Pastoral Provision
Encyclopedia
The "pastoral provision" or "statute" for United States Episcopalians entering the Catholic Church authorizes some departures for them from the normal practice of the Latin Rite. It allows diocesan bishops to establish for them personal parishes, which use a liturgy
that keeps some elements of the Anglican
liturgy, and which in several cases are led by former clergy of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America who have been ordained as priests in the Catholic Church in spite of being married. Such case-by-case dispensation from the rule requiring Latin Rite Catholic priests to be celibate has been granted, since the early 1950s, to former Anglican, Lutheran and other clergy who join the Catholic Church, and is a practice mentioned in Pope Paul VI
's encyclical
Sacerdotalis caelibatus
of 1967. There are seven parishes of this kind, located in four states: Massachusetts
, Pennsylvania
, Missouri
, and Texas
.
in nineteenth-century England
and more immediately to developments in the Episcopal Church in the United States of America in the 1970s, when the church changed its canons regarding divorce, refused to take a strong public stand against abortion, ordained women to the diaconate
and made many changes to its Book of Common Prayer
. Some whole parishes began to leave the church.
In 1977, some of those who desired union with the Catholic Church contacted individual Catholic bishops, the Apostolic Delegate Archbishop Jean Jadot
and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
in Rome, to inquire about the possibility for married Anglican priests to be received into the Catholic Church and function as Catholic priests.
In 1979, after the United States National Conference of Catholic Bishops
and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith had reacted favourably to the proposals that had been put before them, a formal request for union was presented in Rome on 3 November for acceptance into the Roman Catholic Church, for steps to be taken to eliminate any defects that might be found in their priestly orders, and that they be granted the oversight, direction, and governance of a Catholic bishop. They offered the allegiance of their whole hearts and minds and souls, and also "with that allegiance the Anglican patrimony that has been ours in so far as it is compatible with, acceptable to and an enhancement of Catholic teaching and worship".
The decision of the Holy See was officially communicated in a letter of 22 July 1980 from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to the President of the United States episcopal conference
, who published it on 20 August 1980.
That identity involved the possibility, after a period of being subject to the local Latin Rite bishop, of being granted some distinct type of structure; the use, with the group, but not outside it, of a form of liturgy that retained certain elements of the Anglican liturgy; married Episcopalian priests may be ordained as Catholic priests, but not as bishops.
An Ecclesiastical Delegate, a Catholic and preferably a bishop, was to appointed to oversee the implementation of the decision and to deal with the Congregation.
in 2003 and Kevin W. Vann in 2011. William H. Stetson
, a priest of the Prelature of Opus Dei
, is Secretary to the Ecclesiastical Delegate.
The Congregation for Divine Worship
gave provisional approval for the group's liturgy, the Book of Divine Worship, in 1984, an approval rendered definitive in 1987. This book incorporates elements of the 1928 Book of Common Prayer, but the Eucharistic liturgy is from the 1979 Book, with the Eucharistic Prayers
taken from the Roman Missal
and the ancient Sarum Rite
(with the modern English Words of Institution
inserted in the latter).
Concern about ecumenical
relations with the Episcopal Church prevented the Archbishop of Los Angeles from authorizing the establishment in his archdiocese of personal parishes of the kind envisaged, in spite of requests from two groups, whose membership exceeded that of any of the groups for which personal parishes were set up in other dioceses. The peititioners were told that they could only be received as members of the existing ordinary Catholic parishes.
The number of personal parishes established is only 7, but, since 1983 over 80 former Anglicans have been ordained for priestly ministry in various Catholic dioceses of the United States.
A new arrangement whereby a personal ordinariate
for former Anglicans in the United States will be established on January 1, 2012 was announced at the November 15, 2011 meeting of the bishops conference.
reported that in Canada
some half dozen married former Anglican priests are ministering in Roman Catholic parishes. One of these, Fr. Rick McKnight, was quoted as being against lifting priestly celibacy for priests in general. He is a priest on the staff of Our Lady of Grace Parish in Aurora, Ontario
, and chaplain at St Basil the Great College School in North York, Ontario
.
Liturgy
Liturgy is either the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to its particular traditions or a more precise term that distinguishes between those religious groups who believe their ritual requires the "people" to do the "work" of responding to the priest, and those...
that keeps some elements of the Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
liturgy, and which in several cases are led by former clergy of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America who have been ordained as priests in the Catholic Church in spite of being married. Such case-by-case dispensation from the rule requiring Latin Rite Catholic priests to be celibate has been granted, since the early 1950s, to former Anglican, Lutheran and other clergy who join the Catholic Church, and is a practice mentioned in Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI
Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
's encyclical
Encyclical
An encyclical was originally a circular letter sent to all the churches of a particular area in the ancient Catholic Church. At that time, the word could be used for a letter sent out by any bishop...
Sacerdotalis caelibatus
Sacerdotalis Caelibatus
Sacerdotalis Caelibatus is the name of an encyclical written by Pope Paul VI. It defends the Catholic Church's tradition of priestly celibacy in the West...
of 1967. There are seven parishes of this kind, located in four states: Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, and Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
Origins
In the article that he has entitled The Pastoral Provision for Roman Catholics in the U.S.A. an account of the origins of this provision, The Reverend Jack D. Barker traces the origins of the demand for such an arrangement to the Oxford MovementOxford Movement
The Oxford Movement was a movement of High Church Anglicans, eventually developing into Anglo-Catholicism. The movement, whose members were often associated with the University of Oxford, argued for the reinstatement of lost Christian traditions of faith and their inclusion into Anglican liturgy...
in nineteenth-century England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and more immediately to developments in the Episcopal Church in the United States of America in the 1970s, when the church changed its canons regarding divorce, refused to take a strong public stand against abortion, ordained women to the diaconate
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
and made many changes to its Book of Common Prayer
Book of Common Prayer
The Book of Common Prayer is the short title of a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion, as well as by the Continuing Anglican, "Anglican realignment" and other Anglican churches. The original book, published in 1549 , in the reign of Edward VI, was a product of the English...
. Some whole parishes began to leave the church.
In 1977, some of those who desired union with the Catholic Church contacted individual Catholic bishops, the Apostolic Delegate Archbishop Jean Jadot
Jean Jadot
Jean Jadot was a Belgian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as apostolic delegate to the United States from 1973 to 1980, and President of the Secretariat of Non-Christians from 1980 to 1984.-Biography:...
and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith , previously known as the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Roman and Universal Inquisition , and after 1904 called the Supreme...
in Rome, to inquire about the possibility for married Anglican priests to be received into the Catholic Church and function as Catholic priests.
In 1979, after the United States National Conference of Catholic Bishops
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 1966 as the joint National Conference of Catholic Bishops and United States Catholic Conference, it is composed of all active and retired members of the Catholic...
and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith had reacted favourably to the proposals that had been put before them, a formal request for union was presented in Rome on 3 November for acceptance into the Roman Catholic Church, for steps to be taken to eliminate any defects that might be found in their priestly orders, and that they be granted the oversight, direction, and governance of a Catholic bishop. They offered the allegiance of their whole hearts and minds and souls, and also "with that allegiance the Anglican patrimony that has been ours in so far as it is compatible with, acceptable to and an enhancement of Catholic teaching and worship".
The decision of the Holy See was officially communicated in a letter of 22 July 1980 from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to the President of the United States episcopal conference
Episcopal Conference
In the Roman Catholic Church, an Episcopal Conference, Conference of Bishops, or National Conference of Bishops is an official assembly of all the bishops of a given territory...
, who published it on 20 August 1980.
Structure
Though admittance of the Episcopalians in question to the Catholic Church was considered as reconciliarion of individuals, a pastoral provision or statute gave them a common group identity.That identity involved the possibility, after a period of being subject to the local Latin Rite bishop, of being granted some distinct type of structure; the use, with the group, but not outside it, of a form of liturgy that retained certain elements of the Anglican liturgy; married Episcopalian priests may be ordained as Catholic priests, but not as bishops.
An Ecclesiastical Delegate, a Catholic and preferably a bishop, was to appointed to oversee the implementation of the decision and to deal with the Congregation.
Implementation
In March 1981, Bishop Bernard Francis Law was appointed Ecclesiastical Delegate. He was later replaced by Newark Archbishop John J. MyersJohn J. Myers
-References:...
in 2003 and Kevin W. Vann in 2011. William H. Stetson
William H. Stetson
William H. Stetson is a Roman Catholic priest of the Prelature of Opus Dei ordained in 1962. He is an honorary prelate of the Pope with the title of Reverend Monsignor. He presently lives in Los Angeles, California....
, a priest of the Prelature of Opus Dei
Opus Dei
Opus Dei, formally known as The Prelature of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei , is an organization of the Catholic Church that teaches that everyone is called to holiness and that ordinary life is a path to sanctity. The majority of its membership are lay people, with secular priests under the...
, is Secretary to the Ecclesiastical Delegate.
The Congregation for Divine Worship
Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments
The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments is the congregation of the Roman Curia that handles most affairs relating to liturgical practices of the Latin Catholic Church as distinct from the Eastern Catholic Churches and also some technical matters relating to the...
gave provisional approval for the group's liturgy, the Book of Divine Worship, in 1984, an approval rendered definitive in 1987. This book incorporates elements of the 1928 Book of Common Prayer, but the Eucharistic liturgy is from the 1979 Book, with the Eucharistic Prayers
Anaphora (liturgy)
The Anaphora is the most solemn part of the Divine liturgy, Mass, or other Christian Communion rite where the offerings of bread and wine are consecrated as the body and blood of Christ. This is the usual name for this part of the Liturgy in Eastern Christianity, but it is more often called the...
taken from the Roman Missal
Roman Missal
The Roman Missal is the liturgical book that contains the texts and rubrics for the celebration of the Mass in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church.-Situation before the Council of Trent:...
and the ancient Sarum Rite
Sarum Rite
The Sarum Rite was a variant of the Roman Rite widely used for the ordering of Christian public worship, including the Mass and the Divine Office...
(with the modern English Words of Institution
Words of Institution
The Words of Institution are words echoing those of Jesus himself at his Last Supper that, when consecrating bread and wine, Christian Eucharistic liturgies include in a narrative of that event...
inserted in the latter).
Concern about ecumenical
Ecumenism
Ecumenism or oecumenism mainly refers to initiatives aimed at greater Christian unity or cooperation. It is used predominantly by and with reference to Christian denominations and Christian Churches separated by doctrine, history, and practice...
relations with the Episcopal Church prevented the Archbishop of Los Angeles from authorizing the establishment in his archdiocese of personal parishes of the kind envisaged, in spite of requests from two groups, whose membership exceeded that of any of the groups for which personal parishes were set up in other dioceses. The peititioners were told that they could only be received as members of the existing ordinary Catholic parishes.
The number of personal parishes established is only 7, but, since 1983 over 80 former Anglicans have been ordained for priestly ministry in various Catholic dioceses of the United States.
A new arrangement whereby a personal ordinariate
Personal Ordinariate
A personal ordinariate is a canonical structure within the Catholic Church enabling former Anglicans to maintain some degree of corporate identity and autonomy with regard to the bishops of the geographical dioceses of the Catholic Church and to preserve elements of their distinctive Anglican...
for former Anglicans in the United States will be established on January 1, 2012 was announced at the November 15, 2011 meeting of the bishops conference.
Outside the United States
The pastoral provision for former Episcopalians is limited to the United States, but in other countries too there are former Anglican clergy who have become married Catholic priests. The Toronto StarToronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
reported that in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
some half dozen married former Anglican priests are ministering in Roman Catholic parishes. One of these, Fr. Rick McKnight, was quoted as being against lifting priestly celibacy for priests in general. He is a priest on the staff of Our Lady of Grace Parish in Aurora, Ontario
Aurora, Ontario
Aurora is an affluent town in York Region, approximately 20 km north of Toronto. It is partially situated on the Oak Ridges Moraine, and is a part of the Greater Toronto Area and Golden Horseshoe of Southern Ontario.Many Aurora residents commute to Toronto and surrounding communities.In the...
, and chaplain at St Basil the Great College School in North York, Ontario
North York, Ontario
North York is a dissolved municipality within the current city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it comprises the central part of the northern section of Toronto. As of the 2006 Census, it has a population of 635,370. The official 2001 census count was 608,288...
.
See also
- Book of Divine WorshipBook of Divine WorshipThe Book of Divine Worship ' is an adaptation of the American Book of Common Prayer by the Roman Catholic Church. It is used primarily by former members of the Episcopal Church within Anglican Use parishes.-History:...
- Anglican UseAnglican UseThe term Anglican Use has two meanings. First, it refers to parish churches founded by former Episcopalians, members of the United States' branch of the Anglican Communion, who have joined the Catholic Church...
- Sacerdotalis CaelibatusSacerdotalis CaelibatusSacerdotalis Caelibatus is the name of an encyclical written by Pope Paul VI. It defends the Catholic Church's tradition of priestly celibacy in the West...
- Anglicanorum Coetibus
External links
- Document establishing the pastoral provision
- Office of the Ecclesiastical Delegate for the Pastoral Provision
- Anglican Use Society
- Book of Divine Worship
- The Order of Mass, Rite 1, according to the Book of Divine Worship
- The Daily Office According the Anglican Use
- The Catholic Parish of Saint Mary the Virgin, Arlington, Texas
- Our Lady of the Atonement Catholic Church, Archdiocese of San Antonio, Texas