Anglicanorum Coetibus Hailed as a Failure

Edit: While it may be true that only a few thousand Anglicans have joined the Catholic Church worldwide, it remains also true that the Anglican Communion from which an admittedly small number are leaving, is quickly dying anyway due to very possible indifference. But the Catholic Church got some very enthusiastic converts, particularly, Our Lady of Walsingham in UK.   Unfortunately, the transition to the Church has been handled by individuals who were somewhat less than inspiring.  As Daily Episcopalian reports:

From a sociological perspective, the Episcopal Church (TEC) has suffered both a striking numerical loss in membership (almost 30%) and an even larger decline as a percentage of the nation’s population (almost 60%). In 1960, TEC had 2.9 million members, equaling 1.6% of the U.S. population. Forty-eight years later, TEC had fewer than 2.06 million members, or only 0.65% of the U.S. population.

From an organizational perspective, TEC struggles with declining revenues. For example, the national Church budget for the 2010-2012 triennium is $23 million smaller than for 2007-2009. The current recession, especially for entities such as TEC that are heavily dependent upon endowment income, has accentuated financial difficulties. Underlying the recession, the real cause is declining membership.

Here's the Article:


ANDREW MCGOWAN AUGUST 20, 2012

When the idea of an Anglican Ordinariate was announced in September 2009 in the apostolic constitutionAnglicanorum Coetibus, theTimes of London ran the headline 'Vatican Parks Tanks on Rowan's Lawn'.

It seemed an apt image at the time, for all sorts of reasons: one was the spectacularly undiplomatic character of the act, which was opposed by some in the Vatican and by very senior English Roman Catholics; another was the personal affront to Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, whose progressive leanings have never hidden a genuine admiration for the wider western catholic tradition of which his own Anglicanism is a part.

But the other implication of the image was one of a serious and lasting shift in power, a re-drawing of boundaries or movement of populations. Three years later it is more as though the Pope had, uninvited, sent over a Fiat cinquecento or two to pick up some stranded friends and their bags. As they leave the Lambeth Palace gates there is probably relief on both sides.

Read further at Eureka Street...