As ex-Anglicans become Catholic....

[lizaanne]

…I’m wondering how this will be handled. Will entire congregations be confirmed into the Catholic Church? Certainly they must receive the Sacrament from a Catholic priest to be Catholic.

THIS ARTICLE is what makes me think of the logistics of this.

They certainly can’t just show up and start receiving Holy Communion as if they have always been in communion with Rome.

~Liza

 

[jesusluv]

I would think they would have to go through an RCIA process like the rest of us.

 

[Robbinson]

I would think they would have to go through an RCIA process like the rest of us.

This appears to be correct. Though for Anglo-Catholics, this should be a relatively smooth transition (more so for Broad Church Episcopalians)

Blessings,

Brian

 

[emeraldcoast]

…I’m wondering how this will be handled. Will entire congregations be confirmed into the Catholic Church? Certainly they must receive the Sacrament from a Catholic priest to be Catholic.

THIS ARTICLE is what makes me think of the logistics of this.

They certainly can’t just show up and start receiving Holy Communion as if they have always been in communion with Rome.

~Liza

Hi Liza,

Well according to my leaflet that was in my church bulletin, all that I am going to have to do is jump over the fence without disturbing the flowers, bring a loaf of banana bread and an enevelop full of $20 bills and I am in like Flint…:hug1:

Just kidding, but I couldn’t resist…

God Bless!

 

[jesusluv]

This appears to be correct. Though for Anglo-Catholics, this should be a relatively smooth transition (more so for Broad Church Episcopalians)

Blessings,

Brian

I don’t see a mass conversion of Broad Church Episcopalians. They will continue to trickle into the Roman Church like always, a few at the time. I would be very suprised to see whole congregations of Episcopalians swimming the Tiber.

 

[chris_molter]

…I’m wondering how this will be handled. Will entire congregations be confirmed into the Catholic Church? Certainly they must receive the Sacrament from a Catholic priest to be Catholic.

The conversion of an entire parish has happened a few times before.

Our Lady of The Atonement atonementonline.com/index.php

Pastoral Provision
pastoralprovision.org/

You are correct that any Anglican clergy who come into full communion must ‘become’ Catholic clergy if they seek to continue ordained ministry within the Church. Almost all are re-ordained (with one documented instance of conditional re-ordination since that individual was able to produce evidence that his original ordination may have been valid).

They certainly can’t just show up and start receiving Holy Communion as if they have always been in communion with Rome.

~Liza

No, of course not. However, I believe Pope Benedict and the other prelates in charge of such matters are going to do whatever they can to make the transition easier for Catholic minded Anglicans to come into full communion (individually or corporately), and we, as Catholics, ought to welcome them home with open arms.

I left Anglicanism a few years ago and my reception into the Church was fairly easy. I didn’t need RCIA since I had pretty much read myself into the Church and the Priest who received me just made sure I knew what I was talking about (and what I was getting myself into! ). I’m sure many Anglicans have come in under similar circumstances.

 

[lizaanne]

Thank you all - I was begining to think this was a stupid question. This does help my understanding.

~Liza

 

[Deconi]

Common sense suggests that an “RCIA-type” rite should be required, because FREEDOM of will is paramount.

Under the current circumstances, which may give rise to individual or ‘mass conversion’, there is an element of compulsion, force, if you will, which must be ‘removed.’

It is explained elsewhere that The Catholic Church is not a club, or an organization, that one joins because it is better than the ‘others’ or instead of ‘another.’

As for the clergy, I imagine some of the prelates of Catholicism to cause ‘much ado’ and ‘strife’ for a time. I see the solution as simple as A.B.C…but The Infinite Wisdom has never failed to surprise me with complete, simpler, solutions!

It will be interesting…

 

[Peter_J]

Good discussion.

Regarding the blog that was mentioned in the OP, I think it would be wise to take it with a grain of salt. As I said elsewhere, I fear that many people reading that blog will misinterpret this:

The obvious interpretation of the Archbishop’s words is that the Traditional Anglican Communion (TAC), a “continuing church” which has hundreds of thousands of members worldwide (though few in the UK), will eventually be given its own Catholic parishes which use a Eucharistic Prayer incorporating Cranmerian language.

That sentence makes it sound like the TAC and the Vatican have already come to an agreement, when in fact all we know is that the Vatican has made a new offer. (Assuming we even know that.)

 

[jblake]

jesusluv;:

I would be very suprised to see whole congregations of Episcopalians swimming the Tiber.

ECUSA is doing its best to divest itself of Christianity. The practical result of that, is that congregations are looking for a Christian home. Recipients of that quest include:

• The Holy Roman Catholic and Apostolic Church;
• The Anglican Catholic Church;
• Church of the Province of South East Asia;
• Church of the Province of Rwanda;
• Continuing Anglican Movement;
• The Reformed Episcopal Church;

Furthermore, I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see *Anglican Communion Network *form a new denomination, before it merges with one of the aforementioned denominations.

I don’t remember the percentage of congregations that have disaffiliated themselves from ECUSA.

The size of ACN suggests that the major issue is which organizations will receive the congregations from ECUSA.

There are some practical issues to be ironed out, before Anglicans merge with Catholics. For most Anglicans, the biggest practical issue is probably using the Book of Common Prayer liturgy. A few will quibble with having to remove books from their Canon. (1 Esdras, 2 Esdras, Prayer of Manasseh).

The biggest theological issue is the status of the Pope.

xan

jonathon

 

[mercygate]

I would think they would have to go through an RCIA process like the rest of us.

I know of one Episcopal congregation that was given collective instruction. They met weekly for a few months with a representative of the diocese, who walked them through the process.

I expect that most of those coming in will be individuals. Group movements can have complications.

 

[Gerry_Hunter]

A bit of perspective here might be useful.

It is true that some small groups of former members of the Anglican Communion have expressed interest in union with Rome. There are difficulties in the approaches made, since they seem to be of the “we’re already Catholic, and not at all Protestant, so recognize us” kind.

But the vast majority of the members of the Anglican Communion do not even have Rome on their radar. The broad church revisionists who bless same sex “marriages” and “unions” and make women clergy have no interest whatsoever in coming to Rome in any way. Likewise the groups that met in Jerusalem, who ostensibly represent tens of millions of Anglican Communion members (for the time being) are dyed in the wool evangelical protestants, who want none of Rome or the Pope.

The British Press may be making a lot of noise about movements to Rome, or threats or plans for them, but to step back and look at the whole of Anglicanism is to realize that this is nothing even close to a mass movement among Anglicans.

Here locally, we have Anglicans who were once part of the Anglican Church of Canada who still are, have left Anglicanism, have broken away to follow African bishops, or have broken away to follow South American bishops. There’s no mass movement anywhere in Anglicanism; there’s a disintegration - and not a hint of a corporate move to the Church.

 

[Peter_J]

Hi Gerry,

Yes, my understanding is that nowadays Anglo-Catholics constitute a minute fraction of the Anglican Communion.

But to put it in perspective, if just 1% of the Anglican Communion is Anglo-Catholic, that’s about 700,000 – larger than the TAC.

 

[mercygate]

Hi Gerry,

Yes, my understanding is that nowadays Anglo-Catholics constitute a minute fraction of the Anglican Communion.

But to put it in perspective, if just 1% of the Anglican Communion is Anglo-Catholic, that’s about 700,000 – larger than the TAC.

Interesting point. Are most Anglicans who identify themselves as Anglo-Catholic in England and North America?