Posted on 04/27/2005 7:55:09 PM PDT by sionnsar
​​​​WHEN the newly installed Pope Benedict XVI presaged ecumenical unity with carefully directed nods to other religious faiths, Archbishop John Hepworth realised that a long journey may soon be over.
The global primate of the Traditional Anglican Communion, a conservative offshoot of the US Episcopal Church boasting a 400,000-strong congregation, left the Catholic faith more than 35 years ago. But Archbishop Hepworth has fostered ties with Rome, and with the new Pope, that could see his Anglican splinter group fulfil its vision "to be an Anglican Church in communion with the Bishop of Rome".
"We see ourselves as essentially Anglicans searching for ways to practise unity with the Holy See," Archbishop Hepworth told The Australian yesterday.
But Rome's embrace of the TAC, which has sought unity with the Holy See for a decade, could drive a wedge between liberal and conservative elements of the Anglican Church.
Surprisingly for a church whose congregation is found largely in the Third World and is mostly non-English speaking, Archbishop Hepworth oversees this global communion from his small office in the Adelaide Hills.
The church was founded almost three decades ago in protest against the proposed ordination of women, and has flourished in southern and central Africa, India, Pakistan, north and central America, New Zealand and Japan. Its message has also resonated in Australia, where Archbishop Hepworth says "no provision has been made for people who had a different conscience".
Archbishop Hepworth met Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict, on several occasions in the past decade to discuss a "full and organic unity" between the two churches.
If this unity is achieved, it will be a significant step forward in the life of the TAC.
"In practice, it means the Anglican Communion will be accepted as a distinct form of liturgy within the church," Archbishop Hepworth said.
Archbishop Hepworth, ordained a Roman Catholic priest, was "found" by the TAC when then Anglican archbishop of Adelaide Ian George refused to grant him a licence for the priesthood "unless I was prepared to advocate the ordination of women".
"I didn't find them, they found me ... to a great extent our communion came into existence in order to accommodate families thrown out of the Anglican Church."
He travels around the world "roughly once every six to eight weeks", to "make sure we're a single group keeping on message". "Obviously Rome is now part of that round-the-world agenda," he said.
Traditional Anglican ping, continued in memory of its founder Arlin Adams. If the Catholics accept this agreement, and I believe they will, there will be 400,000 to 1,000,000 new Roman Catholics in the US fleeing the gay mafia that seized control of their former hierarchy.
I have met married Catholic Priests who were Lebanese Maronite rite Catholics.
As I posted on a similar thread a few days ago, this conservative Lutheran fervently hopes that there will be a simultaneous parallel effort to establish an "Augustana Rite".
Similar results could happen once the GLBT agenda is adopted at the next ELCA Churchwide Assembly this August.
The queer mafia seeks to destroy organized religion in the US (with much success so far).
And they will be most welcome.
If the Catholics accept this agreement, and I believe they will, there will be 400,000 to 1,000,000 new Roman Catholics in the US fleeing the gay mafia that seized control of their former hierarchy.
And they will be most welcome.
Amen!
Yes ... the Eastern Churches allow for a married priesthood under very strict and limited conditions. Only recently, our Abouna explained how this "works" in the East but could not succeed in the West. The Maronite Church is founded on monastacism and still places greater emphasis on a celibate priesthood.
Intersting because that is the reason why I left the ELCA and went back to Roman Catholicism.
The feminist "priests" didnt help either.
What I dont understand is how some protestant denominations who look at scripture as the literal word of God, do not live by it and twist it to their own interpretations.
I am a member of the Anglican Church in America, the American branch of the TAC, and there is already revolt in the pews and at the parish level over this. Abp. Hepworth will not have the numbers he has now when this is accomplished, if it is.
If I'm correct, there are several dozen married Catholic priests in the US..Former ECUSA ministers, married, who then joined the Catholic church and were ordained..
At other ACA parishes there is celebration in the pews over this.
I was not only speaking of my parish. I was speaking of my diocese. There has already been one parish, not mine, leave and others are watching and waiting.
1928 Book of Common Prayer or the Anglican Missal and I have recently heard that some are already using the Anglicn Use RC book and the NO in anticipation of the reunion.
What am I missing here? Is this author somehow equating Anglicanism with "Catholicism" or is it a typo?
By the way, please add me to your ping list. The whole Anglican/Episcopalian mess is going to get very interesting...
Where did they go?
I did not wish to cast doubt on your statement. Only to add that the reaction you describe is not universal, nor perhaps even widespread.
There can be little doubt that Abp. Hepworth and the others working on this endeavor have considered that some number of parishes, perhaps even dioceses, will not embrace it. Nor can there be any doubt that they understand that they can't do anything without the consent of the TAC College of Bishops.
And if I understand the TAC Concordat, each of the constituent churches of the TAC would have to ratify or not ratify whatever agreement (if any) comes about. It's awfully early in the game to be leaving over this.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.