When I pray about the ordinariate, pondering my future and that of this parish, I see it as a rock lovingly dropped into the pond of Anglo-Catholicism. The first ripple is bound to be small but strong and after that will come further ripples, each giving life to the whole. And whilst each ripple will be slightly different from the last what is crucial is that each one will only have life because of the original rock that shifted the waters- the rock of Peter on whom the church was built
It is highly likely, as has been reported elsewhere, that the ordinariate will start small. When it finally bursts into flower it will likely comprise just a handful of parishes. But do not presume that this renders the enterprise a flop. Firstly because it will be part of something much larger- the Roman Catholic church- which is perhaps the largest single organism on earth. ++York might assume we will not be ‘real’ Catholics…but how much more real can you get than being in communion with Peter?
And secondly, though the ordinariate itself might well prove small to begin with, none can guess how the Spirit might bless it? Do not forget the paltry band on whom the original church was built and how much God blessed it as it lurched into life! We stand at an exciting moment in history and much lies before us….should we choose to accept this gracious offer!
It is time for everyone to reveal their hand methinks….
How much more real can one get that being in communion with Peter? Being in communion with Christ I would hope! Happy Quadragesimae!
The numbers are not that important. Even if the ordinariate consists of only a handful of parishes, they will still bear witness to a simple fact: that Anglicans who believe in ‘one holy, catholic and apostolic church’ have their proper home within the Catholic Church. There will once again just be the one Catholic Church in England. I also expect that those left behind in the C of E will also have to raise their game with some competition?
Really, how much more drama are you going to try to milk out of this? Either go and be done with it – realize your great dream of communion with the See of Peter — or stay — but stop carrying on how much you want to be in communion with the See of Peter if only it were possible. Of course it’s possible. But enough of the hand-wringing and fence-sitting, and the coy suggestion that you don’t know what you’re going to do.
Stuart and Bill seem not to have noticed that the offer from the Holy Father concerns GROUPS of Anglicans. It is because we are joining with others that we do not, yet, ‘reveal our hand’. Our Provincial Bishops have asked us first to pray – and especially on Monday next – and then come to a joint decision about timing. We will not be bullied into untimely disclosures either by the Media or mean-spirited blog-commenters.
I really cannot understand why you all don’t just get on with it! I know it’s painful – I’ve done it – but tears turn to joy very very quickly.
You will be warmly welcomed (with your family) and you’ve had an offer that you seem to imply you can’t refuse and yet …
I cannot get my head around all the talking (although I know Anglican liturgies are scourged by that!
) and lack of doing.
Come on in – it’s bliss!
firstly this is about groups not individuals and so the process of discernment is a longer thing. Secondly there is nothing yet to join……thirdly if we go it will be in God’s time and not our own
“Our Provincial Bishops”
+++Canterbury and ++York?
“firstly this is about groups not individuals and so the process of discernment is a longer thing. Secondly there is nothing yet to join……thirdly if we go it will be in God’s time and not our own”
None of this seemed to deter the FiF contingent in Australia from making up their minds where they belonged.
Personally, I think that your bluff has been called. You’ve made all this noise about leaving if you didn’t get things your way in Synod; well, you didn’t get your way in Synod, and the Pope has this “gracious offer.” If you don’t go, it will show that union with Rome wasn’t really what you were after.
You miss the point of the Day of Prayer, Bill. Tomorrow thousands of Anglicans and Catholics will be praying together to discern God’s will, and how best to respond to the gracious and generous offer of His Holiness. Only after that when God has revealed his hand (not us) will we know exactly the course and the timescales he has chosen for us
Forgive Bill his apparent lack of charity and fraternity, Father. His blog entries hardly gets any responses, I suspect that he comes here for the company. When you’re ready.
@”Ian, the entire enterprise is set up with one goal in mind; it’s like the “40 days of discernment” that made the rounds of various TEC parishes and dioceses recently. The point is obviously not to consider whether FiF should move to Rome, but to advocate for such a move, as the joint sponsorship makes abundantly clear.
@Steve – what a trenchant refutation of my argument. I now see the light, thanks to your superior logic.
No probs, Bill, praying for your blog!