Following the news earlier this week of five bishops resigning to join the Roman Catholic Church in the wake of protests over changes ”“ among them the ordination of women bishops ”“ two leading local figures have now admitted they are considering their position.
Father Ed Tomlinson, from St Barnabus’ Church in Tunbridge Wells and Father Ivan Aquilina of St John the Baptist in Sevenoaks, spoke about the difficult decision they face and explained the schism between traditionalists and modernisers within the church.
Father Tomlinson said: “Certainly it is fair to say that it would be very difficult for anyone with genuine Catholic convictions to stay, although some may try and do that for the time being.
“Catholicism in the Church of England is dead beyond a generation. People could stay and enjoy the last few years or could make a radical decision in the short term that would guarantee a better future.
“It is easy intellectually, but emotionally it is much harder. The important thing to say is that no decision has been made yet.”
many of the so called quotes do not even make sense!! Traditional scripture should have read tradition OR scripture. But at least the tone got through….
Yes, the jumbled prose is disconcerting. I am always surprised at uncorrected stuff online because presumably it would be perfectly possible to call it back and correct it. And oh dear I am so tired of the trend among unlettered news reporters to spell St Barnabas as St Barnabus. I was struck, though, by the comment that (Anglo-) Catholicism will last one more generation in the Church of England. I think that some Anglicans have decided that it will see them through to the end (and hopefully beyond), and for the rest, they let things be as beyond any meaningful change.
Just a personal comment. Before getting involved in blogging, I really knew very little about Anglo-Catholicism, or indeed Catholic thought.
It is thanks to those radical blogging priests on Anglican Wanderings, together with Ed Tomlinson, and indeed Fr Ivan Aquilina that a window into their world and thought has opened up, along with reading the outstandingly well thought through and humorous contributions from the FiF conferences, some of which I transcribed here. Theirs is a strange but wonderful world of close biblical reading, humor and deep reverence for Christ and his sacraments which reflect deep awe in particular for His sacrifice through the Eucharist.
This for me has been a fascinating and charming journey into a part of my church I knew little of. It has its challenges, but I think the two things which mark it are its deep reverence and wonder at God’s majesty conveyed in ritual, color and theological depth; and its missionary zeal to serve in parishes in the poorer parts of our towns and cities which are less attractive to the evangelicals and liberals, save for an occassional visit. One tends to forget the impetus provided to education, mission and healthcare spearheaded by Anglo-Catholics in the 19th Century. My one disappointment is that the modern Anglo-Catholic is nowhere near as determined and subversive as his 19th Century counterparts. How would their forbears have behaved I wonder? Not by whinging I suspect, but by coming out with noisy opposition, and discomforting and shaming the rest of us. Who of the modern generation would risk prison for ritualism I wonder?
Sadly I have only learned what I have, in time to see some of those I have the highest regard for preparing to throw in the towel and depart for Rome. For those who have decided to become Roman Catholic in all respects, I wish you well and you have my prayers. For the rest I would commend you taking a leaf out of the book of your awkward and subversive antecedants.
More generally as a member of the CofE I have two concerns thoughout the whole of this sorry episode:
1. I suspect that many, like me, do not understand what Anglo-Catholics are about, the distinctive contribution they brought and bring to us in thought, liturgy, and mission. Too late we will realise what we have let go; and
2. I read some of the critical comments by +Alan Wilson, Giles Fraser and even worse from others the relief not to say glee, and I despair for the damage being done to our church by them – they seem to think that we are in our own little bubble in the CofE. We are not – all of the upset, arguments, tears in Synod, and lack of charity have been played out through loudspeakers through the Communion. From being an example to others of how to deal with each other as Christians, notably through the exciting and innovative Flying Bishop provision, we are no longer going to be taken seriously in giving a lead in this or anything else. In winning this battle, a number of these little Englanders have not realised that they have damaged the standing of the Church of England internationally and in the Communion.
Just read the appalling international press reports about all this, the embarrassing intervention of the Ordinariate, and the scandal and opprobrium attaching to us – who can doubt that some in their ruthless determination to win this battle, fail to understand that internationally and in the Communion, they may well have contributed to losing the war.
I hope that the Anglo Catholics stay, and be as awkward and subversive as their ancestors were, and I hope they shame the Alan Wilsons and the Giles Frasers, and all those who would clearly rather see them gone. Given the choice of Alan Wilson or Ed Tomlinson, for me it would be no contest.
Many thanks Pageantmaster; a thoughtful post. One which I too would want to add to by saying I agree:
1. The Anglo-catholic tradition is far richer than the liberal one, in my experience;
2. Their sense of missionary service, both within the CoE and overseas (where I have met them), often shames some others. Although my own missionary experience does not quite agree Evangelicals have a lesser sense of service – at least, not those I have met in Africa!
3. It was AW Tozer who once said certain branches of the Church needed to gain the “Jewel of Worshipâ€, of the kind you portray many an Anglo-catholic enjoys. As for many a liberal view of ‘worship’: it is mere gruel often!
4. To lose their contribution therefore from the CoE would leave a gaping wound. Yet that only suggests Ephraim Radner’s thesis re [i]The End of the Church[/i] is correct …
I continually stand in amazement that in the age of computers with sophisticated grammatical and spelling algorithmic correction programs, that grammar and spelling have gotten more horrific and not less. I typed “Barnabus” into all the word processing programs I own, and it came up with the red squiggly line every time.
[b]5. Archer_of_the_Forest[/b],
We Catholics (I am unsure whether this is also true of Anglo-Catholics) have a principle which is referred to as “[i]invincible ignorance[/i]” which may go some slight way in reducing your amazement. Of course, the principle itself does not apply, the descriptive name might well do.
😉
Pax et bonum,
Keith Töpfer
_______________________
“[i]Spell Czech is hear two stay![/i]”
RE: “In winning this battle, a number of these little Englanders have not realised that they have damaged the standing of the Church of England internationally and in the Communion.”
Yes, but I don’t think they give a hoot in the holler, Pageantmaster, about those people in the Communion who don’t appreciate their efforts.
They’re all primitives anyway — why bother about losing standing with them?
Of course, all of that illustrates the gigantic chasm between the two gospels that exist within the Anglican Communion.