Disaffected Anglican Dioceses in Papua New Guinea, the United States and Australia might consider switching to Roman Catholicism under a new constitution offered by Pope Benedict, according to Forward in Faith (FiF), a worldwide association of Anglicans opposed to the ordination of women priests or bishops. About a dozen bishops from the Church of England, the Anglican mother church, are also likely to convert, it says.
(Photo: Vatican Cardinal William Levada announces offer to Anglicans, 20 Oct 2009/Tony Gentile)
The Church of England could not comment on numbers likely to convert, with one source adding: “It’s all guesswork.” But Stephen Parkinson, director of FiF, said a figure of 1,000 Church of England priests, reported in the media, was “credible.” Read our news story on this here.
Estimates of laity are “much harder,” Parkinson said. “Inevitably if you say 1,000 priests you are then talking about several thousand laity.”
But he said he “would not be at all surprised at a dozen” bishops in England switching. However, in England, bishops were likely to move individually rather than take their entire dioceses, which tend to have diverse views, with them. Some Anglican clergy anticipated numbers would not be great, pointing to the early 1990s when about 500 switched over the ordination of women priests. Some later returned to Anglicanism.
Outside the Anglican Communion, a breakaway group called the Traditional Anglican Communion (TAC) looks keen to join the Catholic Church along with its 400,000 followers. Archbishop John Hepworth, the Australia-based head of the TAC, posted a delighted reply to Pope Benedict’s offer on his website. The TAC petitioned the Vatican to be received into the Church two years ago. Archbishop Hepworth wrote:
“We are profoundly moved by the generosity of the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI… May I firstly state that this is an act of great goodness on the part of the Holy Father. He has dedicated his pontificate to the cause of unity. It more than matches the dreams we dared to include in our petition of two years ago. It more than matches our prayers… I have made a commitment to the Traditional Anglican Communion that the response of the Holy See will be taken to each of our National Synods. They have already endorsed our pathway. Now the Holy See challenges us to seek in the specific structures that are now available the “full, visible unity, especially Eucharistic communion”, for which we have long prayed and about which we have long dreamed. That process will begin at once.”
What do you think? Will large numbers of Anglicans switch to Rome?
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[...] Catholics Those disaffected Anglicans in England and Wales who think they can take up Pope Benedict?s offer and switch to Rome with a ?pick and choose? attitude should think again, the Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, [...]
- Posted by RC archbishop to Anglicans: we don?t want cafeteria Catholics - Christian Forumsremember the parables: 1) the progigal son: who has spent all his resources and decided to go home to his father who threw a big party to welcome him.
- Posted by nam nguyen2) the lost lamb: the sheperd left 99 lamb behind and set out to look for the lost lamb. when found, he put the lamb on his shoulder and join the other 99 waited lambs.
3) after almost 500 years: the Church, as ‘mater et magister’ (mother and teacher) welcome back the Anglican brothers and sisters as Christ has prayed: ‘Ut sint unum!’ (let them be united) and all of the above 3 items are being fulfilled.
Congratulations for Anglican brothers and sisters. RCC teaching: love God and your Brothers and Sisters; Caritas! Yes, since there are so many seats/positions in the House of Our Lord. Please forgive my writing style!
Almost none will switch over women bishops. How many people are there that tolerate women priests (when a sizeable number of clergy do move over to Rome), but will abandon ship at the thought of women bishops?
There is much more likely to be a problem over the ordination of gay priests. I expect the C of E to adopt this at some point in the next few years. At that moment many Anglicans will make the jump.
But church of England? Almost none. I go to church almost every week. This is not a matter that excercises anyone but a few mad evangelicals. They are all ex baptists that will NEVER join up with Rome.
- Posted by Dafydd TaylorTo Mark Erickson, may I refer you to Stanley Jaki’s book, “And On This Rock”, available at Barnes and Nobles. It treats on the discussion between Jesus and Peter at Caesarea Phillipi.
- Posted by StellaWas Anglican. Now Catholic. Been there, done that. Would not have minded coming along with a larger group of Anglicans, but as it was, I came alone (even to the point of stomaching RCIA even though technically I didn’t need to go through RCIA).
More interesting to me is that there will be potentially two types of Anglican converts: (1) those Anglicans that were received into the Church individually, in an manner no different than any other convert from any other Protestant group (including through the RCIA); and (2) the Anglicans who might come in as this big lump group. Not complaining about it, mind you, just think that the two groups might feel just a bit out of sorts with the other. The first group will probably be less likely to insist on having an Anglican-style liturgy than the second group, while the second group will see their heritage and identity as Anglicans more important than being in the Catholic Church. Sort of like brothers who grew up together but went to college, married, and began a career in different parts of the country.
- Posted by D B SunbeckThe office of the pope was prefigured in Isaiah 22:15-24 in the office of the steward over the royal household of King Hezekiah. To him was entrusted the key of the royal household to open and shut and upon him, as a peg in a sure spot, would hang the whole household.
Jesus promised to make Peter the pope in Matthew 16:18-19 in promising Peter the keys of the kingdom to bind and loosen and promising to make him the rock upon which He would build His Church.
Jesus instructs Peter on how he should exercise the office of the pope in Luke 12:41-46, saying that as steward set over His household he should give His household their food at the proper time until His return and not abuse his fellow servants or face His wrath.
Jesus prays for Peter in Luke 22:32 that he receive the grace necessary to exercise the office of the pope, a faith that may not fail, so that he might strengthen his brothers.
The risen Jesus installs Peter as pope in John 21:15-17 telling him to feed and tend his lambs and sheep.
Peter exercises the office of the pope in the first 12 chapters of Acts (especially Acts 1:15, 2:14, 2:37-38, 5:29) as the leader and principal spokesman for the Apostles. Also notice Peter’s decisive role at the First Council of Jerusalem concerning the issue of circumcising Gentile converts as described in Acts 15.
Peter’s leadership role among the Apostles is also indicated by the fact that his name appears first on the list when the twelve Apostles are named in the Gospels and Acts (Matthew 10:2, Mark 3:17, Luke 6:14, Acts 1: 13)
- Posted by josephAre you sure Peter was the first pope? Read On This Rock by Dave Leonard.
- Posted by Mark EricksonHow many will “switch” will depend on the mode or method of switching. I am reasonably certain that no one will be re-baptized. I am also reasonably certain that clergy will be required to be re-ordained. That will be the sticking point for me. While I welcome the Holy Father’s offer, I cannot see myself denying that I have been a catholic priest for all these past years. And that is what any conditional ordination would profess. I could take a vow of obedience to the chair of Peter and an oath of conformity concerning doctrine, but I am not sure I can deny my ordination. When I was ordained I fully believed I was being made a priest of the catholic church to minister in this particular branch of Christ’s Church. Can I choose to minister in some other branch? I think so. Can I choose to become some other kind of priest? I think not. I feel so betrayed by the episcopal church today. However, it would not make me feel better to betray what I hold so dear, the sacred priesthood. Can I accept the Holy Father’s offer? Yes I can. And I would love to be able to do it. Will I? I don’t know. To me re-ordained would bring deposition upon me and I could not handle that spiritually. I would wish that Peter could take me by the hand but not lay hands again upon me.
- Posted by Fr ChasWho is the vicar of Jesus Christ? From the first pope, Peter, there is only one strait line, so the successors follow right up to Benedict XV!, our present pope. Those that seperated, man-made,are the ones that PROTESTED thus becoming PROTESTANTS, and even then continued to divide. Blessed are those that are coming back to the flock, the real and only church founded by Jesus Christ!
- Posted by RomeoRomeo
Actually, the inclusion of an Anglican Rite seems to be making the RC Church more like the Anglican Community. It has added a Traditionalist type “rite” and already has Eastern Rites and a few like the Ambrosian. Good move!
- Posted by Terik Ororke