Intercommunion

Our jurisdiction is at all times ready to express its solidarity with all who follow Christ. We aspire to fulfil the prayer of Christ in John 17:20-21 – “that all may be as one”.

Where significant common ground and agreement on fundamental principles exists with another church, we will consider entering into an agreement of intercommunion. Such an agreement does not imply that there may not still be some significant differences of practice and emphasis between our body and its intercommunion partners, but it indicates that there is far more that unites us than divides. Following a resolution of Metropolitan Synod in 1996, while the Apostolic Episcopal Church does not ordain women to Holy Orders, it may form intercommunion agreements with churches that have decided to admit women as clergy.

A list is provided below of those intercommunion agreements which, so far as our jurisdiction is concerned, continue in force today.

Many churches and clergy of the widest range of churchmanship make reference to our jurisdictions and clergy on their websites and in the discussion of their history and antecedents. Such reference does not constitute any form of ecclesiastical relationship, still less endorsement, by us, and in many cases we are completely unaware of the clergyman or entity concerned. Only churches that hold a duly executed Instrument of Intercommunion signed by our authorities, or that have been established with our mandate, may say truthfully that they are in intercommunion with us.

Our jurisdiction includes the following churches and religious orders:

  • The Abbey-Principality of San Luigi (1883)
  • The Ancient Christian Fellowship (1930) (and constituent body The Old (Roman) Catholic Church of America (1892))
  • The Apostolic Episcopal Church (1925)
  • The Apostolic Episcopal Church-Order of Corporate Reunion (1995 (1874))
  • The Order of Antioch (1928)
  • The Order of Holy Wisdom/Ekklesia Agiae Sophiae (1939)
  • The Ancient Orthodox Catholic Church (1943)
  • The Catholic Apostolic Church (Catholicate of the West) (also known as the Western Orthodox Catholic Church) (1944) (and constituent bodies The Ancient British Church (Ancient Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church in the British Isles) (1866), The United Armenian Catholic Church in the British Isles (1889), The Old Catholic Orthodox Church (1925), The British Orthodox Catholic Church (1935), The Syro-Chaldean Metropolitical See of India, Ceylon, Mylapore, Socotra and Messina (1899), The Old Catholic Church in Great Britain (1908), The Orthodox Catholic Apostolic Church (also known as the Apostolic Church of the Indies and the Church of India, Ceylon and Malaya (1938))
  • The Ancient Catholic Church (1950)
  • The Byelorussian Patriarchate of St Andrew the First-Called Apostle (1965)
  • The Old Catholic Church of Great Britain (1968)
  • The Ecclesia Apostolica Divinorum Mysteriorum (2010)
  • The Old Catholic Orthodox Church (2013)

List of intercommunion agreements

Church of the Ascension
Intercommunion entered 28 May 1983 by Archbishop George Boyer

Ethiopian Orthodox Coptic Church of North and South America
Intercommunion entered 13 October 1990 by Metropolitan-Archbishop-Primate Phillip Lewis.

Ethiopian Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America
Intercommunion entered 23-24 September 2000 by Abuna Nathaniel Williams.

Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of (the) Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom (Uganda)
Intercommunion entered 10 December 2019 by Mor Cherubim Abu-Seifein Akiiki.

Iglesia Filipina Independiente (Philippine Independent Church, Philippine Independent Catholic Church)
Intercommunion entered 15 June 1988 by Obispo Maximo Macario V. Ga. Since 1981 there has been a division in the IFI between the approximately half of the church that has remained loyal to the late Obispo Maximo Ga and those who have opposed him. The AEC has been allied throughout with the party supporting Obispo Maximo Ga and the Continuing Anglican missions which he established in the USA, Europe and the UK. This party is since 2014 designated the Archbishopric of Metro Manila and the entire Philippines of the P.I.C.C. and is under Obispo Maximo Armando de la Cruz.

Orthodox Catholic Church
Intercommunion entered 6 June 1946 by Archbishop John Sebastian Marlow Ward.

Union Apostolique Gallicane
Intercommunion entered 2 November 2016 by Bishop-Moderator Raphaēl-Magnoald Steck

Venerabile Confraternita (o Compagnia) detta del Buonconsiglio di Città di Castello and the OR.VEN. – Ordine Venerabile della Venerabile Confraternita di Maria Ss.ma del Buonconsiglio della Buona Morte e Misericordia, Città di Castello, Italy (Order of the Venerable Confraternity (or Company), known as of (Our Lady of) Good Counsel of Good Death and Mercy of Città di Castello).
Treaties of Collaboration and Partnership entered into 11 July 2017 by Grand Prior the Very Revd. Prof. Carlo Liviero Morini di Morin.