The Anglican Church of Brazil was one of five signatories to an ecumenical document which mutually recognizes the validity of baptism among five branches of the Christian faith.
 
The five churches have agreed that “re-baptism” is not necessary when a person changes affiliation from one branch to another. In the document the five agree that “the baptism instituted by Christ is fundamentally a free gift of God,” the signatories also “accept the baptism as basic link of the unity that is given by the faith in the same Lord.”
 
In addition to the Igreja Episcopal Anglicana do Brasil (IEAB), the churches are: the Roman Catholic Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Presbyterian United Church and the Syrian Orthodox Church.
 
“This mutual recognition was well received in ecumenical circles, especially within the World Council of Church,” said the Rev. Canon Francisco de Assis da Silva, provincial secretary of the IEAB. “This is the first time that the mutual acceptance of baptism has been instituted by a multilateral agreement, including the Roman Catholic Church.
 
The agreement, which was announced during a Nov. 15 celebration at the Mosteiro de São Bento in São Paulo, was the result of a multi-year dialogue conducted through the National Council of Churches.
 
Episcopal News Service contributed to this report.
 
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