I have seen this story lurking around for the last few days. Apparently, the Traditional Anglican Communion (TAC), a traditional independent off-shoot of the Anglican communion, which boasts of some 400,000 members worldwide has sent a letter to the See of Rome seeking full, corporate, sacramental union. The letter was signed solemnly by all the College and entrusted to the Primate and two bishops chosen by the College to be presented to the Holy See. This letter was apparently received by the CDF. The TAC has decided, prudently I would suppose, to keep its collective mouth shut until they hear from Rome. As to the why, TAC Primate John Hepworth wrote this last year:
Why are we doing this? Our communion with the Anglican Communion in most parts of the world was shattered by the ordination of women to Holy Orders. In this ultimate of schismatic acts, the Anglican Communion betrayed its claim to share a common Apostolic Ministry with the churches of East and West, which had undergirded its claims to be authentically catholic since the Reformation.
In the same step, the great doctrines of Creation, Incarnation and Redemption are denied. The sacramental life of the Church, by which Jesus brings the saving grace of redemption to each of us, becomes an object of suspicion and uncertainty. Placing a woman priest in a diocese is always “communion breaking”, since it makes the very act of communion impossible.
At the same time, the ordination of women fractured one of the most solemn agreements ever made by an Archbishop of Canterbury. Michael Ramsey, when he signed the agreement to create “full and organic communion” with the Holy See, acted upon the urging of the Lambeth Fathers since the “Bell Resolutions” of the Lambeth Conference just before the Second World War, and the enthusiasm of the earliest Conferences for discovering a basis of unity with Rome. And the Pope, in agreeing to this unity that he described as “united but not absorbed”, determined to end five centuries of often-bitter division.
This all makes for a very interesting case. With quite a few parishes (over 100 I think) here in the States, this could be an extraordinary implementation of the rarely invoked Anglican Use.
What might be the impact of such a thing? Has any protestant Christian body ever sought reunification with the Church as an entire body? What psychological impact might this have? What would the regular Anglican communion think? (Not that they are likely fond of this bunch in the first place.)
While I do not pretend to know the details or obstacles that may stand in the way of this communion, I must admit that my interest is piqued.
Now if we can only get the Catholics in this country to seek full communion with Rome.
October 25, 2007 at 12:38 pm
Well, the Anglican/Episcopalian denomination has been slowly losing members to the Roman Catholic Church for the past 20 years, perhaps it is time that they just all come back home together.
More Anglican parishes would likely come home in masse if they could take their assets with them, buildings and endowments, but the diocese owns those things. It is hard to walk away from what you have given in such a physical way. But… Jesus told us to do exactly that, didn’t he?
October 25, 2007 at 1:16 pm
I heard about this traditional Anglican group that wants to enter the Catholic Church with its own rite. The Vatican is supposed to be studying the whole question these days and I pray that a positive outcome will come soon. They will be very loyal to the Pope. I heard that nearly one million people now belong to the group. This will be the best gift the Church of the West could ever receive. Let us pray that this comes about very soon.
October 25, 2007 at 2:19 pm
Welcome to traditional Anglican groups in the Catholic Church…
The demographic winter is here.
Aging workforce in the US.
geocities(dot)com/demographic_crash
Website with good information on the subject.
Welcome.
Have a nice day.
Sincerely,
Solange Miller
October 25, 2007 at 3:14 pm
If Anglicans and Roman Catholics come into full communion it is only because it is what the Lord Jesus wanted and prayed for (“Father, that they may be one as You and I are One so that the world believe that you have sent me.”). The Anglicans have much to bring to the Roman Catholic Church. I hope they will help bring about a renewal in the Church. Christian Europe needs to unite to stem the tide of Islam. Catholics have no reason to gloat over this. It is a great new responsbility to help them feel wanted and welcome because they have all the right to be part of the family.
October 25, 2007 at 3:19 pm
Prayers and jubilation that such a thing is even considered!
October 25, 2007 at 4:20 pm
For those interested in learning more, the blog Per Christum had a great post with much more in-depth information about the proposed reconcilliation. The post can be found here:
http://blog.ancient-future.net/2007/10/traditional-anglican-communion-seeks.html
I also encourage everyone to check out the website for the TAC and see where parishes/dioceses/bishops are located in the U.S. If the TAC reunites with Rome, it will be good for all Catholics to know where these parishes are located so we can help welcome our brothers and sisters back into the faith. The website can be found here:
http://www.acahome.org/tac/members/members.htm
October 25, 2007 at 6:09 pm
My heart soared when I read this article. I hoe more of our Christian brothers and sisters will come and bring their gifts too for the Lord has prepared a great banquet. “He has dispatched His servant to say o those invited, Come everything is ready”(Luke 14:17)
October 25, 2007 at 7:06 pm
Fiat voluntas tua!
October 26, 2007 at 12:27 am
LOL at you final line: “Now if we can only get the Catholics in this country to seek full comminion with Rome.” How very sad but true.
October 26, 2007 at 1:16 am
Amen to the last line, I am so tired of priest doing the Mass there way and not Romes way, We only have two priest and they both say Mass in a different way. One very reverent and the other his way. He will not change, his answer is that the Bishops give them freedom to change some little things. God please help us.
In Jesus and Mary
Margaret
October 26, 2007 at 4:11 am
This is good. Eventually in time all Christians will come together, through God’s guidance. There is so much opposition in the world to us, these days, that the only way to conquer opposition is to be one in Jesus Christ.
October 26, 2007 at 10:55 am
Here in the Diocese of Corpus Christi we have an Anglican Use Church at our SOLT Perpetual Adoration Chapel and just yesterday I found Our Lady of Walsingham Church in Houston, built in 2004—quite beautifully— http://www.walsingham-church.org.
There is a St. Thomas More Society that has quietly received an Episcopal minister (Eric Bergman) and members of his congregation into the sheepfold in Scranton, PA.
I met Fr. Bergman last year and he is sincere and full of energetic leadership.
http://www.stthomasmoresociety.org
Finally there is an entry at my blog at http://eucharist-emc2.blogspot.com/2007/07/marygoldstar-of-evangelization.html that talks about the hopefilled return of Our Lady’s Dowry, it is a great poem to ponder.
Thanks for the update on the “Long and Winding Road” home for the Angican Communion.
Keep up the great work!
Mike Rizzio, SOLT
October 26, 2007 at 11:36 am
Oh…and I just hound out that Fr. Bergman was on the Journey Home on Oct. 22 and this can be heard at EWTN.com at:
http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/latestadditions/seriessearchprog.asp?seriesID=-6892289&fldSeriesName=The+Journey+Home
GBU
Mike Rizzio