ACC UK Magazine of the Diocese of the United Kingdom (Anglican Catholic Church) Issue 42 Annual Subscription £7.50 Easter 2014 INSIDE REMEMBERING THIS BROTHER JOHN CHARLES, F.O.D.C. ISSUE: 22ND JULY 1924 — 6TH FEBRUARY 2014 FORMER METROPOLITAN ARCHBISHOP OF THE ORIGINAL PROVINCE & 5TH ACTING PRIMATE OF THE ANGLICAN CATHOLIC CHURCH From the Bishop 2 Council of Advice 6 Newsletter Schism and Continuum 16 The Making of the 20 Affirmation of St Louis News From Around 22 the Diocese (Pictured above right) The Most Reverend Brother John Charles (Vockler), F.O.D.C. On his Archiepiscopal Visitation to the Diocese of the United Kingdom in June 2002, admires (the then Bishop) now Archbishop Mark Haverland’s Pectoral Cross. Where to Bishop Haverland was at that time Episcopal Visitor to the DUK worship 27 Bishop Damien Mead reports: Charles (Vockler) F.O.D.C. who Please Support "Of your charity please pray for has entered his eternal rest. this Magazine by The Most Reverend Brother John- subscribing Continued on page 10 ORTHODOX FAITH ANGLICAN WORSHIP CATHOLIC ORDER P A G E 2 FROM THE BISHOP In 2013 I celebrated my Fifth anniversary as a Bishop in the Church of God. During the past five years I have experienced, as most of you The Right Revd know, three years of particularly Damien Mead severe illness. This has kept me from the active ministry I intended. Bishop Ordinary Thankfully I am much better and as long as I continue to take the medicines I have been prescribed, I should, D.v., continue to be well. During these 5 years I have upon us. been faced with a number of I have learned recently that by joyous but alas also a number of our referring to our little Church difficult decisions and situations of St Augustine in Canterbury as that come hand in hand with the our ‘Pro-Cathedral’ has caused duties and responsibilities of the some members of the Lambeth Episcopal office. On the front Communion hierarchy to have page of this edition of ACC-UK I apoplexy! Oh to wield such “… it is a report on the death of Brother awesome power! Pro-Cathedral … John Charles Vockler, our former Similarly, closer to home, one that is to say - Metropolitan Archbishop, who of those who departed our a building would have celebrated his 55th communion some time ago has temporarily Anniversary as a Bishop this year. also been heard deriding my housing the My admiration and awe of him ‘presumption’ to claim such a Chair, Cathedra grows in light of this milestone. title for our little Chapel. or Throne of What challenges he must have the Bishop faced during his Episcopal until such time ministry. Especially since all of it, as a permanent except the last few years, were cathedral can spent in Dioceses considerably be provided. “ larger than my small cure, and thus with even greater joys and frustrations. Br John Charles’s decision to join the ACC wasn’t an easy one to make. It didn’t come without considerable criticism. Although the weight of his reputation and the depth of his experience no doubt silenced many. It is sadly the case that without such gravitas the rest of us appear to be to some ‘fair game’ and from, time to time ‘open season called ISSUE 42 EASTER 2014 P A G E 3 But of course it is a Pro-Cathedral … that is to say a building temporarily housing the Chair, Cathedra or Throne of the Bishop until such time as a permanent cathedral can be provided. Size doesn’t matter. What does matter, is that regardless of our size we in the ACC, share something very important, a clue to which, is actually inscribed upon my Cathedra. fullness of His humanity. On a small brass plaque screwed However, the Angelus also to my Bishops Chair, in St points, through the phrase Ut digni Augustine’s, (which commemorates efficiámur promissiónibus Christi to it’s presentation to the Diocese), another Union, as truly and there are some words in Latin: wonderful a union as the first, Ut digni efficiámur which, in this Eastertide, should be promissiónibus Christi. in the forefront of our minds “ Ut digni (Which translate as “That we may be efficiámur worthy of the promises of Christ”). Christ is risen. Alleluia! promissiónibus The same engraving can be found He is risen indeed. Alleluia! Christi. inside my Episcopal Seal Ring. This is the traditional Easter (Which salutation. The joy of Easter is joy translate as in Our Lord's resurrection. It is “That we may inseparable from Him. Christians be worthy rejoice because Christ is risen. of the promises Christians rejoice because in Christ of Christ”)...” shall all be made alive. In Christ. These are the sustaining words of Easter. In Christ. Our own resurrection is with Him. Our joy is that we are risen with Him. As most of you will know, the Our Baptism made it thus. For in Angelus is a common form of Baptism we were united with, and devotion, (although throughout this made members of, Christ. Our Holy period known as Easter-tide we shall Communion reception of His Body be singing the Regina Caeli in it’s and Blood, establish and strength- place), which recalls the Angelic en and settle that union. Through Salutation which heralded the this Sacrament of Holy Communion Incarnation of God. this central He dwells in us, and we in Him. mystery of our faith, the The meaning of Christmas is that Hypostatic Union, the doctrine which this union exists. The meaning of seeks to define and explain to us the the Passion-tide we have just unique union found in Christ – the commemorated is that Redemption awesome wonder of the Union of the saves this union. The meaning of fullness of his Divinity and the Easter is that the Resurrection P A G E 4 perpetuates it for eternity. Eastertide, is that they are at the The meaning of the mysteries of heart of early Christian belief. the Incarnate Life is that sin is The disciples could thus preach conquered and death is that Jesus was alive; that He had vanquished and the union is risen as He said He would, and that preserved. That is the joy. Our joy He was the Son of God as He as Christians is to be in Christ. The claimed to be, which is one of the joy of the Saints is to be in Christ. core doctrines of the Christian faith The joy of the faithful departed is to (Acts 1:1-3; Romans 10:6-11). Prior be in Christ. The union of each is to His post-resurrection appearanc- the Communion of all in the joy of es, none of Jesus' disciples truly being in Christ. For in Him shall all believed that He would rise from the be made alive. So what are the dead until they had personally seen promises of Christ that we pray that Him at His post-resurrection we may be worthy of? appearances (Matthew 28:16-17; Mark 16:9-13; Luke 24:1-11; John “I am come that 20:24-29). they might have life.” “I am the resurrection and the life.” “Whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath everlasting life.” It was Our Lord Jesus Christ who made the promises. It was Our Lord Jesus Christ who rose from the dead to reassure us that the promises were true. The announcement is clear. The fact is Donations to certain. The promise is irrevocable. aid the ACC The gift of God is eternal life. In Him in our work is life; and the life is the light of can be made men. online. Visit The forty days leading up to the Diocesan Easter, the period we know as Lent, Website and has a deep grip on the conscious- click on ness of both Christians and the unchurched alike. There is a Although we know that even general awareness that this is a though they personally saw Jesus, solemn and penitential time. But some still hesitated to believe it was seldom do we hear about the 40 Him. Even James, Jesus' half- days of joy that follow Easter. brother who wrote the Book of Clearly the significance of the James, did not believe that He was post resurrection appearances of truly the Son of God until Jesus Christ to His disciples and others appeared to him after He had risen. prior to His ascension to Heaven, Scriptures record that Jesus which we hear in our Gospel walked the earth for forty days after readings during the Masses of His resurrection prior to His ascension to Heaven, and during ISSUE 42 P A G E 5 that time He appeared to the they all forsook Him and fled, except disciples and others on twelve Peter. At His trial though, Peter separate occasions. It is difficult to denied knowing Him three times. harmonise those occasions Then they went into hiding for fear of positively as no gospel writer has their lives. But after Jesus' post- recorded all His post-resurrection resurrection appearances to the appearances. Certain appearances disciples, a new dimension was have been recorded by certain added to their lives; their lives took writers stressing the peculiarities of on new meaning. They became bold those particular occasions without and fearless in their witness to the denying other appearances on other resurrection power of Jesus to save occasions. Mark and John however and to heal; they rejoiced in persecu- do record that His first tions they underwent for His name's sake.