There has been quite a stir these past days due to speculation that a substantial amount of traditional Anglican clergy may seek some form of corporate union with Rome. The Traditional Anglican Communion asked for the same thing last October and has been on hold since then, presumably because of the widely foreseen Anglican implosion scheduled for summer 2008. Corporate reunion, were that to happen, would involve union with the Church while retaining their Anglican identity.
The idea of “Anglicans” united with Rome is not unprecedented. Pope John Paul issued a Pastoral Provision in the 80’s that allowed for the Anglican Use. However, something on the scale imagined here would obviously look very different.
One pressing question is how welcome will they be in the Catholic Church. It is a long and widely held suspicion the the Catholic Hierarchy in England would not be particularly thrilled with any such arrangement which explains why they have yet to be invited to the discussions.
Other than the Bishops, what will the greeting be like among the faithful. Hopefully not like the reaction of Gerald Warner who writes for the Telegraph.
Now, however, the Anglican contagion is invading the Catholic Church and that is quite another matter. The news that Anglican bishops have had private talks with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith is a provocative development. Any collective negotiation suggests that these disgruntled prelates envisage the possibility of some kind of corporate adherence to the Catholic Church. The barque of Peter should immediately hoist the signal: not wanted on voyage.
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The Catholic Church does not exist to provide a funk hole for pick ‘n’ mix Anglicans upset by the prospect of gays and girls on the episcopal bench. It is a comprehensive deposit of faith which the believer accepts in its entirety.If these people have truly been moved to conversion, they should return publicly to the lay state which the document “Apostolicae Curae” of Leo XIII confirmed is the actual condition of those in Anglican orders, pray, take instruction and make formal submission to the Sovereign Roman Pontiff.
The title of Warner’s piece is “Is it Just Me?” I certainly hope so.
While union will certainly require the acceptance of all that is defined and held by the Church, it should not be more than that. We should imitate the ways the brother of the prodigal son, grumbling at the joy and generosity of his Father. We should not begrudge the generosity of the Church toward our lost brothers. My thoughts and hopes are expressed wonderfully by New Catholic at Rorate Caeli. First he quotes the Pope in his letter accompanying Summorum Pontificum.
Looking back over the past, to the divisions which in the course of the centuries have rent the Body of Christ, one continually has the impression that, at critical moments when divisions were coming about, not enough was done by the Church’s leaders to maintain or regain reconciliation and unity. One has the impression that omissions on the part of the Church have had their share of blame for the fact that these divisions were able to harden. This glance at the past imposes an obligation on us today: to make every effort to enable for all those who truly desire unity to remain in that unity or to attain it anew. I think of a sentence in the Second Letter to the Corinthians, where Paul writes: “Our mouth is open to you, Corinthians; our heart is wide. You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections. In return … widen your hearts also!” (2 Cor 6:11-13). Paul was certainly speaking in another context, but his exhortation can and must touch us too, precisely on this subject. Let us generously open our hearts and make room for everything that the faith itself allows.
He then adds in the combox…
They should be allowed to bring as much from their liturgy and customs as the Catholic and Apostolic Faith allows – that is the meaning of the Holy Father’s intent, clearly presented in the accompanying letter to Summorum Pontificum: “Let us generously open our hearts and make room for everything that the faith itself allows.”
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Long live Pope Benedict – and may he be the Pontiff who will provide a stable and effective structure for the reception of former Anglicans.
I share his hopes that agreement and unity based on generosity and truth can be reached. For their sake, for our sake, and for God’s sake.
“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” John 17:20-23
July 9, 2008 at 6:06 am
I have to admit to sharing the thoughts of Gerald Warner – this is a group that heretofore has been unwilling to recognize the supremacy of the pope. Now, when their own church is falling apart, they seek to abandon ship to the thing that most closely resembles the Anglican communion of several decades ago. I think there should be concern that this could be a superficial conversion that might only lead to trouble down the road and further jeopardize the souls of those fleeing.
On the other hand, I’m unwilling to assume that the traditional Anglicans are merely shifting from an uncomfortable situation to a more comfortable situation. I would much rather hope that these groups will enter into full communion wholeheartedly so that the Body of Christ may be one and that their customs may enrich our own.
Furthermore, I’m much more inclined to trust the Holy Father’s judgment on this – he is surely wise enough to be concerned for the salvation of souls and to therefore listen intently to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
July 9, 2008 at 8:19 am
I suspect that this is the logical conclusion to life in a church in which the ‘teaching authority’ no longer teaches what’s in the book. (Perhaps it began with that divorce…) After awhile, you are only left with democracy to define what is true, and of course that’s a dead end when you are dealing with revelation.
I think they want back in because they realize they need to be back in: they need the teaching charism and authority possessed by the pope and bishops in union with him.
I hope it works out.
The ladies, anyway, will have to renounce their ‘orders’. Hopefully they’ll see that as a good thing.
July 9, 2008 at 9:19 am
Perhaps Gerald has seen what a lot of us have noticed about convert Anglican clergymen. They come with quite a bit of baggage and not a few prejudices which are pretty “uncatholic”. A real convert understands that he’s joining “us”. Too many Anglicans think they’re God’s gift to us. These “corporate union” types seem determined to bring their alien faith into the Catholic Church. Why didn’t they convert til now? Did they not care about believing in a church which supported contraception, divorce and vote-your-own morality? Which ordained women deacons and priests? Which accepted that the Parliament could pass laws to regulate belief?
If you really believe that female episcopacy is the straw that broke the camel’s back, but that they could cope with all the rest, then you can’t be describing a Catholic mindset. I agree with Gerald that they need to convert and discover what religion really is. It’s not what they thought. I will love them as a brother and welcome them passionately, but after all the pain they will go through in conversion (Newman’s loss and gain) let’s make sure they have the joy of the full faith, not a watered down one
July 9, 2008 at 3:20 pm
Carole
You wrote “The ladies, anyway, will have to renounce their ‘orders’. Hopefully they’ll see that as a good thing.”
The faction of Anglicans interested in joining Rome are the Anglicans that never recognized the “ladies orders” in the first place. None of those women will be renouncing anything other than the Faith that Jesus handed on.
July 11, 2008 at 5:02 am
The fact of the matter is that this is way to sneak married clergy through the back door. Soon we will hear about how easily Catholic parishes adapted to married converted Anglican clergy and the argument that it obviously is not that big of a deal. Clerics totally devoted to their vocation is something wonderful that Catholics have and it should be something that we endeavor to save. If this comes at the expense of reunification with Protestant denominations then so be it. I would love for the Catholic Church to be the truly universal Church again, but not at the expense of its wonderful Catholic identity.