Toronto Ordinariate Group

Fr. Christopher G. Phillips is the pastor of Our Lady of the Atonement Catholic Church in San Antonio, Texas, where he has served for the past twenty-eight years. He is the founding pastor of the first Anglican Use parish, erected in 1983 under the terms of the Pastoral Provision. Fr. Phillips was ordained as an Anglican for the Diocese of Bristol, England, in 1975. After serving as Curate for three years at St. Stephen Southmead, he returned to the United States and served in two Episcopal parishes in the Diocese of Rhode Island. In 1981 he left the Episcopal Church and moved with his family to Texas, where he was subsequently ordained as a Catholic priest in 1983. Fr. Phillips and his wife, JoAnn, have been married for forty years. They have five children, all grown and married, and two grandchildren.

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Ordinariate Analysis by John L. Allen

This article appears in The National Catholic Reporter.

No earthquake from overture to Anglicans

By John L Allen Jr

LONDON — From time to time in the church, developments come down the pike that stir up enormous reaction at first, but that, over time, never quite seem to produce the earthquakes that breathless commentary predicted.

Pope Benedict XVI’s 2007 decision to revive the Latin Mass is arguably one such case, as is a 2005 Vatican document barring homosexuals from seminaries. Both became an instant cause célèbre, yet, at least so far, most people would say that neither liturgical practice nor seminary formation has been truly turned on its head.

In the U.K., some observers believe a similar point might be made about the recent creation of a new structure, called an ordinariate, to welcome groups of former Anglicans into the Catholic fold.

When it was unveiled two years ago, supporters hailed the ordinariate as a way to end the ecumenical logjam between Rome and Canterbury. Critics predicted it would corrode relations with Anglicans, and that it would drive Catholicism to the right by embracing Anglicanism’s most determined opponents of women clergy and homosexuality.
Today, the ordinariate has been established in England and Wales, with some 1,000 laity and 64 clergy scattered across 27 different communities. Whatever one makes of it, there’s scant evidence of a revolution.

Observers say that a freeze in Anglican/Catholic relations hasn’t materialized, and the membership of the ordinariate is less ideologically defined than some feared (or, perhaps, hoped).

“The perception was that this would create a lot of division, and frankly I think some people wanted it to be a form of division,” said Fr. Marcus Stock, general secretary of the Catholic bishops’ conference of England and Wales. “I don’t think it’s created the acrimony that people were anticipating.”

Despite some early skirmishes with Anglicans — could ordinariate groups, for instance, worship at their former Anglican churches? — Stock says that for the most part, things are calm.

Observers likewise dispute the notion that the ordinariate is composed largely of right-wing ideologues.

“People might be surprised to find that we’re depressingly middle of the road,” said Fr. Mark Elliott-Smith, who pastors a small ordinariate group in central London. He said there’s a wide range of opinion, from staunch traditionalists to fairly progressive “Vatican II” types, with most people in the center.

In any event, Elliott-Smith said, members are not coming into the Catholic church to pick a fight, having had their fill of conflict in Anglicanism.

“We’re not battle-hardened,” he said. “We’re battle-weary.”

Observers also say the ordinariate does not seem poised for immediate significant growth beyond its present size, which represents roughly .02 percent of the 5 million Catholics in England and Wales. If anything, some contraction may be in the cards, as several clergy are already beyond retirement age.

Some predict a “second wave” of entrances in 2012 if, as expected, a synod of the Church of England confirms a decision in favor of women bishops. Yet that influx too seems likely, in percentage terms, to be relatively small.

“The second wave will probably be half again [the number of laity], and half the number of clergy,” said Diana Morphew, a lay member of the ordinariate in London. She predicted the crop in 2012 will be “more like a dozen clergy, and maybe 500 people.”
In the meantime, the ordinariate faces steep logistical challenges, including paying clergy stipends and finding stable places of worship. At the moment grants from the bishops’ conference, foundations and private individuals are filling the gap, but over time it will have to become self-sustaining.

None of this, however, is to suggest that the ordinariate can’t become an important part of the Catholic landscape.

Fr. Mark Woodruff, a former Anglican and an advisor to the ordinariate, believes it can help the Catholic church enhance its “engagement with the state and with civil society,” which has always been part of Anglicanism’s heritage in England.

Contrary to those who say the ordinariate is a blow to Anglican/Catholic relations, Woodruff also insists that it has an ecumenical vocation of keeping alive the dream of full unity between Rome and Canterbury.

“If it forgets that, it must fail,” Woodruff said. “I’ve stressed time and time again to these friends of mine that I do not want you to come in and pull the ladder up.”

“Otherwise,” Woodruff said, “it’s just going to be an ecclesiastical granny flat, and we don’t want that.”

Related posts:

John Allen Interviews Fr. Mark WoodruffCatholics and the OrdinariateDonate to the Ordinariate in England and WalesThe ABC to "Keep an Eye" on the English Ordinariate?The Ordinariate in Scotland Fr. Christopher G. Phillips is the pastor of Our Lady of the Atonement Catholic Church in San Antonio, Texas, where he has served for the past twenty-eight years. He is the founding pastor of the first Anglican Use parish, erected in 1983 under the terms of the Pastoral Provision. Fr. Phillips was ordained as an Anglican for the Diocese of Bristol, England, in 1975. After serving as Curate for three years at St. Stephen Southmead, he returned to the United States and served in two Episcopal parishes in the Diocese of Rhode Island. In 1981 he left the Episcopal Church and moved with his family to Texas, where he was subsequently ordained as a Catholic priest in 1983. Fr. Phillips and his wife, JoAnn, have been married for forty years. They have five children, all grown and married, and two grandchildren.

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New Charity to Assist OLW Ordinariate

The following statement has been released concerning the launch of the Friends of the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham:

London 14 July 2011: Today a new charity was launched: Friends of the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham. The Friends is a company limited by guarantee (company number: 7680821) which was formed on 23 June 2011. The Friends was given charitable status by the Charity Commissioners on 1 July 2011 (Charity Number 1142667).

The aim of the Friends is to assist financially all aspects of the work of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham. Donations made to the Friends will, in particular, be used to support the 60 or so clergy who have left the Church of England to become priests of the Ordinariate. There are also considerable costs involved in the maintenance of buildings and in the administration of the Ordinariate. The Ordinary, the Right Reverend Monsignor Keith Newton, estimates that annual running costs of the Ordinariate will be at least one million pounds and, as the number of both clergy and laity increase, this will grow.

The Friends is asking all Catholics – whether they are cradle Catholics or converts – to support the Ordinary in realising the historic and momentous task that has been given personally by the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, to Monsignor Keith Newton. To share this burden with him the Friends is asking all supporters to set up a standing order at their bank to give the Ordinariate a regular, dependable, income.

A number of distinguished figures have consented to become Honorary Vice-Presidents of the Friends. These are Dom Aidan Bellenger OSB, Dom David Charlesworth OSB, LordDeben, the Grand Master of the Order of Malta Fra’ Matthew Festing, Sir Adrian FitzGerald bt, Sir Josslyn Gore-Booth bt, Father Ignatius Harrison Cong.Orat., The Squire de Lisle, Charles Moore Esq., The Duke of Norfolk, The Countess of Oxford & Asquith, The Duchess of Somerset, and Lord Nicholas Windsor. Mgr Keith Newton is the Honorary President of the Friends. The trustees are Mgr John Broadhurst, Mgr Andrew Burnham, Mr Michael Hodges, Mr Peter Sefton-Williams and Fr Mark Vickers.

Mgr Keith Newton said at the launch: “I have the responsibility for providing for the financial needs of the clergy and for their families being received into the Catholic Church. I appeal, therefore, to as many of you as possible for financial assistance to help me fulfil that responsibility through joining the Friends of the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham. Please be as generous as you can.”

William Joseph, Cardinal Levada, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, has also sent this message for the launch of the Friends of the Ordinariate: “I urge you all to assist the new Ordinary in the unique mission that has been entrusted to him by the Holy Father not only with your prayers but also with every practical support”.

For complete information about The Friends of the Ordinariate, go here.

Related posts:

The Ordinariate in ScotlandThe Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham Is EstablishedPress Conference: Fr. Keith NewtonHoly Father Receives Ordinary in AudienceThree New Monsignori Fr. Christopher G. Phillips is the pastor of Our Lady of the Atonement Catholic Church in San Antonio, Texas, where he has served for the past twenty-seven years. He is the founding pastor of the first Anglican Use parish, erected in 1983 under the terms of the Pastoral Provision. Fr. Phillips was ordained as an Anglican for the Diocese of Bristol, England, in 1975. After serving as Curate for three years at St. Stephen Southmead, he returned to the United States and served in two Episcopal parishes in the Diocese of Rhode Island. In 1981 he left the Episcopal Church and moved with his family to Texas, where he was subsequently ordained as a Catholic priest in 1983. Fr. Phillips and his wife, JoAnn, have been married for forty years. They have five children, all grown and married, and two grandchildren.

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Catholics and the Ordinariate

This is an interesting and excellent article from The Ordinariate Portal.

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Fr Mark Woodruff: Some Catholic hopes for the Ordinariate

An edited version of the following article was commissioned for the April edition of The Portal Magazine, which the Catholic League supports financially. Fr Mark Woodruff is a priest of the Catholic Diocese of Westminster and currently acting director of the Catholic League, from whose blog this comes:

We are seeing what the Ordinariate means for Anglicans – but what of Catholics? I suspect most are unconcerned or unaware; many will be amenable or supportive. Yet criticism persists. My hope is it will allay suspicions and soon show that it will enrich us all. Meanwhile, it has been interesting to compare recent criticisms with those dismissed in the early 1990s.

“They are anti-women.” But, by confusing ministry with clerical ordination, few Christian churches have begun to explore the scope of the lay apostolate. I hope that, out of the close involvement and leadership of the laity in Anglican organisational, pastoral, evangelistic and liturgical life, the Ordinariates can reveal new dimensions to the active participation of lay people in the Catholic context, particularly that of women.

“They are disloyal to their own Church. They will bring their party divisions with them.” But Catholic Anglicans have not wanted to undermine their Church, but call it more deeply into the mystery of the Church as a whole. I hope the Ordinariates will add to Catholic awareness of Christians looking beyond the particular – and even separation – to the universal, a reality that has been hard won.

“They are only interested in liturgy.” I hope the Ordinariates will make the most of how their liturgical culture was formed – pastoral presence, a captivating presentation of the Gospel, theological teaching through hymns and sermons of substance, an adoring glimpse of the Kingdom in music and worship. Surely these instincts are Catholic and the Ordinariate will add to the Church’s resources for the re-evangelisation of culture.

“Who do they think they are, telling us about Englishness?” Our Anglican and Catholic bishops are aware that their churches are not rivals, but speak to different parts of society. I hope the Ordinariate – with its Anglican sense of relationship with civil society, its rootedness in language and culture, and its long experience of Catholic Apologetics – will contribute something between what fellow Catholics and other Christians bring to the discourse between faith and society, of which the Pope spoke so powerfully in Westminster Hall.

“They will set back ecumenical relations.” It depends on whether you just want relations, or unity on Christ’s, not earthly terms. In the daring imagination behind Anglicanorum Coetibus, for a fluid world one size no longer necessarily fits all. In England we have dioceses, religious orders, the Ukrainian exarchate, the Bishopric to the Forces and ethnic chaplaincy networks. In North America, India, Ukraine and the Middle East parallel jurisdictions are part of the norm. Canon Law also envisages special structures, where otherwise it may be difficult for people to fit in with the normal forms of the Catholic Church. Thus in the Ordinariates the Catholic Church is showing that its imaginative embrace of diversity, even complexity, is the measure of how universal it is. It ought to be that there is nothing that is truly distinctive of Anglicanism or other traditions for which, in the unity of the apostolic faith, space with integrity cannot be made within the Universal Church that subsists in the Catholic Church. I hope the Ordinariates will be true to a profound ecumenical awareness.

“It’s a fast-track .” But the Ordinariate expressly delivers on 150 years of hopes for corporate reunion. Their clergy and faithful have been formed in a “beloved Sister” and lived a Catholic life, as they prayed for decades for the Churches to unite ecumenically. Now, reconciliation will indeed be personal, but that is no reason to dissipate Anglicans’ existing bonds of communion, already partially shared with the Catholic Church, or to deprive them of their pastors and fail to nurture their ecclesial life. A glory of the Catholic Church is that people can come from every nation, rite and culture and be in the full communion of the Body of Christ wherever they go. I hope that the Ordinariate will likewise signify the abundant possibilities of participating wholly in the community of apostolic faith we share.

“It’s a granny-flat for the Anglo-Catholic fantasy. And a dummy run for the Lefebvrists.” But it implements some remarkable developments in the way the Roman Catholic Church will operate. (A) Each Ordinariate has a mandatory governing council, responsible with the Ordinary for key decisions and involving clergy and lay people. (B) These synodal bodies, not the Nuncio, will recommend the names of successive Ordinaries. And (C) there is ongoing provision for the ordination of married men to the priesthood on a case by case basis. Whether these are patterns to be followed by the Latin Church more generally, we can only wonder. But as the Ordinariates become a facet of our Catholic identity, I hope they inspire confidence that the long wisdom of other traditions can be embraced in a way that is also true to the Catholic Church.

Related posts:

Anglican-Use Catholics of Springfield MissouriUndermining Catholics in the C of EOrdinariate Prayers from Bishop Peter ElliottOrdinariate: the sceptics ‘are eating humble pie’Ordinariate Life: Some Parallels from the Experience of Exempt Religious Fr. Christopher G. Phillips is the pastor of Our Lady of the Atonement Catholic Church in San Antonio, Texas, where he has served for the past twenty-seven years. He is the founding pastor of the first Anglican Use parish, erected in 1983 under the terms of the Pastoral Provision. Fr. Phillips was ordained as an Anglican for the Diocese of Bristol, England, in 1975. After serving as Curate for three years at St. Stephen Southmead, he returned to the United States and served in two Episcopal parishes in the Diocese of Rhode Island. In 1981 he left the Episcopal Church and moved with his family to Texas, where he was subsequently ordained as a Catholic priest in 1983. Fr. Phillips and his wife, JoAnn, have been married for forty years. They have five children, all grown and married, and two grandchildren.

View the original article here