Apostolic Succession
Apostolic Succession
Apostolic continuity in the life of the Church
Old Catholic Churches International understands apostolic succession as the means by which sacramental validity is assured in catholic churches through the consecration of bishops by the laying on of hands in continuity with the apostles and the historic life of the Church.
For OCCI, this continuity is both spiritual and historical. It belongs not to prestige or self-assertion, but to the Church’s responsibility to preserve faithful ministry, sacramental life, and catholic order in service to Jesus Christ and His people.
What apostolic succession means
In catholic understanding, apostolic succession refers to the unbroken continuity of episcopal ministry from the apostles to the bishops of the Church through prayer and the laying on of hands. OCCI’s current public statement describes this succession as the means by which sacramental validity is assured in catholic churches.
Apostolic succession is therefore not merely a record of lineage. It is bound to the Church’s sacramental life, to the transmission of ministry, and to the visible continuity of the Church across generations.
In OCCI’s own ecclesial self-understanding, apostolic succession supports the Church’s claim to stand within the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church of Jesus Christ.
Key affirmations
- Continuity with the apostles
- The laying on of hands in episcopal consecration
- Sacramental validity in catholic life
- Historic and spiritual continuity together
- Service to the Church, not private authority
OCCI’s understanding of its succession
OCCI states that its original records reside with the historic Churches of the East and with the Roman Catholic Church, because its descent from those churches occurs in more recent centuries. For that reason, the public presentation of succession focuses especially on the later stages of that descent, while recognizing that the earlier stages are documented in standard historical references.
The current OCCI page explains that the principal apostolic succession of the Church is received through the Apostolic Episcopal Church. It further notes that this body has entered into concordats of intercommunion with a number of Christian churches that recognize the validity of its orders and sacraments.
At the same time, OCCI presents itself as an autonomous and independent church. Its appeal to apostolic succession is offered as part of its ecclesial identity and sacramental continuity, not as a claim of dependence upon another church for its internal definition of sacramental validity.
Why it matters sacramentally
Apostolic succession matters because it is tied to the Church’s sacramental life. In OCCI’s public explanation, it is directly connected to the assurance of sacramental validity and the continuity of episcopal ministry within the wider catholic tradition.
This gives apostolic succession a pastoral importance as well as a theological one: it is meant to support the faithful confidence of the Church in her worship, sacraments, and ordained ministry.
Why it matters ecclesially
OCCI also describes apostolic succession as ecumenically significant. The union of different strands of succession is presented as something that can transcend theological divisions and witness to the unity of the Church as the Body of Christ.
In this way, apostolic succession is not only about continuity with the past, but also about the Church’s visible relation to the wider catholic and ecumenical world.
Historical continuity and catholic identity
OCCI publicly identifies itself as part of the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church of Jesus Christ. It describes itself as a Christocentric, liturgical body founded on biblical and apostolic worship and doctrine, and it connects this identity directly to the validity of episcopal orders traced back to the apostles.
The same public materials emphasize that this continuity is not narrowly confessional. OCCI describes itself as catholic in the sense of seeking universality, while remaining distinct from the Roman Catholic Church and from mainstream Orthodox bodies.
Related themes
- Christocentric and liturgical worship
- Catholic and apostolic identity
- The sacramental life of the Church
- Ecumenical significance and continuity
Public succession records
OCCI’s current Apostolic Succession page publicly provides succession records for several bishops. These records are offered as documentation of the Church’s apostolic continuity and as part of its public witness concerning sacramental and episcopal legitimacy.
Continue Exploring
Learn more about OCCI
If you would like to explore the Church’s wider doctrine, mission, and public witness, the pages below provide the next step.
Questions
Contact the Church
If you have questions about apostolic succession, sacramental life, ministry, or the Church’s public records, we invite you to get in touch.
A concluding note
Apostolic succession is presented by OCCI as part of the Church’s fidelity to the apostolic faith, the sacramental life of the catholic tradition, and the visible continuity of episcopal ministry through time.
It is therefore understood not as an isolated historical claim, but as a sign of ecclesial continuity ordered toward worship, sacrament, and the care of souls.