Ask an Anglican/Episcopalian

[Protestor]

That’s why I have the coffee. Then I do not understand how they can they allow openly gay ministers. I understand if the clergy are struggling with homosexuality, but that is not what I take openly gay to mean. I take openly gay to mean that they do not have a problem with men having sex with other men or women with women.
So I guess my question is what is your stance on gay sexual relationships?

 

[masuwerte]

Most Episcopalians, in my limited experience, are not in favor of ordaining openly gay clergy, or blessing homosexual unions. The minority who are, sadly, are quite vocal about it.

 

[frobert]

That’s why I have the coffee. Then I do not understand how they can they allow openly gay ministers. I understand if the clergy are struggling with homosexuality, but that is not what I take openly gay to mean. I take openly gay to mean that they do not have a problem with men having sex with other men or women with women.
So I guess my question is what is your stance on gay sexual relationships?

From what I read, some individuals have a problem but as a church they do not have a problem with committed monogamous relationships, they are more interested in helping each person to live the best Christian life they are capable of.

 

[aidanbradypop]

That’s why I have the coffee. Then I do not understand how they can they allow openly gay ministers. I understand if the clergy are struggling with homosexuality, but that is not what I take openly gay to mean. I take openly gay to mean that they do not have a problem with men having sex with other men or women with women.
So I guess my question is what is your stance on gay sexual relationships?

If you are asking the Episcopal Church’s stance…“homosexual persons are children of God who have a full and equal claim with all other persons upon the love, acceptance, and pastoral concern and care of the Church” which I completely agree with.

If you are asking my personal stance on gay sexual relationship, then I will tell you that what two grown people do in the private of their own home is their business just like what you and I do in our homes. I have no issue with homosexuals in the clergy. Our current priest is and he is a blessing to our parish.

Most Episcopalians, in my limited experience, are not in favor of ordaining openly gay clergy, or blessing homosexual unions. The minority who are, sadly, are quite vocal about it.

I am not for gay marriage where a priest/pastor is forced to marry a couple and if not, will be brought up on hate crimes. I believe that is well beyond what 98% of homosexuals want or ask for.

I have no issue with a priest blessing the two people that were joined in a state civil union.

 

[GKC]

That’s one of my issues with Church of England…it is quite open to the fact that it started because some king wanted to divorce his wife so decided that he was now the head of the English church…there was no prophet, no spiritual experience, no message from God…yet it’s a point that is often ignored

2nd non-reply to your post. I knew when I agreed to participate in this thread, it was a very bad time for me, with a lot of conflicting claims on my attention . And so it is. So, before I charge off constructing any sort of a reply to your post, give a little of what you might be looking for. I might respond with what I want to say, anyway, but it might give me a clue.

GKC, hassled.

 

[Indifferently]

The authentic Book of Common Prayer is that of 1662. There have been other books which have contended for it, but they are pretenders, and 1662 is the universal Anglican formulary, whether particular Anglican churches like that fact or not.

The Eucharistic sacrifice, from Saepius Officio:

‘For first we offer the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving; then next we plead and represent before the Father the sacrifice of the cross, and by it we confidently entreat remission of sins and all other benefits of the Lord’s Passion for all the whole Church, and lastly we offer the sacrifice of ourselves to the Creator of all things which we have already signified by the oblation of His creatures. This whole action, in which the people has necessarily to take its part with the Priest, we are accustomed to call the Eucharistic Sacrifice.’

As for other particular beliefs, the Anglican positions can be found in the Thirty Nine Articles of Religion, which is not merely an “historical document” as some claim, but a living testimony to the Reformed and Catholic faith (as evidenced by the fact that its opening articles are those of the Creeds).

 

[House_Harkonnen]

GKC (whenever he can) and I will gladly answer questions on the Anglican and Episcopal Churches. Soooo ask away!

Let’s try to keep the debates down please. If you have a question great! I would love to answer! We are not here to argue but simply Q&A.

Don’t know if its been asked already yet but.

How do you feel about the Anglican Communion deciding to ordain woman and practicing homosexuals to the priesthood and bishopric?

What do you think this will mean in terms of unity with Catholics and Orthodox?

 

[aidanbradypop]

Don’t know if its been asked already yet but.

How do you feel about the Anglican Communion deciding to ordain woman and practicing homosexuals to the priesthood and bishopric?

What do you think this will mean in terms of unity with Catholics and Orthodox?

I actually think you are the first!

I will give my Episcopalian view as I will allow the other Anglicans to speak their opinion.

As far as the ordination of women… I’m not for it or against it. I have never had a female as a priest but I do know a female Deacon. She does a wonderful job.

As far as practicing homosexuals…I see no issue with it as long as they are in a monogamous relationship. Bishop Gene Robinson is a wonderful man of God and I love listening to his sermons.

90% if my parish are former Roman Catholics. The other 10% are Lutheran or cradle Episcopalian. Not sure how much concerned we are with uniting to Rome.

 

[GKC]

The authentic Book of Common Prayer is that of 1662. There have been other books which have contended for it, but they are pretenders, and 1662 is the universal Anglican formulary, whether particular Anglican churches like that fact or not.

The Eucharistic sacrifice, from Saepius Officio:

‘For first we offer the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving; then next we plead and represent before the Father the sacrifice of the cross, and by it we confidently entreat remission of sins and all other benefits of the Lord’s Passion for all the whole Church, and lastly we offer the sacrifice of ourselves to the Creator of all things which we have already signified by the oblation of His creatures. This whole action, in which the people has necessarily to take its part with the Priest, we are accustomed to call the Eucharistic Sacrifice.’

As for other particular beliefs, the Anglican positions can be found in the Thirty Nine Articles of Religion, which is not merely an “historical document” as some claim, but a living testimony to the Reformed and Catholic faith (as evidenced by the fact that its opening articles are those of the Creeds).

Oh,so? Who declared the 1662 the one and only? And how might that be enforced, through all Anglican-dom?

As to the Articles, you know better than that. They are not normative, generally, for Anglicans, though Anglicans may certainly affirm all or any of them. Unless all Anglicans are subject to the Subscription Act of 1571.

GKC

 

[GKC]

Don’t know if its been asked already yet but.

How do you feel about the Anglican Communion deciding to ordain woman and practicing homosexuals to the priesthood and bishopric?

What do you think this will mean in terms of unity with Catholics and Orthodox?

Some Anglicans may got through the motions, but they are not consecrating or ordaining females to Orders, as understood in the undivided Church. The attempt to do so renders Apostolicae Curae a prematurely prescient document, by about 80+ years.

Unchaste clergy, not celibate outside conventional marriage, are no proper subjects for Orders.

The second circumstance is likely to more permanently divide the Communion than the former.

If I thought these practices would not militate against any idea of unity with any other liturgical Church, my assessment of such a Church would approximate my assessment of much of contemporary Anglicanism.

GKC

 

[EvangelCatholic]

I actually think you are the first!

I will give my Episcopalian view as I will allow the other Anglicans to speak their opinion.

**As far as the ordination of women… I’m not for it or against it. I have never had a female as a priest but I do know a female Deacon. She does a wonderful job.

As far as practicing homosexuals…I see no issue with it as long as they are in a monogamous relationship. Bishop Gene Robinson is a wonderful man of God and I love listening to his sermons.**

90% if my parish are former Roman Catholics. The other 10% are Lutheran or cradle Episcopalian. Not sure how much concerned we are with uniting to Rome.

This is the position of the ELCA & Church of Sweden.

 

[Potter]

Does the Anglican church, either in England properly or in the greater Anglican Communion, have anything like the Catholic church’s social doctrine?

(I could ask my rector, but on seeing this thread had a hunch that Anglicans at a Catholic forum would be more familiar with what I am talking about.)

 

[EvangelCatholic]

It is interesting to read of the Anglican-Lutheran relationship going back 50 years: anglicancommunion.org/ministry/ecumenical/dialogues/lutheran/docs/pullach_report.cfm

The Pullach Report of 1972 foretells of exactly what has happened; that Anglicans and Lutherans would be in full communion. Here’s a discussion regarding apostolic succession and the Real Presence:

In the Lutheran Communion episcopacy has been preserved in some parts in unbroken succession, in other parts in succession of office, while in other parts oversight has been exercised in non-episcopal forms. In all forms it has experienced the blessings of the ministry in the church.

In the Anglican Communion episcopacy has been preserved in a succession unbroken at the time of the Reformation and, rightly or wrongly, important deductions have been drawn from this in relation to the organic continuity and unity of the church.

Both Communions are open to new forms in which episcope may find expressions appropriate to the needs and conditions of the situation and time.

Both Communions affirm the real presence of Christ in this sacrament, but neither seeks to define precisely how this happens. In the eucharistic action (including consecrations) and reception, the bread and wine, while remaining bread and wine, become the means whereby Christ is truly present and gives himself to the communicants.

Both traditions affirm that Christ’s sacrifice was offered once and for all for the sin of the whole world. Yet without denying this fundamental truth both would recognize that the Eucharist in some sense involves sacrifice. In it we offer our praise and thanksgiving, ourselves and all that we are, and make before God the memorial of Christ’s sacrifice. Christ’s redemptive act becomes present for our participation.

Many Anglicans and some Lutherans believe that in the Eucharist the church’s offering of itself is caught up into his one offering. Other Anglicans and many Lutherans do not employ the concept of sacrifice in this way.

Under full communion each church maintains its own autonomy while fully recognizing the catholicity and apostolicity of the other. In practical terms this means that Anglicans and Lutherans in Canada can share the Eucharist together, use each other’s liturgies, and participate in each other’s ordinations. Anglican and Lutheran clergy may also serve interchangeably in either church.

 

[Truth_Faith13]

In relation to the ordination of women, how do you see past the Bible where it talks of overseers having to be husbands to one wife etc (thereby indicating a man) and the apostles all being men? Or do you think it was just relevant to the times then?

 

[Adamski]

GKC (whenever he can) and I will gladly answer questions on the Anglican and Episcopal Churches. Soooo ask away!

Let’s try to keep the debates down please. If you have a question great! I would love to answer! We are not here to argue but simply Q&A.

How do you stay in a church that promotes child murder and calls sodamy marriage ??

 

[GKC]

How do you stay in a church that promotes child murder and calls sodamy marriage ??

Can’t answer for any who do, but that does not describe me.

GKC

 

[Indifferently]

Does the Anglican church, either in England properly or in the greater Anglican Communion, have anything like the Catholic church’s social doctrine?

(I could ask my rector, but on seeing this thread had a hunch that Anglicans at a Catholic forum would be more familiar with what I am talking about.)

No. We are a sola scriptura church.

Those of us who uphold the authority of the Bible deny the ordination of women and homosexual toleration on the basis of what the Bible says about these things. We believe in male headship, and the complementarity of the sexes. Anything which undermines this is anathema. It would also be a violation of catholic order.

 

[Potter]

No. We are a sola scriptura church.

Those of us who uphold the authority of the Bible deny the ordination of women and homosexual toleration on the basis of what the Bible says about these things. We believe in male headship, and the complementarity of the sexes. Anything which undermines this is anathema. It would also be a violation of catholic order.

In response, two questions: What does any of that have to do with the Catholic church’s social teaching? It has nothing to do with progressive ideals of “social justice”, which do nothing but subordinate people to bureaucracy and the state. Secondly, since when is the Church of England sola scriptura?

In peace,

• Potter

 

[ChurchSoldier]

Don’t know if its been asked already yet but.

How do you feel about the Anglican Communion deciding to ordain woman and practicing homosexuals to the priesthood and bishopric?

What do you think this will mean in terms of unity with Catholics and Orthodox?

Any time a historic Christian body decides to stray from both Biblical example and early church tradition it will find itself in trouble.

As far as the other comment on the liberalization of the Anglican Communion, it is generally not the case. While the Western bodies of the Episcopal Church and Anglican Church in England and Canada are more prominant because of location, they do not reflect the majority of the world’s Anglican belief.

Particulalry since the Anglican Church of England has decided to walk away from the historic Episcopate, I think we will see formal confirmation by most of the worlds Anglicans acknowledging their “self” separation in the next few years.

 

[josie_L]

Somebody please correct me if I’m wrong here, but it seems to me that while it is central to RC belief, that their Church is not capable of teaching error, Episcopalians believe that our Church can and does sometimes make mistakes. ** I like the humility inherent in the latter position.**

As a Catholic I “like” humility too, but the Catholic Church being guided by the Holy Spirit cannot err, i.e., as the Church of Christ the “gates of Hell” cannot prevail against her. In other words it is not a question of “humility” so much as a promise made to the Church by our Saviour , i.e., the Catholic Church as guardian of the faith/truth cannot teach heresies as She is guided by the Holy Spirit and protected by Christ. If we believed anything else we would put to lie Sacred Scripture and Tradition.