Three Church of England Bishops Knock on Rome's Door. Are Lutherans Next?

Ironically, just when some in the media are attempting to write obituaries on the Catholic Church, she seems poised to make an historic resurgence, becoming a safe harbor for many Christians who long for historic Christian orthodoxy and orthopraxy. With the news concerning three Church of England Bishops traveling to Rome, the pace of this historic movement accelerates. Stay tuned, Church history is unfolding. 

LONDON, England (Catholic Online) - Press reports over the weekend were filled with the latest "stunner"  in the ongoing response to Pope Benedicts invitation to Anglican Christians to come into the full communion of the Catholic Church. Depending on the perspective of the journalist writing the particular account, the headlines told the tale. They ranged from Ralph Satter of the AP whose story was entitled "British Bishops in defection talks with the Vatican" to the Telegraph's Jonathan Wynne - Jones who wrote an article entitled "Anglican bishops in secret Vatican summit." What is clear is that three prominent Church of England Bishops, the Rt Rev John Broadhurst of Fulham, the Rt Rev Keith Newton of Richborough and the Right Rev Andrew Burnham of Ebbsfleet, met in Rome with senior officials from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) last week. The meetings were high level and at least discreet if not "secret" as some reports indicate. The reports on the content of the discussions and the reasons for the meeting vary greatly, depending upon which news source one considers more reliable. Catholic Online readers throughout the Globe have shown a strong interest in the coming entry into full communion of many of our Christian brethren in the Anglican Communion. As Editor in Chief, I have written extensively on this historic movement. I have expressed my opinion that this is a response to the Prayer of Our Lord Jesus to the Father "That They May Be One" (John 17) and marks the beginning of a move toward the coming reunion of the One Church of Christ in the Third Millennium. We have closely followed the movement of Anglican Clergy and lay faithful toward the safe harbor that is found in the Bark of Peter. We have grieved with many of them as their own Christian community was torn asunder by the rejection of both orthodoxy and orthopraxy. I believe that the influx of these Anglican Christians into the full communion of the Catholic Church is also a gift to the Catholic Church. The Apostolic Constitution for Anglicans seeking full communion (Anglicanorum Coetibus ) and the norms which accompanied it offer a  juridic structure which will integrate our brethren into full and visible unity with the One Catholic Church while allowing them to maintain an Anglican Ethos that will enhance the whole Church. It does this through the erection of what are referred to as Anglican Ordinariates which will allow for an Anglican use Liturgy and approved Divine Office and liturgical practices.   One of the most reliable sources covering this historic movement toward full communion is Damien Thompson of the Telegraph and the UK Catholic Herald. His sources and reporting have been very reliable. His recent posting on the Telegraph blog on the meeting is entitled "Anglo-Catholic bishops say yes to Rome" In it he confirms the meeting and indicates he was advised by a source that "several English catholic bishops" were involved. Damien Thompson's take is that these three Church of England Bishops have said "yes" to the invitation offered through the Anglican Ordinariates and were in Rome to discuss details concerning the move for themselves, their clergy and the faithful under their care. The Sunday Telegraph noted, "It would be the first time for nearly 20 years that large numbers of priests have crossed from the Church of England to Rome, and comes only weeks ahead of a crucial General Synod debate on making women bishops." It also comes only weeksbefore Pope Benedict XVI will be in London on an apostolic visit where he will beatify the late beloved John Henry Cardinal Newman.  It is interesting to note that back in 2008  the "Newsblog" of the Guardian Newspaper of the UK contained an intriguing post written by Ms. Riazat Butt entitled " Is this the man who will lead ex-Anglicans to Rome?" In the posting, Ms. Riazat made a connection between the canonization of John Henry Cardinal Newman, the famous Anglican convert, and the move of Anglican Christians into the full communion of the Catholic Church. I usually do not participate in New Years Day efforts to "predict" the future. However, this year when Deal Hudson and my friends at Inside Catholic invited me to be a part of their "Predictions for 2010 by the InsideCatholic Staff and Friends" I decided to accept. I wrote: "The promulgation of Anglicanorum Coetibus by Pope Benedict XVI is prophetic. The early fathers called the Church the 'world reconciled': She is God's plan for the whole human race. The Pope of Christian unity has opened the door for the coming full communion of the Church. 2010 will be a year of amazing progress toward that end. Benedict has offered a Catholic vision for legitimate diversity within authentic orthodoxy and orthopraxy. The entry of these convinced Anglican Christians into full communion will contribute to the authentic renewal of the Catholic Church. It will hasten the accelerating move toward communion between the Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church. This work of the Holy Spirit will change the church - and the world into which she is called - in a way which we have not seen in our lifetime." This latest movement undertaken not only by members of the Traditional Anglican Communion (who have already signaled their "Yes" to the invitation) but now by prominent Church of England Bishops, underscores the magnitude of the historic nature of this ongoing story. However, it may also be the beginning of something even bigger, the coming full communion of the Church and the healing of some old divisions in the broken Body of Christ. I conclude with a "tease" to a future story on Catholic Online. We are on the trail of another historic turn of events in this move toward full communion with the Catholic Church. The story we are pursuing - with much prayer and research - indicates that it is not only Anglicans knocking on Rome's door. I am in the middle of a series of interviews with an Archbishop which will lead to at least one article on a group of Lutheran Christians who are following a similar road as the Anglicans who blazed this trail. Ironically, just when some in the media are attempting to write obituaries on the Catholic Church, she seems poised to make an historic resurgence, becoming a safe harbor for many Christians who long for historic Christian orthodoxy and orthopraxy. Stay tuned, Church history is unfolding. 

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