This text from the First Letter of Peter provided the basis for the work of the 29^th International Old Catholic Congress of the Churches of the Union of Utrecht, which met from 7^th to 11^th August 2006 with the theme “the Hope which lives in us”, in Freiburg i.B. (Germany). The congress celebrated the 75^th anniversary of the Bonn Agreement between the Old Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht and the Anglican Communion.

The main themes were the shift in values in today’s Europe and the common witness of Old Catholics and Anglicans: what hopes and longings fulfil us as Christians? What hopes do our churches have? What possibilities do we see for developing our hopes in the church in a particular place? What might be the shape of common Old Catholic and Anglican hopes and visions?

In the first part of the Congress we addressed the sense of values in today’s society and the changes in values in the churches. The change in values in the course of our own lives has also played a role.

In all these changes we continue to see the Christian faith as the foundation of our life. Thereby we seek to make visible and share with each other the hope which carries us: Jesus Christ and his new creation. We wish to place our resources – both spiritual and material – in the service of others. Our action should be led by respect towards all living creatures and fearless defence of our values.

In our parishes this could mean in concrete terms that we see ourselves as inns, as open places of hospitality, which are inspired by the Gospel to be spiritual oases and places where people who are searching for meaning and a sense of belonging can find a home.

Therefore churches which are in sacramental communion with each other are asked to consider how this task can best be fulfilled through the building up of common structures. This applies particularly to Anglican and Old Catholic Churches and their members, who have lived in full communion with each other since the Bonn Agreement of 1931 and have since then grown ever closer through theological reflection, practical co-operation, and also such factors as migration and social challenges. We call upon our members to deepen further the sense of community between Old Catholics and Anglicans which we have been able to experience and celebrate at the congress, above all on the level of the parishes through the more active involvement of the laity.

The Beginnings

The first three (Old) Catholic Congresses were international ecumenical meetings mostly attended by Catholics who for reasons of conscience were not prepared to accept the dogmas of Papal Infallibility and Primacy of the Pope with supreme judicial authority formulated at Vatican I 1870. Further congresses held between 1874 and the founding of the Union of Utrecht 1889 were mainly meetings of the newly formed Old Catholic Church of Germany.  They served both the inner strengthening of the church and its external growth. This changed after the founding of the Union of Utrecht in 1889 once the independent catholic churches of western Europe, with the creation of the International Bishops Conference de facto became the Old Catholic denomination.

From German to International Congresses

One year after the foundation of the Union of Utrecht in 1889, the 10. Old Catholic Congress (1890 in Cologne) declared itself to be the 'First International Old Catholic Congress'. The second International Old Catholic Congress (1892 in Lucerne) developed the common Old Catholic ecclesiology in a list of directional theses. A joint academic Journal was also started, the "Revue Internationale de Théologie", since 1911 "Internationale Kirchliche Zeitschrift". The congresses also attempted from the common ground that had been won -- the old, undivided church of the first millennium -- to move towards friendly churches, whose representatives took a more and more active roll. Later negotiations with the Anglicans and the Orthodox are one result.

After WWII the congresses turned more to questions of parish life. The Congress in Geneva in 1990 saw this enlarged to include social and ethical questions

Basics

The Old Catholic Congresses are free meetings without function in church government. According to the statutes approved in 1913 and revised in 1961 and 1982 their purpose is to cultivate and promote relationships and cooperation within the Old Catholic Churches and with the Anglican and Orthodox churches. In recent decades besides ecumenical themes, pastoral and social questions have been discussed. Business affairs are dealt with by the Standing Committee of the Congress to which each Old Catholic Church is entitled to send a delegate. 

Statutes of the International Old Catholic Congresses

Accepted by the 23rd International Old Catholic Congress in Vienna,
September 10, 1982

(Translator's Note: In case of questions the official German text should be consulted.)

Art. 1

International Congresses of the catholic churches independent of Rome are normally held every four years. .

Art. 2

The preparation for the Congresses is in the hands of the Sanding Committee of the International Old Catholic Congresses (hereafter called Standing Committee).

Art. 3

Each church represented in the Union of Utrecht has the right to send one delegate to the Standing Committee. How this delegate is chosen, and the length of service is to be determined by the sending church.

The Standing Committee chooses a chairperson, a vice chairperson and a secretary from its members.

New members of the Standing Committee are presented to the next Congress.

Art. 4

The Chairperson leads the Committee, in his absence the vice chairperson. The secretary writes and keeps the minutes.

Decisions of the Standing Committee are made by majority agreement.

Art. 5

Each Congress decides in which country the next Congress shall be held.

The specific place for the Congress is determined by the authorities of the local church in agreement with the Standing Committee.

The Standing Committee determines and prepares the themes of the next Congresses in agreement with the church authorities, prepares the necessary materials, and arranges for speakers.

Art. 7

It is the responsibility of the representatives in the Standing Committee to inform their churches about the work of the Committee and to present their ideas and suggestions to the3 Committee in return.

Art. 8

Organising the congress - including the financial details is the responsibility of the local committee.

The local committee is chosen by the authorities of the hosting country.

Art. 9

The local committee decides the exact timing of the congress in consultation with its national church authorities.

Nine months before the congress the following invitations should go out:

a)      to all Old Catholics through publicity in the church journals;

b)      through personal invitations to the leaders of the Old Catholic Churches and the churches with which friendly relationships are kept up;

c)      through general invitation to further interested people in the churches with which friendly relationships are kept up.

The invitation are sent:

a)        By direction of the leadership of the host country, in the name of their bishop and local committees;

b)       in the names of the International Bishops Conference and of the Standing Committee.

Art. 10

The Congress is opened by the Chairperson of the Standing Committee. He leads the election of the Presidency of the Congress and then hands the leadership of the Congress to the person(s) elected.

The presidency is responsible for preparing the official report of the congress.

Art. 11

The secretary of the standing committee reports to the Congress about the work accomplished since the previous Congress.

Art. 12

Wishes and suggestions are received during the final session of the Congress. They are given to the standing committee for discussion and realization.

Art. 13

The official publication of the congress is the <<Internationale Kirchliche Zeitschrift>>.

The official report of the congress appears in an issue of the journal which is sent to all of the participants. The cost of this is included in the price of the Congress.

Art. 14

Proposals for amendments to the statutes must be sent in writing to all registered participants before the beginning of the congress.

Art. 15

Overview of the Old Catholic Congresses 1871-2006