| Old Catholic Church of the Czech Republic | |
|---|---|
) Cathedral of St Lawrence, Prague, mother church of the Old Catholic Church in Czech Republic | |
| Classification | Catholic |
| Theology | Ultrajectine |
| Governance | Episcopal |
| Leader | Dušan Hejbal |
| Associations | International Old Catholic Bishops' Conference |
| Region | Czech Republic |
| Headquarters | Prague |
| Branched from | Roman Catholic Church |
| Congregations | 16 |
| Members | 2,700 (2006)[1] |
| Ministers | 22 |
The Old Catholic Church of the Czech Republic consists of the Czech parishes in full communion with the Union of Utrecht of the Old Catholic Churches. The church is also a member of the National Ecumenical Council, the World Council of Churches and the Conference of European Churches. The official publication of the community is Communio.
In 1991, Bishop Dušan Hejbal was elected to head the church. He was consecrated on September 27, 1997. In 2003, under his leadership, the church began ordaining women to the diaconate.[2] He retired in 2015 and was succeeded by Benedikt Pavel Stránský in 2016.
Bishops
The following bishops have governed the Old Catholic Church in Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic.
- Aloisa Paszka (Alois Paszek, 1924-1946)
- Augustin Podolak (1968-1972)
- Jan Heger (1972-1991)
- Dušan Hejbal (1997-2015; elected in 1991 but not consecrated until 1997)
- Benedikt Pavel Stránský (2016–present)
References
- ^ Quelle: Christian Flügel: Die Utrechter Union und die Geschichte ihrer Kirchen; Verlag Books on Demand, Norderstedt 2006, ISBN 3-8334-6069-5; S. 58–60. Nach anderen Angaben hat sie 1.605 Mitglieder
- ^ Radio Praha: Bericht vom 30. Oktober 2003.
External links