Old Catholic Church

The Old Catholic Church is a name for a group of Christian churches. Most of them are from German-speaking countries. Their beliefs are close to that of the Anglican Church. Most Old Catholics are part of the Union of Utrecht.

The Old Catholics split from the Roman Catholic Church in the 1870s because the First Vatican Council (1869-1870) had decided that the Pope is infallible. The Council was from 1869 to 1870. The term "Old Catholic" was first used in 1853 for the See of Utrecht, which was not under the authority of the Pope.