The Landmarks

PREAMBLE

1. The LuxUmbrian Communion is the collective name for the current parties to the agreement set out herein, and such parties are known as “members”, and their participation known as “membership”.

2. The parties to this agreement constitute a Communion between autocephalous jurisdictions, each of which is acknowledged by the others to be a clear and distinctive part of the one, holy catholic and apostolic church, and which remain self-governing. Individuals may also be admitted as prescribed below

3. The unity and committed communion of member jurisdictions, (and, where appropriate, individuals) which is created by this agreement constitutes in itself a further clear and distinctive part of the one, holy catholic and apostolic church, and which is additional to the individual parts represented by the autocephalous member jurisdictions.

MEMBERSHIP

4. All regional bodies and individuals fall under the jurisdiction of their regional Bishop.

5. Bishops of non-member jurisdictions may apply to incardinate their entire jurisdiction as an autocephalous body under the Communion.

6. Parties are free to participate in other intercommunion agreements including those with bodies that do not belong to the LuxUmbrian Communion. Being in intercommunion with a member jurisdiction does not make a non-LuxUmbrian member a member of either body.

7. Membership has three categories as enumerated below.

a. Communities, by which are meant independent self-governing ecclesiastical jurisdictions, headed by a Bishop or Bishops in full Apostolic Succession. In this case all their clergy are bound to the terms of the agreement. Further, all congregants of such churches are entitled to the benefits conferred by this agreement. For all purposes, the senior bishop of the member church is deemed to have authority to bind its entire clergy and lay members.

b. Solitary clergy, by which are meant any persons ordained to the Major Order of Deacon or any higher Order. Clergy who have promised canonical obedience and who wish to become parties must provide evidence of the permission of their Ordinary so to do.

c. Solitary laity. A solitary member may not be or continue to be a lay member of the LuxUmbrian Communion if they have been or are ordained to the Major Order of Deacon or any higher order or are or become a minister in any denomination. They must reapply for membership of category B (unless their current church is currently a category A member) in the event of being so ordained or becoming such a minister.

8. Since the LuxUmbrian Communion is underpinned by an agreement between all participants, it follows that membership may only be granted to a new community, solitary clergy person or solitary lay person with the unanimous agreement of all voting members of the Communion (The Bishop’s Synod).

TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP

9. Any solitary clergy or lay member who is not part of a member community, or any community may withdraw from the communion on notice, without prejudice to the continuation of the agreement between the remaining members.

10. Any solitary clergy or lay member who is not part of a member community, or any community may be dismissed from membership on the majority vote of the other parties who have voting rights. Since the Communion is an agreement at will, no reason need be given.

THE BENEFITS

11. Each member jurisdiction recognizes the independence of the others and maintains its own.

12. Each member jurisdiction agrees to admit members of the other member jurisdictions to participate in the Sacraments on and subject to the same terms as its own members.

13. This agreement does not require from any member jurisdiction the acceptance of all doctrinal opinion or sacramental devotions characteristic of the others but implies that each acknowledges the others to be Catholic and Apostolic.

14. In view of each member jurisdictions internal autocephaly, no one is entitled to minister within another jurisdiction without that jurisdiction’s express authority. Each jurisdiction has absolute discretion to issue general or specific faculties to the individual concerned or to decline so to do.

ADMINISTRATION

15. The Communion is overseen and administered by the bishops of each individual member jurisdiction and members of category B holding valid episcopal consecration and may conduct business in person or by correspondence or by electronic means as need arises.

AMENDMENT

16. The terms of this agreement may be amended by a majority decision of those entitled to vote (the Bishop’s Synod).

LIABILITY

17. No solitary or community member, or member of such community is in any way responsible or vicariously liable for the acts of any other solitary or community member, or member of such community by virtue of this agreement and/or its terms.