The long Anglican road to Rome {Catholic and traditional Anglican caucus}

the republic ^ | 11 Jan 2012 | Terry Mattingly

[Cronos]

In the fall of 1979, a cluster of Episcopalians made another trip to Rome seeking a haven for Anglo-Catholic believers anxious to exit their increasingly divided church.

Vatican officials agreed that it was time to petition their new leader, the young Pope John Paul II. The document was prepared and then signed on the altar of the North American Martyrs at Rome's North American College. In it, members of the Society of St. Augustine of Canterbury and other like-minded clergy made a blunt request.

"We pray and beseech your Holiness to receive and accept us into the Roman Catholic Church," they wrote, "for we are sheep not having a shepherd and would return to the care of that Holy Apostle singularly commissioned by the Divine Lord to feed his sheep."

The pope soon said "yes." But that simply opened another chapter in a long, long, story, one that continues decades later.

There is certainly more to this story than headlines about a sudden decision by Pope Benedict XVI to commence sheep stealing in the wake of his "Anglicanorum Coetibus ("groups of Anglicans") pronouncement in 2009. This document allowed Anglican priests and congregations to join new "personal ordinariates," the equivalent of national dioceses, while retaining key elements of their liturgy, music and other traditions. The plan allows for married men to become priests, but not bishops -- as in Eastern Rite Catholicism.

..It's almost laughable to call these developments "sudden" or the result of unilateral actions by the pope, .. The roots of these events even predate the Episcopal Church's 1976 vote to ordain women as priests and later to the episcopate.

.."So many of us had yearned all our lives to be part of a church with a clear sense of authority. That yearning is what pulled us to Catholicism."

[Cronos]

Please note all -- this is a caucus of Catholics and Traditional Anglicans. As per Freerepublic Religion Forum rules, please post here only if you are currently a Catholic or Traditional Anglican

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[trad_anglican]

When Anglicanorum Coetibus was first announced, there were lots and lots of people who had lots and lots to say about it. Now that it’s actually being implemented, people don’t seem to have much to say. Except for those Anglicans who will be entering, it doesn’t seem to be of much interest to anyone.

[Claud]

Yeah, it has gotten very quiet on the blogs. I was amazed at how they got the US Ordinariate Website up immediately though. There must have been plenty of work behind the scenes.

[sayuncledave]

I think that Catholics are interested, but, having read so much on it when first broached, most of the folks I’ve seen have said a quick “welcome,” and then gone on with whatever they were doing. Give it time. It’s still neat, and we’re still happy you’re here.

[trad_anglican]

I think that Catholics are interested, but, having read so much on it when first broached, most of the folks I’ve seen have said a quick “welcome,” and then gone on with whatever they were doing. Give it time. It’s still neat, and we’re still happy you’re here.

I guess it's natural for people to prefer speculating about something over discussing it once the facts are known. That certainly seems to be the main stream press' preference.

Thanks for the welcome. I've been "here" for a number of years. My former Anglican parish (including some members of my family) are coming in to the ordinariate, so it will be nice to be able to worship with them again in the fullest sense of the word.

[bobjam]

“Traditional Anglican” vs “Anglo-Catholic”

I asked our new bishop on his first visit to my church after we left ECUSA where his “pointy hat” is (I know it’s a mitre). He didn’t have one. He also didn’t have a crozier. He explained to me that such objects and symbols of his office date back to the Anglo-Catholic movement in the 19th century. He said that traditional Anglican worship is rather simple and austere.

This brings us to my point. There is a difference between “Anglo-Catholic” and “Traditional Anglican”. Anglo-Catholics insist on importing many elements of the Roman Church, particularly those pertaining to worship, into Anglicanism. This does not always include doctrine or morality. Many Anglo-Catholic parishes in ECUSA are quite liberal. Traditional Anglicans insist on holding on to historic Anglican doctrine and discipline. They are accepting of Roman customs and ideas only as far as the 39 Articles will allow (no Purgatory, relics, monstrance, etc.)