The Archbishop of Cyprus wrote to the Patriarch of Constantinople on behalf of the Cypriot Synod to provide their opinion on the validity of Anglican orders at the Patriarch's suggestion. The Synod concluded that since the apostolic succession was not broken in the consecration of the first Archbishop of the Anglican Church, Matthew Parker, and the visible signs of grace are present in Anglican ordinations, the Orthodox Church can recognize the validity of Anglican ordinations in the same manner as those of the Roman, Old Catholic, and Armenian churches. However, sacramental union or intercommunio between the churches would not be permitted until dogmatic unity is achieved.
The Archbishop of Cyprus wrote to the Patriarch of Constantinople on behalf of the Cypriot Synod to provide their opinion on the validity of Anglican orders at the Patriarch's suggestion. The Synod concluded that since the apostolic succession was not broken in the consecration of the first Archbishop of the Anglican Church, Matthew Parker, and the visible signs of grace are present in Anglican ordinations, the Orthodox Church can recognize the validity of Anglican ordinations in the same manner as those of the Roman, Old Catholic, and Armenian churches. However, sacramental union or intercommunio between the churches would not be permitted until dogmatic unity is achieved.
The Archbishop of Cyprus wrote to the Patriarch of Constantinople on behalf of the Cypriot Synod to provide their opinion on the validity of Anglican orders at the Patriarch's suggestion. The Synod concluded that since the apostolic succession was not broken in the consecration of the first Archbishop of the Anglican Church, Matthew Parker, and the visible signs of grace are present in Anglican ordinations, the Orthodox Church can recognize the validity of Anglican ordinations in the same manner as those of the Roman, Old Catholic, and Armenian churches. However, sacramental union or intercommunio between the churches would not be permitted until dogmatic unity is achieved.
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Orthodox Statements on Anglican Orders
CYPRUS, 1923 The Archbishop of Cyprus wrote to the Patriarch of Constantinople in the name of his Synod on March 20, 1923, as follows: To His All-Holiness the Oecumenical Patriarch Mgr. Meletios we send brotherly greeting in Christ. Your Holiness Responding readily to the suggestion made in your reverend Holiness letter of August 8, 1922, that the autocephalous Church of Cyprus under our presidency should give its opinion as to the validity of Anglican Orders we have placed the matter before the Holy Synod in formal session. After full consideration thereof it has reached the following conclusion: It being understood that the Apostolic Succession in the Anglican Church by the Sacrament of Order was not broken at the Consecration of the first Archbishop of this Church, Matthew Parker, and the visible signs being present in Orders among the Anglicans by which the grace of the Holy Spirit is supplied, which enables the ordinand for the functions of his particular order, there is no obstacle to the recognition by the Orthodox Church of the validity of Anglican Ordinations in the same way that the validity of the ordinations of the Roman, Old Catholic, and Armenian Church are recognized by her. Since clerics coming from these Churches into the bosom of the Orthodox Church are received without reordination we express our judgment that this should also hold in the case of Anglicans excluding intercommunio (sacramental union), by which one might receive the sacraments indiscriminately at the hands of an Anglican, even one holding the Orthodox dogma, until the dogmatic unity of the two Churches, Orthodox and Anglican, is attained. Submitting this opinion of our Church to Your All-Holiness, we remain, Affectionately, the least of your brethren in Christ, Cyril of Cyprus Archbishopric of Cyprus. March 7/20, 1923 Published in The Christian East, vol. IV, 1923, pp. 122-123.
Walking Together on the Way: Learning to Be the Church - Local, Regional, Universal: An Agreed Statement of the Third Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC III)