Recently a person asked me “What is the Orthodox faith.” To many it is a faith completely foreign to many and apart from their own faith basis yet unknown to them it is at the very heart and  foundation of the Christian belief. From the creation of the Church in 33 AD at Jerusalem it has continued with a faithful apostolic succession of priest and laity.

 So with out further ado allow me to introduce you to the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Orthodox Church.

What is the Orthodox Church?

The Orthodox Church as we see it today is a federation of fifteen self-governing churches which share a common faith, a common liturgical and sacramental tradition, and a common history beginning at Jerusalem in approximately 33 A.D. In the Old Testament we find the Prophets who foretold the coming of Christ. From the Gospels, and the New Testament in general, we learn about our Lord, God, and Savior, Jesus Christ. We also find the establishment of Sacraments, liturgical worship, and patterns of administrative authority (bishops, priests, deacons) taking shape in the early Church. The Apostles, the twelve original disciples of Christ, undertook numerous missionary journeys traveling from city to city in the ancient Greco-Roman empire and established Christian communities—many of which survive to this day. Despite persecution, Christianity spread quickly throughout the Middle East, Asia Minor, North Africa, Europe, and India. The spreading of the Church led to the establishment of administrative centers around the five major metropolitan cities of Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria, Rome, and Constantinople.

 The First Thousand Years...

The first thousand years of Christianity witnessed to a common faith throughout the Christian world both East and West. There were doctrinal disputes: Arians, Nestorians, Monophysites and others introduced erroneous theologies during the fourth and fifth centuries; the “Iconoclasts” movement attacked the use of icons during the eighth. Such disputes were settled as bishops and Christian representatives throughout the entire world gathered together in council. The decisions of seven of these councils were universally accepted by the faithful and became known distinctively as Ecumenical. Guided by the Holy Spirit, attested to by centuries of countless followers of Christ, the Ecumenical Councils articulate the faith of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church that continues unchanged in Orthodoxy worldwide to this day.

 The Great Schism

The break in communion between the East and West, known as the Great Schism, came in the year 1054. In the West, Rome, unilaterally began altering some of the ancient doctrines such as adding unauthorized changes to the Nicene Creed (“filioque”) as well as instituting new ones such as papal infallibility, immaculate conception, etc. In the 16th century following the lead of Martin Luther other Protestant Reformers made further changes and deletions. All the while, the remaining four ancient Patriarchates continued steadfast in the same fullness of faith handed down from Christ Himself through His Holy Apostles. Through extensive missionary efforts these four centers were later joined by the Russian and other Patriarchates—constituting the fifteen autocephalous churches today united as One Holy Catholic Apostolic Orthodox Church spread throughout the world.

The Fourth Sunday after Trinity

The Fourth Sunday after Trinity

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights,  that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." 

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"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights,  that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." 

These 35 words are the second statement of the Declaration of Independence and formed the cornerstone of an idea of a free and independent democracy, whose government would be comprised of the people instead of those born to title and privilege. 

 

Perhaps on this Sunday preceding the 4^th of July we as a people need to pause in prayerful reflection on the importance of our Declaration of Independence.

What prompted these men to risk their lives, property and reputations?  Any such action on their part smacked of treachery to the crown and was punishable by hanging with confiscation of their property and assets.

In his book Justifying America, author Stephen Lucas called these words "one of the best-known sentences in the English language," while history professor and author Joseph Ellis said they were some of the "most potent and consequential words in American history." 

 

Today in light of the rampant disregard of the Constitution of these United States by those now serving in the Executive branch of our government as a citizenry we need to stop and reflect on those precious liberties that are now in jeopardy. .

While the Declaration of Independence is woven into the fabric of America's story, some may be surprised to learn this historical document has a tale all its own. 

The History 

 
The First Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia's Carpenters Hall on September 5, 1774. The idea of such a meeting was advanced a year earlier by Benjamin Franklin, but failed to gain much support until after the Port of Boston was closed in response to the Boston Tea Party.

Twelve of the 13 colonies sent delegates. Georgia decided against roiling the waters; they were facing attacks from the restive Creek Indians on their borders and desperately needed the support of the regular British soldiers.

The Congress, which continued in session until late October, did not advocate independence; it sought rather to right the wrongs that had been inflicted on the colonies and hoped that perhaps  a unified voice would gain them a hearing in London.

Some of the most prominent figures of the era were among the 55 delegates in attendance, including George Washington, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Patrick Henry, Richard Henry Lee, John Jay and John Dickinson.

They were mostly people of social standing and made their livings from trade, farming and the law. Many were initially unknown to one another and vast differences existed on some of the issues facing them, but important friendships flourished. Frequent dinners and gatherings were held and were attended by all except the spartan Sam Adams.

Major actions taken by the Congress included the following:

Galloway Plan of Union.

 
The first order of business was consideration of Pennsylvania conservative Joseph Galloway's plan of union, which urged creation of an American parliament to act in concert with the existing British body.  On matters relating to America, each was to have veto power over the other's actions. Galloway was attempting to reconcile the simmering differences held by England and America. Opinion on this proposal was sharply divided.

Suffolk Resolves.

 Before the Galloway proposal could be decided, Paul Revere rode into town bearing the Suffolk Resolves, which were a series of political statements that had been forwarded to Philadelphia by a number of Boston-area communities.  

The Suffolk document denounced the Intolerable Acts, or Coercive Acts, that had recently been passed by the British Parliament, and specifically resolved to:

1.    boycott British imports, curtail exports, and refuse to use British products;

2.    pay "no obedience" to the Massachusetts Government Act or the Boston Port Bill;

3.    demand resignations from those appointed to positions under the Massachusetts Government Act;

4.    refuse payment of taxes until the Massachusetts Government Act was repealed;

5.    support a colonial government in Massachusetts free of royal authority until the Intolerable Acts were repealed;

6.    urge the colonies to raise militia of their own people.

The resulting discussion further polarized the Congress. The radical elements eventually gained the upper hand; a majority of the colonies voted to endorse the Resolves and against Galloway's plan.

Up to this point it had all started out as our forefathers had all of the taxation with out representation they could handle. Much like today’s political situation concerning the Health Care Act of today which in colonial times meant more unwanted taxes.  There had been some minor skirmishes back and forth but never a really organized stand against the British.

Fighting really began in the Revolutionary War in April 1775 at the battle of Lexington and Concord in what were then the British American colonies. Shortly after this engagement was the now famous Battle of Bunker Hill, which was a tactical victory for the British, but an extremely costly one due to the amount of casualties the untrained colonists using skills of cover and concealment which were learned from fighting the Indians consequently caused large numbers of causalities on Great Britain's professional army. 

After Bunker Hill, the colonial delegates met again at the Second Continental Congress in July 1775 and sent the Olive Branch Petition, a document attempting to seek peace with Britain, to the King of England. 

As you can easily guess it was summarily rejected and the fighting continued. 

Finally, on June 7, 1776, an aggressive colonial delegate from Virginia named Richard Henry Lee, who was great-uncle to the later famous Robert Everett Lee, made the resolution many were afraid to hear, and some had tried to avoid. 

"Resolved, that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved," Mr. Lee said, to the assembled congressional delegates. 

The assembled Continental Congress tabled the resolution for approximately three weeks until it could be debated again. Meanwhile, a committee was formed to draft a document explaining the colonists rationale behind their independence should Lee's resolution pass. 

The resolution was debated again until July 2. 

Finally, the assembled Congress voted for independence and John Adams, according to historical documents, predicted July 2 would be a day celebrated forever in America. 

July 2?  But isn't July 4 celebrated as Independence Day? 

Yes and here's why. 

The Congress voted for independence from Great Britain on July 2, 1776. But, the final version of Thomas Jefferson's draft of the Declaration of Independence wasn't approved until July 4. Therefore, July 4 is celebrated as Independence Day. 

Other Declaration of Independence facts: 

· According to Harvard history professor David Armitage, the final approved copy of the declaration was sent to a nearby printing press owned by John Dunlap. Two-hundred copies were made, distributed to colonial cities, newspapers and one was sent directly to George Washington. Twenty-five exist today. George Washington had it read to his assembled troops on July 9th in New York, while they awaited the combined British fleet and army. This historical copy now resides in the Libary of Congress. His personal copy of the constitution was recently purchased at auction by the Mt Vernon Ladies Association Library for a price in excess of 9 nine million dollars.

· After a public reading of the declaration, a statue of King George was torn down in New York City, melted, and manufactured into musket balls. 

· Historian Julian Boyd pointed out there isn't a single document that can technically be regarded as the original Declaration of Independence. Historians know of at least five legitimately signed "original" copies. 

· Copies of the declaration were not published in British newspapers until mid-August 1776. 

· The signers of the declaration were not listed for public view until January 18, 1777.

· John Hancock's famous signature in the center of the document measures approximately five-inches long.  When he signed the document Hancock stated he wanted his signature to be large enough that King George could read it without his spectacles.

· There is actually writing on the back of the declaration. It reads, "Original Declaration of Independence, dated 4th July, 1776," and is on the bottom of the parchment and upside down. 

· Some historians believe the original document was not officially signed by all of the Congressional delegates until at least August 2, 1776. This remains in dispute today. 

The Declaration of Independence remains one of the most important and iconic documents that served as a springboard for a novel idea: a free and independent nation governed by its own citizens. 

 

Today we assemble here together as a fulfillment of the dedication of our forefathers in defending our religious and civil liberty. Let us never forget from whence we came and the faith of our fathers. AMEN

 

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Feast of St Peter and St Paul

SAINTS PETER and PAUL
Apostles
(†67)

This feast day commemorates the martyrdom of the two great Apostles, assigned by tradition to the same day of June in the year 67. They had been imprisoned in the famous Mamertine Prison of Rome and both had foreseen their approaching death. Saint Peter was crucified; Saint Paul, a Roman citizen, was slain by the sword. Tomorrow the Church commemorates the Apostle of the Gentiles; today is dedicated primarily to Saint Peter.

The Chief of the Apostles was a native of Galilee like Our Lord. As he was fishing on its large lake he was called by Our Lord to be one of His apostles. Peter was poor and unlearned, but candid, eager, and loving. In his heart, first of all, his conviction grew, and then from his lips came the spontaneous confession: “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God!” Our Lord chose him and prepared him to be the Rock on which He would build His Church, His Vicar on earth, the Head and Prince of His Apostles, the center and indispensable bond of the Church’s unity, the unique channel of all spiritual powers, the guardian and unerring teacher of His truth.

All Scripture is alive with Saint Peter; his name appears no fewer than 160 times in the New Testament. But it is after Pentecost that he stands out in the full grandeur of his office. He sees to the replacement of the fallen disciple; he admits the Jews by thousands into the fold and in the person of Cornelius, opens it to the Gentiles; he founds and for a time rules the Church at Antioch.

Ten years after the Ascension Saint Peter transferred his apostolic capital to Rome, going in person to the center of the majestic Roman Empire, where were gathered the glories and riches of the earth, along with all the powers of evil. From there he sent Saint Mark, his valued secretary, to establish the Church of Alexandria in Egypt. In Rome Saint Peter’s Chair was placed; there for twenty-five years he labored at building up the great Roman Church. He was crucified by order of Nero and buried on the Vatican Hill, where now the Basilica stands which bears his name.

Saint Irenaeus, Bishop and Martyr

About St. Irenaeus

What’s in a Name? – About the saint with the strange name.

Irenaeus (pronounced ir-ruh-Nay-us) is a Greek name, meaning “man of peace.”

St. Irenaeus was one of the key figures of early Orthodox Church history.

 St. Irenaeus was born in Asia Minor around the year 140. It is not known when he came to Gaul. He was a priest of the Church of Lyons during the persecution of 177 when St. Pothinus, first bishop of the city and the first martyr of Lyons, was put to death. Irenaeus succeeded him as bishop and twenty-five years later was martyred in his turn during a fresh persecution.

At a time when Gnostic sects threatened to undermine Christianity by a perversion of Christian thought, St. Irenaeus vigorously denounced all heresies and safeguarded unity of belief by laying down the principles of the doctrinal tradition of the Church. Born and raised in the Greek East, in the Roman province of Asia, he came to the West, where he became the great second century missionary bishop. Standard bearer for orthodox faith and life and tireless defender against all heresies and divisions, he is called the “Father of Catholic Theology.”

A man of passionate pastoral concern, in his own life and ministry he was true to his name and a model of the Church's unbroken chain of Living Tradition. For St. Irenaeus faithfully testified to the truth which he had received from his mentor, St. Polycarp, who had been taught by the holy Apostle John, who had been taught by our Lord Jesus Christ, himself. What a chain of faith and life!

FULL TEXT of CARDINAL WUER'S REMARKS

Report on the Implementation of the
Apostolic Constitution

Anglicanorum coetibus

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

November 15, 2011

by

His Eminence Cardinal Donald Wuerl

Archbishop of Washington

Thank you Archbishop Dolan. With me for this presentation are Bishop Robert McManus and Bishop Kevin Vann, the other members of the Conference’s ad hoc Committee on the Implementation of Anglicanorum coetibus.

With us, as well, are Father Jeffrey Steenson and Father Scott Hurd, who have worked with the committee.

At our June General Assembly meeting in Seattle, I provided a brief report and update on the progress being made in the implementation of the Apostolic ConstitutionAnglicanorum coetibus. At that time, I asked for and received a show of support for the material I presented by way of a consultation with the bishops.

At the September Administrative Committee meeting, I was asked to prepare an update for this General Assembly meeting which I am pleased now to present.

Between the time of my last report and today, a total of 67 dossiers of Anglican clergy seeking ordination as a Catholic priest have been prepared and sent to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. To date, 35 have received the nulla osta from the Congregation, which means that the individuals are free to move to the second stage, which includes a criminal background check, psychological evaluation and obtaining a votum from the Catholic bishop where the individual resides and from his Anglican ecclesiastical authority, if possible.

You may recall that earlier I wrote to each member of our Conference to ask for your observations on any Anglican community in your diocese that had indicated an interest in becoming a part of a future Ordinariate.

More recently I have been writing to you for those men who received a nulla osta asking if you would collaborate in helping them receive the necessary criminal background check and psychological evaluation. I am grateful for the collaboration of so many of you in not only facilitating these two procedures but for underwriting the cost. I have also written to those bishops in whose jurisdiction lives an Anglican cleric who has received thenulla osta, noting that Saint Luke Institute has generously offered to provide the psychological evaluation at a greatly reduced cost. I want to thank all of you who have already responded in such a gracious manner.

In the meantime, two Anglican communities have come into full communion in the Catholic Church in anticipation of the formation of an Ordinariate. One community was received in the Diocese of Fort Worth, another in the Archdiocese of Washington.

On October 29, 2011, I received a letter from His Eminence Cardinal William Levada, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, indicating that “in an audience granted to me on October 28, 2011, Our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, has approved the erection of an Ordinariate in the United States. I therefore write to authorize you as this Congregation’s Delegate for the implementation of Anglicanorum coetibus to address the plenary session of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, due to meet in Baltimore…in order to advise the Bishops of these developments.”

The Congregation has communicated that the canonical erection of the Ordinariate will take place on January 1, 2012, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. At that time, I assume that an Ordinary will be named and the Ordinariate will begin its work.

What lies ahead of both the Ordinariate and all of us who will be working with the new Ordinary includes a number of steps.

For those Anglican congregations who wish to become a part of the Ordinariate, there is a program of catechesis prepared by your ad hoc Committee for the Implementation of Anglicanorum coetibus and approved by the Holy See. This program will be made available through the Ordinariate once it is functioning. Our Conference’sUnited States Catholic Catechism for Adults is designated as the catechetical tool for the review of the faith by those who wish to be received into full communion in the Catholic Church. You may also recall that I asked during the presentation last June if, in an effort to assist this catechetical component, you might be willing to have diocesan or parish catechists be engaged with the Anglican congregation in its catechetical formation during this transition.

As for those seeking ordination as a Catholic priest, the program of priestly formation for them, approved by the Congregation, is based at Saint Mary’s Seminary in Houston and is available either on campus or through the University’s distance learning program.

Again, I want to thank His Eminence Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, Archbishop of Galveston-Houston, for his generosity, wise counsel and support in helping to move forward this formation program. Your Eminence, I am also grateful to the Rector of your seminary and its staff for their collaboration.

In a particular way, I want to thank Father Jeffrey Steenson, a Pastoral Provision priest who was formerly the Episcopal Bishop of Rio Grande, for his assistance in the preparation of the program of priestly formation for those Anglican clerics seeking ordination as a Catholic priest. I also want to recognize Father Scott Hurd, a Pastoral Provision priest of the Archdiocese of Washington, who functions as staff to our Committee. The Committee is deeply grateful to both priests.

At this point in the process, between now and the erection of the Ordinariate, your ad hoc Committee and Father Hurd will continue to work with all of those Anglican clergy who have received the nulla osta to move on to the second stage and to write to each of you involved, asking for your support in obtaining for the candidate the criminal background check, the psychological evaluation, and yourvotum. I will also ask for your kind assistance in the oversight of catechetical preparation of the communities seeking to join the Ordinariate.

Personally, and on behalf of the committee and all of those involved in the implementation of the Apostolic Constitution, I want to thank you for your keen collaboration and your gracious support of this effort.

I remain convinced that this Ordinariate will be a true expression of the Catholic Church because of your engagement in the steps leading up to the acceptance of the candidates for ordination and for your involvement in the catechetical formation of the members of the congregations seeking membership in the Ordinariate. Your involvement is one of the guarantees of the well being of the Ordinariate as it is established and begins to receive both clergy and congregations.

A number of questions have arisen, and I would like to touch briefly on them. If the Ordinary of the new Ordinariate is married, then he can be ordained a priest, but not a bishop. Thus the ordination of priests for the Ordinariate will need to be carried out by one of us. My hope and recommendation is that since the former Anglican who will now become a Catholic priest will live and serve in the diocese of one of us, even though belonging to the Ordinariate, each of us would offer respectively to ordain the new priest. There is no adaptation or change in the Ordination Rite for someone being ordained to the Anglicanorum coetibus Ordinariate.

Discussions are underway with the Military Archdiocese to ensure that those Anglican clergy who serve as chaplains to the military and who come into full communion as a part of the Ordinariate will be available for service in the Military Archdiocese.

Regarding the liturgical provision for Personal Ordinariates, it is important to note that the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Congregation for Divine Worship have established an interdicasterial body which will be responsible for provisions for the liturgical celebrations of the Personal Ordinariates. However, from its erection, an Ordinariate will have the option of using the Roman Missal or the Book of Divine Worship already used by the Pastoral Provision or Anglican Use parishes.

Speaking of the Pastoral Provision, Bishop Kevin Vann has been nominated the Pastoral Provision Delegate for the United States and at the conclusion of my remarks I would ask him to share his observations with us.

Finally in concluding these remarks, I want again to thank all of your for your enormous support. It was two years ago that I was invited to Rome for the initial conversations in response to the Holy Father’s expressed desire to move forward in a way that would adequately answer the requests for some form of corporate reunion with the Catholic Church. The response of our Conference in immediately establishing an ad hoc Committee for the Implementation of Anglicanorum coetibus and your support, encouragement and practical advice have brought us to the point where in some six weeks time the Ordinariate will come into existence.

I hope you know how truly grateful I and your ad hoc Committee are to you.

Thank you!

Northwest Arkansas Anglican Use Group

When the Vatican recently announced the reception of Anglican communities into the Catholic Church it was a dream come true not only for Anglo-Catholics seeking their own pastoral provision, but also for many Roman Catholics with Anglican backgrounds. Over the last thirty years there has been a quiet but steady trickle of Anglicans into the Roman Catholic Church. In the American province of the worldwide Anglican Communion, “The Episcopal Church,” it began with alterations to the Book of Common Prayer in 1979 and increased with the ordination of female clergy, along with the widespread acceptance of homosexuality.

The Northwest area of Arkansas is home to about five Episcopalian parishes and two continuing Anglican parishes. That being said, there is currently only one Anglican parish within the area that is interested in entering the emerging Anglican Ordinariate within the Roman Catholic Church. That happens to be St George’s Anglican Church which currently meets in the Chapel of Mercy Medical Center in Rogers, Arkansas. This facility was made available by the good offices of the Catholic Bishop of Little Rock, The Most Reverend Anthony Taylor.

However, that does not mean Northwest Arkansas is lacking individuals with Anglican backgrounds who have taken interest in accepting the pope's offer. That being the case, a few pioneering Christians are starting their making their way to the Evening Prayer services held at St Mary’s Chapel each Wednesday evening at 6:30. Through participating in this weekly prayer service they are declaring their support of an active group formed with the expressed purpose of establishing a Catholic, Anglican Use parish under the pastoral care of the soon to be Anglican Use Bishop.

The group is small but diverse. One is a former Episcopalian, who currently at this time actively serves as an acolyte.. The rest of the group consists of Roman Catholics who have become disillusioned with the current vernacular celebration of the contemporary mass, and are now seeking something more traditionally “Catholic” but simultaneously have no interest in the Traditional Latin Mass. Several continue to attend early mass at their respective Catholic parishes to met their obligation and then attend the Anglican mass on Sunday to show their support.

The initial intent of the group is prayer.. Once established in a regular prayer setting, they hope to grow significantly with God's blessing. Those within the group who are not currently Catholic will obviously use this time for personal reflection on the prospect of conversion and whether or not that's the right decision for them. All however, are welcome to join in prayer, regardless of where their faith journey eventually leads them.

The St. George’s group hopes to receive more help from the National Bishops Conference of as soon as the American Anglican Ordinariate is established, and an ordinary of the Ordinariate is named. In the mean time, the parish continues to work in cooperation with other similar groups. Roman Catholics are urged to continue to receive the sacraments in their diocesan parish until such a time that the Ordinariate is formed. Non-Catholics within the group might continue to go to their respective churches for Sunday services until ready to convert, or else some might consider that St. George’s their “church” for a time. It is hoped that things will work out in such a way that non-Catholics within the group will be received into the Catholic Church together, under the Anglican Use rite, at such a time when the new bishop is designated and he can provide the needed pastoral guidance. The current outlook for establishment of the American Ordinariate is early this fall.

For further information call (479) 254-0521 or (479) 721-3250

Parting is such sweet sorrow

The article below was posted by Bishop Edwin Barnes who is due to be received as a Catholic Priest in the English Ordinariate. For Bishop Barnes it has been a true act of faith to leave the Church of England having served as an esteemed Bishop with all of the benefits afforded by the English Church and enter the Catholic Church as a simple Priest.

Parting is such sweet sorrow

With so many clergy and lay people leaving the Church of England for the Ordinariate, it is not surprising that on either hand there are people speaking or writing intemperately. It can seem that the actions of other people is a judgment on us – we have been timid and held back, we have been headstrong and acted too quickly, what we have done casts aspersions on those taking a different path. Somehow, we need to do what we can to stop this, and restore Christian charity among brethren. I can't speak for other people; but I have been greatly supported and encouraged both by people determined to remain in the Church of England, and by Catholics coming to terms with what the Ordinariate might mean. It has been difficult on both hands; our Anglican brothers and sisters seeing us go, our Catholic brothers and sisters not knowing how they should accommodate us – and especially those priests living a celibate life who see us becoming priests while enjoying family life with wife and children and grandchildren, consolations they have never known.

First, at the ordination of the three former Anglican Bishops, I found the words of Archbishop Vincent Nichols a great help. No one was being asked to deny anything of their previous ministry. It had been fruitful. What they were entering into was an extension and a continuation of that former ministry. People sometimes express surprise that I am to be ordained priest within a few weeks of being received – surely I cannot have had enough time to prepare? But for me, the whole of my ministry until now has been a preparation for the Catholic Priesthood. There is no great breach between the two. The eucharists I have celebrated until now might have been lacking in the certainty which attaches to Catholic sacraments; but if this is so, then it must be that the Lord has intervened miraculously and with extraordinary generosity - for I know that those celebrations have borne fruit, not thistles. This, I believe, is what the Archbishop of Westminster was saying when he spoke of the fruitful ministry of the former bishops of Ebbesfleet, Richborough and Fulham.

For those unable or at present unwilling to join the Ordinariate, I have great sympathy. That is exactly where I was through the 1990's, believing that the Church of England would make proper provision for Catholic Anglicans. That is why I became a 'Flying Bishop', a PEV, helping people remain in the C of E who would otherwise have left it. I now feel sure the Church of England has gone too far down the path to consecrating women as bishops for it to reconsider or withdraw. If others, though, believe there is still a chance, however slim, of that decision being frustrated or reversed, then good for them. They will certainly continue in my prayers, and I hope in the prayers of all former Anglicans now or soon in Communion with the See of Peter. The most recent letter from the twelve 'SSWSH' bishops admits that the chances are slim; but it is an honourable path to stay until the last possible moment. We don't though join, or refuse to join, the Catholic Church simply over one debatable issue, but because we find in it, or fail to find, the Church which Our Lord handed into the care of his Apostles.

This morning at Mass we prayed for a dear lady from the congregation in Lymington who is suffering from cancer. She was there with her husband, and at the end of Mass she came forward to be anointed. The little group of us present gathered round to pray for her. That is where the heart of the Church is, not in disputes over property, or the validity of orders, or words like "renegade" or "aff-cath". Each of us will be answerable to Our Lord for ourselves and our actions, not those of other people. So let's all of us seek to be the best possible Anglican that we can be, the best possible Catholic that we can be. If we succeed in that, then the man-made divisions will become much less formidable, much more easily crossed.

Thank you everyone, Catholic and Anglican, who is praying for Keith Newton and the rest of us in the Ordinariate. We shall do our best to continue to love and pray for you on either bank of the Tiber. And please pray for Freda anointed at Mass this morning and for her husband John.

English Ordinariate Formation

The English Council of Catholic Bishops has just published a statement on the formation of the Ordinariate in England and Wales. While it deals with those events that are to occur in England a large part of the process discussed here will also apply to the Ordinariates when formed in the United States and Canada.


****************************************************


Statement of the General Secretary of the CBCEW on the Ordinariate

The following statement has been issued by Fr. Marcus Stock, General Secretary of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales.

THE ESTABLISHMENT IN ENGLAND AND WALES OF A PERSONAL ORDINARIATE FOR GROUPS OF FAITHFUL AND THEIR CLERGY FROM THE ANGLICAN COMMUNION ENTERING INTO FULL COMMUNION WITH THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

Introduction

On or before 15 January 2011, it is expected that the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith will publish a Decree which will formally establish a ‘Personal Ordinariate’ in England and Wales (from here on referred to as ‘the Ordinariate’) for groups of Anglican faithful and their clergy who wish to enter into full communion with the Catholic Church.

The establishment of this Ordinariate will be the first fruit of the Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum coetibus, issued by Pope Benedict XVI on 4 November 2009. The Constitution and the Complementary Norms published by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith provide the essential norms which will enable members of the Ordinariate to preserve within the Catholic Church those elements of Anglican ecclesial prayer, liturgy and pastoral practice (patrimony) that are concordant with Catholic teaching and which have nurtured and nourished their Christian faith and life.

In time, it is expected that further Ordinariates will be established in other parts of the world to meet the desire of those Anglican communities who in a similar way seek to be united in communion with the Successor of St Peter.

As a new structure within the Catholic Church, there will be many ‘frequently asked questions’ about the Ordinariate. Some of these are:

Why did Pope Benedict XVI publish Anglicanorum coetibus?

As the Holy Father stated when he published Anglicanorum coetibus, he was responding to petitions received "repeatedly and insistently" by him from groups of Anglicans wishing "to be received into full communion individually as well as corporately" with the Catholic Church. During his address to the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales at Oscott last September, Pope Benedict was therefore keen to stress that the Apostolic Constitution "should be seen as a prophetic gesture that can contribute positively to the developing relations between Anglicans and Catholics. It helps us to set our sights on the ultimate goal of all ecumenical activity: the restoration of full ecclesial communion in the context of which the mutual exchange of gifts from our respective spiritual patrimonies serves as an enrichment to us all."

In this way, the establishment of the Ordinariate is clearly intended to serve the wider and unchanging aim of the full visible unity between the Catholic Church and the members of the Anglican Communion.

Will members of the Ordinariate still be Anglicans?

No. Members of the Ordinariate will be Catholics. Their decision is to leave the Anglican Communion and come into the Catholic Church, in full communion with the Pope.

The central purpose of Anglicanorum coetibus is "to maintain the liturgical, spiritual and pastoral traditions of the Anglican Communion within the Catholic Church, as a precious gift nourishing the faith of the members of the Ordinariate and as a treasure to be shared". Members of the Ordinariate will bring with them, into full communion with the Catholic Church in all its diversity and richness of liturgical rites and traditions, some aspects their own Anglican patrimony and culture.

It is recognised that the term Anglican patrimony is difficult to define but it would include many of the spiritual writings, prayers, hymnody, and pastoral practices distinctive to the Anglican tradition which have sustained the faith and longing of many Anglican faithful for that very unity for which Christ prayed. The Ordinariate will then bring a mutual enrichment and exchange of gifts, in an authentic and visible form of full communion, between those baptised and nurtured in Anglicanism and the Catholic Church.

Do all Anglicans who wish to become Catholics now have to be members of the Ordinariate?

No. Any individual former Anglican who wishes to be received into full communion with the Catholic Church, may do so without becoming a registered member of the Ordinariate.

As stated above, the Ordinariate is being established essentially for groups of former Anglican faithful and their clergy who wish to maintain as members of the Catholic Church, within the canonically approved and structured ecclesial life of the Ordinariate, those aspects of their Anglican spiritual, liturgical and pastoral tradition which are recognised as authentic by the Catholic Church.

What is the ‘Ordinariate’ then?

The Ordinariate will be a specific ecclesiastical jurisdiction which is similar to a diocese and will be led by its own ‘Ordinary’ (see below) who will be a bishop or priest. However, unlike a diocese its membership will be on a ‘personal’ rather than a ‘territorial’ basis; that is, no matter where a member of the Ordinariate lives within England and Wales they will, in the first instance, be under the ordinary ecclesial jurisdiction of the Ordinariate and not the diocese where they are resident.

The Ordinariate will be made up of laity, clergy and religious who were formerly members of the Anglican Communion. Following reception into full communion with the Catholic Church, the laity and religious will become members of the Ordinariate by enrolment in a register; with ordination as priests and deacons, the clergy will be directly incardinated into (placed under the jurisdiction of) the Ordinariate.

Will the Ordinary of the Ordinariate be like a diocesan bishop?

Each diocesan bishop is the Ordinary for his diocese (this does not mean ‘ordinary’ in the sense of common or normal but is an ecclesiastical term which means someone who exercises power and has jurisdiction by virtue of the office they hold). The power which the diocesan bishop exercises is ordinary (related to his office as a diocesan bishop), proper (exercised in his own name, not vicariously) and immediate (directed toward all in the territory of his diocese).

The power exercised by the Ordinary of the Ordinariate will be ordinary (related to the specific office entrusted to him), vicarious (exercised in the name of the Roman Pontiff) and personal authority (directed to all who belong to the Ordinariate).

As the Ordinary of the Ordinariate (from here on referred to simply as ‘the Ordinary’) has similar authority and responsibilities in Canon Law to a diocesan bishop he will therefore be an ex officio member of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales. As a member of the Conference, the Ordinary will, like a diocesan bishop, take a full part in its discussions and decisions. The Ordinary will exercise collegiate responsibility for implementing the resolutions taken by the Conference within the life of the Ordinariate in the same way that a diocesan bishop does so within his diocese.

Like diocesan bishops, the Ordinary will be also be required to make a visit to Rome every five years (traditionally called the ad limina Apostolorum – to the threshold of the Apostles) and present a report on the status of the Ordinariate to the Pope through the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and in consultation with the Congregation for Bishops.

Who will be the Ordinary of the Ordinariate?

The Ordinary of the Ordinariate must be a bishop or a priest and he will be appointed directly by Pope Benedict XVI. All subsequent Ordinaries will be appointed by the Roman Pontiff from a terna (list of three names) presented by the Governing Council of the Ordinariate (See below). A married former Anglican bishop or priest who has been subsequently ordained as a Catholic priest cannot however be ordained as a Catholic bishop whilst their spouse is still living.

How will the Ordinariate be governed?

The Ordinariate will have a Governing Council of at least six priests, presided over by the Ordinary. Half of the membership is elected by the priests of the Ordinariate. The Ordinariate must also have a Pastoral Council for consultation with the laity and a Finance Council.

The Governing Council will have the same rights and responsibilities in Canon Law that the College of Consultors and the Council of Priests have in the governance of a Diocese. Unlike a diocesan bishop though, and out of respect for the synodal tradition of Anglicanism, the Ordinary will need the consent of the Ordinariate’s Governing Council to: admit a candidate to Holy Orders; erect or suppress a personal parish; erect or suppress a house of formation; approve a program of formation.

The Ordinary must also consult the Governing Council concerning the pastoral activities of the Ordinariate and the principles governing the formation of clergy.

The Governing Council will also have a deliberative vote when: choosing a terna of names to submit to the Holy See for the appointment of the Ordinary; proposing changes to the Complementary Norms of the Ordinariate to present to the Holy See; when formulating the Statutes of the Governing Council, the Statutes of the Pastoral Council, and the Rule for houses of formation.

Will the Ordinariate have parishes and deaneries?

The Ordinariate will have parishes within the dioceses where it has groups of members but they will be ‘personal’ parishes and not ‘territorial’ like a diocesan parish. Membership of a diocesan parish comes from living within the defined territorial boundaries of that parish; to be a member of a ‘personal’ parish in the Ordinariate a person must be a member of the group for which that parish was established, i.e., a former Anglican who is a member of, or has joined, a specific group within the Ordinariate. After consulting with the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales and obtaining the consent of the Governing Council, the Ordinary may erect territorial deaneries for a number of personal parishes which will be supervised by a delegate of the Ordinary.

Who will look after the Ordinariate parishes?

The Ordinariate parishes will be served by priests of the Ordinariate, appointed by the Ordinary. They may be assisted by a parochial vicar (assistant priest) and/or a deacon. Pastoral and finance councils will also be established in the parishes. Diocesan clergy and religious, with the consent of their diocesan bishop or religious superior, may also assist in the pastoral care of the Ordinariate under the supervision of the Ordinary when and where it is deemed suitable. Similarly, clergy incardinated into the Ordinariate should also be available to assist in the pastoral care of the faithful in the local diocese.

What liturgy will the members of the Ordinariate celebrate?

The Ordinariate will not be a Ritual Church; that is, the Ordinariate will not be principally defined by the liturgical rites it uses. In addition to the Roman Rite, some of the liturgical rites of the Anglican tradition which have been adapted and approved by the Holy See may be used by the members of the Ordinariate. It is expected that in due course, suitable rituals (Sacramentary, Divine Office, etc.) will be promulgated for Ordinariates across the world. However, as it will be fully a part of the Latin Catholic Church (as distinct from the Byzantine, Maronite, Chaldean Catholic Church, etc.) the Ordinariate will always be able to use the Roman Rite.

What churches will the Ordinariate use?

Because the previous places of worship used by the clergy and groups who will form the Ordinariate were in the ownership of the Church of England, it is unlikely that it will be possible for them to continue to be used by the Ordinariate members. In most cases therefore, Ordinariate congregations will probably use their local diocesan Catholic church for the celebration of Mass and other liturgies. In some places there may be a diocesan church which is no longer needed to serve the needs of the local parish community; these could prove suitable for use by the Ordinariate. Essentially, the needs of each Ordinariate group will be carefully assessed by the Ordinary and the most suitable pastoral arrangements will be made by him in collaboration with the local diocesan bishop.

Will any Catholic be able to attend a Mass celebrated within an Ordinariate parish or by an Ordinariate priest?

Yes. Any Catholic, whether a member of the Ordinariate or a member of a diocese, will be able to attend Mass, receive Holy Communion and participate in the liturgies of an Ordinariate parish or celebrated by an Ordinariate priest. However, they would not be registered members of the Ordinariate and would remain under the ordinary jurisdiction of the diocesan bishop where they are resident.

Similarly, registered members of the Ordinariate are free to attend Mass, receive Holy Communion and participate in the liturgies of any diocesan parish but they would remain under the ordinary jurisdiction of the Ordinariate.

How will the Ordinariate be funded?

The Ordinariate, like every diocese, is expected to support financially its own clergy both when they are in ministry and when they have stepped down from public ministry. It will, like a diocese, need to make plans to ensure that it is financially secure and that its pastoral needs can be met. Just as every diocese in England and Wales depends upon the contributions that each parish receives from Sunday collections to finance not only the running and maintenance of the parishes but also its central services, so too the Ordinariate will need similar support. Just as some diocese have good financial reserves, investments and endowments, so too a fund has already been established to enable the Ordinariate to begin its work from the day it is erected. The Catholic Bishops of England and Wales have already contributed a quarter of a million pounds to the fund and other charities are being asked to assist.

In those areas where groups are likely to be established, local Catholic dioceses are helping to find housing for the clergy who will serve in the Ordinariate and are providing whatever other practical support they can, e.g. provision or use of churches, use of diocesan curial services, assisting with the identification of salaried chaplaincy roles, etc.


When will all this take place?

The formal erection of the Ordinariate will take place with the publication of a Decree by the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith and the announcement of the name of the first Ordinary appointed by the Holy Father. Already, three former Anglican Bishops have been received, together with some members of their families and three former Anglican women religious, into full communion with the Catholic Church on 1 January 2011. With the permission of the Holy See, they will also be ordained as Catholic Priests on 15 January 2011. A further two retired former Anglican Bishops will be received into full communion with the Catholic Church and proceed to Ordination as Catholic Priests in due course.

At the beginning of this Lent (Ash Wednesday falls on 9 March in 2011), a number of groups of former Anglican faithful together with their clergy will be enrolled as candidates for the Ordinariate. Then, at a date to be agreed between the Ordinary and the local diocesan Bishop, they will be received into the Catholic Church and confirmed. This will probably take place either during Holy Week, at the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday or during the Easter Vigil. The period of formation for the faithful and their pastors will continue to Pentecost.

Around Pentecost, those former Anglican clergy whose petitions for ordination have been accepted by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in Rome will be ordained to the Catholic Priesthood. Ordination to the Diaconate will precede this at some point during Eastertide. The formation of these clergy in Catholic theology and pastoral practice will continue for an appropriate amount of time after their ordination.

Why are priests for the Ordinariate being ordained so quickly and without the normal length of preparation being observed?

A key aspect of the establishment of the Ordinariate by Pope Benedict is that it enables groups of former Anglicans and their clergy to stay together. This is quite new as previously former Anglican clergy seeking ordination in the Catholic Church were separated from their communities, even if some members of those communities also became Catholics. A different timetable is required if this new aspect is to be achieved. For this reason, the ordinations of the first priests for the Ordinariate will take place while their formation is still in process so as to enable them to minister to their communities within the full communion of the Catholic Church. The ordinations of the former Anglican bishops are taking place at this time with the expressed permission of the Holy Father so that they can play a role in the very first stages of the development of the Ordinariate.

Conclusion

The decisions taken by those Anglican clergy and faithful to leave the Church of England and seek full communion with the Catholic Church have been the fruit of much prayer and a long reflection on their personal and communal spiritual pilgrimage. Pain will be felt by those leaving the Anglican Communion and by those with whom they have shared an ecclesial life. Our resolve to continue to work and pray for the unity of Christians therefore must not diminish.

The establishment of the Ordinariate is something new, not just in the life of the Catholic Church in England and Wales but in the universal Church as well. As such there will doubtless be more questions that will arise and challenges to be met as Ordinariates are established and grow. It is important therefore, particularly for those who will form the first groups within the Ordinariate in England and Wales, that our welcome is warm and our support is strong.

Please pray for all those who are trying to discern what path the Lord is calling them to follow, for those who are preparing to be received in to the Catholic Church and for those who are preparing to begin their ministry of service to the Lord as Catholic priests, deacons and religious.

ENDS 11 January 2011 Fr Marcus Stock General Secretary Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales Contact: CCN Tel: 020 7901 4800 Email: ccn@cbcew.org.uk

The Chapel Veil

This may answer the question that has been put to me recently about the wearing of the Chapel Veil. Ms. Jackie Freppon clarifies this area quite well in the quotes from her yet unpublished book.

Tradition - The Veil

Derived from a book in progress called: "The Unveiled Woman" by Jackie Freppon.

During the second Vatican Council, a mob of reporters waited for news after a council meeting. One of them asked Msgr. Annibale Bugnini, then secretary of the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship, if women still had to wear a head cover in churches. His response was that the Bishops were considering other issues, and that women's veils were not on the agenda. The next day, the International Press announced throughout the world that women did not have to wear the veil anymore. A few days later, Msgr. Bugnini told the press he was misquoted and women still had to wear the veil. But the Press did not retract the error, and many women stopped wearing the veil out of confusion and because of pressure from feminist groups.

Before the revision in 1983, Canon law had stated that women must cover their heads ". . . especially when they approach the holy table" (Can 1262.2). But in order to reduce such a growing collection of books, the new version of Canon law was subjected to concise changes. In the process, mention of head coverings was omitted. In 1970, Pope Paul VI promulgated the Roman Missal, ignoring mention of women's veils. But at the time the Missal was published, it didn't seem necessary to keep mandatory such an obvious and universal practice, even if it no longer had a "normative" value (Interinsigniores, #4). And mention in Canon law or the Roman Missal is not necessary to the continuation of the tradition, for it is rooted in Scripture and has been practiced ever since the early Church. Indeed, Pope John Paul II affirmed that the real sources of Canon law are the Sacred Tradition, especially as reflected in the ecumenical councils, and Sacred Scripture (O.S.V. Catholic Encyclopedia, p. 169).

Scripture

Sacred Scripture presents several reasons for wearing the veil. St. Paul tells us in his first letter to the Corinthians (11:1-16) that we must cover our heads because it is Sacred Tradition commanded by our Lord Himself and entrusted to Paul: "The things I am writing to you are the Lord's commandments" (1 Cor. 14:37).

Divine Hierarchy

God has established a hierarchy, in both the natural and religious spheres, in which the female is subject to the male. St. Paul writes in first Corinthians: "But I would have you know that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God (1 Cor. 11-3). And, in the institution of marriage, God gave the husband authority over the wife, but responsibility to her as well. Not only is he the family's decision-maker, but he is also responsible for the material and spiritual welfare of his wife and children. Man is not in this position to enslave or belittle the wife. As the Bride, (the Church), is subject to Jesus, women must wear the veil as a sign that they are subjected to men: "Let wives be subject to their husbands as to the Lord; because a husband is head of the wife, just as Christ is head of the Church." (Eph. 5, 22-23). The man represents Jesus, therefore he should not cover his head. However, this subjection is not derogatory to women, because in God's kingdom everyone is subjected to a higher authority: "For as the woman is from the man, so also is the man through the woman, but all things are from God." (1 Cor. 11, 12). Furthermore, the symbolism of the veil takes that which is invisible, the order established by God, and makes it visible. In the history of the Church, priestly vestments have played a similar symbolic role.

Women's Honor

It is an honor to wear the veil. But by publicly repudiating it, a woman dishonors her feminine dignity, the sign of female subjection, just as the military officer is dishonored when he is stripped of his decorations. The Roman Pontifical contains the imposing ceremonial of the consecration of the veils: "Receive the sacred veil, that thou mayst be known to have despised the world, and to be truly, humbly, and with all thy heart subject to Christ as his bride; and may he defend thee from all evil, and bring thee to life eternal" (Pontificale Romanum; de benedictione). St. Paul says an unveiled woman is a dishonor: "But every woman praying or prophesying with her head uncovered disgraces her head, for it is the same as if she were shaven" (1 Cor. 11, 5).

Because of the Angels

"That is why a woman ought to have a veil on her head, because of the angels" wrote St. Paul in 1 Cor. 11, 10. The invisible hierarchy should be respected because the Angels are present at Christian liturgical assemblies, offering with us the Holy Sacrifice with the honor due to God. St. John the Apostle wrote: "And another angel came and stood before the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given to him much incense that he might offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which is before the throne." (Rev. 8:3, see also Matt. 18:10). They are offended by a lack of reverence at Mass, just as they abhorred King Herod's acceptance of adoration from the people of Jerusalem: "But immediately an angel of the Lord struck (Herod) down, because he had not given honor to God, and he was eaten by worms, and died." (Acts, 12:23).

Ancient Tradition

The custom of wearing the veil was maintained in the primitive Churches of God. (1 Cor. 11:16). We see this in the first letter of Paul to the Corinthians. The women of Corinth, beset by modern sensibilities, started coming to church without their heads covered. When St. Paul heard of their neglect, he wrote and urged them to keep the veil. According to St. Jerome's commentary Bible, he finally settled the matter by saying the head covering was a custom of the primitive communities of Judea, "the Churches of God" (1 Thess. 2-14, 2 Thess. 1-4), which had received this Tradition from early times (2 Thess., 2:15. 3:6).

God's Command

Even today some people erroneously believe that St. Paul based the tradition on his personal opinion. They think he did not intend it to be continued in the Universal Church, but only as a local custom. This argument, however, does not conform to the Pauline spirit. After all, it was Paul who stood before Peter to change Jewish traditions in Christian Churches (Gal. 2:11-21). St. Paul reminds them: "for I did not receive it from man, nor was I taught it; but I received it by a revelation of Jesus Christ" (Gal. 1:12), referring to the authority of his ministry, and veracity of his words. Pope Linus, who succeeded St. Peter, enforced also the same tradition of women covering their heads in the church (The Primitive Church, TAN). Our Lord warns us to obey His commandments: "He therefore that shall break one of these least commandments, and shall so teach men, shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 5:19).

Conclusion

In summary, the reasons that St. Paul advises women to cover their head in the church are:
• Our Lord commanded it
• It is a visible sign of an invisible order established by God
• The Angels at Mass are offended if women don't use it
• It is a ceremonial vestment
• It is our heritage

Christian women around the world have other reasons to wear a hat, mantilla, rebozo, gele, scarf, shawl or veil. Some wear it out of respect to God; others to obey the Pope's request, or to continue family traditions. But the most important reason of all is because Our Lord said: "if you love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15). We should always be ready with our bridal veils, waiting for Him and the promised wedding (Apoc. 22:17), following the example of our Blessed Mother, Mary, who never appeared before the eyes of men but properly veiled. To those who still think that the veil is an obsolete custom, remember that: "Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday and today, yes, and forever" (Heb. 13:8).

Stepping down, stepping across

Fr. Samuel Edwards has just made this article available to all. It is so heartfelt that I felt the need to share it with each of you here. What a remarkable man.


The Feast of Saint John the Evangelist
December 27, AD2010

Dear Family, Parishioners, Colleagues, and Friends in Christ,

Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

It was through the late Father Homer Rogers (d. 1980) of Saint Francis Church in Dallas that I was introduced to the idea that ultimately all love songs are about the soul’s quest for the vision of God in his Bride, the Church. In my case, the example of that genre that seems most applicable is “Bless the Broken Road,” best known through its performance by the country-crossover group Rascal Flatts. It reads,

I set out on a narrow way, many years ago
Hoping I would find true love along the broken road
But I got lost a time or two
Wiped my brow and kept pushing through
I couldn't see how every sign pointed straight to you

Every long lost dream led me to where you are
Others who broke my heart, they were like northern stars
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you

I think about the years I spent, just passing through
I'd like to have the time I lost, and give it back to you
But you just smile and take my hand
You've been there, you understand
It's all part of a grander plan that is coming true

Every long lost dream led me to where you are
Others who broke my heart, they were like northern stars
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you
But now I'm just rolling home into my lover's arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you

( – Bobby C. Boyd, Jeff Hannah and Marcus Hummon,
© CAREERS-BMG MUSIC PUBLISHING INC; JEFF DIGGS MUSIC)

There is an old Yiddish saying that translates, “Man plans: God laughs.” The journey that is life only rarely progresses according to the plan of the pilgrim. Instead, it is full of unexpected turns and vistas unlooked for, since it is directed by Another. Mine is no exception. As recently as two years ago, I had not thought that I would come to this moment, but now that it has arrived, it seems to me that all that has gone before has led directly to it.

Crossing

As some of you already know, as some of you have been suspecting, as some of you have feared, as some of you have hoped, and perhaps as most of you until this moment have not been told, I shall be stepping down as Vicar of Saint Peter’s Anglican Church in Waynesville at the end of this month in order to prepare for coming into full communion with the Catholic Church. None of my congregation will be following me on this path: instead, Saint Peter’s will continue as an Anglican mission, still in the Anglican Church of America, but under the care of the Anglican Province of America until the finalization of a formal concordat between these two jurisdictions. A smooth transition of administration is already under way. My final celebration of the Eucharist at Saint Peter’s will take place, God willing, at 7 p.m. on December 29th. (This is the Feast of Saint Thomas of Canterbury, a saint for whom I have always held a special regard: Indeed, my first offering of the Mass as a newly-ordained priest on May 16th, 1980 was a votive of Saint Thomas.)

It is my preference and my hope to be able to make the impending transition through the special structure – called an “ordinariate’ – which was provided for Anglicans by Pope Benedict XVI last year to enable those of us who will to enter the Catholic Church and to bring along with us those elements of our liturgical, theological, and pastoral heritage that are in conformity with the Church’s teaching. It is intended to be a means whereby these gifts may be contributed to the rich variety encompassed by that vast Communion, which (though most are not aware of the fact) consists of two dozen distinct ritual Churches united with Rome and with one another. However, the Ordinariate – the “bridge across the Tiber,” as some have called it – is only one means of accomplishing the end – the “how,” which is provisional, as contrasted with the “that,” which is settled. With or without an Ordinariate, the decision as to my course is firm. The only thing that I have not decided is whether to apply for ordination: On that matter, “my soul in silence waits.”

Having said all that, I still suspect that most of you are less interested in the “how” and the “that” than in the “why” of the matter, so it is mostly to that question that I will address myself.

When it comes to the question of entering into full communion, most people who are not Catholic – and, no doubt, some who are – tend to focus on what the newcomer has to (or what they fancy he has to) leave behind and not to notice what he gets to take with him. With that in mind, let me begin by saying that my taking this step cannot fairly be characterized as the rejection of anything that is good, or true, or beautiful in my Christian heritage and past history, whether personal or ecclesiastical. Instead, it involves my carrying it into what I have come to recognize as the one arena on this earth in which, by the grace of God, each and all of these blessings may most surely be moved toward the perfection that they will attain in heaven. To be sure, there will be baggage that I will have to leave behind on the platform, but that will be nothing that I ought to miss very much, if at all. If I had to – God being my helper – I’d leave it all behind but that does not seem to be required, especially on the terms offered by that kind and gentle soul who now occupies Peter’s Throne. Even if such a sacrifice were required, it would still be worth it to me in order to move closer to the heart of the “Great Belonging” of which we all in Christ are members.

Journeying

My motto for this journey could be, “In my beginning is my end.” It has been, and remains, a pilgrimage from a Great into a Greater Belonging. Like Tennyson’s Ulysses, “I am a part of all that I have met,” and it is a part of me.

I was baptized into the Great Belonging of Christ’s body in the Methodist Church, but that act did not make me a Methodist, but a catholic Christian. This is true in the case of all baptisms administered with water “in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” (Methodism claims nothing less; the Catholic Church entirely agrees, for while she teaches that the Church of Jesus Christ “subsists” visibly and most fully in that body whose bishops are in full communion with one another and with the Bishop of Rome, she does not thereby deny the reality of the Christian identity and commitment of those who are outside those limits, but instead invites them inside: “All my fresh springs are in thee.”)

As a young man, in order to remain, and more perfectly be, Methodist, I became an Anglican by confirmation in the Episcopal Church. Since I had learned that, so long as John and Charles Wesley lived, they refused to countenance the separation of their movement from the Church of England, I believed I was simply doing what they would have wanted.

As a middle-aged man, following years of “fighting the long defeat” of apostolic Christianity in the Episcopal Church and the official Anglican Communion and concluding that there was no lasting desire or intention in them to allow the survival, let alone the extension, of the catholic faith within them, I entered the Continuing Anglican movement in order to continue to be an Anglican.

My combined experience within both the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Continuum has finally led me to the same conclusion so many of my friends, mentors, and colleagues reached long before I did, which is that nothing good about the Anglican Way ultimately can survive if it remains cut off from its fount and origin. The past four and one-half centuries of organic disunion have demonstrated to my own satisfaction that apart from its union with the main trunk, the Anglican branch of the Christian tree –finest and most humane product of the Reformation though it is – can only either (1) rot from the heart out, until merely the bark is left to give it shape until it is fragmented by external pressure, or (2) become fossilized, in which case it may be more solid but no less subject to fragmentation.

Succeeding

Thomas Edison once said, “I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.” Experiments succeed whether they prove or disprove their hypothesis. So far as I can see, the Anglican experiment has succeeded in that it has disproved the hypothesis that catholic faith and practice can endure indefinitely apart from visible communion with that See of which Peter and Paul were co-founders.

This is coupled with the realization that – notwithstanding all the faults and sins of its members and even of its leaders (which it acknowledges) – for the last hundred years and more (while one by one the churches of the Reformation have succumbed, through surrender to or by retreat in the face of the spirit of the age) there has been in the world but one Christian communion which has consistently and proactively stood for divine truth and the dignity of man against every idolatrous tyranny which destroys and degrades him. This perception finds confirmation in the prophetic ministries of Paul VI, John Paul II, and Benedict XVI, and – and with more besides – it has made clear to me beyond a reasonable doubt my own call into full communion with the Catholic Church.

Confessing

I want it to be clearly understood that however much those things I have come to perceive as shortcomings in what I have passed through have propelled me along this path, of far greater importance to me is the fact that I have been drawn on by the fullness and the splendor of truth confessed by the Catholic Church. Of course, I am fully aware that such a statement might lead many to ask, “You mean, you really believe all that stuff?!”

If by “all that stuff,” the questioner means the authoritative teaching contained in The Catechism of the Catholic Church (1992), the short answer is, “Yes, I do.” Do I comprehend every detail? No, at least not yet, but since faith is first a gift of God leading to and enabling a free decision to trust the Gift-giver, I am not required fully to understand in order to give full assent. Indeed, it is through my willing assent that I may hope at length to understand.

That the journey won’t end with this step is certain, because none of our journeys ends on this earth. There is a final step. In his time, at his command and in order to attain the final end for which I was made, the Lord Jesus Christ will summon me from this Militant to the Expectant portion of his Church, there to strive until all is subsumed into the Church Triumphant – the Greatest Belonging of all. And in that end will be my true beginning. T. S. Eliot says it well:

We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.
…
And all shall be well and
All manner of thing shall be well
When the tongues of flame are in-folded
Into the crowned knot of fire
And the fire and the rose are one.

– Four Quartets: “Little Gidding,” V.

Although this is all I feel led say on the subject at the moment (and, Lord knows, it is a lot), please don’t refrain from asking for clarification if you need it. And keep me in your prayers, whatever you do, as you shall be in mine. So shall we all at length find ourselves together “landed safe on Canaan’s side.” Then, after such sorrow, what joy, what light, what glory!
In Christ our Lord and our God,

Samuel L. Edwards

Waynesville, North Carolina
Eve of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception through
the Feast of Saint John the Evangelist
December 7-27, 2010

About Fr. Sam Edwards
Fr. Samuel L. Edwards is a native of Waynesville, North Carolina and recently has returned there. A graduate of Brevard College, The American University (Washington, DC), and Nashotah House Seminary (Wisconsin), he has served churches in north central Texas, southern Maryland and central Alabama. He also served for seven years as the Executive Director of Forward in Faith, North America, then the largest organization of traditional Anglicans in The Episcopal Church, during which he traveled and spoke widely, both in the United States and abroad. After 29 years in The Episcopal Church (23 of them as a member of the clergy), he became part of the Continuing Anglican movement in 2002. Presently he is a member of the Anglican Church in America’s Diocese of the Eastern United States and serves as Vicar of Saint Peter’s Church in Waynesville. Fr. Edwards’ ministry has a strong focus on teaching. He is the author of numerous articles on religious, social, historical and political topics, both in church publications and secular newspapers. He has also written two books (neither published as yet) – Constitution and Institution on the renewal of ecclesiology (the doctrine about the Church) and The Pondering Heart: A Rosary for all Christians. He is also engaged in a long and intermittent project of organizing his instructional material into another book with the working title, Faith and Life: Basics of Christian Teaching and Practice. At this writing, Fr. Edwards is a contender for a seat in the North Carolina General Assembly’s House of Representatives in the General Election of 2010. Fr. Edwards and his wife, Kay, have been married for over 30 years. They have two adopted children. David, the elder, is a Private in the North Carolina Army National Guard, currently serving in Iraq. Rachel, the younger, lives with her husband in Waynesville.