WELCOME to our Anglican friends...

[helenofbritain]

...who may be considering becoming our Catholic friends!

(This is not to take away from Michie's thread, which is also cool)

As a result of an Apostolic Constitution from Pope Benedict XVI, which you can read about here, and agreement from Archbishop John Hepworth, swimming the Tiber has never felt more like swimming English Channel!

Come on in and introduce yourselves!

 

[helenofbritain]

I'm HofB, cradle Catholic, Aussie, and married to an Anglican, who, just last night was saying that Benedict should get his act together and work on reunification.

Love it!

 

[Davidnic]

This is something of a special thing for me. My father's family was always Catholic, but my mother's side was Anglican before they converted. My gram on that side holds the most special place in my heart. She converted in her 70's so she had such a long history in the Anglican Church that helped shape the very amazing woman she was. That there will be a means where they can maintain the liturgical and spiritual unique distinctives of their tradition is wonderful.

I am a product of the love of a woman formed by those distinctives.

 

[Lokke]

after the Pope h e get the Anglican then h e come for Lutherans.

 

[Michie]

Welcome!

 

[IgnatiusOfAntioch]

after the Pope h e get the Anglican then h e come for Lutherans.

Ya, you betcha!

 

[Rahm]

There has been a lot of dialogue between the Orthodox and Anglican church in the past years, but in recent years this has broken down for apparent resons. I'm wondering (hoping really) that we'll see the Orthodox churches come home as well.

 

[Rhamiel]

yayso glad that this happened

 

[Anhelyna]

. I'm wondering (hoping really) that we'll see the Orthodox churches come home as well.

I think you are being very optimistic about this

Reunion may but whether it will be as you indicate there - I'm very doubtful


Let's just get some dialogue between the 2 Groups so they get to know each other better .

This will take a long time - but it will happen .

Once they are really talking then reunion may come about.

 

[ebia]

Before anyone gets carried away, it needs to be said that the offer on the table is only going to appeal to a very small number of Anglicans. It does not deal with any of the reasons why most Anglicans have a problem with Vatican Catholism. If Rome wants reunification with Canterbury it will need to be just that - the meeting of equals, not Canterbury capitulating to Rome.

 

[Blackknight]

There has been a lot of dialogue between the Orthodox and Anglican church in the past years, but in recent years this has broken down for apparent resons. I'm wondering (hoping really) that we'll see the Orthodox churches come home as well.

We never left.

 

[TheOtherHockeyMom]

I'm not sure how I think about this. I'm a cradle Catholic who left the Church a few years ago and joined the Episcopal Church in the US. I have just returned to the Catholic Church, but I'm not in full communion yet as my husband and I were married in the Episcopal Church, and I'm in the process of getting my previous marriage annulled so that we can have our marriage blessed.
I'm returning to the Catholic faith for a variety of reasons, but not likely the same reasons given by conservative Anglicans for moving away from the Anglican Communion. One thing that pains me about all this is that I'm leaving a struggling church led by a priest who I think is a good man. However, I think I'm making the right choice.

 

[Davidnic]

Before anyone gets carried away, it needs to be said that the offer on the table is only going to appeal to a very small number of Anglicans.

Indeed. I rejoice for those who want to take advantage of the offer. And for those who do not, I wish them well and pray for continued dialog like we have for 40 years.

I see estimates on the number of people who will convert...but really anyone can argue that with different factors. No one will know until the Apostolic Constitution is made available. The date some, The bishop of Ebbsfleet and the bishop of Richborough, seem to be setting for a decision is February. That could mean the document will be widely available by then. The potential canonization of Cardinal Newman next year is also seen as a time when we could get an idea of just how many will take advantage of the offer.

At the same time Archbishop Eliud Wabukala of Kenya has said that he is not for this because of the differences he sees theologically that need to be harmonized.

 

[ebia]

I dare say +Andrew Ebbsfleet may go, and a few with him. And I do have a good deal of respect for him (he was my bishop for a while). For some, I can't see what attraction there would be though. Of the Forward in Faith parishes I know, one uses virtually the Roman Missal anyway, so this offer adds little that wasn't already on the table. Another uses the Roman Missal and wouldn't cope with the stricter authority that comes from Rome. And Heavitree is a mix of those who might appreciate the offer, those who are loyal to the Anglican tradition even if they struggle with the idea of ordained women, and those who have no problem with ordained women and are only a part of an FiF parish because they are loyal to their local Anglican parish. I fear such parishes may be torn apart by this.

Having said that, I do pray that if any whole parishes do decide to change ways can be found to come to mutually acceptable agreement over property without the kind of law suits going on in America.

It's one thing for people and parishes to have a problem with female ordination, it's quite another to agree to therefore change to a church one has always maintained was wrong over other issues without any movement on those issues.

 

[Davidnic]

It's one thing for people and parishes to have a problem with female ordination, it's quite another to agree to therefore change to a church one has always maintained was wrong over other issues without any movement on those issues.

God works in ways we rarely see for what they are...and in time frames beyond us. Maybe those who accept the offer can bring greater understanding of those issues as part of the Catholic Church. Maybe this, although it seems to further divide some, is a seed of greater unity in 50 or 100 years.

 

[Secundulus]

Thanks for the welcome.

Many of the Anglican blogs are today are saying:
Good riddance to the woman haters and gay bashers &
Good riddance to the traitors of the Reformation.

One Anglican Priest just keeps it simple and calls us stupid.

Fortunately, all that will soon be in the past.

 

[ContraMundum]

Thanks for the welcome. We can now let the Canterbury Anglicans continue in the very bruising fight between the liberals and the evangelicals without our interference. It will be interesting to see who wins..and as usual...we will pick up the pieces. Can't beat the Catholic Faith, can you?

 

[ebia]

God works in ways we rarely see for what they are...and in time frames beyond us. Maybe those who accept the offer can bring greater understanding of those issues as part of the Catholic Church. Maybe this, although it seems to further divide some, is a seed of greater unity in 50 or 100 years.

Perhaps, and (in case I haven't made it clear) I have a good deal of respect for +Ebbsfleet and I bear no ill will to any who decide to go. Neither do I bear any ill will towards +Benedict for inviting them, though he perhaps could have made the announcement in a more sensitive way.

I hope and pray that any issues arising from such moves can be resolved as painlessly and amicably as possible with the maximum of respect for those making other choices - I would hate to see the kind of situations that have arisen in the US over parishes and diocese leaving TEC happen elsewhere.

 

[Ave Maria]

Praise God! May the Catholic Church continue to grow and grow!

 

[Rahm]

I think you are being very optimistic about this

Reunion may but whether it will be as you indicate there - I'm very doubtful


Let's just get some dialogue between the 2 Groups so they get to know each other better .

This will take a long time - but it will happen .

Once they are really talking then reunion may come about.

Precisely why I pray for it to happen everyday.