[sionnsar]

Thursday, May 19, 2005

The Pontificator crosses the Tiber.

One of my favorite blogs is Pontifications. If you want some churchly brain exercise, it’s a great place to go. Not that I agree with everything there, and I have joined some vigorous discussions with him in the past.

Readers of that blog will not be surprised that the Pontificator, Al Kimel, has decided to join the Roman Catholic Church. I pray the best for him. May God bless him.

Readers here may wonder if my also joining the Roman Catholic Church is a possibility. After all, I have acquired some Anglo-Catholic tendencies, at least in how I enjoy worshipping. And I have mixed feelings about the Anglican Communion, especially it being led by someone de facto appointed by the Prime Minister of the UK. And I do want to be part of something bigger than just a local church or a national denomination.

And I think in recent years, John Paul II and Benedict XVI have dealt with heresy and apostasy well. Church discipline still exists in the Catholic Church, something that can’t be said about most Protestant bodies. And I’ve posted here about how important church discipline is.

However, my crossing the Tiber is highly unlikely. I will probably go into some of my reasons here why Roman Catholicism isn’t and really never has been an option for me.

But today is not the day for that. Today is a day to honor the great Pontificator, Al Kimel, and wish him well in his new church. Although I would not make the decision he is making, I appreciate him and his dogged commitment to be true to the Faith. May God bless him always.

// posted by Mark @ 7:49 AM

[This is odd -- I distinctly recall that Mark is in the REC, not ECUSA. But I could be wrong.. --sionnsar]

[sionnsar]

Traditional Anglican ping, continued in memory of its founder Arlin Adams.

FReepmail sionnsar if you want on or off this moderately high-volume ping list (typically 3-7 pings/day).
This list is pinged by sionnsar and newheart.

Resource for Traditional Anglicans: http://trad-anglican.faithweb.com

Speak the truth in love. Eph 4:15

[AlbionGirl]

It should give the orthodox pause. Some are urging that the orthodox stay in ECUSA and fight for its transformation. But so many orthodox have already left that the question has to be honestly asked if such a fight is a waste of time. The way ECUSA is structured, the revisionists are firmly in control.

The defection of the orthodox to RC, if that is really what is happening, will give the RC orthodox greater strenght to oppose our own revisionists. Sorry to see the ECUSA lose these people, while still very glad to receive them.

[Unam Sanctam]

“Why don’t you just leave, so we can be more inclusive?”

Great quote.

[lastchance]

Since you have determined that the Catholic Church is not the one you seek have you considered the Orthodox churches?
I know there has been some very interesting discussion on Al Kimel's blog about Orthodoxy. Now I only suggest this if you ever in your heart, mind and soul believe you must leave ECUSA.

[AnAmericanMother]

There may soon come a time when dioceses will have to choose between ECUSA and the Anglican Communion. And in orthodox dioceses, it is definitely worth staying around to push the diocese to make the right choice.

But in other dioceses, I think the orthodox should look around at the good faithful people who are leaving and honestly ask themselves, “Why am I staying?”

That's our situation in a nutshell.

The Diocese of Atlanta is one of the most liberal in the country, and it is led by a vengeful bishop who does not hesitate to persecute and malign the orthodox. After he succeeded in destroying an (evangelical) orthodox congregation here, he stated for attribution that they had been threatening to leave for years, that they were "not good Christians" and he was glad they were gone.

What on earth is the point of hanging around under the jurisdiction of somebody with an attitude like that? Especially when our local Catholic Archdiocese is very orthodox, and our local parish has a very "high" liturgy and a choirmaster whose favorite composer is William Byrd? (I ask you!)

[Huber]

PING!