How can you divide apostolic succession? Each bishop has his own lineage. There is no splitting. The Roman Catholic Church will receive an Orthodox priest without re-ordination and the same goes for catholic priests crossing over to Orthodoxy. The succeeded apostolic authority (ordination) remains valid in both Churches.
The Anglican priests on the other hand have to be ordained in order to become Orthodox or Roman Catholic priests.
It's not about leading the flock 'legally' — the east-west split is over theology. As long as we don't agree on some issues we cannot be in communion. That's the only thing thats separates us. There is no other separation. Neither side left the Church (apostolic authority).
Then went Luther split from the Church, as a fully ordained priest, didn't he carry the "apostolic succession"?
It's not about leading the flock 'legally' — the east-west split is over theology. As long as we don't agree on some issues we cannot be in communion. That's the only thing thats separates us. There is no other separation.
What a hoo! That to me sounds like a big DUH! You can say the Protestants split over theology as well. If the keys are handed to Peter and the Vatican traces its succesion of Popes to Peter, then it seems to me the Orthodox are not following the line of Peter, now are they? Where is the apostolic succession in all of this?
Apostolic succession is really nothing more than a myth.