Traditional Anglican Communion

[Lynn_Suer]

I have read that, in October of 2007, the Traditional Anglican Communion (TAC), representing over 400,000 people, requested entry into the Catholic Church and was denied by Cardinal Walter Kasper. My Traditional friend is scandalized and is wondering if the Church has lost its apostolicity and the sedevacantists are correct.

What can I tell him?
Why has the TAC been denied entrance?

Thanks very much for your help!

Lynn

 

[rr1213]

I have read that, in October of 2007, the Traditional Anglican Communion (TAC), representing over 400,000 people, requested entry into the Catholic Church and was denied by Cardinal Walter Kasper. My Traditional friend is scandalized and is wondering if the Church has lost its apostolicity and the sedevacantists are correct.

What can I tell him?
Why has the TAC been denied entrance?

Thanks very much for your help!

Lynn

I don’t think that the Vatican has rendered a decision yet. Take a look at the first entry at the TAC website dated just a few days ago.

themessenger.com.au/news.htm

 

[GKC]

it goes on, and on, and on.

GKC

 

[Rolltide]

There are a lot of decisions that need to be made by the church if this is going to happen, because its an unusual situation for so many to come back into the fold. For example:

Do they come in as Latin Rite? Do they come in as individual Anglican Use parishes, or do they come in as an entire group? Do they get their own branch that uses and preserves the Anglican form, similar to the Eastern Catholic Churches?

What do you do about the bishops, some of whom are married? Do they step down? Demote back to priests (can such a thing even be canonically done)?

What happens to all of the church property? Who retains title?

Do all of the parishoners need to go through something akin to RCIA? Do they need to do something less? How does one readmit 400,000 people while confirming that they do, indeed profess truly Catholic beliefs (esp. about the Pope)?

What happens if certain parishoners get cold feet and back out? Do any provisions even have to be made?

Now, I realize that some of these questions are simple, and others are much more complex. I’m also failing to list dozens of other very definitive problems that need to be sorted out. The most important thing that the church is worried about is that everything is done right so as not to cause problems that make people second guess the reunification.

Also, rr1213 is correct. No judgment has been rendered yet.

 

[BernadetteM]

Are all of TAC members really ready to accept the authority of the Holy Father and the Catholic Church? I know that the priests and congregations of Anglican Use Parishes did not make any demands on the Church. They were ready to be Catholic and put aside some of the parts of their former traditions that were not acceptable as a Catholic.

When God decides that the group will be accepted as a whole is when this will become a reality.

I was an Episcopalian and know that submitting for many is a very difficult issue.

But all the priests I know who have submitted feel very blessed and feel more freedom than as an Episcopal priest.

I know the parish I was in and attempting to enter the Church was divided. Many wanted everything to stay the same. They wanted there church building and freedom.

I am very happy as a Catholic and know that when the Holy Spirit wills for this to happen the Lord will bless many former Episcopalians. You lose nothing by becoming Catholic, you gain so much more.

In the Hearts of Jesus and Mary

 

[SIA]

I have read that, in October of 2007, the Traditional Anglican Communion (TAC), representing over 400,000 people, requested entry into the Catholic Church and was denied by Cardinal Walter Kasper. My Traditional friend is scandalized and is wondering if the Church has lost its apostolicity and the sedevacantists are correct.

What can I tell him?
Why has the TAC been denied entrance?

Thanks very much for your help!

Lynn

This is technically false. Possibly a parish or diocese withing the Anglican Communion wishes to be in communion with Rome but certainly not the Communion as a whole. Each diocese is autonomous. I belong to a parish who broke from the Episcopal church last fall and is now in the Anglican Diocese of Uganda. We in no way want to be in communion with Rome. No offense intended there.

 

[rr1213]

This is technically false. Possibly a parish or diocese withing the Anglican Communion wishes to be in communion with Rome but certainly not the Communion as a whole. Each diocese is autonomous. I belong to a parish who broke from the Episcopal church last fall and is now in the Anglican Diocese of Uganda. We in no way want to be in communion with Rome. No offense intended there.

I am afraid that you are confusing your Anglican entities. The “Anglican Communion” and the “Traditional Anglican Communion” are separate. The Anglican Communion includes those Churches and Provinces which are in communion with the Archbishop Canterbury. In contrast, none of the Churches of the Traditional Anglican Communion are in communion with Canturbury. If you live in the US your church would be a member of TAC only if it was the following:

acahome.org/

 

[Harpazo]

There are a lot of decisions that need to be made by the church if this is going to happen, because its an unusual situation for so many to come back into the fold. For example:

Do they come in as Latin Rite? Do they come in as individual Anglican Use parishes, or do they come in as an entire group? Do they get their own branch that uses and preserves the Anglican form, similar to the Eastern Catholic Churches?

What do you do about the bishops, some of whom are married? Do they step down? Demote back to priests (can such a thing even be canonically done)?

What happens to all of the church property? Who retains title?

Do all of the parishoners need to go through something akin to RCIA? Do they need to do something less? How does one readmit 400,000 people while confirming that they do, indeed profess truly Catholic beliefs (esp. about the Pope)?

What happens if certain parishoners get cold feet and back out? Do any provisions even have to be made?

Now, I realize that some of these questions are simple, and others are much more complex. I’m also failing to list dozens of other very definitive problems that need to be sorted out. The most important thing that the church is worried about is that everything is done right so as not to cause problems that make people second guess the reunification.

Also, rr1213 is correct. No judgment has been rendered yet.

I think it would be of benefit for the Patriarch of Rome to make this Anglican group their own governing church, much like the Eastern Churches that Rome is in Communion with. It would also be great for ecumenism, because it could tell not only Episcopalians, Anglicans, maybe other high-church Protestants (the ones that are sitting on the fence, that is) that they would have a tradition that is similar to theirs, but fully Catholic and orthodox. The Patriarch of Rome would also do well to perhaps make the head of the TAC the Patriarch of that particular Church, should they enter Communion with us.

It would also send messages to the Orthodox communions as well. We would be telling them that we can accept another tradition, their hierarchs, spirituality, liturgies, etc. and not attempt to Latinize it.

Now, it would be hard to confirm all the people, and I could see this process easily taking many years. However, the Pope of Rome could decide to ordain each Bishop of the TAC, chrismate them, etc. and then they can ordain their priests, and confirm their faithful.

I would love to see this come about and I pray for it.

Alaha minokhoun,
Andrew