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Posted on 10/20/2009 8:02:52 AM PDT by NYer
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI has established a special structure for Anglicans who want to be in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church while preserving aspects of their Anglican spiritual and liturgical heritage, said U.S. Cardinal William J. Levada.
The cardinal, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, said a new apostolic constitution would establish "personal ordinariates" -- similar to dioceses -- to oversee the pastoral care of those who want to bring elements of their Anglican identity into the Catholic Church with them.
Anglican priests who are married will be ordained Catholic priests, although married Anglican bishops will not be able to function as Catholic bishops in keeping with the longstanding Catholic and Orthodox tradition of ordaining only unmarried clergy as bishops, Cardinal Levada said.
The cardinal announced the new arrangement during a press conference Oct. 20 at the Vatican. He said the pope's apostolic constitution and norms for implementing were undergoing final revisions and would be published in a couple of weeks.
In establishing the new jurisdictions, Pope Benedict is responding to "many requests" submitted by individual Anglicans and Anglican groups -- including "20 to 30 bishops" -- asking to enter into full communion with the Catholic Church, the cardinal said.
At the same time, Cardinal Levada explained, the new provision does not weaken the commitment of the Vatican to promoting Christian unity, but is a recognition that many Anglicans share the Catholic faith and that Anglicans have a spiritual and liturgical life worth preserving.
"It has always been the principal aim -- the principal aim -- to achieve the full, visible unity" of the Catholic Church and Anglican Communion, the cardinal said.
But given recent changes within many Anglican provinces with the ordination of women priests and bishops and the acceptance of homosexuality in some areas, the prospect of full unity "seemed to recede," he said.
The church recognizes and welcomes those Anglicans who fully share the Catholic faith, agree with the Catholic view that only men can be ordained priests and recognize the role of the bishop of Rome -- the pope -- as the sign and guarantor of church unity, he said.
MORE TO COME
Interesting. I wonder how they’ll reconcile the concept of Papal infallibility on matters of faith. I understand this is a huge stumbling block for conservative Anglicans.
Reflecting the importance of the initiative, the pope set out the new arrangements in an apostolic constitution, the highest form of pontifical decree, and press conferences were held simultaneously in London and the Vatican to announce it.
What is you uderstanding of papal infallibility?
Hmmm.... As a non-Catholic/non-Anglican observer ‘not sure how married priests would be received. Yet if there’s any hope for Anglicanism this seems it. And it seems historically interesting, coming full circle as it were.
Welcome home, brother and sister Anglicans!
The move creates a formal structure to oversee conversions that had previously been evaluated on a case-by-case basis, including those of married Anglican priests, who are permitted to remain married after they convert to Catholicism. Called Personal Ordinariates, the structure will consist of local Catholic faithful overseen by Anglican prelates who will provide guidance to Anglicans seeking to convert.
Do note that there ARE Married priests in the CAtholic Church — not in the Latin rite (The Church has 21 rites, the largest (90% of the population of laity being Latins), including MAronites, Syro-Malabar etc.), so I don’t see why this should be an issue.
There are many married priest already accepted into the Catholic Church. In my Archdiocese alone I know we have two.
No women priests, however.
There are three types of Anglicans (IMHO)
1. Traditionalists or Anglo-Catholics — They are very High Church and are the most likely to return to Rome. Many of them have reconciled the Petrine Primacy issue.
2. Evangelicals — They are Low Church and are very conservative. They see eye to eye with Rome on moral issues but theologically they are much closer to the Reformed Protestants than Rome, they won’t return under this. This group also comprises the majority of the Anglican Communion, they are the Global South.
3. Modernists — These are the New Agers who are trying to change Traditional Christianity to suit the winds of the Age. They wouldn’t want to come home to Rome anyway.
Ping!
9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them whom thou hast given me: because they are thine: 10 And all my things are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.11 And now I am not in the world, and these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep them in thy name whom thou has given me; that they may be one, as we also are. 12 While I was with them, I kept them in thy name. Those whom thou gavest me have I kept; and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition, that the scripture may be fulfilled. 13 And now I come to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy filled in themselves. 14 I have given them thy word, and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world; as I also am not of the world. 15 I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the world, but that thou shouldst keep them from evil.
16 They are not of the world, as I also am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them in truth. Thy word is truth. 18 As thou hast sent me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 And for them do I sanctify myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth. 20 And not for them only do I pray, but for them also who through their word shall believe in me;
21 That they all may be one, as thou, Father, in me, and I in thee; that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 22 And the glory which thou hast given me, I have given to them; that they may be one, as we also are one: 23 I in them, and thou in me; that they may be made perfect in one: and the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast also loved me.
(John 17)
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Amen to your prayers!
1. The actual infallible pronouncements are extremely rare -- I think twice in the last hundred years or so, and limited to a question of faith and morals, and only made in consultation with the cardinals.
2. When I was an Episcopalian, we could have used a couple of clear, unweaselly, dispositive and BINDING statements of faith and morals. They wouldn't have been in such a mess today had somebody, somewhere had some actual authority (the laughably clueless Archbishop of Canterbury has none, and has been unable to stop or even slow the radical/liberal wing in what is supposedly 'his' church).
When we met with our (now) Catholic rector to explore the possibility of conversion, we established pretty quickly that we were so "high" that the only matters in question were the validity of Anglican orders and the supremacy of the Pope. My husband (who was raised Methodist) looked Monsignor in the eye and said, "We can deal."
I tend to agree.
Thanks for all you do here.
I'm no theologian but the way I understand it the pope can declare (along with the college of cardinals) something to be an article of faith (I don't know the technical term). It's very rare I think the Immaculate Conception was one example of the pope doing this. Again that's my basic understanding. I do know that it doesn't mean that everything the pope says is considered divine revelation.
“There are three types of Anglicans (IMHO)”
The idea of a “split” between Anglo-Catholics and Evangelicals was concocted by liberals seeking to divide their opposition. It hasn’t worked as Evangelicals and Anglo-Catholics continue to work together- both AMiA and Foward in Faith are constituents in the ACNA. Both groups agree on the fundamentals of the Anglican faith and on the liturgy. The only big sticking point is women priests, but in that it is only the Evangelicals who are divided. Many oppose women priests as much as the Anglo-Catholic brethren. Without liberal feminists to push it, we may be able to phase out women priests altogether.
Not with the TAC. They use the Catechism of the Catholic Church for instruction so papal infallibility should not be an issue.
Te Deum Laudamus!
I don’t understand what this means. How does this change the Pastoral Provision that has been in effect since 1984? Does it change it to, essentially, and Ordinarial Provision, allowing essentially overlapping dioceses, Anglican and Roman? It doesn’t seem to be as robust as a “rite”, such as the Maronite rite.
I am not saying they are split, but there are some theological and liturgical differences between the two. Traditionalists would be far more likely to enter Union with Rome than the Evangelical wing.
Thank you for the response. You are correct. As AnAmericanMother pointed out so well, infallible declarations are limited to faith and morals and rare.
I analyzed this with a coworker who is a part-time seminarian. We think that the note is preliminary to this Apostolic Constitution which will explain much, and is, of itself, not really news. The Pastoral Provision of 1984 addressed congregations that wanted to come home. Today there is a whole host of other stakeholders including parishes, dioceses, provinces, and seminarians, laity, priests, and bishops that need to be addressed. It sounds like the Apostolic Constitution will be a framework on which the treatment of all these groups can be based.
Um, can't agree here. The Anglo-Catholics and the Evangelicals have been at odds since long before I was born (in the 1950s). In fact it goes all the way back to Victorian times, see e.g. Cardinal Newman's early career, and the novels of Anthony Trollope or for that matter any of the Village School of English novelists (Angela Thirkell, Miss Read, etc.) They are at odds on liturgical practice, some social issues (though not abortion or homosexual marriage), and most of the XXXIX Articles.
And Evangelicals would never, ever consider even a concordat with Rome, let alone crossing the Tiber whether on foot, by raft, or by hydroplane. They are far more likely to go Lutheran, in my opinion.
I think the important thing about this is that it expands the Pastoral Provision to the worldwide church, not just the U.S. And that should be, as you observe, a preface to what is to come.
That would make sense in that it will provide a model for Lutherand, Episcopals, Methodists, etc. It also explains the email message from Sandro Magister that has not yet been translated into French, English or Spanish. In Italian, it reads:
Annunciato l'ingresso nella Chiesa cattolica di diocesi e parrocchie anglicane antimoderniste. L'ecumenismo di papa Ratzinger appare sempre più nutrito dalla fedeltà alla tradizione. È così con i lefebvriani. E più ancora con le Chiese ortodosse d'oriente.
Which pretty much says what you did ;-)
Annunciato l’ingresso nella Chiesa cattolica di diocesi e parrocchie anglicane antimoderniste. L’ecumenismo di papa Ratzinger appare sempre più nutrito dalla fedeltà alla tradizione. È così con i lefebvriani. E più ancora con le Chiese ortodosse d’oriente.
Lets see...
The announcement of the Catholic Church regarding the admission of the anti-modernist Anglican dioceses and parishes. The ecumenism of Papa Ratzinger always appears to be more favorable to those with more traditional loyalties. And this business with the Lefebvrists. It’s more like the Orthodox church.
Sounds like a complaint.
I have been around more than my fair share of Anglo-Catholics and Evangelicals, and rarely have I seen them at odds with each other. Considering that many Evangelicals oppose female priests, that is an issue pitting them against themselves. Evangelicals would not out of hand oppose a concordat or other arrangement with Rome- consider the reception B16 received at Plano in 2003. Evangelicals point out that there are three basic areas of disagreement with Rome that have yet to be worked out: Anglican orders, church governance and Mariology. I have met many Anglo-Catholics and none of them believe in Papal Infallibility, Coredemptrix, or the invalidity of their own orders. Evangelicals are also very interested in working these issues out- see Archbishop Duncan’s statement.
It appears to me that today’s statement is for those persons who are in an Anglican church who wish to become Roman Catholics and keep their Anglican liturgy. Today’s statement is not for those conservative or traditionalist Anglicans who wish to remain Anglicans.
Uur evangelical friends don’t understand that the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption are just corollaries of the Virgin birth. Since this is the issue that separates them from their legal brethren, but it is the departure point for a high as opposed to a low Christology, the “new” dogmas are small potatoes, so to speak. I wonder how many of them realize how close they stand to Arius/Mohammed?
It is for those Anglicans who want to become Catholics and keep their Anglican liturgy and married priesthood. They are not becoming Catholics of the Roman Rite, but rather, they get to form their own rite and disciplines.
This is very different from the Pastoral Provision which applied to the US only, and did not create an Anglican Catholic Rite.
Well, of COURSE not! So long as the most nosebleed, up-in-the-rafters-with-the-bats Anglo-Catholic is hanging with Canterbury (despite all evidence that it's time to fly from the wrath to come), of COURSE he's not going to acknowledge the invalidity of Anglican Orders or the supremacy of the Pope (infallibility doesn't even come into question until you acknowledge the Pope's supremacy - that's the real sticking point for Anglicans).
As I said, those were the only points on which we differed when it came time to fish or cut bait with Monsignor. And we reasoned it out thusly: 1. By their fruits shall ye know them. The fruits of Anglican Orders have been division, discord, apostacy, radicalism, homosexuality, abortion, and so forth. While individual laity and clergy remained faithful, it was the hierarchy especially in the U.S., that was the first to fall in to heresy and was instrumental in promoting all these fruits. Q.E.D.
2. The reason the Episcopal Church fell into error was through the refusal to acknowledge any leadership with a final authority on matters of faith and morals -- relying instead on a majority-vote model that was quickly co-opted and dominated by the political animals who in many cases reject belief in God entirely. SOMEBODY has to be in charge, truth is not subject to a majority vote. Q.E.D.
The doctrine of Coredemptrix is not a primary issue among Anglo-Catholics, nor is it as scary as critics make it appear - it does not exalt Mary over her Son, but simply acknowledges that her participation was necessary for Redemption to take place! It's sort of a red herring, really. As far as visible signs of the inward and spiritual leanings, you would be hard put to distinguish a hard-core Anglo-Catholic church from a Catholic parish of fifty years ago. In fact, some Catholics probably think the Anglo-Catholics were (and are) a bit extreme in their Marian Devotion (that's why they call the big Anglo-Catholic church in Manhattan "Smoky Mary's")
At least, that's my opinion! and I was an Anglo-Catholic for more than 45 years! (I even had my twelve-year Sunday School pin!)
There has not been a lot of systematic thought concerning the role of the Blessed Virgin in Evangelical circles. There's often a knee-jerk reaction, based on what they have heard at second-hand about the Catholic Church, but no rigorous and thorough study of the question. That is starting to change, but it's hardly gained any momentum yet.
It's kind of like asking me what I think of the Church of Christ. I've attended services with a friend, and can make my own observations based on what I learned there, but I've made no systematic study of their doctrine. They're pretty good singers, though -- from necessity. We could use some singers in the Catholic Church.
One of our parishioners started to argue that we would get all the nutcases, and I told him it is the liberal element that is driving some Anglicans from this church.
“I understand this is a huge stumbling block for conservative Anglicans.”
Perhaps they will no longer find it a stumbling block, but a refreshing safeguard after all they’ve been through with their own “leadership.”
Renegade Anglicans are going to be cold poison for any happy-clappy, hootenanny nonsense. "Decorum" is the Eleventh Commandment for Anglicans.
But for those who like a quiet, reverent, traditional Mass with excellent music, they will be an influence for good.
Fortunately, the sort of Episcopalian that is fed up enough with the antics of the church leadership to cross the Tiber is going to be a model parishioner -- well-educated, well-behaved, a trifle eccentric in a very English way, but tactful. And, I might add, serious about subscribing to the parish, which is not to be sneezed at when there are light bills to pay and furnaces to be repaired.
I think your parish priest will be pleased with any that come his way . . . I think our rector is moderately satisfied with us, even if he rolls his eyes from time to time. < g >
Yes, I know they have never heard of Arius. Indeed, they know so little about Church history that it is startling to hear their versions of the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, which are a various versions of ancient heresies supposedly settled at Chalcedon. As to Mohammed, It is interesting that Mary is the only woman’s name we see in the Koran. More than one Muslim I have met has thought that the Holy Trinity was Father, Son, and Mary. which is something I have heard from Evangelicals, also. To be sure, It is perhaps the fault of Catholics who invoke Our Lady perhaps too much. It is in reaction to this that Evangelicals invoke her name hardly at all. Strange that those who believe in the Virgin birth should treat the Virgin herself so lightly and try to persuade us that she quickly got over that malady.
“The reason the Episcopal Church fell into error”
In my opinion, the reason the Episcopal Church fell into error is that it never established a culture of discipline. Unlike Catholic and Orthodox priests, and unlike Baptist and Evangelical pastors, Episcopal priests would not chastise or punish members of their flocks who were commiting grievous sins- especially if those persons gave a lot of money or were high profile members of the community. Actions did not have consequences in ECUSA-land.
Likewise, unlike Catholic and Orthodox bishops and unlike leaders of Baptist and Evangelical groups, Episcopal bishops would not take action against clerics and lay leaders who promoted heresy. The bishops refused to guard the Faith. As a result heresy and heterodoxy were able to run rampant. How long would a Catholic or Orthodox bishop last if he publicly denied the Incarnation and Resurrection? How long would a Southern Baptist pastor last if he denied the divinity of Christ? John Spong has made a lot of money doing all of this and yet he is still an Episcopal bishop in good standing.
That (and "Honest to God", and that loon Pike, and many, many more) were the handwriting on the wall. Of course, many believed that their own parish would not be affected by the scandalous goings-on on the national level. But since 815 controls the seminaries AND who gets permission to be ordained, it has all filtered down to the parish level.
Our former ECUSA parish got one of those new model priests who supported every trendy cause - homosexual priests, abortion, free range chickens - . . . he robbed the parish funds blind and was eventually fired. Guess if you don't believe that adultery and fornication are sins, stealing is optional too . . . .
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