The first principle of the Ordinariate is then about Christian unity. St. Basil the Great, the Church’s greatest ecumenist, literally expended his life on the work of building bridges between orthodox brethren who shared a common faith, but who had become separated from one another in a Church badly fragmented by heresy and controversy. He taught that the work of Christian unity requires deliberate and ceaseless effort...St. Basil often talked with yearning about the archaia agape, the ancient love of the apostolic community, so rarely seen in the Church of his day. This love, he taught, is a visible sign that the Holy Spirit is indeed present and active, and it is absolutely essential for the health of the Church.

- Msgr. Jeffrey Steenson, Homily on the Occasion of his Formal Institution as Ordinary

Monday, March 8, 2010

'Anglican Catholics': Bishop Peter Elliott of Melbourne sets me right

By Damian Thompson
March 7th, 2010


I have had a friendly letter from Bishop Peter Elliott of Melbourne pointing out that the term “Anglican Catholic”, which I ascribed to him, was actually part of a commentary by someone else woven into his speech on “the Anglo-Catholic” website. Does this leave me with egg on my face? Yes, it most certainly does. Anyway, here is the bishop’s letter, which I urge you to read carefully, followed by the unedited text of his address. I apologise to him for the embarrassment I must have caused. He is an inspiring bishop; what I wouldn’t give to have his equivalent over here.

Dear Damian

First of all thank you for your sterling work in promoting the Ordinariate Project.

However, in an article sent to me yesterday you quote me as saying that members of the Ordinariate can call themselves “Anglican Catholics”. In fact I did not say that in the paper I gave on February 13th. Those words form part of a commentary on my paper, interspersed through my text, by the man in charge of the “Anglo Catholic” website in the United States.

The terms are an inference he may wish to make, but for the record, this is not something I said in my original text, which I attach.

My paper was dealing with the essentials of the new structure. Currently “Anglican Catholics” a term used by themselves to described those Anglo Catholics who take a pro-papal stance. This term may survive to describe members of the Ordinariate, but at this stage, it is too premature to say what language will be used...


Read the rest at Mr. Thompson's blog Holy Smoke.
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