Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Cheeky Thought about Anglican Personal Ordinariates

Has Benedict XVI shown Anglicans the way forward out of our crisis? Now that Personal Ordinariates are firmly in the tradition of the church, why not use them within the Anglican Communion? Let me see:

ACNA could be granted a Personal Ordinariate by TEC and by ACCan: communion restored. (I know, I know, it won't be that simple: ACNA might prefer to be boss and TEC and ACCan to be Personal Ordinariates of it ...)

Liberal Catholics within the C of E could be granted a Personal Ordinariate by the English powers that be (parliament? House of Lords? The Queen herself as Governor?): communion maintained.

Similarly, a Personal Ordinariate for those opposed to women priests and bishops within the C of E could be just what the Doctor ordered.

Sydney already has a kind of Personal Ordinariate within the life of the Anglican Church of Australia (in the sense of being in communion while also being different), but the Anglo-Catholic parishes within Sydney might like to come under new episcopal arrangements.

Then there is the intriguing question of whether our Three Tikanga arrangements in ACANZP constitute three Personal Ordinariates (noting that these PO thingies have an element of 'non-territorial episcopacies' about them, thus not infringing Nicea and all that).

Either way, come on ++Rowan and ++Katherine and ++Peter and co, if you cannot think as cunningly as Benedict, at least you could steal his ideas!

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