Apostolic Succession

 

 

 

            The Celtic Order of Benedictine chaplains adheres to the following principles regarding the validity of orders and Apostolic Succession.

 

1. Historically the offices of the church are denoted as Deacon, Priest and Bishop and each is, in and for itself, constituted as a distinct order, sacramental in nature, and deriving its validity from the visible sign of the laying on of hands by those who have been themselves been duly created ministers of the Church in this manner by previously having been ordained and consecrated Priests and Bishops in Apostolic Succession.

 

2. Apostolic Succession describes a system of ordination and consecration which began with the Disciples who were chosen by Jesus and who, according to the Pastoral Letters contained in Holy Scripture, ordained and consecrated their successors, or who assented to the ordination and consecration of successor ministers of the early Christian Church.

 

3. In the writings of the Early Church Fathers, in the historical writings of Hegesippus and Irenaeus, and in the injunctions and canons of the Council of Nicea are to be found the early and definitive records of those who were invested with Apostolic Succession and the requirements set forth for such investiture.

 

4. It is incumbent upon this Church, therefore, to assure that those to whom it would entrust the cure of souls to minister servants of Christ, whether as Deacons, Priests or Bishops, possess an upright character, an acceptable knowledge and understanding of the Christian religion, appropriate academic learning, and those qualities of unfailing charity, humility, and whose personal lives provide a prayerful example of Christian devotion and godly living

 

5. The concept of Apostolic Succession attempts to ensure that those who would serve as ministers of the Gospel meet with the approbation of the whole Church and not merely that of a single congregation or a sect within a denomination or even a denomination alone. Nevertheless, in every Christian community of faith some have obtained clerical status without fulfilling the justifiable expectations of the Church as a whole or the denomination in which their ordination or consecration occurred. Yet the benefit of Apostolic Succession has been successively passed to many, not by the virtue of mankind, but by the Grace of God.

 

6. Irregularity of conferral of Apostolic Succession has occasionally occurred. The Church has always distinguished between irregular consecrations and invalid consecrations. A variety of circumstances may lead to the conclusion that a particular bishop was irregularly consecrated but that in no way prevents that bishop from imparting valid orders or sacraments to others. A bishop, on the other hand, whose consecration is invalid, is deemed not to have received Apostolic Succession in any way. The difficulty, for example in having the consecration performed by three bishops in person, often resulted in letters of consent being used as proxies for the absent prelates. Archbishops, Metropolitans, Patriarchs and Popes were assumed to have the power to make bishops solo, occasionally at some great distance, and often by other bishops commissioned for that purpose. An example of an invalid bishop would be an individual who simply took the title, style, and powers without regard to the Laying on of Hands, election or appointment to that office by competent authority.

 

            The Deacons, Priests and Bishops of the Celtic Anglican Communion derive their orders from a number of different lines of Apostolic Succession, some of which intersect, overlap, and offer an arcane study in Church history. Mindful of the history of the Church, that is, the whole of Christian church history, a brief discourse on the major sources of Apostolic Succession for clergy of this denomination may prove useful. Our clerics and bishops derive their orders from one or more of these sources of which the following list offers more specific information. In some cases only the name of one consecrating bishop is given for the simple reason that that person represents the chain of title of Apostolic Succession and the inclusion of other co-consecrators would provide no greater surety of that succession but their inclusion would, of necessity, provide a much longer, if less readable, table.

 

 

 

 

Are Anglican lines of Apostolic seccession Valid? 

 Anglican Succession in an Ecumenical and Celtic Light

 

For many faithful Christians, questions about apostolic succession are not abstract theological debates. They are deeply personal. They arise at hospital bedsides, in hospice rooms, at baptismal fonts, and at the altar where bread is broken and wine is shared. Beneath the technical language lies a simple longing: Is the grace I am receiving real? Is this Church truly part of the Church Christ founded?

Within Anglicanism—particularly in its catholic and Celtic expressions—the answer offered is a quiet but confident yes.

Apostolic Succession as Care, Not Competition

In its earliest understanding, apostolic succession was never about rivalry between churches. It was about care—about ensuring that communities remained grounded in the teaching of the apostles and shepherded by those entrusted with prayer, sacrament, and oversight. The laying on of hands was not a legal mechanism but a pastoral act, a visible sign that no minister stands alone or self-appointed.

When Anglican succession is approached in this spirit, it becomes clear that the question is not whether Anglican orders perfectly mirror one later-developed model, but whether they faithfully participate in the apostolic life of the Church. Ecumenically, many Christians across traditions have come to recognize that they do.

The Anglican Tradition and the Healing of Divisions

The Anglican Communion emerged in a time of fracture, yet it consistently sought continuity rather than rupture. Bishops were retained. Sacraments were preserved. Creeds were confessed. Even amid reform and disagreement, the intention was not to abandon the historic Church but to renew it.

Over time, Anglicanism has become a place of encounter rather than exclusion—a bridge tradition where Catholic, Orthodox, Reformed, and indigenous Christian streams meet. This has been especially evident in the intentional sharing of apostolic succession.

Shared Episcopal Lines as Signs of Communion

Through the participation of Old Catholic bishops, Polish National Catholic bishops, and at times Orthodox bishops, Anglican consecrations have come to embody a visible ecumenical convergence. These were not acts of defiance toward Rome or the East, but gestures of trust and mutual recognition.

In these moments, the Church quietly testified that apostolic succession does not belong to one jurisdiction alone. It belongs to the whole Body of Christ. When hands from multiple historic traditions are laid upon one bishop, the act becomes a prayer for unity as much as an ordination.

The Celtic Church: An Apostolic Faith Close to the People

The Celtic Christian tradition offers a particularly pastoral lens through which to understand apostolic continuity. Long before centralized ecclesiastical authority reached the western edges of Europe, Christianity had taken deep root among the Celtic peoples of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and parts of Britain.

This Church was unmistakably apostolic. Bishops ordained. The Eucharist was celebrated. Scripture was honored. Monastic communities became centers of prayer, learning, and mission. Apostolic succession was lived relationally—through spiritual fatherhood and motherhood, communal discernment, and deep attentiveness to the Holy Spirit.

The Celtic Church did not experience itself as separated from the wider Church, nor did it see Roman custom as the sole measure of catholicity. It was fully Christian, fully sacramental, and fully rooted in apostolic faith—yet expressed that faith through local culture, language, and rhythm of life.

Monastic Bishops and Missionary Succession

One of the most distinctive features of Celtic Christianity was its integration of episcopal and monastic life. Abbots often exercised authority alongside or even above bishops, not in opposition to apostolic order, but as an expression of it. Succession was carried not only through formal lines but through mission—through saints who founded communities, baptized nations, and passed on the faith by example as much as by institution.

Figures such as Patrick, Columba, Aidan, Brigid, and Cuthbert stand as witnesses to an apostolic succession that was pastoral, missionary, and incarnational. Their authority flowed from holiness, service, and fidelity to Christ rather than from proximity to imperial power.

Anglicanism as a Home for Celtic Continuity

Anglicanism, particularly in its Celtic and catholic expressions, has long recognized itself as an heir to this early Western Christianity. The Anglican emphasis on local church life, pastoral episcopacy, common prayer, and sacramental worship resonates deeply with the Celtic experience.

In this sense, Celtic lineage is not a romantic reclaiming of the past, but a living inheritance—one that affirms that apostolic succession is as much about how ministry is lived as from whom it is received.

Validity in the Service of Healing

When Anglican apostolic succession is understood as a convergence of Roman, Old Catholic, Polish National Catholic, Orthodox, and Celtic streams, its purpose becomes clearer. It exists not to prove superiority, but to serve the faithful. It assures the dying that the Eucharist they receive is real. It assures the baptized that their belonging is secure. It assures ministers that they serve not in isolation, but in communion with the Church across time and space.

This is where validity becomes pastoral.

An Ecumenical Hope

In an age marked by division and exhaustion, Anglican apostolic succession—rooted in convergence rather than exclusion—offers a quiet hope. It suggests that unity may come not through erasing differences, but through recognizing the grace already present in one another’s traditions.

Celtic Christianity reminds the wider Church that holiness, hospitality, and harmony with creation are apostolic virtues. Old Catholic and Orthodox participation reminds us that succession is shared, not hoarded. Anglicanism, at its best, holds these truths gently, offering a space where the ancient Church can still speak in many voices.

Conclusion: A Succession for the Sake of Love

Apostolic succession, rightly understood, is not a weapon in theological debate. It is a gift given so that love, grace, and truth may continue to flow through the Church. Anglican succession—enriched by Roman, Old Catholic, Polish National Catholic, Orthodox, and Celtic lines—stands as a testament to that gift.

For those who worship, serve, and suffer within Anglican life, this succession affirms a simple and holy truth: you belong. Your prayers are heard. Your sacraments are real. Your Church is part of the living, apostolic body of Christ.