Considering a post-Ordinariate future
Over at The English Catholic, where I blog occasionally with Fr. Anthony Chadwick, I have lengthy post on the effect the process of Ordinariate formation has had on us as members of the Traditional Anglican Communion and thoughts on the way forward. Here are some excerpts:
I intend to stay with my Anglican Catholic Church of Canada parish as long as it is preparing to enter the Catholic Church. If down the road, our parish decides for whatever reason—no clergy accepted as Catholic priests could be one—to opt out, then I may see about making arrangements to become Catholic on my own. I trust that God will guide me at the time and I ask that people refrain from pressuring me or anyone else to join the One True Church right now on threat of hell or of having questionable faith. It is as annoying and off-putting to me for that to happen as it is for most Catholics to find some zealous evangelical asking them “Are you saved?” and insisting they are not unless they have said the Sinner’s Prayer and asked Jesus into their hearts as their Personal Savior. I love the Sinner’s Prayer, mind you, and I think it is wonderful when someone can genuinely feel repentance and sincerely make the plea. But there is a big difference between a God-given repentance and “repeatance” when one is browbeaten or pressured to say a formula.
-snip-
There are some who might argue that well, if there is no Ordinariate for you, then if you really hold the Catholic faith you must abandon everything and become a Roman Catholic. Right now. Do not pass go, do not collect $200. Interestingly, the ones most likely to say this are usually those Continuing Anglicans who have no intention of going to what they perceive as “jail” themselves.
For the sincere Catholics who read this blog, I would ask that you prayerfully consider how you might put forward a vision of the Catholic Church in a way that encourages someone to take that step rather than browbeating with a set of propositions that make the prospect nauseatingly grim. And think also of the responsibilities a priest might have to people in his charge who are not ready to take this step, the shut-ins who will no longer receive ministry of any kind if he walks away, and so on.
I am blessed here in Canada that I live in a diocese where the Roman Catholic Church is alive, where the archbishop is a true shepherd who draws me and attracts me to the Church. While I have been crushed by what has happened to us over the past two years, and have already been grieving over the loss of our hopes and dreams to come in corporately, I can see a joyful future for myself as a Roman Catholic if this whole Ordinariate dream crashes around me and I find I must move on. I also have an option of Ukrainian Catholicism because of my Russian Orthodox christening.
But others may not see that joyful future for themselves.
- snip-
I believe the Church Christ instituted subsists most fully in the Roman Catholic Church. But that does not mean there is no grace outside her institutional confines. The One True Church apologists might have been unable to experience the joy of spiritual communion I felt recently with a group of evangelicals who are involved in the Alpha program. I loved being with them. They are my brothers and sisters in Christ because of their love for Him and the love they express that can only come from Him. The Catholics who make me want to be in communion with them and who, by their love, testify to me that the claims the Roman Catholic Church makes about herself are true, would have experienced the same joy as I did. They are not legalists or modern-day Pharisees.
Above all, let’s focus on the true unity that can only be effected by the Holy Spirit. Let’s keep our eyes on Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith and make sure that we ourselves are not an impediment to unity because of our own sinfulness and pride.
3 Comments:
"For the sincere Catholics who read this blog, I would ask that you prayerfully consider how you might put forward a vision of the Catholic Church in a way that encourages someone to take that step rather than browbeating with a set of propositions that make the prospect nauseatingly grim."
I regularly follow your blogging. You appear to have your eyes and ears wide open. Clearly, you are well aware of the reasons for becoming Catholic.
Here's my story.
As a convert to Catholicism, received into the Church some 26 years ago during my college years, I can say it has been the best decision of my life. I can scarcely believe I am where I am today, having never even imagined becoming Catholic prior to my conversion. Though, in retrospect, the signs pointing me to God and His Church were certainly there all along. After confronting the theological obstacles, and having caused my sponsor considerable stress, I took the leap. I must interject at this point a brief but important note: it was my sponsor's faith which attracted me at first, that certain something she possessed which I found lacking in myself.
After being received in the Church, the going was rough at first, and in many ways the going has continued to be rough - such is the path, as you well know, of Christ's own in this world. That's one way I know the Catholic Church is the true Church. She's the one leading the charge and promoting the mission of Christ and the one body that even non-Catholics attack because of Her obedience to Christ. Her wounds are the wounds of Christ. (Sorry if that sounds nauseatingly grim.)
I hardly deserve the joy and peace I have found by responding in obedience to God's call to come home. Therein, for me, is the key to the whole issue of conversion: obedience. Not a flashy word, nor even a well liked word, but a word which disposes me to His grace, to ongoing conversion. After all the arguments, after all the reasons to avoid the obvious, the grace of obedience is the one I prayed for and received. Having received that grace, I was received into the Church. I had arrived home.
I'm thankful that God has drawn me home to His Church where I can trust His teaching and find Him truly Present on the altar, eagerly waiting to share with me His very life, His Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity. Where other communions have strayed from Apostolic teaching, the Catholic Church has remained faithful, confirming His promise to Saint Peter to protect His Church.
You see, I had to obey. It was the right thing to do. I was seized by capital "T" Truth; I found the Lord and His Church. I found the living history of salvation embodied by and in the Catholic Church. The Church is real. There was no escaping Jesus' invitation, an invitation given to me, a miserable sinner. I wanted and continue to want to be among those He calls His Bride, for among His company I found others like me - broken, searching, in need of love and mercy, and wanting to love as Christ loves. I'm thankful that God loves me unconditionally, and I'm even more thankful that He loves me too much to have left me as I was. I'm thankful, too, that I am able to use the gifts God has given me in service to others.
So, then, if you'll pardon the old adage, I would say that, if someone sounds like a duck, walks like a duck, writes like a duck,... then she's probably a duck. If you are a duck, and you sure seem like one from the way you express yourself, why not jump into the pond and swim with the rest of us quackers?
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Although I won't argue any particular point with you I do question your, what appears to be constant, roller coaster between eagerly entering the Ordinariate and then being disappointed it isn't going to happen.
A few thoughts:
St. John the Evangelist Calgary is ready and will enter when it can whether it is a Canadian Ordinariate or like Scotland to the OLW Ordinariate, the U.S. Ordinariate.
I find it hard to believe no TAC/ACCC clergy have been approved for the initial step toward ordination. Many TAC/DHF have been given the the first step approval.
If by Corporate Union you mean the whole of TAC or the whole of ACCC would be carte blanche accepted into unity with the Bishop of Rome, that was never a real option. Pie in the Sky as it were.
You could enter into the Catholic Church on your own (do you have family coming with you?) but even with the improved Novus Ordo Liturgy, it would be a long way to go before any Anglican could feel honestly comfortable IMO.
The Orthodox Option. If you were already Baptized/Chrismated in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (they don't 'christen') you would probably only need a short period of instruction since you are Anglo-Catholic and are already prepared, you would then only need to make Confession to the Priest. Then you could go to any Orthodox Church, Russian, Greek, Romanian etc.
Western Rite Orthodox. Only 1 small parish and a monastery in Canada. But if the ACCC congregations wanted to come in I'm sure they would be welcome. Some minor adjustments would need to be made but less than entering the Ordinariate.
Final option: Leave the Commonwealth of Canada and move to the Republic of Texas. Texas has multiple Anglican Use Parishes and Western Rite Orthodox Parishes. Seriously considering moving there from the 'left coast' myself in 3 or 4 years!
And so it goes.......
lots to think about.
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"how you might put forward a vision of the Catholic Church in a way that encourages someone to take that step rather than browbeating with a set of propositions that make the prospect nauseatingly grim?"
I sympathize. We Roman Catholics have a tendency to pass quickly over and neglect the subjective element in such situations as the ACCC faithful face here in Canada. We can be too rationalistic- hopefully the Anglican patrimony can help balance that out a little (as well as a growing interaction with the Eastern Catholic Churches).
My own attitude is that I'm happy the gates have been opened- perhaps they could be opened still wider; but this is an invitation not an ultimatem nor a "last chance". And while you might feel small and in imminent danger of being swamped by the hordes already in, I think it is not only an invitation to unity, but also an invitation to build up the Church, to strengthen our Christian witness to a world that is in sore need of the gospel. And if you can influence the way the Latin rite is celebrated, I imagine that would be for the best.
One other thing to mention is that while it is difficult for your little platoon, it is always difficult for those breaking ground, and I'm sure those who follow will be grateful for your endurance through the tribulations that now beset you.
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