Nordic Catholic Church

History

The Nordic Catholic Church was founded in 1999 by a group of traditional-minded people belonging to the "orthodox opposition" in the Lutheran state Church of Norway when they left the state church due to, for example, the ordination of women to the priesthood and episcopate. During the process both the Free Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden and the Anglican Forward in Faith organisation were kept fully informed. In Sweden it was paralleled by the foundation of the Mission Province of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden. Bishop Roald Nikolai, with respect to the name of the denomination, emphasized that Lutherans have historically referred to themselves as "catholic":

The "Statement of Faith" of the Nordic Catholic Church states that it adheres to its Lutheran heritage to the extent that it has embraced and transmitted the orthodox and catholic faith of the undivided church, therefore also embracing the Old Catholic faith as taught by the Polish National Catholic Church.

Along with the Polish National Catholic Church, the NCC is a member church of the Union of Scranton.

Old Catholic Church in Italy (Nordic Catholic Church vicariate)

In 2011, a fraction of a group named Orthodox Church in Italy was organized as an association in memory of its deceased primate, Antonio De Rosso, under the name 'Association of Metropolitan Antonio' (). In 2013, the association was reorganized as the Old Catholic Church in Italy, and in 2015 it became a vicariate of the Nordic Catholic Church.

Ecumenical relationships

Dialogue with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, with the approval of the Holy See, led in 1996 to an arrangement that Laurence J. Orzell has called "limited inter-communion". What this means is that the Catholic Church recognizes the validity of the sacraments of the Union of Scranton, and allows members of the Latin Church and Eastern Catholic Churches in particular exceptional circumstances, defined in Canon 844 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law of the Latin Church and the parallel canon 671 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, that are regulated by the diocesan bishop or conference of bishops, to receive three sacraments from Union of Scranton ministers. Canon 844 allows those Catholics who can avoid error and indifferentism and are unable to approach a Catholic minister to receive, under certain conditions, the sacraments of Reconciliation, Eucharist, and Anointing of the Sick from "non-Catholic ministers, ministers in whose churches these sacraments are valid". This canon declares it licit for Catholic priests to administer the same three sacraments to members of churches which the Holy See judges to be in the same condition in regard to the sacraments as the Eastern churches, if they ask for the sacraments of their own accord and are properly disposed. Obstacles to full communion include different understandings about papal primacy, the level of involvement of the laity in church governance, and the Union of Scranton's reception of some former Roman Catholic clergy, most of whom subsequently married.

The Union of Scranton has been also in ecumenical dialogue since 2018 with numerous jurisdictions from the continuing Anglican movement: the Anglican Catholic Church, the Anglican Province of America, and the Anglican Church in America—commonly referred to as the G-3. Progress has been steady, and the potential for full communion is said to be on the horizon and nearing quickly.

Since 2012, the Union of Scranton has been in dialogue with the Free Church of England.

References

References

1. (26 August 2012). "About us". Nordic Catholic Church.
2. (26 August 2012). "About us". Nordic Catholic Church.
3. "Scandinavian Lutherans form "Continuing" Church". [[Anglican Catholic Church]].
4. (18 January 2014). "What is the meaning of the word "Catholic"?". Nordic Catholic Church.
5. (8 April 1999). "Statement of Faith: Doctrinal agreement of 8 April 1999 between the PNCC and the delegation to Scranton from the Lutheran Free Synod of Norway". Nordic Catholic Church.
6. "The Union of Scranton: a union of churches in communion with the Polish National Catholic Church". Union of Scranton.
7. (2013-11-20). "Comunicato stampa". Chiesa Ortodossa in Italia, Associazione "Metropolita Antonio".
8. (2015-02-28). "Un giorno importante per la Chiesa". Chiesa Vecchio-Cattolica in Italia.
9. (November 2012). "Clergy directory". Nordic Catholic Church.
10. Orzell, Laurence J.. (May 2004). "Disunion of Utrecht".
11. "Joint Declaration on Unity".
12. "G-3 and PNCC Continue Ecumenical Dialogue".
13. "ECUMENICAL CONVERSATIONS {{!}} The Bishop's Blog".