In a surprising move, the Vatican has announced a new provision designed to allow traditional Anglican groups to come into full communion with the Catholic church while retaining much of their Anglican identity and liturgy - where it is compatible with Catholic teaching.
As someone who made the journey from Anglicanism to Catholicism some years ago, because the Anglican Church of Canada offers no provision for those with conscientious difficulties around women's ordination, I am thrilled by this move. All of my English friends stuck in the beleagured traditional wing of the Church of England will now have a safe harbour and an easier path to church unity. Traditional groups who left the Anglican church in other parts of the world will now be able to join me on the right side of the Tiber.
The move is a generous response to pleading from both the Traditional Anglican Communion, the largest 'breakaway' group and the special 'flying bishops' appointed in the Church of England to minister to those opposed to women's ordination. When women are consecrated as bishops in the Church of England, such special arrangements are likely to be removed, forcing traditionalists to either fully accept women's ordination or leave the church - and now they have somewhere to go.
For the Catholic church, the addition of the heritage of Anglican liturgy and music can only enrich us all. At its best, Anglo-Catholic worship offers the best of pre-Vatican II style 'bells and smells' combined with the welcome and warmth of today's church.
5 comments:
I am curious about how much a conservative Anglican would have to give up.
It seems to me that Anglican liturgy would be easy to retain, since it is mostly scripture, and even retains the Apocryphal readings in the lessons.
However, how many of the 39 Articles would one be forced to abandon? The Articles are decidedly Reform, and have given the Anglican church a Protestant identity for at least 350 years, with the current BCP of 1662.
There are conservative Anglicans and conservative Anglicans. Evangelicals will hve no interest in this arrangement. But Anglo-Catholics are part of a 150 year old movement toward unity with Rome.
In England this group really sees the 39 articles as politically motivated and of their time and they have long since abandoned much of them. Most such parishes in England already illegally use the Novus Ordo and Roman Divine Office, along with Marian devotion, invocation of the Saints, Benediction and other things that would have the authors of the Articles turning in their graves.
In North America the Traditional Anglican Communion which has severed ties with Canterbury is much more Prayer Book conservative but they petitioned Rome for this and their leaders have all signed the Catechism as part of that petition. For them this is good news but the earth shaking consequence is in England as this comes right in the middle of the women bishops debate in the Church of England.
It's a fascinating story. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on how this may or may not impact Catholicism, whether broadly or in a detail or two. This is framed in many articles and reports as a story about Anglicanism (it's got that sexy doom & gloom aspect to it that appeals to hacks), but it seems to me to be about Catholicism. What's happening? What might be happening? What does it change? Will you be taking your BCP to mass anytime soon? :)
I think it says that Rome will not be ordaining women for generations to come. Ecumenically it signals a shift fro
wooly dialogue to practical steps toward unity. I suspect this model will be used to bring SSPX back into the fold if it works well for former Anglicans.
On the ground in England you might well see cradle Catholics taking advantage of the newcomers more traditional worship - incense every Sunday, etc.
Here in Canada I don't see it making much of a difference. In Ottawa conservatives already have access to a Latin Mass parish so I doubt they'll beat a path to the Anglican Catholic parish.
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