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FATHER TIM

Calling all angry Anglicans! Special deals on conversions to Catholicism!

By
Father TIm

Published Friday, October 23, 2009, 3:10 PM
Updated Saturday, October 24, 2009, 4:23 PM

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Pope Benedict XVI

My friends:

Do you remember the Tylenol scare a few years back? The makers of the world's favorite pain-reliever had to cope with some nut who had poisoned a few bottles and caused the company to recall every single pill and capsule from every store shelf and hospital. Masterful management and savvy public relations saved the day, as well as the pharmaceutical giant's reputation — and bank account.

But imagine if, say, the makers of Excedrin had decided to capitalize on the scare by urging worried Tylenol users to switch to their brand — for their own safety, of course. "Use SAFE Excedrin," they could have said in commercials. "Remember, nobody has died from using OUR brand."

It would have been cheap and unseemly, right? Even if their ads had not been as wild as my imaginary example, they would have been rightly called out for taking such an ugly, self-serving, low road.

Perhaps I thought of this analogy because religion and headaches seem to go together, but the Catholic Church has invited criticism of the same kind for its just-announced and stunning plan to "sign up"  Anglicans who have grown angry, unhappy or disillusioned with what they perceive as their church's leftward leanings.

In the words of the Vatican's chief doctrinal officer, Cardinal William Levada, the plan will allow Anglicans “to enter full communion with the Catholic Church while preserving elements of the distinctive Anglican spiritual and liturgical patrimony." Although there is a heavy load of Vatican lingo like this in the announcement, it is indeed a way to fast-track angry Anglicans — most of them conservative — into conversion to Catholicism.

It is a move that could be felt very quickly and very broadly in England, where many Anglicans have grown disaffected with the Church of England's acceptance of gays and lesbians — including having openly gay bishops -- as well as its full enfranchisement of women as  theological equals, which has seen the ordination of women as priests.

As The New York Times said, "If entire parishes or even dioceses leave the Church of England for the Catholic Church, it will probably set off battles over ownership of church buildings and land."

Small wonder that within an hour after posting its scoop, The Times story was packed with comments from readers from all sides of the spectrum.

Some of these voices were happy with the news. Many believe, as I do, that the Church should always be a home in which people of any faith can be welcomed, and feel welcome. It would be hard for those like me in a missionary role to think otherwise. This is of course a simple, from-the-heart sentiment — but this is not a simple Vatican initiative, and it has left many people, both Anglicans and Catholics, lay and clergy, left and right, in utter shock.

To some, it is a clear sign that the Church is digging into its conservative base. To these people, Pope Benedict XVI has ended the suspense (not that there really was any) over whether his Church will be open to liberalization — or even dialog — on many of the issues experienced in the Anglican Communion in recent years. They see the door opening to conservatives of another church — but see it closing to liberal members of their own Church. They may well believe that the Church should be a home to the theological homeless, but now see themselves as the homeless ones.

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Calling all angry Anglicans! Special deals on conversions to Catholicism! | IrishCentral


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Posted by barneyjo on Dec 02, 2009, 03:49 AM EST
In the current climate, I would imagine that any members of the Anglican community will think long and hard before defecting to the catholic church (from the frying pan to the fire??)






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