| What does it mean?
There was considerable media interest in the Pope's recent offer of Personal Ordinariates to members of the Church of England and in the Forward in Faith National Assembly held 23rd/24th October 2009.
I was a delegate from the Diocese of Chelmsford constituency of FiF to the National Assembly. In this article I set out my assessment of the current position - where we are and how we got there.
The Church of England is a broad church. A significant part of it is catholic in its faith and practice and this part is generally referred to as traditionalist or Anglo Catholic. It has sought communion with the Roman Catholic Church through the work of the Anglican Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC).
In the early 1990's, the general synod of the Church of England passed a Measure that allowed for the ordination of women to the priesthood. This presented a problem for the traditionalists. First of all, the ordination of women was contrary to a fundamental belief of the catholic faith as received by the Church of England - the Gospels teach us that the priesthood is male. Secondly, the Measure was passed in general synod without consultation with the wider Catholic Church. Effectively, ARCIC was scuppered.
However, the general synod allowed individual parishes to preserve their catholic identity. Resolution A gave them the right to say "No" to a woman priest celebrating mass or pronouncing absolution. Resolution B enabled them to refuse a woman priest as incumbent or priest in charge. Parishes were also enabled to pass resolution C - a resolution that placed the parishes under the supervision of a provincial episcopal visitor (a flying bishop). This did not oust entirely the jurisdiction of the diocesan bishop or his area bishop in resolution C parishes. Those who attended Father Andrew's induction at St.Francis, Barkingside - a resolution A, B and C parish - will have seen a PEV (the Bishop of Richborough) officiating alongside the area bishop (the Bishop of Barking).
In 2006 the general synod resolved that there was no fundamental objection to the ordination of women to the episcopate. This created a further problem for the traditionalists. If they could not accept the validity of the order of a woman priest, how could they accept the authority of a woman bishop - and what would be the validity of male priests ordained by women bishops?
Hence, backed by FiF, the traditionalists argued for a third province, i.e. a province that was non-geographical but which would sit aside the provinces of Canterbury and York - a province with its own structure and order - bishops and priests entirely male.
In 2009 the general synod rejected all proposals for a third province. Also, it appeared to be the case that the Measure to allow the ordination of women to the episcopate would include provisions for the abolition of resolutions A, B and C and the abolition of the office of the PEVs. To deal with the position of the traditionalists, synod proposed that there should be a "code of practice". All this was sent by synod to a revision committee for consideration. I understand that the revision committee has rejected a code of practice - which would likely have been acceptable to neither side anyway. The revision committee is to report back to general synod in February 2010. What provision will general synod make for the traditionalists? Who knows? Perhaps no provision at all - in which case the traditionalists will either have to put up with the situation or leave the Church of England.
I do not think that synod will abandon the move for women bishops, whatever the contents of the report of the revision committee.
It was against the above background that negotiations have been taking place between traditionalists in the Church of England and the Vatican. For the traditionalists, the negotiations were led by two PEVs - the Bishop of Ebbsfleet and the Bishop of Richborough. The announcement of the Pope's offer was a few days before the FiF National Assembly. That, surely, was more than coincidence.
So what is the Pope's offer?
The Pope is offering Personal Ordinariates for groups of Anglicans to enter the Roman Catholic Church whilst preserving elements of the spiritual and liturgical patrimony of the Church of England.
As I understand it, a Personal Ordinariate is a legal structure - rather like a diocese which can include clergy, religious and lay people, and their church buildings. It will be under the authority of an Ordinary. The Ordinary will likely be a bishop - although he could be a priest - but he must be unmarried. Anglicans joining a Personal Ordinariate must do so as a group, e.g. as a parish or as a religious order. Anglican clergy may become priests in the Ordinariate but they will have to re-train in Roman Catholic seminaries and be re-ordained. For one generation only the offer is open to married Anglican priests. Anglicans joining the Ordinariate will not have to be baptised into the Roman Catholic Church but they will have to be re-confirmed. Anglicans joining an Ordinariate will have full communion with the Roman Catholic Church. In fact, they will become Roman Catholics. They will cease to be in communion with the Church of England. The extent to which an Ordinariate may preserve distinctive elements of the Church of England is not yet known. Full details of the Pope's offer are awaited.
On the face of it, the Pope's offer gives the traditionalists what they are looking for. It would give them communion with the Roman Catholic Church. It would provide them with an exclusively male order of priests and bishops within a structure that preserves elements of their Anglican heritage.
I can foresee very many practical difficulties - and will the Church of England sit back and allow its churches and parsonage houses to pass into the hands of the Roman Catholic Church? I think not.
The reactions of those at the FiF National Assembly were very mixed. The offer from the Vatican was described as being far more generous than had been expected. Whilst acknowledging that the details of the offer will have to be considered, the majority of the bishops and the clergy (particularly those who are members of the council of FiF) were enthusiastic in their support of the offer. However, overall, the laity did not share their enthusiasm.
I think that the feelings of many of the laity were summed up by two speakers:-
- Sister Anne Williams (Church Army) - a member of the council of FiF and also a member of the catholic group on the general synod - said that she was Church of England through and through. She was clearly distressed that so many of those present seemed willing to ditch the Church of England in favour of the Church of Rome.
- Emma Forward, a young woman in the catholic group of the general synod, said that parish priests must give the lead to their congregations. However, she expressed concern as to whether, in the light of the Vatican's offer, the Assembly would continue to give full support to the work of the catholic group in synod. (Incidentally, Emma Forward is one of Father Robin's congregation in the parish of Heavitree, Exeter).
Also, concern was expressed for those who would be left behind if a parish priest and part only of his congregation were to accept the Pope's offer.
At the conclusion of the Assembly, two resolutions were passed. Effectively, they were as follows:-
- The priests of FiF registered parishes and other resolution A, B and C parishes were invited to consult with their congregations as to the Pope's offer.
- FiF will continue to support the work of the catholic group in the general synod.
What is Forward in Faith? FiF is not an ecclesial body. It is a registered charity set up in the wake of the Measure that allowed for the ordination of women to the priesthood. It promotes the catholic faith as received by the Church of England.
St.Margaret's has always been a church of the catholic tradition. Earlier this year, it passed resolutions A and B. It is not a registered FiF parish.
We shall have to wait and see what happens next.
Peter Fisher
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