Paphnutius the Confessor

St. Paphnutius was an Egyptian bishop, of a city in the Upper Thebaid in the early fourth century, and one of the most interesting members of the Council of Nicæa (325). He suffered mutilation of the left knee (was hamstrung) and the loss of his right eye for the Faith under the Emperor Maximinus (308-13), and was subsequently condemned to the mines. At Nicæa he was greatly honoured by Constantine the Great, who, according to Socrates (Church History I.11), used often to send for the good old confessor and kiss the place whence the eye had been torn out.

He took a prominent, perhaps a decisive, part in the debate at the First Œcumenical Council on the subject of the celibacy of the clergy. It seems that most of the bishops present were disposed to follow the precedent of the Council of Elvira (can. xxxiii) prohibiting conjugal relations to those bishops, priests, deacons, and, according to Sozomen, sub-deacons, who were married before ordination. Paphnutius earnestly entreated his fellow-bishops not to impose this obligation on the orders of the clergy concerned. He proposed, in accordance "with the ancient tradition of the Church", that only those who were celibates at the time of ordination should continue to observe continence, but, on the other hand, that "none should be separated from her, to whom, while yet unordained, he had been united". The great veneration in which he was held, and the well known fact that he had himself observed the strictest chastity all his life, gave weight to his proposal, which was unanimously adopted. The council left it to the discretion of the married clergy to continue or discontinue their marital relations. Paphnutius was present at the Synod of Tyre (335) with St. Athanasius.

See more at Wikipedia.

Pop and the Pope

Well... Here's one more reason not to be excited about Benedict XVI's offer of amnesty to Anglicans.

Here's the song he's chosen to reach out to the disco / dance club hipsters of England.

Ooberfüse - Heart's Cry by 360degreemusic

Feast of St. Peter's Chains (Lammas)

Please note that some Anglican Kalendars commemorate St. Joseph of Arimathaea on this day.

Collect

O GOD, who didst deliver thy holy Apostle Saint Peter from his bonds and suffer him to depart unhurt : vouchsafe, we pray thee ; to deliver us from the bonds of our sins, and of thy mercy preserve us from all evil. Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, who livest and reignest with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

Hymn. Petrus beatus catenarum.

RIGHT wondrously set free, see, Peter freedom gains,
And at the Lord's command casts off his iron chains;
As shepherd and as guide he shews to life the way,
And from his Master's sheep drives guileful wolves away.

Now to the Trinity eternal glory sing,
All honour, virtue, might, and hymns of gladness bring.
He rules the universe in wondrous Unity,
And shall, through all the days of vast eternity. Amen.

For the legend

THE Apostle Peter was put in prison for the Name of the Lord Jesus, and bound with Chains ; and that not once only, nor in one place, but several times, and in divers places. In the Acts of the Apostles we read how, immediately after Pentecost, he and the Apostle John went up to the temple together ; and there, at the temple gate, he healed the lame man ; and afterwards, whilst he was speaking to the people, he and John were taken by the Jewish priests, out of envy, and put in hold, that is, in Chains, unto the next day. And when they were brought forth, on the morrow, Peter shewed such constancy in his witness of Christ, along with John, that the rulers themselves could not but admire the fearless boldness of these Apostles whom they esteemed as unlearned and ignorant men. And the faith of all those who heard of this matter was in such wise strengthened by the apostolic witness, and Peter's Chains, that the number of believers increased to five thousand.

IT was not so long a time after, when all kind of diseases were healed by the shadow of Peter only, passing by, that he was taken again, and with the other Apostles was put into the common prison, at the command of the high priests and Sadducees, and thus a second time he was bound with Chains. But the Angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors and sent the Apostles forth to preach Christ, despite the prohibition of men. Whereupon Peter and the other Apostles were apprehended, and brought before the Council, and condemned to be beaten, in an attempt to make them obey men rather than God. The third time whereof we have record of Peter's Chains is after the death of James, when Herod perceived that the murder of this Apostle was not displeasing to the Jews, and so proceeded to take Peter also, and had him bound with two Chains, and kept in prison under the ward of four quaternions of soldiers. Wherefrom he was again wondrously delivered by an Angel.

LASTLY, when he suffered martyrdom at Rome, he was kept in the Mamertine prison, and is said to have been bound in Chains by the command of Nero, which Chains have been held in honour by the Church from the first ages. Further, Arator, Subdeacon of the Roman Church in the sixth century, wrote that the Chains wherewith Peter was bound at Jerusalem, or certainly some of them, were preserved at Rome in his own time, and consequently the veneration of Peter's Chains greatly increased ; especially when, as we learn from other records of the Church of Rome, a basilica was built by the younger Eudoxia, wife of Valentinian III, on the Esquiline Hill, under the name of Saint Peter in Chains. This temple, or a re-building of it, was dedicated on August 1st, whence the day was placed in the Kalendar as the Feast of Saint Peter's Chains, afterwards called in England Lammas Day, from the custom of offering loaves of bread made from the first-gathered grain of the year, in thanksgiving from the beginning of the harvest. And, because of his Chains, this holy Apostle is often invoked for those in bondage.

From the Anglican Breviary

Herod Agrippa, the grandson of Herod the Great and king of the Jews, grew wroth against the Church of Christ, and slew James, the brother of John the Evangelist. Seeing that this pleased the Jews, he took Peter also into custody and locked him up in prison, intending to keep him there until after the feast of the Passover, so that he could win the favour of the people by presenting him to them as a victim. But the Apostle was saved when he was miraculously set free by an Angel (Acts 12:1-19). The Chains wherewith the Apostle was bound received from his most sacred body the grace of sanctification and healing, which is bestowed upon the faithful who draw nigh with faith.

That such sacred treasures work wonders and many healings is witnessed by the divine Scripture, where it speaks concerning Paul, saying that the Christians in Ephesus had such reverence for him, that his handkerchiefs and aprons, taken up with much reverence, healed the sick of their maladies: "So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them" (Acts 19:12). But not only the Apostles' clothing (which certainly touched the bodies of the sick), but even their shadow alone performed healings. On beholding this, people put their sick on stretchers and beds and brought them out into the streets that, when Peter passed by, his shadow "might overshadow some of them" (Acts 5:15). From this the Orthodox Catholic Church has learned to show reverence and piety not only to the relics of their bodies, but also in the clothing of God's Saints.

- From the Great Synaxarion by Holy Transfiguration Monastery.

For three centuries the Chains were kept in Jerusalem, and those afflicted with illness and approached them with faith received healing. Patriarch Juvenal presented the Chains to Eudokia, wife of the emperor Theodosius the Younger, and she in turn transferred them from Jerusalem to Constantinople in either the year 437 or 439.

Eudokia sent one Chain to Rome to her daughter Eudokia (the wife of Valentinian), who built a church on the Esquiline Hill dedicated to the Apostle Peter and placed the Chains in it. There were other Chains in Rome, such as that which had bound the saint during his nine month imprisonment in the Mamertine Prison near the Forum, with which the Apostle Peter was shackled before his martyrdom under the Emperor Nero. These were also placed in the church. It is said that when the pope compared the two Chains, they miraculously fused together into one unbreakable series of links. Because of this miracle, Empress Eudokia built the Basilica of Saint Peter in Chains (S. Peter ad Vincula or San Pietro in Vincoli), and dedicated it to the apostle in the year 442. The relic is now kept in a golden urn beneath the high altar, close to the famous statue of Michelangelo's Moses.

The basilica has undergone several restorations and rebuildings, including a restoration by Pope Adrian I, a rebuilding by Pope Sixtus IV and another by Pope Julius II. There was also a renovation in 1875. Some modernizations were made at that time.

Michelangelo's Moses, which dates from 1515, is the most notable piece of artwork in the basilica. Originally intended as part of a 40-statue funeral monument for Pope Julius II, Moses became the Pope's funeral monument and tomb in his family's church.

Further, Arator, Subdeacon of the Roman Church in the sixth century, wrote that the Chains wherewith Peter was bound at Jerusalem, or certainly some of them, were preserved at Rome in his own time, and consequently the veneration of Peter's Chains greatly increased; especially when, as we learn from other records of the Church of Rome, a basilica was built by the younger Eudokia, wife of Valentinian III, on the Esquiline Hill, under the name of Saint Peter in Chains. This temple, or a re-building of it, was dedicated on August 1st, whence the day was placed in the Roman Calendar as the Feast of Saint Peter's Chains, afterwards called in England Lammas (lit. loaf-mass) Day, from the custom of offering loaves of bread made from the first-gathered grain of the year, in thanksgiving from the beginning of the harvest. And, because of his Chains, this holy Apostle is often invoked for those in bondage.

When Constantine the Great became emperor of Rome and ended the persecutions against the Church, the Christians of Rome gathered the relics of the Apostle Peter together with the Chains that held him in prison in Rome, and a temple was dedicated to them by the emperor. The Chains were greatly venerated by the faithful, for just as the shadow of the apostle worked miracles so also did the Chains that held him. The relics of the Apostle Peter were placed on a throne in a hidden area of the temple to prevent its theft, and this area was only opened three times a year for Christians to go and venerate the apostle seated on his throne.

THE VISITATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

After the angel Gabriel had announced to Mary that she was to become the mother of Our Lord, Mary went from Galilee to Judea to visit her kinswoman Elizabeth, soon to be the mother of John the Baptist. This visit is recorded in Luke 1:39-56. Elizabeth greeted Mary with the words, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb." Mary burst forth with the song of praise which we call the Magnificat, beginning, "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord." We are told that even John the Baptist, still unborn, leaped for joy in his mother's womb. Thus we are shown, side by side, the two women, one seemingly too old to have a child, but destined to bear the last prophet of the Old Covenant, of the age that was passing away; and the other woman, seemingly not ready to have a child, but destined to bear the One Who was Himself the beginning of the New Covenant, the age that would not pass away.

It is this meeting that we celebrate today.

FIRST READING: Zephaniah 3:14-18a
(Rejoice, for the LORD prepares to restore and bless His people.)

PSALM 113
(Praise the LORD, who lifts up the needy, and makes the barren a joyful mother.)

or CANTICLE 9 (FIRST SONG OF ISAIAH): Isaiah 12:2-6 ("Sing the praises of the LORD, for He has done great things.")

EPISTLE: Colossians 3:12-17
(Abound in love, and forgiveness, and peace, and joy, and singing.)

THE HOLY GOSPEL: Luke 1:39-49 (or 1:39-56)
(Mary goes to visit Elizabeth. The two women greet each other with hymns of joy, and the infant John stirs in the womb as if to participate.)

PRAYER (contemporary language)
Father in heaven, by whose grace the virgin mother of your incarnate Son was blessed in bearing him, but still more blessed in keeping your word: Grant us who honor the exaltation of her lowliness to follow the example of her devotion to your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Interested in a special devotion for today? Why not try praying the rosary? I know... "Protestants don't do that!" Well, the first successful Protestant, Martin Luther, would disagree with you:

"Our prayer should include the Mother of God . . . What the Hail Mary says is that all glory should be given to God, using these words: "Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus Christ. Amen!" You see that these words are not concerned with prayer but purely with giving praise and honor . . . We can use the Hail Mary as a meditation in which we recite what grace God has given her. Second, we should add a wish that everyone may know and respect her " (Personal Prayer Book, 1522).

A slew of others (like Calvin, Zwingli, and Wesley) had other important things to say about the Blessed Virgin Mary - so don't be scared to at least explore what Christians have believed about her (so long as we do not require more than Scripture demands, nor say something Scripture proscribes). See if it's at least as biblical as your normal prayers!

Where did the "Hail Mary" come from?

The "Hail Mary" written above has the scriptural references after each line. Some Evangelicals feel that it is blasphemous to say that Mary is "Holy." But Peter said "You shall be holy because I am holy’" (1 Peter 1:14-16). I don't think Evangelicals would think that is blasphemous. Mary's obedience to God and closeness to Jesus made her holy. Our nearness to Jesus makes us Holy.

There is a inscription found in the grotto of the The Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth, which reads "Ch-e Maria," which is an abbreviation of the Greek phrase "Chaire Maria" or "Hail Mary." This was left between 200-300AD by a Greek Christian who visited the site of the Annunciation, as presented in Luke 1:28. (You can see it here.)

What is of special significance here is that "Chaire Maria" ("Hail Mary") is not the specific greeting in Luke's account. Rather, Luke records Gabriel as saying "Chaire Kecharitomenae" or "Hail, Full of Grace" (or "Hail, Perfectly Graced"). But, this is not what the inscription reads. Rather, it addresses Mary by name, showing that this early Christian had a personal devotion to her; and it is also the very earliest record of the Catholic prayer, the "Hail Mary."

One should also note that the "Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen." was not normally added until after the Council of Trent - thus it is not part of the unbroken tradition of the Latin Rite. Neither is the Salve Regina prayed at the end - so if your conscience is troubled by these Marian devotions just leave them off. The rosary can still be a very effective tool of prayer.

The Anglican Service Book also provides an alternative form to end the Angelus:

V. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
R. Son of Mary, Son of the living God, have mercy upon us, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

(For a good Roman apologetic of the rosary, go here. However, I cannot endorse everything they say.))

Augustine of Canterbury

The Christian Church was established in the British Isles well before 300. Some scholars believe that it was introduced by missionaries from the Eastern or Greek-speaking half of the Mediterranean world. Celtic Christianity had its own distinctive culture, and Greek scholarship flourished in Ireland for several centuries after it had died elsewhere in Western Europe.
However, in the fifth century Britain was invaded by non-Christian Germanic tribes: the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes. They conquered the native Celtic Christians (despite resistance by, among others, a leader whose story has come down to us, doubtless with some exaggeration, as that of King Arthur), or drove them north and west into Cornwall, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. From these regions Celtic Christian missionaries returned to England to preach the Gospel to the heathen invaders. Meanwhile, the Bishop of Rome, Gregory the Great, decided to send missionaries from Rome, a group of monks led by their prior, Augustine (not to be confused with the more famous Augustine of Hippo). They arrived in Kent (the southeast corner of England) in 597, and the king, whose wife was a Christian, allowed them to settle and preach. Their preaching was outstandingly successful, the people were hungry for the Good News of salvation, and they made thousands of converts in a short time. In 601 the king himself was converted and baptised. Augustine was consecrated bishop and established his headquarters at Canterbury. From his day to the present, there has been an unbroken succession of archbishops of Canterbury.
In 603, he held a conference with the leaders of the already existing Christian congregations in Britain, but failed to reach an accomodation with them, largely due to his own tactlessness, and his insistence (contrary, it may be noted, to Gregory's explicit advice) on imposing Roman customs on a church long accustomed to its own traditions of worship. It is said that the English bishops, before going to meet Augustine, consulted a hermit with a reputation for wisdom and holiness, asking him, "Shall we accept this man as our leader, or not?" The hermit replied, "If, at your meeting, he rises to greet you, then accept him, but if he remains seated, then he is arrogant and unfit to lead, and you ought to reject him." Augustine, alas, remained seated. It took another sixty years before the breach was healed.

by James Kiefer.

British stamps commemorating St. Augustine: Above, Augustine baptizing Ethelbert. Below, Augutine and his cathedral

This, by the way, marks the beginning of the Latin Rite's ascent in the British Church. Before that time, she worshiped in a much-more Eastern fashion. (I don't say "Orthodox" because that division didn't exist for another 400 years!) There has been good work done among the Orthodox in researching the British Church's eastern connections.

Readings:

Psalm 66:1-8
Tobit 13:1, 10-11
2 Corinthians 5:17-20a
Luke 5:1-11

Preface of Apostles

PRAYER (traditional language)
O Lord our God, who by thy Son Jesus Christ didst call thine apostles and send them forth to preach the Gospel to the nations: We bless thy holy name for thy servant Augustine, first Archbishop of Canterbury, whose labors in propagating thy Church among the English people we commemorate today; and we pray that all whom thou dost call and send may do thy will, and bide thy time, and see thy glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
PRAYER (contemporary language)
O Lord our God, who by your Son Jesus Christ called your apostles and sent them forth to preach the Gospel to the nations: We bless your holy name for your servant Augustine, first Archbishop of Canterbury, whose labors in propagating your Church among the English people we commemorate today; and we pray that all whom you call and send may do your will, and bide your time, and see your glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Here's a selection from a Sermon preached at General Convention. No...not a recent one. Rather, one held shortly after the founding of the Protestant Episcopal Church (as opposed to the Church of England), in 1786. by William White, DD (soon to be elected Bishop of Pennsylvania, then later to serve as the Presiding Bishop). In it, he wished to show that the Protestant Episcopal Church was still in union with the catholic church - even as she established some judicatory independence from the Church of England - because she continued in the faith & practices delivered from the apostles.

BY the christian doctrine, I mean that which hath been held by the whole church, notwithstanding all the superstition and enthusiasm which have in different times and places in part obscured its lustre.

YES; however various the opinions of professing christians, there are in the holy scriptures the outlines of a system which nothing could obliterate: Conspicuous truths, which have been always seen and confessed by the great body of professing christians.

THAT there is one infinitely perfect God the Father; and one Lord Jesus Christ, God begotten of God, and thus possessed of all divine attributes, who having been "in the beginning and before all worlds," took in time man's nature upon him, to make in it an oblation for sin; and one Holy Spirit, who, being sent by the Father and the Son assists mankind by his inspirations; that these three divine agents are essentially united, as well in themselves, as in accomplishing the work of redemption; that the end of the gospel dispensation is to rescue man from the darkness and corruption of fallen nature, making him through faith acceptable to God, and enabling him to live in good works; and that the result of all is the bringing of those who shall believe in Christ with a faith evidencing itself in holiness to the everlasting happiness of heaven, which can be claimed only through his merits; are truths which have been never lost sight of by the visible church: They were indited by that blessed Spirit, who was to "lead her into all truth," and the upholding of them is essential to the accomplishment of the promise, "that the same divine Comforter should continue with her for ever."

THERE is therefore a doctrine which hath been at all times acknowledged; and it is "the inward glory of the King's daughter," the intrinsic worth of our holy religion.

AND here we have the true ground of church unity: Of the only unity fought for in the early ages; when the different churches of Christendom, knowing no other common head than Christ, lived in an happy agreement in the same faith under their respective Bishops, and in a delightful communion founded on that agreement.

HOW important then is the preservation of a faith thus maintained by the Catholic Christian world! And how great should be our caution, lest, by loosening ourselves from the common tie of the communion of saints, we cease to be a member of that body of which Christ vouchsafeth to call himself the head: A part of that church, in which he hath promised to be present "even unto the end of the world!"

Notice that he cautioned us to be careful lest - as an institution - we fall away from the core of the Faith and cease to be part of the Church. Dr. White, himself an old-style evangelical, didn't say that the faith is to be found solely in that expression of the Church. But rather that in all places where these truths are taught unblemished and unapologetically, there you have the communion of saints.

Some persons in power of other religious jurisdictions have recently claimed that they represent the historic Anglican witness to Jesus on American soil - and that the real heretics (parters-of-way with the church catholic) are those who insist that God has a plan of saving individuals. This person may believe what she likes, but needs to know that she is out of step the institution she claims to represent, and has long-since parted ways with the church catholic.

As for the rest of us, with the release of the Vatican documents paving the way to Rome, I urge us all to consider the price. We are already part of the catholic church. We simply don't recognize the universal & immediate jurisdictional authority of the bishop of Rome over all other dioceses, synods, and provinces of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. We are seeking greater visible unity with other members of that church (as recent talks with the SCOBA affirm). But it must be unity - not supremacy; it must be welcome - not walking-mat.

I encourage us all to reclaim our catholicity and hold tenaciously to the root faith that makes us all one in Jesus Christ.

Good Day, Bad Day

11/11/18 at 11AM, Peace was declared on the continent - ending World War I. We celebrate this day (variously called Armistice Day, Veterans Day, Remembrance Day) by thanking Almighty God for the freedoms secured by those who served their country in uniform.

Tonight, at 7PM, St. Stephen Anglican Church will remember Veterans and active military personnel with a service of evensong.

I hope you can join us.

Unfortunately, today is also a day that - in the life of the church - marks two church councils that have undermined peace in the church. You can read about them at Fr. Chris' personal blog.

Church Society response to Anglicanorum Coetibus

From the Church Society

According to its own doctrinal standards and history, the Church of England's true nature is that of a Protestant, Reformed, Evangelical and catholic (in other words, universal) church. Orthodox Anglicanism is therefore defined by reference to these characteristics only, which are set out in the Thirty-nine Articles and the Church of England's submission to the over-arching authority of Scripture alone. Church Society seeks to defend and promote these defining characteristics, especially the Gospel of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone which is at the heart of the message and mission of the Church of England.

While acknowledging the correct stand taken by Anglo-Catholics against theological liberalism (the features of which do not represent true, Biblical Anglicanism), it should also be noted that the true doctrine of the Church of England does not embrace any of the teachings or practices which characterise the Church of Rome. (as opposed to those being truly catholic / universal. - Fr. Chris) For instance, the Church of Rome is fundamentally flawed in its claims about its own nature and authority and in its teaching about the means of salvation.

A proper rejection of theological liberalism should therefore not be accompanied by a turning to the Church of Rome and its unbiblical teachings and practices. Rather, both theological liberalism and the unscriptural teachings and practices of the Church of Rome are contrary to the Bible and to the historic doctrines of the Church of England as a Protestant, Reformed, Evangelical and catholic church.

The longing of Church Society is that all Anglicans, whether in England or elsewhere, would see and understand both the destructive nature of theological liberalism and the false nature, teachings and practices of the Church of Rome.

We grieve that the Church of England, along with our nation, has fallen so low in its spiritual and moral condition. We pray that God would pour out His Spirit on both church and nation.

We rejoice that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone and we pray that the Church of England will return to full adherence to its doctrinal standards, acknowledging the supreme authority of the Bible as God's Word and seeking to shape its teaching and practices by what He has revealed.

Further information relevant to this statement can be found here. We do no good to give up the traditions of deconstructionists & revisionists for the traditions of Romanists. While there can be legitimate debate about the place of the Patriarch of Rome within the great ancient patriarchal sees (Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria, Constantinople, and Rome), it is against catholic principles for him to demand immediate jurisdictional and episcopal governance over all Christians everywhere - or to say that he is infallible. Especially in the absence of synodical ratification.

FiF-UK's response to the publication of Anglicanorum Coetibus

Forward in Faith in the UK has issued a response to the recent publication of Rome's openness towards Anglicans. This was the subject of much discussion at the last international assembly. I hope to hear from FiF-NA or at least Bp. Ilgenfritz in the coming days on this matter.

Nov 9, 2009

The Holy See has today published the Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum Coetibus, which will provide for Personal Ordinariates for Anglicans entering into full communion with the Catholic Church. The text of the Apostolic Constitution, and its Complementary Norms, can be read here.

The Chairman of Forward in Faith, Bishop John Broadhurst, has issued the following interim statement to those clergy who look to him, as Bishop of Fulham, for episcopal care at the present time and he is happy to share it with the membership of Forward in Faith worldwide.

I had thought the original notice from Rome was extremely generous. Today all the accompanying papers have been published and they are extremely impressive. I have been horrified that the Church of England while trying to accommodate us has consistently said we cannot have the jurisdiction and independent life that most of us feel we need to continue on our Christian pilgrimage.

What Rome has done is offer exactly what the Church of England has refused. Indeed it has offered the requests of Consecrated Women? with the completion of its ecumenical hopes. We all need now to ask the question 'is this what we want?' For some of us I suspect our bluff is called! This is both an exciting and dangerous time for Christianity in this country. Those who take up this offer will need to enter into negotiation with the Church of England about access to parish churches and many other matters. This situation must not be used to damage the Church of England but I do believe we have a valid claim on our own heritage in history.

The doctrinal standard demanded by Rome is the New Catechism which most of us use any way. We would be allowed to use Anglican or Roman rites and our ordinaries would have jurisdiction. We will all need to meet and talk. I would hope that this could take place in collaboration with the PEVs and other Catholic bishops. It is not my style to give a expansive analysis of a document that I have only received today nor will I answer the question 'What are you going to do?' That is something we need to work out together.

Every Blessing,

+John Fulham

Calling bluffs, indeed. I'm sure many clergy in England will find it appealing to move towards Rome. I pray that they do not, however, abandon the balance of evangelical catholicism that embodies the best of the Anglican witness to Jesus Christ.

It's Halloween

Our parish newsletter featured an article of Fr. Chris' take on Halloween. If you'd like a copy, just email me.

There've been some newsworthy blips on the Halloween scene detailed at his personal blog. Synopsis:

Get your candy exorcised, but don't expect a Roman priest to do it for you.

Speaking of that, Happy Reformation Day!

Anglicans reject Pope offer

KENYA: Anglicans reject Pope offer

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8322069.stm
October 23, 2009

Anglican Archbishop Eliud Wabukala says it is a question of faith

The head of Kenya's Anglican Church, Archbishop Eliud Wabukala, has rejected the Pope's offer to allow disaffected Anglicans to join the Catholic Church.

He told the BBC it would not be easy for African Anglicans to enter into full communion with Catholics.

Earlier this week, the Vatican said groups of Anglicans could join but maintain a distinct religious identity.

There are splits among Anglicans worldwide over homosexuality and the ordination of women.

Causes of discord in the worldwide Anglican communion have included the election of an openly gay bishop and the blessing of same-sex unions.

The Vatican said the new rules followed requests from Anglicans wanting to join while retaining their liturgical heritage.

However, Archbishop Wabukala told the BBC's Network Africa programme there was "no possibility" of his becoming a Catholic.

"The Protestant family understands faith in different ways, for example, the idea of the Eucharist, the Lord's Supper, the interpretation of ministry," he said.

He said his fellow African Anglican bishops were "deeply evangelical".

Ugandan Archbishop Henry Luke Orombi has also said Pope Benedict's measure was not called for in the African Anglican Church, which he said had successfully resisted liberalism from Western countries.

END