Bishop Broadhurst to Enter the Anglican Ordinariate, More Bishops to Come?

Could there be mass receptions into the Catholic Church at Easter?

Last week, Bishop Broadhurst made an announcement which Damien Thompson, one of the most accurate sources on all things Catholic in the United Kingdom, referred to as an "Earthquake in Anglo-Catholicism"  The Bishop announced that he will resign his position later this year and enter the full communion of the Catholic Church through the Anglican Ordinariate. We expect some news on more Forward in Faith Anglican Bishops doing the same very soon.

P>LONDON, UK (Catholic Online) - In July of 2009 we reported on discussions held between the leaders of "Forward in Faith" and the Vatican in an article entitled "Is Forward in Faith 'in talks with Vatican'?"  "Forward in Faith" is a group of faithful Christians in the Anglican tradition in the United Kingdom, Australia and North America. The Chairman of Forward in faith International is Bishop John Broadhurst, the Bishop of Fulham.

Their mission is expressed on their website " We Affirm the Faith of the Church as revealed in Scripture and Tradition; We Proclaim our Faith through the Creeds, the Sacraments and the apostolic ministry of bishops and priests of the Universal Church; We seek a Guaranteed Ecclesial Structure in which we can pass the Faith on to our children and grandchildren;  We have a vision for Unity and Truth and we are going Forward in Faith."

We reported in February of this year, in an article entitled "Forward in Faith Anglicans in Australia Unanimously Vote to Become Catholic" that members of Forward in faith in Australia unanimously voted to come into the full communion of the Catholic Church by accepting the invitation extended by Pope Benedict XVI in his historic Constitution, Anglicanorum Coetibus. The process in Australia is now being overseen by Catholic Bishop Peter Elliott. Bishop Elliott beautifully expressed the spirit of the Ordinariate in an article he wrote for the Traditional Anglican Communions in these words:

"The Pastor of the nations (Pope Benedict XVI) is reaching out to give you a special place within the Catholic Church. United in communion, but not absorbed - that sums up the unique and privileged status former Anglicans will enjoy in their Ordinariates. Catholics in full communion with the Successor of St Peter, you will be gathered in distinctive communities that preserve elements of Anglican worship, spirituality and culture that are compatible with Catholic faith and morals.

"Each Ordinariate will be an autonomous structure, like a diocese, but something between a Personal Prelature (as in Opus Dei, purely spiritual jurisdiction), or a Military Ordinariate (for the Armed Forces). In some ways, the Ordinariate will even be similar to a Rite (the Eastern Catholic Churches). You will enjoy your own liturgical "use" as Catholics of the Roman Rite. At the same time your Ordinaries, bishops or priests, will work alongside diocesan bishops of the Roman Rite and find their place within the Episcopal Conference in each nation or region."

After the release of the Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum Coetibus, the Anglican Bishops of Ebbsfleet and Richborough issued a call for a Day of Prayer and Discernment on Monday 22nd February, the Feast of the Chair of Peter. Clearly, those prayers and the prayers of the faithful around the world are producing the winds of the Holy Spirit which are moving more members of Forward in faith into the full communion of the Catholic Church.That movement now includes Bishops. 

Last week, Bishop Broadhurst made an announcement which Damien Thompson, one of the most accurate sources on all things Catholic in the United Kingdom, referred to as an "Earthquake in Anglo-Catholicism"  The Bishop announced that he will resign his position later this year and enter the full communion of the Catholic Church through the Anglican Ordinariate. Damien Thompson wrote:

"Bishop John Broadhurst, Bishop of Fulham in the Anglican diocese of London, is to resign his post later this year to join the Pope's Ordinariate. The Catholic Herald's Anna Arco broke the story, also revealing that Bishop Broadhurst will stay as chairman of Forward in Faith, which he says is "not a Church of England organization". It sounds as if traditional Anglo-Catholicism is undergoing a major shift (or crisis) of allegiance, because FiF, though not representative of everyone in that constituency, was the main body for Anglo-Catholics in the Church of England opposed to women bishops and priests. Now it seems to be heading towards Roman Catholicism.

"Bishop Broadhurst made his announcement at Forward in Faith's national assembly in London today. I'm told that the mood was very sympathetic towards the Ordinariate scheme. Update: Since writing this post, I've listened to a clear and elegant speech on the FiF website by Fr James Patrick (in secular life, His Honour Judge James Patrick) explaining that the Ordinariate is "at the heart of the Pope's mission" and encouraging those who are committed to joining the structure to form part of the "first wave". Fr Patrick refers to a "Lenten journey". Do I detect a hint that there could be mass receptions into the Catholic Church at Easter?"

I followed the formal request of the Traditional Anglican Communion for full communion with the Catholic Church from the very beginning, writing extensively on its significance. I persisted in covering it after many news sources, including some Catholic ones, dismissed the possibility that it would ever bring a positive response from Rome. We are dedicated to an authentically Catholic vision of ecumenism which recognizes the need for full visible unity, with legitimate diversity, within the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.

Disunity, in the words of the Second Vatican Council "openly contradicts the will of Christ, scandalizes the world, and damages that most holy cause, the preaching of the Gospel to every creature." It is the Lord's plan that His Church be healed and come back into visible unity. These Anglican Christians have recognized this plan and responded with humility. They call us all to reflect upon our own understanding of our life within the One Church and the duty which our membership entails.

These Anglican Christians coming into the full communion of the Catholic Church will be a leaven that leavens the whole loaf of the Catholic Church. They will call us to be more faithful to our identity as Catholic Christians. They will help us rediscover the legitimate diversity within the bedrock unity we have in fidelity to the Magisterium, the teaching office, of the Catholic Church. We certainly must embrace orthodoxy (right teaching) and orthopraxy (right practice). However, we are a Church with many beautiful liturgical expressions and there is room for legitimate distinctives within the One, Holy, catholic and Apostolic Church.

The Apostolic Constitution for Anglicans offered by Pope Benedict XVI to those seeking full communion - and the norms which accompany it - will integrate our brethren into full and visible unity with the One Catholic Church while allowing them to bring their unique gifts. It will enhance the ecclesial landscape of our Church going forward. We are living at the beginning of a new missionary age and the coming reunion of the Church. Breathing with both lungs, East and West, she will arise to lead us into the future.

In the midst of the darkness of this hour the Catholic Church has done what she has done for over two millennia; shine the light of the Truth. The Church is not some optional organizational "extra" which we fashioned; she is the Body of Christ, the new world, the seed of the Kingdom to come, the place where all men and women can find their fulfillment and the path to authentic peace. She is God's Plan for the whole human race. The prayer of the Son of God "May They Be One" (John 17) echoes. The Anglican Bishops are now coming and we should all say "Welcome Home".

To pique our interest in reading his future insightful reports from the United Kingdom, Damien Thompson added some intriguing observations in the same article which I conclude with:

"So many things are happening at once that it's difficult to write authoritatively; the picture will be clearer in a few days. But here are some observations: 1. The Ordinariate is picking up momentum. Not only is the chairman of Forward in Faith joining, but so is the president of the Church Union, the Rt Rev Edwin Barnes, retired Bishop of Richborough. So that makes four C of E bishops we know are crossing the Tiber: +John Broadhurst, +Andrew Burnham, +Keith Newton and +Edwin Barnes, and there will be others.

"Critics of the Ordinariate may scoff at its small size - and I really do think it will be small when it launches early next year - but the fact remains that three out of the four bishops appointed by Synod to minister to traditionalists are joining this new semi-autonomous Catholic body set up by Pope Benedict XVI.

2. Bishop Andrew Burnham of Ebbsfleet and Bishop Keith Newton of Richborough are "on study leave". I wonder if that means they're in the process of receiving instruction now. That's the rumour doing the rounds, but it is only a rumor."

We will stay on that "rumor". Given Damien Thompsons' past record on accuracy in covering the rapidly evolving Anglican Ordinariate, we expect some news on more Forward in Faith Anglican Bishops following the path of Bishop Broadhurst very soon.

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