Some Thoughts on the Anglican Ordinariate

January 3, 2011

As many of you may be aware, the Anglican Ordinariate launched nationwide this week and it will be operated out of the Roman Catholic diocesan office in Houston . The Rev. Jeffrey Steenson, a former Episcopal bishop, now a Roman Catholic priest working and teaching in Houston, will oversee the Ordinariate. 

What is an Ordinariate? An ordinariate is a canonical structure within the Roman Catholic Church enabling former Anglicans to maintain their “Anglican” identity and autonomy within the Roman Church.  Its precise nature may be viewed in the Anglicanorum Coetibus of November 4, 2009.  The document states that the goal is "to maintain the liturgical, spiritual and pastoral traditions of the Anglican Communion within the Catholic Church, as a precious gift nourishing the faith of the members of the Ordinariate and as a treasure to be shared."

This is not a unique event within the Roman Catholic Church.  In the Roman Church there are other Latin rite churches with similar accommodations. One in particular offers a similar structure and governing principles for Eastern Churches that wanted to return to communion with the Holy See (Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches).

This is not a new initiative. The process for the current Ordinariate began in 1977 when the Episcopal Church began ordaining women priests.  A 1980 pastoral provision was granted only for the United States and it directly subjects those former Anglicans to whom it is applied to the governance of the existing local Latin Rite bishops.  In October 2007 the Traditional Anglican Communion (TAC) presented a petition to the Holy See requesting full union in corporate form, an action that has resulted in the Ordinariate we see in today’s headlines.  This Ordinariate was a topic of discussion at the Diocese of Texas’ Clergy Conference in 2009 when it was initially announced.

The Ordinariate is news within the Roman Catholic Church today because it shows a broadening of the Roman tradition within a Church not known for change.  In the Episcopal Church and Anglican tradition, we regularly welcome and receive members from all denominations. For many years we have had a process by which a person or congregation might affiliate with our Church and become Episcopalian. While our canons have offered this provision for movement for a long time, it remains a novelty for Rome.

Not many people are expected to make a change.  The Rev. Steenson and Cardinal Daniel DiNardo have represented publicly that some 1400 individuals nationally have expressed interest in joining the Roman Church.  Many of these individuals are members of congregations who already have pastoral oversight of regional Latin bishops and are not members of any Episcopal diocese. In the Houston area, Our Lady of Walsingham will be participate in the Ordinariate but the congregation has never been an Episcopal Church.  Other break away congregations may seek to join the Ordinariate.  I know of only one retired clergyman in the Episcopal Diocese of Texas who is considering joining the Roman Church. 

It is also important when speaking about numbers to recognize the small nature of the numbers of individuals interested in the Ordinariate.  In the Episcopal Diocese of Texas alone we welcome more than 200 new members a year from Roman and Orthodox churches.  This number is even larger when you consider numbers received by the Episcopal Church in the continental United States.

Why aren’t more people participating in the Ordinariate? I think it is because to participate in the ordinariate one must professes Roman Catholic principles and doctrines in their entirety and maintain fidelity to the Pope.  Divorce and remarriage alone present particular stumbling blocks for many Episcopalians and worldwide Anglicans.

Is this an ecumenical unification of two Christian denominations? The Ordinariate is not an ecumenical joining of the Anglican Church with the Roman Church.  While friendship and courtesy exist between our two Churches, there remain major doctrinal divisions between the Anglican Church and the Roman Catholic Church.  The Ordinariate is about expanding the definition of who may be considered part of the Roman Church, based upon liturgical use.

Are we, as Anglicans, moving back to into unity with the Roman Catholic Church?  It is true that as of the Second Vatican Council in the 1960’s both the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Church have been in dialogue (along with many other denominations).  In these conversations we have agreed that, regarding the historic churches, the essential shape of our language relating to God and Christ Jesus is shared.  We understand that we are a community in relationship with God and with other believers and that the Church, in its broadest sense, is a model for human life together in accordance with God’s purpose and intention. 

In his Willebrands Symposium in 2009, Archbishop Rowan Williams said: “the Church is a community, in which human beings are made sons and daughters of God, and reconciled both with God and one another.  The Church celebrates this through the sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion in which God acts upon us to transform us in communion.”  In fact the Trinitarian doctrine and the discourse around the Lord’s Supper are strongly affirmed on all sides of the ecumenical discussion.

All of that being said … there remain major obstacles when we move beyond these common beliefs. Most of the divisions stem from the nature of the Roman Catholic Magisterium.  The magisterium is the teaching authority of the Roman Church.  This authority is rooted solely in the episcopacy, which is the combination of the bishops of the Roman Church in union with the Pope.  According to Roman Catholic doctrine, the Magisterium is able to teach or interpret the truths of the faith, and may do so either non-infallibly or infallibly. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd ed. 1997, pt. 1, sect. 1, ch. 2, art. 2, III [#100])  For example:  "The task of interpreting the Word of God authentically has been entrusted solely to the Magisterium of the Church, that is, to the Pope and to the bishops in communion with him." (ibid) 

One can easily see that issues such as divorce, remarriage, married clergy and women priests are but a few practices that are locally discerned by our Episcopal Church, but remain stumbling blocks for the Roman Church as we pursue greater ecumenical unity.

Our polity and nature as Anglicans does not hold that there is one mechanism or person in the Church that has the clear right to determine for all where the limits of Christian identity and practice reside.  We do not believe the integrity of the Church is dependent upon one single, identifiable ministry or person of unity to which all local ministries are accountable.  But rather that it is the sum total of the Church’s discernment and prayer which guides the teaching practice of the missionary church. (Ibid)  All this is to say that we as Anglicans do not have a Pope or understand the teaching ministries of the Church in the same manner as do our Roman brothers and sisters, and such a divergent opinion is a very real gulf between the two Churches.

As Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, where do I stand regarding the new Roman Catholic Ordinariate?  I have no anxiety and I hope that the Ordinariate will be a place where some who feel spiritually homeless may find a dwelling place; and a place where others may come to a better understanding of their own Anglican heritage. 

In the Bible Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel together at Shechem.  His last teaching to Israel was this, he said, “Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15) 

I have chosen to follow God in Christ Jesus through the particular and unique church community of the Episcopal Church. I am unabashedly Episcopalian and I love my church. Furthermore, I embrace and welcome all those who choose to serve Jesus in and through the ministries of this Church.  We in the Episcopal Diocese of Texas are a people in mission and we are focused on the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit, such that men and women will be drawn into relationship with him as Savior and follow him as Lord in the specific fellowship of the Episcopal Church; which is part of Christ’s universal and catholic church.

 You may read ENS coverage here.

Let us go and see: The Incarnation of God in Christ

Across the world on Christmas Eve and Day we shall sit huddled shoulder to shoulder singing carols and Hymns to God. Our children will be eager for gift-giving and sweets; all the while learning the enduring quality of patience. Adults will be gathered, filled with memories and hope for what might be. In the midst of messy family lives and longing for salvation, we shall gather. What I know is that on Christmas when our voices are united in praise of a God who chooses us, regardless of our circumstance, our hearts will be warmed.

We shall gather and we shall retell our sacred Christmas story in which God chooses Mary and Joseph. They were two homeless and poor individuals, forced to wander far from home because of an authority whose rule controlled their lives. With children and parents gathered around we tell the story that Jesus was brought into the world in a manger; in the midst of shepherds. All of this we remind ourselves foreshadows his inheritance to live among the poor and have no place for his head.

Yet it is neither his surroundings nor his lot in life as the son of a poor carpenter that makes our Christmas story special. On the contrary, we speak an ancient and holy truth: Jesus is God with us, Emmanuel, Lord, and Messiah. It is the angel’s words proclaimed to the shepherds that we ourselves echo on this holy of holy days.

We celebrate a living Word birthed into a particularly difficult and hard world. We celebrate light birthed into darkness. We proclaim wisdom birthed into longing. We proclaim glory in the mundane.

It is true that we will all come together as a Christian family celebrating in our own ways the revelation of God in Christ Jesus. We will find him in the midst of our holy worship. However, the Christmas message is clear, the incarnation of God is more than likely best experienced in the world around us.

“Let us go and see” is the shepherd’s cry. So let us, like them, leave our hallowed service and go and see the Christ Child present in the lives of families and friends. May we be buoyed by our mutual joy and hope. Let us with confidence proclaim that God has chosen us, his lowly people, in which to be seen and discovered.

May this season move us to realize the opportunity we have to witness to the Christ Child in the world. Let us offer hope where there is despair, faith where there is doubt, pardon where there is injury, and joy where there is sadness. Let us give food to those who hunger and warmth to those who are cold. Let us love the world into a just society. And let us redefine our neighbor as our family.

My hope for you and your family is a blessed and Holy Christmas. I wish you the greatest measure of peace and joy in the company of friends. May we with one united voice proclaim God in Christ Jesus to a world that even still groans with a longing heart for a savior. Merry Christmas.

News from the edge: Evangelism Story #5

This story of getting out into the community as church comes from Cameron, Texas.  My friend Ray Bagby wrote to me and told me how one of their parishioners, Phyllis Davis and her creative challenge. 

He said, [she] rallied our folks to have a float in the Cameron Christmas Parade on December 3rd. In front of a painted backdrop of our church (the small white church with the red doors) was a live manger scene. To my knowledge it was the first time, or at least the first in many years, that we have had a presence there and we were the only float that proclaimed the real reason for Christmas. In addition to the banners identifying the church, there was one on each side which read: “Celebrate! Our Savior is Born!”, then below that, “He is Christ the King.”

He closed his short note to me with these words, "After the parade, the participants had dinner together and began to share their stories, which we had already planned to do in the Christian formation hour during Advent. I believe that this sharing will strengthen the church and make it even more open to evangelism in the future."

What a great way to have fun, get out there, and share the good news! Thank you for sharing the story with us.

Encouraging a New Discourse on the Economy

Encouragement for resources to be directed to the common good with attention to the least of these.

This article was submitted by Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, archbishop of Galveston-Houston; Bishop Janice Huie-Riggle, Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church; The Rt. Rev. C. Andrew Doyle, bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Texas; Bishop Michael Rinehart, Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; Rev. Manuel LaRosa-Lopez, pastor, St. John Fisher Catholic Church; Rabbi David Rosen, senior rabbi, Congregation Beth Yeshurun; Rev. Mike Cole, general presbyter, Presbytery of New Covenant; Rev. Harvey Clemons Jr., pastor, Pleasant Hill Baptist Church; Rev. John Bowie, pastor emeritus, True Light Missionary Baptist Church; and Rabbi David Lyon, senior rabbi, Congregation Beth Israel

For decades, presidents and congressional leaders have struggled to break the political gridlock that perpetuates federal deficit spending. Success has been elusive - especially when trying to strike the right balance between living within our means and protecting our poorest and most vulnerable.


The federal government's latest failure to address the deficit problem came at the hands of the recently disbanded Congressional Joint Committee on Deficit Reduction, more commonly referred to as the supercommittee. This bipartisan group had been tasked with identifying $1.5 trillion in deficit-reduction measures over the next 10 years or face automatic across-the-board cuts in 2013. Despite the dramatic risks involved, neither side ultimately demonstrated collective responsibility to control government expenditures while passing a sustainable spending plan for future generations.

Now we are back to square one. President Obama has said he will veto any bill that seeks to postpone the draconian cuts the supercommittee was supposed to avoid. Uncertainties abound, as we inch ever-closer to fiscal calamity. Our greatest fear is that whatever approach policymakers try next will disregard morally appropriate solutions and disproportionately reduce spending for programs that care for the unborn, feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, educate the young and care for the sick both at home and abroad.

The task at hand is vital. The ranks of the nation's poorest have climbed to a record high, with some 46 million Americans living in poverty. That's more than ever before in our history. Unemployment rates remain dangerously close to double digits and one in four children go to bed hungry each night. Despite the obvious need, only one in seven Americans (some 36 million people) receives government food assistance to ensure they have enough to eat; approximately 3.5 million are homeless.

We cannot let this situation continue. As we approach the holiday season, with its shared messages of charity and love, we would do well to remember that the federal budget is a moral document. Within its line items are essential programs that millions rely upon to sustain and secure themselves and their families. It would be wrong to balance future budgets by burdening those who already suffer by cutting programs for food support, affordable housing, child nutrition, health care or international poverty assistance.

As a nation we have long prided ourselves on possessing strongly held values: reliability, faith, compassion. Our history demonstrates an ongoing commitment to those values here in America and throughout the world. We pray that our lawmakers uphold those values when taking into account those who depend on them - including the unborn, schoolchildren, the elderly, struggling families, those who are homeless or sick, and refugees in our country and abroad - by maintaining and prioritizing funding to the most vulnerable.

Our congregations and other faith groups assume much of the responsibility for serving our vulnerable brethren, but we cannot do so alone. Recognizing the responsibility of government to provide for the common good, we join as an interfaith community to encourage lawmakers to use their authority to direct resources where they will best promote the common good of all, especially "the least of these" who struggle to live in dignity in difficult times. Limiting spending requires shared sacrifice by all, and we encourage lawmakers to consider eliminating unnecessary military and other spending, while also raising adequate revenues to fund critical programs and services.

A fundamental moral measure of our nation's budget decisions is whether they enhance or undermine the lives and dignity of those most in need. We hope and pray that our nation will be proud of the decisions our president and congress must make to limit unsustainable spending while simultaneously demonstrating the integrity that our nation is known for - integrity that demands that we hear and heed the cries of those most in need of our support and protection.

News from the edge: Evangelism Story #4

This is the fourth story in a series of stories about people who have bridged the gap between church and their neighborhood.  This story comes from Texas City.

We are planning a "Take back the Night with the Light" block party for our "parish" in the orginal sense of the word. This redefinition has helped us see our neighbors and neighborhood in a new light. With the prediction that in 5 years this will be one of the worst neighborhoods in Texas City, it seems we have the opportunity and obligation to rally the neighborhood to stand united in not allowing the prediction to come true. WE ARE THE LIGHT. We are planning to have an Epiphany Service with a block party with food to follow for our "parish" and give out Epiphany Home Blessing Kits. 


We are also doing advent conspiracy cross-generational events on Sunday mornings. Last week we made advent wreaths and iced sugar cookies to take to our neighbors and friends. This morning I heard from one member that she took her plate of cookies to a neighbor she had not yet met. As she told her about St. Georges, the woman became interested in knowing more. We now have saint cards with a quote, our service times and address for her to take back to her with a follow up."

I know your neighborhood and friends really appreciate being found by the church and discovering that you care for them. Keep up the good work Texas City!

If you want to hear the evangelism talks click here: Bishop of Texas Podcast Site or download them from ITunes (search Andrew Doyle).