My few contacts with Msgr Stetson have always been a delight for me. I really appreciate the interview he gives to
Zenit on the recent Apostolic Constitution. I am still overwhelmed with the news of this historical and monumental move by the Holy Father. There have been some interesting things said at the FiFUK meeting this past weekend by Archbishop Hepworth in his speech that I understand warranted a standing ovation from those gathered. One such question was whether or not the Apostolic Constitution would go on allowing for married clergy to be chosen from the laity. This issues has not been made clear because we do not have the document yet. So, here is what Msgr Stetson says about this and why this is specifically for Anglicans. Thanks to
James Bradley on Twitter for this link.
ZENIT: The Vatican announcement provided for the possibility of an Anglican ordinariate having seminarians, who are to be prepared alongside Catholic seminarians, "though the ordinariate may establish a house of formation to address the particular needs of formation in the Anglican patrimony." Would this include the possibility of marriage for these Anglican seminarians?
Msgr. Stetson: The specifics have not yet been made known on this question. At the very least I would assume that the seminarians would have to be both married and studying in an Anglican seminary at the time they sought to enter into full communion, and then continue studying for the priesthood in a Catholic seminary. They would have to be dispensed from the norm of celibacy on a case-by-case basis by the Holy See. Future seminarians would have to be celibate.
ZENIT: What other traditions will the Anglicans retain when they enter the Catholic Church by way of the personal ordinariate?
Msgr. Stetson: Small parishes that allow for greater cohesion together. A rich tradition of liturgical expression (language, music, vestments, space, etc.) in English, dating back to the 16th century. This would also include a great tradition of the use of sacred Scripture in preaching, love for the Fathers of the Church and theological expression beyond that of Roman Catholic scholasticism.
ZENIT: Why is the Vatican able to offer this concession only to Anglicans, and not Lutherans, Presbyterians, etc., who would like to enter the Church?
Msgr. Stetson: Anglicans have always enjoyed a special place in Roman Catholic attitudes toward the rupture of Christian unity in the West after the 16th century. The Church of England sought to retain many elements of the Catholic Church while at the same time being Protestant. The Church of England maintained a greater unity within itself and thus could be dealt with as a single entity in conversations with Rome.
My few contacts with Msgr Stetson have always been a delight for me. I really appreciate the interview he gives to Zenit on the recent Apostolic Constitution. I am still overwhelmed with the news of this historical and monumental move by the Holy Father. There have been some interesting things said at the FiFUK meeting this past weekend by Archbishop Hepworth in his speech that I understand warranted a standing ovation from those gathered. One such question was whether or not the Apostolic Constitution would go on allowing for married clergy to be chosen from the laity. This issues has not been made clear because we do not have the document yet. So, here is what Msgr Stetson says about this and why this is specifically for Anglicans. Thanks to James Bradley on Twitter for this link.
13 comments:
Jeffrey, I wonder if you might stimulate conversation (or even an interview at this official level [MSGR. Stetson, other]) on how POs could affect *individuals* wishing to convert? The RCIA process can be underwhelming, esp. for those who are well down the road catechetically. Might there be POs for individual Anglicans that is/are......personal?
Thanks.
That is an interesting question. What I would do if I were you is speak to your local priest or go find a TAC parish to join and go with them. Or, be a gift to the RCIA class and help others who might be struggling.
Most RCIA are geared at the level of new Christians so I can see how that could be a bit *underwhelming* as you say. I think there are cases here in the UK where private instruction happens but I am not sure about the US.
I believe private instruction is the norm for Extraordinary Form/Tridentine parishes and can be arranged in other parishes if you can convince the parish priest that it is best for your case.
While many parishes use RCIA as a means of bringing into full communion Christians of other communities, this is an abuse. RCIA is about "Christian Initiation" and is for non-Christians. Even if it is well-run (and I have heard of far too many that are not), it is not appropriate. Christians who enter the communion of the Church should be received either by a different process (in the case of large numbers) or by private instuction as Chad mentions.
There are a lot of problems with the way we do RCIA in most parishes. I think the biggest is that RCIA does not refer to the classes. The R in RCIA means *Rites*. RCIA is the sequence of Rites that the catechumen goes through. The classes are not RCIA, they are the catechesis that is necessary to go through the Rites. And of course, these Rites are for converts, not baptized Christians who are coming into union with the Church.
So I think this strikes at the heart of it. The process of either conversion or coming into union are processes of *formation*. This isn't just about the classes that teach doctrines and theologies, but about teaching a person how to actually *be* Catholic. So, even if a person has studied their way to Catholicism and already knows the doctrines, they may still need to learn the Catholic ethos, the Catholic culture. They may still need to be immersed in the Catholic Community to find out what it means to be Catholic. There is still a need for formation.
I think that our parishes need a much better process of Initiation. We need to recognize that people are different and not try to push them all through a cookie-cutter process. I think that we should be willing to take different people through different processes .. some longer, some shorter, some in groups, some as individuals.
And I think that while there may not be a difference in the catechetical need between some converts (non-Christians) and some candidtates (Christians), there is a great ontological difference from the simple reality of baptism. And we need to honor that difference. We need to see the total process as one of formation and not just catechesis.
Future seminarians would have to be celibate.
Abp Hepworth is not of this opinion and Fr Reece SJ reading Cardinal Levada's press release is not of this opinion either and is, of course, pushing for the dissolution of the discipline of celibacy for the Latin Rite of the Church.
What say you?
At Our Lady of the Atonement in San Antonio we have a regular stream of people in the process of entering the Catholic Church, many (if not most) of them coming from an Anglican background. We have a series of Inquirers' Classes, which are especially geared for those whose faith is formed, but who need to develop a Catholic understanding. When an individual is ready to make a Profession of Faith, I meet with each one privately to discuss the committment they are about to make. This system has worked well at the parish for many years, and has yielded a large number of faithful Catholics. The RCIA "process" was never intended for converts from other Christian denominations.
Note that the good priest's view on the celibacy of future seminarians is no more than his opinion.
My thoughts about the new "ordinariates" can be found here: http://melbourneorthodox.blogspot.com/2009/10/thoughts-on-creation-of-anglican.html
Frankly, the RCIA is a penance and disincentive for the majority of instructed Anglo-Catholic and Anglican prospective converts. It varies from parish to parish but in many notable instances has got into the clutches of elderly liberals who try to force their own understanding of Catholicism upon a sometimes passive audience.
Key Church teaching is either muted, side-stepped or ignored, notably the Papal office, contraception and abortion, and this means that many are received unprepared for the reality of Catholic moral teaching. For others, little more than mere Christianity is offered, implying that developed believers need believe less than more by becoming Catholics.
Some stick it out, others (the uninstructed) leave the Church once they realize the reality of its teaching and discipline. It is better that practicing Christians from other denominations seek individual instruction in order that definite areas of doctrine can be properly addressed, rather than become subject to the whims and private agendas of angry old people, many of them, I regret to say, old women with damaged lives, frequently religious or ex-religious. This is not misogynistic but a fact.
Anon wrote: "Note that the good priest's view on the celibacy of future seminarians is no more than his opinion."
I think he's probably right. The knowledgable Italian Vatican reporter Paolo Rodari is 'Twittering' the passage of the Apost. Const. Here are some interesting Tweets from the past dew days (if interpreted correctly from the poor English!):
"Abotu anglicans: it works for the Apostolic Constitution and to clarify that in future there will not be married priests"
"The congregation of the clergy keeps that the question about married priests is well explained in the Apostolic Constitution on Anglicans"
"Congregation for the Clergy worked because in the apostolic constitution was written on that seminarians must accept celibacy"
"Pope opens to Anglicans and to married priesthood (but not in the future)"
Is still a long way to the exit of the Apostolic Constitution on Anglicans. The question "married priests" is discussed
"Where is now the text of the Apostolic Constitution about the Anglicans? At the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts"
http://twitter.com/ApostolicPalace
There is a book called "This Is the Faith" by Canon Francis Ripley, an English priest. I think it was written about 1950. It has been updated as of 1983 for changes in fasting requirements, etc.
The book is based on talks given by Canon Ripley to Anglicans interested in converting.
Perhaps it doesn't need to be said, but the content is authoritative. It is not dumbed down or full of liberal rubbish.
It's published by TAN.
It could be a supplement to the Catechism.
You could get your RCIA group to use the Evangelium course, or propose a supplementary study group for anyone else in RCIA who is interested, going through it.
Or there's always the Catechism, a bit poetic often but the Question and Answer Catechism is an excellent way of making sure one has chewed the text thoroughly.
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