The history given at the site linked is accurate; it’s a good article, though it differs with Clark on an important point . And, given that I have read Clark, and Hughes, cited in the footnotes, as well as a dozen other sources, including a good article by R. WIlliam Franklin, in ANGLICAN ORDERS, ESSAYS ON THE CENTENARY.OF APOSTOLICAE CURAE 1896-1996, nothing in it is new to me. But you’ve got the wrong idea. There was no great mandate to prove Anglican orders valid, from Leo. And certainly no desire from most the RC hierachy (Rampolla excepted) for reunion. Esp. not reunion in any form other than individual submission: this was Cardinal Vaughan’s firm position. And the Commission, in the form it took, and in the course it followed, was Cardinal Vaughan’s offspring.
Here’s the first few paras I wrote on the subject, in another discussion:
**It began with a chance meeting on the island of Maderia in 1890, of a British nobleman, Charles Lindley, Second Viscount Halifax, and a young French priest, the Abbe Portal. Halifax was a fervent and saintly Anglo-Catholic, of the type referred to as “Anglo-Paplist” (which is sort of an Anglo-Catholic on steroids). The two became friendly, and began to converse on various matters. Eventually Halifax and Portal reached a conclusion that it would be a good thing to try to do something about that little matter of the 17th chapter of John. What might be done to achieve reunion of Christendom? Specifically, what might be done to heal the split between Rome and the CoE? They talked it over. The game plan was to pick a topic which might permit of mutual discussion between the Churches, and see if they could get anyone to come and reason together. IN was a modest plan, for a daunting goal. But maybe if each side learned a little of the other, something might happen. And both sides were in remarkable ignorance of each other. Couldn’t hurt. In fact, it was a fore-runner of the system set up 70 years later by Pope Paul VI and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Michael Ramsey, the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission. That group is more or less useless today, but it began with great hopes and in the spirit of what Halifax and Portal hoped for back then.
Early in 1892, Portal suggested that a good topic to raise for possible discussion was Anglican orders. He was optimistic that it would be a good starting point. Halifax was not, but in 1893/1894, Portal published a little paper anyway, in LA SCIENCE CATHOLIQUE, under the pen name of F. Dalbus, in 1893-1894. concluding that Anglican Orders were probably invalid, citing a suspicion of Barlow’s intention in consecrating Parker in 1559, but suggesting that the point should be discussed.
It has to be emphasized that for both Portal and Halifax, the question of Anglican orders was a means to an end, to initiate talks between theologians of each church. And his little paper got a good reception, particularly from the Abbe Duchesne, and some chatter began. Other papers appeared. RCs and Anglicans were interested, from their respective traditions, in talking. And in 1894, Portal was summoned to Rome, for an audience with Cardinal Rampolla, the Vatican Secretary of State, who took Portal to see His Holiness, Leo XIII. Leo was interested in talks on the subject, as Portal was suggesting… Suggestions were made about letters from the Vatican to the CoE, suggesting talks. Leo agreed, but then wanted it to come from Rampolla. Still, things were looking good, so far. The letter was written, Sep, 1894.
Didn’t continue, though. Back in England, Archbishop Benson, the Archbishop of Canterbury was cool to the idea (the Archbishop of York, the other primate of the CoE was more positive). And, fatally, the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, the chief RC prelate in the country, was far from cool toward it. He was red hot opposed. **
I’m going to run out of space. Cardinal Vaughan briefed by Portal on 2 visists to England as to what he and Halifax has discussed in Rome, was livid. In Jan 1895, he went to see Leo. The details of that visit, in which he completely mis-represented Portal and Halifax and what they were doing (no one wanted Rome to make a decision on Anglican orders. That was merely the subject Portal had chosen to start talks on moving the two Churches closer) can be found beginning on p.69 of Hughes book, heavily footnoted.
Leo was greatly disturbed by Cardinal Vaughan’s inaccurate ( to say the least) version, and let himself be led by the Cardinal into calling a RC commission (rather than suggesting joint lalks a la the ARCIC, which is what Portal and Halifax were after) to study two salient points about Anglican orders, neither of which was “Go prove them valid”. What was asked was “Had there been a consistent policy toward Anglican orders, since Henry’s day?” and " if so, should that policy continue, or be changed?"
And it was the form of the ordination, not the Mass rites, that was involved.
Bottom line:
That’s a good article. excellent, over all.
No one asked Rome to make any judgment on Anglican orders. That was the work of Cardinal Vaughan, who was determined that what Portal and Halifax had started had to be stopped. I strongly urge you read Hughes’ book. It is the best and most detailed history of what went on available.
GKC
