Apostolic Succession

In Ecclésiologie, the apostolic succession is the proof that a Church preserves the Holy Spirit as it was the case at the time of the apostles. It is transmitted by means of the valid episcopal dedications. It is this principle which allowed Paul III to say that the Église Anglican invalidement had been invalidement devoted by Henri VIII.

The historical direction

It refers to the myth of “the primitive Church”. Jesus and his apostles would have founded a Church of which the hierarchical structure would be identical to those that we observe in the churches épiscopaliennes today.

Historically speaking, there was never such a Church that founded before the any end of the 3rd century and the beginning of the IVe, i.e. at the time of the persecution of Dioclétien (306), in the areas where the Christians were persecuted, i.e. in the areas where they were numerous.

The structure, “institution”, set up themselves like fact of resistance and are particularly remarkable with Alexandria where the métropolite Pierre takes refuge with the desert to organize the resistance of outside while the bishop Mélèce organizes the resistance of the interior with theological formations for all.

The Christians of Alexandria will decree the title of Pape (namely father ) in Pierre and it is the first time that the title is attested. The relations between Pierre and Mélèce will strongly once degrade returned civil peace.

The Greek word ἐκκλησία ( ekklesia , of the verb ἐκκαέω ekkaleô , to convene, gather) takes direction of “building” or métaphoriquement of “institution” only as from the 3rd century. Previously, it is about an assembly joined together with an aim of making a decision which will be applied later on as it is the case in the Ecclésia, the “national” assembly of the traditional Athens.

The myth of the primitive Church shapes with Luther which bases its Réforme on the idea “to find the purity of the primitive Church and its natural organization” within sight of the organization recommended by Paul de Tarse. Luther did not have idea of the contemporary historical research. Its idea was universally adopted and used at all the possible ends.

“Épiscopaliennes” the Churches are known as which adopt a hierarchical structure:

Communion Anglican, of which the Churches épiscopaliennes which are the Churches Anglicans out of the the United Kingdom,
orthodoxe patriarchates,
Églises Lutherans (crossbred of Presbytérianisme since they also use of election), of which the evangelic Église Lutheran of France
Roman Catholic church. the Church Old Catholic Union of Utrecht (Schism 1870).

The direction ecclesiologic

It appears in the meaning that retain some all the Churches of before the Reform, and Churches known as episcopal (Anglican S, Vieux-Catholiques, Luthérien S). The apostolic succession is conferred on a bishop during his ordination by three regularly ordered bishops (i.e themselves by three regularly ordered bishops). It does not act more than one deposit of “faith” which would be transmitted but transmission of a chain of allegiance, in the species via a sacrament, that of the Order.

The Ordination, as recommended above, refers partially to a gun of the Ier council of Nicée which provides that the bishops can be elected by three bishops only (instead of the regional assembly of the bishops) if they can attest to have the approval of the majority of the others. This provision had been taken because of irregular election of Athanase of Alexandria (that of the Trinité) which had been elected by a secret assembly, in that it had omitted to convene its opponents so much it coveted this station, in an anti-mélécienne step. At present, no ordering bishop can attest to have the approval of all the others if one considers the whole of the Churches adopting this hierarchical structure and nobody any more speaks about elections.

Moreover, the concept of succession apostolic is called upon by the Catholic church only in only one situation.

It is then a question of asserting a heritage that the other Churches would not have. It was the case: there

at the time of the assembly luthéro-catholic of Gratz in 1998, meeting of catholics and Lutherans come to celebrate the signature of the luthéro-catholic agreement on the justification.
in the Encyclical last on the Eucharistie. This one challenges intercommunion, including with the orthodoxe (to which the Catholic church however recognizes the apostolic succession). This amounts saying that only the ministers ordered by itself are legitimate. This encyclical was published three weeks before the Kirchentag/Katholiekentag which took place “together” and in an oecumenical way . It was a question of preventing “natural” intercommunion in this kind of circumstances. In the judgment testified to two priests and catholic theologists who recommended this type of intercommunion in this kind of circumstances.

Topicality and to become concept

The Catholic churches " indépendantes" or " parallèles" and the Episcopus Vagantes (wandering Bishops, i.e. non-member of the college of the bishops) explain all that it lay out of the aforesaid the apostolic succession. They draw up long lists of bishops testifying that they go back to one or the other of the regularly ordered bishops.

The Roman answer consists in saying that the Schisme makes illegitimate the capacity that allot these bishops, while denying (in the majority of the cases) their sacramental quality to them bishops. One can quote the case of the priests ordered by M {{gr.}} Lefebvre or by bishops whom it had devoted: those of them which are turned over thereafter in the bosom of Rome were not reordered, the Catholic church recognizing thus that those which had given them the sacrament of the order had the capacity of it, failing to have the right of it.

On the other hand the bishops Anglicans are not regarded as truths bishops with the eyes of the Roman Church; the question a long time outstanding was solved under Leon XIII (bubble Apostolicaæ curæ of the September 18th 1896). The bishops Lutherans even seem never to have been it, except for the Swedish bishops for whom one remains in uncertainty. It should be said that certain bishops Anglicans, following the ritualistic movement, had themselves of the doubts about their validity and were made reconsacrer by bishops Old Catholics, thus recovering the apostolic succession.

This question indeed fraught with consequences for the believers, because an invalid bishop, from the roman catholic point of view, cannot order priests validly, and the faithful ones will receive only one distorts communion and a false discharge (what is extremely serious when one is in articulo mortis ) in spite of the doctrines that the Sacrement acts of itself , namely ex operates operato (if it is valid!). Yes, but there can be " suppléance" , because divine Providence is never broken down resources!

One includes/understands then why the Roman Catholic church recognizes with the orthodoxe patriarchates the apostolic succession which she denies with all the others. It is itself resulting from a Schisme (Great schism of 1054), of with the orthodoxe patriarchates. Guaranteeing the apostolic succession with orthodoxe, she recognizes an anteriority with his to them and by-there, she guarantees his. For as much, she does not recognize the Ministers for the orthodoxe patriarchates because they do not recognize the authority of the pope (cf the declaration Dominus Jesus of the cardinal Ratzinger, August 6th 2000). They do not want to give up the collegial structure that the autocéphalie offers to them. It is understood there that the apostolic succession is more one chain of allegiance that a transmission chain of a deposit “of faith” and, in that, a concept more political than theological. The Western Church as the Eastern Churches regard each one themselves as “the only subsistence of the Church rested by Jesus”. Historically, this concerns the fiction in spite of the force of the controlled symbol, in this debate, with a fight of influences and interests particularly obvious with the patriarchate of Moscow and the Greek Churches.

In the other Churches

One notes a strong movement of oecumenical agreements. It was the case in 2000 between the Lutherans and the épiscopaliens with the Canada and the the United States. These agreements are agreements of intercommunion and, consequently, mutual recognition of the Ministers for the ones and others. The Churches of the Communion Anglican recognize with they-even the apostolic succession and were put at the head to recognize one with the bishops Lutherans of them.

If one is based on the historical definition of the apostolic succession, while recognizing, historical fault of certificate, a value strongly symbolic system with the thing, it is extremely possible to detect an apostolic succession with the German-speaking Churches Lutherans, or of Danish or Swedish origin. Indeed, the passage to the Réforme was the Government action according to the principle “ Cujus regio, ejus religio ”. Bishops who fell asleep roman catholics awoke in the morning Lutherans. With regard to the small Churches, one can wonder why they seek a validation of their legitimacy to exist according to criteria heteronomous and fixed by the Roman Catholic church.

Apostolic succession " valide" with the institutional Churches is what is the vote for all with the republic. An apostolic succession " valide" legitimate the Church which withdraws its supremacy from it. Notwithstanding the validity of certain apostolic successions and not of least are prone to guarantee. The apostolic succession should not stop with the act imposing the hands… the important one is only the Bishop from where that it comes continues the work of the Apostles, we are far from the debates on the validity. It does not take place there for a esoteric church which does not seek the excercice of any to be able to merge in steps of all kinds in order to be made recognize. A list inninterrompue Bishops is sufficient, whatever the line, and they are of sufficient number. It is with the fruits that one judges the tree, and it is well in these criteria and strictly in those there, that a Church or a group esoteric must judge themselves. In all the cases, the concerns of the esoteric churches are not those of the great institutions. One can legitimately put questions about a small Church which would give too much importance to the validity of its succession and with his recognition… which would reveal only one mimetic competition in total contradiction with the message evangelic.

How the other Churches resulting from the Reform evaluate do to them legitimacy?

Their structure is not hierarchically based on a historical succession of the Pasteur S or bishop S but often on the collegial government of the Anciens of the local Church (Congrégationalisme), and on assemblies which direct their unions (Synode S). In these cases, one speaks about synodal Système presbytérien. For them, the apostolic character of the Church is evaluated with the fidelity of preaching to the teaching of the apostles (the Bible).

Others refer initially to a passage of the Livre of the Numbers : Eldad and Meldad prophesy whereas they were invested by no authority, and continue to prophesy when those expressly indicated with this intention were keep silent. The application of this text to the organization of the Churches is generally made only in the event of crisis or of scission (like was the Réforme), or within the framework of an assembly of the type Charismatique or Pentecôtiste.

See too

Transmission, Sôtô-shu, bishop
Catholicism, Reform
Bishop wandering

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