Rorate Caeli

Traditional Anglican Communion in Britain votes for Ordinariate

To update our readers on the Traditional Anglican Communion's progress towards conversion and integration into the Catholic Church, the weblog Signum is reporting the following:

The Traditional Anglican Communion in the UK voted last Thursday (October 29th) to request that they form part of the proposed Ordinariate in the UK. During the Forward in Faith conference Archbishop Hepworth of the TAC had stated that the motion would be placed before the Synod of the Traditional Anglican Church in the UK (and other Synods of the TAC) that the Apostolic Constitution of Benedict XVI be accepted and that its immediate implementation be requested.The website of the TAC in the UK is now reporting that the following resolution was passed:

"The Resolutions

"That this Assembly, representing the Traditional Anglican Communion in Great Britain, offers its joyful thanks to Pope Benedict XVI for his forthcoming Apostolic Constitution allowing the corporate reunion of Anglicans with the Holy See, and requests the Primate and College of Bishops of the Traditional Anglican Communion to take the steps necessary to implement this Constitution.

"That this Assembly is of the respectful opinion that Bishop Robert Mercer CR might be considered for the position of Ordinary in Great Britain."


This is not unexpected as the TAC was the group that had approached Rome, and Archbishop Hepworth had publicly stated that the offer of the "ordinariates" exceeded their expectations.

The TAC in the UK numbers about twenty parishes (they also have one in France). Some of these parishes would be more accurately described as mass centres rather than parishes in the full sense of the word.

This is good news as it is the first indication that the Pope's offer is being accepted.

Let us all continue to pray for the conversion of Anglicans and Episcopalians and for their reunion with the Catholic Church.