The Bishop of Ebbsfleet, the Rt Rev Andrew Burnham, is to lead his fellow Anglo-Catholics from the Church of England into the Roman Catholic Church, the Catholic Herald will reveal this week.
Bishop Burnham, one of two "flying bishops" in the province of Canterbury, has made a statement asking Pope Benedict XVI and the English Catholic bishops for "magnanimous gestures" that will allow traditionalists to become Catholics en masse.
He is confident that this will happen, following talks in Rome with Cardinal Levada, head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and Cardinal Kasper, the Vatican's head of ecumenism. He was accompanied on his visit by the Rt Rev Keith Newton, Bishop of Richborough, the other Canterbury "flying bishop", who is expected to follow his example.
Bishop Burnham hopes that Rome will offer special arrangements whereby former Anglicans can stay worshipping in parishes under the guidance of a Catholic bishop. Most of these parishes already use the Roman liturgy, but there may be provision for Anglican prayers if churches request it.
Anglican priests who are already married will not be barred from ordination as priests, though Bishop Burnham would not be able to continue in episcopal orders, as he is married and there is an absolute bar on married bishops in the Roman and Orthodox Churches.
In his statement, Bishop Burnham explains why he is rejecting the code of practice offered to traditionalists by the General Synod last night. "How could we trust a code of practice to deliver a workable ecclesiology if every suggestion we have made for our inclusion has been turned down flat?" he asks.
"How could we trust a code of practice when those who are offering it include those who have done most to undermine and seek to revoke the code of practice in force for these last 14 years? ...
"What we must humbly ask for now is for magnanimous gestures from our Catholic friends, especially from the Holy Father, who well understands our longing for unity, and from the hierarchy of England and Wales. Most of all we ask for ways that allow us to bring our folk with us."
Bishop Burnham, one of two "flying bishops" in the province of Canterbury, has made a statement asking Pope Benedict XVI and the English Catholic bishops for "magnanimous gestures" that will allow traditionalists to become Catholics en masse.
He is confident that this will happen, following talks in Rome with Cardinal Levada, head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and Cardinal Kasper, the Vatican's head of ecumenism. He was accompanied on his visit by the Rt Rev Keith Newton, Bishop of Richborough, the other Canterbury "flying bishop", who is expected to follow his example.
Bishop Burnham hopes that Rome will offer special arrangements whereby former Anglicans can stay worshipping in parishes under the guidance of a Catholic bishop. Most of these parishes already use the Roman liturgy, but there may be provision for Anglican prayers if churches request it.
Anglican priests who are already married will not be barred from ordination as priests, though Bishop Burnham would not be able to continue in episcopal orders, as he is married and there is an absolute bar on married bishops in the Roman and Orthodox Churches.
In his statement, Bishop Burnham explains why he is rejecting the code of practice offered to traditionalists by the General Synod last night. "How could we trust a code of practice to deliver a workable ecclesiology if every suggestion we have made for our inclusion has been turned down flat?" he asks.
"How could we trust a code of practice when those who are offering it include those who have done most to undermine and seek to revoke the code of practice in force for these last 14 years? ...
"What we must humbly ask for now is for magnanimous gestures from our Catholic friends, especially from the Holy Father, who well understands our longing for unity, and from the hierarchy of England and Wales. Most of all we ask for ways that allow us to bring our folk with us."
16 comments:
"Let Our separated children, therefore, draw nigh to the Apostolic See, set up in the City which Peter & Paul, Princes of the Apostles, consecrated by their blood, to the See which is "the root & womb whence issues the Church of God (Cyp. Ep. 48 ad Cornelium, 3). Would that the happy lot, denied to so many of Our Predecessors, might at last be Ours, to embrace with Fatherly affection those children whose unhappy separation from Us We now deplore. Would that God Our Savior, "Who will have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth (I Tim. 2:4), might hear Our humble prayer and vouchsafe to recall to the unity of the Church all that are gone astray."
"Therefore, since the foundation of Charity is Faith pure & inviolate, it is chiefly by the bond of one Faith that the disciples of Christ are to be united.
MORTALIUM ANIMOS
On Fostering True Religious Unity
Encyclical Letter of the
Supreme Pontiff
Pope Pius Xi
"The Bishop of Ebbsfleet, the Rt Rev Andrew Burnham, is to lead his fellow Anglo-Catholics from the Church of England into the Roman Catholic Church . . . "
What, all of them?
Thanks be to God.
The only realistic option is for Bp Burnham to lead each one to submit individually to the Catholic Church. An 'en bloc' acceptance into the Church is highly unlikely.
I wonder whether the current Catholic hierarchy in England & Wales will really accept these converts. Aren't these "Anglo-Catholics" too pre-Vatican II for the likes of Cormac, Crispian and Conrey?
I feel really sorry for the Eastern Orthodox Churches. They must now feel well and truly kicked in the teeth.
A church founded on one man's adulterous, murderous appetite, goes a little bit too far, and they all jump ship, clutching their articles of faith and opt out clauses, while the Orthdox sit quietly wondering what on earth they have to do to receive such a welcome.
I`m (almost) speechless. Which is very good thing.
I hope there are plenty of Catholic catechists on hand to cope with the "conversions".
this is really great news!! Is there any way of contacting Bishop Burnham to encourage him? he really must be a remarkable man. Keep praying!!
Hugh
Most unlikely and probably divisive. Will the Church of England permit them to keep their places of worship? Or will they expect to use existing Catholic parishes?
For centuries Catholics have prayed for the reconversion of England. Any Catholic who fails to welcome these Anglicans returning to Mother Church with open arms betrays English Christianity.
So, are these mass conversions to be genuine and faith based or purely because of a dissatisfaction with recent events and a failiure to get their own way?
I welcome those who wish to reconcile themselves with the ''Holy and True Catholic Church'' but surely it must be as individuals and not ''en bloc'' as Fr Longnecker put it.
The title Bishop of Ebbesfleet sounds like something invented by Peter Simple. Where is Ebbsfleet Cathedral? Is it Norman, Early English, Decorated or Perpendicular in style? Or an edifice erected by go-ahead Bishop Spacely-Trellis in the 1960s?
Hugh, You can contact Bishop Andrew at bishop.andrew@ebbsfleet.org.uk. That is, if the C of E haven't revoked his email yet. ;-)
http://www.ebbsfleet.org.uk/
Tom
probably a bit late to chip in now.. but like Nicholas, I welcome any converts, anytime anyplace, anywhere... and do. I have walked with many. I take the view that we are all, or should all be converts, helping one another. I have seen and got to know many wonderful people who have converted in the past few years. I would suggest Pope Benedict was the catalyst for their transformation (as for my own, actually). They did it quietly, away from Synods, Headlines, Drama, Hysterics, newspaper articles and all the stuff that makes THIS recent episode very, very suspect indeed.
And the more I read/hear of the talk of painful journeys ahead and no road maps, confirms it. What ?? WE have road-maps ? Welcome to the human race, brothers. This is reality. I feel just as bewildered as them at around 10 am each Sunday morning, wondering what on earth diabolical irreverance is going to be foisted upon ME this morning.
Never mind road maps, we all need to get the Holy Spirit SatNav up and running.
I think we have to be very grounded here. This is not about being unwelcoming to separated brethren. (But it`s interesting how the snipes have already started.) God knows we`ve all prayed enough for them to be re-united. It is about false unity. And that, in the long term, will be a whole lot more damaging. I would add, tentatively, that having given it some proper consideration over the past few days, our focus (mine anyway) is to pray for the way to be opened for our separated Eastern Orthodox brethren. I believe Pope Benedict has already effectively done that with Summorum Pontificum.. it was a step in that direction.. but I suppose the obstacles to that are another story. I am now going for a five mile run.
(Mind you, I do think it's worth being nice to them. We could do with our 900 yr old church back whre I live. Ours is unspeakably carbuncally. Bye.)
probably a bit late to chip in now.. but like Nicholas, I welcome any converts, anytime anyplace, anywhere... and do. I have walked with many. I take the view that we are all, or should all be converts, helping one another. I have seen and got to know many wonderful people who have converted in the past few years. I would suggest Pope Benedict was the catalyst for their transformation (as for my own, actually). They did it quietly, away from Synods, Headlines, Drama, Hysterics, newspaper articles and all the stuff that makes THIS recent episode very, very suspect indeed.
And the more I read/hear of the talk of painful journeys ahead and no road maps, confirms it. What ?? WE have road-maps ? Welcome to the human race, brothers. This is reality. I feel just as bewildered as them at around 10 am each Sunday morning, wondering what on earth diabolical irreverance is going to be foisted upon ME this morning.
Never mind road maps, we all need to get the Holy Spirit SatNav up and running.
I think we have to be very grounded here. This is not about being unwelcoming to separated brethren. (But it`s interesting how the snipes have already started.) God knows we`ve all prayed enough for them to be re-united. It is about false unity. And that, in the long term, will be a whole lot more damaging. I would add, tentatively, that having given it some proper consideration over the past few days, our focus (mine anyway) is to pray for the way to be opened for our separated Eastern Orthodox brethren. I believe Pope Benedict has already effectively done that with Summorum Pontificum.. it was a step in that direction.. but I suppose the obstacles to that are another story. I am now going for a five mile run.
(Mind you, I do think it's worth being nice to them. We could do with our 900 yr old church back whre I live. Ours is unspeakably carbuncally. Bye.)
Indeed but what exactly did those two flying bishops mean by "their flock"? The only flock they have is in fact a number of inidividuals and priests who accept them. I doubt if all of them by any means will join Rome.
Perhaps when they were appointed the Abp of Canterbury was concocting a little joke in making them Bishop of Ebbsfleet and Richborough . Ebbsfleet is either where St Gregory landed or a train station near Gravesend. His flock might consist of passengers waiting for the Eurostar. Richborough , the former palace of the Anglo Saxon rulers of Kent, is just a ruin with plenty of gulls nearby. His flock will be seagulls.
Sorry to be jocular about this but dont build up too many expectations.
Anglican Orders Are Null And Void, proclaimed Pope Leo XIII.
When talking about these people, why are they refered to as priests and bishops.
One Catholic newspaper wrote that the converted bishop of London had been ordinand conditionally.
The church of England does not have a valid priesthood. It does not have Apostolic Succession.
As the British monarch promises in the corination oath, to protect and defend the protestant reformed religion established by law in these realms.
To include the," Book Of Common Prayer" and Anglican usage as authentic Catholic worship would be a betrayal Of The English Martyrs, right down thru the Oxford Movment.
Edward P. Walton
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