A Reply to the Apostolic Constitution “Anglicanorum Coetibus” Mons. Dr

Mons. Dr. Frederick Haas

A reply to the Apostolic Constitution “Anglicanorum coetibus”

From time to time, people ask me why we do not want to convert to the Catholic Church, because Pope Benedict XVI has created a possibility, that Anglicans can be absorbed through the Apostolic Constitution „Anglicanorum coetibus“ in the Catholic Church. I would like to answer this question, but first I want to give some explanations for those who are not so familiar with this matter.

On 9th November 2009 the Vatican published a letter, which regulated the establishment of Personal Ordinariates for Anglicans, who wanted to convert to the Catholic Church. At the same time 14 articles were published containing supplementary standards to this Constitution. These documents solve the existing „Pastoral Provision” of 1980, which was authorized in the United States. On October 20, ten days before, the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith published a letter concerning the content of this Apostolic Constitution. On its content I would like to give my comment and reply.

Actually „Anglicanorum coetibus“ is not a new innovation and is not a generous gesture to Anglicans who want to convert to the Catholic Church. The above-mentioned „Pastoral Provision“ has been an existing pastoral institution since 1980 in the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. It allows the establishment of (personal) parishes of Anglican rite under the leadership of former priests of the US Episcopal Church (The Episcopal Church USA), who converted to the Catholic Church, and who were given relief from celibacy and were re- ordained1. Such Catholic parishes with „Anglican Use“ exist among others in the states of Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Texas. These parishes celebrate their liturgy according to Anglican traditions, approved by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. They are committed to use the „Book of Divine Worship“ (not to be confused with the actual „Book of Common Prayer“).

1 „Anglicanorum coebus“ also requires a re-ordinaon. Basically, every consecraon is unique, not repeatable and can not be declared as invalid if it follows by a theologically correct rite of ordinaon, and this is guaranteed in Anglicanism. „Anglicanorum coebus“ requires that the former cleric is added to the lay state and depending on the previous stage consecraon begins again with the diaconate. This is theologically a pure heresy and comparable to the re-bapsm! In addion, the new consecraon levels only go up to the priestly ordinaon. An episcopal consecraon sees the Apostolic Constuon not before, because a bishop has to live in celibate. This rule is against 1 Timothy 3:2. Therefore the Catholic Church gives the bishops, who had converted, a „compensaon“, namely a honorary tle „Monsignor“, but without episcopal powers.

1 It must also be mentioned that the so-converted priests and communities are incorporated into a classical Catholic diocese and are under the jurisdiction of a Catholic diocesan bishop. The „Pastoral Provision” allowed so many dozens of former Anglican clergy, to become Roman Catholic priests.

„Anglicanorum coetibus“ now goes one step further and expands internationally the right that Anglican priests and communities from all other countries convert to the Catholic Church. With „Anglicanorum coetibus“ this right is no longer, as before, limited only to the United States. However, an innovation is to be pointed out here; namely structure and management. Anglican communities together with their clergy, who convert to the Catholic Church, are grouped in new established Ordinariates. These new Ordinariates, it seems, have higher status than the previously described in the U.S. with their status „Pastoral Provision“. „Anglicanorum coetibus” is not only a provisional regulation, or in other words, transitional arrangement, but a more informed body with its own structures that allow the so-called Anglican heritage in liturgy and church life.

Who knows Pope Benedict XVI, is aware of his sincere heart attitude, especially when it comes to the call of the Lord in the Gospel of John: „That all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us so that the world may believe that thou hast sent me“ (John 17, 21). Benedict’s efforts to create opportunities in this context are much appreciated. I also believe with all my heart that Pope Benedict XVI with „Anglicanorum coetibus“ really intended a generous and welcoming gesture, and thus wanted to express his respect for the Anglican heritage. However, this apostolic constitution is nothing more than a „Terms and Conditions“ which is generous and innovative from the point of view of Rome, but on closer inspection does not testify to the actual meaning of the word.

Reply to „Anglicanorum coetibus“ To get an understanding of the Roman Catholic position and to understand the Apostolic Constitution, it is necessary to have a little background history. In the Apostolic Letter „Apostolicae Curae“ of 13 September 1896, Pope Leo XIII rated the rites of the Anglican Church for the episcopate and priesthood. In his decision, he noted the invalidity of ordinations according to the Roman Catholic doctrine, and in this context to the interruption of apostolic succession within the Anglican Church.

The papal document had been answered by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York with the letter „Saepius officio” on 19 February 1897. In it, the Anglican bishops indicated the early Christian liturgies and also indicated the same alleged defects which would be challenged by Leo XIII, and reject his statement concerning the invalidity of their orders. This is the starting point for „Anglicanorum coetibus”. The decision of Pope Leo XIII is still, from the point of view of Rome, believed to be correct, even if we believe it is completely wrong. I will explain this matter in further detail:

From the perspective of Leo XIII there is a significant deficiency in the formula of ordination introduced by King Edward VI’s consecration rite. In particular, he thought that the Anglican formula for the priesthood „Receive the Holy Spirit” was insufficient, even in its later form with the additions „for the office and work of priest“ and „for the office and work of Bishop”. Since the intention (intent to act) is internal, it can according to Leo XIII be assessed only in so

2 far as it makes its appearance to the outside. Since, however, this had been deliberately changed by the Anglicans, by the benchmark of the ordination rite of the Catholic Church, it must be assumed that there is no Intention to „do what the Church does.”

In 1896 Pope Leo XIII so declared the Anglican rite of ordination as invalid. To date, this decision has not been changed, although it was an assumption by Pope Leo XIII. The Anglican orders are therefore from a Catholic perspective null and void, as well as the resulting church structures. „Anglicanorum coetibus“ is not about union with the Catholic Church, but a complete transformation, coupled with the complete dissolution of all previous structures, including church property, which obviously then falls to the Catholic Church. One can also say that the past is completely extinguished. The consequence can be so described: „Anglicanorum coetibus“ is the complete submission to the Roman primacy, which, I am convinced, the encyclical „Ut unum sint“, published by Pope John Paul II, completely undermines, because in this he wrote in the 95th section: „All this however must always be done in communion. When the Catholic Church affirms that the office of the Bishop of Rome corresponds to the will of Christ, she does not separate this office from the mission entrusted to the whole body of Bishops, who are also „vicars and ambassadors of Christ“. The Bishop of Rome is a member of the „College“, and the Bishops are his brothers in the ministry. Whatever relates to the unity of all Christian communities clearly forms part of the concerns of the primacy. As Bishop of Rome I am fully aware, as I have reaffirmed in the present Encyclical Letter, that Christ ardently desires the full and visible communion of all those Communities in which, by virtue of God's faithfulness, his Spirit dwells. I am convinced that I have a particular responsibility in this regard, above all in acknowledging the ecumenical aspirations of the majority of the Christian Communities and in heeding the request made of me to find a way of exercising the primacy which, while in no way renouncing what is essential to its mission, is nonetheless open to a new situation. For a whole millennium Christians were united in „a brotherly fraternal communion of faith and sacramental life ... If disagreements in belief and discipline arose among them, the Roman See acted by common consent as moderator.“

„Anglicanorum coetibus“ undermines all previous ecumenical aspirations and is obviously intended to promote only the so-called „return ecumenism“. The initiated way of a genuine ecumenism, initiated by Pope John Paul II, is now impossible. This affects not only the traditional Anglicans, but also the Orthodox and Eastern Churches.

Anglicans and Orthodox are looking for nothing more than the full unity and communion of the Church, but without submission to a primate. „Anglicanorum coetibus“ contributes nothing to this. This Apostolic Constitution cemented further more the position of the Catholic church in the light of the whole ecumenical movement.

Classical Anglicanism stands faithful to the writings of the Church Fathers, manifested in the liturgies of the Book of Common Prayer, especially BCP 1928 and the Affirmation of St. Louis from 1977, and is in its inner core completely Orthodox and Catholic. I am convinced that our Anglican heritage helps, especially among the English-speaking peoples, for further evangelization and new evangelization.

So I hope for the future that a further dialogue on the Petrine office takes place, however, in the form of an honorary primacy and not on the basis of a hierarchical status and jurisdictional

3 form, like it is the case at present. So I regret, not being able to meet the really well-meaning intention of the great revered Pope Benedict XVI, but I hope for a future further dialogue, thereby fulfilling what our Lord Jesus Christ wants: „That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me“ (Joh 17:21).