Perspectives for a Ministry of Unity in a Reunited Church - 3.3. Some Principles for the Exercise of Primacy in the 21st Century - 3.3.2. Articulation Between the Local, Regional and Universal Levels - b. The regional level - Western Christian communions: the ecclesiological significance of the regional level

3.134The Old Catholic–Catholic dialogue also affirms the relevance of the “patriarchal constitution of the ancient Church” in which the Pope would exercise “the primacy as the first among the patriarchs” (OC–C 2009, 29). Old Catholics apply this model to themselves: “For the Union of Utrecht ecclesial communion with the Roman Catholic Church and with the bishop of Rome would mean that it continues to exist as a church with its own liturgical and canonical structure and the ecumenical obligations which it has entered into with other churches, but stands in communion with the pope as the sign of the universal communion of local churches” (id., 83).