Briefing and comment: it is not surprising that the Bishops of England and Wales do not look forward to 'high' Anglicans becoming Catholics. Not only would such converts, like many converts, in putting the final correct pieces into their picture of Christian theology, be more orthodox than most Catholics, including Catholic clergy, but fashionable liberal theology disaproves of the whole notion of conversion to Catholicism, preferring the idea that we should somehow 'converge with', not convert, people holding erroneous doctrines. Damian Thompson's comments will be based on his personal contacts with 'Anglo Catholic' clergy.
From Damian Thompson: The current hierarchy feels no more warmly towards conservative Anglo-Catholics than it does towards the Latin Mass Society. It will do the bare minimum to accommodate converts. The paradox is that many Anglo-Catholic parishes celebrate the liturgy in a manner that corresponds far more closely to Benedict's aesthetic of worship than the makeshift, sloppy services found in ordinary Catholic parishes.
No wonder the flying bishops are unhappy and confused. If they submit to Rome, they would like to do so under a truly sympathetic papacy, but who knows how long it will last? The best solution would be for the Pope to appoint a successor to Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor who is in his own image - the Dominican writer Fr Aidan Nichols, say. But the chances of that happening are slim. We are heading towards another missed opportunity
Friday, May 09, 2008
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