Old Catholic

noun

1. a member of any of several European churches professing to be truly Catholic but rejecting certain modern Roman Catholic doctrines, dogmas, and practices, especially the dogma of papal infallibility.
2. a member of any of several minor churches, especially in the U.S., differing from the Roman Catholic Church chiefly in their rejection of the ecclesiastical authority of the Roman Catholic hierarchy.

Old Catholic

adjective

1. of or relating to several small national Churches which have broken away from the Roman Catholic Church on matters of doctrine

noun

1. a member of one of these Churches

Word History and Origins

Origin of Old Catholic¹

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

The Old Catholic movement, however, never made much progress in Austria.

From Project Gutenberg

It is very evident how the mediæval and old catholic dogmas were transformed in the view which Luther originally took of them.

From Project Gutenberg

No. 59 is the site of the first Old Catholic church, founded in 1831 by abb Chatel.

From Project Gutenberg

It was published several years ago, appended to my Old Catholic Church.

From Project Gutenberg