The Archbishop of Canterbury said this week that there was “no for-ever-and-a-day prohibition” on Anglican and Ordinariate congregations’ sharÂing buildings, but “pastoral senÂsitivities” meant that it was too early to happen yet.
Speaking after the fourth bilateral meeting of Anglican and Roman CaÂtholic diocesan bishops, which was held at St George’s Roman Catholic Cathedral, Southwark, on Monday, Dr Williams said: “I don’t think there’s any objection in principle [to sharing buildings], but if you have a congregation that’s just divided, it’s not ideal that they’re sharing the same church.”
hmmm actions speak louder than words. As one who has dealt with the Anglican authorities first hand this just comes accross as the polite explanation to the Catholic heirarchy to mask the grumpy scorched earth, zero tolerance attitude being shown to the Ordinariate on the ground
#1 — And why should the Anglicans cooperate with the Ordinariate? When and I others left the RCC, we were told we were apostate and going to Hell for leaving the “One True Church.” Not anything “tolerant” about that! Do what we did — go and live fully into your new church, apart from the Anglican church and authority you reject. A complete break is really the best way.
[Comment deleted by Elf – stay on topic]
One might also ponder what is going on where almost everyone moved so the C of E ‘planted’ into the parish in order to ensure the division was there….
A clean break is healthy but sometimes poses problems. Moving from a well equipped building set up for Catholic devotion to a hall with plastic chairs makes the whole job of delivering the patrimony that much harder! But it can still be done of course….
Look, I am in a parish where there is a guitar and an organ service. There’s plenty enough stress over just that, and never mind the kind of manufactured griping in #3. I think it would be reasonable to give over this or that redundant church to an ordinariate parish, but I have to agree that Cantuar’s words here are simple prudence.
#3 — Give them back to Rome/the Vatican? Did Rome build them? Has Rome maintained them? Many of those churches were built by kings, noblemen and the like to buttress their claim on power and make monuments, not for the Church of Rome. These are maintained as national historic sites by the people and as part of the established Christian church.
Hmm, so if a number of residents of our so-called “commonwealths” in the United States decided that they no longer agreed with US governance, laws, and practices and wanted to become English citizens once again, do you think the U.S. government should turn over Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, etc. to England? After all, they initially were built up by England, so if some of the citizens want to become Britons again, then, by your reasoning, we should return the buildings and such to England. Especially Jamestown.
I am not going to hold my breath over whether the C of E is going to systematically act like adults about all this.
Rugbyplayingpriest must realise that the CofE is not going to do anything to lessen the material consequences of opting for the Ordinariate; the harder it is to make the break the better. Anyway, I thought that church planting was one of the ‘new ways of being church’ with which the Church of England is experimenting. What better place to plant than where the soil in the vineyard is now fallow, having driven off the previous labourers who would not follow the modern methods of vinedressing?
Look at it this way, the best people to found the Ordinariate are those that are prepared to make real sacrifices and know what is required in faith and truth, rather than those who stumble after two opinions.
I am sure the Ordinariate will take a leaf from ACNA’s book – although in several well-publicised cases ACNA congregations have refused to bow to TEC law suits and have fought to retain their properties (and the legal situation in USA is of course very different to England), yet many ACNA congregations have departed without the properties. One thing that has emerged from the terrible times in America is that devoted congregations will worship anywhere – a gym, a store front, homes – until such time as they are financially viable to afford their own place.
The Ordinariate I think has one advantage that ACNA lacks – TEC has reportedly been quite spiteful about not selling its properties to ACNA congregations. I doubt that the CofE will be like that. Once the Ordinariate congregations are established and financial, I expect they will be able to find churches to purchase. Probably quite a lot to choose from, the way CofE is losing money these days.