George Conger+ surveys the Communion and finds only individuals likely to take up Vatican's offer
From the Rev. George Conger, quoting in part Bishop Iker's letter of October 20th, on the website Religious Intelligence:
US Anglo-Catholic leader Bishop Jack Iker of Fort Worth said the proposal was a “very generous and welcoming offer” for those seeking to maintain “certain aspects of the Anglican way of worship, spirituality, and ethos while entering into full communion with the Pope.”
However, “not all Anglo-Catholics can accept certain teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, nor do they believe that they must first convert to Rome in order to be truly catholic Christians,” Bishop Iker said on Oct 20 noting that “other Anglicans who desire full communion with the See of Peter would prefer some sort of recognition of the validity of Anglican orders and the provision for inter-communion between Roman Catholics and Anglicans.”
However, “not all Anglo-Catholics can accept certain teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, nor do they believe that they must first convert to Rome in order to be truly catholic Christians,” Bishop Iker said on Oct 20 noting that “other Anglicans who desire full communion with the See of Peter would prefer some sort of recognition of the validity of Anglican orders and the provision for inter-communion between Roman Catholics and Anglicans.”
The rest of the article is well worth reading. The C of E Newspaper's survey reveals no jurisdictions are likely to take up the Vatican's offer. Conversions will apparently be solely on an individual basis.
Conger's conclusion: In jurisdictions where traditional Anglo-Catholics predominate: the Provinces of Central Africa, Tanzania, West Africa, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, the West Indies; the Australian dioceses of The Murray and Ballarat and the US dioceses of Fort Worth, Quincy and San Joaquin---individuals may take up the Vatican’s offer, but no institution is likely to follow. Nor is the offer likely to divide North American conservatives into rival Anglo-Catholic and Evangelical camps, its leaders tell CEN.
posted by Texanglican (R.W. Foster+) | 3:16 PM
5 Comments:
I hope that is so.
And I very much agree with Bishop Iker that intercommunion between Anglicans and RCs is a big issue. I don't begrudge RCs seeing some things, such as Marian doctrines and Papal authority, differently than me. What does greatly offend me is that believing what the church believed until the 19th century isn't good enough for communion with Rome.
I better stop there. It gets me angry thinking about it.
Depends on how you define "institution", I think. Parishes are institutional units as well as dioceses.
Indeed. But if those parishes can't leave with their property, it might seriously reduce their likelihood of departure intact. None of the property matters has even been broached on either side of the Atlantic yet, but my guess is that they would have to leave their buildings behind to take up Rome's offer. And that would greatly reduce the enthusiasm of many for this RCC option, I would imagine, based upon the experience of orthodox parishes in heterodox dioceses inside TEC here in the US. It certainly has kept many faithful parishes trapped inside TEC that would almost certainly have long ago departed had the option of departure with property been offered.
My own suspicion is that a sizable number of Anglo-Papalist priests will go to Rome, but not a great many lay people will follow them (outside of those parishes where priests have been laying the groundwork for this for years).
I certainly hope that is the case Texanglican!
Randall,
More and more this whole Melodrama is reminding me of the story about the man who drowned even though God had sent him multiple opportunities to be saved. It quite simply confirms what Bp Ryle and members of the Church Association had said, that Ritualists and Anglo-Catholics did not want to go to Rome at all, they really want to be their own Popes.
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