It is no secret that many bishops are in a bit of a panic about this summer’s debate over women bishops and fear the loss of many traditionalists. According to reports in the Daily Mail, both the Archbishop of York and the Archbishop of Canterbury now plan to intervene in the forthcoming debate over women bishops by demanding greater provision for opponents whose needs will not be met if the conclusions of the revision committee come into force. Quite what the Archbishops will propose is not made clear and nor is there any guarantee that Synod will listen to their plea but at least it shows that they understand the plight of those being forced into the fringes of ecclesial life.
What is the English Anglo-Catholic to make of this latest twist in a very long saga? Most importantly, what will the impact of this public support be on the emerging Ordinariate? The answer depends on which of three camps an individual occupies at present. Perhaps it helps us to name them:
- The Anglo-Papalist stance: those occupying this position will embrace the Ordinariate regardless of what Synod may or may not offer Anglo-Catholics in the future. This group yearns for communion with Peter above all else and the erection of a bridge across the Tiber places a spiritual obligation on them to move. The declaration from Canterbury and York might impress them but it will not move them.
- The Congregational Catholic stance: these Anglo-Catholics yearn for Synod to find a solution that keeps them within the Church of England and will likely rejoice in the latest news but with a degree of scepticism — this does little to temper synod’s mood and promises in the past have frequently been broken. Nevertheless, should York and Canterbury succeed then they will have what they truly desire — a means of being part of a Catholic tradition as opposed to part of the Catholic faith. This is the group most affected by this news as they are the group who are open to the Ordinariate but not enthusiastic about it. We might define this group as those who would join an Ordinariate but only as a last resort.
- The High-church Protestant stance: those occupying this group might enjoy lace, incense and High Mass on a Sunday but they have no desire at all to enter into the Roman Catholic fold. A deeply protestant group they will be remaining out of Communion with Peter regardless of what unfolds in the General Synod. This group will delight in the latest news and we should be pleased that it will help them remain faithful to the Church they clearly belong to.
Having identified these three positions we can begin to assess the impact of July’s synod on the Ordinariate. Those of us in the first group will not be swayed regardless of what transpires and nor will those in the last group. It is the many who sit in the middle group whose vote is ‘up for grabs’. The question I want to pose for debate is quite simple then.
How should the supporters of the Ordinariate view July’s synodical debate? Should they pray that it goes well for traditionalists in order that those entering into communion with Rome are clearly seen to be doing it for all the right reasons? Or should they pray that Synod goes badly in order to convince as many as possible to join even if they do so reluctantly? I am increasingly favouring the first scenario and would prefer a smaller but purer Ordinariate group… but what about you?
What expectation should we have of those becoming Roman Catholic by entering an Ordinariate? And what should be made of those opting to remain where they are? Is it possible for them to remain unchanged in matters devotional, doctrinal and liturgical having politely refused the offer from Rome?
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Anglicans who honestly prefer to remain where they are should stay where they are. We just have to leave it to the Holy Spirit to help them discern whether it is right for them to stay in the Church of England or not.
Anglicans who will remain because Synod gave them a legal recourse to practice and believe what their conscience tells them, have more need of our prayers and more of the Holy Spirit's help. The question is whether their current status will be protected by the present arrangements.
Nonetheless, any Anglican who by his/her individual decision joins the Catholic Church, he/she ceases to be an Anglo-Papalist, High Church Protestant, Congregational Anglo-Catholic, Evangelical Anglican or an Atheistic Anglican! He/she becomes Catholic. That's all that matters.
In the end it is the individual who will decide based on a clear conviction, faith and a properly formed conscience to join the Catholic Church. Your priest, bishop and primate may join the ordinariate, but he cannot profess your faith in your behalf.
The more I see of all this, the more I realise the formula adopted by the Holy Father, Cardinal Levada, Archbishop Di Noia and others is an inspired one. Most will stay in the Church of England whatever happens, and their consciences will adjust until they drop religious practice altogether. It's a shame, but that's how it is.
Some groups will either form or join ordinariates, depending on where they are, but I suspect most adherents will be individuals coming from various parishes. From the outset, the idea is to join the Catholic Church as Catholics (becoming or "perfecting") and be allowed something of a corporate identity whatever form that is going to take. Of course, this thing is going to be open to those who are prepared to reason everything out for themselves and have an open mind. Those with "anti-Roman" prejudices and go by conservative emotions will just have to get used to female clergy without any opt-out solution offered. It is only logical that this is the way the Church of England is going to go. It is an institutional church body and its members are obliged to accept all the reforms and modifications decided by General Synod, including the trashing of Anglo-Catholicism.
If there is to be any ecumenism between Rome and Canterbury, it is something entirely different from the ordinariates.
Where's it all going? Whatever happens, those of us who will join an ordinariate will be motivated by conviction and faith. Many who remain in the C of E will also be people of virtue, faith and conviction, but in their church's new direction which is not ours. The ships are now sailing in opposite directions, and all there is between them is the sea.
The detail is here:
http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/2909
It does nothing to address many of the issues raised by the Revision Committee's proposals, including the inability of any parish, should the Committee's proposals be adopted, to refuse a male ordained priest in law by a woman bishop in law.
Regards
John U.K.
I've just read the Cantuar-Ebor document kindly linked by John UK. What has me perplexed (not to say in stitches) is the ecclesiology behind it all – surely not a Catholic one?
The nominated bishop is a bishop who derives his authority from a piece of paper. The diocesan bishop receives his/her authority allegedly from the Apostles.
I don't think this is Catholic ecclesiology!
The Pope for instance can appoint an ordinary for an Anglican Ordinariate. Let's say he has no canonical impediments to be a bishop (he is unmarried and can be a bishop.) He gets his authority from the Pope who gets his from St Peter who got his from the Lord.
The Anglican Ordinary is a bishop co-equal to other bishops in the bishops conference as he heads a particular church equivalent to a diocese . The Anglican Ordinary is directly subject to the Pope and not to any other bishop. This is not the case with the churches who can't recognize and accept a woman diocesan bishop.
Common sense will tell us that those who uphold the Apostolic order in the CoE would be better protected and cared for by the Catholic Anglican Ordinary/Bishop rather by an Anglican nominated bishop who gets his authority from a measure.
Fr. Tomlinson,
If people in category 2 think this changes the long-term outlook in the C of E (even if the measure passes), then they are only fooling themselves. This amendment only delays the changes for a few years. In that time, category 1 will leave as a small pure group, but the measure may convince some in category 2 to stick around.
It seems to me that what is being neglected in your categorization – and left as an open question at the end – is that people do change. I have seen plenty of this since the release of the Apostolic Constitution. Some folks that were contentedly Anglo-Catholic have become virulent protestants, while other middle-of-the-road Anglicans have seen that it is time to become Catholic. The Apostolic Constitution has concentrated minds wonderfully and forced people to reevaluate what they really believe.
I opt for the larger “impure” grouping. Why? First, in the history of the church, people become Catholics for all kinds of reasons – including forced conversion. While this is not exactly forced conversion, for some it may be conversion under duress. I do not see this as a bad thing. What is needed is a good slap in the face to wake people up. Once you become Catholic – even for less than ideal reasons – you can grow in the faith surrounded by other Catholic exerting a good influence. Plus, your children come with you and the church grows. The Catholic Church is not some idyllic place – it has many of the same problems as the C of E or the Episcopalians. The same will be true with the Ordinariates, as wonderful as we all hope they will be. The church will always have the wheat and the tares growing together – that is the nature of things. However, the principle also works the other way. Those who opt to stay C of E will have enormous pressure applied to them to either change with the times or be vilified and ostracized in their own church. If they can be convinced to stay, then in time most of them will quietly turn into revisionists – especially the clergy whose livelihood depends on this. You have already seen the experiment run in the U.S. with depressing results – the same will be true for England.
The Ordinariates should not just be for “Anglo-papalists” – they should be for all Anglicans that have the sense to see what is in front of them. This is the answer, this is the way forward.
The Ordinariates are not and were not designed to be for Anglo-Papalists alone. They are for all Anglicans who would avail of them. Needless to say though that Anglo-Papalists will be the most enthusiastic as a collective to embrace them.
It is arguable that the Ordinariate is less intended for the Anglo-Papalists than for anybody else, because they long ago abandoned the "patrimony". They will feel quite at home in the (Roman) Catholic Church as it is.
Very true. When you shine a bright light on an area that was poorly illumined, the hazy gray areas disappear. Light areas become more light, and dark areas become more dark and the boundaries between these two areas become sharper. It becomes very hard to sit on the fence when it gets that sharp.
You're forced to decide, is the Church a human invention to worship a revealed God, or is the Church a divine creation to worship a revealed God? If you choose the latter, you're Catholic or Orthodox or Anglo-Catholic and you do not have the authority to change what was put in place by God. Otherwise, you're Anglo-Protestant and you can change whatever you want as long as you don't contradict the revealed God and any High Church element of Anglican Worship is just a matter of personal taste. Having a modern day Caligula making a horse a priest (in support of environmentalism) and alter servers doing liturgical slam dances, might be bad taste, but it is entirely irrelevant if the word is preached faithfully.
Some individuals argue their point/s of view quite ferociously. Then, when previously unavailable information becomes available, or the situation changes and is looked upon from a different perspective, they more ferociously argue their previous point/s. Why? Because some people do not like to be proven wrong and wish to 'safe face', especially after such a strong defense. After evaluating present and future information some who do not join the 'first wave' may wish to join an Ordinariate. I pray will will be aware of this human condition and make ourselves available to them in a Christ like manner.