Thinking Anglicans

Catholic press on Ordinariate and Societies

On the one hand, The Tablet has a feature article by Abigail Frymann headed The journey begins – Ordinariates and the Church of England.

A flying bishop and a small parish in Rowan Williams’ own diocese are the first of the Church of England rebels ready to turn their backs on Canterbury and make for Rome via the special structure of an ordinariate. But could progress be stymied by salaries, pensions and buildings?

On the other hand, the Catholic Herald has Catholic Anglicans: don’t be taken in by this incoherent scheme to undermine the Ordinariate by William Oddie.

You may not have noticed it (I had hardly noticed it myself) but the C of E (having with deliberation decided not to make any “special provision” for those opposed to women bishops) is currently mounting a last-minute attempt to undermine the Ordinariate for Catholic Anglicans which is expected to be erected in the New Year. This scheme (which I have absolutely no doubt has the discreet backing of the Archbishop of Canterbury) would be laughable if there were not a real possibility that it might persuade some Catholic Anglicans who are seriously considering coming into communion with the Bishop of Rome to stay where they are. They should be warned: have nothing to do with this scheme. It seems to me to be dishonest, deceitful and both morally and intellectually bankrupt.

The name of the disreputable organisation which hopes to inveigle those Anglicans seriously considering the provisions of Anglicanorum coetibus into staying exactly where they are is the Society of St Wilfrid and St Hilda. This was set up last month with the backing of 10 bishops claiming to be of Catholic mind; I can only say that I know some of these men of old and the ones I do know are about as “Catholic” in any real sense as a clockwork banana…

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Father Ron Smith
13 years ago

The ‘Tablet article reminds would-be converting priests (to the ‘Ordinariate’) will probably have to suffer the loss of full-time Church ministry when moving out of the C.of E.’s relatively better-paid personal circumstances of full-time ministry. Housing and stipends will probably be much lower than their present situation within the Church of England, so that it will become very important for the departing clergy to find some part-time ‘other’ situation in order to support their move to quasi-Anglican ministry under the authority of the Roman Magisterium. This will be where the ‘rubber hits the road’ – especially for younger clergy with… Read more »

JCF
JCF
13 years ago

@William Oddie: Meow! :-0

Father Ron Smith
13 years ago

“You may not have noticed it (I had hardly noticed it myself) but trhe C of E (having with deliberation decided not to make any “special provision” for those opposed to women bishops) is currently mounting a last-minute attempt to undermine the ordinariate for Catholic Anglicans which is expected to be erected in the new year.” – William Oddie, in the Catholic Herald – This article shows how differently the ‘Catholic Herald’ deals with ecumenical matters from the other publication, ‘The Tablet’ Their writer, William Oddie, however, makes the classical mistake of thinking that the latest ‘Reform’ entity in the… Read more »

Graeme Buttery
Graeme Buttery
13 years ago

Once again, I am puzzled by the apparent vitriol or at least rather strong language. While unhappy at the rumblings in the Church of England, i am content to wish anyone the very best in finding where they go to follow God’s call for them. If their path is different from mine, then so be it. I fear that the stronger the response to something, the greater the worry behind it. As for William Oddie’s attack on SSWSH, I suspect that if the Ordinariate fails, it will have little to do with a society which will probably be made up… Read more »

Fr James
Fr James
13 years ago

Fr Ron said: “the C.of E. in Synod has intentionally ‘decided not to make any provision for those opposed to women bishops'”

I wonder, Father, if you will use this phrase – ‘the CofE in Synod has decided…’ – if the women bishops measure is defeated by the newly elected Synod, which is now a distinct possibility.

In that case, would you accept that the CofE in Synod decided either not to go ahead with a divisive move, or at least to make more substantial provision for those opposed to the ordination of women?

cryptogram
cryptogram
13 years ago

Readers may recall that it was Oddie who made the crass comment that a woman is as capable of receiving ordination as a jar of anchovy paste. He is a singularly nasty-tongued individual who seems to be consumed with bitterness against the CofE in which he grew up. Sadly, not a few converts are like that. Psychologists please comment!

Father Ron Smith
13 years ago

Responding to Fr. James, on Sunday; I might say that, whatever General Synod has said (or done) in the past, the new G.S. will obviously have to grasp the nettle of deciding: 1. Whether or not to proceed with the ordination of women bishops, and, if they do; 2. What may be done about special provision, if any, for dissenters. If GS allows the provision for women bishops to lapse, this would put the C.of England on the back foot in relation to other Provinces of the Communion. Whatever happens on this matter, which will surely set the seal on… Read more »

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