And we should not think we are immune from such problems
From the Catholic Herald (UK)
By Francis Phillips
Whatever
a Catholic’s views on the matter, it has been a sad spectacle watching
the Church of England falling into increasing disunity, this time over
the question of women bishops. Once you allow the principle of female
ordination, you can’t, as someone remarked, then try to impose a
stained-glass ceiling. I feel sorry for those women priests who, with
sincerity, see the problem as one of continued inequality with men; I
feel sorry for those who voted against women bishops on the grounds that
this development is unscriptural; I also feel sorry for those who voted
against the motion because they believe provision for conscientious
objectors is not good enough; and I feel sorry for Justin Welby, future
Archbishop of Canterbury, who is soon to enter this minefield. It is all
a mess and does not serve the vigorous Christian witness that this
country desperately needs.
Yet there is still – from a Catholic
perspective – good news. I attended the Towards Advent festivities at
Westminster Cathedral Hall on Saturday and stopped at the Ordinariate
stall. A young priest there, who told me he was once an Anglican curate,
gave me some literature on the Ordinariate and we both agreed that the
best thing to do is to pray for Anglicans, distressed by this latest
Synod vote, to “come home”. The Gospel for yesterday, the Feast of
Christ the King, John 18, 33-37, quotes Jesus’ answer to Pilate: “I came
into the world for this: to bear witness to the truth; and all who are
on the side of truth listen to my voice.” Thus I pray that those
Anglicans who are seeking the truth and who are currently at a loss
within their own Communion find it within the Catholic Church.
In
Memorare, the newsletter of the Friends of the Ordinariate of Our Lady
of Walsingham, which I was handed at the stall, there is a reflection by
Fr Christopher Colvin, Rector of St James’, Spanish Place. He writes
that “When the General Synod of the Church of England agreed to the
proposal to ordain women to its priesthood [in 1992], the decision was
for many of us a watershed.” At that time Fr Colvin was part of a small
group which met with the Catholic hierarchy to try to find a way forward
to move into full communion. He writes that “it was fortuitous that the
Catechism of the Catholic Church was published at this time”; it was to
form the basis of discussions that took place over a period of two
years. Finally he, along with 36 others, was received into full
communion just after Easter 1996. “What was unusual about our reception
was that we made the attempt to stay together as Catholics…while
maintaining as close relations as possible with those who had chosen to
remain Anglican”, he says.
Fr Colvin likes to think that Pope
Benedict’s initiative in creating the Ordinariate for groups of
Anglicans coming into full communion within the Church “is building on
what we tried to do… in the 1990s.” Thank God this is in place for
others who might decide that now is the time for them to join with their
fellows. The newsletter reminds us, in a message from the Ordinary,
Monsignor Keith Newton, that they need funds to continue their special
apostolate within the Church: “”We have received much good will and a
warm welcome from our fellow Catholics, but now we need significant
financial help to ensure we are able to grow and flourish.” I shall put
my money where my pen is and make a regular donation.
With these
reflections in mind, we in the Church still need to be vigilant. A
fellow parishioner and friend, who recently attended a meeting organised
by members of the National Board of Catholic Women and our bishop,
Peter Doyle of Northampton, tells me that at the end of the day (the
Bishop had left by this stage) people were asked to put up their hands
if they thought “the Catholic Church would one day ordain women
priests.” Apparently many hands immediately shot up.
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