Celtic Orthodox Church

The Celtic Orthodox Church (COC), formerly known as the Catholic Apostolic Church (Catholicate of the West) and, before that, as the Ancient British Church and the Orthodox Church of the British Isles (OCBI), is an Orthodox church, constituted by the Syrian Orthodox Church but with a mandate to develop a Western Orthodox church in the Celtic tradition without recourse to its Oriental roots, which was canonically established with the consecration of Mar Julius (Jules Ferrette) in 1866 by Mar Boutros (Boutros ibn Salmo Mesko) who later became Patriarch Mar Ignatius Peter IV of the Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch.

The church is represented in America, Australia, France, Switzerland and the UK. From 1977 onwards, the previous primate of the COC, HB Mael, 8th Patriarch of Britain, Metropolitan of Dol and titular Bishop of Iona, who resided at the Monastère de la Saint-Présence (Monastery of the Holy Presence) at Saint-Dolay in Brittany, the headquarters of the COC, initiated profound reforms, and since then the church has continued to grow, regaining the historic Celtic traditions, its Rite and its spirit. The Celtic Orthodox Church is part of the heritage of Western Orthodoxy.

Since 25 December 2007, the Celtic Orthodox Church has been united with the French Orthodox Church and the Orthodox Church of the Gauls, forming the Communion of the Western Orthodox Churches (CWOC).

In 1866, with the sanction of Patriarch Ignatius Ya'qub (Jacob) II of the Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch, Mar Julius (Jules Ferrette) was consecrated by Mar Boutros ibn Salmo Mesko) who later became Patriarch Mor Ignatius Peter IV of Antioch, and dispatched to form an indigenous Orthodox Church in Western Europe, which was not in any way subject to the Syrian Orthodox Church or the Patriarch of Antioch. The consecration was witnessed by the British Consul at Damascus. Mar Julius was given the title of Bishop of Iona and its Dependencies.

An early leader was Richard Williams Morgan ("Mar Pelagius I") (lived 1815–1899). The church adopted the name Ancient British Church and aimed at the restoration or re-creation of the form of Christianity that had existed in the Atlantic Isles (British Isles) during the earliest centuries of the Christian era. Morgan was consecrated a bishop by Jules Ferrette (Mar Julius) on 6 March 1874. Morgan was designated as first patriarch of the newly formed church.

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