Apostolic succession and the Episcopalians.

[Gerontius]

Hello folks.

Could some of you out there be so kind as to give me a good explanation for how the Episcopalians/Anglicans have apostolic succession?
There is a local Episcopalian church in town that I attempted to "infiltrate," sitting in and observing a service one Sunday, and apparently that didn't work too well because they're the very friendly welcoming type. I do not like being noticed but got noticed anyway which led to a lot of hi-how-are-you kind of conversations. Nice people. Interesting take on Christianity. Confusing to my Roman Catholic background, because it was deeply rooted in Catholic tradition but the priest is a woman and they are tough on social responsibility stuff the way Catholics aren't. The craziest part was, they claim to be a Catholic church not in the Roman sense but in the takes-after-Jesus-Christ sense.

(I do not speak theologian very well. Sorry.)

If I had been born without a denomination I would've joined the Episcopalians one way or another.
Yet, as a Catholic, I cannot join without fearing I've put myself at risk, and intellectually I need satisfaction about their claims anyway because it feels like being an anthropologist finding a lost pocket of ancient customs without explanation. Here, right in my own backyard, people claiming to be the same kind of Christian I am but practicing it in a very different manner, now if that don't spark your curiosity what will.

Help a brother out?

 

[Alexej]

HI @Gerontius

Good question, and not one I have considered before.
Here is an off the cuff answer, but there may be a more detailed one possible too.


For the sake of this discussion I am regarding the Church of England as the same as the Episcopal church.

The Chuch of England opted out from Rome at the time of "good" King Henry VIII.
Apostolic succession was maintained to that point through their Catholic line.
When the Bishops moved allegiance their line of succession was not broken.
Since then the line of succession has been maintained in that you need bishops to consecrate other bishops, so the line is maintained through that practice.

Maybe this is too simplistic, but it is a first stab.