Bishop Peter Wilkinson
It has been an amazing day. There was a beautiful Mass honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary today celebrated by Bishop Peter Wilkinson. This afternoon, every delegate, one-by-one, has the floor for three minutes to raise questions, share concerns or otherwise speak on the Apostolic Constitution.
It is glorious. Unity. Joy. Thanksgiving. Yes, a misgiving or a concern here and there, but mostly just gratitude, hope and praise for the Holy Father and our bishops for leading us to this moment in history.
Bishop Robert Mercer gave a beautiful talk that received a standing ovation.
Bishop Craig Botterill
Bishop Craig Botterill, Chancellor of the Anglican Catholic Church of Canada, spoke earlier today on why this issue of communion with Rome is an issue for the bishops and not congregations, as it is a matter of faith and morals. We are not a democracy; we are not congregationalists, he said.
Bishop Carl Reid also spoke powerfully this morning. I'm still trying to take notes as each person speaks on the Apostolic Constitution.
It's going really well. Wonderful testimonies. Lots of thankfulness and expressions of trust for our bishops.
Holy Communion
"Bishop Craig Botterill, chancellor of the Anglican Catholic Church of Canada, spoke earlier today on why this issue of communion with Rome is an issue for the bishops and not congregations, as it is a matter of faith and morals. We are not a democracy; we are not congregationalists, he said."
And here is the rub. This notion is for some foreign, un-Anglican, Papalist, difficult to align with, etc. But, it is reality. We can't be congregationalist and enter into the Ordinariate. That is, unless ones intent is to enter therein and presume that reality can be changed. May we not bring those realities of Anglicanism into the Ordinariate which would compromise our standing with the Catholic Church. Rome will not have it. We should not attempt it. Having said that, we will have many unconscious habits which it will take time to purge; a learning curve, so to speak. But, may it be just that, nothing else. Lord protect us!
After getting some frustrating news from the U.S. Synods this is a real breath of fresh air.
Our prayers are with you.
Veni, Sancte Spiritus.
Lovely pictures. Do you know which orders the 2 Sisters were?
The one in blue would be from The Servants of the Sacred Cross (SSC).
http://www.thesacredcross.org/main.htm
The other I am not sure of.
As a Roman Catholic, who left the Anglican Church of Canada 29 years ago, I look forward to returning to my Anglican heritage through officially entering the Canadian Ordinariate, when able to. 29 years of prayer that this day would come have been answered.
Thanks be to God
Mm. Quote of the year: "this issue of communion with Rome is an issue for the bishops and not congregations, as it is a matter of faith and morals. . . . we are not congregationalists. . . ."
It's incredible how un-episcopal opposition to the reunion truly is. Kudos.
I see that Deborah has not been back to report on the rest of today. I won't steal her thunder, I hope – but it has been an incredible day – and you will all want to check back soon for a full report. If I can hint… it's good news.
I comment Bsp. Botterill for wearing the simar instead of that appalling black business suit adopted in the 1970s by Latin bishops. God bless him! If he will promise never to wear the black business suit ever again but only the simar in public, I'll consider diverting my income to his bank account. Right now, must of my money goes to the dentist. I'd rather send it to Bishop Botterill.
I'd consider the seminary just so that I could refuse clerics and insist on cassocks in public. But I guess that's the wrong reason to become a priest … Oh, well.
Great photographs. More!
P.K.T.P.
Bp. Craig Botterill is a crown attorney in Nova Scotia. He may find it difficult to promise never to wear a business suit again…
Well, I suppose that, if he is a barrister, he can move from cassock to gown. Yes, I agree that this will be impossible in certain special circustances, such as during the riding of motorcycles or the defending of cases in court. We must remember the special (and very practical) provisions in A.C. for allowing 'Anglicatholic' (pace Fr. Henry) priests to follow secular employments on weekdays. Coming from the Roman side of the bridge, this did not occur to me.
P.K.T.P.
It's not just Fr. Henry who is offended by your continuous use of the the term 'Anglicatholic.' However, you seem to be the only one using this made-up word. So I imagine it won't become part of the lexicon.
All of the clergy at synod were in cassocks for the duration—one of the practices we keep at such gatherings.
Good grief! I am sorry for the typos in my last post. It should read 'commend' (not comment), 'most' (not must), and 'clericals' (not clerics). P.K.T.P.
We'll blame them on the dentist and his novacaine Prof Perkins !!
Really, I do have a problem with dentists. I have to pray not to despise them (along with journalists, but that's another story). I have this conviction that dentists mine our faces for cash. They go in there and create problems that they can later fix–at huge expense to us. Here in Canada, when socialist medicare came, the dentists were not part of the profession and so got excluded. The result today is that they are all becoming incredibly rich and I don't trust them! They have enormous power because people will do anything to avoid pain. This is especially true of me. I'm a real wimp when it comes to physical pain. I fear I'd never qualify as a martyr. With hope, I shan't be put to the test. When I heard once that torturers in a certain Latin American country had used dental procedures without anæthetics, I nearly fainted just hearing about it. And then there was a very brace Chinese bishop. When he reaslised that the communist torturers would do this sort of thing, he went to his dentist and had him remove all his teeth. NOW THAT MAN IS BRAVE! That is what I call a Catholici hero.
P.K.T.P.
Bishop Gill,
We hope you have recovered from your traumatic experience.
You were in our prayers.
South Africa is in our prayers also. May they be a light to the nations in seeking the unity of Christ's Church.
Thank you Mr Taber, we sincerely appreciate your care and concern.
We, together with Fr Stephen Smuts (who was with us at the time) are indeed living proof of the glorious protection of our One God and Saviour.
Cassocks should be the rule and generally was for Anglo-Catholic parochial clergy. The suit with clerical collar is a compromise, and for Bishops black stocks and pectoral crosses in their pockets is beyond the pale! I look forward to the day when the Pope orders nuns wearing frumpy secular clothes to put on veils and full length habits.
Amen! I cannot explain it but cassocks have an overwhelming emotional appeal for me. When I see a priest in cassock (or a bishop in simar) in public, I feel emphatically, This is a priest of God. When I see clericals, I feel, This is a Protestant minister who does no Sacrifice. When I see a Roman bishop in black business suit and pectoral cross in pocket, I think, This is a Methodist funeral director, or it might be God's banker.
No, I don't understand these feelings but many others share them. When the Ukrainian Byzantine Catholic bishop here appeared after Mass in cassock, there was an electric feeling in the air. When he appeared in the black business suit on other occasions, disappointment and even a tinge of resentment set in. You could feel it in the air. I suppose that the reason is the difference in *form* between cassock and secular dress. It implies a spiritual presence rather than a secular one. It must be something like that.
P.K.T.P.
The point that the Church is not "congregationalist" is valid, and sadly forgotten by the Anglican church of Canada (ACoC). Allowing Clergy and Layity to vote on practically everything is like allowing the faculty and students at a high school to vote on how the school is to be administered, and even the ciriculum that is to be taught. This is obviously wrong. As someone who has recently left the ACoC I will attest to the fact that this has had devastating and disasterous effects. We should be thankful that the Bishops of the Anglican Catholic Church of Canada (ACCoC) have the strength of character to stand up and tell it like it is. Matters of Doctrine are not to be voted on by Clergy and Layity! Matters that are temporal in nature (i.e. budgets, insurance policies, compliance with local building codes, etc) can, and perhaps should, include input from the Clergy and Layity.