Cross Denominational Mission
The Order of Corporate Reunion (OCR) was formed in 1874 at the
instigation of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Milan as a means to
promote the reunion of the Church of England with Rome through the
provision of an unquestionably valid Apostolic Succession. At that
time, there was considerable public controversy as to the validity of
Anglican orders in Roman eyes, with the Papal Bull ‘Apostolicae Curae’
deciding that issue firmly in the negative. The Order did not succeed
in attracting the official support of the Church of England and became
dormant soon after its inception, only to be revived under Archbishop
Arnold Harris Mathew in 1909. The mission of the revived OCR initially
caused great controversy since it involved the subconditional
ordination of many Anglican clergy who were concerned that their
initial orders were invalid.
The work of the OCR has continued to promote Corporate Reunion under
the Pope in his former role as Patriarch of the West. Today it has
developed into an ecumenical organization that works quietly among a
number of churches and communities. Headquartered in New York, USA, its
Universal Primate is Archbishop Peter Paul Brennan. The OCR is listed
here as a 'denomination' as it has a Primate and clergy
representation.
Links
OCR Worldwide Official Website