Anglican priests possible mass conversion to Catholicism????

[Superstar905]

Anglican priests may defect to Catholic Church if women bishops approved, warned cleric

London, Jul. 12, 2005 (CNA) - A senior cleric in the Church of England has warned that he and as many as 800 other priests may join the Roman Catholic Church if the General Synod of the Anglican Communion approves women bishops.

Anglican Bishop Andrew Burnham of Ebbsfleet was the first to make this statement this past weekend, reports journalist Christopher Morgan. The General Synod decided yesterday to approve the access of women to the Anglican episcopate. The new policy was decided by 42 votes against six, after a three hour long debate.

The vote in favor means women’s ordination to the episcopate will be three years away.

Bishop Burnham said he would be forced to quit if Anglicans did not make the proper provision for opponents of women bishops and create a third “province” in addition to those of Canterbury and York.

This third province would have only male bishops. However, it seems that a majority of the House of Bishops would not support a third province despite warnings that proceeding with women’s ordination to the episcopate would endanger the unity of the church.

Geoffrey Kirk, national secretary of Forward in Faith, the main Anglo-Catholic group in the church, also stated that he would join the Catholic Church if women’s ordination to the episcopate were approved.

Bishop John Broadhurst of Fulham, who has been linked with plans to create an Anglican-style grouping within the Roman Catholic Church, also forecast that the Church of England would face an exodus if the third province were rejected.

 

[Lisa_N]

Well what did the expect when they decided to ordain women? That the women would be happy at the lower levels of authority? They’ve chosen their fate and now they are seeing the results of starting down the slippery slope. How incredibly sad. To those converting, welcome home.

Lisa N

 

[RobNY]

Are there any other sources on this issue?

Any more mainstream media sources?

Not that I don’t see this as possible, just that it’s only one source. Plus, talk is cheap. I’ll wait for action.

 

[BlueMit11]

So…should we be praying that they “ordain” (I put in quotes because really it’s impossible) female bishops?

 

[Cockney_Clive]

:tsktsk: Let us not get so excited we lose our intelligence. The Catholic Bishop of Bristol, Bishop Lang, speaking on this subject of disaffected Anglican Priests, says we need to question whether, as a Church we should take people merely because they are upset by their own community. We need to discern that the will of God is there and that they truly wish to affirm and assent to coming into the one, true church.

After all, these guys have been to Seminaries. They understand the theology and the issues between ourselves and the Protestant/Episcopalian church. If they truly believed and were convinced of the arguements they would have swam the Tiber earlier. But they did not, and have not. Why wait until something ‘unpleasant’ happens within your own church?

Just a thought. :tiphat:

 

[DeFide]

:tsktsk: Let us not get so excited we lose our intelligence. The Catholic Bishop of Bristol, Bishop Lang, speaking on this subject of disaffected Anglican Priests, says we need to question whether, as a Church we should take people merely because they are upset by their own community. We need to discern that the will of God is there and that they truly wish to affirm and assent to coming into the one, true church.

After all, these guys have been to Seminaries. They understand the theology and the issues between ourselves and the Protestant/Episcopalian church. If they truly believed and were convinced of the arguements they would have swam the Tiber earlier. But they did not, and have not. Why wait until something ‘unpleasant’ happens within your own church?

Just a thought. :tiphat:

It’s hard to know people’s thought processes. This development, if accurate, may just have been the final straw that woke certain people to the fact that they may be outside the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church they thought the Anglican church might have qualified as.

One constant about conversion stories to Catholicism is that they are all as unique as the individual. We’ll keep them in prayer.

 

[mercygate]

:tsktsk: Let us not get so excited we lose our intelligence. The Catholic Bishop of Bristol, Bishop Lang, speaking on this subject of disaffected Anglican Priests, says we need to question whether, as a Church we should take people merely because they are upset by their own community. We need to discern that the will of God is there and that they truly wish to affirm and assent to coming into the one, true church.

After all, these guys have been to Seminaries. They understand the theology and the issues between ourselves and the Protestant/Episcopalian church. If they truly believed and were convinced of the arguements they would have swam the Tiber earlier. But they did not, and have not. Why wait until something ‘unpleasant’ happens within your own church?

Just a thought. :tiphat:

And a good thought it is. As a graduate of an Anglican seminary myself, I know, however that many of us held strongly orthodox views on all matters and there was a time when union with Rome seemed a distinct possibility. While I agree that “sour grapes” is not adequate grounds for conversion, I am grateful to have been welcomed as a refugee. Before coming into the Church, I read the Catechism. There were no surprises in it. Nothing. The faith *this *Convert learned, loved and practiced as an Anglican IS the Catholic faith – and I am grateful to be in that Center of Catholic life in full Communion with the Apostolic See.

 

[Libero]

I remember hearing stories about the large scale of deffection to the catholic church when the Anglican church first ordained women. A short while ago the parish priest at my church was an Anglican convert due to the ordination of women. I found him to be a very good priest who seemed to come to the catholic church with all the right ideas, although he was slightly more progressive than the previous older priests at my church, this posed no real problem though.

 

[CARose]

When reading the OP, I shared the concerns raised by Cockney Clive above, but I also pray that these conversions will be for the best. I am concerned that they are converting in rebellion of their church leadership and pray that they recognize that in the Holy Catholic Church we have a Magesterium under the divine guidance of the Holy Spirit.

At the same time, the church is made up of men, each of whom can be fallable. There are times where obedience is more important than “being right”. On matters of discipline, authority takes precidence. On matters of Dogma, the inerrant teaching of the Church trumps. This is a area that requires much prayer to balance when things don’t “feel right”.

It would be wonderful to see these seperated bretheren coming into the fullness of the truth. Let us pray for their divine guidance as they contemplate this difficult decision. And may these shepards also lead their flocks correctly to the truth of Christ.

CARose

 

[Edwin1961]

mercygate:

And a good thought it is. As a graduate of an Anglican seminary myself, I know, however that many of us held strongly orthodox views on all matters and there was a time when union with Rome seemed a distinct possibility. While I agree that “sour grapes” is not adequate grounds for conversion, I am grateful to have been welcomed as a refugee. Before coming into the Church, I read the Catechism. There were no surprises in it. Nothing. The faith *this *Convert learned, loved and practiced as an Anglican IS the Catholic faith – and I am grateful to be in that Center of Catholic life in full Communion with the Apostolic See.

Maybe you and other Anglican Converts to the Catholic Church can assist those in England with their coming home. It’s not that easy, but if enlightened to The Truth, the Holy Spirit will guide them in this matter.

 

[JKirkLVNV]

The whole controversy may be a fair demonstration to these clergy and their people of the need for a final judge, a living magisterium, who can draw a line in the sand and say,“No further!” The Archbishop of Canterbury cannot do this (though I suppose he could determine who is or isn’t in communion with him) nor can any other bishop in the Anglican communion, not and have their ruling stick.

 

[mercygate]

Edwin1961:

Maybe you and other Anglican Converts to the Catholic Church can assist those in England with their coming home. It’s not that easy, but if enlightened to The Truth, the Holy Spirit will guide them in this matter.

Send 'em to me. Send 'em to Marcus Grodi at the Coming Home Network.

No. It is not easy. And I DO believe that each case should be considered on its own merits unless they present themselves en bloc with some sort of individually signed declaration of intent.

 

[CARose]

The Holy Spirit really did an incredible thing when he created the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, didn’t he?!

CARose

 

[Roman_Army]

**Well, those Anglican clergymen and their congregations are more than welcome to enter the Catholic Church, who of course is the original Church that Christ established. I am also sure that the Pope would exempt them from the rule of celibacy. The Anglican Communion has proven to be willing to do anything to avoid Rome, including embracing feminism and liberation theology. They would rather contradict the truth than to be united with Rome.:bigyikes: **

 

[Roman_Army]

:tsktsk: Let us not get so excited we lose our intelligence. The Catholic Bishop of Bristol, Bishop Lang, speaking on this subject of disaffected Anglican Priests, says we need to question whether, as a Church we should take people merely because they are upset by their own community. We need to discern that the will of God is there and that they truly wish to affirm and assent to coming into the one, true church.

After all, these guys have been to Seminaries. They understand the theology and the issues between ourselves and the Protestant/Episcopalian church. If they truly believed and were convinced of the arguements they would have swam the Tiber earlier. But they did not, and have not. Why wait until something ‘unpleasant’ happens within your own church?

Just a thought. :tiphat:

I hear ya. However, y****ou also have to consider the fact that many of these guys were always and are currently hoping for the Anglican Communion and Rome to be once again united. They probably didn’t like women ordination in the first place, but decided to tolerate it as long as they don’t rise to the episcopacy. They probably thought that it didn’t contradict St. Paul’s writings in the Bible as long as they weren’t Bishops. But, of course it did. Many probably thought that they could try to change the Anglican Church, also many probably wanted to be married priests.

 

[Christus_Rex]

We should remember though that even if many are converting because of the whole “bishopess” issue, they will come to know the truth of Catholicism, are probably grasping it already. They are converting because they are so ‘Catholic’!

---

E.g. Ann Widdecombe, a Tory MP, was a High Anglican who converted because of the “ordination” of women “priests.” She is now a HUGELY devout Catholic woman. She often appears on programmes to do with Catholicism on TV and I would say she is probably more orthodox and faithful than most orthodox cradle Catholics.

**Michael :yup: **

 

[Digitonomy]

I hate to be skeptical, but I find it hard to believe that 800 priests would suddenly leave upon the ordination of women as bishops.

• I can certainly understand a priest thinking it is impermissible to ordain women, period.
• I can understand a priest believing that women may be ordained as priests and bishops.
• I don’t understand why ordaining female priests in the Church of England would be legitimate, but ordaining female bishops would be illegitimate.

I suspect most Anglican priests hold one of the first two positions. It seems to me only those who hold to the peculiar logic of the third would now be inclined to leave - If it amounted to 800, that would be stunning. And, we’d have to question their clarity of thought.

 

[Psalm45_9]

Digitonomy:

I hate to be skeptical, but I find it hard to believe that 800 priests would suddenly leave upon the ordination of women as bishops.

• I can certainly understand a priest thinking it is impermissible to ordain women, period.
• I can understand a priest believing that women may be ordained as priests and bishops.
• I don’t understand why ordaining female priests in the Church of England would be legitimate, but ordaining female bishops would be illegitimate.

I suspect most Anglican priests hold one of the first two positions. It seems to me only those who hold to the peculiar logic of the third would now be inclined to leave - If it amounted to 800, that would be stunning. And, we’d have to question their clarity of thought.

I’m with you, if they are convinced that the Anglican Church has gone apostate, then they would have joined the Catholic Church sooner rather then threatening to leave the Anglican communion.

 

[TobyLue]

I’m with you, if they are convinced that the Anglican Church has gone apostate, then they would have joined the Catholic Church sooner rather then threatening to leave the Anglican Communion.

Well not really. I’m sure many, many Anglicans know that the Catholic Church is the true church but for some reason are afraid to cross the Tiber. Many converts even after they know that the CC is the true church don’t just switch right away. Whether it’s family pressure, some uncertainty, there has to be something that will finally trigger the change. This could just be it. Look as CS Lewis, why did he not convert?
BTW, what are female priests in the Anglican Church called, mother?

 

[Mimi]

<Tobylue wrote:
Well not really. I’m sure many, many Anglicans know that the Catholic Church is the true church but for some reason are afraid to cross the Tiber. Many converts even after they know that the CC is the true church don’t just switch right away. Whether it’s family pressure, some uncertainty, there has to be something that will finally trigger the change. This could just be it. Look as CS Lewis, why did he not convert?
BTW, what are female priests in the Anglican Church called, mother?>

I met a local female Episcopalian pastor; she wears the collar and black clerics (with a skirt - really seems weird to me), and when we were introduced, she made a point of saying, “I’m Rev. Janie, but I’m NOT a priest.” Then later, one of the parishioners, who happens to be my hair stylist, referred to the pastor as “our priest”. I’m kinda confused. I may have to ask Rev. Janie (not her real name) about this and get it straightened out.

I think they are just referred to as Reverand. Probably some just go by their first name.

Pax vobiscum,
Mimi