From The Boston Globe-
Massachusetts Episcopalians and Catholics this weekend weighed the Vatican’s invitation for traditionalist Anglicans to become Catholics, with some vehemently rejecting the idea and others saying its impact is unclear until more details are known.
The Vatican’s announcement last week that it would ease the way for disaffected Anglicans to join the Catholic Church prompted strong negative reactions from some progressive Episcopal priests and parishioners, who saw Pope Benedict XVI as capitalizing on divisions in the Anglican Communion over the ordination of female priests and an openly gay bishop. The Episcopal Church is the US branch of the Anglican church.
During his sermon at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Salem yesterday, the Rev. Paul B. Bresnahan said the Catholic Church was essentially offering itself as a “safe refuge for bigotry,’’ and he “must respectfully decline’’ the pope’s invitation.
“This really sends a terrible message to the gay community, as well as to women, which is half the population of the world,’’ he said in a phone interview. “It’s about time we embraced these folks in a kinder, gentler way than we are now.’’
Episcopal priests are allowed to marry, unlike most Catholic priests (some Eastern rite Catholic priests, and Catholic priests who were formerly Episcopal priests, are married). And the Vatican’s proposal raises other theological issues, including the nature of papal authority and the meaning of the Eucharist, as well as practical issues, such as who would own the real estate of Episcopal congregations that joined the Catholic church.
During a news conference last week, Vatican officials said Anglicans would be able “to enter full communion with the Catholic Church while preserving elements of the distinctive Anglican spiritual and liturgical patrimony,’’ but did not release details.
More here-
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/10/26/episcopalians_balk_at_vaticans_invitation_to_join_fold/
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