LETTER to the Editor
Subject: CORONATION
It has been my work, great honour and joy to celebrate the Traditional (Latin) Mass "On the Day of the Election and Coronation of the Pope." May our prayers be gathered up with those of the whole Roman Church and Eastern Church that the Lord has granted unto the Universal Catholic Church and the world, a Pontiff, who will extend tender care towards us and ever-find favour in His sight.
Deo Gratias!
Fr. Christopher LePage +
Priest
Chapel of St. Thomas More
Anglican Catholic Church of Canada
Cavendish, PEI
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LETTER to the Editor
Subject : The new Pope
Dear Brothers in Christ,
Greetings from one who joined the Catholic Church almost ten years ago from strict Scottish Calvinism. I assure you that my family and friends are praying for your reunification to St Peter. Sometimes it seems Rome works on two speeds, slow and stop. It is my belief that the new Holy Father Pope Benedict will work to make this happen as soon as possible.
My dearest friend attends your parish in Los Angeles and we both are looking to the day when we can both partake of Christ's body and blood in the same Church. I pray that one day I might worship in the Liturgy that I have come to love and sing the hymns that have inspired and sustained me in many difficult times. God bless you and may we be one under Pope Benedict very soon.
In Christ,
Mrs Annie Witz
Corona, CA
P.S. I have the monks at St Benedict's Crypt in Norcia Italy praying for reunification
* * * * *
LETTER to the Editor
Subject: Prayers from Argentina...
Most Reverend Archbishop John Hepworth:
I know you must be very busy these days, but I write you to tell you that as a Roman Catholic, I'm very happy that the TAC is everyday closer to be in "communion with Rome".
With our little community in a hidden place in Argentina, we pray everyday for all of you, specially since last Sunday, when our Pope spoke about "unity" as what the Holy Catholic Church is needing most. Benedict XVI words: "the net has been torn" are very painful. But let us be no afraid of Christ! He is wanting all of us to be ONE.
If you receive this mail, please send our greetings to all of the TAC bishops, priests and lay people.
In Christ and in Mary.
Antonio.
* * * * *
LETTER to the Editor
Subject: Praying for Unity
To His Excellency Archbishop John Hepworth,
I have recently read your letter about our beloved pope John Paul II, who passed to Lord on 2nd of April. As a Polish Roman Catholic, I am really greatful to your Excellency for the strong support and love in Christ towards John Paul II, as well as towards the future unity. I have been praying for the unity between our separated branches of the same One Catholic and Apostolic Church.
I also would like to wish your Excellency God's graces and constant guidance of the Holy Spirit on these difficult ways of your service to God and the community.
May our Lady Mother of God lead you to Her beloved Son Jesus Christ.
with prayers and best wishes
Darek Janyga (from Poland,Silesia)
* * * * *
The unification of the Church
23 rd April 2005
THE sermon delivered at the new Pope's first mass was a harbinger of things to come in several ways that have yet to register in the commentariat, says analyst and commentator Christopher Pearson in The Weekend Australian newspaper 23 April 2005.
He wrote, "The most significant was an unequivocal commitment to pursuing the reunification of the church. Are we to conclude from this that a once fierce critic of women's ordination in the Anglican Communion has softened his stance or that he's preparing to cobble together unexpected compromises with the Protestant churches?
I don't think either option is conceivable. What is likely is that the Traditional Anglicans, the opponents of women's ordination whose global head is an Australian, Archbishop John Hepworth, will soon be reconciled with Rome. This coup, involving a substantial, dissident chunk of the Anglican world, was mooted in this column more than a year ago. It was scheduled for announcement in late January, until last-minute hitches and John Paul II's declining health deferred matters.
The other front on which there is some prospect of change is among the Eastern Orthodox. The doctrinal differences are so minor that they've long been seen as more of an excuse for separateness than a reason. Cardinal Ratzinger, as he then was, made some unfortunate remarks about the Orthodox, likening them to "a withered arm of Christendom". More recently he has taken, when in Rome on a Sunday, to attending mass in the eastern rite at the church attached to the Russicum, the Russian College. There are still tricky issues of diplomacy, notably on proselytising in rival jurisdictions, but if there's no progress I expect it won't be for lack of trying on Rome's part."
The full text of this article appears on page 20 of The Weekend Australian 23 rd April 2005.
* * * *
Archbishop of Canterbury wants to promote "shared understanding" with Rome
23 rd April 2005
Dr. Rowan Williams, heartened by the new Pope's reference to ecumenism in his first homily will attend the inauguration Mass for Pope Benedict XVI in Rome on Sunday.
Relations with the Anglican Communion have been bleak toward the end of Pope John Paul's papacy who was dismayed by the decision of the Church of England to ordain women priests. The Vatican also viewed with concern the progress of the liberal gay lobby in the American and Canadian Anglican churches.
Benedict XVI has taken a keen interest in recent controversies in the Anglican Church. He sent a personal of support to traditionalist Anglicans opposing the consecration of the new Bishop of New Hampshire, Gene Robinson, who is gay.
* * * *
The election of Pope Benedict XVI
Source The Weekend Australian
22 nd April 2005
Message from the Anglican Archbishop of Sydney
AS Archbishop of Sydney, I assure Cardinal Pell, the bishops, clergy and people of the Roman Catholic Church of the prayers and best wishes of Anglicans as Pope Benedict XVI assumes his office of leadership.
The Pope is recognised as a world-renowned theologian in the orthodox catholic tradition. We applaud his public stance on matters of morality such as the sanctity of human life and traditional church teaching on sexuality. We have also been pleased to note his encouragement to the Cardinals to stand firm against the 'dictatorship of relativism.'
We recognise that there are significant differences on matters of doctrine and ecclesiology between Catholic and Protestant Christians. Nevertheless, we welcome Pope Benedict's statements since his election which indicate that he is open to continuing dialogue with those of other Christian denominations and also of other faiths. As those who are seeking to witness to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, we look forward to further exploration of the teaching of scripture.
Dr Peter F Jensen
Anglican Archbishop of Sydney
* * * *
THE Most Reverend John Hepworth, Primate of the Traditional Anglican Communion writes to the College of Bishops of the TAC on the occasion of the election of Pope Benedict XVI.
April 19th 2005
My Dear Fathers and Brothers,
A few days ago in Rome, a priest said to me that "The funeral will have an affect on the conclave."
To stand in Saint Peter's Square at three in the morning and watch a million young people, candles flickering, hymns and prayers being said aloud, faces intense with purpose, as they waited for a brief moment alongside the body of the late Pope, was to confront the church in a new and awesome way. So many languages, so many cultures and histories, so readily able to gather from the far corners of the earth, such a single-minded sense of purpose and of faith. In a moment, the global dream of Jesus that the Church be gathered "from the nethermost ends of the earth" as He ascended to the Father was realised in our midst. If we felt it so strongly, my priest friend thought, how much more must the Cardinals have felt it. Later, kneeling beside the earthly remains of John Paul, I watched that great procession from within Saint Peter's, twenty abreast as it swept past him without pause. Now could their grief and tears be seen. Here was a people mourning a shepherd whom they loved, and whom they had known. To be known, that Christ be known through us. To be loved, because the love of Christ is in us. That is how the apostles saw themselves. It is still the test.
And so they have elected a new Pope, decisively and quickly, a pope who already speaks to the world of faith "as one with authority". He is already a hero of the young who are the most ardent defenders of the faith in our age. His writings on ecumenism - and on the Sacred Liturgy and on so much else - already make him our companion. He is intimate with the worlds of Lutheranism and Anglicanism.
He is very aware of our Traditional Anglican Communion, of our troubles, conflicts and hopes. He knows some of us in person, and has generously corresponded with others of us.
His election fills us with hope - with a generous hope for the future of the whole Church, and a very personal hope that we too will find in Pope Benedict a shepherd from whom we will hear the voice of Jesus calling us to follow Him. Let us thank Holy Spirit for this godly choice!
+John
"It is the Holy Spirit,
Dwelling in those who believe,
Pervading and ruling over the entire Church,
Who brings about that marvellous communion of the faithful
And joins them together so intimately in Christ
That He is the principle of the Church's unity."
Vatican 2, Ecumenism.
* * * * *
The Church has a new Pope - Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, who will take the name Benedict XVI.
He is a Gospel man, utterly Christ-centred, a "Bible Christian" (to use Cardinal Pell's term), loyal to the "Faith once delivered", a gentle, compassionate and holy pastor, and committed to ecumenism.
Let all Anglican Catholics pray for Our new Holy Father!
+David Chislett SSC
* * * * *
BISHOP DAVID CHISLETT'S TRIAL
Friday 8 th April 2005
AN "in camera" confidential hearing, (or trial as it has become more popularly known), of Bishop David Chislett took place yesterday at the headquarters of the Anglican Diocese of Brisbane.
A panel of six Commissioners had put a series of questions to Bishop Chislett, and these formed the basis of the hearing. The Commissioners will deliberate further and in due course give Dr Phillip Aspinall, Archbishop of Brisbane, their opinion as to whether there is sufficient ground to warrant the removal of Bishop Chislett as Rector of All Saints, Wickham Terrace and priest of the diocese.
The Commissioners are Archdeacon Richard Gowty (Rector of Buderim), the Hon. Justice Deborah Mullins (Deputy Chancellor), Canon Bruce Maughan, (Rector of Camp Hill, the Rev'd Ian Trainor (Rector of S. Paul's Maryborough), Mt Tony Levick (Synod Representative, S. Stephen's Cooparoo) and Mr Robert Cunningham (Diocesan Legal Representative).
Bishop Chislett's legal advisor at the hearing was Mr. John Harley QC, well known churchman, expert in Canon Law and State Advocate of South Australia.
Bishop Chislett told The Messenger , "I was pleased with the case I was able to put to the Commissioners, and the issues were thoroughly canvassed during the four hour hearing."
According to Bishop Chislett, nothing more can be said until the Commissioners give their opinion to Dr. Aspinall who will then decide whether or not he should remove Bishop Chislett from the incumbency of All Saints.
* * * * *
Bishop Chislett faces Church Trial
Sunday 3rd April 2005
THE five Commissioners appointed by the Archbishop of Brisbane to investigate the consecration of Bishop David Chislett will begin their hearings on Thursday 7th April. The Commission has the power to advise the Archbishop of Brisbane on the removal of Bishop Chislett's license as Parish Priest of All Saints Parish, Brisbane.
The Commissioners have submitted a series of questions to Bishop Chislett concerning the consecration in Rosemont, the relationship of the Traditional Anglican Communion to the Archbishops of Canterbury and Brisbane, and on his continuance at All Saints.
Asking for the prayers of all faithful Anglicans for Bishop Chislett and his advisers at this time, Archbishop Hepworth (Primate of the Traditional Anglican Communion) expressed his dismay at the conduct of the proceedings.
"A number of the bishops of the Anglican Church of Australia, including the retiring Primate, Peter Carnley, and the Archbishop of Brisbane, Phillip Aspinall, together with the Standing Committee of the General Synod, have published statements in the past few weeks that pre-judge this case. The Commissioners have been publicly instructed of the result that is expected of them, since their own Archbishop has already given the answers in public. This is a complete denial of due process and of natural justice. I have watched with increasing dismay as these statements have continued. It has long been a principle of Australian law that matters before the courts are not rehearsed in public, especially by those who sit in judgement. Archbishop Aspinall and his friends make much of the standards of the contemporary world, and show an utter contempt for these standards when exercising their own power. It is difficult to remember that we are in the twenty-first century, and not some dimly remembered time of Cromwellian or Tudor England."
"I will continue to preserve my silence until the case is concluded. And I will continue to pray that we will maintain our faith and our love of our enemies in the face of persecution."
NEWS of the trial will be published on this site as it is released.
* * * * *
Obituary
Pope John Paul II 1920-2005
By the Most Reverend John Hepworth
ONE of the greatest Popes - in the long line that stretches to Peter - has died. We join our brothers and sisters throughout the Church in mourning a Father whom we also loved dearly.
It is rare for a Pope to challenge the whole world. In the cause of human life, in the cause of the freedom of each human being, in the cause of peace and justice, in the cause of learning and enlightenment, and above all in the cause of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus, the Son of God, he brought the rulers of the nations, and their subjects, to an accountability under God.
At the same time, he challenged all of us who bear the name of Christ. We were challenged with the demand of Jesus that we be one. And daringly, he challenged us to accept his ministry, the ministry of Peter, in a world grown tired of authority.
We saw in him all the frailty of the human condition. We watched him in prayer at the great shrines of Mary, face alight with love. We saw him in Canterbury, before Augustine's throne, and we dreamed of what might be, and of what must be. We watched him in his travels and in his infirmities. We saw a man of faith. We saw a pilgrim driven by the apostolic urge to the nethermost ends of the world. We saw Peter at the feet of Christ, and in seeing, we heard the words of his Master.
Few popes have written as much, and few popes have been so earnestly read. Few human beings have caused such joy, such devotion. And few have caused so many people to so freely weep.
In the Breaking of the Bread of Life, we remember his immortal soul. Our prayerful thanksgiving is for a life that touched our life. And we invoke the Holy Spirit to stir up those who must now elect a shepherd for the Eternal City, where the bones of Peter and Paul, and John Paul, await the Resurrection.
Requiescat in pace, sacerdos magnus.
+John Hepworth
* * * * *
A Pastoral Letter for Eastertide
"The Unity of the Church"
To the Bishops, Clergy and People of the Traditional Anglican Communion
I greet each of my brother bishops, and the priests, deacons and people of their churches, in the name of the Crucified and Risen Savior!
Two great images of the Church come powerfully to us from the New Testament.
Paul, Apostle
From the Apostle Paul we have the image of the Body of Christ, an image of the Crucified and Risen Son of God, with us until the end of time, always coming into the midst of the faithful in the Breaking of Bread, in the forgiveness of sin, in the healing of sick and broken lives, in the creation of family and of life, and in his chosen apostles, whom he left to guide the Church, promising that the very gates of Hell would not prevail against it. This image of the Church as Christ's body links us to Heaven, where the Son reigns at the right hand of the Father.
John, Whom Jesus Loved
From the Apostle John we have the Apocalypse image of the great company of the faithful before the throne of the Lamb, who was slain for us. This is an image of the golden altar of the life to come, with the Lamb of God surrounded by the worshipping powers of Heaven, of angels and archangels and cherubim, with the apostles and martyrs and confessors, and all who have been gathered by the Lamb before that throne in their faithfulness and their victory over death. But John's vision of the church also included each community of the faithful still here on earth, striving to be at one with the church of the New Jerusalem. Our faithfulness and our worship here below unites us with those who can already see the Lamb on the altar of God, see the cherubim swinging the golden censer, and hear the choirs of angels singing "Holy, Holy, Holy", a song we echo daily at our altars.
The One Church
These images make it clear that the Christ who is glimpsed through our sacramental veils is the same Christ worshipped on the altar of heaven. "They knew Him in the breaking of the bread", and so do we. In knowing Him, we glimpse the glory of the next life, the life of resurrection. The church that is here, and the church that is there, are made one church by the Lord of all creation whom they share.
In sharing one Lord, the church itself is already one. It cannot be divided, for the Christ cannot be divided. In the images and visions of John, we glimpse a church in which the company of the faithful forms a single, intense community before Him. But in Paul's preaching to the churches here on earth, we have a grim warning of the peril of division among the faithful.
The Unity of Christian People
At the Last Supper, as Jesus broke and shared with the apostles the Bread that was his Body, he prayed to the Father to keep them faithful so that they might be one, just as He and the Father are one. The apostles remained at one, even as they dispersed "to the ends of the world" in their witness, and even as they faced persecution and martyrdom. But from the earliest times, division has been the most visible failure of His followers. This is a tragic fact in our world. The powers of strange Gods and other faiths are felt afresh. The Christian is ridiculed and Christian faith is persecuted in ways that are as new as they are intense. Secularism is a powerful voice in public life and public policy. In this world, the disunity of Christian people has become a rallying point for those who would blot out from the world the very name of Christ.
Our Communion
The Traditional Anglican Communion gathers into one Eucharistic community Anglican churches that are living remnants of a tradition whose very life is threatened. These churches sometimes have had bishops and priests from the time of their formation. Sometimes they have stood alone without shepherds, or have existed as fragments of fractured Anglican communities. The Communion has come into existence to maintain the faith, worship, community, teaching, belief and the Eucharistic life of service that mark the one Church of Christ throughout the world. It aspires to a faithfulness that cannot be sustained in the broken Eucharistic communities of the contemporary Anglican Communion.
From its beginnings, the Communion has always understood that it cannot exist in isolation from the one Church of Christ, since it is only in sharing one Bread and one Cup, one Baptism, one Lord and one God and Father of all, that brings us to the unity for which Jesus prayed.
As true preachers of the Gospel, we have always sought to extend our Eucharistic community. At the heart of the Affirmation of Saint Louis, which states clearly the forces that have driven us to action, and continue to drive us, and central to everything that we have done to build this community, is the conviction that we are in the communion of Eucharistic fellowship "with all faithful Anglicans". We have shaped our life as a church according to this principle. Thus, we have offered separate shelter to existing Anglican communities and joined them to us only when they could no longer bear the burdens imposed on them by the apostasy of those in whose power they found themselves. Where such dire circumstances do not exist, we strive to maintain fellowship in Christ with sister Anglican provinces.
The Holy See
And from the beginning, we have also sought unity with the Holy See.
Ten years ago, bishops of this Communion visited Rome and made their desire known to the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity. Every two years since then, when our bishops from around the world have gathered as a College, they have renewed their intention of seeking to be an Anglican Church in Communion with the Bishop of Rome, in whom they recognize the successor of Peter, whom Jesus Christ appointed at the head of the Twelve, and to whom He gave a divine mandate to protect and nourish His flock. In the church led by the successor of Peter, to whom bishops of the undivided church looked for guidance and for authentic teaching, we confess that the one Church of Christ finds its fullest subsistence, even as we recognize that same one Church of Christ as truly subsisting in our own community life and witness.
But even as we work to draw closer to the See of Peter, we already have an intense experience of the unity in Christ that we share with the Church of Rome. We experience that unity in the oneness of our baptismal heritage. We experience it in the oneness of our priestly and apostolic witness to the faith. We experience it in the oneness of our teaching on God's creation and the sanctity of life. We experience it in the oneness of our proclamation of God Incarnate in Christ Jesus and of the redemptive power of His Cross and Resurrection. Because of this experience of Unity in the Spirit, we have yearned to share the One Bread, and be one people before the altar of God.
And we have been deeply moved and greatly encouraged that the present Pope, in his encyclical Ut Unum Sint , has acknowledged this "real but imperfect communion existing between us", and has challenged us, together with all the churches and ecclesial communities, to reflect with him in new and fruitful ways on the ministry of unity that Christ committed to Peter as leader of the Apostolic College:
"for a great variety of reasons, and against the will of all concerned, what should have been a service sometimes manifested itself in a very different light. But ... it is out of a desire to obey the will of Christ truly that I recognize that as Bishop of Rome I am called to exercise that ministry ... I insistently pray the Holy Spirit to shine his light upon us, enlightening all the Pastors and theologians of our Churches, that we may seek-together, of course-the forms in which this ministry may accomplish a service of love recognized by all concerned.'
"This is an immense task, which we cannot refuse and which I cannot carry out by myself. Could not the real but imperfect communion existing between us persuade Church leaders and their theologians to engage with me in a patient and fraternal dialogue on this subject, a dialogue in which, leaving useless controversies behind, we could listen to one another, keeping before us only the will of Christ for his Church and allowing ourselves to be deeply moved by his plea "that they may all be one ... so that the world may believe that you have sent me" ( Jn 17:21)? ( Ut Unum Sint 95, 96)
Centuries of Division
This is a daring hope for Anglican people. Centuries of division have blunted our conscience. Our separation from God's other people has become "normal" for us. And yet for those same centuries, Anglicans have gathered treasures of theology and liturgy, of the ways of holiness and common life, of clerical life that places a family, in all its frailty and sacredness, at the heart of diocese and parish, and of missionary endeavor that has taken the faith truly to the ends of the world. All this we offer as a precious gift to God's people whose purposes and destiny we share.
Once, when the work of the Anglican/Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) was clearly seen by all as a search for organic unity between the churches of Canterbury and Rome, "united but not absorbed" in the happy phrase of Pope Paul VI, we dared to dream that we would live to see that unity achieved. But the Anglican insistence on attempting to ordain women to the priesthood and to the episcopate, ignoring the pleas of both Paul VI and of the present Pope, shattered that dream, and removed it from our grasp. The documents of ARCIC show that Rome and Canterbury do not fully share a common faith, nor do they teach with a single voice.
Our Dream and our Prayer
Nevertheless, we must celebrate and practice the unity that we share. In common prayer and true conversion of life, in joint social action, in listening to each other as we teach the faith, and in bearing one another's burdens, we can begin to make present in the life of our own Communion the depth and breadth of unity that is ours in the Body of Christ. To this we are fully committed, and we must begin to seek ways of putting this commitment into practice.
In this task, the bishops of the Traditional Anglican Communion remain open to the promptings of Holy Spirit. According to the ancient formularies of the Anglican Ordinal, we have been consecrated bishops "in the Church of God" by the power of Holy Spirit, and it is the unity of the whole flock of Christ that we have sworn to maintain. In one of its most moving passages, the Second Vatican Council reminds us that Holy Spirit is the instrument and author of all unity. It may be that we are called to be instruments for healing the divisions and suffering that mark the Anglican Communion of today. Indeed, many a prophet was sent repeatedly to a people from whom he would rather have escaped. And Jesus told Peter that he would indeed be led to a place from which he would shrink. Perhaps, for example, it is our task to restore the hopes of ARCIC, even though our dreams might then be delayed, and others reap our sowing long after we are gone.
But perhaps our prayers will be answered in ways that we dream, rather than ways that we fear, and at least in our own community we will discover the fullest answering of the High Priestly Prayer, with our bishops, priests and people who form their churches, all gathered one day around the altar with the one whose ministry is to feed the lambs and the sheep of Christ, and to confirm his brethren in that unity for which Christ so ardently prayed to the Father, who loved Him and sent Him .
With the Father, and with the Spirit, the Son is truly one.
* * * * *
Easter Greetings
in the Name of
our Risen Lord!
The Right Reverend David Chislett SSC writes:
I do hope that you will forgive the mass-produced nature of this comunication. It is the only way I can possibly thank all who have made contact by telephone, mail or email to assure me of your love and prayers.
Deep within our hearts, Bishop David Moyer and I both believe (as do those from among whom our names emerged for this new ministry) that submitting to consecration as “missionary bishops” is an aspect of our obedience to the call of God, a fresh taking up of the Cross for the sake of the Gospel and the Faith.
We knew in advance that we would face opposition and misunderstanding, and even lose a few friends, although, given the ready accommodation within Anglican structures of clergy - even bishops - who reject basic Christian teaching on a whole range of matters, we have been surprised at the venom in much that has been written.
In my case, as you know, it has meant suspension from All Saints' by the Archbishop of Brisbane, pending the deliberation of his Commissioners, before whom I will appear on 7th April. I have been supplied with a list of questions to which I will speak, and numerous advisors are working with me to ensure the best possible statement of our point of view. The following day is my deadline for responding to the Archbishop's letter asking me to show why he should not revoke my licence (based on the same issues as covered by the Commissioners' questions).
I believe more firmly than ever that the provision of a shared episcopal ministry to marginalised, persecuted and scattered Anglican Catholics in Forward in Faith and the TAC is a good and godly goal. I still believe that such a minisry based at All Saints' would work well to inspire the halfhearted, the depressed, the downtrodden - those priests and people who have thrown in the towel - to reignite a passion for the Gospel, and to re-establish orthodoxy in places where it has all but vanished. Time will tell. Whatever the outcome of the process set in train by the Archbishop of Brisbane, that ministry will be exercised somehow.
Thank you for your concern for me personally. I have a deep and abiding sense of the “peace of God that passes all understanding” even in my grief at not being able to stand at the altar of God. My parishioners have been wonderful, and they are being well cared for by Fathers Arthur Fellows, Andrew Gilbert and our lay ministers.
I was only 16 when I preached my first sermon at a Sunday night youth service. It wasn't a very good sermon, but two teenagers remained behind afterwards to talk about following Jesus. That got me started 36 years ago. Since then I have had the privilege of sharing the Word of God and then celebrating the Sacraments in many different places and diverse communities. The present situation is not the first time that I have had to put into practice in my own life the advice I have given others in their times of distress, disappointment and difficulty.
So, please keep the prayers going, especially as we enter Holy Week to walk with
Jesus the way of sorrows and to stand with our blessed Lady at the foot of the Cross
sharing the fellowship of her Son's suffering. May our breath be taken away at the
sheer price of our redemption and the limitless love of God. And as we get to the
great Vigil and Easter Day, may we allow Jesus to touch our lives with his victory
and triumph, transfiguring us from glory to glory even as we now know him in “the
breaking of the bread”.
Again, thank you so much for your support.
The Resurrection (Getty Museum)
This oil painting by the Dutch artist Pieter Lastman (ca.1583-1633) is a powerful representation
of the resurrection of Jesus. Lastman's use of light and shade, saturated colors, and bold
gestures dramatically captures the supernatural dynamic of the Resurrection as described in
the Bible. He emphasizes the power of the miracle, contrasting divine light with the darkness
of sin and death. An angel gently lifts the heavy lid from the tomb as Jesus rises, surrounded
by cherubs. Light from his halo illuminates the standing angel and throws into shadow the
standing soldier with upraised arms, outlining his bright red costume. A terror-stricken soldier
sprawls on the ground with his head thrown back and his arm raised as if to ward off a
blow. To the right, a turbaned man shields his eyes while a soldier in a plumed hat sleeps. In
the background, rays from the rising sun light the approach of the three Marys.
* * * * *
From Australia's Federal Parliament HANSARD March 8 2005
The Member for Fisher, Peter Slipper
[The Reverend Peter Slipper is a Deacon of the Traditional Anglican
Communion]
62 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Tuesday, 8 March 2005 Mr SLIPPER (Fisher) (9.05
p.m.)
I rise in the House today to congratulate the Right Reverend David
Chislett SSC, the Rector of All Saints Anglican Church, Brisbane, on his
consecration as a bishop in the Church of God on 16 February 2005 at the
Parish Church of the Good Shepherd, Rosemont, Philadelphia, in the United
States of America. I know Bishop Chislett very well. I have attended All
Saints Wickham Terrace for years, first when I was a student at secondary
school. I am a former altar server, parish councillor and synodsperson.
Bishop Chislett was consecrated to serve the traditional Anglicans in this
country and Forward in Faith Australia who are dismayed at the heterodox
views of many of the Anglican bishops in this country. Bishop Chislett will
work with the Traditional Anglican Communion to bring orthodox Anglicanism
to a new future. The chief consecrator was Archbishop John Hepworth, the
Australian Primate of the Traditional Anglican Communion, and there were a
number of coconsecrators, including the Anglican Bishop of the Murray, the
Right Reverend Ross Davies, and the Anglican Bishop of Ruvuma in Tanzania,
Bishop Kapinga. It is important to recognise that the Anglican Church over
the years has always claimed to be part of the One, Holy, Catholic and
Apostolic Church, and in fact the threefold order of ministry is the same
as in the great communions of the West and the East.
I commend Bishop Ross Davies for his courage in participating in this
consecration, along with the other bishops. Bishop Chislett is an example
to all of us. He is an outstanding pastor and for 10 years has served
conscientiously as the Rector of All Saints Wickham Terrace and he is a
person who will enhance the future of Anglicanism in this country. Bishop
Chislett understands the Anglican Church is the English expression of the
Catholic faith. He is quite uncompromising and highly principled. He is a
person I want to salute in the federal parliament as a person who should
enjoy the admiration of all of us.
* * * * *
From Australia's Federal Parliament, Canberra
HANSARD March 16, 2005 House P 97
Rt Reverend Ross Davies SSC
Mr SECKER (Barker) (7.54 p.m.)?As the member for Barker, which is an electorate largely included within the Anglican Diocese of the Murray, I rise in the House tonight to express my concern at the somewhat bizarre public comments made by the outgoing Anglican Primate of Australia, Peter Carnley. Honourable members may be aware that the Bishop of the Murray, the Rt Reverend Ross Davies, participated in the consecration on 16 February 2005 at the Church of the Good Shepherd, Rosemont, Philadelphia, USA, of Bishops David Chislett of Australia and David Moyer of the United States.
Given the departure from Catholic order by Australian Anglican bishops through the purported ordination of women priests, orthodox Anglicans in Australia needed a bishop who had not departed from the Catholic faith to minister to them. Forward in Faith Australia, representing orthodox Anglicans, elected Father David Chislett, Rector of All Saints Church, Wickham Terrace in Brisbane, to be consecrated to the episcopate as a ?flying bishop? for Australia. He would also assist the Primate of the Traditional Anglican Communion, Archbishop John Hepworth of Adelaide.
Mr Pyne ?Good man!
Mr SECKER ?He is a good man. Bishop Davies, a man of great integrity and high principle, advocates that the Church of England and her daughter churches in the Anglican Communion are a valid and true expression of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. He points out that the great historical claim of the Anglican Church of being both Catholic and reformed was rooted in a truly sacramental ministry carried on as part of the apostolic succession. In a statement to the clergy and laity of the Murray on 2 March 2005, Bishop Davies emphasised that the Church of England in 1992, and the Anglican Church here in the same year, when legislating for the ordination of women, seriously breached the Catholic tradition without having a universal Anglican consensus on the issue.
The bishop goes on to tell us that in England, the act of synod catered for conscientiously Catholic and traditionally- minded Anglicans with legislation providing for ?flying bishops?. These are orthodox bishops who have not purported to ordain women. Sadly, a similar provision for the maintenance of the Catholic faith was not made in Australia. While I am not an expert on the theological arguments concerning the ordination of priestesses, I greatly respect the courage of Bishop Davies in taking action to guarantee the maintenance of the Catholic faith in its Anglican expression. As a bishop in the Church of God, Bishop Davies is a bishop for the whole church and not just for his own diocese. As Ross Davies has stated, he is free to exercise his episcopate for the good of the holy church. This brings me to express concern that religious persecution appears to be alive and well in the Anglican Church of Australia in 2005. In a remarkable demonstration of primatial thuggery, Peter Carnley raised the prospect of suspending Bishop Davies for his actions in ensuring the continuity of Catholic order in Australian Anglicanism through his participation in the consecration of Bishop Chislett. Not to be outdone in the thuggery stakes, Brisbane Archbishop Phillip Aspinall has sought to suspend Bishop Chislett as Rector of All Saints because he submitted himself to consecration. Bishop David Chislett remains a member of the Anglican Church of Australia and has been licensed as a bishop in the Anglican Diocese of the Murray. While neither Ross Davies nor David Chislett has breached the canons of the church or done anything illegal, we should remember that Peter Carnley first purported to ordain women, contrary to the canons of the Anglican Church of Australia. Talk about breathtaking hypocrisy on Archbishop Carnley?s part! I find his statement against Ross Davies both disgusting and unacceptable. As the member for Barker, I know all about the wonderful work being carried out by Bishop Ross as Bishop of the Murray. For example, the Cathedral Parish of the Murraylands is beginning a new Anglican primary school in Murray Bridge in 2006. It is to be a low-fee independent Christian school. In the national parliament I salute Bishop Ross Davies for his leadership, courage and values. Peter Carnley would do well to emulate his example.
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STATEMENT
The Anglican Church of Australia
DIOCESE OF THE MURRAY
TO CLERGY AND LAITY OF THE MURRAY
by the Bishop of The Murray, The Right Reverend Ross Davies
2nd March 2005
Concerning the consecrations of Bishops Chislett and Moyer <<Excerpt>>
Bishop David Chislett has risked his livelihood, his job and future for the sake of standing on a matter of Christian principle. While I have taken a risk of unpopularity, it is important for all members of our Diocese to understand that my legal advice from the Chancellor of The Murray, Lay Canon John Harley, preceding the consecration, informed me that I was doing nothing un-canonical or illegal.
Read more....<DOC>....
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Anglican Archbishop Aspinall suspends Bishop David Chislett
1st March 2005
THE Primate of the Traditional Anglican Communion, the Most Reverend
John Hepworth returned from the United States today and is expected to
make a Statement in relation to the suspension of Bishop David Chislett
SSC as Rector of All Saints, Wickham Terrace, Brisbane. Any Statement
from His Grace will be posted on this site.
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Doors in Melbourne close on Bishop Davies and Others
1st March 2005
IN reaction to Bishop Ross Davies participation in the consecration of Fr. David Chislett in the United States, the Anglican Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Melbourne, Peter Watson, has issued an authoritative bulletin to his "colleagues" banning Bishop Davies, Anglican Bishop of The Murray, and any other bishop not in communion, from officiating in the archdiocese unless written authority has been obtained.
The bulletin stated, "you are not to issue any invitation to Bishop Davies or to any bishop of a church that is not in communion with this Church to minister in the Diocese of Melbourne unless you have first received the written authority of the Archbishop of Melbourne and the invitation is in accordance with that authority. I also advise that, as Acting Primate, that I have made a reference to the General Synod Church Law Commission concerning matters relating to the consecration earlier this month."
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Bishop reminds Conference of Bishops the meaning of "schism"
1st March 2005
THE Bishop of The Murray, the Rt Revd Ross Owen Davies in his Letter to the Anglican Bishops of Australia meeting in Adelaide South Australia this week, has spelt out the meaning of the word "schism" to the assembled prelates.
In the past many Anglican bishops and clergy have fondly and arrogantly labelled traditionalists, who for conscience sake had left for the Anglican Continuum, as "schismatics". Bishop Davies told the bishops "the use of the word schismatic is dangerous unless we are very sure of all our ecumenical relationships and their impact in the long term. When people are quick to label others schismatic I wonder how they view the beginnings of our Communion with the schism of the C of E by Act of Parliament from Rome?"
He said, "C B Moss in 'The Christian Faith' defines schism as "departure of a group, large or small from catholic faith and/or order". On that definition I would quite clearly fail to be schismatic as does the TAC which has scrupulously continued catholic order and teaches catholic faith in its Anglican expression."
The full text of Bishop Davies' letter follows:
March 1, 2005
FROM THE BISHOP OF THE MURRAY
To members of the Bishops' Conference
I am writing to you all to let you know my reasons for not attending the Bishops' Conference this year.
Firstly let me say how sorry I am that I have caused many of you grief and pain by my actions. It is certainly not my intention to diminish the fellowship we have together as I will be remaining in my See as a Bishop of the Anglican Church of Australia. Two of you have banned me from ministry in your dioceses and I will certainly abide by your decisions in that area. I do not minister in other dioceses without a bishop's permission in any case as it is. Those who decide publicly to ban me will still have my goodwill and prayers and if you need to have contact with me for whatever reason you will be as welcome as ever.
My reasons for non-attendance are as follows.
1. There have been some very wild press reports some containing implied threats of legal action against me. This may or may not be true, however my legal training leads me to be wary, and so I am only prepared at present to commit my opinions to writing and not to be lead into any situation which would compromise me later.
2. There has not been sufficient time for cooling down after the surprise/hurt of my actions to some of you. I have no wish to inflame such feelings by my presence.
3. I acted as a member of Forward in Faith Australia in consecrating Bishop Chislett and so, I believe, if there is to be any dialogue, I wish to do so in concert with them. This would not be possible if I attend the Conference.
Other points I wish to make to you all are:
I will not be entering into a media brawl over the consecrations. I have so far made only a simple statement to the press and will avoid interviews until after the Bishops' Conference and even then only to explain the terms of my statement.
In deciding to participate in the consecrations, I took the advice of my Chancellor who assured me I was breaking no canons of the Anglican Church of Australia in doing so.
I have granted both Bishop Chislett and Bishop Moyer of Pennsylvania General Licences to officiate in my Diocese. It would prove quite impossible to admit them to an office of Assistant Bishop under the Assistant Bishops' Canon without necessary consents. At present Bishop Stanley Goldsworthy holds my General Licence, so there is nothing odd in this regard. I am free under the Constitution of my Diocese to license whomever I wish. You are not obliged to recognize or licence any ordained person to whom I grant a Licence. Nothing has changed in this regard.
My participation in the consecrations was an act of desperation in light of the continued unwillingness of the Anglican Church of Australia to provide acceptable alternative episcopal oversight for traditional Anglicans. I believe the orders and ministry of the Traditional Anglican Communion to be valid and authentically Anglican, but there would be no need for them in Australia at all, if alternative oversight had been provided here as in the Church of England.
I remind you that Bishop Hazlewood of Ballarat entered into a concordat of Communion with the TAC in 1987. I have not done so but I do not see how the canons would prevent me from so doing if I chose that course. I also remind you that the Diocese of Sydney has consecrated for CESA and have consistently acted as if they are in communion with that church although it is not part of the Anglican Communion. What will it mean when we are in communion with the Lutheran Church of Australia - they will not be members of the Anglican Communion either? The use of the word schismatic is dangerous unless we are very sure of all our ecumenical relationships and their impact in the long term. When people are quick to label others schismatic I wonder how they view the beginnings of our Communion with the schism of the C of E by Act of Parliament from Rome?
C B Moss in 'The Christian Faith' defines schism as "departure of a group, large or small from catholic faith and/or order". On that definition I would quite clearly fail to be schismatic as does the TAC which has scrupulously continued catholic order and teaches catholic faith in its Anglican expression.
So I am sorry if my actions have given offence. I did not do them lightly but to demonstrate my solidarity with traditional Anglicans in whichever Communion they find themselves. I acted out of love and obedience to the Lord and after much prayer. There is no hidden agenda in my actions, which I believe were sincere and Godly. I hope that you will still find a place in your hearts to pray for me as I do for you all.
In Christ Jesus,
+ Ross
25th February 2005
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Dr. Rowan Williams says ..."I am deeply committed to the reality of 'two
Integrities'",
".... there is a raft of questions about relations between the
'traditional' jurisdictions and the See of Canterbury which will have to
be clarified soon"
A LETTER from DR. ROWAN WILLIAMS, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY
to BISHOP ALFRED WOOLCOCK, SECOND DIOCESAN BISHOP of the ANGLICAN CATHOLIC CHURCH OF CANADA 2 May 2003
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