Anglo Catholics to Stay and Fight

Last updated on: December 26, 2014 at 10:06 am by Fr. Dwight Longenecker

Anglo Catholics to Stay and Fight 2014-12-26T10:06:30-05:00 Fr. Dwight Longenecker

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Am I allowed to yawn at this point? Here’s the news: Anglo Catholics are divided about what to do next? Errm, so what’s new? Some have vowed to ‘stay and defeat women bishops’. Uhh, not likely. Others will stay and ‘fight on’ even if women bishops are ordained. No surprises there then. Others will stay for ‘family reasons’ or ‘financial reasons’. What was that about ‘hating your mother and father and brother and sister for the sake of the gospel?’

Some readers think, because I converted from Anglicanism that I was Anglo Catholic. I never was. I was a happy Anglican who thought he had found C.S.Lewis’ Mere Christianity. I valued Catholic ways of praying and celebrating the liturgy, but I also valued the Evangelical preaching and love of Scripture, the Charismatic’s emphasis on the gifts of the Spirit and the Liberals’ emphasis on peace and justice. My motto has always been, “A man is most often right in what he affirms and wrong in what he denies.”

I’ve certainly respected many of the Anglo Catholics I worked with. I liked their scholarship, their devotion to the faith and their tradition of going to the tough parishes to do God’s work. I liked their sense of theater, their sense of humor and their self deprecation. I liked their feisty spirit and their jaunty warrior spirit. However, I never really bought into their ‘church within a church’ mentality. I thought their ‘Catholicism’ too often to be ostentatious, overly aesthetic and precious. I disliked the effeminate subculture that too often went with Anglo Catholicism, and I disliked the self inflicted blinders they wore when it came to the Catholic Church. I never joined their confraternities and sodalities or went on their pilgrimages and retreats, and if I had tried to join I would probably not have been welcome.

Therefore, my emotions about Anglo Catholics are mixed. There are so many good folks still in that sub set of Christianity, and I like them and pray for them and hope they can come home to Rome and bring their greatest treasures with them. However, I feel impatient and sorry for those who still quiver and dither and wring their hands over the whole sad state of the Church of England.

Yes, yes, it’s sad to see where the Church of England is going, but my advice is to pull up your socks, bite your lip, have a stiff drink and swim the Tiber.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

July 24, 2010

St Mary Magdalene

Next Post

August 2, 2010 Considering Catholicism

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Anglican Matters Apologetics Architecture Blobble Study Book Reviews Brideshead Caitlin O'Rourke Catholic Art Catholic Culture Church Politics Chust for Nice Contemporary Culture Duane Mandible Ed Blanch Film Reviews Fr Harvey Nicolaitan Frank Viola Mantilla the Hon More Christianity Mrs Brady Catholic Old Lady Mystery of the Magi Norman Anderson Queen Hillary Saints and Supernatural Spirituality The Inklings The Vicar Theology Todd Unctuous Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz