Many Anglicans in UK Expect to Become Roman Catholic
Pope Benedict XVI
Apparently many Anglicans are now considering accepting the Vatican’s offer acceptance as Roman Catholic:
British Anglicans Preparing Mass Defection to Roman Catholic ChurchFOX News – Jan 30, 2011LONDON — Hundreds of disillusioned Anglicans were preparing Sunday to defect from the Church of England to the Roman Catholic Church in time for Lent, Sky News reported.
It follows a campaign by a former Anglican bishop in protest at its stance on the ordination of women and gay clergy.
Father Keith Newton has encouraged Anglicans to join the Ordinariate — a special branch of Catholicism established by the Pope — to welcome protestant defectors.
Despite the efforts of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Anglo Catholics have begun leaving following the conversion of three Anglican bishops in mid-January.
The Church of England said that 1,000 of its 13,000 parishes were opposed to the ordination of women.
How many Anglicans will accept the Vatican’s offer is still unknown. Some will, and others will not.
Now this offer to the Anglicans included a little compromising on Rome’s part. For example, the Vatican is allowing the Anglicans to keep much of their liturgy and their leadership. And while there always has been an order within eastern Catholicism that allowed married priests, this has not been the case in the Latin (church of Rome in the west) for many centuries. Of course, early Christian leaders (including bishops) were often married, as the Bible endorses that (1 Timothy 3:2). But Rome has tended to change from some of those practices.
As reported at COGwriter, a few Anglicans were ordained to the Roman Catholic priethood a couple of weeks ago (Anglican Priests Becoming Catholic Priests)–whether more than a trickle will follow them is currently unknown.
Yet, various ecumenical moves that are expected to draw others in with the Vatican–yet this will ultimately prove disastrous according to the Bible (and even certain Catholic writings). Anglicans need to look to the Bible and try to embrace the “faith once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).
Some articles of possibly related interest include the following:
Why Should American Catholics Should Fear Unity with the Orthodox? Are the current ecumenical meetings a good thing or will they result in disaster?
Women and the New Testament Church Were women important in the New Testament Church? Which women and how were they involved? Are women supposed to be ordained as elders?
Was Celibacy Required for Early Bishops or Presbyters? Some religions suggest this, but what does the Bible teach? What was the practice of the early church?
Did the Early Christian Church Practice Monasticism? Does God expect or endorse living in a monastery or nunnery?
Were the Early Duties of Elders/Pastors Mainly Sacramental? What was there Dress? Were the duties of the clergy primarily pastoral or sacramental? Did the clergy dress with special liturgical vestments? Can “bishops” be disqualified as ministers of Christ based on their head coverings?
The History of Early Christianity Are you aware that what most people believe is not what truly happened to the true Christian church? Do you know where the early church was based? Do you know what were the doctrines of the early church? Is your faith really based upon the truth or compromise?
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