I once asked that question of a professor of theology I had, a woman who really, really, really wanted to be a priest. Her response was, “I love the Church.”
I almost laughed right out loud at that as I had spent the semester questioning everything she said as being false teaching and against Catholic theology.
I think there is a tremendous need in those people to be right, more right than the Church along the lines of those who are “more Catholic than the pope.”
I grew up as an Episcopalian, at that time as close to Anglican as one could get.
In my earlier days, the episcopal church in America was as fine as one could get.
In my later years I became the senior warden of the oldest (1832) episcopal church in west Tennessee.
Later came the gays to take over not only my church, but the entire ECUSA, and destroy it.
Now in the Philippines, I have no option but to align with the RC church. The central Catholic church in my town is older then America.
No doubt, many former Episcopalians have moved to the Catholic or Anglican church.
Unfortunately, it may be only a short time before the Anglican church becomes infected.
As the Catholic church created the Anglican Ordinariates, for Anglicans to become Catholic; perhaps it is time for them to also create a Catholic Ordinariates, recognizing that many who call themselves Catholic are not, and in truth do not wish to be.
As nations accept immigrants, most of them also permit the renunciation of citizenship to those who are not compatible and wish to go. It is an orderly process and a thorough one.
In this case it could be as easy as a questionnaire. Ask them to fill out a form to determine if they are Catholic, and wish to remain so. As often the case may be that they are not, and stay only out of inertia; that they may have another faith, or no faith at all.
It would help the church considerably, certainly the clergy and the laity, to know that those beside them in church are there out of faith and hope, and that their hearts are in it as well.
“Why Be a Liberal Catholic When You Could Be an Anglican?”
Excellent question.
protestants are simply those who will not submit in obedience to a legitimate authority. they will, instead, concoct their own “truth” of which there will be a version for everyone who does the concocting. there cannot be one million versions of the truth now can there? either truth is one or it is nothing. anglicans change the “truth” along with their underwear.