Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori has issued an order for Restoration of Ordained Ministry for retired Bishop of Albany Daniel W. Herzog, who left the Episcopal Church in March 2007 to join the Roman Catholic Church.
“I am delighted at his return to ordained ministry in the Episcopal Church,” said Jefferts Schori.
The presiding bishop issued the order after “full consultation and on the recommendation of Diocese of Albany Bishop William H. Love,” according to a news release from the church’s Office of Public Affairs due to be posted…. [soon].
I’m reminded of the lines from Robert Bolt’s “A Man for All Seasons:”
Must be several stories in this. 1) Life in the RCC for an anglican cleric. 2) Albany and 815. 3) Why not ACNA.
Welcome back to the one true church.
I’m not going to take Chris’ bait – for there surely are “several stories” existing in this kind of situation with or without Bp Herzog.
First blush reaction, Good for us.
As well, I’m trusting that +Dan is well aware of the dressing down he will receive from various quarters of the Church, and all – I believe – for good reason.
I agree with everything you say, Rob+. My point exactly is that several stories exist at the same time in this..and in many cases.
May he continue to serve and love Christ wherever he may be.
All I can say is that I am more than delighted that this (great) bishop of the church and servant of our Lord is home again and officially received as such. It feels like the darkness of Mordor is breaking, at least for one part of middle earth, or perhaps it just seems lighter, as I suspect it did when King Theoden came riding in to Gondor’s aid. I am heart glad for the Diocese of Albany, Bishop Love and Bp. Dan and Carol.
Rob+
What Mr Sulik said.
bless him on his journey. Only God can judge.
This is very sad news, very bad news, too
I agree, trooper. I wonder what has happened?
I don’t doubt that both decisions were done after much prayer and soul searching. I have no reason to doubt his motives or question his sincerity. Perhaps he felt he could be a stronger and clearer voice for the Gospel in TEO. I don’t know. But I wish him all the best.
Does anyone think that he may be swiping his card again in order to re-cross the Tiber under the Apostolic Constitution?
Shades of Bishop Pope almost twenty years ago.
There could be a number of defensible reasons for returning, but none that I can see for seeking renewal of one’s episcopal mandate. I sincerely hope RMBruton is wrong and surely Rome would have problems with such an approach.
[url=http://catholicandreformed.blogspot.com]Catholic and Reformed[/url]
One can only assume he would need to make some assurances to Ms Schori that would betray an orthodox faith? Just guessing but I cannot see him being allowed back otherwise, can you?
We had some experience here when women priests came in. Quite a few vicars, and their wives headed off to Rome. Quietly many have returned, finding the culture and practice to be not quite as they had thought, and perhaps realising why they were Anglicans.
As far as I know as a bishop Bishop Herzog was a great asset, and I see no reason why God should not have called him back to continue that ministry more effectively than he could serve in the RC church.
More generally, there are good reasons for becoming Roman Catholic, if that is what you believe, but a safe haven from the problems of the Anglican one are not a good reason and invariably will lead to disappointment. Even Newman was reported to have been seen sadly sitting at the back of Evensong after slinking in quietly after his conversion.
#15 RPP – I see no reason to believe that he would have compromised his faith to be restored. Perhaps the canons were followed in this instance.
cseitz (#2.) wrote,
Point 1), “Life in the Rcc for an anglican cleric.”
Both the Roman Church and the Anglican church in the eastern Upstate NY region have the same secular demographic and that ‘secularism’ is affecting both churches with similar problems. The centrality of the the RCC Diocese of Albany’s command authority over its priests gives an external appearance of things being kept under control but there may be a lot ‘going on under the surface’ in that diocese that Bishop Herzog became acutely aware of. Finally, it seems to me, that the actual authoritative bureauocratric structure of the RC may have been too stifling for him.
Point 2), “Albany and 815.”
This is a mystery to me. The orthodox/traditional Anglican majority (2/3 to 3/4) in the Epicopal Diocese of Albany is staunchly orthodox. Bishop Bill Love is still committed to the course of action that he and the diocese have taken over the past two years which in a straighjt forward manner states that there will be no clergy licensed in the diocese who are actively involved in sexual relationships other than those of marraige between a man and a woman and that there will be no blessings of same-sex unions under the auspices of the diocese. It would seem to me that “815” would seek to weaken the orthodox Anglican position in the diocese rather than strengthen it by returning a strong orthodox leader such as Bishop Dan Herzog to the field of play.
Further, I can’t see either Bishop Bill or Bishop Dan being partners in any decision with “815” that would weaken the position of the orthodox Anglicans in the diocese. It would be so out of character for either man that it could only be accomplished by ‘complete soul and brain transplants.’ And if there were such a deal, it would tear the fabric of the diocese.
Point 3), “Why not ACNA?”
Bishop Bill has said at the last two diocesan conventions that he is both an Anglican and an Episcopalian. As long as he can lead the Diocese of Albany with integrity and remain in the Episcopal Church, he will. When the time comes that he can’t, I think that he will lead the diocese to that ecclesiological situation given to him by the Holy Spirit.
A final thought. Its quite possible that Pope Benedict and his staff see the Episcopal Diocese of Albany as a shining light of orthodox Church Catholic belief, practice and leadership in a darkening secular world. It may also be possible that the Roman Church’s discernment and Bishop Dan Herzog’s discernment are that Bishop Dan can better serve God in the broader Church Catholic as a retired, yet active, bishop in the Episcopal Diocese of Albany.
Well, given that he had been a Roman (and maybe a Roman priest?) before becoming Episcopalian, I would imagine that the transition from being Bishop Hertzog to Mr. Hertzog would have been very difficult. Rome would not allow him to function as anything other than your standard layman, and I’ve got to think that it would be an incredibly difficult transition. I’m saddened, but not surprised.
Elves,
Help! I did it again. Please remove the effect of ‘=====…======’ in my blog comment.
Advocate,
No one but the parties involved really knows what may or may not be promised to clerical-converts to Rome. It is safe to presume that they know they are entering as laymen who may or may not be eligible for ordination at some future time. They aren’t being Shanghaied, they are voluntarily converting. So they should understand Rome’s terms, beforehand.
#17. Thanks, knowing both Bishops Love and Herzog, it is good to have confirmation from inside the diocese. I might have thought he’d join up with Bena and go that route. Your last sentence would make sense to me. I know in Dallas the relationship between RC and Anglican bodies is much along the same lines.
While Albany does have +Herzog back in the fold, and remains under the episcopal spirit of +Love, let us not forget that Albany is sill blessed by the leadership and Christian presence of Bp. David Ball as well, who has been and continues to be a great blessing to Albany and the Cathedral of All Saints.
RMBruton, actually, one can have a pretty good idea of what is promised to clerical converts, but it does depend on whether they were ever RCs. If they were, then the chances of them ever functioning as a cleric in the Roman church is less than 1%. There may be some rare exceptions, but for the overwhelming majority they are going to be laymen. And if they were ever a Roman priest, the chance of functioning as a priest is zero – Rome simply doesn’t allow it. If they are coming in as an unmarried priest, then they would go through an abbreviated re-tread, be evaluated, then ordained if they meet the appropriate standards. If they are pastoral provision, then (until the Ordinariate gets up and running) you have to find a bishop willing to ordain a married man with a family, and go through the re-tread process. Given how extensive this process is, I can’t believe that the specifics wouldn’t have been gone through in excruciating detail before the man ever made the choice to swim – particularly if you have a family to consider.
#22. I am quite certain that +Bishop Herzog was at one time a seminarian but was never ordained as a priest in the R.C. Church prior to becoming an Episcopalian. He’s been ordained in our Church for some 36+ years, so this story is actually decades long in its unfolding.
Personally, I sort of look at his recent involvement with Rome as something along the lines of a sabbatical leave following many years of grueling ministry as a priest and a bishop. It seemed to me that he was very tired by the time he made the decision to retire as Bishop of Albany.
Regardless, it’s certainly good to see him back. I hope that he has some fresh legs, because I think that he’ll need them. +Bishop Love could use his help and support and I would be surprised if he didn’t do just that.
This kind of enlightenment/re-enlightenment does not instill much confidence in me. Above all it makes Mrs. Schori’s kind of Church more attractive; which he clearly thought that it was not.