First Anglicans Received into the Catholic Church

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From the article…
More importantly, he added, “most of them have been journeying, seeking the fullness of truth, and they found it in the Catholic Church”.
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I rejoice at welcoming these people into the Catholic Church, and I also rejoice at the enthusiasm and spiritual heritage they bring with them. This is a two way gain!
 
This truly is a happy day. Of course, Anglicans have seen this kind of thing before in the history of their Church. One wonders how much of an exodus from Anglicanism to Catholicism there will be. I mean, after Rowan Williams steps down from the seat of the ArchBishop of Cantebury will his successor discourage or squelch such an exodus?
 
Bishop Alan Hopes, who converted to Catholicism from the C of E in 1994, is quoted in the article: “If you truly believe that you have found fullness of truth in the Catholic Church, there is nothing you can do about it. You have to become Catholic.”

I would agree with Bp. Hopes and ask, what were they waiting for? Were they putting their love for the beautiful English liturgy ahead of their search for the truth? What would happen if this form were taken away from them? Just wondering.
 
masuwerte said:
Bishop Alan Hopes, who converted to Catholicism from the C of E in 1994, is quoted in the article: “If you truly believe that you have found fullness of truth in the Catholic Church, there is nothing you can do about it. You have to become Catholic.”

I would agree with Bp. Hopes and ask, what were they waiting for? Were they putting their love for the beautiful English liturgy ahead of their search for the truth? What would happen if this form were taken away from them? Just wondering.
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These Bishops searched for the truth in the CoE. Like many who search for the truth in Anglicanism, it takes time to realize the truth in Anglicanism can be anything you want it to be.

Why is the process so long? The Ordinariate was announced last Nov (2010). They had hope, hope to find truth in their former church. When the Synod was completed, they began the process. For them, the CoE no longer held the fullness of the truth. That was in July. September the Holy Father came to the UK. No announcements prior or during for “political” reasons. Very soon after the Holy Father left the UK, these Bishops announced their resignations and plans to enter the Catholic Church. Three other Bishops also announced and they will come into the Church at a later date as set by the Catholic Church. Two are retired and the third is the Ordinary of the TTAC of England.

Since they are (were) Bishops, they had a cure of souls to care for. They had to coordinate with their CoE superiors and with the church. They could not just pack up and walk away. They ended their offical duties by early December if I remember correctly.

The speed at which they entered the Church was not dictated by the individual Bishops, but by their responsiblities, the CoE and the recieving Catholic Church. I have/had a similar problem. I was to be released Dec 5, the new rector of my parish was delayed. Do I abandon my parish and take away the sacraments from the people, as the nearest priest in communion with the parish was many miles away and the retire AMiA priest was not inclined to fill in for a short period of time. Or do I delay my entrance into the Church to fulfill my obligation for the cure of souls. The Church (Catholic Church) and I agreed to delay my entrance to a future date.

So your fears of a nefarious motive on the part of the Bishops is unfounded as the CoE and the Church were setting the pace, not the individual Bishops. Also, many Anglo-Catholics inthe UK already use the Ordinary Form of the liturgy of the Catholic Church. The TTEC does not, I believe they still use the Book of Common Prayer. The liturgy has been more of a concern for the TTEC parishes from what I have gathered than the CoE parishes. Just because you asked.😉

Fr. Mark
 
MarkBrown said:
These Bishops searched for the truth in the CoE. Like many who search for the truth in Anglicanism, it takes time to realize the truth in Anglicanism can be anything you want it to be.

Why is the process so long? The Ordinariate was announced last Nov (2010). They had hope, hope to find truth in their former church. When the Synod was completed, they began the process. For them, the CoE no longer held the fullness of the truth. That was in July. September the Holy Father came to the UK. No announcements prior or during for “political” reasons. Very soon after the Holy Father left the UK, these Bishops announced their resignations and plans to enter the Catholic Church. Three other Bishops also announced and they will come into the Church at a later date as set by the Catholic Church. Two are retired and the third is the Ordinary of the TTAC of England.

Since they are (were) Bishops, they had a cure of souls to care for. They had to coordinate with their CoE superiors and with the church. They could not just pack up and walk away. They ended their offical duties by early December if I remember correctly.

The speed at which they entered the Church was not dictated by the individual Bishops, but by their responsiblities, the CoE and the recieving Catholic Church. I have/had a similar problem. I was to be released Dec 5, the new rector of my parish was delayed. Do I abandon my parish and take away the sacraments from the people, as the nearest priest in communion with the parish was many miles away and the retire AMiA priest was not inclined to fill in for a short period of time. Or do I delay my entrance into the Church to fulfill my obligation for the cure of souls. The Church (Catholic Church) and I agreed to delay my entrance to a future date.

So your fears of a nefarious motive on the part of the Bishops is unfounded as the CoE and the Church were setting the pace, not the individual Bishops. Also, many Anglo-Catholics inthe UK already use the Ordinary Form of the liturgy of the Catholic Church. The TTEC does not, I believe they still use the Book of Common Prayer. The liturgy has been more of a concern for the TTEC parishes from what I have gathered than the CoE parishes. Just because you asked.😉

Fr. Mark
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Fr. Mark,

I am not sure if the poster means why it has taken over a year to become Catholic, but why don’t they just come into the Church as individuals and join their local parish. I must say I have seen some resentment on the part of some Catholics that Anglicans will be allowed to have their own liturgy and traditions. Maybe they are not aware of the fact that for over 28 years through the Pastoral Provision/Anglican Use there are several parishes who already have an Anglican Use liturgy.

The Holy Father seems very impressed with the Anglican Use and their liturgy and traditions and have said they are “treasures” for the Church. We must not forget that the Catholic Church means universal and is the only Church that is for the whole of humanity.

When you read posts on CAF you see many Catholics who are unhappy with the liturgy and what has happened to the Church in the past 40 years. This Pope is opening the doors to all and trying to bring back the reverence that has been lost in many parishes. He is a very wise and pastoral leader who also has made it possible for Catholics to celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass.

My prayers are with you on your journey and for being a good shepherd to your flock, caring for their needs over your own.

God Bless

Bernadette
 
1, This is not helpful.

2, They obviously do not believe in an emphasis on the supremacy of scripture .

3, They obviously do not believ in justification by faith.
 
Please give a prayer of thanks to Bl. Dominic Barberi, the small unlikely Italian priest from the Passionist Congregation, whose life mission was the conversion of England and whom is best known for accepting Cardinal Newman into the Catholic Church.
Newman wrote: ‘Father Dominic was a marvellous missioner and a preacher filled with zeal. He had a great part in my own conversion and in that of others. His very look had about it something holy. When his form came within sight, I was moved to the depths in the strangest way. The gaiety and affability of his manner in the midst of all his sanctity was in itself a holy sermon. No wonder that I became his convert and his penitent. He had a great love for England.’
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Please read more about Bl. Dominic here - passionist.org/about/historymissioncharism/saintsandblesseds/dominicbarberi
 
As ususal, I see that most of the anger shown towards Anglicans coming into the Church are from Anglicans/Episcopalians. I am sure if it was the other way around and that Catholics were joining their churches, the name calling etc. would be non existent.

I have read many comments on different websites and have seen such mean spirited and unchristian remarks from Anglicans. No one is being forced to become Catholic and on websites for those Anglicans going into the Ordinariate I have seen nothing but love and charity for their former brothers and sisters in Christ. That tells me that they have made the right choice.

Yours in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary

Bernadette
 
I did read some of the comments…but as always seems to be the case, those who choose to put in their 2 cents usually come from a spirit not in keeping with the grace intended by those who have made the decision to embrace the Church in her fullness.
The comments from these people are in the spirit of “antichrist.” They obviously do not believe that the Catholic Church is the repository of the Truth.
 
MGLechner said:
I did read some of the comments…but as always seems to be the case, those who choose to put in their 2 cents usually come from a spirit not in keeping with the grace intended by those who have made the decision to embrace the Church in her fullness.
The comments from these people are in the spirit of “antichrist.”
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I really don’t like it when people say that non-Catholic Christians have the “spirit of the antichrist”, just because they don’t believe that the CC is the only true Christian Church established by Christ. 😦
They obviously do not believe that the Catholic Church is the repository of the Truth.
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Of course they don’t! Otherwise they wouldn’t be non-Catholics, would they?

Esdra
 
I don’t know worldwide, but I am fairly well-acquainted with Episcopalians in this area. Most of them seem to be turned off by the Pope’s invitation rather than impressed in a positive manner. In fact, they tell me that their churches are attracting numerous former Catholics.
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Why? Here are some of the reasons they give. 

(1) Many Episcopalians are liberals theologically. They love their liturgy but regard creeds and other expressions of the traditional faith as largely symbolic. They certainly would not make evangelical Protestants as they are not sola scriptura.

(2) They strongly believe in the marriage of priests and in the ordination of women. They are somewhat divided on the issue of gay bishops, however.

(3) Many former Catholics become Episcopalians (or other mainline Protestants) because of divorce or perhaps over the issue of birth control. They want to keep the liturgy but jettison various requirements to be a Catholic. For example, they have remarried without an annulment, or they have the number of children they feel they can support as they wish and use artificial birth control.

(4) They have been alienated by the priest sex scandal within Catholicism - not only the fact that youth were sexually exploited but even more so by the long cover-up by Bishops, reassignment of guilty priests to other parishes, etc.

(5) They express annoyance that Catholicism makes so much out of 'converts' when Anglicans, Protestants and other non-Catholics have many converts but never appear to trumpet them.

(6) Once they break with Catholicism, they are apt to grow resentful of the governance/polity of Catholicism. Anglicanism, with all of its traditions, seems to them to embody much more democracy, with greater authority resting in the laity (vestry, etc.)

 God bless Catholics, Anglicans and all of God's children, all 6 billion of them here on earth and the rest - in heaven or possibly in one or more of the other numerous solar systems in this mammoth, magnificent, miraculous and mysterious universe???
 
Roy5 said:
I don’t know worldwide, but I am fairly well-acquainted with Episcopalians in this area. Most of them seem to be turned off by the Pope’s invitation rather than impressed in a positive manner. In fact, they tell me that their churches are attracting numerous former Catholics.
Code: 
Why? Here are some of the reasons they give. 

(1) Many Episcopalians are liberals theologically. They love their liturgy but regard creeds and other expressions of the traditional faith as largely symbolic. They certainly would not make evangelical Protestants as they are not sola scriptura.

(2) They strongly believe in the marriage of priests and in the ordination of women. They are somewhat divided on the issue of gay bishops, however.

(3) Many former Catholics become Episcopalians (or other mainline Protestants) because of divorce or perhaps over the issue of birth control. They want to keep the liturgy but jettison various requirements to be a Catholic. For example, they have remarried without an annulment, or they have the number of children they feel they can support as they wish and use artificial birth control.

(4) They have been alienated by the priest sex scandal within Catholicism - not only the fact that youth were sexually exploited but even more so by the long cover-up by Bishops, reassignment of guilty priests to other parishes, etc.

(5) They express annoyance that Catholicism makes so much out of 'converts' when Anglicans, Protestants and other non-Catholics have many converts but never appear to trumpet them.

(6) Once they break with Catholicism, they are apt to grow resentful of the governance/polity of Catholicism. Anglicanism, with all of its traditions, seems to them to embody much more democracy, with greater authority resting in the laity (vestry, etc.)

 God bless Catholics, Anglicans and all of God's children, all 6 billion of them here on earth and the rest - in heaven or possibly in one or more of the other numerous solar systems in this mammoth, magnificent, miraculous and mysterious universe???
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Hi

thanks for sharing. That’s really interesting.
Sadly enought except the Old Catholic Church in communion with Utrecht, no other “High-Protestants” exist here in Austria.
Many people also have left (because of similar reasons) the Church.
But don’t join an other, due to lack of choice…

Esdra
 
BernadetteM said:
I am not sure if the poster means why it has taken over a year to become Catholic, but why don’t they just come into the Church as individuals and join their local parish.
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That was my point exactly, Bernadette. I’m quite fond of the liturgy at my Episcopal parish, but if I truly believed everything the Catholic Church teaches about itself, I would leave that liturgy behind in a heartbeat and try to enter the Catholic Church.
 
masuwerte said:
That was my point exactly, Bernadette. I’m quite fond of the liturgy at my Episcopal parish, but if I truly believed everything the Catholic Church teaches about itself, I would leave that liturgy behind in a heartbeat and try to enter the Catholic Church.
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There is already an Anglican Use within the Catholic Church for the past 30 years and the Ordinariate is actually just increasing the scope of it. This is why the Catholic Church is universal, it has opened its arms to diversity in liturgy to many. This is a pastoral move on the part of Pope Benedict and before the break with England, the English did have the Sarum Use. Every country have different traditions within the Catholic Church. The Church is not stagnent in disciplines and evolves as the case may be. Also the request for corporate unity came from Anglicans reaching out to the Holy Father, not the Church poaching unhappy Anglicans. As a former Episcopalian there were many different liturgies celebrated within the church. Low church was like a Methodist church, then broad church, high church and Anglo Catholic. I don’t recall any Episcopalians complaining that St. Marys was wrong because they used the Missal or incense or St. Marys complaining because Trinity used Morning Prayer 3 Sundays of the month etc.

The Church holds to the moral values from the beginning and the doctrines and traditions taught in the Early Church.

I guess my question is that it seems that many want Anglicans who are entering the Church to be denied the “treasures” (Pope Benedict’s word) they have within their traditions. I find this coming from Anglicans more than Catholics. It seems that if one either stays in TEC or one of the Continuing Anglican groups they want to see their former brothers and sisters punished for being led by the Holy Spirit to the Catholic Church. At least that is the strong feeling I have gotten from some of the Anglican websites. There is no way possible for this to happen if God was not in charge.

Personally I don’t call my TEC brother and tell him how can he stay within a church where you can believe anything you want, I only wish for him the best in his faith journey as I do those who are content where they are. It seems it is a one way street of uncharitable remarks made against those Anglicans moving on. I am not directing this comment to you, so please take it as an observation of the attitudes from many.

God Bless

Bernadette
 
This thread shouldn’t turn into an Anglicans vs. Catholics thing. The Catholic Church in the past HAS tried to recruit Anglicans out of their church into the Catholic Church. Bishop John-David Schofield, the bishop here in San Joaquin, has talked with us about the Vatican sending their folks to him a few times trying to pull him out of the Anglican Church into the Catholic.

So it has happened probably PLENTY of times. HOWEVER, the Anglican bishops in the CofE were the ones who approached the pope, not the other way around. So Anglicans really can’t be critical of this. My rector at the Anglican church here in town wishes Anglicans well who want to find a home in Catholicism. While he disagrees with several Catholic tenents, he never talks down to those who move to Catholicism. In fact, he said I might need to return to Catholicism and was very charitable about it.

Anglicans should reflect on what they have done to not only alienate many of their anglo-Catholics and lose them to the Catholic Church, but they should also take a long hard look at the arrogance that has cost them a possible relationship with the Orthodox. Metropolitan Jonah was more than welcoming to ACNA and yet the Anglicans have held on to the nonsense of women’s ordination? They’ve also held tight to Calvinism too much, also alienating Catholics and Orthodox. So really this should be a learning experience for Anglicans, not a time to blast those expatriating.

It should also NOT be a time for Catholics to give a “take that!” to Anglicans. In the end, all are Christians trying to find the right path to Christ in the best way they can. In the end it’s all about our faith and beliefs and seeking the truth.
 
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