Full communion

Full communion in Christian ecclesiology is a term used to describe relations between two separate Christian communities, or churches that, while maintaining some separateness of identity, recognise each other as sharing the same communion and the same essential doctrines.

In a practical sense, members of churches in full communion with each other may licitly participate in each others' rites, particularly in the partaking of the Eucharist in closed communion denominations. They will also recognise each other's hierarchy as valid and in most cases permit the interchangeability of ministers. Importantly, the existence of full communion does not presume that there is no difference in rites or in doctrine between the two churches, but rather that these differences do not touch on points defined as essential.

There are various Christian denominations where a state of full communion can be said to exist. The Eastern Orthodox Church has a number of autocephalous churches (the exact number is a subject of some dispute) who maintain communion with each other through a mutual acceptance of shared tradition. The Anglican Communion uses Lambeth conferences to develop common understandings of doctrine and practice.

Partial communion exists where elements of Christian faith are held in common, but complete unity on essentials is lacking. For example, the Catholic Church sees itself as in partial communion with Protestants, and as in much closer, but still incomplete, communion with the Eastern Orthodox Churches (see Catechism of the Catholic Church, 838).[1]

Instances of Full Communion

These ancient Churches (with the exception of the Anglican Communion) perserve the Early Christian understanding of full Communion as the sharing of the Eucharist among one another, and so do not share communion with those outside of their respective communions. The Anglican Communion, founded during the Protestant Reformation, has practices open communion, a common feature among Protestant churches.

Catholic Churches in Communion with Rome

The particular Churches that form the Catholic Church, while they are in full communion with Rome and with one another, are more than a communion of churches but are each instances of one Catholic Church. While maintaining independence of internal government, they are juridically bound to one another by Canon Law.

Each of these churches are understood as instances of the one Catholic Church in their respective traditions. The 28 May 1992 Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on some aspects of the Church understood as Communion, [2] declares:

"The universal Church cannot be conceived as the sum of the particular Churches, or as a federation of particular Churches. It is not the result of the communion of the Churches, but, in its essential mystery, it is a reality ontologically and temporally prior to every individual particular Church."

The Catholic Churches in full communion with Rome are the following: the Latin Rite, the Coptic Catholic Church, the Ethiopic Catholic Church, the Maronite Church, the Syrian Catholic Church, the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, the Armenian Catholic Church, the Chaldean Catholic Church, the Albanian Byzantine Catholic Church, the Belarusian Greek Catholic Church, the Bulgarian Greek Catholic Church, the Byzantine Church of the Eparchy of Križevci, the Greek Byzantine Catholic Church, the Hungarian Byzantine Catholic Church, the Italo-Albanian Catholic Church, the Macedonian Greek Catholic Church, the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, the Romanian Church United with Rome, Greek-Catholic, the Russian Byzantine Catholic Church, the Ruthenian Catholic Church, the Slovak Greek Catholic Church, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.

Churches of Eastern Orthodoxy:The Eastern Orthodox Churches are understood individually as particular embodiments of the "one Orthodox Church" which is not a corporate entity in itself but the collection of these autocephalous churches. The communion of the Orthodox Churches is not structural or juridical.

There are sixteen autocephalous Churches of Eastern Orthodoxy. See Eastern Orthodox Church organization.

Oriental Orthodox Churches:The Oriental Orthodox Churches are fully independent Chuches sharing a common theological heritage (non-Chalcedonian). The communion of the Orthodox Churches is not structural or juridical.

The Oriental Orthodox Churches are: the Coptic, Armenian Orthodox, Eritrean Orthodox, Jacobite, Indian Orthodox and Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Churches.

Churches of the Anglican Communion:The Anglican Communion

Other instances of Communion among churches

The following groupings of churches have arrangements for:
* mutual recognition of members
* joint celebration of the Lord's Supper/Holy Communion/Eucharist (these churches practice open communion
* mutual recognition of ordained ministers
* mutual recognition of sacraments
* a common commitment to mission.

Agreements of Communion complete

# The Anglican Communion, the Old Catholic Church, the Mar Thoma Syrian Church of India, and the Philippine Independent Church.# The Churches of the Porvoo Communion# The Anglican Church of Canada and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada# Reformed Churches in the United States: The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and each of the following: the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, the Moravian Church, the Presbyterian Church USA, the Reformed Church in America, and the United Church of Christ.# The Moravian Church and the United Methodist Church.# The United Methodist Church with the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, and the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church.# The United Church of Christ and each of the following: the Presbyterian Church USA, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and the Disciples of Christ.

Agreements of Communion in progress

# The United Methodist Church is currently working toward full communion with both the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Episcopal Church in the United States of America and has an interim agreement with both denominations.# The Church of England is currently working diligently toward full communion with the Methodist Church of Great Britain.# Many of the Independent Catholic Churches are working diligently toward full communion with each other and with the Old-Catholic Union of Utrecht.