Ordinariates Mark 10 Years of Anglican Traditions and Catholic Communion

From National Catholic Register-

Ten years is not a long time in the life of the Church, but in that time since their founding under Benedict XVI the Ordinariates, three Catholic dioceses with Anglican traditions situated across the globe, have worked with dedication to advance the Church’s Gospel mandate.

On Nov. 4, 2009, Benedict XVI issued his apostolic constitution Anglicanorum coetibus, allowing a wave of Anglican and Episcopal congregations and priests to become fully Catholic and keep their Anglican traditions. Pope Francis has also further advanced what Benedict XVI started, unleashing the Ordinariates for greater Catholic evangelization, witness, and growth.

In this interview with the Register, Bishop Steven Lopes of the Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter, which covers North America, discusses the jubilee year the Ordinariates are now celebrating. He shares the reasons behind the Pope’s strong support, the challenges of the past 10 years, and what lies ahead for the evangelical and ecumenical mission of the Ordinariate.

More here-

http://www.ncregister.com/blog/pjsmith/ordinariate-jubilee

I was an Anglican bishop. Then the Pope made an offer I couldn’t refuse

From The Catholic Herald-

It hardly seems possible that it has been 10 years since the publication of the apostolic constitution Anglicanorum coetibus. This allowed for a diocese-like structure to be created for former Anglicans so that they could bring into the Universal Church something of the pastoral, liturgical and spiritual traditions which had formed them over the years.

I vividly remember the day of the announcement. It was something that many of us had been praying for, for a very long time.

In my study, there is a large painting of Mgr Graham Leonard when he was the Anglican Bishop of Truro. In the 1990s, when the Church of England decided to ordain women priests, Bishop Leonard wrote a letter to the Catholic Herald in which he expressed the hope that some structure could be formed, perhaps a personal prelature, to allow former Anglicans to enter the Catholic Church corporately. Years later his hopes were fulfilled by Pope Benedict XVI in a way in that we never could have imagined.

More here-

https://catholicherald.co.uk/magazine/i-was-an-anglican-bishop-then-the-pope-made-an-offer-i-couldnt-refuse/

Married Catholic priest to be keynote speaker at Italian Catholic Federation dinner

From California-

The Rev. Gregory Elder, the first canonically ordained and married Catholic priest in the Diocese of San Bernardino, will be the keynote speaker when the Italian Catholic Federation, Branch 217, holds its gala dinner 5-8 p.m. Thursday, March 21.

Elder, who was raised as a Protestant in the Episcopal Church, studied Anglican theology at Oxford after receiving his bachelor’s degree. In 1983 he was ordained as a deacon and an Episcopal priest and served almost 20 years, having been assigned three congregations along with his professorships.

In 2003, he entered the Roman Catholic Church. He applied for a pastoral provision from Pope John Paul II, underwent scrutiny that included interviews, psychiatric examinations, reviews of academic transcripts and letters of reference, which the Most Rev. Gerald R. Barnes, bishop of the Diocese of San Bernardino, sent to the Vatican, requesting that the pope confer priesthood to a married priest, under the pastoral provision. The pastoral provision is a seldom-used rule under canon law established by Pope John Paul II, which allows Anglican (Episcopal) priests to become Catholic priests, despite marriage.

More here-

https://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/2019/03/11/married-catholic-priest-to-be-keynote-speaker-at-italian-catholic-federation-dinner/

Texas dioceses to release names of clergy who sexually abused children

From Texas-

The 15 Catholic dioceses in Texas and the Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter will release the names of “clergy who have been credibly accused of sexually abusing a minor, going back to at least 1950,” the Texas Conference of Catholic Bishops announced Wednesday.

The Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter is the equivalent of a diocese for priests and laymen from Anglican backgrounds.

“My hope in releasing these names is to be transparent and begin to rebuild trust with the people I shepherd. This is only one action in response to this crisis in our church. As the Bishop of the Diocese of Austin, I am committed to protecting children from any abuse. Indeed, this is what Christ expects from me and all who serve His people,” Bishop Joe S. Vásquez of the Diocese of Austin said.
The bishops’ decision to release the names was reached on Sept. 30.

“This is an action in response to the faithful’s call for greater accountability and transparency,” said Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, archbishop of Galveston-Houston. 

More here-

https://www.kwtx.com/content/news/Texas-dioceses-to-release-names-of-clergy-who-sexually-abused-children-496639921.html

Extraordinarily Ordinary

From The Living Church-

In October 2009, under the direction of Pope Benedict XVI, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) issued an “apostolic constitution” named (as is customary) by its opening words, Anglicanorum Coetibus. This was in response to persistent requests over the years from various Anglican and para-Anglican individuals and groups to enter full communion with the See of Rome, while retaining both married clergy and certain liturgical forms and ceremonial practices that have evolved and become beloved within the broader Anglican tradition.

Anglicanorum Coetibus paved the way for the creation of what are now three personal ordinariates — one each in the United Kingdom, North America, and Australia. These entities function almost as dioceses that geographically overlap the familiar diocesan boundaries of the Roman Catholic Church, with a few key distinctions. (They are analogous but not identical to groups of Eastern Rite parishes within the Roman Catholic Church.)

In the United Kingdom and in Australia, the Ordinary of each ordinariate is a former Anglican bishop, who has all the power and authority of a Roman Catholic bishop, but has not actually been
(re-)ordained to the episcopate, since the accommodation for married clergy in the Roman Catholic Church extends only to priests, not bishops.

More here-

https://livingchurch.org/covenant/2018/04/06/extraordinarily-ordinary/?platform=hootsuite

Former Anglican bishop finds a home in the Catholic Church

From Catholic World Report-

Monsignor Keith Newton, 65, is the ordinary of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, headquartered in London, England. The ordinariate was established in 2011 by Pope Benedict XVI; its purpose is to reunite Anglicans with Rome while preserving elements of their distinctive Anglican patrimony.

Msgr. Newton was a bishop in the Church of England before being received into full communion with the Roman Catholic Church in 2011. Shortly after, he was ordained a priest and appointed to lead the ordinariate. As he explained, “I have the authority of a bishop, but because I am married, I am not able to be ordained a bishop.” He and his wife Gill have three adult children.

The ordinariate has 90 priests, 11 transitional deacons, and five permanent deacons serving 35 congregations throughout England, Wales, and Scotland. Some of its clergy serve their congregations full-time, others also work in diocesan parishes or as chaplains in hospitals, prisons, and schools.


More here-


http://www.catholicworldreport.com/2017/07/23/former-anglican-bishop-finds-a-home-in-the-catholic-church/

How the CDF Created the Anglican Ordinariate

From National Catholic Register-

Benedict XVI gave a tremendous gift to the English-speaking world in 2009, when he finally realized a dream centuries in the making, and established a permanent canonical home for groups from the Anglican tradition seeking to enter the Catholic Church with the apostolic constitution Anglicanorum Coetibus.

Today, the Catholic Church has three Personal Ordinariates — informally known as the “Anglican Ordinariates” — that preserve the Anglican patrimony in their Catholic parishes, communities, and religious orders. These Personal Ordinariates have the only English form of the Roman Missal, promulgated by Pope Francis, called Divine Worship — an actual English form, not an English translation of the Latin Mass — written in traditional, poetic “Prayer Book” English. Each Personal Ordinariate covers a region of the globe (Oceania, the United Kingdom, and North America) and is headed by a bishop or ordinary who falls directly under the jurisdiction of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

But how did the Vatican determine the solution for corporate unification with the Catholic Church had to be this structure called a “Personal Ordinariate?”

More here-

http://www.ncregister.com/blog/pjsmith/how-the-cdf-created-the-anglican-ordinariate

A San Antonio parish wins a Texican stand-off against its bishop.

From The American Spectator-

It’s gotta sting.

The Vatican has just whupped Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller of San Antonio, upholding the right of the parish of Our Lady of the Atonement to place itself under the authority of a more congenial bishop. What should have been no more than a dust-up in the sacristy unexpectedly reached its “This Time He’s Gone Too Far” moment when Archbishop Garcia-Siller yanked the parish’s beloved and long-time pastor, Father Christopher Phillips.

In a letter dated January 19, 2017, and addressed to the parishioners of OLA, the archbishop explained that Father Phillips would leave the parish “to dedicate some time to reflect on certain specific concerns that I have shared with him.” Foremost among the archbishop’s “concerns” is the possible existence of “expressions in the life of the parish that indicate an identity separate from, rather than simply unique, among the parishes of the archdiocese.” (Huh?) During his time of reflection, Father Phillips “will not have the responsibility of pastoral care or authority in the parish.”

More here-

https://spectator.org/blazing-chasubles-a-san-antonio-parish-wins-a-texican-stand-off-against-its-bishop/

Texas Anglican-use parish adopted into Anglican ordinariate

From Texas-

A vigorous Catholic parish in Texas, led by a former Anglican priest, has been incorporated into the Anglican Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter, ending a battle for control.

The Anglican ordinariate—which is responsible for the Anglican communities in America coming into the Catholic Church under the provisions of 2009 papal document Anglicanorum Coetibus—announced that the parish of Our Lady of Atonement had been transferred to the jurisdiction of the ordinariate. The parish, along with its school, had previously been a part of the Archdiocese of San Antonio.

Father Christopher Phillips, a married Anglican priest, had originally entered the Catholic Church and been ordained to the Catholic priesthood under the “pastoral provision” for Anglicans set up by Pope John Paul II. He brought many Anglican lay people with him, and attracted others to the community, making Our Lady of Atonement a flourishing parish community.

More here-

https://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=31094

AFTER LONG BATTLE, TEXAS PARISH JOINS ANGLICAN ORDINARIATE

From Church Militant-

In a victory for a Texas parish, the Holy See has approved the admission of Our Lady of Atonement Catholic Church into the Anglican Ordinariate, effective March 21.

Our Lady of the Atonement was the nation's first pastoral provision parish, established in 1983, after Pope John Paul II made special provisions for former Anglicans to found Catholic parishes where traditional Anglican liturgy is offered. The Vatican established the North American Ordinariate in 2012, and ordained its first bishop, Steven Lopes, in 2016.

The Holy See is now directing that all pastoral provision parishes in the United States and Canada be integrated into the Personal Ordiariate of the Chair of St. Peter. Our Lady of the Atonement will join 40 other Ordinariate parishes in North America.

More here-

http://www.churchmilitant.com/news/article/after-long-battle-texas-parish-joins-anglican-ordinariate

Removal of pastor feeds perceptions of draconian authority

From Crux-

News came through last week of an astonishing overreach by the Archbishop of San Antonio, Gustavo Garcia-Siller. In a letter to parishioners he explained that he was removing their pastor, Father Christopher Phillips “to dedicate some time to reflect on certain specific concerns that I have shared with him.”

Phillips’ fascinating story as a convert from the Anglican tradition was highlighted in an article at Crux a few months ago. In 1982, as an Episcopal priest with a young family, Phillips traveled from his native Rhode Island and was ordained under the rules of the Pastoral Provision by Archbishop Patrick Flores.

For the last thirty five years Phillips has worked with his people to build a thriving parish and school in San Antonio. The parish faithfully maintains the Anglican patrimony within full communion of the Catholic Church.

More here-

https://cruxnow.com/commentary/2017/01/29/removal-pastor-feeds-perceptions-draconian-authority/

Even in the Ozarks, Anglican tradition finds space inside Catholicism

From Crux Now-

In the unlikely setting of the Ozarks, a new structure within the Catholic Church intended to provide space for former Anglicans to preserve their patrimony puts down roots and finds an improbable appeal even to Baptists and Pentecostals.

In 2009, I was headed for a retreat with other men who had come into full communion with the Catholic Church from the Anglican tradition. As we traveled, we caught the news that Pope Benedict XVI had established a kind of “church within the Church” for Anglicans called “a personal Ordinariate.”

The Archbishop of Canterbury at the time, Dr. Rowan Williams, was taken by surprise, and it was clear that he was not pleased. Observers on both the Anglican and Catholic side of the ecumenical table were critical.

This was not a move forward ecumenically, they accused, but a simple attempt at “sheep stealing” on the part of the Catholics.

More here-

https://cruxnow.com/interviews/2016/07/07/even-ozarks-anglican-tradition-finds-space-inside-catholicism/

First bishop of the Anglican Military Ordinariate elected

From Anglican Journal-

In the first election of its kind, Col. the Ven. Nigel Shaw, director of chaplaincy operations for the Canadian Army, Navy and Air Force, was chosen as the new bishop-elect of the Anglican Military Ordinariate March 5 via an electronic electoral synod.

“It’s very humbling, at one level, to realize how much trust has been placed in you by the people of the Ordinariate,” Shaw said in an interview. “The thought of being able to continue to minister with the community that I’ve been a part of and loved so dearly for so long is really exciting.”

Shaw said that one of his priorities as bishop is the expansion of lay people’s role within the Ordinariate in the wider church.

More here-

http://www.anglicanjournal.com/articles/first-bishop-of-the-anglican-military-ordinariate-elected

The UK ordinariate, five years on

From Catholic World Report-

The Sunday School is now too large and the children just can’t fit comfortably into the Parish Room in the Rectory.  So a Children’s Choir has been formed from among the older children, those who have made their First Communion. There has been considerable enthusiasm and the choir has now been rehearsing for some weeks. They will sing regularly at Mass—proper Mass settings, drawn from both the Catholic and the Anglican musical tradition. They are being trained by a paid musical director, who also oversees a professional choir—of which more below.

More here-

http://www.catholicworldreport.com/Blog/4625/the_uk_ordinariate_five_years_on.aspx

Welcome home, returning Anglicans to the Catholic Church.

Bloggers News Network-

The Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Peter is a mouthful for the new Catholic bishop that has the pastoral responsibility for Anglicans coming into the Roman Church since permission was granted by Pope Benedict XVI with his establishment of an ordinariate for Anglicans that sought to reunite with the Roman Catholic Church. Most Catholic don’t even know that these three ordinatiates even exist.

In November 2009, in response to these inquiries from Anglican groups worldwide, Pope Benedict XVI issued an apostolic constitution, Anglicanorum Coetibus. This document authorized the creation of “ordinariates” — communities that would be fully Catholic yet retain elements of Anglican heritage and liturgical practice.
 
More here-

http://www.bloggernews.net/137591

First Anglican Ordinariate Bishop Ordained: ‘It Means We’re Here to Stay’

From National Catholic Register-

In a majestic Mass at Houston’s Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart on Tuesday evening, history was made for the Anglican ordinariates established by Pope Benedict XVI: Their first bishop was ordained.
“In a nutshell, it means we’re here to stay,” summarized Msgr. Harry Entwistle, the ordinary of Australia’s ordinariate, which is under the patroness of Our Lady of the Southern Cross.

The new bishop, Stephen Joseph Lopes, 40, a native of California, was in fact instrumental in the creation of the ordinariate that he now leads — the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter.

Read more:

http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/first-anglican-ordinariate-bishop-ordained-it-means-were-here-to-stay/#ixzz3zIZPi7p9

Vatican veteran poised to lead converts

From Houston-

Steven Lopes was a "cradle Catholic," reared in a family that never acted as if religion stopped at the church door.

Superlatives topped superlatives in a career that brought him three degrees from Rome's Pontifical Gregorian University, stints as a university teacher, secretary posts with key church officials and a leadership role in the Vatican's outreach to Anglicans, Episcopalians and Methodists.

When the Vatican needed someone to oversee melding of Catholic and Anglican liturgical traditions, it turned to the boyish California priest, who, associates said, possessed the rare ability to seem at ease in any situation.

More here-

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Vatican-veteran-a-real-person-poised-to-lead-6797426.php

Book tells story of married former Episcopal priests now Catholic priests

From Catholic Philly-

In “Keeping the Vow,” author Father D. Paul Sullins, a sociologist and a former Episcopal priest, presents his research on a tiny but fascinating subcategory of American Catholic priests — married Catholic priests who were formerly Episcopal priests.

The author is in that group; married with three adult children, he became a Catholic priest in 2002. He is a sociology professor at The Catholic University of America in Washington.

In 1980, the Vatican created a pastoral provision allowing the U.S. to admit into the Catholic priesthood former Episcopal priests who have become Catholic. Since that time, at least 80 priests along with their wives and children have made this transition. Most of them serve in dioceses in the Southwest, many of them in Texas in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

More here-

http://catholicphilly.com/2016/01/us-world-news/culture/book-tells-story-of-married-former-episcopal-priests-now-catholic-priests/

Anglican ordinariates: Crux explains it well; the Houston Chronicle, not so much

From Get Religion-

For those of us who follow the ins and outs of Episcopalians, Anglicans and Catholics, there was an interesting development recently when the Vatican appointed a bishop to oversee 42 Anglican-rite North American churches. They had converted as congregations to Catholicism but retained some of their Anglican liturgies and customs, such as married clergy.

This group of Anglican churches is called an ordinariate and a system of bringing them into the Catholic fold was created in 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI. The priest he originally tapped to head it up was the Rev. Jeffrey Steenson, the former Episcopal bishop of the Albuquerque-based Rio Grande diocese (which is New Mexico and a corner of far west Texas).

Steenson was elected bishop in October 2004 and consecrated in January 2005. Then less then two years later in September 2007, he shocked his diocese by announcing he was turning Catholic and resigning his position. 

More here-

http://www.getreligion.org/getreligion/2015/11/29/anglican-ordinariates-crux-explains-it-well-the-houston-chronicle-not-so-much

Anglican appointment reveals continuity between Pope Francis and Benedict

From Crux Now-

At the level of style, Pope Francis is obviously a somewhat jarring contrast with his predecessor, emeritus Pope Benedict XVI. Francis generally comes off as a warm Latin populist, Benedict more a cool German intellectual.

Leaders, however, promote either continuity or rupture not primarily at the level of style but rather policy, and on that front, one can make a case that Francis has a surprising amount in common with Benedict. His reforms on both Vatican finances and the clerical sexual abuse scandals, to take one example, are clearly extensions of Benedict’s legacy.

A new chapter in this largely untold story of continuity came on Tuesday, when the pontiff tapped 40-year-old American Monsignor Steven Lopes as the first-ever bishop of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter, one of three jurisdictions created under Pope Benedict in 2012 to welcome former Anglicans into the Catholic Church.

More here-

http://www.cruxnow.com/church/2015/11/25/anglican-appointment-reveals-continuity-between-pope-francis-and-benedict/