COMMENTARY ON THE PORVOO DECLARATION

At a meeting of church lawyers of the Porvoo Communion held in Church House, Westminster on Friday and Saturday 16 and 17 January 1998 under the chairmanship of Dr Andreas Aarflot, Bishop of Oslo, the following commentary on the Porvoo Declaration was agreed.

I. Status of the Declaration

The Porvoo Declaration is not itself legally binding (except in a church which has incorporated it into its law). However, the churches which have approved the Declaration are morally bound to implement the commitments which it contains.

2. Comments on Commitments (i) - (vi)

(i) In share a common life in mission and service, to pray for and with one another, and to share resources;

to share resources

The term 'resources' is understood to cover expertise, publications, and spiritual and liturgical resources, as well as material and financial resources. Gifts may be made by a whole church or by a diocese, parish or agency within it.

No church has a right to claim any particular gift or assistance from another church on the basis of this commitment.

The possibility of making financial donations depends in any case on the terms of any trust under which financial assets are held and on the purposes of any particular charity.

(ii) to welcome one another´s members to receive sacramental and other pastoral ministrations;

Baptized members of one signatory church who have been admitted to communicant status in that church and remain in good standing should be admitted to communion in all of the other signatory' churches.

(iii) to regard baptized members of all our churches as members of our own;

In the case of churches which have parish membership lists, baptized members of any signatory church are to be regarded as potential members of a parish. If they request membership of a parish in which they are resident they should be admitted to membership of that parish without any special requirements. In particular, they should not be required to renounce their confession. Baptism with water in the name of the Holy Trinity in any of the signatory churches is recognized.

Anyone who is admitted to membership of a particular parish thereby receives all the rights and becomes subject to all of the obligations which pertain to membership of a parish in the church concerned.

The Porvoo Declaration does not require signatory churches to make it possible for people to be simultaneously registered as a member of more than one congregation (whether of the same or a different denomination or confession) in the same country.

(iv) to welcome diaspora congregations into the life of the indigenous churches, to their mutual enrichment;

The incorporation of diaspora congregations into the structure of the indigenous church so that they become parishes of that church is not required (although that possibility is not excluded). Each church should identify ways of allowing the clergy and people of diaspora congregations to become involved in its life which are appropriate to its particular context. The clergy of such congregations should thereby be placed in a relationship (though not necessarily a legal relationship) with the local bishop.

(v) to welcome persons episcopally ordained in any of our churches to the office of bishop, priest or deacon to serve, by invitation and in accordance with any regulations which may from time to time be in force. in that ministry in the receiving church without re-ordination:

persons episcopally ordained

The commitment only covers those who have been ordained by a bishop of one of the signatory churches. Churches are not obliged to accept for service those who were ordained by a cathedral dean or those who were ordained in a church which is not a signatory but were subsequently accepted for ministry in a signatory church without re-ordination.

to serve.. in that ministry in the receiving church

Clergy of one church who are authorized for ministry in another church are allowed to perform in the receiving church only such duties as belong to their order in the receiving church.

by invitation

No right to appointment or authorization in general, or to appointment to a particular post, or to authorization to minister in a particular parish or on a particular occasion, is conferred by this agreement on any particular individual.

in accordance with any regulations which may from time to time be in force

Clergy will be subject to the regulations of the receiving church.

In particular, they will be have to make the declaration(s) and take any oath(s) which are required of clergy of the receiving church.

Possession of the knowledge, skills and linguistic competence necessary for exercising a particular ministry or being appointed to a particular post will be required.

In the case of appointment to posts in a signatory church, educational qualifications of a certain level may be required. It is for the receiving church to evaluate the qualifications of particular candidates.

It is acknowledged that restrictions are in operation in certain churches regarding the ministry of women bishops (and those ordained by them) or women priests in particular places.

The requirements for employment in a signatory church should not be such as to exclude the entire clergy of another signatory church from any possibility of such appointment.

Clergy serving in a signatory church are subject to the discipline of that church. In cases where a penalty is imposed by the authorities of one signatory church on a bishop, priest or deacon ordained in another signatory church, this should be reported to the sending church. It would be for the sending church to decide whether this should have any consequences for the ministry of the person concerned in that church.

(vi) to invite one another's bishops normally to participate in the laying on of hands al the ordination of bishops as a sign of the unity and continuity of the Church.

normally

This means 'as a norm', but not necessarily on each individual occasion.

3. Commitments (vii)-(x)

Commitments (vii)-(x) are collective commitments, which it is the responsibility of the Contact Group to pursue, and which do not raise legal problems.