The Primatial See of Nova Terra

 

 

The North American Old Roman Catholic Church is an integral part of the Catholic Church. Its governmental structure, while independent of the Vatican, is based upon a similar, yet different and simpler structure.

 

 

THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

The Roman Catholic Church's structure centers around the Papal Office at the Vatican. The senior cleric in the Roman Catholic Church is His Holiness, the Pope. His jurisdiction, The Holy See, is universal throughout the world, though in practice the Pope exercises his Diocesan jurisdiction (as a Bishop) solely in Rome. His Metropolitical  jurisdiction (as an Archbishop) is throughout the Roman Province and the Suburbicarian Dioceses. His Primatial jurisdiction (as a Primate) extends to the entire country of Italy, and his Patriarchial jurisdiction (as Patriarch of the West) is exercised over the entire Western or Latin Rite of the Catholic Church. His Universal  jurisdiction (as Supreme Pontiff) extends throughout the entire Catholic Church the whole world over, in all Rites, Patriarchates, Archdioceses and Dioceses. Thus the structure of the Roman Catholic Church appears as follows:

 

THE POPE- THE SOVEREIGN PONTIFF, (THE HOLY SEE)

• College of Cardinals (advisors to the Pope)

• Patriarchs (Patriarchates and Rites) 

• Primates  (Primatial Sees)

• Metropolitans  (Archdioceses)

• Bishops  (Dioceses)

• Priests  (Parishes)

 

 

THE NORTH AMERICAN OLD ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

The North American Old Roman Catholic Church is organized on a similar pattern but simpler and with fewer layers of bureaucracy.

 

While we acknowledge the Holy Fathers's role as the visible center of Catholic Unity, and respect his jurisdictional authority as Primate and Patriarch of the West (one of his traditional titles), we also realize that such Primatial and Patriarchal authority was initially on a more limited scope, and did not cover parts of the western world that had not yet been discovered or civilized. Thus many parts of Europe and all of North, South and Central America did not originally fall under the Pope's jurisdiction according to those two titles.

 

Also the status of his universal jurisdiction over the entire Church has been a matter of debate for centuries....most especially between the Eastern and Western Churches and Patriarchates. The Eastern Churches (and we with them) recognize the Holy Father as the Patriarch of the West and as the First-Among-Equals. They do not recognize or acknowledge his universal jurisdiction over the entire Church both East and West.

 

Our Primate's own Primatial jurisdiction in the See of Nova-Terra is universal throughout all of the Provinces, Archdioceses and Dioceses of the North American Old Roman Catholic Church wherever they are located. His Metropolitical jurisdiction is exercised within the Province of North America. His Diocesan jurisdiction is exercised solely within his own Diocese. Thus the structure of our jurisdiction appears as follows:

 

THE PRIMATE  (THE PRIMATIAL SEE OF NOVA-TERRA)

• Metropolitans  (Provinces and Archdioceses)

• Bishops  (Dioceses)

• Priests  (Parishes)