episcopal conferences, chaired by the Archbishop of Utrecht. Once every 4 years, Old Catholic congresses are held.

Particular relations connect the Old Catholics and the HCCC, including with the Anglican and Orthodox churches. Since 1931, the old Catholics concluded a “church unification” ( full communion ) with the Anglican Church. In 1975 - 1987, the old Catholics conducted an active dialogue with the Orthodox churches, which significantly improved relations between the two Christian denominations. Old Catholics themselves consider their position in the world as a kind of bridge between Roman Catholicism on the one hand, and Orthodox and Protestant churches on the other.

• Pfr. Dr. Harald Rein, Prof. Dr. Urs von Arx "Die christkatholische Kirche der Schweiz", Christkatholischer Schriftverlag 4010 Basel, 1999.