The ultimate cross-border intervention; read it all here:
VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI has created a new church structure for Anglicans who want to join the Catholic Church, responding to the disillusionment of some Anglicans over the ordination of women and the election of openly gay bishops. The new provision will allow Anglicans to join the Catholic Church while maintaining their Anglican identity and many of their liturgical traditions, Cardinal William Levada, the Vatican’s chief doctrinal official, told a news conference. The new church structure, called Personal Ordinariates, will be units of faithful within the local Catholic Church headed by former Anglican prelates who will provide spiritual care for Anglicans who wish to become Catholic. “Those Anglicans who have approached the Holy See have made clear their desire for full, visible unity in the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church,” Levada said. “At the same time, they have told us of the importance of their Anglican traditions of spirituality and worship for their faith journey.” Levada said the new canonical structure is a response to the many requests that have come to the Vatican over the years from Anglicans who have become increasingly disillusioned with the ordination of women, the election of openly gay bishops and the blessing of same-sex unions in the 77-million strong Anglican Communion. He declined to give figures on the number of requests that have come to the Vatican, or on the anticipated number of Anglicans who might take advantage of the new structure.
Update: Here is a response by Ab. Bob Duncan.
We rejoice that the Holy See has opened this doorway, which represents another step in the growing cooperation and relationship between our Churches. This significant decision represents a recognition of the integrity of the Anglican tradition within the broader Christian church. While we believe that this provision will not be utilized by the great majority of the Anglican Church in North America’s bishops, priests, dioceses and congregations, we will surely bless those who are drawn to participate in this momentous offer.
We concurrently thank God for the partnership that orthodox Anglicans have long enjoyed with the Roman Catholic Church, and are profoundly grateful for the many acts of kindness shown on local, diocesan and national levels, as they have stood with us in our time of trial.
While our historic differences over church governance, dogmas regarding the Blessed Virgin Mary and the nature of Holy Orders continue to be points of prayerful dialogue, we look forward to an ever deepening partnership with the Catholic Church throughout the world. We pledge our earnest prayers for all those touched by this initiative, as we look forward to the publication of the Apostolic Constitution detailing today’s announcement.
The Most Rev. Robert Wm. Duncan
Archbishop and Primate
Anglican Church in North America Bishop
Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh (Anglican)
That’s odd – I thought Anglican Rite RC churches had been around for years in North America. How is this new structure different, I wonder?
I’m waiting, but not too breathlessly, for Fred to respond.
Having read what is reported over at Stand Firm here and here and in light of the former Cardinal Ratzinger’s previous announcements on Anglican Orders this seems well timed to let the wolf into the sheep’s pen. Appealing to ACNA’s Anglo-Catholic contingent to come to greener pastures and at the same time block the admission of those pesky Bishops who can’t or won’t accept Papal authority seems to be well timed. They even conned ++Rowan into opening the Communion doors. The target audience in this exercise is probably the Americas and the CofE, I can’t see any appeal in Africa or elsewhere.
If KJS and Fred are touchy about the cross border issue this must come as a bombshell. They have no one to complain to and they are not welcome unless thay come as simple priests.
This was posted earlier today on another blog (not related to Anglicanism):
Thoughts?
Warren,
Here is one thought:
On the contrary the Oxford Movement attempted to show that Anglicanism had a very specific, detailed and comprehensive doctrinal identity — it just happened to be the same as Rome’s. The Oxford Movement was an implacable enemy of the theological liberalism of its day, and John Henry Newman’s prophesy that a purely Protestant Anflican church woild prove insuffiently rooted to avoid being consumed by liberalism now look to be, well, prophetic.
Whether they are technically conservative Amglicans or not is a matter of opinion.
To sum it up — the blog post is extremely confused.
Toral (#6) although I tend to agree with your “confused” assessment, the essay linked below, which is written from the “inside” and is rather academic in tone, suggests that liberalism has not been completely unknown within Anglo-Catholicism:
http://anglicanhistory.org/usa/fgavin/chicago1933.html
Do you think Newman’s words are prophetic when applied to the African church?
I thought Anglican Rite RC churches had been around for years in North America. How is this new structure different, I wonder?
The “Anglican Use” parishes in North America are only established through the permission of the local Catholic bishop, and there has been a lack of uniformity in the approach & implementation.
The new Personal Ordinariate structure is like a non-territorial diocese whose Ordinary will usually be appointed from among former Anglican clergy (a Bishop or priest). Therefore there is more hierarchical structure and opportunity for adaptation in this new approach than before.
Cardinal William Levada, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith which has prepared this provision, said: “We have been trying to meet the requests for full communion that have come to us from Anglicans in different parts of the world in recent years in a uniform and equitable way. With this proposal the Church wants to respond to the legitimate aspirations of these Anglican groups for full and visible unity with the Bishop of Rome, successor of St. Peter.”
For the full details one has to wait for the publication of the Apostolic Constitution which will spell everything out. But here is a link to the initial details from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith: http://212.77.1.245/news_services/bulletin/news/24513.php?index=24513&lang=it
The target audience in this exercise is probably the Americas and the CofE
A primary “target audience” for this is the Traditional Anglican Communion (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_Anglican_Communion) with 16 member churches from all major continents, that is pursuing union with the Catholic Church:
“The College of Bishops of the Traditional Anglican Communion (TAC) met in Plenary Session in Portsmouth, England, in the first week of October 2007. The Bishops and Vicars-General unanimously agreed to the text of a letter to the See of Rome seeking full, corporate, sacramental union. The letter was signed solemnly by all the College and entrusted to the Primate and two bishops chosen by the College to be presented to the Holy See.” (Statement authorised by Archbishop Hepworth, Oct 16 2007)
For Archbishop Hepworth’s response to today’s news, see here: http://www.themessenger.com.au/Annoucements/20091020.html
#3 – Fred might be welcome as a priest, but KJS would not.
Warren 7: Sure, liberal tendencies developed within Anglo-Catholicism. The passage you quoted stated simething very different — that liberal Anglicanism had its origins in the Oxford Movement — an absurd statement. Anglo-Catholics would claim that they have been more successful at resisring liberal corruption that Protestants.
I pray that Newman will not be prophetic re Africa. I suspect that those who agree with him might say that African Anglicans are still a young body, with a robust and healthy orthodoxy because of its relatively recent evangelization, and that a decline into liberalism is inevitable there as well. As Liberal Anglicans believe as well.
With Respect to Padre Terry #9 I am pleased to see he uses the word (a) as opposed to (the), when refering to “target audience”.
As for Archbishop Hepworth’s response several glaring points need to be addressed.
“We are profoundly moved by the generosity of the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI. He offers in this Apostolic Constitution the means for “former Anglicans to enter into the fullness of communion with the Catholic Church”. OK so TAC is not “Anglican” –
“The See of Augustine remains a focus of our pilgrim way, as it was in ages of faith in the past”. I wonder what the percentage of that focus is? I once took it upon myself to ask many of my RC brethren who was the leader of their church? all save one said the Pope. The point being that the RC church has so weakened the personal relationship with Jesus, that it is hard to find “in the midst thereof”.
Never mind cross-border intervention this is cross border shopping plain and simple. (its a good thing I’m not ACNA Archbishop) I thank God for the Man who is!!!!!
Back to ++Hepworth- “Both his reaction and our petition are fruits of a century of prayer for Christian unity,” – Christian unity is NOT church unity, Church unity was broken (“as it was in ages of faith in the past”. ) When Rome ceased to place Jesus FIRST and remain equal with the other Archbishops in Christendom. Herein is what MUST be corrected for true church unity. Than Spiritual Unity that our Lord prayed for “2B1″ can be visioned. It ain’t gonna happen folks – to much EGO and not enough Jesus!