Tag Archives: The Catholic Herald

A Principal Church: A Matter of Principle

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An article by Dr. William Oddie was published recently in the Catholic Herald. He began with the great news of the diaconal ordinations of seventeen men which will be taking place at Westminster Cathedral. These men are being ordained for service in the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham.

So far, so good.

After reporting that happy news, Dr. Oddie immediately segued to making the point that these ordinations shouldn’t be taking place at Westminster Cathedral. No, says Dr. Oddie – they should be taking place in the principal church of the Ordinariate.

There is no such principal church, you say? That’s exactly the point he wants to make.

And why is there no principal church for the Ordinariate? Because Archbishop Nichols and the other Catholic bishops in England haven’t given them one, Dr. Oddie says. And he takes this as proof that the English hierarchy isn’t being as supportive of the Ordinariate as might be expected.

I have no first-hand knowledge about the support being given to the Personal Ordinariate by the English bishops, nor am I casting myself in the role of apologist for Archbishop Nichols. I’m just trying to figure out why anyone would think that a principal church should be given outright.

Much has been made of the fact that the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter was “given” a principal church. What is neglected to be mentioned, however, is that the Houston parish of Our Lady of Walsingham had been planning to enter the Ordinariate as soon as it was erected. The parish was already Catholic, having been established a generation ago as an Anglican Use parish, and its property would be transferred with the people. It was a simple matter to declare it to be the principal church. I’m sure the same would have happened in England if there had been a group entering with its property. But there wasn’t.

To make it sound as though the American hierarchy simply cast an eye around and randomly selected a church to give to the Ordinariate, so therefore the English hierarchy should do the same, is (to use a cliché) like comparing apples to oranges.

And that’s all preface to the more important point; namely, simply giving a church to the English Ordinariate isn’t going to help it, in the long run. The principal church in Houston didn’t fall down from the sky. That congregation of Anglican Use Catholics spent years worshipping in a rented convent chapel, and for a time even in a rented store-front. Through tremendous sacrifice they built a church which was very modest, and now serves as the parish hall. And what they did, other Anglican Use groups did. Our Lady of the Atonement began in rented facilities, and through patience, thriftiness and sacrifice, was able to construct what it has today – and even that was done incrementally over several years. None of us had any particularly wealthy donors in those early days, and we certainly didn’t expect our respective dioceses to hand a church building over to us – nor did they – just because we had become Catholics.

It’s a pretty simple principle, immediately evident to anyone who’s had teenagers. If a young man wants a car, he needs to get a job to pay for it. Just because a father doesn’t hand his car keys over to his 16-year old son doesn’t mean he doesn’t love him and support him. Quite the opposite – because a father loves his son, he helps him by giving his son the responsibility of accomplishing it himself.

I’m as eager as Dr. Oddie is, to see a principal church for the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham. But I believe they need to work for it, sacrifice for it, save for it – which will make it all the more beautiful to them – and I have no doubt they can do it. Many of us have.

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English a Protestant Language?

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At the very end of the Rose Dinner, the yearly banquet in conjunction with the National March for Life here in Ottawa, I briefly participated in a conversation in which a former Anglican who had converted about seven or eight years ago and now attends a Traditional Latin Mass regularly, said something to the effect that English is a Protestant language.

He said that just as the Reformation was taking place, the English of Cranmer — he probably added the he was a heretic or he didn't need to as it would be assumed — had something to do with the gelling or establishment of the English language in a consistent form — some kind of standardizing perhaps? — and that somehow made the language  inherently Protestant.  There is no way for English to express the concept of Transubstantiation, he said.

Jeeesh!  It had been a looooooong day and most of it I was on my feet walking and lugging my camera around, so I quickly exited, hoping and praying that after seven years as a Catholic I am not like this, seeing everything as either Catholic or Protestant anything with the least taint of the latter is irredeemably bad.  Now, in my crabbiness, I might certainly be unfairly judging my friend, because I didn't stick around for the extended commentary.

If I weren't so tired I would have said that English is very good at saying whatever it needs to say, even if it has to rob another language to say it.  Esprit de corps, Schadenfreude, running amok, are some examples that come to mind.  As for Transubstantiation, how about Real Presence?  Captures the mystery of what happens in reality without one's having to get an explanation of Aristotle's substance and accident.  And looks like in the word Transubstantiation, English robbed Latin, no?

And I recall from some conversations during this whole Ordinariate roll-out hearing that many Anglo-Papalists threw out the Prayer Book because of that dastardly Cranmer, that horrible Protestant.  Can't even say a syllable by the man, so let's opt for the modern translation!  Doesn't matter if it has a tin ear for music and is a dynamic equivalent translation that isn't really true to the Latin or Greek, let's shun Cranmer like he's got Protestant cooties that will cause heretic disease if you catch them.

Thankfully that attitude seems to be changing.   Here's an excerpt of an article in the Catholic Herald that talks about the renovation of Cranmer:

Evensong’s beauties are the work of Coverdale and Cranmer, two men who led the revolt against the unity of the Church, and overthrew the great work of time, the historic faith of this country. Cranmer’s liturgical reforms were not reforms in any true sense, they were a wrecking of the monastic offices and their replacement with something superficially like yet utterly alien. The Cranmerian Prayer Book provoked rebellions in England, let us remember. The West Country rebels of 1549 protested that they found the Cranmerian service that replaced the Mass no more than “a Christmas game” . The Northern Rebels who entered Durham in 1569 tore up the Prayer Book and had the Mass celebrated in the Cathedral once more. In 1596 one of my collateral ancestors, the Blessed George Errington, was hanged, drawn and quartered at York, along with three others martyrs, because of his Catholic faith, a faith he and many others simply could not recognise in the Cranmerian Prayer Book.

Thus the experience of Cranmerian English leaves me feeling conflicted. I love it and I hate it, and I feel I ought to love it, as it is so beautiful, and because it has inspired so many of our great poets, not least among whom is T.S. Eliot.

That’s why I am profoundly pleased by something that happened earlier that day in London. I attended a meeting about the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, at which Mgr Burnham, the assistant to the Ordinary, told the assembled guests that a Customary is in preparation.  This is essentially what we might call an office book, with various readings drawn from the English spiritual tradition, such as Newman’s writings from his Anglican days; but it also draws on those fine psalms and prayers used by Cranmer, with some doctrinal alterations. Mgr Burnham also spoke of the growing popularity of Evensong and Benediction amidst Ordinariate congregations.

What this Customary will do, it seems to me, is posthumously reCatholicise Cranmer and reclaim him for our tradition; it will make the Cranmerian liturgy, which I find a cause of division and conflict, into something that will bring about unity. It will mean that from now on, I need not find Evensong alien. Perhaps Dr Cranmer himself would approve. I hope so! It certainly promotes the healing of a cultural and religious wound.

The Ordinariate, which I greatly welcome, is already enriching us in many ways. Long may it continue to grow and flourish.

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Amen!  And eventually the Catholic Church did come around to translating the Mass into the vernacular, though centuries later.

The original English translation was done by men who, even if they were heretics, knew their Latin, knew their Greek, knew their English, knew that texts needed to be metered to be sung or chanted, and that they had to be easy on the ear so they could be more easily committed to memory.

I hope the King James Version is next to get Catholicized.

As a journalist who covers the Catholic Church, among the places I see the most life and vibrancy are those that have re-incorporated Protestant zeal — for the Bible, a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit via the charismatic renewal — into the Church.  When brought back into the fullness of the faith, these gifts that gained traction in the evangelical or charismatic world illuminate aspects of the faith that were always there but were neglected by modernism, formalism, post-Vatican II trendiness or whatever.  Yes, the Traditional Latin Mass Catholic are often horrified by this stuff, but then I'm kind of horrified by their horror.  While I respect TLM folks and the desire to keep alive tradition in the Church, I am not a traditionalist.  I almost don't dare go now to a TLM in case I become one. (Just kidding.  I will go and probably enjoy it.)

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No Speculation, Please. Just Our Prayers.

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This is from the Catholic Herald, and it's posted here because so many of us know and admire John Hunwicke. We do not know the reason for this deferral, and this is not the place to speculate about it, nor is it a place to post angry or insulting comments. Any such posts will be deleted.

Please keep all this in your prayers. It's a mystery to us because we don't know the details (nor should we), but God knows exactly what He's doing, and if you'll excuse the only bit of speculation allowed… I think Mr. Hunwicke will be Fr. Hunwicke once again.

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Leading ex-Anglo-Catholic shuts down blog

9f12376bd1c9275344c0234511f78e77 No Speculation, Please. Just Our Prayers.

A prominent ex-Anglo-Catholic has shut down his blog in wake of news that his ordination as a priest in Britain’s ordinariate has been “deferred”.

John Hunwicke, former Anglican priest at St Thomas the Martyr, Oxford, and former Senior Research Fellow at Pusey House, said there had been a “misunderstanding” about the content of his blog.

He added: “I shall promptly delete any comments on it (or emails sent to me) which are in any way whatsoever critical of the Catholic Church, or any of its officers, or of the ordinariate.”

His blog “Fr Hunwicke’s Liturgical Notes” was read by many in the blogosphere and has received extensive support and prayers.

A distinguished intellectual, Fr Hunwicke opened his last blog post with the words: “I had better share with my friends the distressing news that my ordination within the Catholic Church has been ‘deferred’.

“Despite everything, I remain convinced that the ordinariate is the only means of achieving the great vision of the Catholic Revival.”

Blogger Fr Ray Blake and Fr Ivan Aquilina, ordained as a priest in the ordinariate on Saturday, said they were dismayed at the news.

Fr Ray Blake said: “I, too, am distressed to read this. I have never understood anything you have written to be unkind or ever contrary to the Faith … Your blog has been very important to me in my own spiritual and theological growth.”

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Bishop Robert Mercer's Intervention at the ACCC Synod

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IMG 3951 1024x768 Bishop Robert Mercers Intervention at the ACCC Synod

Bishop Robert Mercer

The now retired Bishop of the Anglican Catholic Church of Canada (ACCC) Robert Mercer, well-beloved in Canada, received a standing ovation after this presentation at the ACCC Synod.  I have put it below the break, as it is rather long.   Enjoy!

Continue reading →

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ACA House of Bishops Issues Personal Ordinariate FAQ

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As we reported on March 3, the House of Bishops of the Anglican Church in America, the US province of the Traditional Anglican Communion, convened in Orlando, Florida, voted unanimously to apply to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith for the erection of a personal ordinariate in the United States of America.  Following this meeting, a brief press release was issued.

During this week's HOB conference call, it was decided that the following Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document should be released to address some of the major questions of clergy and faithful throughout the ACA.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

ACA House of Bishop’s Endorsement of Apostolic Constitution
Regarding Communion with Rome

1. What did the House of Bishops actually decide?

On March 3, 2010, the House of Bishops of the Anglican Church in America of the Traditional Anglican Communion made the decision formally to request the implementation of the provisions of the Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum coetibus in the United States of America by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

2. Does this mean ACA parishes will be going immediately to Rome?

No. In fact, no one is "going to Rome." Once a US ordinariate (the structure defined in the Apostolic Constitution) has been established, each of the ACA dioceses and its constituent parishes will decide whether or not they wish to join the ordinariate. Establishing the ordinariate (the “implementation” requested by the Bishops) is thus the next step in an ongoing process, with discernment at each step.

3. What does the vote of the House of Bishops signify?

The House of Bishops requested the establishment of an Ordinariate in the US as prescribed in the Apostolic Constitution, so as to have an actual entity with which to interact, as we address relational details.

4. What about “Anglican Use” parishes in the Roman Catholic Church?

These are existing Roman Catholic parishes which have permission to use an Anglican liturgy. We will be working with them to seek guidance and identify issues in regard to the association with Rome. We anticipate that most, if not all, such parishes will join the ordinariate.

5. How does this affect Anglicans worldwide?

The Traditional Anglican Communion, with about half a million members in 44 countries, is not part of the Anglican Communion headed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, but is under the leadership of Archbishop John Hepworth of Australia. Our relationship with the Holy See under the terms of the Apostolic Constitution neither implies nor precludes similar relationships involving other Anglicans who are not part of the TAC.

6. Will the parishes of the ACA decide individually regarding following the national church in the final arrangements between the TAC and Rome?

Yes, and providing continued pastoral care and oversight to parishes which need time to discern their course of action is a high priority for the ACA Bishops.

7. What concerns have our members expressed in regard to establishing full communion with the Roman Catholic Church?

Our first desire Is to follow our Lord's will for His Church. We are seeking full sacramental unity with the Roman Catholic Church, not absorption.  We wish to safeguard the unique gifts and charisms we have developed during our 450-year separation, so that they can enrich the whole church. Expressed in different ways by our members, the potential loss of these gifts is our single biggest concern.

8. Why Is losing Anglican identity such a concern?

There are 1 billion Roman Catholics and only about half a million of us worldwide. The fear of being “swallowed up” in such a case is understandable. Our determination to preserve those things which characterize us, and a clearly-stated similar intent expressed in the Apostolic Constitution, as well as in many Vatican statements issued during the last 50 years, make us confident that “united, but not absorbed” will be the guiding principle of our relationship.

9. How long has the TAC-Rome dialogue been going on?

About 20 years, with especially earnest effort in the last five years, first under Pope John Paul II and Cardinal Ratzinger, and most recently under Pope Benedict XVI.  Archbishop Hepworth has been in the forefront of the recent dialogue, and in 2005, the US church endorsed his intent to present our 2007 petition for full communion with Rome.

10. What is the next step in the process?

Establishing an ordinariate and continuing dialogue with the Vatican concerning issues which have generated additional questions. The dialogue will include face-to-face meetings this year with Vatican representatives.

11. Was the Apostolic Constitution not sufficient for outlining the process?

The Apostolic Constitution is a general framework, applicable to a wide range of Anglican situations, and the dialogue in the next phase will address items that apply specifically to the Traditional Anglican Communion.

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In the wake of the March 3 announcement, the news media moved quickly — and often recklessly — to report on what they perceived to be a significant move forward in the implementation of the Holy Father's Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum Coetibus.  A good example of this irresponsible exuberance is to be found in an article by Simon Caldwell that appears on The Catholic Herald web site under the headline "US Anglicans to convert to Rome en masse":

The Anglican Church in America (ACA) – a member of the Traditional Anglican Communion – will now enter the Catholic Church as a block, bringing in an estimated 5,200 converts along with their own bishops, clergy, buildings and even a cathedral.

Obviously Mr. Caldwell did not take the time to check his sources, for, if he did, he would have quickly realized that the development, while incredibly significant to the process, was neatly summarized by the March 3 press release — a press release that said nothing of the entire ACA immediately entering the Catholic Church as a block.

The simple fact of the matter is that all of the dioceses and parishes of the Anglican Church in America are not presently of the same mind with respect to their commitment to the immediate implementation of the Apostolic Constitution.  While many are ready to proceed as soon as the CDF erects a personal ordinariate for the USA, others have reserved their final judgement until certain important practical concerns can be addressed.  This diversity of opinion is reflected in the House of Bishops.  The majority of the bishops are pledged to the implementation of Anglicanorum Coetibus at the earliest possible moment, but others, presumably influenced by legitimate and difficult pastoral concerns, are more reserved.  Nonetheless, in a spirit of collegiality, the entire HOB endorsed the erection of a personal ordinariate for the sake of those whose consciences and pastoral circumstances demand immediate action.  Fr. Phillips has addressed the circumstances of the ACA relative to his own Anglican Use community:

Of course, our situation in the Anglican Use is somewhat different from that of the ACA.  Our clergy and parishes are ready to act immediately because we are already in communion with the Holy See, whereas the Anglican bishops have a process to follow to reach that point with their parishes.  For some of them, it will happen quickly; for others it will take longer.  But we all agreed that having an Ordinariate “up and running” will allow them to enter it when each one is ready.

From the standpoint of ACA parishes and the implementation of the Apostolic Constitution, the FAQ makes two very important points:

Number 1:

As soon as the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, in consultation with the USCCB, erects a personal ordinariate for the United States of America, those dioceses and individual parishes that are prepared to move into the new structure will be free to do so at their own pace.  This does not mean that there will be a mad rush as parishes unilaterally secede from their dioceses to join the personal ordinariate at the first available opportunity.  The College of Bishops of the TAC, and all of the provincial synods of the Communion, have endorsed the notion of corporate reunion with the Holy See.  It will be the duty of each diocesan bishop to lead his flock in order, and through the synodical procedures established by law, into the new personal ordinariate.

[It should be observed that it is clearly not within the competence of any diocesan or general synod to decide the fundamental question of whether the Church should enter into the full communion of the Holy See.  The TAC Concordat makes it clear that such a decision falls exclusively to the College of Bishops as it is fundamentally a question of doctrine.  There is a role for synodical action in the process, of course, but only insofar as the implementation of the bishops' decision is concerned.]

Ideally then, the bishop ordinary, faithful to the unanimous commitment of the TAC bishops as expressed in their Petition to the Holy See of October 2007, will purpose to lead his flock into the personal ordinariate, convene a diocesan synod that will assent in charity and filial obedience, and the local church will proceed in its integrity into the fullness of communion with the Universal Church.  But, as the FAQ makes clear, should the bishop deem that pastoral circumstances prevent him from taking immediate positive action with respect to the personal ordinariate, or a diocesan synod presume to reject the course proposed by the TAC COB, individual parishes will not be held hostage to a failed synodical process.  They will be free to apply to the personal ordinariate for admission individually.

Number 2:

The bishops are of one mind that regardless of how the process unfolds, they each have a sacred responsibility to minister to all of the Christian faithful committed to their care.  No attempt will be made to pressure any parish to move into the personal ordinariate, and it is fully expected that some congregations will require an extended period of discernment.  The bishops, either individually or collegially, will endeavor to guarantee pastoral care and oversight to all in a manner which is respectful of local circumstances and the consciences of those involved.

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The March 3, 2010 meeting of the ACA HOB does represent a significant step forward in the implementation of the Apostolic Constitution in the United States of America.  Despite the reservations of a few bishops, respectful of the fact that a large part of the ACA is ready to proceed immediately, the bishops voted unanimously to request the erection of a personal ordinariate.  This request is a joint request with our brothers in the Anglican Use/Pastoral Provision and it is hoped that the CDF will see fit to erect a personal ordinariate at the earliest possible moment.  Those congregations of the ACA who have already discerned their future and are committed to entering the fullness of the Catholic Church in response to the Holy Father's most generous offer also have the assurance that the bishops will be respectful of their desire to proceed whilst others may require additional time to decide.

Our bishops have appealed to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to provide the legal structure whereby we may finally return to the unity of the Catholic Church.  The Catholic faithful in the ACA eagerly await the CDF's response.  May it come quickly!

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