About Us

Learn more about our Church’s origin.

The Holy See of Antioch traces its origins to around the year 33A.D. via its Apostolic Lines of succession held by all its Bishops and the Gentile Christians in the Ancient Principality of Antioch, now Antakya in south east Turkey.

As with all Old Catholic Churches, we are recognised by the Holy See of Rome. (Roman Catholic Journal 1974 and Pope John Paul II, with Pope Benedick XVI, by an Edict published in 2000 A.D.) We are therefore positioned similarly alongside the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch, and the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria.

Simon Peter, the XXV Pontiff, was elected on 14th April 2023, He has chosen the style of address as the Most Reverend Dr Simon Walsh, DD, OSB, Bishop of Antioch and the Curia of our Holy See consists of four Cardinals, who include a Secretary of State and Chancellor.

The Holy See has a global following with dioceses around England and Wales, the United States of America, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Dublin in the Republic of Ireland, Chile as well as Trondheim in Norway.

We regard and style ourselves as Liberal Catholics and an Independent Church Authority whose existence was recognised by the Church of England, Lambeth Palace, in 2018, and we have Consular Offices in Norway, New Zealand, Eire, Hong Kong, Chile, and Texas.

DOMINUS VOBISUM

HSOA/ABOUT US/SSW/Nov 2021