Cardinal says Catholics humbled by Anglicans' decision to join church

Catholics are humbled by the stories of former Anglicans who were faced with a decision and stepped out in faith to join the Catholic Church, said Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston.

"The Catholic Church understands and appreciates the sacrifices made by former Anglican clergy and laity who have made the journey as individuals or as communities to full communion with the Catholic Church," he said June 12.

"Truly, Rome is home and a place of abiding in our pilgrimage to the father," noted the cardinal in a keynote address at the 2009 Anglican Use Conference in Houston.

The June 11-13 gathering explored the pastoral provision that the Vatican approved in 1980 allowing retention of some elements of Anglican identity in liturgy when a number of Episcopalians from the same congregation or the same area enter full Catholic communion.

That provision was included when the Vatican granted permission for special U.S. procedures to admit into the Catholic priesthood former Episcopal priests who have become Catholic.

In 1976, after the Episcopal Church -- the U.S. member of the Anglican Communion -- decided to ordain women to the priesthood, some former Episcopal priests and laity sought full communion with the Catholic Church. In 2003, the Episcopal Church's decision to ordain an openly gay man prompted other Episcopalians to join the Catholic Church.

In his address Cardinal DiNardo said that the gift of Catholic unity is sometimes taken for granted by those in the Catholic Church, but this cohesiveness is not lost on those seeking communion.

The cardinal observed the eventual reconciliation of church communities was anticipated by the Second Vatican Council, but he acknowledged that Christian unity "may not be realized in our own time." BR> In the meantime, the church is "necessarily dependent on the personal and individual model to further the vision of Catholic unity," he explained.

"The pastoral provision has made it possible for Anglicans to know the blessing of full communion but it is important that you simply do not walk away from your old relationships, especially those that may have been damaged by the tragic conflicts of contemporary Anglicanism," the cardinal said.

The 2009 conference was hosted by Our Lady of Walsingham Catholic Church in Houston, one of only eight Anglican-use communities in the U.S.

Besides Houston there are Anglican-use Catholic parishes in San Antonio and Arlington, Texas, and in Columbia, S.C. In addition, there are Anglican-use congregations sharing the facilities of regular Catholic parishes in Boston, Corpus Christi, Texas, and Scranton, Pa.

About 150 people from 14 states and two foreign countries made the trek to Houston to attend the conference. Activities and lectures were held on the grounds of Our Lady of Walsingham and also at St. Mary Seminary.

In his remarks Father James Ramsey, Our Lady of Walsingham's pastor, talked about the historical and ecumenical significance of the Anglican-use provision.

"It was the first time since the Reformation 500 years ago that the Roman Catholic Church made it possible for a Reformation tradition to return to the Catholic Church and bring its tradition with it," he said.

While traditional Anglicans will find something familiar, Father Ramsey said, Catholics accustomed to the Latin-rite Mass will notice some differences in Mass celebrated in an Anglican-use church.

"I think they would notice a dignity, a reverence, a respect, a certain grace, transcendence, a sense of the holy and of the sacred," he said. "Those would be starters that were always a part of our Anglican tradition."

He said the Anglican-use Mass follows the same order as the Latin-rite Mass. Old English is used throughout, and most of the Mass, including the readings, is sung. In addition, there is a generous amount of incense and use of a communion rail. Also, the priest faces the altar.

Father Eric Bergman, a former Episcopal priest who is pastor at the Anglican-use church in Scranton, joined the Catholic Church in 2005, when it became evident, he said, that he and other conservative Episcopalians were becoming an oddity in his denomination.

He credits the Catholic Church's unwavering stance on the dignity of human life and its view on the sanctity of the marriage bond as major factors in his decision to become a Catholic.

Under the pastoral provision, he and his wife and children and his parishioners all entered the Catholic Church at the same time.

Joe Blake, president of the Anglican Use Society, reported that about 120 Episcopal and Anglican priests have become Catholic priests since 1980. Most are married and working in Latin-rite parishes. Approximately 700 laypeople have made the transition into the Catholic Church with their priests.

To me, the key sentences:

Father Eric Bergman, a former Episcopal priest who is pastor at the Anglican-use church in Scranton, joined the Catholic Church in 2005, when it became evident, he said, that he and other conservative Episcopalians were becoming an oddity in his denomination.

He credits the Catholic Church’s unwavering stance on the dignity of human life and its view on the sanctity of the marriage bond as major factors in his decision to become a Catholic.

I see, these “whackadoos” in other groups — are they in charge of Seminary?

And given that the Episcopalian Church ordains those like “Bishop” Spong, is he also just a “whackadoo” that’s out there — or does he have the blessing of the Episcopal Church.

I stand by my first post. The Episcopal Church of America — is infested with Homosexual Baby Killers, who are in teaching and leadership positions.

Wait just a minute. You posted this:

Please identify your particular denomination, so that we may determine whether it is truly free of whackjobs.

And now you are acting like you are above it all? Now that is convenient!

I'm not anonymously sniping at anyone. I have documented why I exactly made that comment. It is based in truth. I suppose you want to hold hands and sing kumbaya with a "Christian" denomination who elevates those who contend that abortion is a "sacrament" to teaching positions?

If we cannot fight against that in Christendom, I think we are doing the Body of Christ a gross misservice by pretending to be happy and get along.

This isn't something as debatable as praying to those in Heaven or the position we should elevate Mary to. This is something so fundamental, so profoundly anti-Christ we cannot pretend we don't see it.

I suppose you want to hold hands and sing kumbaya with a "Christian" denomination

You can suppose anything you like. You'd be wrong in this instance, though.

I see absolutely no good coming from leveling blanket insults at a Christian community that clearly still contains an identifiable population of actual, Christ-loving Christians.

Hammer on the doctrinal errors all you like ... you'll get not a single objection from me.

Okay, well let’s put it this way — I didn’t mean to say that everyone who is an Episcopalian is in any way a baby killing homosexual when I said “Home of”.

I merely meant it to be a statement that the Episcopal Church approves of such people — and that they make their Home in that Church in leadership positions.

So, perhaps my statement was too harsh in that those who are Christ-followers who happen to be in the Church were being tarred by my statement. That was not my intent — the intent was merely to state that the official policy of the Episcopal Church allows for these kinds of anti-Christ teachers, leaders and ministers to find their Home there.

So I do apologize for my seemingly outrageous statement — but not the intent behind it.

EWTN - Journey Home - June 22, 2009 at 8pm - Dr. Jay Budziszewski - former Episcopalian

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Keep your eye on the Episcopal Church, which is very involved with something called the “United Religions Initiative.” This is a syncretist organization that, IIRC, was actually founded around the same time as the UN but hadn’t been a really big deal until recent years. It has been particularly taken up by the Episcopal Church in San Francisco, and I think you’re going to see it extending its influence among Episcopalians and then on to other UCC churches.

Basically, the URI is a left-wing organization that could have Barry as its “pope” without blinking an eye; I guess that’s to be expected of Episcopalians (who basically were founded because their secular leader wanted to be their religious leader as well). But the URI has lots and lots of money behind it, and I think it will be seeking to extend its control now that it has a government that is so sympathetic to its goals (among which are baby-killing and homosexuality).

Yes, I had run across that before. Fun -- but perhaps a bit more over the top than was actually done at the time.

I follow C.S. Lewis's theory (you can find it in his Preface to Paradise Lost) that the recitations of the skald (or scop) were more formal. He cites somebody's account of a recitation, it sounds more like the function of a cantor -- i.e. the god speaking through his mouthpiece. Lewis contrasted that with the less formal drinking songs and popular poetry that coexisted at the time - the equivalent of "The Rugby Song", I guess.

Just for the record (I am not suggesting you said this), the Catholic Church is NOT a denomination.

Rom may have spoken in haste (I see he has graciously amended his comment), but to be frank, I find it hard to disagree. Surely there are Episcopalians and other anglicans who don’t fit the mold, but institutionally — in the overwhelming majority of its seminaries, its theologians, its bishops and clergy — the episcopalians have made a definitive choice against life. It is in their DNA; it is who they are. To the good minority still inside who find these teachings and practices abhorrent, all I can say is: “Fly, you fools!”

As a former Episcopalian, now a Catholic, I think you've assessed the problem correctly.

Certainly there are faithful believers and even faithful congregations still existing inside the denomination formerly known as The Protestant Episcopal Church in America, then as The Episcopal Church in America, and now as The Episcopal Church (note that they're not even sure who they are - but I digress.)

The problem is that the radical pro-abortion, pro-homosexual cabal has taken over the administrative machinery of the denomination. They control the House of Bishops, the seminaries, the certification of candidates for ordination, and (in most cases) the property. They decide what gets decided at General Convention.

And as only the candidates approved by the national administration can graduate (or even enter) seminary and be ordained, sooner or later the faithful congregations are going to find themselves unable to call a faithful pastor as the older ones die or retire. This already happened to our former church. They will be increasingly isolated and rendered powerless.

"Fly from the wrath to come." We did.

Well, I think it's hyperbolic, and certainly can be taken the wrong way. To the extent that it could be read as saying that everyone in TEC is a homosexual baby-killer, it's definitely wrong. But that isn't exactly what it says.

It's fair to point out that TEC is definitely a comfortable home for homosexual baby-killers, as they are running the denomination and are quite happy (note the new head of the Episcopal seminary who is an avowed lesbian and in an address or a sermon (can't remember which) declared that "abortion is a blessing" and that "our work is not done" until everybody could have one any time they wanted . . . and led her audience in a cheer or chant to that effect -- just creepy if you ask me.)

My real objection would be that the homosexual baby-killers who are currently running TEC are not "for Christ" and haven't been for a long, long time.

I don't see how we can avoid bad taste in discussing what my family's former home for six generations has become. These horrible people took over my church and destroyed it. I bear them no good will at all.

Hard to be humble when you're mad as fire. As I said in a post up thread, the pro-homosexual, pro-abortion, anti-Christian cabal has stolen the church that my family was in for at least six generations (my gggg grandfather John Bale was baptised in St. Giles Cripplegate, City of London - so it's probably seven generations or his parents wouldn't have bothered.)

Don't disturb your mom. She's probably like my parents -- she's remained Episcopalian because she's found a quiet little parish where what's going on at the national level doesn't affect her. So long as they don't have to replace their rector, they'll be all right.

My parent's church owns its property under a deed of gift that will revert to the donor if anybody other than the parish (the national church for example) successfully asserts a claim to the church and the graveyard. They also have a very nice endowment with similar strings attached to keep 815's fingers off it. They can afford to call an orthodox pastor -- so long as such an animal exists. They are in their 80s, so this arrangement will most likely last out their time (although their bishop is retiring, so who knows what will happen next).

Also, there's a big difference between your 75 year old mom and my pre-teen and teenage (at the time of our departure in 2003) children.

I could not in good conscience allow my children to remain in a church that officially approved fornication, adultery, homosexual sex, and the killing of little children (how do you think CHILDREN feel about that? "You are expendable, you little tick"), not to mention bishops that denied the divinity of Christ, the Resurrection, and the Trinity without any consequences from authority.

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