Catholic Herald: How Catholics can reclaim Britain

Source: Catholic Herald

Non-believers long for a spiritual truth which only the Church can provide. But to win souls we must focus on God and charity, not political arguments

A visible faith: last Sunday’s Corpus Christi procession through central London (Mazur/catholicnews.org.uk)

British Catholicism is in an odd position. In terms of regular practice, it is a faith in decline. Mass attendance fell 30.7 per cent between 1993 and 2010, according to the Latin Mass Society. The number of Catholics peaked in 1993 and the number of priests in 1965.

British Catholicism is in an odd position. In terms of regular practice, it is a faith in decline. Mass attendance fell 30.7 per cent between 1993 and 2010, according to the Latin Mass Society. The number of Catholics peaked in 1993 and the number of priests in 1965.

Britain is and remains a country whose environment, institutions and modes of thought are still drawn in the main from the Christian tradition. This positions the Catholic Church well to win converts, yet this is something it does very badly. A recent analysis of data from the British Social Attitudes Survey found that for every one convert made by the Church in England and Wales, 10 cradle Catholics have been lost, while only 1.3 per cent of current Catholics have been converted either from no religion or a non-Christian faith.

The Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, established in 2011 by Benedict XVI, has not seen the flood of converts from Anglicanism which many hoped for, and while the initiative responds to the decline of the Church of England, no similar initiative exists to draw home those in the Welsh Methodist churches or the Presbyterian Church of Scotland.

CNA/EWTN News: UK ordinariate adapts Anglican prayers for Catholic use

London, England, Jun 6, 2012 (CNA/EWTN News).- The Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham is preparing to publish its daily liturgical prayer book, as part of its mission to incorporate Anglican traditions within the Catholic Church.

Father James Bradley, communications officer for the jurisdiction, told CNA on June 5 that the “Customary of Our Lady of Walsingham,” which contains the order of daily prayer and readings, “shows a deep respect for the Anglican tradition, and gives it space to flourish” in the Catholic Church.

Announced in the ordinariate's “Portal” publication on June 1, the book is due out “in a month or two” according to Monsignor Andrew Burnham, Assistant to the Ordinary.

Pope makes former Anglican bishops monsignori

The three former Anglican bishops at their ordination
to the priesthood in January (Mazur/catholicchurch.org.uk

Catholic Herald UK The Pope has honoured three former Anglican bishops, the first members of the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, with the title of monsignor.

Fr Keith Newton, the leader of the Ordinariate who has most of the functions of a bishop, and Fr John Broadhurst, the former Bishop of Fulham, have been granted the papal award of Apostolic Pronotary, the highest ecclesial title for non-bishops. Fr Andrew Burnham, the former Bishop of Ebbsfleet, has been granted the papal award of Prelate of Honour, and is therefore also a monsignor.

One in five future Catholics in England and Wales headed for ordinariate

People participate in the Rite of Election
in the Westminster cathedral. Credit: Mazur

London, England,(CNA).- About 900 prospective members of the new ordinariate, including 61 former Anglican clergy, prepared for their reception into the Catholic Church in England and Wales over the weekend.

They were among the more than 4,700 others who gathered for the Rite of Election in cathedrals across England and Wales over the weekend of March 12-13 to prepare to be received into the Church during Holy Week.

“I am greatly encouraged that these people will be received into the Catholic Church at Easter as members of the ordinariate,” said Fr. Keith Newton, the ordinary heading Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham. “During the next few weeks they will continue their prayerful preparation for this significant step.”

From BBC: Another Anglican Priest to become a Catholic

Father David Elliott says the Anglican
church is no longer united

The BBCNews

A Church of England priest from Reading has resigned from his post to join a new section of the Catholic Church.

Father David Elliott will join Anglican parishioners and clergy nationwide who plan to convert to The Ordinariate.

Pope Benedict established the Ordinariate for Church of England members unhappy over issues such as the ordination of women bishops.

However a Church of England spokesman said that movement between churches was "two-way traffic".

Father Elliott, who resigned from the Church of the Most Holy Trinity in Reading, said he felt the Church Of England was no longer "united".

"Oneness is incredibly important in Christianity", he said.

The Lutherans Are Coming!

Thanks to THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: A quick look at the Anglican Ordinariate Google Map reveals an interesting trend. It looks like some Lutherans are availing themselves of the opportunity to join the pope's emerging Anglican Catholic Ordinariate here in the United States. The trend can be verified on The Anglo-Catholic blog. The development signifies something startling. The Anglican Ordinariates are beginning to cross denominational lines - specifically Protestant denominational lines. No longer are traditional Anglican congregations the only one's interested in entering the Catholic Church through the pope's personal ordinariate. Now we see traditional Lutherans following through as well. This is not a separate ordinariate mind you, it's the SAME ordinariate! It would appear the Traditional Anglicans and Traditional Lutherans are patching things up between them as they head toward Rome...

View Emerging Anglican Catholic Ordinariates in a larger map

Former Anglican bishops find a new home in Rome

By Robert Pigott

BBC News religious affairs correspondent

Archbishop Vincent Nichols with the first clergy of the world's
first Personal Ordinariate (Photo: James Bradley - CatholicHeraldUK)

The ordination of former Anglican bishops as Roman Catholic priests could fundamentally change the Church they leave behind.

The ordination of Keith Newton, Andrew Burnham and John Broadhurst by Archbishop Vincent Nichols signals the inauguration of a special section for former Anglicans - known as the "Ordinariate" - in the Roman Catholic Church.

It was set up by Pope Benedict XVI as a home for traditionalist Anglicans unhappy in the Church of England, and especially with its decision to introduce women bishops.

The Ordinariate will welcome married priests, although they will not be able to become bishops, and it will preserve some Anglican traditions and practices.