BARRANQUILLA / ROME-RUTHENIA 13 January 2026 (NRom)
In a significant step toward visible catholic unity, His Apostolic Highness the Most Holy Pope Radislav I, Prince-Bishop of Rome-Ruthenia, acting in his capacity as Supreme Pontiff of the United Roman-Ruthenian Church, and His Excellency the Most Reverend Archbishop Victor Manuel Cruz Blanco, Metropolitan Archbishop of the Provincia Iglesia Anglicana del Caribe y la Nueva Granada, have formally signed an Agreement of Intercommunion and Academic & Seminary Cooperation.
Rooted explicitly in the prayer of Christ “that they all may be one” (John 17:21), the agreement affirms mutual recognition of apostolic faith, sacramental life, and episcopal governance, while respecting the legitimate diversity of liturgical rites and theological emphases within the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.
Full Sacramental Communion and Mutual Recognition
Under the terms of the agreement, the two Churches enter into full sacramental communion, affirming their shared standing within the Catholic fullness of the historic and continual Apostolic tradition, including the validity of episcopal orders, priesthood, diaconate, and sacramental life, most especially Baptism and the Holy Eucharist.
The agreement establishes full sacramental hospitality, allowing faithful members in good standing to receive the sacraments in either Church, subject to local pastoral discipline. Clergy may also celebrate or assist liturgically across jurisdictions with the consent of the local Ordinary, in accordance with the canons of the host Church.
A Province Formed in the Anglican Catholic Continuum
The Anglican Church of the Caribbean and New Granada stands firmly within the Continuing Anglican and Anglican Catholic tradition, tracing its apostolic lineage to Bishop Albert Arthur Chambers, the principal architect of the global Continuing Anglican Movement.
It was Bishop Chambers who authorized the ordination of Victor Manuel Cruz Blanco to the diaconate and priesthood in 1987 and commissioned him to establish Anglican Catholic ministry in Colombia. This foundational act placed the emerging Church directly canonically within the Anglican Catholic Church (ACC) and the historic Chambers succession.
From its inception, the Province has adhered to the Chicago–Lambeth Quadrilateral, affirming the authority of Holy Scripture, the Nicene and Apostles’ Creeds, the dominical sacraments of Baptism and Eucharist, and the historic episcopate adapted for mission.
Episcopal Succession, Orthodoxy, and Shared History
Following the death of the first diocesan bishop, the Diocese continued its life amid the wider doctrinal and ecclesial developments characteristic of the Continuing Anglican movement during that period. Within this historical context, Victor Manuel Cruz Blanco was canonically consecrated bishop on 30 June 1991 at St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Merrillville, Indiana, firmly within the Chambers succession, with the authorization of Archbishop Francisco de Jesús Pagtakhan, then Primus of Honor.
This same apostolic line also includes the Most Reverend Archbishop Mark Haverland, Metropolitan Archbishop of the Anglican Catholic Church in the United States, whose episcopal ministry likewise derives from the Chambers succession and shares in its historic continuity.
Before his consecration, Archbishop Haverland served as Secretary and Archivist of the ACC College of Bishops. When Archbishop Mark Haverland was consecrated bishop in 1998, then-Bishop Victor Manuel Cruz Blanco served as one of his co-consecrators, alongside Metropolitan M. Dean Stephens and Bishop John T. Cahoon.
In a significant step toward visible catholic unity, His Apostolic Highness the Most Holy Pope Radislav I, Prince-Bishop of Rome-Ruthenia, acting in his capacity as Supreme Pontiff of the United Roman-Ruthenian Church, and His Excellency the Most Reverend Archbishop Victor Manuel Cruz Blanco, Metropolitan Archbishop of the Provincia Iglesia Anglicana del Caribe y la Nueva Granada, have formally signed an Agreement of Intercommunion and Academic & Seminary Cooperation.
Rooted explicitly in the prayer of Christ “that they all may be one” (John 17:21), the agreement affirms mutual recognition of apostolic faith, sacramental life, and episcopal governance, while respecting the legitimate diversity of liturgical rites and theological emphases within the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.
Full Sacramental Communion and Mutual Recognition
Under the terms of the agreement, the two Churches enter into full sacramental communion, affirming their shared standing within the Catholic fullness of the historic and continual Apostolic tradition, including the validity of episcopal orders, priesthood, diaconate, and sacramental life, most especially Baptism and the Holy Eucharist.
The agreement establishes full sacramental hospitality, allowing faithful members in good standing to receive the sacraments in either Church, subject to local pastoral discipline. Clergy may also celebrate or assist liturgically across jurisdictions with the consent of the local Ordinary, in accordance with the canons of the host Church.
A Province Formed in the Anglican Catholic Continuum
The Anglican Church of the Caribbean and New Granada stands firmly within the Continuing Anglican and Anglican Catholic tradition, tracing its apostolic lineage to Bishop Albert Arthur Chambers, the principal architect of the global Continuing Anglican Movement.
It was Bishop Chambers who authorized the ordination of Victor Manuel Cruz Blanco to the diaconate and priesthood in 1987 and commissioned him to establish Anglican Catholic ministry in Colombia. This foundational act placed the emerging Church directly canonically within the Anglican Catholic Church (ACC) and the historic Chambers succession.
From its inception, the Province has adhered to the Chicago–Lambeth Quadrilateral, affirming the authority of Holy Scripture, the Nicene and Apostles’ Creeds, the dominical sacraments of Baptism and Eucharist, and the historic episcopate adapted for mission.
Episcopal Succession, Orthodoxy, and Shared History
Following the death of the first diocesan bishop, the Diocese continued its life amid the wider doctrinal and ecclesial developments characteristic of the Continuing Anglican movement during that period. Within this historical context, Victor Manuel Cruz Blanco was canonically consecrated bishop on 30 June 1991 at St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Merrillville, Indiana, firmly within the Chambers succession, with the authorization of Archbishop Francisco de Jesús Pagtakhan, then Primus of Honor.
This same apostolic line also includes the Most Reverend Archbishop Mark Haverland, Metropolitan Archbishop of the Anglican Catholic Church in the United States, whose episcopal ministry likewise derives from the Chambers succession and shares in its historic continuity.
Before his consecration, Archbishop Haverland served as Secretary and Archivist of the ACC College of Bishops. When Archbishop Mark Haverland was consecrated bishop in 1998, then-Bishop Victor Manuel Cruz Blanco served as one of his co-consecrators, alongside Metropolitan M. Dean Stephens and Bishop John T. Cahoon.
These historical references are offered solely to situate the present agreement within the shared apostolic and ecclesial history of the Churches involved, and imply no claim of jurisdiction or authority beyond the scope of this intercommunion, as the Anglican Province of the Caribbean and New Granada is no longer part of the Anglican Catholic Church.
Academic Cooperation and Clerical Formation
In addition to sacramental communion, the agreement establishes a robust framework for academic and seminary cooperation. The Parties formally recognize the Pontifical Georgian College (formerly St. George Theological Seminary, founded by St. Edwin Caudill) and the Seminario Mayor Provincial de América Latina as partner institutions.
The agreement provides for faculty exchanges, joint conferences, collaborative theological research, mutual recognition of coursework (subject to academic standards), and student exchange programs. Seminarians will remain rooted in their own ecclesial traditions while benefiting from shared learning and scholarly engagement. This academic partnership reflects the longstanding emphasis both Churches place on orthodox formation, patristic theology, and the integration of scholarship with pastoral life.
A Shared Witness to Unity
The agreement also commits both Churches to collaboration in pastoral care, ecumenical dialogue, charitable works, and advocacy for peace, human dignity, and religious freedom. Joint initiatives may be undertaken by mutual consent, offering a shared catholic witness in a fragmented Christian landscape.
Although the United Roman-Ruthenian Church, as an Eastern Roman Church with Latin roots, is not formally part of the Continuing Anglican tradition, this intercommunion represents not an innovation but a retrieval and lived expression of catholic ecclesiology, grounded in apostolic succession, sacramental realism, and mutual recognition. It is noteworthy that St. Edwin Caudill, Apostolic Founder of the principal See from which the United Roman-Ruthenian Church later developed, was himself associated with the traditional Anglican movement (see more).
As Pope Radislav I and Archbishop Victor Manuel Cruz Blanco have now formally affirmed, unity need not erase legitimate diversity. Rather, this agreement stands as a concrete expression of communion, cooperation, and fidelity to the faith once delivered to the saints.
Academic Cooperation and Clerical Formation
In addition to sacramental communion, the agreement establishes a robust framework for academic and seminary cooperation. The Parties formally recognize the Pontifical Georgian College (formerly St. George Theological Seminary, founded by St. Edwin Caudill) and the Seminario Mayor Provincial de América Latina as partner institutions.
The agreement provides for faculty exchanges, joint conferences, collaborative theological research, mutual recognition of coursework (subject to academic standards), and student exchange programs. Seminarians will remain rooted in their own ecclesial traditions while benefiting from shared learning and scholarly engagement. This academic partnership reflects the longstanding emphasis both Churches place on orthodox formation, patristic theology, and the integration of scholarship with pastoral life.
A Shared Witness to Unity
The agreement also commits both Churches to collaboration in pastoral care, ecumenical dialogue, charitable works, and advocacy for peace, human dignity, and religious freedom. Joint initiatives may be undertaken by mutual consent, offering a shared catholic witness in a fragmented Christian landscape.
Although the United Roman-Ruthenian Church, as an Eastern Roman Church with Latin roots, is not formally part of the Continuing Anglican tradition, this intercommunion represents not an innovation but a retrieval and lived expression of catholic ecclesiology, grounded in apostolic succession, sacramental realism, and mutual recognition. It is noteworthy that St. Edwin Caudill, Apostolic Founder of the principal See from which the United Roman-Ruthenian Church later developed, was himself associated with the traditional Anglican movement (see more).
As Pope Radislav I and Archbishop Victor Manuel Cruz Blanco have now formally affirmed, unity need not erase legitimate diversity. Rather, this agreement stands as a concrete expression of communion, cooperation, and fidelity to the faith once delivered to the saints.
