By: Rev. Fr. Jerome Salvador, SSW
The recent articulation of “full communion” within the Roman Catholic Church offers a valuable opportunity for theological reflection on ecclesiology, sacramental theology, and apostolic succession. While affirming the indispensable role of communion with the Bishop of Rome as the visible head of the universal Church, it is also necessary to engage with the broader theological context provided by the Second Vatican Council, post-conciliar magisterial teaching, and Church tradition.
This response seeks to situate the North American Old Roman Catholic Church, Utrecht Succession, Archdiocese of California (NAORCC, US, AoC) within a faithful Catholic framework by drawing upon magisterial sources and historical precedents. It upholds the Church’s teaching on the necessity of unity, while also acknowledging that degrees of communion are part of the Church’s own ecclesiological self-understanding.
I. The Meaning of Full Communion in Light of Catholic Ecclesiology
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), full communion involves unity in faith, the sacraments, and ecclesial governance, especially under the Pope, the successor of St. Peter.[ Catechism of the Catholic Church, §815.] This is echoed in Unitatis Redintegratio §2, which affirms that Christ established only one Church, yet acknowledges the reality of divisions that wound the Church’s unity.
However, Lumen Gentium teaches that the Church of Christ “subsists in” the Catholic Church, meaning that while the fullness of truth and means of salvation reside in the Catholic Church, elements of sanctification and truth also exist outside her visible structure.[ Vatican II, Lumen Gentium, §8.] The Council fathers emphasize that:
“Some, even very many, of the most significant elements and endowments which together go to build up and give life to the Church herself, can exist outside the visible boundaries of the Catholic Church.”[ Ibid., §15.]
This theological nuance underpins the recognition of other Christian communities as participating in imperfect communion, especially those preserving valid apostolic succession (thus valid priesthood), and valid Eucharistic worship.
Dominus Iesus clarifies that “particular Churches” not in full communion with Rome but possessing valid sacraments are truly part of the Church of Christ, albeit in a wounded form.[ Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Dominus Iesus, §17 (2000).] This doctrinal foundation allows us to speak of the NAORCC, US, AoC, as part of the una sancta Ecclesia, while acknowledging the absence of full juridical communion.
II. Apostolic Succession and Sacramental Validity
The Roman Catholic Church affirms that valid apostolic succession is a constitutive element of a true particular Church. The Council of Trent declared that Holy Orders are a sacrament instituted by Christ and conferred through the imposition of hands by a validly consecrated bishop with apostolic lineage.[ Council of Trent, Session 23, Decree on the Sacrament of Order (1563).] The Church has consistently taught that the objective validity of the sacraments is not nullified by imperfect communion, as long as the proper form, matter, and intention are present.
The NAORCC, US, AoC, through its historical ties to the See of Utrecht, maintains an unbroken line of episcopal succession traceable to Catholic roots. This succession has been recognized by theological historians such as C.B. Moss and Peter Anson, who document the autonomy and doctrinal orthodoxy of the Old Roman Catholic tradition prior to modern ecclesiastical disputes.[ C.B. Moss, The Old Catholic Movement: Its Origins and History (London: SPCK, 1948); Peter Anson, Bishops at Large (London: Faber & Faber, 1964).]
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith reiterated in Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on Some Aspects of the Church Understood as Communion (1992) that apostolic succession, when preserved, ensures the valid celebration of the Eucharist and the transmission of sacramental grace, even in communities not in full communion.[ Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Letter on Communion, May 1992.]
Thus, the NAORCC, US, AoC possesses valid sacraments according to Catholic theology, echoing the Church’s recognition of Eastern Orthodox sacraments—valid despite the lack of full communion.[ Dominus Iesus, §17.]
III. Autonomy vs. Schism: Canonical and Doctrinal Considerations
The 1983 Code of Canon Law defines schism as “the refusal of submission to the Supreme Pontiff or of communion with the members of the Church subject to him.”[ Codex Iuris Canonici (1983), can. 751.] However, ecclesial autonomy does not necessarily imply formal schism. The Church makes a key distinction between schism and non-juridical self-governance, particularly when doctrinal fidelity and sacramental integrity are preserved.
As Unitatis Redintegratio §3 teaches:
“Churches and ecclesial communities which are separated from us… possess many elements of sanctification and truth.”[ Vatican II, Unitatis Redintegratio, §3.]
The NAORCC, US, AoC acknowledges papal primacy and doctrinal authority—affirming the Nicene Creed, the seven ecumenical councils, and key Marian dogmas. Its autonomy mirrors the historical autonomy of the See of Utrecht, sanctioned by Pope Leo X in 1520 via the Leonine Privilege, which allowed the cathedral chapter to elect bishops independently while maintaining doctrinal unity with Rome.[ C.B. Moss, The Old Catholic Movement, 75–78.]
This privilege was reaffirmed through various ecclesiastical correspondences until conflicts arose in the 18th century over Jansenism, which the Utrecht Church rejected in its official declarations.[ Anson, Bishops at Large, 58–66.] Therefore, the NAORCC’s lineage remains sacramentally intact, and its self-governance reflects a historical ecclesial model, not a rejection of Catholic unity.
IV. Ecclesial Communion and the Sensus Ecclesiae
Ecclesiological reflection must be grounded in the Church’s own understanding of the sensus ecclesiae—the awareness of the faithful in continuity with Tradition. As Pope Benedict XVI taught:
“The Church is not an organization like others, but a living organism that subsists in the Word and the Eucharist and whose unity is rooted in Christ.”[ Benedict XVI, Ecclesia de Eucharistia (2003), §34.]
The NAORCC, US, AoC maintains its doctrinal alignment with the core teachings of the Catholic faith, including:
Acceptance of the Petrine ministry,
Full belief in transubstantiation,
Veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
Observance of the liturgical year and sacraments, and
Communion with the saints and apostolic tradition.
This reflects a genuine sensus fidei, which the International Theological Commission affirms is a valid criterion of ecclesial authenticity, even when existing in communities outside the canonical boundaries of the Church.[ International Theological Commission, Sensus Fidei in the Life of the Church (2014), §88–91.]
V. A Call to Ecclesial Dialogue and Reconciliation
As articulated in Pope John Paul II’s Ut Unum Sint (1995), the ecumenical path must be marked by mutual recognition and an honest effort to rediscover unity based on shared apostolic foundations. He writes:
“The Church must breathe with her two lungs!”[ John Paul II, Ut Unum Sint, §54.]
In this spirit, the Roman Catholic Church is called to engage with Churches such as the NAORCC, US, AoC not simply through juridical critique but through sacramental recognition and theological charity, grounded in the principles of ecumenical dialogue laid out by Vatican II.
Conclusion
The NAORCC, US, AoC shares in the Church of Christ through valid apostolic succession, authentic sacramental life, and doctrinal fidelity. While not yet in full juridical communion with the Bishop of Rome, it reflects a particular apostolic Church in imperfect communion, deserving recognition within the Catholic ecclesial vision.
We echo the call of Christ in John 17:21, “That they may all be one,” and affirm that the path to unity must be rooted in truth, love, and an honest acknowledgment of what the Spirit continues to preserve in diverse ecclesial bodies.