Following the Anglican Use Pastors Panel, the conference went into recess to prepare for Mass.

In the annual tradition of the Anglican Use Conference, all present were invited to join in the pickup choir for the Mass. At least two dozen conference attendees availed themselves of the opportunity, and off they went to a 3:30 pm rehearsal, while others went to confession at 4:00 pm or retired to one of the many informal discussion groups.

Solemn High Mass was offered at 5:00 pm at the high altar of the Cathedral. Our group did not quite fill the pews of the massive basilica, but mindful of Anglican tradition we did our best to fill the space with our hymns and chants. Mass was according to the Book of Divine Worship, with traditional Anglican plainsong. Most present either knew the chants or ably sight read them. Archbishop Myers pontificated, and the principal celebrant was Retired Bishop Jeffrey Steenson. The choir performed admirably, and, yes, we did have an opportunity to hear the cathedral’s extraordinary pipe organ. What an inspiring sight it was to see members of our two groups worshiping together according to our common liturgy, exchanging warm greetings at the sign of peace, separated from full communion by the width of the Tiber, but praying together for unity.

After Mass the group returned to the chancery office building where Archbishop Myers was our host for dinner. Archbishop Myers praised the work over the decades of Monsignor William Stetson, a priest of Opus Dei and the long-time secretary to the Ecclesiastical Delegate for the Pastoral Provision. Monsignor Stetson received a standing ovation. His successor as secretary, Monsignor James Sheehan, served as master of ceremonies at the dinner.

After dinner, Monsignor Sheehan introduced the keynote speaker, his former canon law professor Bishop Juan Ignacio Arrieta, the Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, who had traveled from Rome for the occasion. Bishop Arrieta presented his paper entitled Personal Ordinariates. This detailed presentation of nine single-spaced pages was both canonical and pastoral in its approach and sensitivities, and reflected Bishop Arrieta’s professional interest in ecclesiology. The canonist’s presentation confirmed much of the analysis that was evident from the plain language of the Apostolic Constitution and was presented at the Anglicanorum Coetibus Information Day at Our Lady of the Atonement parish last December. Additionally, Bishop Arrieta presented for the first time new insights on the dual membership of personal ordinariate members in both the ordinariate and the territorial diocese. The Bishop explained that, while this is not explicit in Anglicanorum Coetibus or the Complementary Norms, membership in a particular church must be inferred from the ecclesiological principles set out in Communionis Notio (1992). Bishop Arrieta also gave great emphasis to two points that are known but that the canonist felt were essential to a complete understanding, first, that it is canonically significant that those joining a personal ordinariate must voluntarily and affirmatively express their intent to do so (and may voluntarily withdraw at any time), and second, that the cooperation between the personal ordinary and diocesan bishops as called for in the Apostolic Constitution will be very important.

The Bishop also noted that, while exceptions are provided for, clerical celibacy as called for by Canon Law in the Latin Rite will be the rule in the ordinariates, and that this will be important for the future formation side-by-side of seminarians from the ordinariate and from the local diocese.

Bishop Arrieta’s paper, and the others given at the conference, will be published in Anglican Embers, the quarterly journal of the Anglican Use Society.

The final day of the conference will be tomorrow, Saturday June 12.