Anglican Movement toward Catholicism Continues

Last November when Pope Benedict XVI issued the Apostolic Constitution providing a pathway for Anglicans to enter into full communion with the Catholic Church, I was told by a lot of folks that it would amount to nothing. They believed that the theological and psychological barriers to a reunion with Rome were simply too great and too long standing. They couldn't imagine any Anglicans crossing the Tiber to join the Catholic Church, except perhaps those few who, for whatever reasons, were already planning to convert.

Well, it seems they were wrong. I suspect they simply underestimated the ability of the Anglican Church to tear itself apart. I believe they also underestimated the dissatisfaction felt by many Anglicans who have watched as the cracks in their Church's moral and theological foundation have widened. For these the only place they can turn to for unchanging magisterial teaching is the Catholic Church. And perhaps, too, many underestimated the wisdom of Pope Benedict who just might have been far more tuned in to the issue than the rest of us.

The first indication came when the Traditional Anglican Communion (TAC) in Canada requested unification with the Catholic Church back in March. TAC Bishop Peter Wilkinson (photo at left) believes his group is just the tip of the iceberg. He stated that when Pope Benedict issued the motu proprio “I had Lutherans calling me saying, 'how do we get in on this?' And Orthodox (Christians) saying, 'how do we get in on this?'” Bishop Williamson believes “It is a worldwide movement largely brought about by the vision of John Paul II” and “the wonderful, gentle firm, intellectual vision of Pope Benedict, who is such an inspiration to us.” Read about this here.

And there are a number of more recent indications that many more Anglicans may well turn toward Rome:

In May several Anglican bishops went to Rome to meet with officials of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and apparently discuss the process of converting to the Catholic Church. Read about this here.

At the recent Church of England synod,the decision was made to approve women bishops.  As a result of this decision 70 Anglican members of the clergy met with a Catholic bishop to discuss plans to enter the Catholic Church. Some Anglicans believe the decision will lead to a "mass exodus" to Rome. Read more about this here.

Pray for the unity Christ desires for His Church.