‘Michael Nazir-Ali, Prominent Former Anglican Bishop Received into Catholic Church’
Ecumenical Service (Eduardo Frei Ruiz Tagle)
The National Catholic Register reported the following:
Michael Nazir-Ali, Prominent Former Anglican Bishop Received into Catholic Church
October 14, 2021
A prominent and retired Church of England bishop once tipped to become a future Archbishop of Canterbury has been received into the Catholic Church, becoming one of the most high-profile Anglican clergymen to make the journey to Rome possibly since Father Ronald Knox in 1917.
Michael Nazir-Ali was received into the Church on Sept. 29, the feast of St. Michael the Archangel and All Angels and will be ordained a Catholic priest “in due course,” according to a statement issued by the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham and the bishops’ conference of England and Wales. …
Benedict XVI established the personal ordinariate in 2010, a canonical structure through which Anglicans wishing to enter into full communion with the Catholic Church could do so while retaining their Anglican patrimony. …
“Michael Nazir-Ali’s abandonment of the Anglican project in favour of seeking full Communion with Rome through the Ordinariate is a move of monumental proportion and significance,” said Gavin Ashenden, a former Anglican vicar and honorary chaplain to the Queen who was himself received into the Catholic Church in 2019.
Ashenden also observed that Nazir-Ali’s conversion is different to most high-profile Anglican converts in that they have tended to be people who identify as Anglo Catholics.
“The fact that Nazir Ali’s background is evangelical and more deeply rooted in the assumptions of the Protestant reformation makes the trajectory of his journey more significant and informative,” Ashenden told the Register.
Born in Karachi, Pakistan in 1949, Nazir-Ali has an Anglican, Catholic and Muslim background. …
Ashenden said that Nazir-Ali’s background in the Anglican Communion as an evangelical rather than Anglo-Catholic is significant in two ways: “The first is that the schism in the church rooted in the Reformation has run out of steam and has been replaced by a fresh but no less significant cultural and philosophical realignment; the struggle has coalesced into one between the remnants of Christendom and a fresh secular assault by (cultural) Marxism; two utopian visions in direct conflict.”
The second, Ashenden said, “is that, in Nazir-Ali’s judgement, Anglicanism has succumbed to the forces of progressive secularism and only the Catholic Church can be counted on to defend the faith against this new secularism that has such ambitious totalitarian instincts.
“The visionary project of Pope Benedict XVI’s Ordinariate will be significantly strengthened and encouraged by his conversion and membership,” he predicted.
Nazir-Ali’s reception into the Church comes on the heels of other prominent Anglicans. As well as Ashenden’s reception in 2019, last month the Anglican bishop of Ebbsfleet, Jonathan Goodall, entered the Catholic Church. https://www.ncregister.com/news/michael-nazir-ali-prominent-former-anglican-bishop-received-into-catholic-church
The Church of Rome attained unity with some Anglicans a decade or so ago.
The Anglican Church is based in England. Both biblical and Roman Catholic prophecy tell of the English peoples being taken over. This would indicate resistance to Rome’s agenda prior to the takeover–despite various Anglican leaders switching to Roman Catholicism.
Now, it does not surprise me that someone with a previous evangelical background, like Michael Nazir-Ali, switched to Roman Catholicism.
A review of history shows nothing resembling modern evangelicalism being practiced by early Christians. For details, check out the free online book: Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God Differs from Protestantism.
On the other hand, while the Church of Rome claims to represent original Christianity, the reality is that it DOES NOT HOLD TO THE ORIGINAL FAITH ONCE FOR ALL DELIVERED TO THE SAINTS. Details on this, including Greco-Roman translations of the Bible and quotes from early ones they consider to be saints prove this in the from online book: Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church.
Now, I wish to add that I do NOT believe that the true God is behind the ecumenical movement.
Notice that the Bible tells of a time of unity that comes after fleeing a Babylonian system:
6 “Up, up! Flee from the land of the north,” says the Lord; “for I have spread you abroad like the four winds of heaven,” says the Lord. 7 “Up, Zion! Escape, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon.”
8 For thus says the Lord of hosts: “He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye. 9 For surely I will shake My hand against them, and they shall become spoil for their servants. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me.
10 “Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,” says the Lord. 11 “Many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and they shall become My people. And I will dwell in your midst. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you. (Zechariah 2:6-11)
Notice that this unity happens after Jesus returns and warns against being involved with the end-time “daughter of Babylon.”
Do you understand the dangers of the ecumenical movement?
Concerns about this are not new. Notice the following from 1969 put out by the old Worldwide Church of God:
Why are the different branches of ‘Christianity’ talking about UNION? WHY is it possible for them to make overtures toward compromise? And anyway, is it not right that they should all GET TOGETHER? WHY should Christianity be divided? The Vatican Second Ecumenical Council is making many overtures toward both Protestants and the Eastern Orthodox church. They are even taking a conciliatory attitude toward Jews. Recently Pope Paul VI assured the non – Catholic Christian world of his purpose to clear away every obstacle blocking ‘Christian unity.
The BIG question is WHY is such compromise possible?
Can you imagine Jesus Christ beginning to compromise and get together with the Pharisees?
Did all the hundreds of differing and disagreeing sects and denominations calling themselves ‘Christian’ receive their varying faiths from the SAME SOURCE? Quite obviously not!
Now we ought to begin to see the answer to the question, HOW can these differing religious groups compromise and get together?…Since [the one and only true Church] is ruled and guided by the living God, whose written Word means what it says, it cannot and will not compromise or unite with the churches of this world. (Armstrong HW Personal from the Editor. Tomorrow’s World, September 1969).
What is ‘new’ is that ecumenical unity is getting closer to happening as many in Rome, Protestantism, and Eastern Orthodoxy want it to happen.
Compromise is not what Jesus taught His Church to do. Jude wrote:
3 I felt that I must write to you encouraging you to fight hard for the faith which has been once and for all entrusted to God’s holy people. (Jude 3, NJB)
That scripture would also not suggest that doctrinal compromise is appropriate for the faithful.
The Bible does tell of a time of ecumenical compromise and it does not do so in a positive manner.
Now that the Bible clearly warns against the Babylonian system:
2 And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird! 3 For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury.”
4 And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. 5 For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. (Revelation 18:2-5)
That is the system that the ecumenical movement trying to prop up. Sadly, people like Pope Francis and ichael Nazir-Ali have encouraged it.
Signs and lying wonders will deceive the vast bulk of humanity to one day accept it:
9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12)
1 Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. 2 Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. 3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. 4 So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”
5 And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. 6 Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. 7 It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. 8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. (Revelation 13:1-8)
The time to stand up for the truth is now and not to wait until the signs and lying wonders appear which will deceive all who do not truly have the love of the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12). Those who wait too late to truly live like a real Christian will be deceived by what is going to come (Matthew 24:24).
The ‘fruits’ of the move toward Roman Catholicism will not be good (cf. Revelation chapter 17).
Some items of possibly related interest may include:
Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church. Did the original “catholic church” have doctrines held by the Continuing Church of God? Did Church of God leaders uses the term “catholic church” to ever describe the church they were part of? Here are links to related sermons: Original Catholic Church of God? , Original Catholic Doctrine: Creed, Liturgy, Baptism, Passover, and What Type of Catholic was Polycarp of Smyrna?, Tradition, Holy Days, Salvation, Dress, & Celibacy, and Early Heresies and Heretics, and Doctrines: 3 Days, Abortion, Ecumenism, Meats, Tithes, Crosses, Destiny, and more, and Saturday or Sunday?, The Godhead., and Apostolic Laying on of Hands Succession.
Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God Differs from Protestantism The CCOG is NOT Protestant. This free online book explains how the real Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants. Several sermons related to the free book are also available: Protestant, Baptist, and CCOG History; The First Protestant, God’s Command, Grace, & Character; The New Testament, Martin Luther, and the Canon; Eucharist, Passover, and Easter; Views of Jews, Lost Tribes, Warfare, & Baptism; Scripture vs. Tradition, Sabbath vs. Sunday; Church Services, Sunday, Heaven, and God’s Plan; Seventh Day Baptists/Adventists/Messianics: Protestant or COG?; Millennial Kingdom of God and God’s Plan of Salvation; Crosses, Trees, Tithes, and Unclean Meats; The Godhead and the Trinity; Fleeing or Rapture?; and Ecumenism, Rome, and CCOG Differences.
Beware: Protestants Going Towards Ecumenical Destruction! What is going on in the Protestant world? Are Protestants turning back to their ‘mother church’ in Rome? Does the Bible warn about this? What are Catholic plans and prophecies related to this? Is Protestantism doomed? See also World Council of Churches Peace Plan.
Pope Francis and the Devil’s Unity Pope Francis has spoken about unity and his ecumenical agenda. He has also claimed the devil is “the father of division. He is the one who always divides.” Is that true? Pope Francis prayed for ‘Mary’ to unite Christians–is that something that the Bible teaches? Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople has called those opposed to his ecumenical efforts “unacceptably fanatical.” Does the Bible teach that true Christian unity comes before or after Jesus returns? Is there a Babylonian unity that the Bible warns against? What is the Devil’s unity? Might ‘Mary’ be used to set up the time of the final Antichrist? This is a video.
Why Should American Catholics Fear Unity with the Orthodox? Are the current ecumenical meetings a good thing or will they result in disaster? Is doctrinal compromise good? Here is a link to a related video Should you be concerned about the ecumenical movement?
Will the Interfaith Movement Lead to Peace or Sudden Destruction? Is the interfaith movement going to lead to lasting peace or is it warned against? A video of related interest could be Do You Know That Babylon is Forming?
Some Similarities and Differences Between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Continuing Church of God Both groups claim to be the original church, but both groups have differing ways to claim it. Both groups have some amazing similarities and some major differences. Do you know what they are?
Orthodox Must Reject Unity with the Roman Catholics Unity between these groups will put them in position to be part of the final end time Babylon that the Bible warns against as well as require improper compromise.
Satan’s Plan Does Satan have a plan? What is it? Has it already been successful? Will it be successful in the future?
Will the Interfaith Movement Lead to Peace or Sudden Destruction? Is the interfaith movement going to lead to lasting peace or is it warned against?
COGwriter Position on Other Churches and Religions What is the fate of those who do not know Christ? What about those who profess Christ outside the Church of God?
Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: ¿Dónde está la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy?
Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from Acts 2 to the 21st century. Related sermon links include Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. and Continuing History of the Church of God: 4th-16th Centuries and Continuing History of the Church of God: 17th-20th Centuries. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, French: L Histoire Continue de l Église de Dieu and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.
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