Traditionalist Anglicans in Scotland are setting up a new community in Edinburgh. This is being made possible because of a generous offer from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh to provide a place of worship for their first service this Christmas Eve.
Canon Len Black, Regional Dean of Forward in Faith Scotland, the organisation which represents orthodox Anglicans world-wide, said, “This move has come about because of the rapid drift of the Scottish Episcopal Church away from the traditional faith, morals and practices of the universal Church. We are most grateful to Cardinal Keith O’Brien for the generosity he has shown us in making a place of worship available, not just for Christmas but in the months ahead, as we seek to serve those Episcopalians who look to us for spiritual and sacramental support.”
Hmmm. Is this a recruitment effort for an ordinariate to follow?
Could be mere courtesy and ecumenical efforts between real believers.
Actually dwstroudmd is closer to the truth. St. Catherine’s has always been a place of welcome to all since I used to attend the Friday evening ‘Taize’ prayer around the cross (and that was a quarter of a century ago), and has a lovely chapel that you can feel the years the nuns have been praying there. Both Archbishops in Scotland (O’Brien and Conti) have long had close relations with the small but vibrant Anglo-Catholic community in Scotland, but since the sad passing of +George Sessford, there have been no Catholic Episcopal Bishops in Scotland in the true sense of the word, and Heaven help you if you oppose WO.
I also used to attend a monthly ‘Vocations’ Mass at St, Catherine’s, and really miss see that chapel full of young people. I joked with the Sister Superior that I am a product of those Masses.
Anglo-Catholicism is basically dead upon arrival now in Scotland as Len is really all that is left. A lot escaped to the military and I couldn’t believe just how much like TEC the SEC had gone with multiple openly practicing gay clergy, some of whom I will acknowledge are my friends.
As to going to Rome, remember we are talking about Scotland which on occassion can be considered Nth Ireland lite.