Following a Mass devoted to church unity, Rev. Aaron R. Bayles, the assistant pastor, reported that the majority of parishioners would be “on board” with the development.
He said he himself was exultant when he heard the news because he had always hoped for the unification of Anglican, Eastern Orthodox and Catholic Christianity. The new provision for Anglicans may be “a step in that direction,” he commented.
For 17 years the parish has refused to allow the local Episcopal bishop to come for a pastoral visit or confirmation. It also stopped paying its annual financial assessment to the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania. The diocese sued to take over the Church of the Good Shepherd’s building in 2009. It is a replica of a 14th-century English country parish that was built in 1894. The property is estimated at $7 million in value.
This is no surprise. I was moved to hear that some of the faithful at Good Shepherd had been praying daily for two years for this day to come, and for such a generous papal provision to be made. It was no surprise for me to learn that the rector, David Moyer, had been one of the TAC bishops that petitioned the Vatican for this kind of easier transition to full communion with the Holy See.
Of course, what remains to be seen is how the bitter court battles come out. With some $7 million in property at stake, you would hope that a reasonable settlement could be worked out. But with TEC, that’s highly unlikely. Especially perhaps as the local Diocese of PA (Philly) is broke, due to the mismanagement of the notoriously heretical, dictatorial, and incompetent former bishop, Charles Bennison.
I wish the people of Good Shepherd all the best.
David Handy+
….yessss…it’s all about that $7 million in property.
Please wake up Christians.
bl
Would the RC Church allow one of its parishes to continue the legal battle with TEC?
I repeat, as I commented at a previous article at this site about this subject matter, please read the accurate comments of “unitarian” and “hunter” at http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=11435
prior to any comments or further publications about this matter.
It is my understanding “clarification” of the “claims” made will appear shortly in the New York Times.