Conditional Consecrations

One of the challenges of Autocephalous Catholicism is deciding what to do about conditional consecrations. They are ubiquitous in our movement and just about everyone has been consecrated multiple times. This was exacerbated by the 1970s-1990s when it seemed like there would be parties of bishops who would get together and conditionally consecrate each other.

But what does this mean for us? Well, according to traditional theology ordination places an indelible mark on the soul of the ordinand and can only be performed once. To replicate the sacrament is sacrilegious. To avoid this, bishops will be conditionally consecrated licitly only to to fulfill any lacking of validity of the previous consecration. This was also done when when one was consecrated outside a church or tradition. In Orthodoxy this could be common when a bishop joins a new synod (and is received by cherothesia). 

However, there is still the issue of conditional consecrations unique to our movement--to accumulate lines of succession from different people. Scripturally, there is argument against this practice. 1 Corinthians 1:13 points to our not being baptized in the name of Paul. It follows, then, that sacraments are not passing on the lineage of any one holder but are passing on the transmission of lineage commissioned by Christ and in His name. Ignoring any ideas about apostolic tradition here, it should be sufficient that we were ordained (and consecrated) in the lineage of Christ.

Still, however, there have always been "bishop lists" (as well documented in the book by that name from Georgias Press) and unfolding the bishops who preceded someone is important to show continuity.1 The main question for us is "does anything happen with the successive consecrations if the previous one was valid?" This is important for successors to the lineage of Carfora, of which I count myself. Carfora was consecrated (allegedly) by Renee Vilatte in 1907. He was absolutely consecrated by Gulotti in 1912. So do his heirs hold succession through Vilatte/Gulotti or Mathew? The same is true of Archbishop Hubert Rogers (who was previously consecrated by the African Orthodox Church). Is his succession that of Bishop Robertson of the African Orthodox Church or Carfora? There are numerous cases like this in our history.

The short answer for me is that I don't know. If there is a scintilla of doubt it is reasonable to conditionally consecrate. The same is true for bishops consecrated outside of their current synod, as mentioned before among the Orthodox. But does this negate the previous consecration? Especially if the doubt is primarily unfounded? Should the second consecration be a footnote to the first or counted as equal? These are all difficult questions.

Bishop Rob Jones in his book "Independent Sacramental Bishops" takes on this question of conditional consecrations.2 In his work, he discusses the efficacy of spiritual lineages and how they impact the movement as a whole. This may be outside the traditional understanding of apostolic succession, but it is a thought which provides some innovative reasoning for our movement. While his concepts incorporate esoteric thought, with which I am unfamiliar, they do point to the need to fully examine conditional consecrations and their impact on our movement outside of traditional theological discourse. Jones is quoted on the issue below:

"And yet I am convinced there is more going on. I am convinced that when a bishop is ordained and consecrated, s/he receives not only the fullness of apostolic lines from each of the ordaining bishops; but also receives any episcopal lineages these ordaining bishops also hold, including any non-apostolic esoteric lineages."

Abba Seraphim also recently published "Succesio Apostolica" which partially addresses conditional consecrations.3 In it, Mar Georgius (his predecessor) is quoted about conditional consecrations:

"The effect of a conditional consecration by way of additional commission, or if you prefer the term....‘fortified consecration’, is undoubtedly precisely the same as the effect of the participation of a co-consecrator at a consecration ‘ab initio’. Therefore, the question of validity or invalidity does not arise. Just as a co-consecrator passes on his own line, in addition to the line conveyed by the Consecrator, does in like matter the additional line pass to the Consecrand. If the question of difference of time is raised, it should be realised that with God there is no time, but only the eternal present.Furthermore, even where many co-consecrators our acting at a ceremony, there are slight differences of timing in the uttering of the words which constitute the ‘form’ of the Sacrament of Order. Therefore, as it is clearly understood that the minute the Consecrator himself has imposed hands and uttered the words prescribed, the Consecrand must be accounted a Bishop,and nothing can be added to that fact, nevertheless the co-operation of the co-consecrators, where the Orders of the consecrator are valid, is not deemed to be an empty form, but is definitely held to pass on the lines of succession in which the co-consecrators stand, even though the words emerge (as they invariably do) a few seconds after those of the Consecrator. In principle, therefore, the same argument must be applied to our conditional consecrations.”

There are authors who disagree that co-consecrators pass on their succession but merely as witnesses or provide approbation for the consecration. Whether one agrees or not with the assessment of Mar Georgius it is important because it contributes to the larger question of how to handle conditional consecrations. Abba Seraphim is to be commended to contributing to the discussion.

Regardless of where you fall on this issue, and as I mentioned I still have a lot of questions myself, it is something we will continue to encounter as a movement. We should be prepared to address it intelligently and with theological reasoning.

1: https://www.amazon.com/Bishop-Lists-Succession-Ecclesiastical-Dissertations/dp/1593331940 
2: https://www.amazon.com/Independent-Sacramental-Bishops-Angus-Jones/dp/1933993839
3: https://www.lulu.com/en/us/shop/abba-seraphim/successio-apostolica/hardcover/product-66y76y.html