Communion and Intercommunion in OCC
welcoming inter-communion of ministries
Communion and Inter-Communion St Andrew's and St Joseph's Orthodox Church of the Culdees has a welcoming inter-communion network. Such practices are similar but not limited to other Celtic Culdee jurisdictions such as +Abbot David Smith, Abbot General, Order of the Culdee, or Archbishop MacKillop at St Brendan's Orthodox Church of the Culdees, or Bishop Kennedy's Celtic Orthodox Church, etc.
We are of established canonical orthodoxy, which in it's pure form welcomes a plethora of tradition. Orthodox is defined by adopting at least one of the Ecumenical Church Councils, practicing the Sacraments and having Apostolic Succession.
OCC practices inter-communion loosely with any who have shown they practice a closed communion, meaning they ensure all members are converted to the mainstream Gospel of Jesus Christ (confessing and turning from all sin, are Baptized, Confirmed etc).
However full Communion with St Andrew's OCC is only granted by certification with such ministries which practice not only a closed communion, but also make room for the expanded festivals as they have availability of ministers (the Saturday liturgies and are implementing the Biblical 7 high holy days, as practiced by our Church Fathers).
OCC has recognized Ecclesiastical authority in the Orthodox and Roman churches, to administer sacraments to their visiting members, as they to ours, although “not in communion” with their jurisdiction (more info).
OCC Celebrates over 1,000 Celtic Saints which flourished before Augustine the Roman arrived in 597AD(while complaining about deeply established church of the British and of Gaul to Pope Gregory).
The Orthodox worldwide celebrate the First Century Bishop of Britain, St Aristobulus, assistant of the Holy Apostle St Andrew.
The Council of Arles 314AD was the First Ecumenical Church Council (according to Augustine of Hippo). It was attended primarily by the Celtic Clergy of Britain and Gaul.
The Second Council of Constantinople 381AD affirmed the Celtic independence: “the Churches that are without the Roman Empire should be governed by their ancient customs”.
Orthodox Patriarch Cyril Lucarius of Constantinople (1572-1638) enforced a Protestant Creed fully in support of Calvinism.
Archbishop Parker of Canterbury promised Calvin that England would “retain her Episcopacy; but not as from Pope Gregory, who sent Augustine the monk hither, but from Joseph of Arimathea.” (“The Life and Acts of Archbishop Parker ” By John Strype, Published in 1711.)
All Eastern Patriarchates together with the Tsars of Russia have often formally agreed Britain is an independent Orthodox jurisdiction from the First Century. (“History of the Nonjurors…” by Lathbury)
The Russian Orthodox decided in 1907 that the English BCP Liturgy is Canonical, rooted in the Sarum Missal and purely Orthodox.
Gildas writing in 542AD, states: “We certainly know that Christ, the True Sun, afforded His light, the knowledge of His precepts, to our Island in the last year of the reign of Tiberias Caesar”, 37AD. Augustine came only to convert the newly arrived Saxons which were still at war with the British and its church.
Cardinal Baronius admitted about the rival Bishoprics British and Gaul (as also several popes have) that Britain received the Gospel by 37AD, and that:
“We have said in our notes to the Roman Martyrology that, ‘to the Galatians’ must be corrected in the place of ‘to the Gauls'[Modern France].”
In Baronius’ “Annales Ecclesiastici,” he asserted distinctly that St Peter preached in Britain, quoting Metaphrastes, that “about the year of Our Lord, 58, St Peter was preaching in the West, particularly in Britain.”
St Chrysostom, Patriarch of Constantinople, in 402AD, wrote “The British Isles which lie beyond the sea, and which lie in the ocean, have received the virtue of the Word. Churches are there found and altars erected. There thou should’st hear all men everywhere discussing matters out of the Scriptures.” (Chrysostom, ‘Orat O Theo Xristos)
Rhygyfarch’s Life of Saint David (c. 1090) of Wales states Saint David (7th Cent.) was anointed as an archbishop by the Patriarch of Jerusalem, a position confirmed at the Synod of Llanddewi Brefi by popular acclaim.
More info: https://st-andrewsocc.org