Former Chaplain to the Queen and new Catholic Convert Gavin Ashenden: 12 Months On — and 24 Converts Later

National Catholic Register ^ | 20 May 2021 | K.V. Turley

[Cronos]

On Dec. 22, 2019, Bishop Mark Davies received Gavin Ashenden into the Catholic Church.

“I had not expected the great sense of peace and clarity of mind that has come with being a Catholic,” says Gavin Ashenden, speaking May 11.

...It was Dec. 22, 2019, when Ashenden made headlines across the world. His reception into the Catholic Church was of interest to the secular media because, at one time, he had been Anglican chaplain to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

..“Life as an Anglican Protestant always involved a series of contested variables,” he explains, “which went to the heart of what constituted authenticity in the Church [of England], often made worse by trying to judge things by how much the laity, as consumers, liked them.” He sees the “wonderful settled continuity” of the Catholic Church, with regard to religious orders and the sacraments “as opposed to a Protestant incoherence and consequent turmoil,” as both “a relief and a constant delight.”

Until the end of 2019, Ashenden was very much part of the Anglican establishment. The shockwaves following his “swimming the Tiber” were felt and noted throughout England’s established church.

He sees his conversion to Catholicism as part of a wider and continuing movement in that ecclesial body. There is “a seriously large group of people [who] know the game is up with Anglicanism but are terrified of leaving it. They are beginning to share the perspective that began to clarify about 20 years ago: that Anglicanism was a 400-year-old ecumenical experiment that had suddenly and terminally failed.”

His prognosis is a gloomy one for England’s state religion. He sees its eventual “collapse into a secularized progressive Protestant splinter group,” which, in turn, will ultimately lead to its disappearance.

[Ann Archy]

GOD HAS BLESSED HIM!!! PRAY FOR MORE!!

[ADSUM]

All are welcome to God’s Truth and His promise of eternal life with Him.

There is exceptional peace through the Mass and the Sacraments established by Christ. To receive sanctifying grace by baptism, confirmation and receive the Body and Blood of Jesus in the Eucharist and to receive the forgiveness of sins in Confession is spiritually beneficial.

Man-made religion not based on God’s Truth is doomed to fail even if established by King Henry VIII.

God’s Peace be with you.

[heartwood]

Peace in the sacraments, but not in the Church...

[Marchmain]

Amazing work of the Holy Spirit.

[ebb tide]

..“Life as an Anglican Protestant always involved a series of contested variables,” he explains, “which went to the heart of what constituted authenticity in the Church [of England], often made worse by trying to judge things by how much the laity, as consumers, liked them.”

Not unlike Bergoglio's demands for his wicked Sin-Nods.

What do the people want? Let's hear from them!

Do they want: married priests, womyn priests, contraception, homo blessings, Holy Communion for all? Just look at the Germans' ongoing sin-nod which Bergoglio has refused to shut down.

[I-ambush]

Did he join the Church as a layman, or a priest under the Anglican Patriarchate?

[Missouri gal]

He touches on the very important problem posed by the decline of the British monarchy. The Anglican church was founded by the British government, and what happens if the monarchy ceases to be relevant? It could have interesting repercussions here in the US, as well, because of our long-standing alliance with Britain.

[cloudmountain]

Huge raspberry for Henry and Kathryn Parr.
That's been the main problem from all the "offshoots" of Catholicism. No disrespect intended with "offshoots." I can't come up with another word.

When the FOUNDER of a faith/offshoot was/is ANYONE but Jesus there HAD to be the formula for more and more offshoots. Faiths founded by all those well meaning men and women won't survive, I THINK, as long at The Church has.

[cloudmountain]

Peace in the sacraments, but not in the Church...

Well, Jesus had to use ordinary mortals to found His Church. So, problems of all kinds had to plague His Church.

That His Church thrives with 1.2 billion [Google] members has to say something good and profound about Jesus' choices of Apostles and their followers.

There won't be peace for humanity EVER. God gave us free will and people don't always make good choices.

[cloudmountain]

He touches on the very important problem posed by the decline of the British monarchy. The Anglican church was founded by the British government, and what happens if the monarchy ceases to be relevant? It could have interesting repercussions here in the US, as well, because of our long-standing alliance with Britain.

Good point.
All those human-found faiths face that same problem.

It's odd that Queen Elizabeth is the Head of the Anglican Church. Jesus versus the Queen of England.

Just a thought.

.

Do you think that the monarchy is relevant today? I sure don't. Parliament rules the country, not the queen.

[Missouri gal]

RE: relevance of the monarchy

While it is true that most of the power is in parliament, the monarchy is probably the strongest symbol of the British tradition. Also, the monarch has quite a few powers left that are reserved to them. Most not very important, but parliament still has to consult with them on all important political matters. Could matter a lot when Charles assumes the throne, since he is a firm believer in “climate change,” and very pro-Islam. When Elizabeth is gone, she will be missed!

[cloudmountain]

RE: relevance of the monarchy
While it is true that most of the power is in parliament, the monarchy is probably the strongest symbol of the British tradition. Also, the monarch has quite a few powers left that are reserved to them. Most not very important, but parliament still has to consult with them on all important political matters. Could matter a lot when Charles assumes the throne, since he is a firm believer in “climate change,” and very pro-Islam. When Elizabeth is gone, she will be missed!

I don't really believe that Charles as king will make ONE bit of difference in the U.K.
And, the U.S media pay ZERO attention to him because no one really cares what happens in the U.K. Why would we? I won't miss her. Why would I?

Queen Elizabeth's death will produce, no doubt, the biggest funeral in British history. Hmmm, will it be bigger even than Princess Di's funeral? We shall see.
I didn't watch Diana's funeral. I didn't watch Prince Philip's funeral and I won't watch Queen Elizabeth's funeral.

Monarchies are pretty outdated, except for the KING of Saudi Arabia. HIS life and death mean more to the average American than any other death on the planet. HE personally owns all the petroleum and natural gas in the KSA. U.S geologists say that the KSA has another 200 years of the petroleum and natural gas.