This morning I received a letter from a reader in America asking for prayers. His first name was Christopher. If he would like to give me his email address as a Comment on this blog, I will delete it without publishing it and use email to reply.
Father, as a recent follower here could you answer a question for me? If the Ordinariate has a role in evangelising by means of her unique liturgical and musical treasures why is membership restricted to only ex Anglicans? There are many who could be drawn to Christ & His Church through the Ordinariate who have never been Anglicans or "anything" for that matter. Alan
With regard to the Ordinariate's evangelisation two points should be made - the first is that all may attend Ordinariate services, and all Catholics may receive Holy Communion at Ordinariate Masses.
Secondly, it is not only ex-anglicans who may join (though they currently form the large majority of the membership); anybody who receives the Sacraments of Initiation in the context of the Ordinariate may join. Thus an unbaptised person who is brought to the Church by the Ordinariate's mission may join; a former Methodist who was baptised in that ecclesial community but is received and Confirmed may do so; indeed (thanks to our current Holy Father's initiative) a person Baptised by a Catholic Priest but lapsed from the practice of the Faith who thanks to the Ordinariate is brought home and then Confirmed may join.
Father, as a recent follower here could you answer a question for me?
ReplyDeleteIf the Ordinariate has a role in evangelising by means of her unique liturgical and musical treasures why is membership restricted to only ex Anglicans? There are many who could be drawn to Christ & His Church through the Ordinariate who have never been Anglicans or "anything" for that matter.
Alan
With regard to the Ordinariate's evangelisation two points should be made - the first is that all may attend Ordinariate services, and all Catholics may receive Holy Communion at Ordinariate Masses.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, it is not only ex-anglicans who may join (though they currently form the large majority of the membership); anybody who receives the Sacraments of Initiation in the context of the Ordinariate may join. Thus an unbaptised person who is brought to the Church by the Ordinariate's mission may join; a former Methodist who was baptised in that ecclesial community but is received and Confirmed may do so; indeed (thanks to our current Holy Father's initiative) a person Baptised by a Catholic Priest but lapsed from the practice of the Faith who thanks to the Ordinariate is brought home and then Confirmed may join.