On integrating refugee conservative anglicans stateside

As a blogger, one of the most rewarding experiences one can have is watching several disparate stories suddenly fall into place nicely. Now of course, the danger is to let oneself impose an order that isn't actually there, but in this case I think there's some encouraging signs that the pieces are actually lining up....

First up, Damian Thompson (who is rapidly becoming my trusted source for UK Anglican/Catholic information, think of him as the British Rocco), has published that "The Catholic Church will expand its provision of "Anglican Use" parishes in the United States in order to allow whole communities of traditionalist Anglicans into the Roman fold".

The source for this development is Abp. John Myers of Newark, a canonist of the first order, speaking at this summer's Anglican Use Conference in San Antonio. The radioactive quote:

“We are working on expanding the mandate of the Pastoral Provision to include those clergy and faithful of 'continuing Anglican communities’,” Archbishop Richard J Myers said in San Antonio, Texas at a conference for “Anglican Use” parishes of the Roman Catholic Church.

Anglo-Catholic bishops attending the Lambeth Conference confirmed to ReligiousIntelligence.com that discussions were underway with the Vatican over their reception into the Roman Catholic Church, and were hopeful a way could be found for them to go over to Rome with their dioceses. [Religious Intelligence UK]

[More from his address to the conference:]

Through the Anglican Use liturgy, individuals from the Episcopal Church who reconcile with Rome have the option to worship in a manner that is familiar to them, which many practiced from childhood, and which has nourished their faith in Jesus Christ.

... (In some cases the sense of the sacred conveyed in the Anglican Use liturgy has been a vehicle of return for Catholics who had fallen away from the practice of their faith because of liturgical abuses during the implementation of the Novus Ordo.)

... Catholic faithful who worship according to the Anglican Use must never see themselves as different from other Catholics or somehow privileged among other Christian Communions. We are Catholics together, obedient to the Holy Father, to those bishops in communion with him and ever faithful to Magisterial teaching.

... The struggle is real. The choice is not always easy. However, the Holy See’s allowance of the Anglican Use liturgy for now might help to make the burden a little easier for some to bear. The mark toward which we press as Catholics and as Christians is Jesus Christ. He is our goal and we can only find Him through the Church he founded on Peter.

[Read his entire keynote address here.]

For more information on the Anglican Use rite (I've blogged about related topics previously):

• The Anglican Use Society - and do note: one of the speeches given at this year's conference was by a former episcopal bishop! Read more about that here. I believe I blogged about him when the news broke, but can't find it in the archives immediatly.
• Anglican Use on Wikipedia - also lists the Anglican Use parishes in the U.S (11 or 12)
• CIN provides the rubrics of the Anglican Use liturgy in a single page

Now here's the final, fun part: the part where I tie a couple separate strands together:

The exhumation of Venerable John Henry Cardinal Newman has been requested by the Vatican to make veneration easier for his devotees. The prominent nineteenth-century convert from the Church of England is being considered for beatification, the last step before he is declared a saint.

Cardinal Newman’s body was buried in a small cemetery at Rednal in 1890. According to the Telegraph, the Vatican wants his remains to be moved to a marble sarcophagus in the Birmingham Oratory.

Father Paul Chavasse, Provost of the Birmingham Oratory, explained the reason for the request: "One of the centuries-old procedures surrounding the creating of new saints by the Catholic Church concerns their earthly remains. (CNA)

CWNews speculates that his beatification could take place "before the end of this year."

And how appropriate, that simultaneous upon the prospect of numerous Anglicans returning to the barque of peter, the Anglican-convert par excellence would be elevated to the dignity of a blessed!

And lest we forget the spiritual... "Is Cardinal Newman Praying for His Anglican Brethren?".

It's such a harmonious picture, the plan seems a bit more than human.