The Church of England washes its hands of traditional Anglo-Catholics

The Telegraph ^ | 11/15/2009 | Damian Thompson

[markomalley]

Conservative Anglo-Catholics, your time is up. As my colleague Jonathan Wynne-Jones reports, the General Synod committee charged with looking after opponents of women bishops has ruled out the idea of dedicated male bishops to safeguard traditionalists.

The logic of the decision makes perfect sense to me. The C of E has the legal authority to decide whether to ordain women priests and bishops. Having acquired that authority, it voted to ordain women priests in 1992 and will now take the obvious step of raising women to the episcopate. Anglo-Catholics lost the battle to stop this happening 18 years ago; for a time they were allowed to cover their eyes and pretend that women priests had nothing to do with them, but with the arrival of the first women bishops they will have to take their hands away from their faces, look around, and make up their minds whether to go or stay. Actually, many Anglo-Catholics have quietly decided that they can accept ordained women, and have tiptoed out of Forward in Faith and into Affirming Catholicism. The C of E certainly need not worry about the disappearance of bells and smells: women are just as adept at swinging a thurible as men.

The timing of the General Synod decision, in the same week as Pope Benedict’s generous and satesmanlike Apostolic Constitution, will concentrate minds. Many traditionalists will conclude that Anglo-Catholicism itself was eventually bound to fail: for although the Church of England embraces a great deal of Catholic liturgical practice - more so now than at any time since the Reformation – it governs itself according to Protestant principles of self-determination.

[markomalley]

**ping**

[hinckley buzzard]

Anglo-Catholics lost the battle to stop this happening 18 years ago; for a time they were allowed to cover their eyes and pretend that women priests had nothing to do with them, but with the arrival of the first women bishops they will have to take their hands away from their faces, look around, and make up their minds whether to go or stay.

The orthodox will be driven out, count on it.

This is what will happen with TEC and ELCA in the US btw. Following the Neuhaus rule that "where orthodoxy is made optional it will soon be proscribed," it will be a short matter of time before all parishes will be forced to accept actively homosexual leaders in their ranks and see their sanctuaries used to bless sodomite 'relationships.'

The first openly non-celibate homosexual bishop in ELCA will lead to the crumbling of the church, just as it has for TEC. The tunnels under the church's foundations have been dug already.

[MSF BU]

Sadley, they’ll occupy facilities which were built by the contributions of past parishioners who by and large would want nothing to do with what is going on. I have relatives buried behind a NH Congregation church in large numbers who I’m sure would get up and leave if they could. I hope the Pope makes available unused RC facilities worldwide to accomodate traditionalist Anglicans who come into the Roman fold.

[GreyFriar]

ping

[markomalley]

I hope the Pope makes available unused RC facilities worldwide to accomodate traditionalist Anglicans who come into the Roman fold.

The case of the UK is interesting, though, as many of the great Anglican edifices started life as Catholic structures prior to being appropriated by Henry VIII (as well as Elizabeth I and James). Should they be returned?

[sionnsar]

Thanks to markomalley for the ping.

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[zot]

Thanks for the ping. Not surprising. Soon buggery will be mandatory.

[narses]

The division again. Embrace the world or embrace the Cross.

[melsec]

Perfectly put!

[q_an_a]

The question is what to do with unused churches? The ECUSA and the RC have so many empty churches and the CofE does as well, but will they allow the orthodox to use them? I think not.

[LibreOuMort]

The question is what to do with unused churches?

The glory that once dwelt within those walls has long since departed. Ichabod. Let the edifies of stone and glass be sold at auction to the highest bidder. Why this obsession with buildings when what we should be about is the reaching of souls? The Church is NOT a building made with hands. She is a Bride - a living organism composed of people (living stones)indwelt by the Holy Ghost whose delight is to love as our Lord Jesus Christ himself did by example, and to obey His righteous commands. Worship the Lord of Heaven and Earth for He is enthroned upon the praises of His people. Lift up your voices and sing! Rejoice! Give thanks! Shout! Dance! Please have done with material concerns.