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Anglicans Seeking Union With Rome!

The following story was reported by the Catholic News Agency. The Traditional Anglican Communion is the Anglican group that has not succumb to the liberal madness of the rest of Anglican Church. They have reject the ordination of women, abortion, homosexuality, etc. It is interesting how when one remains committed to the truth one inevitably comes home to Rome. God bless them.

Anglican group seeks reunion with Rome

Portland, Sep. 30, 2005 ( CNA) - The Anglican Church in America has decided to seek union with the Roman Catholic Church. If unification were successful, this would be the first post-Reformation church to reunite with Rome, reports journalist Ken Tatro from “keep me current” in Oregon. The Anglican Church in America is part of the worldwide Traditional Anglican Communion, which consists of churches that split from the mainstream Anglican Communion in 1979 in opposition to the ordination of women clergy and to changes made to the Book of Common Prayer, which includes the basic doctrines and prayers.

Tatro reported that an international gathering of members of the Traditional Anglican Communion, including their highest-ranking cleric, Archbishop John Hepworth, met at St. Paul’s in Portland last week.

They voted in favor of starting a formal discussion with Rome and eventually creating what is called a “single Eucharist community.” This would allow members of the Traditional Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church to take communion at each other’s churches.

The leaders hope to propose a formal plan to the Vatican by next year. It is unclear how long the process of reunification will take.

Despite unification, from a basic theological and operational standpoint, nothing will be different within the church, said Very Rev. Lester York, dean of St. Paul’s.

York told Tatro that St. Paul’s is gaining membership as the Episcopal Church ordains homosexual clergy and debates blessing same-sex unions. He said his church is attracting people who no longer find the liberalism of other Protestant faiths acceptable.

Formal unity with Rome would better reflect the sect’s doctrine, York told the reporter. He said his church’s beliefs are similar to Roman Catholic and has the same seven sacraments.

Traditional Anglican Communion leaders have been discussing unification with Rome for the past few years, York reported. These discussions have included former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who is now Pope Benedict XVI.

This information is from Catholic News Agency

TRADITIONAL ANGLICAN CHURCH BISHOPS ENDORSE EFFORTS TO SEEK INTERCOMMUNION WITH ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
September 23 2005
THE Archbishop of the Traditional Anglican Communion and primate of the largest conservative Anglican Church in the world has received an endorsement from the U.S. and Central American Church bodies meeting in Portland, Maine this week to begin developing a plan for intercommunion and unity with Rome . The Most Reverend John Hepworth, the Primate of the Traditional Anglican Communion, attended the meeting of the General Synod of the Anglican Church in America during the week of September 20-24. The Church bodies gave him an endorsement of his efforts to re-establish formal unity with the Holy See in Rome.

He has led efforts on behalf of the Church to re-establish unity with the Roman Catholic Church with whom he has had discussions for the last several years. He has also made an effort to establish communion with European Lutherans seeking similar common ground with Rome. "We have no doctrinal differences with Rome which would keep us from being in full communion with each other" said the Archbishop in a recent interview. The climate is brewing for the Traditional Anglican Communion to be the 27th ecclesial group accepted into communion with Rome and the first church touched by the Reformation to do so. "My broad vision is to see the end of the Reformation of the 16th century." Archbishop Hepworth said if Christians truly believe in the notion of an undivided Church, they ought to discover what it takes to find unity with both East and West and "be liberated from everything that stops it."

The General Synod of the Anglican Church in America , including the Bishop of Central America, endorsed the efforts of the Primate today in a strong vote of support. The worldwide Traditional Anglican Communion will now begin the preparation of a formal unity plan to present to the Vatican next year outlining how intercommunion may be accomplished. The two churches have similar theological beliefs. The American Church was the last of the jurisdictions to endorse the efforts of the Primate due to timing of their National Synod. The Traditional Anglican Communion has members in 44 countries around the world.