German Catholic Bishops' Conference's Agreement with the Bishop of the Old Catholic Church in Germany (1999)

ln accordance with Article 14 of its Statute of August 10, 1998, the German Catholic Bishops' Con­ference agrees with the Bishop of the Old Catholic Church in Germany, to the following arrangements for the acceptance of clergymen from one church into the ministry of the other:

1. The personal and responsible conversion of a clergyman may, in some circumstances, strain the relationship between the two churches, but it has to be accepted out of respect for matters of conscience. This joint agreement should, insofar as possible, alleviate problems for the individuals concerned, for their parishes, and for their churches as a whole.
2. ­If a clergyman of one church should be received into the ministry of the other church, such a reception needs to take place after a considerable time of preparation and discernment. 
3. Before the clergyman concerned receives an assignment, a waiting period of at least three months should be observed. This period shall serve as a time of introduction and settling into the other church as well as preparation for his designated ministry according to the rules and regulations of the respective church. The clergyman shall not be appointed to a ministry in the same region where he served in his previous church.
4. In all questions and difficulties that may arise in the application of the provisions of this agreement, the responsible officials of both churches will seek a joint solution in an ecumenical spirit.

Bonn, December 21, 1999

Signed by Bishop Dr. Karl Lehmann, President of the German Catholic Bishops' Conference and Bishop Joachim Vobbe, Catholic Diocese of the Old Catholics in Germany

German-Agreement.pdf