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Cardinal Donald Wuerl addresses the U.S. Bishop's Conference
on November 15, 2011 |
THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: The Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, has just approved the creation of a U.S. Ordinariate for Anglicans seeking to enter the Catholic Church. The ordinariate will be erected on January 1st, 2012. The name of the ordinariate and the ordinary will be released at that time. Cardinal Wuerl made the announcement today at the USCCB Conference, though the pope had actually made the approval on October 28, 2011 in the presence of Cardinal Levada. Cardinal Wuerl was authorised to make the announcement today at the bishops conference. The full text of Cardinal Wuerl's report can be viewed
HERE. Another blogger has prepared a general Q&A for Roman Catholics
here.
5 comments; post here:
As a former Anglo Catholic, now Catholic, this is wonderful news, that so many have been waiting to hear.
I attend a group of Episcopalians who are planning to enter the Ordinariate. My prayers are that once the Ordinariate is erected that many more Anglicans/TEC members will decide that this is a reality and not DOA as many Anglican priests of Continuing groups have been saying. Of course, this won't stop them from their unchristian remarks. To be honest it appears that their main concern is the competition that one can be Catholic and retain their Patrimony.
All thanks to the Holy Father for this great gift and first to Jesus Christ and His Blessed Mother.
I think the continuing groups basically HAVE TO say those things because it's one of the only ways they will be able to hang on to their members. These continuing groups are the most vulnerable to the ordinariate plan, as the Catholic Church promises to offer them all the orthodoxy they are seeking among their splinter denominations plus a crack at real ecumenism -- by fulfilling the desires of the Oxford Fathers. Their members will slowly peal away one by one until there is nothing left, and they know it. So they say the whole ordinariate plan will be a failure, hoping to create a self-fulfilling prophecy, but deep down inside they know their days are numbered. In the end, they will either seek to enter the ordinariate as entire parishes, or else they will eventually close their doors forever. I guarantee, in ten years time, there will be no point being an Anglo-Catholic outside of full communion with the Roman Catholic Church.
In contrast, I predict The Episcopal Church will survive, but not in its present form. It will continue to lose members to the ordinariate, and those who stay will continue to grow old. The Liberal base they sought to cater to will end up becoming their core, and that will be all that's left of them. In ten years time, the rainbow flag will fly over every Episcopal parish that still has its doors open, and it will be exclusively known as a "gay church".
Let us pray that the Anglican patrimony, which is indeed Catholic at its root, will contribute to the enhancement of music, church architecture, ritual, and form in our Catholic liturgy.
This is good news! Any mention of a UK ordinariate for Anglicans? That would really shake up the world of protestantism and bring all Christians home to the mother church sooner.
The UK ordinaraite was established last January, and is going strong.
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