*tober 20, 2009
Fr. Rutler discusses Vatican’s Anglican provision
By Fr. George Rutler *
Editor’s Note: Fr. George Rutler, a convert from Anglicanism, was asked by CNA what his reaction is to the Vatican’s new Anglican provision. Fr. Rutler’s reply follows.
It is a dramatic slap-down of liberal Anglicanism and a total repudiation of the ordination of women, homosexual marriage and the general neglect of doctrine in Anglicanism. Indeed, it is a final rejection of Anglicanism. It basically interprets Anglicanism as a spiritual patrimony based on ethnic tradition rather than substantial doctrine and makes clear that it is not a historic “church” but rather an "ecclesial community” that strayed and now is invited to return to communion with the Pope as Successor of Peter.
The Vatican was careful to schedule simultaneously with the Vatican announcement, a press conference of the Catholic Archbishop of Westminster and the deeply humiliated Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury to enable the Anglicans to save some face by saying that this recognizes the spiritual patrimony of Anglicanism and that ecumenical dialogue goes ahead. That is like George Washington at Yorktown saying that he recognizes the cultural contributions of Britain and hopes diplomatic relations flourish. The Apostolic Constitution is not a retraction of ecumenical desires, but rather is the fulfillment of ecumenical aspirations, albeit not the way most Anglican leaders had envisioned it.
The press, uninformed and always tabloid in matters of religion, will zoom in on the permission for married priests. They will miss the most important point: that this reiterates the Catholic Church’s insistence that Anglican Holy Orders are invalid, and perforce so is their Eucharist. These married Anglican priests have to be fully and validly ordained by a Catholic bishop. Following Orthodox custom, they are allowed to marry only before ordination and not after. And no married man may become a bishop. (Thus, any Anglican bishop joining one of these “ordinariates” would no longer be recognized as a bishop. Under special provision, Anglican bishops would have some right to pastoral authority, but would not be bishops.)
It remains to be seen how many Anglicans (Episcopalians in the USA) will be received into the Catholic Church under these provisions, but it is a final nail in the coffin of the rapidly disintegrating Anglicanism at least in the West * and will radically challenge Anglicans in other parts of the world. Perhaps most importantly, it sets a precedent for reunion with Orthodox churches whose Holy Orders the Catholic Church already recognizes as valid. I should not be surprised if the Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury eventually is received into the Catholic Church, at least when he retires and gets a patent of nobility and a pension.
- Fr. George Rutler is pastor of The Church of Our Saviour in New York City and is a convert to Catholicism from the Anglican Communion.**
This commentary is a totally uncalled-for contemptuous slap-down of the Anglican Communion. I am glad that the writer is no longer in the AC. The RC can have him.
The Archbishop of Caterbury, Rowan Williams, was blind-sided by the blitzkrieg announcement by the pope, which did not consult his own commissions on unity or ecumenism nor did he notify the Archbishop Williams beforehand. The constitution is vague with many details to be worked out, including stopping up a hole through which married Catholics can become priests.
If Rutler or anyone else thinks that the new ‘ordinariates’ can indulge in a land-grab of Episcopal churches and land, they should revise their thinking. Although the VA case is coming up before their supreme court, thanks to a low court’s reading of an archaic law, all of the other states’ hearings of such cases have decided for the Episcopal dioceses. As for a ‘swap’, what Episcopal diocese would want some old dilapidated long-closed Roman Catholic churches?
So far the only people I have seen say the Church want the CoE to give over their property are Anglicans or Continuing Anglicans. This is all hearsay. Many Episcopalians walked away from their buildings to become Anglican Use Catholics. You appear to be very angry. The Pope has had many conversations with Rowan Williams and we don’t know what he knew before the announcement.
No one expects you or others to be joyful about this event. It really doesn’t concern you or other Anglicans who choose to stay in their churches. It is a personal matter between the person converting and God. If your happy then why be so upset with the ones who have finally found a home.
No one is stealing sheep, these Anglicans approached Rome, not the other way around. Are you angry with the thousands of Episcopalians and Anglicans who have left to start Continuing Anglican churches. From what I have heard there are al least 69 of them with their own Bishops. At least 40 years ago the Anglicans were able to be united as one even though there were many differences in theology and practice. As a former Episcopalian I would say that Catholics understand the sacrifices they must make to be Catholic, priests included, this is not true of Episcopalians/Anglicans in general. I know that in the US many Rectors made large salaries. They had good pensions etc., unless a Catholic priest has family money or maybe gains money from books written, most priests have a small salary and live in rectories. Their cars are provided by the Church. My former Rector owned a great house and had other materials goods, but now lives in a rectory with another priest.
I have seen your other posts and they always show such anger. Try to be charitable towards your brothers and sisters. Anger eats away at a person soul.
Bernadette
delighted that the Pope has invited Anglicans to come on in…