When the text of Anglicanorum coetibus was made public, I had no hesitation at all in wanting to be part of an Ordinariate. I happened to be in Rome at the time of the announcement, and I excitedly called my archbishop and said to him that I wanted to send in a request right away. His response was, "What's your hurry?"
His question didn't make any sense to me. In fact, I pondered it all the way back from Rome. But I think I've figured it out.
He knows me as a pastor, and us as a parish, because we're part of his archdiocese, just like his other priests and parishes. Sure, we have a different liturgical use. But heck, when you go around the archdiocese you'd swear that every single parish has its own liturgical use. He knows that we're loyal to him as our archbishop. He knows our school as one of the finest in the archdiocese, recognized nationally as an excellent educational institution. We pay our money on time. We're supportive of archdiocesan programs, such as pro-life efforts, the apostolate to the homeless and needy, the seminary, and a host of other things. When he visits the parish we welcome him as our spiritual Father-in-God. And then he gets a call from me, all excited about the new Apostolic Constitution, and the possibility of becoming part of an Ordinariate. I didn't stop to think that he hadn't been particularly waiting for this development. In fact, it hasn't been on his radar screen at all. So when he hears me, naturally his first reaction is, "What's your hurry?"
The thing is, the immediate desire to be part of an Ordinariate isn't hurrying at all. We've been working for this and praying for this for some thirty years...
Read the rest at Atonement Online.
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